#look at how relaxed Siegfried is

[owlsie-hoot]

"Mrs Hall and I spoilt him rotten, ruined him entirely. Sorry about that." (05x01 To All Our Boys)

[doki-doki-imagines]

Braid and flowers

tags: Siegfried centric. I just really wanted a soft Sieg with flowers sob. Hinted at the end Siegfried x reader/danchou.

When Siegfried arrived at the Dragon Knights's meeting chatter stopped all of a sudden. Lancelot looks at him with wide eyes while Vane is smiling at him. Percival looks like he wants to say something, the annoyance is clearly dripping from his expression, his nose curled up like a kitty but he decides to click his tongue and go back to the topic they were previously discussing about.

So what caused these reactions?

It's because of Siegfried new hairstyle; a soft braid expertly intertwined with fresh flowers. Some strands fall free on the man's face making Siegfried look ethereal. It's a look that suits him, not that it is hard when you look like an Adonis the second you wake up, but it enhances his beauty. He talks with the other knights about the current expenses and how to improve the other soldiers' training not minding the other knights staring a bit too long his hair.

"Let's take a break!" Vane proposes when the sun starts setting, already pulling toward the table fresh baked goods he brought from home. Nobody has the heart to refuse, not even Percival that usually prefers to finish the job and just then take a break. Vane is also the first one to question the elephant in the room for the relief of his colleagues.

"Oh this? One of the trainees made it, he told me there is a celebration in town-" Siegfried starts to explain how a harvin trainee wouldn't stop looking at his hair so Siegfried asked him if there was anything wrong.

---

"N-No. Excuse me for staring, it's just…" The young boy looked down, the fringe of his bowl cut long enough to cover his black eyes. "In town, there is a celebration for a holiday that is really important to my family-" The harvin says, fidgeting with his fingers "Where I come from everyone has long hair so we can braid them for this holiday, but I had to cut them before coming here."

Siegfried nods at the kid's words, but still misses the point of the guy's stare. "I was staring because I miss my long hair. I know it's stupid, I can't even go there-"

"You want to braid mine?" It's Siegfried's curt question, voice firm as always. The harvin finally looks back at him, eyes sparkling with joy, but his Adam's apple bobs with worry. "You don't have to be anxious, I don't mind if you braid my hair, just-" Siegfried sits down, giving his back to the kid "Don't brush too hard, my scalp is sensitive." His honey-colored irises are soft, brown long eyelashes making his eyes look sweeter. There is no real bite in his voice trying not to worry the kid more. Siegfried sees the kid nodding before feeling his small fingers combing as best as he could Siegfried's soft hair. There were some knots, after all the knight doesn't spend too much of his time on his hair, but the braiding was more or less painless.

"Let me add the finishing touch!" The man looks behind, noticing all the flowers the kid picked up.

"Are you going to put them in my hair?"

"Yes. Is it a problem? Excuse me for not-"

"Can you please add a sunflower?" The harvin widened his big eyes before nodding and smiling at the knight's request. And after the finishing touch, Siegfried was free and the harvin looked relaxed.

The kid thanked him again and again before going back to his training. Siegfried smiled seeing him walking away, happy to have brought peace the the trainee's troubled heart.

---

"That's why I have my hair braided like this. It looks good right?" Siegfried turns toward the big mirror in the room. He has never been vain but he honestly thinks the kid did an amazing job. The flowers never dropped from their places, adding light to his brown hair. They should train together to reciprocate the favor.

"You look beautiful Siegfried." Lancelot replies, there is no mirth in his voice, just genuine appreciation.

"Yeah! It softens your features and shows off your sweet side. Don't you agree Percival?" Vane adds with a bit more enthusiasm. Percival doesn't say anything at first, lost in thoughts while drinking his cup of tea.

"Percival?" Vane asks again. This time he is able to pull the prince out of his thoughts.

"Yes, you look really nice." He brushes it off, eyes showing his mind still hasn't connected with them.

Because Percival knows there is no festival in town. He is sure of it. But decides not to say anything, the lie of the harvin is clearly harmless. The red hair smiles before sipping again from his cup, happy his teacher still hasn't lost his humanity.

