#like when it was announced after sister location and then unannounced

[woundedheartwithin]

Sorry about all the fnaf posting earlier it will happen again

[theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction]

Telegrams & Teacups

Pairing: Sherlock x Reader (Enola Holmes)

Warnings: None.

Summary: Your morning was normal until you received a telegram from your friend Sherlock Holmes with a simple request: help him find Enola.

A/n: This tiny idea had me so obsessed that it’s all I’ve been writing for the last few hours! I have no regrets <3

You had just poured yourself a cup of tea and set it down on the small table by the armchair when there was a knock at the door.

How peculiar. You thought to yourself. 

Crossing the room, you turned the handle and propped open the panel of wood to see who your guest was and was met with a man from the post office holding in his hands a beige envelope.

“Telegram for (Y/n).” He explained. You confirmed your identity and were handed the papered item bidding the gentlemen a good day.

With a swift closing of the door, you leaned against it and opened the letter, recognising initials of S.H on the bottom right corner. Sherlock had told you that he was leaving to attend to a personal matter in the country yesterday morning so if he sent a priority telegram to you, then there must have been a development in the case.

Unfolding the paper, you read the message and learnt that he requested your assistance in locating his sister Enola Holmes who he suspected to be in London and that he would be back in the city later that afternoon. At the bottom of the letter there were the words ‘URGENT’ and a short series of words describing the girl scrawled rather messily, no doubt belonging to his brother Mycroft who was constantly teetering on the edge of patience.

You glanced over at the teacup still sending swirls of steam into the air and sighed - your drink would have to wait. Grabbing your coat from its stand, you hastily put it on and dashed out the door. 

When you stepped out onto the street, you remembered Sherlock once mentioned having a sister that he had not contacted in years. It was a simple remark that he let slip when he had his guard down around you - it didn’t happen often and he had caught himself before opening up to emotion. A trait that you had come to accept.

Focusing back on finding the youngest Holmes sister, Sherlock had told you of the station that she would have gotten off at. A station name was all you needed because as it turned out, you were rather gifted at getting into people’s minds and predicting the footsteps that they had taken and ones that they were likely to take next.

From the way Sherlock had explained the situation in the letter to Mycroft’s hasty emotion-driven description, you could tell that Enola was on the run to escape her brothers and a young girl out of place, who wanted to stay hidden, would have to blend into the crowd.

Your feet brought you to the first dress shop on the street from the station. Peering through the window, you noticed that the shop owner was counting a large wad of cash that seemed to be suspiciously ‘earned’ by an otherwise empty and ragged looking store. Your eye also caught the clothing rack of beautiful dresses and the empty hangers by the window. 

‘Unrefined’ was one of Mycroft’s choice words and it seemed that Enola was clever enough to use his descriptions to her advantage.

Stepping back from the shop, you looked around the busy and bustling streets. Dressed like a lady, the young girl would be in need of accommodation, therefore she would have asked the shopkeeper for suitable lodgings to avoid wandering the streets aimlessly.

As if on cue, the dressmaker walked out of her shop and made her way across the street. Letting your instincts lead, you followed at a safe distance with a casual stride so as to not arouse suspicion. In a matter of minutes after turning a few streets and across empty passages, you had tracked the shopkeeper to what looked like a lodging of some kind on the edge of a suburb.

It was not terrible but would definitely keep one out of sight. Walking in, you introduced yourself as an acquaintance of Sherlock Holmes and inquired about Enola. The bookkeep nodded and immediately led you up a narrow set of stairs before approaching a room and knocking on the door.

“Young Miss. You have a visitor.” They announced. You heard a small shuffle of feet from inside and the door creaked open to reveal and young girl with big brown eyes. She seemed to have recognised you, stepping to the side to let you in. She closed the door and turned around.

“I know who you are.” She said boldly with a fresh air of confidence that was not to be expected from someone so young. “You work for my brother, Sherlock.”

Looking around at the little space, newspapers scattered over the bed, you smiled at Enola’s phrasing.

“Actually I work with him - on the occasion.” You corrected wheeling back around to the girl who folded her arms.

“Why are you here?”

“A telegram from your brother.”

Enola frowned and shook her head. “Well, I won’t return home so they can ship me off to some home for girls to be oppressed into this world.” She looked at you and realised that you dressed in the typical London style like everyone else that she had come across and added a small, “No offence.”

“Believe me, I am not a person of societal rules. I wear no hat and no gloves, and my neighbour - your brother - usually has me wound up in one of his most outrageous cases.” You explained with a small laugh. “Mycroft only tolerates my so-called ‘embarrassing presence’ because Sherlock insists.”

Your words seemed to have reached the young girl from the way her posture fell more relaxed.

“So, you won’t take me to my brothers?” She asked and you couldn’t help but chuckle while shaking your head.

“No. Mycroft called you wild and unladylike in my telegram but as I stand here before you, I don’t see any of it. You’re remarkable and we’ve only met.”

Enola sighed with some relief that she was not going to be dragged away and smoothed out her dress before looking up at you. “Thank you.” She said politely.

You had completed the task of finding Enola Holmes as requested and bid your farewell to the young girl but not before reminding her to reach out to you if she needed assistance. While she appeared to be very bright and capable, the city had its dangers concealed as innocence.

Leaving the lodging, you trekked back home, picking up a loaf of bread from the wheat merchant for dinner. It had been a long day and you were ready to sit back and enjoy a fresh cup of tea given that the one you had made earlier would have likely gone cold.

At the door, you balanced the paper bag against your hip and turned the key to unlock your place of residence. This time when you walked in, you discovered that you weren’t alone - Mycroft was pacing by the fireplace while Sherlock had taken a seat in your armchair with a newspaper in his face.

“Has nobody told you that it’s incredibly rude to show up in a person’s home unannounced?” You wondered letting the door fall to a close behind you. Sherlock smirked behind the paper at your comment as he turned the page. Mycroft stepped in your direction and your eyes darted up to see the scowl beneath his moustache.

“What I find to be rude is that you took it upon yourself to be entertained with such trivial actions instead of carrying out the simple task of finding our sister.” He snapped, gesturing to the bread in your hands. His sharp tone of cold authority once intimidated you, but each encounter had you grow bold, refusing to be tread on by the man.

“A task so simple that she managed to elude your brilliant mind?” You questioned with a small purse of your lips and tilting your head ever so slightly to accentuate your sarcasm. “If that isn’t an embarrassment to the name of Holmes, I don’t know what is?”

It was like you had struck the man physically as his walking cane was suddenly pointed at you with warning.

“Watch your tone, (Y/n). I can make your life exceedingly difficult.”

You held your ground against the man and smiled back. “Just being in my presence is difficult enough.”

His jaw clenched; the eldest Holmes brother pulled his cane back to his side refusing to entangle in a pointless argument. Head high, he scoffed and grumbled about how disappointing you were and why Sherlock kept you around as he exited the apartment.

Thankful that he was gone, you walked over to the small table by the window and set the bread down before picking up scattered pieces of paper.

“I take it that you found her.” Sherlock inquired from where he sat.

“Of course. She’s quite well hidden.”

“You didn’t tell Mycroft.”

Turning around, you crossed the room to the fireplace to place a few stray envelopes on the mantelpiece. “I don’t believe I owe him an answer after he broke into my home like some common thief.”

Sherlock set the newspaper down and watched you, “And yet, you’ve let me stay.” He said curiously.

You dusted your hands and glanced over your shoulder, shooting him a playful, almost-teasing smile.

Taking that for your answer, the famed detective stood up and placed the newspaper back from where he first retrieved it. You had finished up and noticed that he was on the border of leaving too.

“I take it that you won’t tell me of her location either?” He surmised, tugging a little on his coat to straighten it out.

With a small laugh, you walked past him and patted his chest. “You might be more agreeable than your brother, but I have no desire to make your job easy, Sherlock.” You told him kindly. “I’ll keep Enola in my sights and hidden until you catch up.”

That’s when you saw it, sitting on the armchair table was your teacup from that morning except, instead of being filled with a cold liquid, it was hot and steaming. Frowning, you turned to Sherlock who was by the door, smiling at your bewildered expression.

“You’ve had a long day. I’ll give you some time to catch up.” He winked and stepped out, disappearing behind your front door.

Masterlist here

[fergusandmarsali]

Outlander Bingo Masterlist

Biding Time -- Abduction/Kidnapping

A canon-divergent one-shot set during Voyager/Season 3 (Episode 7: Crème de Menthe) where Fergus and Young Ian find themselves kidnapped after a sale gone wrong.

The Finer Points -- Insomnia

While Jamie and Claire are off trying to convince Old Fox to join the war effort, Fergus is left in the care of one Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser. Luckily, Murtagh doesn't need to be a genius to see that Fergus isn't sleeping… or to set things to rights.

Cloudless Skies -- De-Aging

Fergus goes through the stones but comes straight back to his current time... as his one-year-old self, giving Jamie and Claire the chance to provide him with the loving care he so desperately needs. Set during Book 6: A Breath of Snow And Ashes.

Battlefield Discoveries -- Presumed Dead

When Fergus fails to return from the Battle of Prestonpans it falls upon Murtagh to locate his body and bring him home to Jamie and Claire. A canon-divergent one shot set during Season 2 / Dragonfly in Amber.

Wreck My Plans -- Fake Dating/Marriage

Faced with the prospect of her mother setting her up on a date with yet another man she doesn’t know (and certainly isn't going to like), Marsali announces she’s handfasted to Fergus Fraser of Lallybroch. Now all she needs to do is convince said Scotch Thistle Inn co-worker to play along and then, together, convince those around them it’s more than a passing folly long enough for her to escape this small town once and for all. Modern Day AU.

Coins & Conversations -- Mistaken Identity

When Murtagh is mistaken for the kind of man who would pay to spend time in Fergus’s company, he reacts accordingly – with creative insults, much violence and an overdue conversation with the boy himself. A canon-compliant one-shot set during early Season 2.

Lingering Wounds -- Stitches

A canon-compliant one-shot set during Voyager / Season 3 where Jamie suffers a flashback, Fergus temporarily finds himself with zero functioning hands and Young Ian gains a whole new understanding as to their father-son relationship.

New Names & Old Habits -- Fix-It Fic

A canon-divergent one-shot where Fergus's newfound delight in using the Fraser name leads to a chance meeting with Milord and Milady's daughter, him warning her to stay away from Stephen Bonnet and receiving all the motivation he needs to utilise his pickpocketing skills once more. Set during 4x08 Wilmington.

Shadows Aligning -- Huddling For Warmth

When Jamie turns up at the docks unannounced, Fergus is caught off guard by the men he’s fighting and ends up in the freezing cold basin leading to a moderate case of hypothermia, huddling for warmth and a conversation that he had been hoping to avoid. A canon-divergent one-shot set during Voyager / Season 3 featuring Vigilante!Fergus (because if his story isn’t a vigilante origin story then I don’t know what is).

Surprise Proposal -- Injury

Fergus's plan to inform Jamie and Claire of his relationship with Marsali includes good food, even better wine and two little sisters as his witness. What he gets instead is a motorcycle accident, painkillers and a tongue so loose it catches everyone by surprise – including himself. Modern Day AU.

As always, prompts and/or more specific requests are very welcome!

[syms-things-5]

Clear The Area - Chapter Eight

Previous Chapter Here

Warning: Language. NSFW. Unprotected sex (be careful guys)

Notes: Apologies this is a little (a lot) longer than planned, but hope you enjoy it!

CHAPTER EIGHT

Chris knew this would more than likely be the last time he would see his friends for a while. The reshoots loomed ever closer, the knot in his stomach was getting tighter, and he was growing more and more unnerved at the prospect of what was lying ahead of him. He was determined to make the most of this night as much as he physically could.

He showered and made himself vaguely presentable, ignoring the navy Chanel sweater and trousers that had arrived earlier that morning and opting instead for a plain white tee and jeans. His favourite red belt made a special appearance. He began regretting his decision to allow his management team to redecorate his pad in order to make it “friendlier on the eye” as soon as he took stock of his open lounge. They’d shifted some of the furniture around, added some fresh flowers and balloons here and there, and taken down the photograph of a family trip to Disney that used to be hanging in the entrance hallway. There was also a distinctly sweet and fragrant smell of freesias wafting through the air. It smelled like Springtime and positivity. He hated it.

Just a few “unfiltered” photographs, they said. Nothing too intrusive of stressful. Now, however, they were looking to cover up the potential fall-out from his fling with Jenny after she’d helpfully announced the day before that she was starting divorce proceedings. Matt had taken to messaging him at half-hour intervals to remind him his house needed to be bustling with as many people as possible even if he didn’t know them all personally. He needed to look carefree, he was instructed, and unbothered by whatever may be going on in somebody else’s private life because it had nothing to do with him, right? Maybe flirt a little bit. Bring out the “big guns” and the Boston “bro” personality his fans loved to see. For God’s sake, just try to look as single as possible.

People weren’t due to start arriving until 7 but it didn’t stop Chris from drinking almost as soon as he had woken up, calling on Scott and a couple of his oldest pals to come and join him for some pre-party beers. 

“Woah.” said Gary, walking in closely behind Scott, carrying a crate of Budweiser. He rook one exaggerated sniff of the perfumed air surrounding him. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say we’d come to the wrong place!”

“Are we allowed to touch anything?” joked Scott, mocking him by tip-toeing in past the guys.

“Don’t ask. Just do whatever you like, please. I need it to at least feel like it’s still my home.” Chris scratched his head in disbelief. It looked more like something featured on the ‘gram of a would-be influencer than the home of a 30-something bachelor who had no time for soft furnishings and Feng Shui.

“Bro, it’s your birthday! You could at least look happy about it.”

Chris wasn’t drunk enough to muster much more than a half-smile at his brother at that point but figured a few more beers might encourage him to lighten up. He must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. He was about to follow the lads into his kitchen when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. If it was Matt bugging him one more time, he swore he’d throw the phone out of the window.

     Unknown 1.09pm

     Happy birthday sweetie. Can’t wait to see you again x

“Who’s that?” said Scott as he emerged from the kitchen, beer in hand.

Chris just shook his head. “I have absolutely no idea.”

Gradually as the hours passed by, a steady stream of people started making their presence known. Most parties Chris threw rarely went off as originally organised but he didn’t much care. It was always implied that his downtown apartment had an open-door policy when it came to friends and family turning up unannounced. Hell, many would stay for days at a time and he wouldn’t care. If he was holding a party or a game night, people could just show up whenever they felt like it even if Chris himself wasn’t awake or ready to greet them in person. 

The vibe soon started picking up and the music was louder now. Scott had made various playlists and was doing the duty of hosting people better than Chris, who had been glued to his phone on and off for most of the afternoon. More and more of his friends arrived with their partners and Chris would give them a bro-shake but pretty much leave them to it. It was...odd. He wasn’t sure what was going on but he was growing concerned that his brother wasn’t much enjoying his birthday celebrations. The table in the hallway was rife with gifts and cards, and the beer and alcohol levels were not in danger of diminishing any time soon. Chris had gone overboard on catered food but he himself had yet to touch anything. That was a danger sign, Scott thought. Last thing he needed was a drunk and melancholy actor on his hands this earlier in the evening. Thankfully, Chris perked up as soon as he saw his mom and Shanna arrive, and Scott breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hello darling. Happy birthday!” Lisa called out to him and embraced him in a typical motherly hug, all stretched arms and smiles, running her hand under his chin as he pulled away. “How is everything?”

“Yeh, all good. Thanks mom. You look great!” Chris moved in to kiss her on the cheek again before pulling back to allow Scott his turn. “Wow, Shan, I really didn’t think you could make that shade of yellow look even more grotesque but you did it!”

When she was sure Lisa couldn’t see her, Shanna flipped him the bird. Chris feigned offense before wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulders and walking her towards the lounge. “Baby sis, you can’t be mean to me on my birthday.”

“Ugh...I really can’t handle you when I don’t have a drink in my hand.”

“Then let’s fix that!”

Chris shifted past a few friends, all greeting him and patting him on the back as he and his sister moved by. Several faces he didn’t recognise so Matt would be proud of him, he thought. “So, is Sarah travelling separate to you guys?” Chris asked, finally taking one of the wrapped boxed out of his mom’s hands.

“I think so. Do you want these in the fridge or in the pantry for later?” Lisa asked indicating the cupcakes she’d been asked to pick up on the way over.

“Um, just leave them there for now, it’s fine.”

Before he got a chance to speak to his mother again, it was too late. He watched as she was grabbed by Josh and his new girlfriend and started to make her way around her son’s oldest friends, greeting them all as though she hadn’t seen them in years. Shanna reappeared next to him, rifling through the bottles of vodka until she landed on her favourite. 

“Is Sarah not coming then?” Chris asked, more concerned this time than no one seemed to know exactly where she was.

“Not if you’re going to continue being a dick to her, she’s not.” Shanna turned around to Chris’s fridge and began perusing the selection of mixers. “Where’s the cranberry juice?”

“It’s inside the door.” He responded. Shanna couldn’t see for looking but finally located the carton of juice and poured a fraction of what she needed into the glass before topping it up with a very generous amount of vodka. “I was kind hoping to apologise to her in person actually. Is she still really upset? She hasn’t answered my texts.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, you were out of like, Chris. But yes, she’ll be here, I’m sure. I think she just had something to do first.”

Chris knew Shanna was hiding something from him. She was a terrible liar.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He grabbed the glass from her hands. “I am not looking after you tonight.”

“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll make sure she gets home safe.” Scott reappeared alongside them, merrier than before and holding a small plate of food for Chris. “Why don’t you ‘mingle’ mingle? Your audience awaits, kind Sir.”

Just as Chris was about to protest, his phone vibrated again in his pocket.

Unknown 9.22pm

I hope you’re having a great time tonight. The party looks amazing! Can’t wait to catch up with you properly x

*

At some point around 10pm, Chris escaped. He retreated to his little hideout behind a tree that gave him a clear view of his property without the pressure of being spotted by anyone inside. His phone had buzzed a couple more times and he was now sure if was Jenny reaching out to him. She’d been leaving little heart emojis on some photographs that had already appeared online. He felt a little sick and just needed to get away from the crowds, now tipsier than he was, annoyingly. He took the cigarette he’d bunged from a friend and lit it, savouring the feeling. In that moment was possibly the calmest he’d felt all day.

“Who are you hiding from, birthday boy?” Chris knew it would be Scott who would find him eventually.

Chris shrugged. “No one. Just needed the air.”

“Yeh right. Mom knows you smoke by the way. No point hiding it now.” Scott took the cigarette and took a slow drag before handing it back to him. “Zach hates me smoking inside.”

“Is that why you started running?” Chris smirked.

“Running’s healthy. It’s all about balance.” Scott observed his brother for a moment. “What’s going on? You’ve been quiet all day. You’ve only had, what, three beers? That’s not like you.”

Chris shrugged unconvincingly, avoiding eye contact before his phone buzzed again. He quickly dove into his pocket to grab it but shifted uncomfortably when he saw who it was.

“Somebody’s keen.” Scott didn’t need to ask to know who it was. He could read his brother like a book. “Can’t believe she hasn’t got the message by now.” Scott continued to eye him, unsure of what was going through his head. “That’s not what’s got you down, is it? There’s nothing going on, is there?”

Chris glanced at his brother and shook his head. He knew he’d been caught out and at this point he was too tired to deny it. “I still haven’t heard from Sarah. I’ve tried apologising and it’s like she’s just ghosting me or something.”

“Stop being melodramatic. She lives with your sister. She’s not “ghosting” you, you dick.” His attempt to lighten the mood between them fell flat and he realised humour was going to be wasted on Chris this evening. “She’s got a lot on her plate right now, what with Charlotte and work and everything. Just give her a break, OK? It’s a tricky think she’s trying to navigate here.”

“I don’t know about that.” He shook his head slowly, crushing the cigarette under his shoe. “I said she was being ungrateful.”

Scott sighed. “Well, that’ll explain it. Hey, remember when Shan was a teenager and she got all those letters out of the blue?” Chris nodded at the distant memory. “I think the one thing we need to keep in mind here, with Sarah, is that she chose to reach back. She’s doing things her way and no one is forcing her. That’s gotta be a positive, right?”

*

Sarah felt like an idiot. She had no one to blame but herself. She couldn’t even lean on Shanna for support right now and she didn’t want to disturb Audrey at this hour if she was mid-celebration with Michael. She threw her coat on the stand and stood in the hallway of her apartment, bag swinging low. She kicked off her shoes and took off her tights to feel the coolness of the floor on the soles of her feet. It was a small comfort. The text message was still showing on her phone that was grasped in her hand as if she hadn’t been staring at it for the past three hours.

Charlotte 7.52pm

I’m so sorry. I thought I could do this. Please forgive me.

Sarah had decided to arrive at the venue a little earlier than they’d agreed to meet. She didn’t know what she was planning on doing by deciding that but she just knew she couldn’t sit around the flat any longer, her stomach was tied in knots. She hadn’t eaten much of anything that day but claimed she was saving herself for the extensive catering Chris would no doubt have laid on now that his guest list had multiplied.

She had spent some time getting ready with Shanna and Lisa but left her hair and make-up quite simple figuring she could add to it on the way to the party later on. She didn’t want to make an unfair first impression on Charlotte. She knew she didn’t want to look like she was a party girl but equally so, she didn’t want to appear to have given too much thought to what she was wearing to meet her in the first place. She wanted to remain as casual as possible which was some kind of weird irony given what was taking place.

She managed to make a relatively quiet exit as Lisa was helping zip up the back of Shanna’s jumpsuit telling them she’d be there as soon as she could. They didn’t ask her any questions. She just left and got into the cab that was waiting for her around the corner. A little under fifteen minutes later, she was outside the bar, trying to regulate her breathing. Maybe Charlotte was already inside? Maybe she had had the exact same thought and was having one for courage before they met? That thought made her laugh a little. She opened the door and gave her name to the rep who proceeded to show her to a nice booth in the far corner. Charlotte hadn’t arrived after all but Sarah had a clear eye on the door, as much good as it did her.

She poured herself another glass and wiped at the tears in her eyes. She couldn’t believe she had been reduced to crying over someone she had never met. She couldn’t believe she had allowed herself to assume everything would work out despite evidence to the contrary.

Everyone was right. She was a fool.

She heard the door go but couldn’t face seeing Shanna. She swiped at her face as much as she could, trying to remove any and all hints of her crying. Shanna told her once she was jealous of how she could cry without her skin getting all red and blotchy.

She clocked the time and realised it was perhaps a little too early for her to be coming home unless Scott had shoved her into a taxi, which wouldn’t have surprised her. Loud music and a free bar were Shan’s undoing. She composed herself and waiting for Shanna to appear in the doorway, worse for wear, but everything had gone silent. Sarah got up and walked out of the kitchen, not sure what to expect but certainly not expecting to find Chris stood with his back against the foot, keys dangling between his fingers. He seemed smaller somehow.

His expression briefly turned towards guilt when he noticed she had been crying. He made a move towards her before ultimately deciding against it, preferring to remain still in her hallway. He looked awkward which was a feat in itself for someone who always seemed so...cool, she thought. It didn’t last long, though, a steeliness soon returning to his eyes.

“Hey,” said Sarah diffusing the silence. She suddenly became hyper-aware she was in the Chanel dress he’d given her to wear for his birthday party, the party she should have been at hours ago but instead chose to blow off carelessly in favour of meeting somebody who really shouldn’t have mattered. Shit, she thought. She was a terrible friend. “I’m so sorry, Chris. I really don’t know wh-”

“-You know, I could have done with seeing you there, Sarah. It’s been a fucking terrible day, I’ve had my team hounding me over this Jenny bullshit and having my friends around me would have made all the difference.”

“I just,” she wasn’t sure where to go from here. He’d become so cold in the last few moments. She wasn’t really expecting it but knew she’d pushed her luck a little too much this evening. “I had something I needed to do first, and-”

“I don’t ask for much from my family but the one thing I do expect is that they turn up when they say they’re gonna turn up. You understand me? It’s my fuckin’ birthday after all and you couldn’t even manage that.” He moved past her, ignoring the tears now burning at the corners of her eyes.

“Alright Chris, you’ve made your point.” she whispered. The room felt too small and Chris looked like he’d grown a foot out of pure frustration. She just wanted to go to bed and forget this day ever happened or at least get Chris to leave so she could feel pathetic in peace.

She could detect a faint small of tobacco coming from his breath now he was standing closer to her. “What was so important that you couldn’t make it? Must have been amazing to blow us off like that and please don’t tell me it was Greg. I didn’t think you of all people would sack family off for some fuck you’re ambivalent about at best.”

She felt like a scolded child. Actually, no, it felt worse than that. It felt like he was picking at her, trying to get some kind of reaction out of her but what that reaction was, she didn’t know. She took a breath and calmed herself. Her hands were shaking. She was pretty sure he noticed now.

“It wasn’t like that,” she said, as calmly as possible. “I’ve said I’m sorry, Chris. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, OK? Your family and friends were there and I was planning on dropping by.” She pleaded, her tone striving to be a little more even. She figured if she tried reasoning with him instead of pushing back it might allow them both to get out of this unscathed but he just scoffed.

“Dropping by? Well, gee, thank you for making me an afterthought, Sarah. I really appreciate that.”

“It’s not just you that’s had a crap night, OK?” She shouted before reigning herself in. She really didn’t want to fall out with him on top of everything else. “We all have shit to deal with. At least people turned up to see you. They care about you. They didn’t just leave you hanging around, wondering what you’d done wrong.”

Chris looked confused. He signed and placed his hands on his hips, unsure of what his next move would be. “What’s going on?”

She could feel herself tearing up again, her face getting hotter by the second. She hated crying in front of people and it invariably gave her a headache, one she’d most likely fail to overcome before bedtime. “I arranged to meet her this evening. I didn’t want to say anything to anyone until I’d seen her at least once but, um, she didn’t show.”

For once, Chris didn’t have any answers. If he had been thoughtful instead of the selfish asshole he recognised himself to be, he would have known to have shut his goddamn mouth. “Fuck, Sarah. I...I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry.” He took another step closer to her but she made no effort to react towards him. “You don’t deserve this.”

Sarah audibly scoffed. “Well, that’s a maybe. But hey, look, happy birthday! Looks like you were right all along! I’ll make sure to wrap it next time.”

“If I’d have known what you’ve been through today, I would have shut my mouth. You’re one of my best friends and I was just thinking of myself, like always.” He leaned against the doorframe and Sarah recognised how pathetic they both looked in that second.

“What kind of person do you have to be to reject someone twice?” Sarah whispered to herself more than anything. She gently banged her head against the doorframe in thought. She wasn’t looking for a response.

Silence passed between them for what felt like hours. They were good at being quiet around each other, neither feeling the need to dispel energy and not caring what the other was doing but this didn’t feel like those times before. She glanced across the doorway at him but didn’t recognise what was looking back at her so intently. He looked like he’d been suspended in motion and if it wasn’t for her tapping her foot on the wall behind her, she would have thought she had, too. Everything just seemed a little fuzzy now and there was a headache threatening her from behind her eyes.

Before she could move again, Chris had crossed what little space there was between them and went for her, his hands grabbing her face and pulling her into him. It was messy at first, their lips slightly out of line with each other and she couldn’t think, she couldn’t breathe. He’d taken the breath straight from her, it felt like. The only thing she could do in that moment was to grab back at his hands that were holding her face but she didn’t feel like pulling them away. Not just yet. For the first time, she had some power over what was happening to her. She was tired of being a good person, being vulnerable for others to use whenever they felt like.

She felt his lips slowly move across hers, calmer now, while she stayed almost still in his grasp. She felt one hand leave her face and reappear on her lower back and he pulled her in to bring her closer. They must have occupied less than a square foot of space stood like this. Everything was silent apart from what Sarah assumed was her heart beating or perhaps that was his? She couldn’t separate them at this point, a perfect fit soon only disturbed by the shrill buzz from someone’s phone in their nearby vicinity.

“Fuck!” Chris whisper-shouted pulling away from her, biting his bottom lip. Sarah scrabbled around to find her bag in the hallway before signing when she saw who it was. She took a breath so as not to give the game away.

“Shan? No, it’s fine, honestly.” Chris could only hear one side of the conversation as she spoke on the phone but could instantly tell from Sarah’s inability to get a sentence out that Shanna was drunk and giving her the third degree. He wanted to grab the phone and smash it against the wall. “No, it’s no problem. Don’t worry, OK? Yes. Yes, I’ll see you in a bit. Alright. Bye, lovely.”

Sarah had turned away from Chris at this point and looked down at the phone in front of her. She pursed her lips, embarrassed that she could still feel him on her. She thought she might have been imagining things but that was definitely his hand gently touching her on her hip where he’d held her just moments ago. She turned around to face him but one look into his blue eyes and she felt like she was going to collapse on the floor. She was pretty sure he could feel her shaking but he kept his grip on her, trying to work out what she was thinking. She just shook her head slowly and in confusion at what transpired and walked out of the kitchen, down the hall to the bathroom hoping to get some privacy and some cold water on her face.

She didn’t get very far. Chris followed her and grabbed her wrist, swinging her back towards him until she crashed against him again, unsteady on her feet. There was no time to think before his lips were on hers again, harder than they were before. He had his arms around her waist and started walking her backwards towards...something, she couldn’t register what. 

She briefly resisted his movements but after a few steps or so he made do with the wall next to her bedroom doorway. He pressed her hards against it, his hands now back cupping her face. She could feel how hard he had become with the way he pushed his crotch into her in an attempt to keep her still against him. She knew she didn’t want to break away again, she was tired of fighting and was ready to let it just wash over her. She grabbed at his sweater with both fists and moaned into his kiss.

She shoved him until he felt his back meet the opposite wall. The groan that left him was nothing short of filthy and something inside her snapped when she felt his hands fist in her hair while the other slipped down to grip her ass. She felt him pull up the hem of her dress, his fingers gently skimming the back of her thighs. He grabbed at her just underneath her ass and pulled her against him harder than before until they lost their balance and she ended up on top of him as he slid down the wall and hit the hard wood floor beneath them. They’d have bruises tomorrow but they didn’t care.

He desperately grabbed at the hem of her dress again, this time to feel her soft skin between her thighs. Her skin was so smooth and not to the touch, he couldn’t bear it. She felt like she was on fire. He managed to pull her panties to one side but she felt them rip as she furiously gripped at the belt on his trousers. He worked out pretty quickly what she was trying to do and took over for them both to release himself as quickly as possible. In one move he placed her where he wanted her. He heard her sharp intake of breath and looked up just in time to see the look of pleasure on her face as he entered her, perhaps harder than he had intended to but she didn’t seem to mind.

Her eyes closed. He could see the blush covering her skin and her neck and he reached out to pull her face back to him as he motioned for her to move on top of him. He filled her, thrusting into her as much as he could from this angle and briefly regretted not keeping them up against the wall. He knew it would be over in a matter of seconds at this rate. They were both struggling to feel something. Make something of this godawful day.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the way she was moving. He felt her wavering slightly as he quickly approached his own release, her eyes open now and looking down at him. Their staggered breaths were the only sound filling the space. He was so close and he knew she would be too but he couldn’t ignore the look of fear growing apparent on her face. The glazed look in his eyes felt like electricity coursing through her veins. She didn’t know it could feel as exciting as it did to be encouraged along by him like this, his hands firm on her hips, gliding her up and down, keeping him firmly inside her. She had to look away and she began to move faster, slightly out of rhythm now, scraping her knees against the floor on either side of him, pain that only served to heighten the pleasure.

She could feel him throbbing inside her as his legs began to shake and his breathing quickened. The sound of them both hitting the floor over and over again only served to push her on even more against her better judgement. It was too late to stop now. They would just have to deal with the consequences another time.

He tried to hold off from his own orgasm for as long as possible. He wanted more than anything to see her hit her peak as he held her hips tighter and moved her so she could take him harder. One of her hands pushed back against the wall behind him in order to find purchase and it was this move that ultimately caused them both to hit the point of no return.

He didn’t know who came first but it didn’t matter. After a few moments, their breathing started to even out, their skin showing that unmistakable sheen of sweat that only sex could give. Without thinking, he wrapped one arm around her waist and stroked the strands of hair out of her face. He wanted her to look at him as she continued to get her breathing under control but her eyes were too tightly shut. He look scuffed up from their actions and his pupils were blown wide open. She couldn’t even imagine the state she was in. If he could have found a little strength to speak in that moment, he would have told her she was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her look before. Perhaps wisely, he decided to save that for another time.

Oh fuck.

Sarah’s brain went into overdrive as she gradually came back to reality. Chris was trying to figure out what was going through her mind as he felt her slip off him and shuffle herself to the side, pulling the hem of her dress down in a rather redundant effort to protect her modesty. Her underwear was left wrapped around one ankle as she tried to move onto her knees to stand up. She wiped at her mouth with the side of her hand and in that moment, he thought she might start crying again.

“Fuck.” She rubbed her face with her hands. He didn’t think she meant for him to hear that. It was the last thing he thought he would hear her say. He made a grab for her hand but she avoided his grasp as she stood and, on shaky legs, walked back into the kitchen leaving him ruined on the floor against the wall, shaken in more ways than one.

She couldn’t register her surrounding. She felt like she was about to throw up. How could this have happened? How could she be so stupid?

She held herself as she contemplated all the things she would need to say to him to try and make this better. No words made sense in her mind and those that did, she could barely string together to form coherent sentences. She heard Chris enter the room behind her but he stopped just inside of the doorway seemingly as unable to speak as much as she was. This was bad, she thought. So fucking bad. She felt embarrassed when she eventually clocked his messed-up hair. He looked dazed by the whole thing. No doubt his back would be bearing the brunt of their heavy mistake.

she finally reached his eyes and was met with a shy smile and a look she didn’t quite recognise. Was it pity? Concern? Regret? All of the above most probably, she couldn’t quite tell.

“Sarah,” he whispered, swallowing. “I’m....” He took a couple of steps forwards, holding his hand out to reach her, offering what he thought would be some kind of solace.

“I think you need to get back to your party,” She said calmly, deflecting the situation, tears forming in her eyes.

“Sarah, please, I don’t want...”

“People are going to be wondered where you are, Chris. You should go.”

Chris tried to focus on her face in an attempt to find something there other than the shame she was failing to hide. He wished he could get to her but the space she was putting between them felt wider than the kitchen they were stuck in. Resigned, he bowed his head slowly and turned to leave half expecting, or possibly wanting, her to stop him.

*

[xxsovereignsarayaxx]

Elizabeth Mikealson - What If? Chapter 17

Authors Note: So finally chapter 17 is here and I’m very happy with what I’ve written and how Elizabeth’s character is shaping from how I first started writing her and I hope you do too! As always if your enjoying the series and want to be tagged so you don’t miss out on a chapter please let me know. You can check out my other works here. I also know that this chapter has a different layout to the other chapters (I will be making adjustments to get them to read better.) Word Count: 4893 (Super long chapter to make up for lack of updates) Warnings: None

Lizzie-Lijah Stag Tag: @skeletoresinthebasement  @sparrowsparrow  

The next morning we were laying in bed together, Elijah’s hand was combing through my long hair as he was whispering sweet nothings into my ear, he words were soft as I felt his breath on my skin it sent tingles throughout my body and the faint hairs on my arms pricked up in excitement. I let out a giggle as he shifted gently pinning my frame under his much larger one. I seductively licked my lips and bit my bottom giving him a smile. I reached out towards his lips, my fore finger grazing them softly brushing over his mouth, he kissed the tips of my fingers and moved upwards to kiss up to my knuckles. Moving with Elijah’s movements I ended the gesture by cupping his cheek. We both softly looked at each other, my shade of brown colored eyes mixed with my husband's own unique blend of brown. Leaning down he kissed me this moment in time had paused, we had not connected this deeply in a while and it was just perfect. However good things always get interrupted as the door to our bedroom flew open by Niklaus.

“Elijah now isn’t the time to be canoodling.” He said with a rather smug grin on his face.

In a mad flurry Elijah used the covers to hide our dignity. “Really Niklaus? Could you perhaps knock in the future?” Elijah scolded his brother harshly.  