"Let's go back to work." Percival orders and the other knights' nod, already too much time lost chit-chatting. Siegfried agrees with them, one hand caressing his hair, feeling the textures and bumps of the hairstyle.

He isn't sure he will be able to go to town later, but Siegfried would like to try this style again when the captain visits them.

He'd love to hear their opinion and maybe spend a bit of time together in peace, surrounded by the same flowers adorning his hair.

Little detail I didn't add in the drabble: The harvin grew up in an all women family. He got taught early how to braid hair and used to do that to relieve stress but now with short hair he doesn't know how to push out the negativity! The festival was all an excuse but he was too worried people would insult him for having a "female" hobby or just...having worries or anxieties like a normal human being. Don't worry next time harvin kid! No real knight would do that!💪🏻

[reneethegreatandpowerful]

-OC Incorrect Quotes-

You said you tagged anybody who wanted to do this, @vellatra, so consider me tagged! Here's the link to the generator site. I made a billion, but decided I would spare ya'll and just share a handful. ...At least, for now. >:) (These six characters are all from the same story. Anali's the protagonist.)

Anali, to the Squad: I’d die for you. Siegfried: Then perish. Franesca: You will. Caidar: Please don’t. Tillian: Cool. Xarik: I’d die for you first.

(Tillian, you're awful.)

Siegfried: Does anyone know how to relax? Asking for a friend.

(Poor Siegfried.)

Caidar: I have no respect for Santa. Don’t sneak in through the chimney and undermine my authority by bringing my family presents. Walk in through the front door and fight me like a man.

(...I love this guy.)

Franesca: I'm a nice person, but I'm about to start throwing rocks at people.

After discussing a plan Tillian: Does anyone have any questions? Caidar: Is this legal? Tillian: Does anyone have any relevant questions?

(The generator misinterpreted Xarik as depressed and Anali as a force of mad chaos, but it knew how to do Tillian. XD)

Xarik: I’ve never asked someone out. How do you even do it? Caidar: Oh, what I do is, I look them up and down and I say: “Hey… how you doin’?” Franesca, scoffing: Oh, please. Caidar, to Franesca: Hey, how you doin’? Franesca: Franesca: giggles and blushes

(If Caidar did that to me I would implode.)

Anali: Sometimes, I don’t realize an event was traumatic until I tell it as a funny story and notice everyone is staring at me weird.

And we end on Anali basically summing up the book.

Hope you enjoyed! :)

[hkenvs3000f23]

Blog post 7

Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?

As a follow-up (focus on the above two before you tackle this one), what song takes you immediately back to a natural landscape? What is the context? Share it with us – I would imagine many of these ideas may have similar underpinnings of a campfire, road trip, backpacking journey, etc.!

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- We’ve discussed how nature is interpreted through art a few weeks ago, and I mentioned how the relationship between the two often go hand in hand. For that prompt I mainly looked at the visual arts and photography side of art. However, music is one of the greatest forms of arts, as it has the power to convey emotions and tell stories through sound. As we know, music has a major influence in our world today and has had played a crucial role in shaping cultures throughout history.

So, let’s talk about where music is in nature.

If you look at any of these pictures I took, you can probably just hear/imagine what they sound like.

I think you can find music in all aspects of nature, as nature itself is a symphony of sounds. You can hear music in the sounds of the water flowing, leaves rustling, or through the sounds of the wind. Some more obvious sounds may be from crickets and cicadas or birds chirping. There are so many unique sounds of nature.  While these sounds may not seem like ‘music’ separately, it’s when you hear them together, where nature really starts to sound like music. So, if you find yourself putting on headphones when you go on walks, try to take them off and listen to the sounds of nature instead. The music of nature can have a therapeutic effect, so it’s important to get outside and just listen for a minute.

Now as for nature in music.

This may not be as simple to find, but a lot of songs will have nature sounds incorporated into them, even if you don't notice at first. By adding nature elements to songs, artists can enhance the overall atmosphere, or like this week's reading says it can "change the way people see, think, and feel". One of the first examples of this that comes to mind is “Good Days” by SZA.  While she makes multiple references to nature in her lyrics and video, what I feel enhanced the ambiance is the sounds of nature, such as the birds chirping and water flowing. The use of nature elements gives a relaxing and therapeutic feeling, which is why this song reminds me of going for road trips or hanging out at a park with friends during summer. Another example of an artist that uses the sounds of nature is Frank Ocean. For example, he uses the sounds of birds chirping and flowing water in both “Seigfried” and “Skyline to”.  “Skyline to” exudes a sense of calm, whereas “Seigfried” has more of a dramatic tone. This is interesting since both songs use similar nature elements, however the way they are used conveys distinct emotions/atmospheres. While “Skyline to” makes me think of going on a walk or sitting outside early in the morning, “Siegfried” reminds me of going on a walk late in the evening.

Generally, incorporating sounds of nature into music can allow the artist to invoke certain emotions in the listener and can transport the listener to a specific landscape.

[skaerial]

Reassurance

AfterRiders AU Drabble!! Characters: Fleetway(AU) & Keira (w/ Runihura, Mysta, Siegfried, Scorch, & Brutus)

“All challengers, ready up!”

The crowd roared in response to the voice that bleared from the speakers. “Hurry up! It’s starting!” Amongst the crowd, a group of four: a pink cat, a blue tiger, a red lion, and a thresher shark took their respective seats. They began searching for their friends who were competing in this race — the cat’s arms flailing about as she pointed in the direction of a yellow hedgehog. “There they are!”

Fleetway exhaled. Months of training had boiled down to this very moment. He narrowed his eyes at the starting line, seeing other racers beginning to take their spots. In the midst of the crowd he could easily spot the blue quills that belonged to their most problematic opponent: Sonic. Turning his head, the yellow hedgehog merely sneered. Fleetway wasn’t afraid of anything; he’ll take down the blue blur himself.

As he glanced at his two other team members, he locked eyes with Runihura, who had just finished putting on his gloves. “Remember the plan,” Runihura mumbled in passing, giving Fleetway a fist bump as the thorny devil moved to take his position behind the starting line. Of course, Fleetway thought. No need to tell me twice.

With that, his attention rested upon a purple hedgehog, sat atop her bike. Her face was scrunched in a frown, as she slipped her helmet on. She was so deep in her own thoughts she didn’t even notice Fleetway approaching her.

“Oi Kei, chill out will you?” he bent down to her eye level, hands resting on her bike.

Flinching, Keira gave him a sheepish smile, “How can I relax when we’re going up against all of the pros? Sonic is there… Blaze is there…” Gripping her bike’s handle, she chewed on her lip anxiously.

“You’re also forgetting that they’re also going against each other,” he replied easily. “They’re not going to be barraging us with attacks all the time. And plus, you have us.”

“Mm… I guess you’re right. Raidon didn’t make the plan for us to follow on baseless assumptions either… everything was so well thought out.”

Fleetway sighed, chuckling. He put a hand on the top of her helmet, making her look at him dead in the eye. “Kei. You’re doing it again; you’re overthinking,” he grinned. “Focus on me for a bit yeah? Hear me out.”

Taking her silence as a sign to continue, he began, “We didn’t accept you into the team just because Mysta said so. It was also a matter of whether you’re capable of taking her place. Honestly, while seeing you struggle with almost every form of extreme gear was hilarious, we didn’t think you had what it took to be a part of the team.” Fleetway’s expression morphed into a more serious one, before sighing, “But after seeing you on this very bike, killing it in your first race, the deal was sealed. Before you even begin doubting your abilities, remember that you’re more capable than you think, so don’t sell yourself short, okay? The team needs you.”

Fleetway then pointed to the stands, over at the group of four that had recently taken their seats earlier. “Look. Mysta is there, Siegfried is there, Scorch is there, and Brutus is there. They’re there for us; for your very first race in the finals of the pro league,” glancing back at a wide-eyed Keira, he continued, “So show them what you got, miss I-still-can’t-use-a-hoverboard.”

Keira pushed Fleetway lightly at his tease, unamused at his unwillingness to let the joke go. The purple hedgehog then hopped off her bike, moving to tackle Fleetway into a hug. “You’re never gonna let that go aren’t you?” She mumbled embarrassedly into his chest, feeling him laugh loudly in response. “Thank you, idiot. I feel much better now.”