“Is there a reason for your unannounced visit Nik?” I asked him, rolling my eyes making sure to keep a firm grip on the covers.

“None that now seem important.”He replied still with a smug look.

I raised my eyebrow un-amused with Nik’s behavior and probably with the glares that Elijah sending Nik’s way he seemed to get the message and left the room. However he failed to close the door behind him. The pair of us let out a sigh and Elijah removed himself from the bed and got up to close the bedroom door. He turned and looked at me with an apologetic look and I held a hand out to stop him in his movements.

“Elijah, don’t apologize for Klaus’ behavior.” I said to him softly. 

“Very well. Would you happen to accompany me with a few matters this morning?” He replied to me.

Elijah gave me a smile and sped over to the bed and lifted me into his strong well-built arms. 

“Starting with the shower.” He said huskily. 

“My thoughts exactly…” I replied in a seductive tone.

After the very vigorous shower I sat on the bed alone was rubbing in some body lotion when Elijah came back into the room, he was already dressed in his suit. He knelt in front of me and kissed my forehead. I looked at him in confusion, tilting my head to the side slightly.

“I believe that something else happened to you last night, I want to show you something once you have finished getting yourself ready.” He explained gently. 

I simply nodded. 

I got myself dressed and put my hair in a simple ponytail and followed Elijah into study that Esther had been using. We walked around the room and I perched myself on the edge of the table that was located in the room.

“Can you smell that?” Elijah asked me.

“It’s burnt sage. Your mother was burning some last night. I presume she didn’t want anyone hearing what we spoke about. Odd however that she allowed your brother to be in the room though.” I replied to him recalling the memory of the night before, I noticed Elijah had bent down to the small bin and picked out the remains of the burnt sage.

“What else happened?”

I looked at the floor and then my eyes darted around the room, I remembered being speaking with Esther but I also felt that something was missing. I was with her for a long time and it struck me as odd that I couldn’t remember much else other than my past, the length of time I was away and the information I had didn’t add up. I got up from the table and walked around the room a little before turning to Elijah.

“I think that there is the slight possibility that I was...compelled.” I murmured looking away feeling ashamed. 

Seeing my shame Elijah hurried over. “This isn’t your fault my dear, I suspected that mother was acting strange. I’m just sorry that you have been caught in the middle of this. Just also means we have been betrayed by Miss Gilbert once again.”  

“Let me try and get to the bottom of this.” I offered, gathering my bearing and trying to come up with a way to try and get to the bottom of my problem. 

“I trust you will be able to get the answers we need, I will also work on something from here. I presume you will be speaking with Damon?” Elijah said quietly.

“Damon and I have an unlikely alliance he also isn’t stupid trying to pull something over on me. I take it you will speak to Elena?”  

“I will be yes. I have a call to make, why not head downstairs? See what Niklaus and Kol are up to.”    

“You do realise the pair of them have been bickering all morning.” I teased.

“Perhaps you can smooth things over? They both do listen to you.” 

“They have no...” I started.

“Well, well, well, there's our girl!” I heard Kol say loudly from downstairs. 

“Looks like Rebekah is home. I best go save her from your brothers.” I finished and left Elijah in the room. 

Walking down the stairs I could hear Rebekah fighting loudly with Nik and Kol and it couldn’t help but make me chuckle. 

“Will you both leave your poor sister alone. It has nothing to do with you pair to whom Bekah chooses to sleep with.” 

“Lizzie.” Rebekah whined.

“Hey! I’m not judging. Although you could have done better.” I replied to her, giving her a wink. 

“I'm bored. Our sister is a strumpet, but at least she's having fun. I need entertainment.” Kol announces. 

“What are you waiting for? Go on, have at it.” Niklaus tells his brother. Rebekah just stands there rolling her eyes. 

“It's not fun to go alone. Join me, Nik! It's the least you can do after sticking a dagger in my heart.” Kol replies. 

“Okay. Why not? I didn't have nearly enough to drink last night, what with you trying to murder Rebekah's date.” Nik says smugly. 

“Well if you pair are heading into town you can drop me off. I have a few matters to attend to.” I said flashing a smile. 

“Yes, please go, this house has enough men rolling in it.” 

“Just like you, Bekah.” Kol sasses and he is met with Rebekah taking off one of her shoes and launching it at him. I couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Come on lets go before it's more than a shoe thrown at you.” I announced as I linked arms with Kol trying to get him to the front door. 

“Good riddance both of you!” Rebekah shouts as the three of us leave the house.

“Where are you off to?” Niklaus asked as we got into his car. 

“Never you mind. I don’t question your whereabouts.” I sassed, rolling my eyes from the back seat.

Nik pulls a face as his younger brother. Kol laughs at him for my sudden attitude change. 

“That told you.” Kol says.

The three of us arrived into town and as I shut the back door, I called over to Kol and Nik. 

“Please don’t cause too much trouble, we still have to live here. And I don’t wish to peel either of you from the bar.” I asked the pair of originals and headed off to the Salvatore residence. 

Knocking on the door, I expected to see Damon but was met with Stefan. 

“Elizabeth pleasant surprise.” Stefan says politely.

“Hello Stefan, is your brother home?”

“He’s upstairs, you're free to head on up, how’s Elijah?”

“Elijah is fine, thank you for asking.” I said with a smile.

Stefan let me in and I headed straight upstairs. Using my hearing to locate Damon's bedroom. Knocking on his door I was met with Damon fresh out the shower with just a towel hanging on his hips. 

“Like what you see?” Damon asks smugly, wiggling his eyebrows whilst he was leaning against the door frame.  

“Behave yourself.” I replied, swatting him out of the way. 

“Come in.” Damon sassed. 

Shaking my head slightly I rolled my eyes at him. “Real smart sleeping with Rebekah.” I teased.

“You knew?” Damon deadpanned. 

“I could smell both of your retrospective scents on one another, even if you’ve just come out of the shower. But whoever each of you decide to sleep with is no concern to me, however if you hurt her Damon I will do more than stab you with a pencil.” I threatened politely. 

“You being protective over your sister doesn’t strike me as the reason for your visit.” 

“You're correct there Damon, Elena lied to Elijah last night and I want to know why.” I replied to him taking a seat on the edge of his bed.

“Me and Elena don’t happen to be talking, best of asking her.” 

Eyeing him up and down. “And I can see why.” I teased. 

“We all have the same goal Damon try not to burn your bridges down just yet.” I advised adding to my previous statement. 

“Real surprised you still want Klaus dead.” 

“Klaus has done his fair share of trying to wreak havoc on my marriage and destroy this family one at a time long before I came along. I’m only supporting my husband Damon.” 

“And we can trust that Elijah won’t back out on this?” Damon asked me, crossing his arms on his bare chest. 

“Elijah doesn’t go back on his word Damon, I shouldn’t have to repeat myself there. But it doesn’t mean he hasn’t pondered about the consequences to killing his brother.” 

“Consequences?” Damon asked once again.

“I know it may be a big word for you Damon but have you thought about them?”

“Funny.” He replied bluntly. 

“Each of our actions will have its own set of consequences perhaps you’ll think about that next time you sleep with Rebekah if your wanting to get your own back on Elena.” 

“You're out of your mind Lizzie.” Damon tried to defend himself. 

“I’ve seen the way you look at her and look how you’ve also protected her. You’d do anything for her. Even if you're adamant you won’t. It's a phase Damon. I know love when I see it.”  

I left the room and headed back downstairs seeing Stefan sitting on the windowsill looking outside.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked him softly, joining him.

“Your different from everyone else in your family.”

“I would have to disagree with you there, I couldn’t be more like them. I just happen to realise when enough is enough, I have Elijah to thank for that. After everything we’ve been through and the times he has picked me up from rock bottom I feel a stronger and better person. Makes me remember the times when I was human.” I explained. 

“It’s just that you're so different to when me and Damon captured you. It’s like I’m talking to a different person.” 

“I was angry that Elijah was daggered once again not to mention hungry and restrained, I’m sure you would understand my time for sarcasm and threats.” I offered. 

“Yeah I’ll give you that. Sorry for that by the way.” Stefan apologized.

“Your more than forgiven you were protecting your friends, I admire that in both you and your brother.” 

“New you admired me from the moment we first met.” Damon says as he entered the room, I looked over my shoulder to see him walk in with three glasses with blood in them. 

“Join me for a victory drink?” Damon asked us both.

Moving from the windowsill I accepted the drink.

“Should wait until Klaus is dead.” Stefan replied to his brother.

“There best be no vervain in this Damon.” I teased. 

“I’ve learned my lesson, but why are you so extra broody? Did you see the way we stood up to Elena? I like you on my team. Must have driven her nuts.”

“You still think she’s gonna screw up, don’t you?” Stefan asked. 

Sipping the blood from the glass I stood in silence for a moment. 

“I think somebody needs to talk to her. She’s not gonna listen to anything I say.” Damon admits.

“I wonder why? Perhaps because of your sleepover with Rebekah?” I teased Damon; he scoffed at my choice in words.

“It’s not my fault she decided to get jealous.” 

“Well, given who you chose to sleep with, I would say it’s one hundred percent your fault.” Stefan added to my teasing.

“Whatever. Did you a favor Stef. Now you can come in and sweep her off her feet. “

“Nah. She’s better off without me. Sure as better off without you.” 

I couldn’t help but silently chuckle at the brothers spat and I finished off the blood and placed it on the nearby piece of wooden furniture. 

The conversation was interrupted by my phone ringing. 

“I believe that is my cue to leave, it’s been a pleasure gentlemen. I’ll see myself out.” I announced as I waved at the two brothers and left closing the large wooden door behind me as I got out my phone from my pocket.

“Hello?” I asked, answering my phone as I walked off the Salvatore property. 

“Is this Elizabeth Mikaelson?”

“This is she, who is speaking if I may ask?” I asked, sounding confused. 

“Hi there I’m Brianna Hunters. I’m from child protective services in Richmond, unfortunately I’m calling on behalf about your niece Nicole Joesphs. I’m sorry to have to tell you this on the phone Mrs Mikealson but Jacob, Nicole’s father passed away.”  

Hearing the news about Jacob’s passing shook me to the core to the point where I almost dropped my phone on the ground. 

“Hello? Mrs Mikealson? Are you there?” Brianna says on the phone snapping me out of my increasing distressed state.

“Yes, sorry. It’s rather difficult processing the news. What’s going to happen to Nicole?” I asked, pulling my fingers through her trying to get some knots out. 

“I’m looking at Nicole’s files as we speak prior to her father's request Nicole’s next of kin is listed as yourself and your husband. Are you available to come down to Richmond to discuss Nicole’s needs and whether you and your husband are in a position to take Nicole into custody?”

“I would need to speak with my husband first, I’m sure you can understand this is a delicate matter.” 

“Of course, I understand. If you could get back to me as soon as possible we can make sure Nicole gets the correct care she needs.” 

“Thank you, I’ll contact you once I have spoken with him.” I replied as I ended the call and put my phone back into my pocket. 

I let out a huge sigh. I wanted to get to the bottom of Jacob’s sudden death but with everything going on with my family and now Esther now wasn’t the time but I felt conflicted because I promised that Nicole would always have me whenever she needed me and right now she did.   

Once again my phone started to ring, looking at the caller Id it was Elijah answering swiftly I brought the phone to my ears as I continued to head back into town. 

“Hey, did you get to the bottom of things with Elena?” I asked. 

“It appears that mothers' intentions are far more severe than we first thought. Where are you my dear?” Elijah replied.

“I’m heading back into town, I wanted to make sure that it was still standing since Kol and Niklaus are currently in the Mystic Grill…” I started to say but then I felt a presence behind me and turning to look over my shoulder Elijah was stood before me with his gentle smile that he always carried for me. 

“We need to head to see the Salvatore brothers. They will be helping us stop my mother.” Elijah says hanging up the phone and placing it back into his suit jacket. 

He offered me an arm as we made our way back to see Stefan and Damon. The wind had picked up ever so slightly and my long hair blew in the wind and the slight rattle of my earrings could be heard as we continued to head up the path on the Salvatore property.

“Before we go in there is something that we need to discuss after this whole situation with your mother has been resolved one way or another. I understand that this isn’t the time nor place to be talking about such things and I also apologize in advance that I never explained before, but with everything going on it didn’t feel like the right time.” I started. 

“Whatever it is, I trust you and your intentions. We’ll get through this I promise. Always and forever.” Elijah interrupted softly, gently grasping my knuckles and kissing them as he spoke. 

This time Elijah didn’t knock and we just entered the house. Being that I had a slightly better connection with the brothers I took a lead on this momentarily heading further inside the house then Elijah.  

“Damon? Stefan?” I called out hoping to get a response from either brother. 

“Lizzie? Forget something?” Damon responded as he made his way down the stairs. 

“Not exactly.” I replied softly, gesturing towards my husband. 

Elijah then used the moment to walk up to Damon. 

“Shall we?” He said gesturing towards the sitting area. 

“What’s all this about?” Damon asked as he sat down on one of the sofa’s. 

“It’s about Elena and my mother.” He replied

“Stefan went out looking for her not long after Lizzie left.” 

“He will have a hard time finding her, however she is safe for now.” 

I heard the sound of footsteps approaching the house and left Elijah and Damon as I made my way to the front door. It was Stefan. He tried to walk past me but I blocked his path pushing my hand on his chest as a sign that he needed to listen to what I had to say. 

“Elizabeth?” He asked, looking and sounding confused.

“Please I need you to be civil Stefan. Listen to what Elijah has to say.” I whispered to him, dropping my hand back to my side. 

He simply nodded and the pair of us walked back to Damon and my husband, Elijah was now sat by the crackling fireplace. 

“Hello, Stefan” 

“They have Elena.” Damon says. 

“I have Elena. However she is currently with Rebekah and well I’m sure you can imagine my sister is dying to tear her throat out. Elizabeth had no knowledge about my intentions with Miss Gilbert. So if you wish to save Elena’s life, I need you to help me stop my mother.” Elijah explains defending me in the process, grateful at his action I gave him a smile as I sat down next to him.

“I'm a little embarrassed to admit, but when it comes to killing thousand year old resurrected witches, I'm a little rusty.” Damon replies sarcastically. 

“Yes, unfortunately, even when killed my mother doesn't seem to want to stay dead. Not with the spirits of nature at her side.” Elijah responds, he didn't seem to take heed towards Damon’s sarcasm. 

“So what are we supposed to do?” Stefan asks, still stood up crossing his arms. 

Elijah looked at me. “My guess is that Esther has a connection with Bonnie and her mother, she would be drawing on their power. Along with their ancestors. If we stand a chance against her that connection would...have to be broken.” I replied to him pausing at the end of my sentence. I hated that I was even suggesting that one of the Bennett witches would have to die. 

“Broken?” Stefan asks once more. 

“Yeah, Lizzie means.” Damon says, motioning a cut along his neck with a finger. 

 “You want us to kill them.” Stefan spats.

“I don’t like this either, but as horrible as it sounds it has to be done.” I countered. 

“You know I'd do it myself, but I have absolutely no idea where they are. Besides, seeing me, they'd immediately know my intent. They won't expect to be harmed by the likes of you. In any case, you have until six minutes after nine to find them.” Elijah adds supporting my statement. 

“Oh how super specific of you.” Damon deadpans. 

“By 9:07. The moon will be full, my mother will have the power she needs to kill me and my family. If you do not stop her before then, Rebekah will kill Elena. So we all have our timeline? I suggest you get started.” 

Elijah brings himself back to his feet, I follow suit and he starts to make his way to the door. Pulling on his hand bringing him to a halt. “Just give me a moment.” I whispered.

“Very well.” He says and waits outside.

I turned back still seeing Stefan and Damon still sitting there. 

“Lizzie you can’t be serious…” Stefan attempts.

“If there was another way to break the connection we would do it. But there isn’t. Myself or Elijah would do it ourselves so neither of you would have to get your hands dirty but it just wouldn’t work. Esther is far too suspicious, but she knows how fueled you are for your hatred for Niklaus. Use that to your advantage to get in close. I don’t know much about Bonnie nor her mother but perhaps if you turn one of them they would still have a chance at being together.”  

And with my words I left the two younger vampires to think about my advice.

“Now that is settled, what next?” I asked Elijah as we entered the town square. 

Perhaps it would benefit if we collected my brothers that way we can keep any eye on them in case anything out of the ordinary happens.” 

“Would you like me to join Rebekah?” I asked. 

“I don’t think it would be necessary, I’m sure Rebekah is more than capable, however if you wish to join her you can.” 

 “I’m not happy that she kept this from you, at the ball last night she lied straight to your face. I thought she was our ally in all this?” 

“She just wants to do right by her friends, I’m sure you would understand…”

Elijah clutched his chest and suddenly collapsed to the floor, his skin turned grey and the all too familiar desiccation veins appeared. Rushing to his side at the floor I tried my best to support his lifeless body. Whilst hearing a commotion at the Grill. But this time Elijah didn’t stay incapacitated for long and within a few minutes the colour returned to his features and he got back up to his feet. Helping me up.  

“This way.” I told him and sped off to the alley at the side of the building. 

As we reached the top of the stairs to alleyway I saw that Klaus had Damon pinned to a wall whilst Stefan was knocked out on the floor Kol was getting back up to his feet. Rushing to Kol I helped his back up and he was ready to let off some pent up aggression but I held him back.

“Leave him! We still need them, Niklaus.” Elijah states from the top of the stairs. 

“What did mother do? What did she do, Elijah?” Klaus asked in a stern voice.

Walking down the stairs and past me and Kol he brought out his phone, undoubtedly ready to phone Rebekah. “You tell me where the witches are or I'll have my sister kill Elena right now.” 

Damon glaces upwards to check the time. “You told me we had until after nine.”

“For god sake Damon listen to him!” I shouted across the alleyway.

“I'm sure Rebekah will be more than happy to start her work early.” Elijah threatened.

Begrudgingly Damon told us the location to where Esther, Finn and the witches were. They were at the abandoned witch house that me and Elijah were looking into. I should've realized they would have been there as that had an awfully strong witch presence. And so Klaus, Kol myself and Elijah headed to face off with Esther.  

Entering the old house Finn was standing inside of a pentagram seeing the four of us made him distressed and uneasy he looked like an animal wanting to bolt for its life. 