Fleetway returned the gesture, before picking her up and placing her back on the bike. “Though I have one last question,” Keira narrowed her eyes at the yellow hedgehog. “Did you really have to piss Sonic off?”

He leaned closer to her face with a cocky smirk, “The blue bitch needs to get his priorities straight from the get go.” Retracting, Fleetway turned tail, casually walking away to the starting line.

“THAT’S SO VAGUE!” Keira retorted, revving her bike to catch up to him. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!”

Fleetway only snickered in response, “You’ll see!”

[dailyrugbytoday]

2023 Rugby World Cup, Springboks V Tonga at the Stade de Marseille

New Post has been published on https://thedailyrugby.com/2023-rugby-world-cup-springboks-v-tonga/

The Daily Rugby

https://thedailyrugby.com/2023-rugby-world-cup-springboks-v-tonga/

2023 Rugby World Cup, Springboks V Tonga at the Stade de Marseille

The Springboks v Tonga in their final pool match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup at the Stade de Marseille on Sunday night (kick-off 9pm). If South Africa defeats Tonga and earns a bonus point victory in their last Rugby World Cup group match, they will move atop Pool B.

The Springboks are attempting to recover from their loss to Ireland, a thrilling match that may have served as a preview of the championship game.

Even if South Africa wins this match with five points, they will not be able to advance to the quarterfinals thanks to Scotland’s victory against Romania, which earned them a bonus point. Jacques Nienaber will be aware that his significantly altered team cannot afford to relax against the deadly Tongans. Springboks v Tonga: Four talking points ahead of the match

TV coverage of Springboks V Tonga? How to watch the Rugby World Cup match, the channel, and the start time

Kick Off Time 8pm BST – 9pm Local –Sunday 1st October.

TV Channel ITV1 (UK) – How To Watch the Rugby World Cup

Venue Stade Velodrome, Marseille

Capacity 67,394

When do South Africa vs Tonga match up?

At the Stade Velodrome in Marseille, the South Africa vs. Tonga match is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. BST on Sunday, October 1.

How do I view it?

ITV1 will be airing the game live in the UK, with coverage set to start at 7:15 PM BST. ITVX offers free live streaming of the action to registered subscribers. 2023 Rugby World Cup All Blacks games today will be Broadcast.

Line-ups

South Africa XV: Ox Nche, Deon Fourie, Vincent Koch; Eben Etzebeth, Marvin Orie; Siya Kolisi (captain), Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese; Cobus Reinach, Handre Pollard; Makazole Mapimpi, Andre Esterhuizen, Canan Moodie, Grant Williams, Willie le Roux.

Replacements: Marco van Staden, Steven Kitshoff, Trevor Nyakane, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith; Jaden Hendrikse, Manie Libbok, Jesse Kriel.

Tonga XV: Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, Paula Ngauamo, Ben Tameifuna (captain); Halaleva Fifita, Sam Lousi; Tanginoa Halaifonua, Sione Talitui, Semisi Paea; Augustine Pulu, William Havili; Anzelo Tuitavuki, Pita Ahki, Malakai Fekitoa, Fine Inisi; Charles Piutau.

Replacements: Sam Moli, Tau Koloamatangi, Sosefo Apikotoa, Adam Coleman, Sione Vailanu; Sonatane Takulua, Patrick Pellegrini, Afusipa Taumoepeau.

Tonga vs. Boks RWC predictions

By 35, says Josh Graham, South Africa. The Springboks will be eager to respond to their loss, and I anticipate that Tonga will experience the full fury of a wounded animal. Amazingly, intriguing pairings like Andre Esterhuizen and Canan Moodie don’t even receive a second look in the top 23. The Boks will likely end their pool season in commanding fashion.

By 33, says Alan Dymock, South Africa. Is it strange to see Marco van Staden filling in for Deon Fourie at No. 2 as the replacement hooker? Sure. The lineout should be under strain since the scrum won’t be as effective as it could be. Consider the rest of that pack, though. Let these gigantic men construct the armchair if a 75% Pollard is to be introduced back into Test rugby. They’ll aim to maintain their tight grip until Tonga are worn out.

TONGA vs. SOUTH AFRICA HEAD-TO-HEAD RESULTS

South Africa may have won the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but a week after trouncing England 36-0 in the pool round, they nearly lost to the Ikale Tahi.