“My sons, come forward.” 

“Stay beside me mother.” Finn said, wanting to protect his mother.

“It’s ok, they can’t enter.” She says reassuring him.

Wanting to test his mother's theory Kol approached the pentagram and when he did the torches set around it blazed up in anger he took a step back realizing his mother's words were true. 

“That's lovely. We're stuck out here, while the favorite son plays sacrificial lamb. How pathetic you are, Finn.” Kol mentions sarcastically.

“Be quiet, Kol. Your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine.” Esther snaps, immediately shutting down her son.

“Whatever you think of us, killing your own children will be an atrocity.” Elijah states.

“My only regret is that I did not let you die a thousand years ago.” Esther admits.

“Have you no heart? How can you say that with so little remorse? When you said you wanted us all to be a family were you lying?” I questioned with a firm tone in my voice.

“Enough. All this talk is boring me. End this now mother or I’ll send you back to hell.” Klaus says bluntly, shushing both me and his mother.

“For a thousand years, I’ve been forced to watch you. Felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood. Even you, Elijah with your claim to nobility, you’re no better. All of you. You’re a curse on this Earth. Stretched over generation. If you’ve come to please for your life. I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time.”

Whilst Esther was ranting I felt a change and so did she. “No! Sisters! Do not abandon me.” She cries out.

“The connection… It's been broken.” I murmured, looking around at Elijah and his brothers.

Finn cried out for his mother whilst the torches surrounded the pentagram flared up in anger once more but even higher this time. Elijah shielded me from the intense heat and when the flames finally died down Finn and Esther were gone nowhere to be seen. We all stood in silence and in shock finally learning about Esther's true intentions rattled me to the core, I didn’t understand how a mother would want to kill her own children even if it was to right a wrong. Elijah and Kol left to speak in private whilst Klaus pulled me over to one side. 

“You sensed the same thing as mother, how?” He asked in a low tone.

“You’re not the only hybrid in this family.” I replied, letting out a sigh.

“What are you?” He growled grabbing my arm tightly, flashing his gold eyes. 

Stiffening up I glared at him. “Let. Me. Go.” I warned and stormed off outside.

Kol parted ways with us shortly after returning to the manor, Klaus had immediately gone to another part of the house to be alone and Elijah was standing near the window in the sitting room waiting for Rebekah to return. He had asked me to pack our things, saying that we were no longer safe and that we needed to get away for a bit. Acknowledging his request I packed our things as quickly as I could. Closing that was once our bedroom door I lifted the suitcases down the stairs picking up the end of the conversation he was currently having with his sister. Walking past the pair I left the cases by the front door as I waited patiently. 

“Are we? Mother made us vampires. She didn't make us monsters, we did that to ourselves.” Elijah finishes and collects the cases from me and walks outside. Hearing him place the cases in the boot of his car.

Rebekah lets out a sigh and turns to me, I could see tears form in her eyes. “What your mother said to Elijah really got to him. He feels guilty for his actions in the past. What she said was out of order, he wants to get away from here to clear his head.” I explained. 

“Stay in touch?” Rebekah says with a sniffle. 

“Of course.” I tell her, walking up to her giving her a hug.

“Just remember Bek’s this isn’t a goodbye.” I added, breaking the hug and walked out the door.  

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Cult of Luthor: Second Thoughts

Not everyone is glad to see Lena. Competition isn't valued in LuthorCorp, but rivalry is. The dark, unspoken resentment of prime lab time, interesting projects and prestige of success are as much collaboration Lex allows, and Lena is no stranger to those. To be honest there were times she used to get a quiet thrill when she won out against Morgan Edge or Ainsley Merchant for prestigious opportunities. Her scores were higher, her input more valuable, her mind quicker. Her potential, the selection panels say, is undeniable. Unstoppable. But now… Now Lena doesn't feel a thing when Morgan Edge sneers about her being easy prey to idiot outsiders, and she's grateful Ainsley King keeps his distance, though his dark gaze seems to follow her, simmering with a quiet, dangerous rage that makes her skin crawl with unease. It's nothing like the friendly jibes of high school gym class. Instead she focuses on throwing herself into her work, adding herself to every housekeeping rotation, into improving the efficiency of the greenhouses and the solar panels and anything else she can think of that would prove her devotion to the compound, and LuthorCorp. Weeks pass into months. She wonders if the FBI have lost faith in her, if they assume that she's genuinely returned to the fold. Do they think she's dead? Does Kara?

The night of Sam's due date, Lena sits in the furnace room with Jack and leans into his side as she envisions herself at her friend's bedside, guiding her through the birth of her first child.

She wonders what her name will be. Her abduction falls out of the public memory, and she finds relief in the few short weeks of normality it brings-- until the commissary goes quiet one evening meal, and Lawrence steps forward with a tablet in hand. Lena's stomach sinks. It can mean one thing: punishment. Her eyes meet Jack's, her stomach churning ominously. "Outsider material has been located within the compound," Lawrence announces, his features grim. Silence answers him, but relief floods Lena. Contraband. She has nothing of the outside. Whoever will be named, it has nothing to do with her mission-- "Lena Luthor will report to the meeting hall after evening meal to receive her punishment." Lena's blood runs cold as the commissary erupts into whispers. Morgan smirks as though he's won something, Jack's fear stares at her from expressive features. Lex is nowhere to be seen. When the meal is over, Lena is not the only one to make their way to the meeting hall. Though the punishment belongs to her, the others are expected to bear witness, as she has done for countless others. Often, it would be a mild infraction, a behavioral correction delivered with the impartiality of a king. Sometimes, it's worse. Contraband indicates a lack of happiness within the community, a selfish desire for more, a willing fascination with the triviality of the outside world. It undermines the fabric of the community. It could mean something as trivial as a baseball card-- a relic of a parent's love of the sport, passed down to a son-- or as serious as drugs. Lena has no way of knowing where on the spectrum her transgression lies, as the wrongdoing isn't hers.

The meeting hall is a long narrow building at the center of the compound, used for celebrations, announcements-- and punishment.

As Lena approaches, she imagines how the last time it was used was probably to inform the community of her abduction, and here she is on her way to answer for a crime not her own.

Lex waits for her on the steps leading to the hall, his features stony. At the base, Lena slows to a stop, waiting for the community to fall in around them. Here her crime will be read, her guilt judged. Within, she knows, lies her punishment.

“Lena Luthor," Lex announces, voice carrying across the crowd. "Contraband has been discovered in your dormitory during inspection." A hysterical laugh nearly bubbles out of Lena, the absurdity of the farce hitting her suddenly. Inspections are frequent and unannounced-- if she had tried to hide contraband, she'd be smart enough not to hide it in a shared dormitory frequently searched.

But her features remain schooled as Lex extends a hand towards Otis Graves, who delivers a worn magazine into it. When Lex lifts it for the community to see, Lena's heart lurches at the sight of a half-naked woman kneeling in sand, and the publication's title in yellow block lettering. Playboy.

"Pornography," Lex declares. "After your long absence, I expected you to be relieved to be home. But it seems the outside has clung to you, and has found its way into our home along with you, in the form of the most base of idle distraction. Have you anything to say for yourself?" Lena's mind races. To simply deny possession would effectively be an admission of guilt, and a shameful attempt to escape punishment. But perhaps, if she conducts herself well, she can make her inevitable punishment work for her. "I've never seen that before," she says, swallowing thickly. "But I don't know whose it could be, or how it found its way to my dormitory. So I accept their punishment for myself, and for the community, for if someone has reached for such distraction, then we have together failed to meet the needs of their potential.” She doesn't allow her gaze to pull away from Lex's. Her chin remains lifted, her jaw tight, and she thinks she sees something flicker behind the sternness of his gaze. Approval? Irritation? Lena can't tell. After a long moment, Lex gestures for her to join him. "Step forward, Lena, and accept your punishment." The hand Lex touches to the small of her back at the doors of the hall is not reassurance. It's the slightest push of resistance when she stops dead at the sight of the chair installed at the center of the hall. Heart racing, Lena's eyes lock on the solid wood frame, the tall slatted back, and the leather straps affixed to the feet, seat, arms, and head. "Lex..." Deep, primal fear claws at Lena's ribs, nearly driving her backwards. This is a punishment she knows well, but not one ever levied in the meeting hall. It's not the community's punishment-- it's their father's. Only Lex's hand and the press of bodies filling in around them keeps Lena from bolting. Pleas lock in her throat-- anything but this. But just as they had all those nights under Lionel's watchful gaze, Lena's feet carry her forward, and her legs sit her down in the familiar chair as Otis and Lawrence move in to fasten the buckles on the straps. "As your punishment, you will sit idle for a period of twelve hours," Lex announces. One by one, Lena's limbs lock to the chair. The strap over her forehead is left for last; Lena catches Jack's gaze, dark with fury. Don't, she pleads silently, unable to even shake her head as the strap cinches tight. Don't do anything. "I hope you use your time of penance to consider the value of contribution-- not only to the community, but to yourself. If you do not serve the community, you have no worth to the community. You are as useless as you will be for the next twelve hours." Lena closes her eyes tight against the crawl of her skin, the instinctive pull against the bonds. Against the sight of Lex's eyes, glinting like their father's did. The chair had been his personal punishment-- for Lena more than anything. Lena who asked questions about things she shouldn't be interested in. Lena, who was combative with her peers when they stepped on her toes. Lena, who insisted when she should have relented. Once she's secure, she waits for the community leave. They don't. They can't-- no one may leave until Lex does, and Lex has no intention of sparing Lena the humiliation. He begins to speak, a professor at his lectern, waxing philosophical about community, distraction, and idle hands. "The time is coming for us to show the world what our community stands for-- to set the example-- to demonstrate the potential humanity is capable of!"

His voice booms, and many eyes focus on him, rather than Lena and the tears building in her eyes.

"What would they see in us, if we succumb to the same, degenerate distraction as themselves. We must rise above, we must elevate our potential, and show them the way. "If Lena Luthor-- my blood, your esteemed sister-- can fall prey to such vicarity, then it is clear that the perils of idle minds can besiege anyone, even those who may have the greatest potential of all. We must choose to assert focus and industry over the pull of slothful indulgence, or else we are no better than the outside world..." On and on and on, late into the evening, when finally the sermon comes to a close. "Look upon your sister," Lex urges finally. "Look upon her idleness, and let her punishment serve as a reminder that even the greatest potential can be rendered useless to the community, to the world, if left to stagnate." The punishment may not have belonged to her, but Lena feels the shame all the same. Under the crowd's gazes her skin heats and her eyes burn, filling with tears that spill down her cheeks when she presses her eyes shut. It's the only part of herself she can move, besides her mouth, and she knows that if she unlocks her jaw to speak only sobs would come pouring out, so she presses her eyes shut and breathes against her immobility, breathes against the memories threatening to overwhelm her. When Lex draws to a close, releasing his audience for the night, Lena opens her eyes, and catches Jack's gaze, still wide and full of anguish as he turns to finally leave with his parents. Lex lingers after the hall empties, regarding her with a dispassionate gaze. Please, she almost asks. Please, Lex. Don't leave me here. Because she knows he will. Father always did. But she says nothing, and Lex says nothing. He leaves without a word, and as he nears the doors the lights overhead extinguish, plunging her into a silent, pitch black. The door echoes when it shuts behind him, sealing Lena to her misery.

Lena's thoughts race as the darkness presses in on her. She searches for reason, some rationality to explain why Lex chose this as her punishment-- why this chair saw the light of day, why he allowed it to be seen by the community. It was always their secret shame, endured and unspoken of. Lionel always expected his blood to be better than the rest, and so his punishment was stricter than any he visited on another potential. When he died, Lena thought this punishment had been buried with him. There's not a single excuse Lena can fathom that brings her peace. Not when Lex knows of the dread the memories of this chair brings. Not when he knows she used to stay awake for days after a night in the contraption, unable to sit still long enough to rest. Not when Lex used to calm her nightmares, promising she wouldn't be seeing the chair again that night. Her heart pounds faster and faster as the dark and the silence and confinement slowly drive her mad. The calm she clung to during the humiliation of her punishment shatters-- she struggles against the straps, pulling and twisting and squirming what little she can in an attempt to slip free, and heaves great, wracking sobs when the straps hold her fast. When her tears and her struggles run out, the anguish leaves her hollow with exhaustion. Only her desperation remains, and her mind reaches to be anywhere but there.

Kara reaches back.

Kara's arms wrap around her, voice soft in Lena's ear as they embrace that final night. “I'm going to keep the apartment we chose,” she'd told Lena. “Eliza and Jeremiah said they'd help cover rent until you get back. So you have a home waiting for you, whenever you're finished.”

“It won't be long,” Lena promised. A lie, she knows now.

“I'll miss you. But I'm really proud of you too. You're doing a good thing.”

Lena had nodded into Kara's shoulder, even though she couldn't quite believe it past the pounding of her heart. Even now, she can smell the scent of the fabric softener that scented Kara's sweater.

“We will see each other again,” Kara declared. “You still have a ton of movies to watch…”

Despite the discomfort of the unpadded seat and the pounding of her head under the tight strap keeping it in place, Lena slips into a fitful doze, her mind filled with nothing but the imagined warmth of Kara's arms around her.

[nikkalia]

Pops in the Park

TITLE: Pops in the Park

AUTHOR: Nikkalia

PAIRING: Tom/OFC

RATING: M

SUMMARY: This is the result of a conversation on Discord about Loki!Tom crashing a concert. It went downhill from there... Dedicated to my darling @igotloki

NOTES/WARNINGS: (kinks, triggers, general warnings.) Smut, which is really difficult to write in first person for some reason...

TAGS: @igotloki @fandom-and-feminism @mrshiddleston-uk @fadingcoast @mischievousbellerina 

NOTES: Someone remind me to fix the hashtags later?

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming... No,” I whispered to no one. Speeches make me nervous and you could definitely hear it in my voice. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us tonight...this evening. Ugh, why do they make me do this?”

“Because Anthony Daniels canceled when it wasn’t all about Star Wars,” Mike answered, grinning. “Relax, you’ve got this.”

“No respect from my concertmaster,” I smirked as he clapped my shoulder.

“So, is the magic man making an appearance tonight?”

“Nope. He’s otherwise occupied.”

Mike laughed. “What does that even mean?”

I shrugged. “It means...he won’t be here.”

“Oh, come on. He can’t pull away from whatever he’s filming for one night to celebrate your 5 year anniversary with us? Loser.”

“Whatever.” I blew out a sigh and looked back over my notes. “Really hate speeches.”

“See, magic man should’ve been here. He likes to talk and the ladies love to listen.” Mike winked and got a smack on the arm for his trouble before wandering off.

He wasn’t wrong. Tom loved to talk and everyone loved his voice, not just the ladies. In the two plus years we've been together, I’d never known him to refuse an opportunity to tell a story - except to hear me tell one. He was the only man I’d ever met that could listen as intently as he does, to make you feel like the entire universe centered around you. Management had actually approached his agent about serving as emcee when Daniels backed out, and they declined, citing a previous commitment. Which was, at the time, a bald-faced lie.

We argued about the timing of this show only a few days prior to the request because the concert was so close to our own anniversary. He had, in typical Tom fashion, made some grand plans involving travel and luxuries and all the things that drove my simplistic heart manic with worry, and hadn’t bothered to check the concert calendar. So, when I told him I couldn’t blow off the fund-raising event of the season, he went ballistic.

And I fired back. How dare he get upset when he’d canceled God knows how many times in favor of an audition? Where did he get off saying that one night wasn’t as important as ‘us’ when he’d confused night after night for his career? It turned really ugly and I ended up flying back to New York earlier than planned because of it. We didn’t speak for a week, and all of our communication after that was strained. Six weeks later, I stopped hearing from him altogether, despite assurances from his mother and sisters that we were still very much a couple. He was deep in some remote area with no wireless signal, they said. I sighed, pushing back tears.  

“Two minutes to curtain. Oh, and I’m supposed to tell you that an emcee has been located. You’re off the hook.” a stagehand told me.

“Thank you, God!”

I found Mike walking toward me, making sure everyone was ready to go.

“Conductor,” he nodded, a glint of mischief in his eye.

“Concertmaster,” I nodded back, grinning. Our pre-show ritual complete, he returned to his place in the lineup and the procession began with the welcoming announcement. I watched from the wings as the line of bodies filed into their seats to thunderous applause. The house looked to be full. “Must be doing something right,” I said to the stagehand.

A hush fell over the crowd, followed by the sound of a solid A from Mike. The strings followed, then woodwinds, brass. Mike nodded again. I nodded back, then to the stagehand, who gave his own cue to the booth. I took a deep breath, prayed a little prayer, and strode out on the stage as the house announcer introduced me. I bowed, gesturing to the musicians who were doing all of the real work tonight, and smiled.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage our master of ceremonies for the evening, mister Robert Downey, Jr.”

Bob strode out to the center of the stage, grinning from ear to ear.

I shot the dirtiest look to Mike, mouthing, “You knew.”

He shrugged, then smiled. Jackass.

“Maestra, you look stunning,” I heard beside me. He leaned in for a cheek-to-cheek kiss, lingering a little longer than maybe he should have. “He misses you,” he finally whispered, pulling away.

“Then he should be here.” I croaked. Poor Bob, reduced to a mere messenger boy. “Shall we?”

Being the gentleman that he is, Robert led me to the platform, holding my hand as I made the tiny step up, then returned to the podium on the other side of the stage.

I reviewed the first few measures of the music in front of me while Robert began his speech. He told the audience of his love for the music we would begin the performance with, the “John Williams Suite”. It was an orchestration I’d been working on for months, often to Tom’s frustration. Sheet music tended to consume the kitchen table in my loft apartment, something that was not at all conducive to his attempts to cook for me. I smiled as we began with ‘Indiana Jones’ themes, recalling a particular incident where he walked into the apartment completely unannounced, arms overloaded with grocery bags to find the table had been covered with scores from half a dozen films. He just sighed and went into the kitchen to begin cooking. Another meal on the sofa, he lamented. I simply kept on writing, struggling to get the transition between ‘E.T.’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ just right.