The Springboks nearly paid the price for ringing the changes for Tonga in Lens, narrowly escaping with a 30-25 victory. And the Pacific Islanders came dangerously close to winning it!

South Africa won easily in the first meeting of these teams at Newlands in 1997, defeating the visitors 74-10.

[natromanxoff]

BRAVO - 1978

Scans and translation by Daria Kokozej.

BRAVO at Queen star Freddie Mercury

Visiting the Queen singer is like a trip to an exotic world

At first glance, the white coloured house in London’s district Kensington looks very modest. No luxury limousine outside, no name plate, no bell – here, in the ground floor, Freddie Mercury has rented his apartment. However, it will not be his home for much longer. In the moment, he is looking for a house outside of London.

As he opens the door, he is wearing a shirt with colourful ornaments and flowers, black trousers, silver ballet shoes and the silver necklace, which he also wore during the German tour.

“Come in”, he smiles. Like on cotton wool, I walk on the thick brown carpet through the corridor. In the living room, I instantly notice the numerous Japanese pen and ink drawings on rice paper which are hanging on the walls. Desks, chairs, vases, even the black grand piano are from Japan; they are decorated with motives from the land of the rising sun.

“I love this country, the people, the culture, even the Japanese religion”, he explains. “We absolutely have to go there on tour again. At least I know now, where to shop there.”

But these are not Freddie’s only interests. “Recently, we took over the management of our band. Now we have to care about everything: recording, tours, music publishing – everything has to be organised. Almost every day I’m on the phone for hours or attending meetings. Moreover, I produce and support young talents, like my friend Peter Straker. Besides, I take part in car rental.”

No wonder, that under these circumstances, there is no time for Freddie’s real hobby: “In the past, I used to paint a lot. The Queen logo and the lettering I have designed by myself. Sometimes I regret the stress, because painting distracts.” These days, to relax, Freddie reads a lot. He rarely attends parties. “I rather like to be told by others, what was going on. I find those invitations boring and empty. I prefer to stay at home.” You can also notice this on his furniture. All details are lovingly chosen and arranged. Even the room in the basement, where all the Golden and Silver discs from all over the world hang, which he uses as office, has nothing businessy about it and appears like a living room. “To me, it is important, that there is a place in the world, where I can ‘hole up’, where I am undisturbed. On tour, life is so exciting that I need a place of tranquillity. This is my apartment.” – K. E. Siegfried

Photos: D. Zill

Pictures (from top left to bottom right 1st page and next page):

Freddie brews tea by himself – after a Japanese recipe. Here, he serves it to our BRAVO-reporter K. E. Siegfried

Freddie bought the Japanese grand piano in Tokyo. Freddie also composes his songs on it.

The house, where Freddie’s apartment is situated in the ground floor, looks modest. It is located in London’s district Kensington.

This room in the basement is used by Freddie as an office. On the walls are the Golden and Silver discs, which he got awarded from all around the world.

This is how the fans know Freddie on stage: sexy, full of energy, elegant, and slinky like a cat

In his own four walls, Freddie becomes a different person – quiet and thoughtful

[silvermoonflowers]

Swan Act I

Bucky x reader

Summary: Visiting her cousin's mansion for the summer, Y/N hopes for some peace and relaxation. Instead she discovers a secret...

Inspired by Swan Lake 

Warnings: some angst

Y/N let out a dreamy sigh as she stared out at the beautiful scenery that stood before her. A lake flowing with crystal clear water, the occasional birds hanging around and surrounded by tall trees that covered her from the dreadful sun.

This was certainly more relaxing here than the  bustling city life she was so used to.

With a giggle, Y/N settled onto the blanket that she had spread out under the giant weeping willow tree and picked up her book. But before she could start reading, she heard someone approaching her. But she already knew who the person was as she looked up and smiled at him.

“Hi Siegfried.”

“Hey cousin,” Siegfried said as he grinned back at her. “It's great that you and your family are staying here with us for the summer. It can get a bit boring in these areas, you know. It’s like nothing interesting really happens here! Where’s the adventure when you want it, huh?”

Y/N scoffed as she set the book on her lap. “‘Boring’”, huh? Then you should try living in the city. It's certainly more adventurous and hectic there. However, there isn't a lot of pretty scenery unlike here and sometimes, just living in the city can be pretty stressful.”