The music followed into the Star Wars medley. Lost in memory, I had to pull myself together enough to get through the rest of the piece. ‘Duel of the Fates’ was no joke to perform, much less conduct. Some of the choir members referred to it as the marathon. The horn players laughed at them until I reminded them that this was the reason why I stretched my arms before every rehearsal. Tom knew when rehearsals were intense by the way I held my shoulders afterward. He’d always massage the muscles, wondering if I was perhaps a bit too animated in my conducting. I’d always ask if he was perhaps a bit too animated when he read the Saint Crispin’s speech. That’s usually when the tickling started.

After a few moments pause for the audience to show their appreciation, and for the orchestra to move sheet music around, we moved into a mix of old and new Star Trek themes, ending with the suite from Into Darkness. There has been a great deal of debate within the group as to which series - old or new - was better, followed by discussions of films, actors, approaches, and which made my little geeky heart happy. Tom had no comment on the matter, despite the fact that his eyes lit up a little more when we opted to watch Ben’s version of Khan instead of the original.

The piece finished and Robert began rambling on about music and film and... I stopped paying attention after a few seconds, focusing again on the upcoming music. One of the stagehands appeared on my right and placed a wireless mic on the music stand. I put it on, thinking I would be expected to say a few words about my time with the orchestra, what an honor it was, blah blah blah.

Celebrate yourself, Tom would say. If anyone deserves accolades, it’s you. My response was almost always, “yeah, whatever,” which would send him into a 20-minute monologue extolling my virtues as a musician and human. I’ve always preferred to let the music speak for itself.

I heard Robert say “This is gonna be fun,” and knew we were up. I’d arranged a medley of Queen songs - Somebody to Love, I’m Going Slightly Mad, Days of Our Lives, and Bohemian Rhapsody. When Mike saw the score for the first time, he asked if I was okay. I just wasn’t ready to discuss the argument, so I brushed the question off with a shrug. “Feeling nostalgic,” I told him. “Besides, I want to show the altos some love.”

The altos later told me that was not the kind of love they were looking for. The sopranos, however, were ecstatic. Divas, the whole lot of them.

Music from the MCU finished out the evening. Black Panther, Thor, Captain Marvel, and all the Avengers films wrapped into 10 minutes. It was supposed to be for Tom. I’d seriously contemplated scrapping the whole section after the fight but the entire orchestra vetoed the idea, citing it as the “entertaining” piece of the evening. I knew that if the musicians weren’t happy, no one was happy, so it stayed but they just wanted to play Immigrant Song.

We’d moved through to ‘Portals’ from the Endgame soundtrack and I could feel the energy of the audience change. They started shouting and clapping behind me. Maybe they’re loving the music with the latest movie having been released. We reached the scripted pause, and I kept going, but the orchestra doesn’t. They just sat there staring at me, and I was suddenly aware of “Loki” being chanted behind me. I glared at Mike, who’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat. That’s when the glint of gold caught my eye. I turned, finally dropping my arms when my mouth follows suit.

Loki, or Tom, in full Loki regalia, strode toward me like a demi-god possessed. The horns sat above smoldering eyes, cape flowing behind him as he approached me like an animal stalking his prey. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to pounce on him in front of God and the globe. I never could resist that costume, and he knew it. Instead, I simply crossed my arms.

“Please,” he growled, the swagger growing, “don’t stop on my account. Summon your Avengers.”

“Bad enough you destroy half of Manhattan with some half-baked scheme to take over the world. Now, you have the audacity to crash my gig and interrupt their music?”

He stopped short, head cocking to one side. I don’t think he was entirely sure if I was serious or just playing along. The infamous smile returned.

“Forgive me. The interruption of the arts is indeed a sin, but the purpose behind my visit warrants such sacrilege.” When I didn’t answer, he removed his helmet, eliciting a new wave of cheers from the crowd. His hair was its natural ginger, long and wildly out of control. He turned to them and held a finger to his goateed lips, a la 2013’s Comic-Con visit before placing the helmet on the stage.

“I have found myself lamenting the loss of something very dear to me of late. Something that I believe you alone can help me recover.” He paused, his voice echoing through the speakers while his hands fell to his sides. “It pains me to admit such shortcomings, but I find that I am weaker without you, that I am lost without your presence in my life. I am heartbroken at each day that passes without the sound of your voice. So,” his cloak flew behind him with a flourish and he fell to one knee. A collective gasp came from the audience and the stage. “My lady, would you consider restoring to me the grace of your life and your love on a permanent basis?”

What the hell is happening? I glanced over at Mike. He and the rest of the orchestra are literally sitting on the edge of their seats. When I turn back to Tom, his arm is extended towards me, a small box with a ring sitting in the palm of his hand. Tom, channeling Loki, channeling King Hal. I was doomed.  

“Will you consent to be my queen and my love? Will you marry me?”

His head dropped and my heart leaped into my throat. Time seemed to slow to a crawl while I recalled every fight, every laugh, every moment of passion and joy and sorrow. How could I possibly say yes? How could I not?

The soft sound of a camera lens focusing on me snapped me out of my time stop. He was still on bended knee, his arm shaking a bit. I stepped off of the platform and lifted his chin. For all his eloquence, I could only come up with a single word response.

“Yes.”

Tom jumped to his feet and kissed me as everyone within earshot roared with approval. ‘All I Ask of You’ began to play and I made a mental note to fire then promote Mike later, as I was sure he’d been part of this plot all along. A moment passed in his arms before he finally stepped back, scooping up the golden horns.

“I shall be waiting with white horses, my queen.”

“And here I thought you’d want me to play you out.”

“As long as it’s not ‘Performance Issues’.”

“No promises.” I winked then stepped back onto the platform. “Ladies and gentlemen, shall we skip to the end?” Mike nodded and everyone found their page. I raised my hands and music from the Avengers theme rang out in the park.

Tom bowed to me before he slid the helmet back over his head, turned and walked to the side of the stage where Robert stood, raising his hands in victory when applause followed. I caught them embracing out of the corner of my eye and knew I’d have to give both of them grief later for the first glimpse of ‘FrostIron.’

We made it to the loft long after the final note sounded. There had been a sea of people congratulating me on the concert, the engagement, and everything in between. Tom vanished long enough to de-Loki, much to my disappointment, but stayed right next to me for the rest of the night. When we were finally able to leave, he ushered me out to a white Jag. White horses, indeed.

He zipped through the streets of Manhattan with ease, taking as many backroads as possible to avoid traffic. I took the time to get a good look at the ring, and oh God was it stunning. A large oval stone set on its side with two smaller stones at either end set in a band of polished silver knotwork. Definitely handcrafted and a perfect fit.

“The band’s tungsten. I know how hard you are on jewelry,” Tom said with a wink.”The stones are moldavite, amethyst, and garnet.” he glanced over, a smile on his face. “Us.”

“It’s perfect,” I blushed a little, hoping he wouldn’t notice. “And you’re a dork of the highest caliber.”

That little laugh that drives all the ladies crazy slipped out as he nodded and pulled into the parking garage. Our elevator ride was silent as the family that snuck in just as the doors were closing bombarded Tom with more questions about Loki than I’d ever come up with. It made me think we’d have to take the service elevator from now on.

All thoughts of anything beyond the man wrapped around me vanished as soon as the apartment door closed. Tom spun me around, planting a kiss that went from chaste to passion in point zero six seconds. I heard my keys hit the floor after I missed the end table. He growled when I tried to pick them up, nipping a little harder at my neck, pushing me toward the bedroom.

We were all hands trying to shed clothes on the way. You’d think that as much coordination we had individually, we’d be able to make it look as graceful as it did in the movies. The poor boy got so frustrated that he picked me up, carried me down the hallway, and dropped me on the bed. Shoes and socks off, he stepped closer to unzip my dress while I worked on his pants. The ‘conda sprang free as soon as the zipper fell. Another growl came from above when I wrapped my hand around it, morphing into a moan as when lips added.

The bed dipped to one side a little with the weight of his leg. His hands rested on my shoulders as he tried to steady himself while I rolled my tongue around his cock. I couldn’t see his eyes with his head leaned back, but knew he was lost in the sensations, his hips rocking back and forth. He pulled out suddenly, tugged my hands away and upward to my feet.

Another kiss, slower and more passionate while he finally figured out the zipper of my gown. His hands moved the fabric down, and the frustrated moan came when he remembered just how much effort went into making slinky black dresses look good. He nuzzled and nipped his way across my face and down my neck while he fumbled with the clasps of my bra. I returned the favor, dragging teeth along his neck until I was able to get his shirt open.  

What was left of my clothing dropped to the floor in one swift motion when Tom dropped to his knees, pushing me back onto the bed. I slid up the mattress and he followed, kissing and licking his way up my legs. He stopped at my hips, licking upward along the inside of my thigh but never quite made it to the center.

“If all you’re gonna do is tease,” I panted, “then get up here.”

“You would deny me the pleasure of devouring your already dripping quim?” Loki’s voice followed the dark, lust filled eyes that looked up at me. Before I could wrap my brain around my impending demise by god-lust, a finger slid inside me, followed by another. The smirk became a grin and he lowered his mouth to my clit, his eyes never leaving mine.

He growled again as he began to suck, slowly pumping his ridiculously long fingers in and out of my pussy. I tried to squirm away when he picked up the pace and he wrapped his free arm around my leg, locking me in place. I lost count of how many times he brought me to the edge only to back off and begin again. My fingers found their way into his hair, tugging him upward, only to be rewarded with his teeth dragging across my swollen bud.

“Not until you cum,” he purred, still latched on to me. He began thrusting the fingers inside me, curling them around to brush against that little bundle of nerves while he clamped down with lips and teeth. It didn’t take long for my body to shatter beneath him, my orgasm tearing its way out of me with a scream. He anchored me down with both arms, sucking out every last drop I could offer.

When I came back to reality, he was making a slow path up my body, his breath hot on my skin. His lips finally reached mine and I took rough possession of them, wanting to taste him. The tip of his cock brushed against my pussy and I shivered. Tom pulled away a bit.

“Need a bit longer to recover?” he whispered, nuzzling against my cheek.

“Absolutely not.” I pulled him closer to me and shifted a bit, sliding a hand down his stomach. “Only thing I need is you.” My fingers wrapped around his length and guided him inside.

“Oh. My. Go...” The last syllable was lost in the moan that rumbled in his chest. He was completely still above me except the slow thrust to push himself deeper, nearly purring as he went. I moved my hands along his sides and he sighed. “Been too long. Won’t last.”

“Ditto,” I breathed into his ear, “on both counts. Just move.”

Tom obliged, rocking his hips back and forth, moving a little faster with each thrust. I tried to lift my hips to his, but he built a pace I just couldn’t maintain. All I could do was hold onto him, losing myself in the feeling his body in mine and the sounds we made. His moans took on a higher pitch and his thrusts became erratic until every muscle in his body tensed, his seed spilling in waves. Feeling him cum sent me back over the edge, and I could’ve sworn I heard him chuckle as I clamped down around him.

We lay tangled in each other for a while, basking in the afterglow. He finally moved to the side, eliciting a groan from both of us when he did. Ever the gentleman, he let me duck into the loo first while he turned down the bed. Both settled back in bed, I curled up next to him, my head resting on his chest.

“Love?” he whispered, toying with a lock of my hair. “Are you sure?”

“Sure of what?”

“This,” he spoke as he ran his fingers along my left hand to the ring. “I know you wouldn’t have refused me in front of the entire world and half of Manhattan, even if you wanted to.” I lifted my head from his chest to look at him. There was a genuine concern on his face as he sighed. “So, are you sure?”

“You’re serious?” His face turned sheepish. “Then let me answer a question with a question.”

“What? You hate it when I do that!” He sat up a bit and I pressed a finger to his lips.

“Thomas William Loki Adam Hank Henry Robert Freddie Jonathan Oakley Hiddleston the fifth, Lord Nooth, rightful king of the Jotunheim, England, Ireland, Scotland...”

“Okay, okay, enough,” he chuckled. I grinned at him.

“Will you marry me?” His eyes went wide and teared up a bit. He began nodding furiously until I kissed him.

Neither of us slept that night.

[niksfiks]

Pops in the Park

Originally posted 6/10/19

TITLE: Pops in the Park

AUTHOR: Nikkalia (niksfiks)

PAIRING: Tom/OFC

RATING: M

SUMMARY: This is the result of a conversation on Discord about Loki!Tom crashing a concert. It went downhill from there... Dedicated to my darling @igotloki

NOTES/WARNINGS: (kinks, triggers, general warnings.) Smut, which is really difficult to write in first person for some reason...

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming... No,” I whispered to no one. Speeches make me nervous and you could definitely hear it in my voice. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us tonight...this evening. Ugh, why do they make me do this?” 

“Because Anthony Daniels canceled when it wasn’t all about Star Wars.” Mike answered, grinning. “Relax, you’ve got this.” 

“No respect from my concertmaster,” I smirked as he clapped my shoulder.

“So, is the magic man making an appearance tonight?” 

“Nope. He’s otherwise occupied.”

Mike laughed. “What does that even mean?”

I shrugged. “It means...he won’t be here.”

“Oh, come on. He can’t pull away from whatever he’s filming for one night to celebrate your 5 year anniversary with us? Loser.”

“Whatever.” I blew out a sigh and looked back over my notes. “Really hate speeches.”

“See, magic man should’ve been here. He likes to talk and the ladies love to listen.” Mike winked and got a smack on the arm for his trouble before wandering off. 

He wasn’t wrong. Tom loved to talk and everyone loved his voice, not just the ladies. In the two plus years we've been together, I’d never known him to refuse an opportunity to tell a story - except to hear me tell one. He was the only man I’d ever met that could listen as intently as he does, to make you feel like the entire universe centered around you. Management had actually approached his agent about serving as emcee when Daniels backed out, and they declined, citing a previous commitment. Which was, at the time, a bald-faced lie. 

We argued about the timing of this show only a few days prior to the request because the concert was so close to our own anniversary. He had, in typical Tom fashion, made some grand plans involving travel and luxuries and all the things that drove my simplistic heart manic with worry, and hadn’t bothered to check the concert calendar. So, when I told him I couldn’t blow off the fund-raising event of the season, he went ballistic. 

And I fired back. How dare he get upset when he’d canceled God knows how many times in favor of an audition? Where did he get off saying that one night wasn’t as important as ‘us’ when he’d confused night after night for his career? It turned really ugly and I ended up flying back to New York earlier than planned because of it. We didn’t speak for a week, and all of our communication after that was strained. Six weeks later, I stopped hearing from him altogether, despite assurances from his mother and sisters that we were still very much a couple. He was deep in some remote area with no wireless signal, they said. I sighed, pushing back tears.  

“Two minutes to curtain. Oh, and I’m supposed to tell you that an emcee has been located. You’re off the hook.” a stagehand told me. 

“Thank you, God!”

I found Mike walking toward me, making sure everyone was ready to go. 

“Conductor,” he nodded, a glint of mischief in his eye.

“Concertmaster,” I nodded back, grinning. Our pre-show ritual complete, he returned to his place in the lineup and the procession began with the welcoming announcement. I watched from the wings as the line of bodies filed into their seats to thunderous applause. The house looked to be full. “Must be doing something right,” I said to the stagehand. 

A hush fell over the crowd, followed by the sound of a solid A from Mike. The strings followed, then woodwinds, brass. Mike nodded again. I nodded back, then to the stagehand, who gave his own cue to the booth. I took a deep breath, prayed a little prayer, and strode out on the stage as the house announcer introduced me. I bowed, gesturing to the musicians who were doing all of the real work tonight, and smiled.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage our master of ceremonies for the evening, mister Robert Downey, Jr.”

Bob strode out to the center of the stage, grinning from ear to ear. 

I shot the dirtiest look to Mike, mouthing, “You knew.” 

He shrugged, then smiled. Jackass. 

“Maestra,you look stunning,” I heard beside me. He leaned in for a cheek-to-cheek kiss, lingering a little longer than maybe he should have. “He misses you,” he finally whispered, pulling away. 

“Then he should be here.” I croaked. Poor Bob, reduced to a mere messenger boy. “Shall we?”

Being the gentleman that he is, Robert led me to the platform, holding my hand as I made the tiny step up, then returned to the podium on the other side of the stage. 

I reviewed the first few measures of the music in front of me while Robert began his speech. He told the audience of his love for the music we would begin the performance with, the “John Williams Suite”. It was an orchestration I’d been working on for months, often to Tom’s frustration. Sheet music tended to consume the kitchen table in my loft apartment, something that was not at all conducive to his attempts to cook for me. I smiled as we began with ‘Indiana Jones’ themes, recalling a particular incident where he walked into the apartment completely unannounced, arms overloaded with grocery bags to find the table had been covered with scores from half a dozen films. He just sighed and went into the kitchen to begin cooking. Another meal on the sofa, he lamented. I simply kept on writing, struggling to get the transition between ‘E.T.’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ just right.

The music followed into the Star Wars medley. Lost in memory, I had to pull myself together enough to get through the rest of the piece. ‘Duel of the Fates’ was no joke to perform, much less conduct. Some of the choir members referred to it as the marathon. The horn players laughed at them until I reminded them that this was the reason why I stretched my arms before every rehearsal. Tom knew when rehearsals were intense by the way I held my shoulders afterward. He’d always massage the muscles, wondering if I was perhaps a bit too animated in my conducting. I’d always ask if he was perhaps a bit too animated when he read the Saint Crispin’s speech. That’s usually when the tickling started. 

After a few moments pause for the audience to show their appreciation, and for the orchestra to move sheet music around, we moved into a mix of old and new Star Trek themes, ending with the suite from Into Darkness. There has been a great deal of debate within the group as to which series - old or new - was better, followed by discussions of films, actors, approaches, and which made my little geeky heart happy. Tom had no comment on the matter, despite the fact that his eyes lit up a little more when we opted to watch Ben’s version of Khan instead of the original.

The piece finished and Robert began rambling on about music and film and... I stopped paying attention after a few seconds, focusing again on the upcoming music. One of the stage hands appeared on my right and placed a wireless mic on the music stand. I put it on, thinking I would be expected to say a few words about my time with the orchestra, what an honor it was, blah blah blah.