Siegfried put a hand to his chin as he gave thought into what Y/N had just said. She watched as various expressions formed on Siegfried’s face and she let out a giggle.

“Actually, you’re right,” Siegfried said once she put a hand to her mouth. “From what you said, I think I prefer ‘boring’ life here than city life.”

”Y/N rolled her eyes at him as he gave her a goofy grin. Then she looked at the lake. She watched as a couple of ducks flew down and landed in the water.

“But...I wish I was here instead of in the city…”

Her cousin knelt beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “If you want to, my parents have an extra house for you guys to stay in.”

Y/N flushed and waved a wand at her cousin. “Oh Siegfried. You’re so nice, but I couldn’t possibly do that…”

“Hey, we’re family, alright?” He said gently. “I’ll try my best to help you.”

“...Thank you so much Siegfried...I’ll think about it,” Y/N said as she smiled hesitantly at him. Siegfried patted her shoulder before he stood up and stretched his legs.

“Well, I’m off to go with my friend Benno for some archery lessons. Are you sure you don’t wanna come with us, Y/N?”

She glanced back at the shimmering lake again. Although Y/N had plenty of time to do fun things, she wanted to stay at this place for a while. It was just so peaceful to be here and she wanted to cherish this place in her heart forever.

“Nah, maybe some other time. But thanks!”

“Alright, have fun then cousin. And you remember the way back, right? This place is not that far from the mansion.”

“Of course. Have fun with Benno now!”

Y/N watched as her cousin gave her a thumbs up before disappearing into the trees. Then she flipped open her book and began to read. She soon found herself lost in a thrilling adventure of finding a secret kingdom.

                                                                      *~*~*

But her adventure was cut short when she felt like was being watched. At first, Y/N just thought it was her imagination, but the feeling didn’t go away. She frowned. Other than Benno, who was Siegfried’s neighbor, the place where they were was pretty much isolated from people. And all three of their parents were currently at a market. Thinking it was either one of them playing a prank on her, she looked up. However, she let out a gasp.

There, standing in front of her was a large white swan.

Y/N froze as she continued to stare at the swan in shock. She remembered her father showing her a painting of a swan from before. Her grandfather was the one who painted the picture and had given it to his son as a birthday gift.

“Y/N, did you know that swans symbolise beauty and elegance?”

After her father said that to her, Y/N decided to read several books about swans. She even asked the stars to grant her wish of seeing a swan someday.

And now it appeared that her wish finally came true.

Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat as the swan approached her. From the size alone, the swan appeared male. He stopped before her and looked at her rather curiously. Then, he came closer to her and did the unexpected; the swan laid his head on her shoulder. Warmth seeped onto her skin, causing her to drop her book. The thumping noise of the dropped book didn’t seem to bother the swan as he continued to lay there, as if basking in the comfort of her.

With a shaking hand, Y/N reached up and gently laid her hand on the crown of the swan’s head. The feathers were incredibly soft to the touch. She let out a hum and began to run her hand down the swan’s neck.

 Although Y/N knew the swan wouldn't understand her, she couldn’t help but say, “Hello.”

The swan looked up at her and then tilted his head in response. Y/N didn’t think it was impossible, but the gesture almost made the swan appear...human.

She quickly shook her head at that thought. No...it had to be the book getting to her head. She was reading a pretty magical adventure after all. There was no way the swan could be hiding a mystical secret. It just wasn’t possible.

A gentle nudge on her hand interrupted her thoughts. It was the swan again. She smiled at him and rubbed his head affectionately. However, she stopped when she noticed something.

The swan’s left wing appeared to be crumpled. Whether it was an accident or intentional, Y/N wasn’t sure, but when she tried to reach for the wing, the swan shied away, as if he was trying to hide his broken wing from her. Y/N felt saddened. But she wasn’t upset that the swan was backing away from her. She was upset at the fact that the swan got hurt. 

“You poor thing…”

As if understanding her words, the swan began to walk to her again. But before he got any closer, a rustling sound could be heard.

“Hey cousin, I’m back with Benno. I forgot to ask you something - “

“Whoa, is that a swan?! Y/N get outta there!”