Celebrate yourself, Tom would say. If anyone deserves accolades, it’s you. My response was almost always, “yeah, whatever,” which would send him into a 20 minute monologue extolling my virtues as a musician and human. I’ve always preferred to let the music speak for itself. 

I heard Robert say “This is gonna be fun,” and knew we were up. I’d arranged a medley of Queen songs - Somebody to Love, I’m Going Slightly Mad, Days of Our Lives, and Bohemian Rhapsody. When Mike saw the score for the first time, he asked if I was okay. I just wasn’t ready to discuss the argument, so I brushed the question off with a shrug. “Feeling nostalgic,” I told him. “Besides, I want to show the altos some love.” 

The altos later told me that was not the kind of love they were looking for. The sopranos, however, were ecstatic. Divas, the whole lot of them. 

Music from the MCU finished out the evening. Black Panther, Thor, Captain Marvel, and all the Avengers films wrapped into 10 minutes. It was supposed to be for Tom. I’d seriously contemplated scrapping the whole section after the fight but the entire orchestra vetoed the idea, citing it as the “entertaining” piece of the evening. I knew that if the musicians weren’t happy, no one was happy, so it stayed but they just wanted to play Immigrant Song.

We’d moved through to ‘Portals’ from the Endgame soundtrack and I could feel the energy of the audience change. They started shouting and clapping behind me. Maybe they’re loving the music with the latest movie having been released. We reached the scripted pause, and I kept going, but the orchestra doesn’t. They just sat there staring at me, and I was suddenly aware of “Loki” being chanted behind me. I glared at Mike, who’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat. That’s when the glint of gold caught my eye. I turned, finally dropping my arms when my mouth follows suit. 

Loki, or Tom, in full Loki regalia, strode toward me like a demi-god possessed. The horns sat above smouldering eyes, cape flowing behind him as he approached me like an animal stalking his prey. It took every ounce of self control I had not to pounce on him in front of God and the globe. I never could resist that costume, and he knew it. Instead, I simply crossed my arms.

“Please,” he growled, the swagger growing, “don’t stop on my account. Summon your Avengers.”

“Bad enough you destroy half of Manhattan with some half-baked scheme to take over the world. Now, you have the audacity to crash my gig and interrupt their music?”

He stopped short, head cocking to one side. I don’t think he was entirely sure if I was serious or just playing along. The infamous smile returned. 

“Forgive me. The interruption of the arts is indeed a sin, but the purpose behind my visit warrants such sacrilege.” When I didn’t answer, he removed his helmet, eliciting a new wave of cheers from the crowd. His hair was its natural ginger, long and wildly out of control. He turned to them and held a finger to his goateed lips, a la 2013’s Comic Con visit before placing the helmet on the stage. 

“I have found myself lamenting the loss of something very dear to me of late. Something that I believe you alone can help me recover.” He paused, his voice echoing through the speakers while his hands fells to his sides. “It pains me to admit such shortcomings, but I find that I am weaker without you, that I am lost without your presence in my life. I am heartbroken at each day that passes without the sound of your voice. So,” his cloak flew behind him with a flourish and he fell to one knee. A collective gasp came from the audience and the stage. “My lady, would you consider restoring to me the grace of your life and your love on a permanent basis?”

What the hell is happening? I glanced over at Mike. He, and the rest of the orchestra, are literally sitting on the edge of their seats. When I turn back to Tom, his arm is extended towards me, a small box with a ring sitting in the palm of his hand. Tom, channeling Loki, channeling King Hal. I was doomed.  

“Will you consent to be my queen and my love? Will you marry me?” 

His head dropped and my heart leapt into my throat. Time seemed to slow to a crawl while I recalled every fight, every laugh, every moment of passion and joy and sorrow. How could I possibly say yes? How could I not?

The soft sound of a camera lens focusing on me snapped me out of my time stop. He was still on bended knee, his arm shaking a bit. I stepped off of the platform and lifted his chin. For all his eloquence, I could only come up with a single word response. 

“Yes.”

Tom jumped to his feet and kissed me as everyone within earshot roared with approval. ‘All I Ask of You’ began to play and I made a mental note to fire then promote Mike later, as I was sure he’d been part of this plot all along. A moment passed in his arms before he finally stepped back, scooping up the golden horns.

“I shall be waiting with white horses, my queen.” 

“And here I thought you’d want me to play you out.”

“As long as it’s not ‘Performance Issues’.” 

“No promises.” I winked then stepped back onto the platform. “Ladies and gentlemen, shall we skip to the end?” Mike nodded and everyone found their page. I raised my hands and music from the Avengers theme rang out in the park.

Tom bowed to me before he slid the helmet back over his head, turned and walked to the side of the stage where Robert stood, raising his hands in victory when applause followed. I caught them embracing out of the corner of my eye and knew I’d have to give both of them grief later for the first glimpse of ‘FrostIron.’

We made it to the loft long after the final note sounded. There had been a sea of people congratulating me on the concert, the engagement, and everything in between. Tom vanished long enough to de-Loki, much to my disappointment, but stayed right next to me for the rest of the night. When we were finally able to leave, he ushered me out to a white Jag. White horses, indeed. 

He zipped through the streets of Manhattan with ease, taking as many backroads as possible to avoid traffic. I took the time to get a good look at the ring, and oh God was it stunning. A large oval stone set on its side with two smaller stones at either end set in a band of polished silver knotwork. Definitely handcrafted and a perfect fit.

“The band’s tungsten. I know how hard you are on jewelry,” Tom said with a wink.”The stones are moldavite, amethyst and garnet.” he glanced over, a smile on his face. “Us.” 

“It’s perfect,” I blushed a little, hoping he wouldn’t notice. “And you’re a dork of the highest caliber.”

That little laugh that drives all the ladies crazy slipped out as he nodded and pulled into the parking garage. Our elevator ride was silent as the family that snuck in just as the doors were closing bombarded Tom with more questions about Loki than I’d ever come up with. It made me think we’d have to take the service elevator from now on. 

All thoughts of anything beyond the man wrapped around me vanished as soon as the apartment door closed. Tom spun me around, planting a kiss that went from chaste to passion in point zero six seconds. I heard my keys hit the floor after I missed the end table. He growled when I tried to pick them up, nipping a little harder at my neck, pushing me toward the bedroom. 

We were all hands trying to shed clothes on the way. You’d think that as much coordination we had individually, we’d be able to make it look as graceful as it did in the movies. The poor boy got so frustrated that he picked me up, carried me down the hallway, and dropped me on the bed. Shoes and socks off, he stepped closer to unzip my dress while I worked on his pants. The conda sprang free as soon as the zipper fell. Another growl came from above when I wrapped my hand around it, morphing into a moan as when lips added. 

The bed dipped to one side a little with the weight of his leg. His hands rested on my shoulders as he tried to steady himself while I rolled my tongue around his cock. I couldn’t see his eyes with his head leaned back, but knew he was lost in the sensations, his hips rocking back and forth. He pulled out suddenly, tugged my hands away and upward to my feet. 

Another kiss, slower and more passionate while he finally figured out the zipper of my gown. His hands moved the fabric down, and the frustrated moan came when he remembered just how much effort went into making slinky black dresses look good. He nuzzled and nipped his way across my face and down my neck while he fumbled with the clasps of my bra. I returned the favor, dragging teeth along his neck until I was able to get his shirt open.  

What was left of my clothing dropped to the floor in one swift motion when Tom dropped to his knees, pushing me back onto the bed. I slid up the mattress and he followed, kissing and licking his way up my legs. He stopped at my hips, licking upward along the inside of my thigh but never quite made it to the center.

“If all you’re gonna do is tease,” I panted, “then get up here.”

“You would deny me the pleasure of devouring your already dripping quim?” Loki’s voice followed the dark, lust filled eyes that looked up at me. Before I could wrap my brain around my impending demise by god-lust, a finger slid inside me, followed by another. The smirk became a grin and he lowered his mouth to my clit, his eyes never leaving mine. 

He growled again as he began to suck, slowly pumping his ridiculously long fingers in and out of my pussy. I tried to squirm away when he picked up the pace and he wrapped his free arm around my leg, locking me in place. I lost count of how many times he brought me to the edge only to back off and begin again. My fingers found their way into his hair, tugging him upward, only to be rewarded with his teeth dragging across my swollen bud. 

“Not until you cum,” he purred, still latched on to me. He began thrusting the fingers inside me, curling them around to brush against that little bundle of nerve while he clamped down with lips and teeth. It didn’t take long for my body to shatter beneath him, my orgasm tearing its way out of me with a scream. He anchored me down with both arms, sucking out every last drop I could offer. 

When I came back to reality, he was making a slow path up my body, his breath hot on my skin. His lips finally reached mine and I took rough possession of them, wanting to taste him. The tip of his cock brushed against my pussy and I shivered. Tom pulled away a bit. 

“Need a bit longer to recover?” he whispered, nuzzling against my cheek. 

“Absolutely not.” I pulled him closer to me and shifted a bit, sliding a hand down his stomach. “Only thing I need is you.” My fingers wrapped around his length and guided him inside. 

“Oh. My. Go...” The last syllable was lost in the moan that rumbled in his chest. He was completely still above me except the slow thrust to push himself deeper, nearly purring as he went. I moved my hands along his sides and he sighed. “Been too long. Won’t last.”

“Ditto,” I breathed into his ear, “on both counts. Just move.”

Tom obliged, rocking his hips back and forth, moving a little faster with each thrust. I tried to lift my hips to his, but he built a pace I just couldn’t maintain. All I could do was hold onto him, losing myself in the feeling his body in mine and the sounds we made. His moans took on a higher pitch and his thrusts became erratic until every muscle in his body tensed, his seed spilling in waves. Feeling him cum sent me back over the edge, and I could’ve sworn I heard him chuckle as I clamped down around him.

We lay tangled in each other for a while, basking in the afterglow. He finally moved to the side, eliciting a groan from both of us when he did. Ever the gentleman, he let me duck into the loo first while he turned down the bed. Both settled back in bed, I curled up next to him, my head resting on his chest. 

“Love?” he whispered, toying with a lock of my hair. “Are you sure?”

“Sure of what?” 

“This,” he spoke as he ran his fingers along my left hand to the ring. “I know you wouldn’t have refused me in front of the entire world and half of Manhattan, even if you wanted to.” I lifted my head from his chest to look at him. There was genuine concern on his face as he sighed. “So, are you sure?”

“You’re serious?” His face turned sheepish. “Then let me answer a question with a question.”

“What? You hate it when I do that!” He sat up a bit and I pressed a finger to his lips.

“Thomas William Loki Adam Hank Henry Robert Freddie Jonathan Oakley Hiddleston the fifth, Lord Nooth, rightful king of the Jotunheim, England, Ireland, Scotland...”

“Okay, okay, enough,” he chuckled. I grinned at him. 

“Will you marry me?” His eyes went wide and teared up a bit. He began nodding furiously until I kissed him.

Neither of us slept that night.

[efrankclick]

Kitana Chronicles Alternia 2: Former King, A few words

Outworld is now under Mileena's control. Kotal Kahn, for is cowardice and refusal to fight against Shinnok has made him an enemy in many places including; Earthealm and Edenia. Kitana sent Tanya to locate Mileena's soul who had previously been killed by the devious Devora. Tanya stole the soul from the Netherrealm without the dragon lord, formerly Liu Kang being aware. She then traveled to Outworld and into the flesh pits and found one failed clone of mileena. This clone unlike the original clone has darker toned spots across her shoulders and back. She was also lifeless... Tanya using the knowledge she has of magic infused the soul of mileena into this new body and thus was reborn mileena... With Kitana's aide they over threw Kotal and imprisoned him... Currently Mileena has ruled neglectful. Most of Outworld has fallen into chaos while she caters to choice provinces. This has caused tension between her and the shokan. Goro himself now has an audience with her. "You are neglectful of Shokan territory and is has jeopardized the livelyhood of my people. You have restricted trades and cut off many communication routes... If we did not share something before, I'd think you were trying to seclude us for a reason." Goro complain looking up at her sitting upon her elevated throne. "You would be correct, Shokan. My intentions were to starve you. Your people request too much and refuse to compromise." "We abide by the accords of your father under contract." He argues. "My father is not here. I am the empress of Outworld and I have laid out my accords... I am not expanding other territories. I am expanding my own." She informs him. "That would require the shokan territory to become your territory." He realizes. "Yes, giving me complete authority over the shokan." She smiles. "And should we refuse?" "I will request my sister's aide in taking it from you... But, there is something you could do for me to persuade me to allow you to keep your territory..." In Edenia, Kitana walks into the cemetery after casually walking among her people. Beside her walks four women with their faces concealed behind white masks. They wear similar armor, only varying slightly amongst each other. The most notable difference is color scheme. One is silver, another is purple, the next is red, and the last is deep green. They all have different weapons too; green has the bow, purple has the chain sword, red has a katana, and silver does not appear to wield a weapon... These women are her personal guards called the echoes. Each trained by her individually and in secret. She knows everything about them and they are the best assassins in return... As Kitana takes a moment of silence at her parents graves a message from her husband, Kuai Liang, comes through on the magical amulet she is wearing. "Kitana, are you expecting an audience this evening?" He asks. "No, not at all." "We have been summoned." He tells her before ending the transmission. Kitana like her guards are confused but the hurry back to the palace... She meets with her husband and they both take their thrones together. Kuai Liang signals for their unannounced guest to be escorted in. "Surprises such as these are never good." He says lowly to her. "This will be the only surprise my love." She smiles at him. The doors leading to the throne room are opened and they immediately notice Mileena. The man she is with however, catches them by surprise. It's Liu Kang. He is back in his human form... They are escorted by mileena's royal escort. "What? How...? What is the meaning of this?" Kitana rises from her throne in obvious confusion a difference outrage. "Is it not obvious, sister? I too have a king now." Mileena teases holding Liu Kang's hand. "Husband?" Kitana mutters in shock. "Yes, since you and the ice box there decided to wed, I figured you wouldn't mind if I took what you left behind." "I don't." Kitana tells her. "You don't?" Liu Kang speaks up taking offense to her nonchalant attitude towards this revelation. Everything begins to heat up. Liu's aura is increasing with his anger. Kitana is hit with a wave of heat but subzero steps forward with his own aura of cold air that staves off the heat. Mileena looks around to see why she isn't affected by liu's heat but she cannot answer for it. She does however notice some of her royal Guard within a specific radius dying from the heat. "I think you should leave." Kuai Liang tells mileena and Liu. "You should have when you had the chance, subzero." Liu responds. "To you, I am King Kuai Liang and you will address my Queen with respect." "Your queen..." Liu stares Kuai Liang in the eyes as they exchange intensities. Mileena smiles deviously but then remembers that they are not there to fight. Though she has some desire for a sibling rivalry she actually does seek approval from Kitana. "I did not come here for a fight. Though I do love the shock and awe upon your face sister." She speaks up breaking the tension. "We are not sisters Mileena. You are simply a construct composed partly of my blood, get on with your message and then be gone." "My husband and I have come to announce the good news to you. The next Mortal Kombat Tournament draws near. Be prepared for loss because Edenia will once again belong to outworld. And I, will have more than you." Mileena teases. "I do not know how you achieved such feats, " Kitana says referring to Liu Kang, "but this is not a game." She argues. "Oh, but it is, and you will lose..." Mileena speaks with a sinister smiles before turning and leaving the presence of Kitana and Kuai Liang... Kitana Chronicles Alternia 3: Techunin and Shirairyu, choose a side.

[thomasroach]

Top RPG News of the Week: July 7th (Blue Protocol, GreedFall, Crystar and More!)

The post Top RPG News of the Week: July 7th (Blue Protocol, GreedFall, Crystar and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Happy weekend from Fextralife! If you’ve been too busy to keep up on the latest in the games we cover or are looking for a refresher we’ve got you covered! Here’s a bite-sized version of the Top RPG news of the week. Taste all the latest news across the Fextralife Wiki Network.

Check out the video above and read on for the text!

Cyberpunk 2077

According to an article released by the Polish business site Bankier, CD Projekt Red have three teams working on projects all related to the Cyberpunk 2077 universe.

Originally it was reported that the developer had three separate projects which included multiplayer.

However due to a translation error, which caused a little confusion CD Projekt Red cleared up some of the details explaining five teams are working a few projects, three of which were concentrating on Cyberpunk 2077 development.

Two of these teams are concentrating on the main game and another focusing on R&D technology.

One team is focusing on the development of Gwent, and another team is currently working on an “unannounced mobile project”.

According to the article, we will have to wait until the beginning of next year for more details.

To read more about this news find it here in Cyberpunk 2077 Is Among Three Cyberpunk Projects CD Projekt Red Are Working On.

Blue Protocol

A new IP was announced by Bandai Namco called Blue Protocol which is being developed by Project Sky Blue with Bandai Namco Online and Bandai Namco Studios.

Set in a world that will utilise “overwhelming graphics along the lines of anime movies” according to their Japanese press release which was translated by Gematsu. The title will be running on Unreal Engine 4.

The action-RPG will have multiplayer gameplay that will incorporate elements of online games. Not much else has been shared apart from a vividly colourful screenshot of the world of Blue Protocol.

This looks like a much brightly set action title compared to Bandai Namco’s upcoming Code Vein which releases in September. Although it has similarities with it’s anime type look, Code Vein follows a much darker universe and setting.

No details of release date has been announced but it will be coming to the PC platform.

To read more about this news find it here in Bandai Namco Reveals Online Action-RPG Blue Protocol.

Death End Re;Quest 2

Compile Heart has announced another dark entry for Death End Re;Quest, with brand new characters and story which was revealed by Famitsu. A narrative that will push the familiar feelings of fear and despair that the first instalment delivered.

Don’t worry if you still haven’t played the first title as Death End re;Quest 2 will be just as “enjoyable even for those who didn’t play the first Death End re;Quest” according to the developer.

Death End Re;Quest 2 plot will be written by none other than Makoto Kedouin, the author of the first Death End game and Corpse Party, returning as the scenarist of the next title. Kei Nanameda will be the character designer much like the first Death End. Kei has also worked on several other Compile Heart games like Dragon Star Varnir, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force, Mugen Souls, Mugen Souls Z, and Trillion: God of Destruction.

The setting for this game is an all girls dormitory, focusing on three girls who witness a strange phenomena full of conspiracies, as residence of the dormitory mysteriously start to disappear one by one.