“Benno, what are you doing!? Stop!”

Y/N turned around just in time to see Benno with his arrow aimed right at the swan. Without hesitation, she quickly stood up and jumped in front of the swan.

“W-what are you doing!” she said out as she held out her arms, making Benno nearly loosen his grip.

Siegfried snatched the arrow out of Benno’s and glared angrily at him. “Benno, what the hell was that all about?! You scared Y/N!”

His friend looked at him with shame. “I-I’m sorry. I thought the swan was going to attack her…”

Siegfried’s expression softened when he realized how harsh he was to him. He ran a hand through his hair before turning to his cousin.

“Y/N, are you okay?”

Y/N didn’t answer him at first. Instead she looked back to see if the swan was alright. But when she turned around, the swan wasn’t there anymore. She looked at the lake, but all she saw was a pair of ducks swimming around.

It was as if the swan had vanished into thin air.

With a heavy sigh, she answered, “...I’m fine, Siegfried.”

“Are you...sure? You seem…”

“...Let’s just go home,” was all she said as she picked up her book and bunched the blanket into a bundle. As she did this, she never once looked at Siegfried or Benno.

“Nice going, Benno,” Y/N heard Siegfried mutter to his friend. “Now you made her upset.”

“Siegfried,” She said calmly. 

“Y-Yes?”

“Please don’t blame Benno. He didn’t do anything wrong, alright? Let’s go, now.”

Siegfried raised an eyebrow at the unusual calm tone that Y/N was taking but he answered “Yes” before he and Benno followed her home.

                                                                        *~*~*

That night Y/N dreamed of walking at the lake again. But there was no swan waiting for her. Instead she saw a man appear from behind the weeping willow tree. A tall, handsome man with long dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. He wore elegant clothes that seemed a little too tight for him. This thought alone made heat rush to Y/N’s cheeks.  But the closer Y/N got to him, the more she noticed something about him.

His expression told nothing but sadness. That wasn’t the only thing Y/N had noticed.

His left sleeve was limp, which meant he was missing an arm, much to Y/N’s horror. What could’ve happened to him?

As if in distress, the man suddenly reached out to her. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He tried again. Still nothing. The man’s expression now turned into that frustration. 

Soon the world around them began to blur. The man himself was beginning to disappear also. He looked at Y/N with pleading eyes. The sight of such an expression broke Y/N’s heart. She tried to run to him, but he was fading too quickly. But before he vanished completely, he mouthed two words to her. 

Help me.

[teabooksandsweets]

All Creatures Great and Small

Facts, trivia and corrections of common misconceptions

As you probably know, I love James Herriot’s books and the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small. But reading posts online, from random comments on social media to actual newspaper articles, made me realise that not everything said about the books and especially the series is exactly correct, or at least not complete. And then of course, there’s also the usual questions askwed and answered (not always correctly) over and over again. So this post will address some of these things, simply because I care about it all.

James and Helen, Chris and Carol

The most common untruth spread about the series is that Christopher Timothy, who played James Herriot in the BBC series, left his first wife for an affair with Carol Drinkwater, who played Helen in the first three seasons, and that she was fired from the show because of it.

It was actually quite different. First of all: Carol was never fired! The show was cancelled after three seasons, as the books had finished at that time, and Carol returned for two following feature-lenght specials. It was only when, due to the books’ and the show’s popularity, Alf Wight (the real Herriot) decided to write new stories that the show was revived, and Carol, unhappy with a role that she liked but thought to limited, chose not to return.

As for the affair, that was different as well. There was a lot of bad press, especially for Carol, but Chris Timothy never left his wife for her. In fact, they didn’t even like each other at first: Carol had a mild crush on Robert Hardy, which she never pursued because he was married at the time, and didn’t get along with Christopher Timothy at all. Then, near the end of the first run of the show, they had to wait together in a car for a scene to begin filming, and they started to talk. His married had just ended at that time and he was very distraught, though he was not yet formally divorced, and she had just gone through a painful break up herself. They bonded over that, and got together. Chris was still married at that time, but seperated, and she was never the reason for his divorce. The press painted a different picture, one that is still spread nearly fourty years later, but it’s not true at all.