To read more about this news find it here in Death End Re;Quest 2 Announced.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses Expansion Pass Announced

Nintendo have announced that the upcoming Fire Emblem: Three Houses will have an Expansion Pass, which will contain four post-launch DLCs.

The Fire Emblem: Three Houses Expansion Pass will be available post-launch for $24.99 and will come with a few free updates as well.

The Expansion Pass will have downloadable content which includes news maps, new costumes and new playable characters which will release between July 26th and April 30th 2020.

A bundle is also available which includes the Expansion Pass and the main game, which is available to pre-purchase from the Nintendo eShop for $84.98.

By buying the expansion pass players will have access to four waves of content as they are released, including Officers Academy outfits for both gender Byleth main characters on launch day.

The paid content will also include new storylines, additional playable characters, locations and more.

To read more about this news find it here in Fire Emblem: Three Houses Expansion Pass Announced.

GreedFall

Publisher Focus Home Interactive and developer Spiders Games have announced the release date for upcoming open-world RPG GreedFall.

GreedFall a fantasy RPG title will be releasing for Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC on September 10th.

Set in a a world that combines supernatural beings, magic and ancient secrets. The game is available to pre-order for $49.99.

The story follows the settlers, mercenaries and treasure hunters. On a mission to cure the homeland from a dangerous disease, you will be caught in the middle of a conflict between the settlers who are now invading and the locals who want to protect their mystical land and magical beings.

The title sets to bring an open-world experience with quests and objectives which can be completed in a number of ways including combat, diplomacy, stealth and even deception.

To read more about this news find it here in GreedFall Announced For September Release.

Black Desert

Launching on August 22nd is Black Desert for Playstation 4, if you want to gain 48 hours early access and in-game items you can pre-order now the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition.

The fantasy MMORPG comes with highly detailed character customisation tools, high action combat with monsters to slay, a huge open-world to explore and Life Skills such as crafting, hunting fishing and more.

The story starts with the Black Stone, an energy source that has now created a war between the Republic of Clapheon and the Kingdom of Valencia. With the help of the Black Spirit, a being who’s fate is apart of yours, you will discover the mysteries that lie in wait.

The MMORPG has six playable classes, which include Warrior, Ranger, Sorceress, Berserker, Wizard and Witch.

Using a real-time combat system you can experience abilities on the battlefield against mobs of enemies including world bosses.

Black Desert for Playstation 4 releases on August 22nd.

To read more about this news find it here in Black Desert For Playstation 4 Launches August 2019.

Code Vein

This week we got a new trailer for the anime souls-like Code Vein which features the Great Sword.

Last week we got to see the introduction of the Code Vein boss Successor of the Ribcage which introduced a four armed wolf with plenty of moves. Now a new trailer has been released featureing the two-handed weapon, the Great Sword.

While quite slow in its speed of attack, the Great Sword is seen in the trailer dealing some heavy damage, reaching a number of enemies at once with its range. Each strike knocks back the enemy a bit, while you recover from its swing.

There is also a few variations of the swords shown, demonstrating the weapon type.

Code Vein will be releasing PS4, Xbox One and PC on September 27th 2019.

To read more about this news find it here in Code Vein Trailer Features Great Sword.

Dragon’s Dogma Online

The online RPG Dragon’s Dogma Online is closing its doors in Japan at the end of the year after four years of operation.

Dragon’s Dogma Online never made it to the west, it remained as a free-to-play title only available officially in Japan. It was an MMORPG that followed the success of the original action-RPG Dragon’s Dogma. However, after four years Capcom have decided to call it quits and shut down the servers this December 5th.

According to the website post, Capcom came to this decision due to it becoming “difficult to continue offering satisfactory service…” The developer will stop offering downloads for the game client on July 11th.

Some fans are speculating by moving on from the online version, maybe Capcom are planning the next sequel for Dragon’s Dogma.

In an interview with VG24/7 game director Hideaki Itsuno about a conversation with the founder of Capcom Kenzo Tsujimoto, they had at one point talked of making a Dragon Dogma 2 when deciding on what to work on next.

Ultimately they ended up worked on Devil May Cry 5 but that could mean it’s a possibility.

To read more about this news find it here in Dragon’s Dogma Online In Japan Is Closing Down.

Crystar

During Anime Expo 2019 Crystar received a new trailer showcasing the action RPG’s characters.

Crystar is an action RPG developed by FuRyu Corporation and published by Spike Chunsoft. The protagonist, Rei  known as the “Warrior of Grief”, fights her way through Purgatory to rescue her little sister Mirai, which she killed unintentionally.

In order to revive Mirai, Rei strikes a deal with two Demons to become an Executor of Purgatory. Crystar lets the player utilize the power of grief; craft weapons and armor using Rei’s tears of anguish to further your strength on your quest to save Mirai.

Crystar is due out for PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam on August 27 in North America and August 30 in Europe.

To read more about this news find it here in Crystar Receives Character Trailer.

Well, that’s it for the Week in Wikis. Please join us next week for yet another great week of gaming! Remember to check out our VIP program for some exclusive supporter benefits, and budding writers should take advantage of our Become an Author initiative! Thanks again for being a part of this great community. Keep checking in with us for news, reviews, YouTube streams and vids, and general wiki goodness!

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The post Top RPG News of the Week: July 7th (Blue Protocol, GreedFall, Crystar and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Top RPG News of the Week: July 7th (Blue Protocol, GreedFall, Crystar and More!) published first on https://juanaframi.tumblr.com/

[robertvasquez763]

Meet the Chinese Company That Really Wants to Be the Next Tesla

–

SF Motors, a U.S. subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate Sokon Industry Group, has just paid $33 million to acquire a three-person battery technology startup started by Martin Eberhard, who is also co-founder and former CEO of Tesla Motors. Silicon Valley electric-vehicle and mobility outposts are suffering from brain drain as they poach from Tesla and one another, so the fledgling automaker saw the acquisition as the way to get an MVP for its effort to challenge the much admired California EV producer.

–

The company had already hired Eberhard as a consultant last year. With the recent acquisition of Eberhard’s battery startup, he was appointed SF Motors’ chief innovation officer.

–

“Eberhard will focus on technology innovation, product development, product positioning, and branding—all with the goal of helping SF Motors meet global EV demands,” the company said in a press release.

–

–

Martin Eberhard, in a 2006 Tesla photo, with then California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

–

SF Motors’ fascination with Tesla and its origins started earlier, with a proposed acquisition of AC Propulsion (ACP), the small California-based engineering firm mostly responsible for the car that became the original Tesla Roadster. Media reports suggested that the ACP purchase was a done deal, but it was actually abandoned shortly after Eberhard started advising SF Motors.

–

Not Exactly a Hardscrabble Startup

–

SF Motors is a young company—less than two years old—and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sokon, a van and truck maker based in Chongqing, in southwestern China. It’s one of only around a dozen automakers holding a government license to produce electric passenger vehicles in the country. According to a document filed last year with Chinese regulators, another of Sokon’s subsidiaries founded SF Motors in January 2016 with a $30 million down payment. By 2019, the document says, the company expects to invest more than $590 million to develop a high-end autonomous electric passenger car to rival the Tesla Model S. That looks like an impossibly small budget for the task, but SF Motors has started working on the EV at a glossy new headquarters in Silicon Valley.

–

One of the new company’s first moves was to approach ACP. “SF Motors visited us early in 2016 and was very interested in building a prototype vehicle using our drivetrain,” remembers Paul Carosa, ACP’s chief technology officer.

–

–

2010 Tesla Roadster Sport

–

AC Propulsion has a key role in the history of the electric car. It built the first modern sports car with lithium-ion batteries, the tzero, back in 1997. When ACP resisted putting that vehicle into production, Eberhard and co-founder Marc Tarpenning licensed the technology and started Tesla Motors with the Lotus-based Roadster (pictured above), soon attracting Elon Musk as an investor. Since then, AC has developed high-performance motors, power electronics, and rapid battery chargers. It supplied 500 drivetrains for BMW’s electric Mini E in 2008, has a Chinese sister company, and works with OEMs around the world.

–

SF Motors bought nine ACP drive systems for its own prototypes. But it wanted more. “After meticulous early market research, and following a long contact and communication, SF Motors intends to acquire AC Propulsion [for $95 million],” SF said in a filing with Chinese regulators in October 2016. A letter of intent was signed, a multimillion-dollar deposit was handed over, and the deal was set to close by year’s end.

–

Different Deals, All Involving a Tesla Co-Founder

–

Not so fast. In September 2016, a few weeks before the deal was announced, SF Motors hired Eberhard as a consultant and issued a press release. Eberhard was annoyed at the publicity. “Despite what was written, I am not on the . . . payroll other than as a consultant for general EV advice,” he told this reporter at the time. “I am not an employee there.”The distinction is important because Eberhard was also in the process of quietly founding his own EV startup. In September 2016,  he incorporated a company called InEVit, saying it would develop a standardized slide-in battery module to work on multiple vehicle platforms. A valuation document filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange claims that InEVit’s module offers increased energy density and more efficient cooling, together with lower costs and less fire risk. It also claims to simplify repair or replacement, with modules able to be swapped out within 15 minutes.

–

InEVit moved fast. By May 2017, it told a Korean trade delegation to Silicon Valley that it had 35 patents related to battery management, cooling, and fuse technologies, although none were held under the company’s name. It was also seeking $7 million in Series A funding. But a simpler solution was at hand. What if SF Motors bought InEVit instead of AC Propulsion? A filing with Chinese regulators in January 2017 said that the ACP negotiations were “very advanced” but that the completion date had pushed back to June. From being in a rush, SF Motors was now dragging its feet.

–

AC Deal Unraveled

–

“Martin made no effort to see what we’re doing,” said Carosa. “I think he has in his head a picture of ACP from 13 years ago. We’re a vastly different company now.” In March, SF Motors pulled out of the deal completely. It would not comment on the decision, citing Chinese regulatory restrictions.

–

“It was extremely frustrating because we went through six months of due diligence, spent a lot of effort and money on lawyers, and even got U.S. government approval,” said Carosa. “One of the reasons [SF] gave was [that] the China government is clamping down on money going out of the country.”

–

–

Meanwhile, SF Motors had been putting together other deals. A year ago, it announced an investment of nearly $11 million in a research center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And in August, it bought an assembly plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, that had been built to make the Hummer H2 (above). After Hummer folded, the plant was converted to produce parts for General Motors and for Mercedes-Benz. SF paid $110 million for the facility, saying it would be “preserving 430 American auto-worker jobs.”

–

Then, in late October, SF Motors announced that it had also acquired InEVit, for $33 million. The tiny startup had only three U.S. employees, including Eberhard, plus some engineers in Stuttgart, Germany. It also had Tarpenning as a minority investor.

–

Ties with Audi, Other Automakers

–

A valuation document for InEVit indicates that the company has been busy—it worked with Audi on as-yet-unannounced electric Q2 e-tron and TT e-tron vehicles, which might just be prototypes or design studies. In July, it pitched Daimler on a battery module using 2170 cells—the same size cells as those used in the Tesla Model 3—for use in Daimler’s upcoming EQ range. It made similar offers to Renault and Volkswagen over the summer. In the near future, InEVit expects to work with the R&D arms of five OEMs in Europe, one in China, and one in the United States. The valuation document says InEVit’s ultimate goal is to supply battery-system modules and controllers to OEMs at scale.

–

SF Motors said the information in the valuation document is incomplete but would not comment on specifics or InEVit’s projects, citing nondisclosure agreements with OEMs.

–

Meanwhile, SF Motors is developing its own EV, which will benefit from InEVit and Eberhard’s expertise, and it’s working with Mcity, the autonomous- and connected-vehicle test track located near its Ann Arbor R&D center.

–

–

SF Motors has already filed a U.S. trademark application for an EV under the brand name Seres, which might or might not have been influenced by designer and green-luxury legend Henrik Fisker. “Henrik Fisker had an agreement with Sokon on a new electric-vehicle venture, where Henrik Fisker did some initial design work,” said a spokesperson for Fisker. “This agreement did not materialize, as Sokon didn’t follow through with their financial obligations.” Fisker went on to found Fisker, which is developing a 400-mile-range electric sports car called the EMotion (pictured above).

–

–

Tesla Owners, Will Lucid Make Your Next Electric Car?

–

Can LeEco Rattle Apple and Tesla with an IoT EV?

–

Tesla Model S: Review, Photos, News, Info

–

–

“I’m not sure that [SF Motors] really understands what it takes to become a serious U.S. manufacturer of new-technology vehicles,” said ACP’s Carosa. “They may pull it off. I was skeptical about Tesla, too, in the beginning. But I don’t see any Elons over there [at SF].”

–

That may be an easy jab from a company spurned. But to avoid the same struggle and upheaval that another Chinese upstart, Faraday Future, has so publicly exhibited, SF Motors will need a lot more than some of the original spirit of Tesla.

–

from remotecar http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/3GZY2XNbO4M/

via WordPress https://robertvasquez123.wordpress.com/2017/11/03/meet-the-chinese-company-that-really-wants-to-be-the-next-tesla/

[eddiejpoplar]

Meet the Chinese Company That Really Wants to Be the Next Tesla

-

SF Motors, a U.S. subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate Sokon Industry Group, has just paid $33 million to acquire a three-person battery technology startup started by Martin Eberhard, who is also co-founder and former CEO of Tesla Motors. Silicon Valley electric-vehicle and mobility outposts are suffering from brain drain as they poach from Tesla and one another, so the fledgling automaker saw the acquisition as the way to get an MVP for its effort to challenge the much admired California EV producer.

-

The company had already hired Eberhard as a consultant last year. With the recent acquisition of Eberhard’s battery startup, he was appointed SF Motors’ chief innovation officer.

-

“Eberhard will focus on technology innovation, product development, product positioning, and branding—all with the goal of helping SF Motors meet global EV demands,” the company said in a press release.

-

-

Martin Eberhard, in a 2006 Tesla photo, with then California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

-

SF Motors’ fascination with Tesla and its origins started earlier, with a proposed acquisition of AC Propulsion (ACP), the small California-based engineering firm mostly responsible for the car that became the original Tesla Roadster. Media reports suggested that the ACP purchase was a done deal, but it was actually abandoned shortly after Eberhard started advising SF Motors.

-

Not Exactly a Hardscrabble Startup

-

SF Motors is a young company—less than two years old—and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sokon, a van and truck maker based in Chongqing, in southwestern China. It’s one of only around a dozen automakers holding a government license to produce electric passenger vehicles in the country. According to a document filed last year with Chinese regulators, another of Sokon’s subsidiaries founded SF Motors in January 2016 with a $30 million down payment. By 2019, the document says, the company expects to invest more than $590 million to develop a high-end autonomous electric passenger car to rival the Tesla Model S. That looks like an impossibly small budget for the task, but SF Motors has started working on the EV at a glossy new headquarters in Silicon Valley.

-

One of the new company’s first moves was to approach ACP. “SF Motors visited us early in 2016 and was very interested in building a prototype vehicle using our drivetrain,” remembers Paul Carosa, ACP’s chief technology officer.

-

-

2010 Tesla Roadster Sport

-

AC Propulsion has a key role in the history of the electric car. It built the first modern sports car with lithium-ion batteries, the tzero, back in 1997. When ACP resisted putting that vehicle into production, Eberhard and co-founder Marc Tarpenning licensed the technology and started Tesla Motors with the Lotus-based Roadster (pictured above), soon attracting Elon Musk as an investor. Since then, AC has developed high-performance motors, power electronics, and rapid battery chargers. It supplied 500 drivetrains for BMW’s electric Mini E in 2008, has a Chinese sister company, and works with OEMs around the world.

-

SF Motors bought nine ACP drive systems for its own prototypes. But it wanted more. “After meticulous early market research, and following a long contact and communication, SF Motors intends to acquire AC Propulsion [for $95 million],” SF said in a filing with Chinese regulators in October 2016. A letter of intent was signed, a multimillion-dollar deposit was handed over, and the deal was set to close by year’s end.

-

Different Deals, All Involving a Tesla Co-Founder

-

Not so fast. In September 2016, a few weeks before the deal was announced, SF Motors hired Eberhard as a consultant and issued a press release. Eberhard was annoyed at the publicity. “Despite what was written, I am not on the . . . payroll other than as a consultant for general EV advice,” he told this reporter at the time. “I am not an employee there.”The distinction is important because Eberhard was also in the process of quietly founding his own EV startup. In September 2016,  he incorporated a company called InEVit, saying it would develop a standardized slide-in battery module to work on multiple vehicle platforms. A valuation document filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange claims that InEVit’s module offers increased energy density and more efficient cooling, together with lower costs and less fire risk. It also claims to simplify repair or replacement, with modules able to be swapped out within 15 minutes.

-

InEVit moved fast. By May 2017, it told a Korean trade delegation to Silicon Valley that it had 35 patents related to battery management, cooling, and fuse technologies, although none were held under the company’s name. It was also seeking $7 million in Series A funding. But a simpler solution was at hand. What if SF Motors bought InEVit instead of AC Propulsion? A filing with Chinese regulators in January 2017 said that the ACP negotiations were “very advanced” but that the completion date had pushed back to June. From being in a rush, SF Motors was now dragging its feet.

-

AC Deal Unraveled

-

“Martin made no effort to see what we’re doing,” said Carosa. “I think he has in his head a picture of ACP from 13 years ago. We’re a vastly different company now.” In March, SF Motors pulled out of the deal completely. It would not comment on the decision, citing Chinese regulatory restrictions.

-

“It was extremely frustrating because we went through six months of due diligence, spent a lot of effort and money on lawyers, and even got U.S. government approval,” said Carosa. “One of the reasons [SF] gave was [that] the China government is clamping down on money going out of the country.”

-

-

Meanwhile, SF Motors had been putting together other deals. A year ago, it announced an investment of nearly $11 million in a research center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And in August, it bought an assembly plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, that had been built to make the Hummer H2 (above). After Hummer folded, the plant was converted to produce parts for General Motors and for Mercedes-Benz. SF paid $110 million for the facility, saying it would be “preserving 430 American auto-worker jobs.”

-

Then, in late October, SF Motors announced that it had also acquired InEVit, for $33 million. The tiny startup had only three U.S. employees, including Eberhard, plus some engineers in Stuttgart, Germany. It also had Tarpenning as a minority investor.

-

Ties with Audi, Other Automakers

-

A valuation document for InEVit indicates that the company has been busy—it worked with Audi on as-yet-unannounced electric Q2 e-tron and TT e-tron vehicles, which might just be prototypes or design studies. In July, it pitched Daimler on a battery module using 2170 cells—the same size cells as those used in the Tesla Model 3—for use in Daimler’s upcoming EQ range. It made similar offers to Renault and Volkswagen over the summer. In the near future, InEVit expects to work with the R&D arms of five OEMs in Europe, one in China, and one in the United States. The valuation document says InEVit’s ultimate goal is to supply battery-system modules and controllers to OEMs at scale.

-

SF Motors said the information in the valuation document is incomplete but would not comment on specifics or InEVit’s projects, citing nondisclosure agreements with OEMs.

-

Meanwhile, SF Motors is developing its own EV, which will benefit from InEVit and Eberhard’s expertise, and it’s working with Mcity, the autonomous- and connected-vehicle test track located near its Ann Arbor R&D center.

-

-

SF Motors has already filed a U.S. trademark application for an EV under the brand name Seres, which might or might not have been influenced by designer and green-luxury legend Henrik Fisker. “Henrik Fisker had an agreement with Sokon on a new electric-vehicle venture, where Henrik Fisker did some initial design work,” said a spokesperson for Fisker. “This agreement did not materialize, as Sokon didn’t follow through with their financial obligations.” Fisker went on to found Fisker, which is developing a 400-mile-range electric sports car called the EMotion (pictured above).

-

-

Tesla Owners, Will Lucid Make Your Next Electric Car?

-

Can LeEco Rattle Apple and Tesla with an IoT EV?

-

Tesla Model S: Review, Photos, News, Info

-

-

“I’m not sure that [SF Motors] really understands what it takes to become a serious U.S. manufacturer of new-technology vehicles,” said ACP’s Carosa. “They may pull it off. I was skeptical about Tesla, too, in the beginning. But I don’t see any Elons over there [at SF].”

-

That may be an easy jab from a company spurned. But to avoid the same struggle and upheaval that another Chinese upstart, Faraday Future, has so publicly exhibited, SF Motors will need a lot more than some of the original spirit of Tesla.

- from Performance Junk Blogger 6 http://ift.tt/2gZvJjV via IFTTT

[jesusvasser]

Meet the Chinese Company That Really Wants to Be the Next Tesla

-

SF Motors, a U.S. subsidiary of the Chinese conglomerate Sokon Industry Group, has just paid $33 million to acquire a three-person battery technology startup started by Martin Eberhard, who is also co-founder and former CEO of Tesla Motors. Silicon Valley electric-vehicle and mobility outposts are suffering from brain drain as they poach from Tesla and one another, so the fledgling automaker saw the acquisition as the way to get an MVP for its effort to challenge the much admired California EV producer.

-

The company had already hired Eberhard as a consultant last year. With the recent acquisition of Eberhard’s battery startup, he was appointed SF Motors’ chief innovation officer.

-

“Eberhard will focus on technology innovation, product development, product positioning, and branding—all with the goal of helping SF Motors meet global EV demands,” the company said in a press release.

-

-

Martin Eberhard, in a 2006 Tesla photo, with then California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

-

SF Motors’ fascination with Tesla and its origins started earlier, with a proposed acquisition of AC Propulsion (ACP), the small California-based engineering firm mostly responsible for the car that became the original Tesla Roadster. Media reports suggested that the ACP purchase was a done deal, but it was actually abandoned shortly after Eberhard started advising SF Motors.

-

Not Exactly a Hardscrabble Startup

-

SF Motors is a young company—less than two years old—and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sokon, a van and truck maker based in Chongqing, in southwestern China. It’s one of only around a dozen automakers holding a government license to produce electric passenger vehicles in the country. According to a document filed last year with Chinese regulators, another of Sokon’s subsidiaries founded SF Motors in January 2016 with a $30 million down payment. By 2019, the document says, the company expects to invest more than $590 million to develop a high-end autonomous electric passenger car to rival the Tesla Model S. That looks like an impossibly small budget for the task, but SF Motors has started working on the EV at a glossy new headquarters in Silicon Valley.

-

One of the new company’s first moves was to approach ACP. “SF Motors visited us early in 2016 and was very interested in building a prototype vehicle using our drivetrain,” remembers Paul Carosa, ACP’s chief technology officer.

-

-

2010 Tesla Roadster Sport

-

AC Propulsion has a key role in the history of the electric car. It built the first modern sports car with lithium-ion batteries, the tzero, back in 1997. When ACP resisted putting that vehicle into production, Eberhard and co-founder Marc Tarpenning licensed the technology and started Tesla Motors with the Lotus-based Roadster (pictured above), soon attracting Elon Musk as an investor. Since then, AC has developed high-performance motors, power electronics, and rapid battery chargers. It supplied 500 drivetrains for BMW’s electric Mini E in 2008, has a Chinese sister company, and works with OEMs around the world.

-

SF Motors bought nine ACP drive systems for its own prototypes. But it wanted more. “After meticulous early market research, and following a long contact and communication, SF Motors intends to acquire AC Propulsion [for $95 million],” SF said in a filing with Chinese regulators in October 2016. A letter of intent was signed, a multimillion-dollar deposit was handed over, and the deal was set to close by year’s end.

-

Different Deals, All Involving a Tesla Co-Founder

-

Not so fast. In September 2016, a few weeks before the deal was announced, SF Motors hired Eberhard as a consultant and issued a press release. Eberhard was annoyed at the publicity. “Despite what was written, I am not on the . . . payroll other than as a consultant for general EV advice,” he told this reporter at the time. “I am not an employee there.”The distinction is important because Eberhard was also in the process of quietly founding his own EV startup. In September 2016,  he incorporated a company called InEVit, saying it would develop a standardized slide-in battery module to work on multiple vehicle platforms. A valuation document filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange claims that InEVit’s module offers increased energy density and more efficient cooling, together with lower costs and less fire risk. It also claims to simplify repair or replacement, with modules able to be swapped out within 15 minutes.

-

InEVit moved fast. By May 2017, it told a Korean trade delegation to Silicon Valley that it had 35 patents related to battery management, cooling, and fuse technologies, although none were held under the company’s name. It was also seeking $7 million in Series A funding. But a simpler solution was at hand. What if SF Motors bought InEVit instead of AC Propulsion? A filing with Chinese regulators in January 2017 said that the ACP negotiations were “very advanced” but that the completion date had pushed back to June. From being in a rush, SF Motors was now dragging its feet.

-

AC Deal Unraveled

-

“Martin made no effort to see what we’re doing,” said Carosa. “I think he has in his head a picture of ACP from 13 years ago. We’re a vastly different company now.” In March, SF Motors pulled out of the deal completely. It would not comment on the decision, citing Chinese regulatory restrictions.

-

“It was extremely frustrating because we went through six months of due diligence, spent a lot of effort and money on lawyers, and even got U.S. government approval,” said Carosa. “One of the reasons [SF] gave was [that] the China government is clamping down on money going out of the country.”

-

-

Meanwhile, SF Motors had been putting together other deals. A year ago, it announced an investment of nearly $11 million in a research center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And in August, it bought an assembly plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, that had been built to make the Hummer H2 (above). After Hummer folded, the plant was converted to produce parts for General Motors and for Mercedes-Benz. SF paid $110 million for the facility, saying it would be “preserving 430 American auto-worker jobs.”

-

Then, in late October, SF Motors announced that it had also acquired InEVit, for $33 million. The tiny startup had only three U.S. employees, including Eberhard, plus some engineers in Stuttgart, Germany. It also had Tarpenning as a minority investor.

-

Ties with Audi, Other Automakers

-

A valuation document for InEVit indicates that the company has been busy—it worked with Audi on as-yet-unannounced electric Q2 e-tron and TT e-tron vehicles, which might just be prototypes or design studies. In July, it pitched Daimler on a battery module using 2170 cells—the same size cells as those used in the Tesla Model 3—for use in Daimler’s upcoming EQ range. It made similar offers to Renault and Volkswagen over the summer. In the near future, InEVit expects to work with the R&D arms of five OEMs in Europe, one in China, and one in the United States. The valuation document says InEVit’s ultimate goal is to supply battery-system modules and controllers to OEMs at scale.

-

SF Motors said the information in the valuation document is incomplete but would not comment on specifics or InEVit’s projects, citing nondisclosure agreements with OEMs.

-

Meanwhile, SF Motors is developing its own EV, which will benefit from InEVit and Eberhard’s expertise, and it’s working with Mcity, the autonomous- and connected-vehicle test track located near its Ann Arbor R&D center.

-

-

SF Motors has already filed a U.S. trademark application for an EV under the brand name Seres, which might or might not have been influenced by designer and green-luxury legend Henrik Fisker. “Henrik Fisker had an agreement with Sokon on a new electric-vehicle venture, where Henrik Fisker did some initial design work,” said a spokesperson for Fisker. “This agreement did not materialize, as Sokon didn’t follow through with their financial obligations.” Fisker went on to found Fisker, which is developing a 400-mile-range electric sports car called the EMotion (pictured above).

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Tesla Owners, Will Lucid Make Your Next Electric Car?

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Can LeEco Rattle Apple and Tesla with an IoT EV?

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Tesla Model S: Review, Photos, News, Info

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“I’m not sure that [SF Motors] really understands what it takes to become a serious U.S. manufacturer of new-technology vehicles,” said ACP’s Carosa. “They may pull it off. I was skeptical about Tesla, too, in the beginning. But I don’t see any Elons over there [at SF].”

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That may be an easy jab from a company spurned. But to avoid the same struggle and upheaval that another Chinese upstart, Faraday Future, has so publicly exhibited, SF Motors will need a lot more than some of the original spirit of Tesla.

- from Performance Junk WP Feed 4 http://ift.tt/2gZvJjV via IFTTT

[thomasroach]

Top RPG News of the Week: July 7th (Blue Protocol, GreedFall, Crystar and More!)

The post Top RPG News of the Week: July 7th (Blue Protocol, GreedFall, Crystar and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

Happy weekend from Fextralife! If you’ve been too busy to keep up on the latest in the games we cover or are looking for a refresher we’ve got you covered! Here’s a bite-sized version of the Top RPG news of the week. Taste all the latest news across the Fextralife Wiki Network.

Check out the video above and read on for the text!

Cyberpunk 2077

According to an article released by the Polish business site Bankier, CD Projekt Red have three teams working on projects all related to the Cyberpunk 2077 universe.

Originally it was reported that the developer had three separate projects which included multiplayer.

However due to a translation error, which caused a little confusion CD Projekt Red cleared up some of the details explaining five teams are working a few projects, three of which were concentrating on Cyberpunk 2077 development.

Two of these teams are concentrating on the main game and another focusing on R&D technology.

One team is focusing on the development of Gwent, and another team is currently working on an “unannounced mobile project”.

According to the article, we will have to wait until the beginning of next year for more details.

To read more about this news find it here in Cyberpunk 2077 Is Among Three Cyberpunk Projects CD Projekt Red Are Working On.

Blue Protocol

A new IP was announced by Bandai Namco called Blue Protocol which is being developed by Project Sky Blue with Bandai Namco Online and Bandai Namco Studios.

Set in a world that will utilise “overwhelming graphics along the lines of anime movies” according to their Japanese press release which was translated by Gematsu. The title will be running on Unreal Engine 4.

The action-RPG will have multiplayer gameplay that will incorporate elements of online games. Not much else has been shared apart from a vividly colourful screenshot of the world of Blue Protocol.

This looks like a much brightly set action title compared to Bandai Namco’s upcoming Code Vein which releases in September. Although it has similarities with it’s anime type look, Code Vein follows a much darker universe and setting.

No details of release date has been announced but it will be coming to the PC platform.

To read more about this news find it here in Bandai Namco Reveals Online Action-RPG Blue Protocol.

Death End Re;Quest 2

Compile Heart has announced another dark entry for Death End Re;Quest, with brand new characters and story which was revealed by Famitsu. A narrative that will push the familiar feelings of fear and despair that the first instalment delivered.

Don’t worry if you still haven’t played the first title as Death End re;Quest 2 will be just as “enjoyable even for those who didn’t play the first Death End re;Quest” according to the developer.

Death End Re;Quest 2 plot will be written by none other than Makoto Kedouin, the author of the first Death End game and Corpse Party, returning as the scenarist of the next title. Kei Nanameda will be the character designer much like the first Death End. Kei has also worked on several other Compile Heart games like Dragon Star Varnir, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force, Mugen Souls, Mugen Souls Z, and Trillion: God of Destruction.

The setting for this game is an all girls dormitory, focusing on three girls who witness a strange phenomena full of conspiracies, as residence of the dormitory mysteriously start to disappear one by one.

To read more about this news find it here in Death End Re;Quest 2 Announced.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses Expansion Pass Announced

Nintendo have announced that the upcoming Fire Emblem: Three Houses will have an Expansion Pass, which will contain four post-launch DLCs.

The Fire Emblem: Three Houses Expansion Pass will be available post-launch for $24.99 and will come with a few free updates as well.

The Expansion Pass will have downloadable content which includes news maps, new costumes and new playable characters which will release between July 26th and April 30th 2020.

A bundle is also available which includes the Expansion Pass and the main game, which is available to pre-purchase from the Nintendo eShop for $84.98.

By buying the expansion pass players will have access to four waves of content as they are released, including Officers Academy outfits for both gender Byleth main characters on launch day.

The paid content will also include new storylines, additional playable characters, locations and more.

To read more about this news find it here in Fire Emblem: Three Houses Expansion Pass Announced.

GreedFall

Publisher Focus Home Interactive and developer Spiders Games have announced the release date for upcoming open-world RPG GreedFall.

GreedFall a fantasy RPG title will be releasing for Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC on September 10th.

Set in a a world that combines supernatural beings, magic and ancient secrets. The game is available to pre-order for $49.99.

The story follows the settlers, mercenaries and treasure hunters. On a mission to cure the homeland from a dangerous disease, you will be caught in the middle of a conflict between the settlers who are now invading and the locals who want to protect their mystical land and magical beings.

The title sets to bring an open-world experience with quests and objectives which can be completed in a number of ways including combat, diplomacy, stealth and even deception.

To read more about this news find it here in GreedFall Announced For September Release.

Black Desert

Launching on August 22nd is Black Desert for Playstation 4, if you want to gain 48 hours early access and in-game items you can pre-order now the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition.

The fantasy MMORPG comes with highly detailed character customisation tools, high action combat with monsters to slay, a huge open-world to explore and Life Skills such as crafting, hunting fishing and more.

The story starts with the Black Stone, an energy source that has now created a war between the Republic of Clapheon and the Kingdom of Valencia. With the help of the Black Spirit, a being who’s fate is apart of yours, you will discover the mysteries that lie in wait.

The MMORPG has six playable classes, which include Warrior, Ranger, Sorceress, Berserker, Wizard and Witch.

Using a real-time combat system you can experience abilities on the battlefield against mobs of enemies including world bosses.

Black Desert for Playstation 4 releases on August 22nd.

To read more about this news find it here in Black Desert For Playstation 4 Launches August 2019.

Code Vein

This week we got a new trailer for the anime souls-like Code Vein which features the Great Sword.

Last week we got to see the introduction of the Code Vein boss Successor of the Ribcage which introduced a four armed wolf with plenty of moves. Now a new trailer has been released featureing the two-handed weapon, the Great Sword.

While quite slow in its speed of attack, the Great Sword is seen in the trailer dealing some heavy damage, reaching a number of enemies at once with its range. Each strike knocks back the enemy a bit, while you recover from its swing.

There is also a few variations of the swords shown, demonstrating the weapon type.

Code Vein will be releasing PS4, Xbox One and PC on September 27th 2019.

To read more about this news find it here in Code Vein Trailer Features Great Sword.

Dragon’s Dogma Online

The online RPG Dragon’s Dogma Online is closing its doors in Japan at the end of the year after four years of operation.

Dragon’s Dogma Online never made it to the west, it remained as a free-to-play title only available officially in Japan. It was an MMORPG that followed the success of the original action-RPG Dragon’s Dogma. However, after four years Capcom have decided to call it quits and shut down the servers this December 5th.

According to the website post, Capcom came to this decision due to it becoming “difficult to continue offering satisfactory service…” The developer will stop offering downloads for the game client on July 11th.

Some fans are speculating by moving on from the online version, maybe Capcom are planning the next sequel for Dragon’s Dogma.

In an interview with VG24/7 game director Hideaki Itsuno about a conversation with the founder of Capcom Kenzo Tsujimoto, they had at one point talked of making a Dragon Dogma 2 when deciding on what to work on next.

Ultimately they ended up worked on Devil May Cry 5 but that could mean it’s a possibility.

To read more about this news find it here in Dragon’s Dogma Online In Japan Is Closing Down.

Crystar

During Anime Expo 2019 Crystar received a new trailer showcasing the action RPG’s characters.

Crystar is an action RPG developed by FuRyu Corporation and published by Spike Chunsoft. The protagonist, Rei  known as the “Warrior of Grief”, fights her way through Purgatory to rescue her little sister Mirai, which she killed unintentionally.

In order to revive Mirai, Rei strikes a deal with two Demons to become an Executor of Purgatory. Crystar lets the player utilize the power of grief; craft weapons and armor using Rei’s tears of anguish to further your strength on your quest to save Mirai.

Crystar is due out for PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam on August 27 in North America and August 30 in Europe.

To read more about this news find it here in Crystar Receives Character Trailer.

Well, that’s it for the Week in Wikis. Please join us next week for yet another great week of gaming! Remember to check out our VIP program for some exclusive supporter benefits, and budding writers should take advantage of our Become an Author initiative! Thanks again for being a part of this great community. Keep checking in with us for news, reviews, YouTube streams and vids, and general wiki goodness!

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The post Top RPG News of the Week: July 7th (Blue Protocol, GreedFall, Crystar and More!) appeared first on Fextralife.

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