The Yorkshire farmers

Were all actors. People like to claim otherwise, but it is not true. Many people like to say that the farmers look too authentic to be played by actors, but that isn’t true. The actors were just very good at playing farmers, and not so famous as to be instantly recognised. Many were regional actors, from little theatres and comedy troupes, others were rather familiar, but not too well-known faces from television shows. They were not real farmers, they just did their work and did it well.

What about the vets?

The big question of the arms inside the cows. Did the actors really do the dirty work? Long story short: Yes.

But they didn’t do things on their own! No, no. The BBC hired to veterinarians, one for pets and studio scenes, one for farm animals and outdoor filming. The real vets trained the actors, helped them, and sometimes traded places with them for close ups on their hands. They even found sick animals to be treated for the filming, either by the actors under their guidance, or by themselves, depending on how difficult or serious the respective procedure and ailment were.

Some things, such as stitching wounds and helping with the calfing and lambing (the latter being rather normal for “country bumpkin” Robert Hardy, who was used to a lot of the work he had to do on screen) were done by the actors, including the (in)famous arms in the cows’ backsides. But never anything that could harm the animal! In fact, many animals were saved by the show, as the BBC paid for all treatments on set, which caused the real evts to take the pets of poor clients to the tv sets, even if they were never used for filming, and made the BBC pay the bills.

Fun fact, though: There’s a scene in which Peter Davison literally screams with his arm in a cow’s backside. That’s because his arm was tightly squeezed inside and he was in real pain. But don't worry, he got out alright, and the cow was okay too.

Science and progress

The illnesses and treatments were very accurate. People also like to claim otherwise, but that isn’t true. Many things, of course, are outdated now (and, ironically, many things that were seen outdated back then have become rather common again!) but the medical treatments are absolutely accurate for their time, and so is the portrayal of the scientific progress from the 30s to the 50s.

There are, of course, very individual cases, and unconventional treatments, but that happens if you base things on real life and memory, rather than textbooks. Those special cases are either things that really happened and worked a bit different than usual, or things that are very similar to real happenings (like real cases “blended” to make one fictional one, etc.) and not, in fact, pure invention. The books are, after all, written by a real vet, based on his own memory, and the show adopted all these cases very accurately.

Fact and fiction

Alf Wight still chose to make things up for his stories. Many details are changed from real life, such as changing Helen’s background very much from Joan’s and putting aquaintances from different decades into one setting. He also kept things from his perspective—things he didn’t know about his friends, were things he didn’t know, at least at that time, and that is how things stay.

Now the writers and actors of the show dug a bit deeper, and talked to Joan (Helen), the Sinclairs (the Farnons) and other people who play necessary parts. They added details that could give more depths to the stories, but also respected specific wishes for privacy, especially coming from Donald Sinclair.

Which brings me to:

What happened to Caroline?

Siegfried marries Caroline in the first Christmas special, but she is only mentioned (and sometimes briefly seen) in later episodes. Many people wonder if that means that their marriage ended or wasn’t good, but it’s very much different.

Caroline is based on Donald Sinclair’s real wife Audrey, whom he loved incredibly much. They had two children, which are also sometimes mentioned but never shown in the series. That is because Donald valued his privacy very much and wanted to protect his family from public attention.

Alf Wight first met Donald Sinclair as a young “bachelor” (actually widower, but he also kept that to himself) with many flings with pretty young women, and that’s how Siegfried was portrayed at first. But it couldn’t be kept like that always—it would have been silly for a middle-aged Robert Hardy to always invent visits to his mother to cover up various dates, and a character based on Donald, whose world revolved around his wife, could only be a bachelor in the very first few years of his acquaintance with Herriot. Donald Sinclair was unhappy with being shown dating various women, which he did before he married Audrey, even after three seasons, and he also didn’t want Audrey to be used for the show.

So it was decided that Siegfried were to have a wife, and children, and be very happily married in the later (initially unplanned) seasons, and that there were not to appear in television storylines. They lived off-screen, in their own big mansion, while Siegfried was working in Skeldale House. A woman-who-could-be-Caroline was sometimes seen when a partner was needed, and that’s it.

Donald’s first wife was never mentioned, also out of respect to his privacy, but Siegfried was portrayed to have a severe fear of loss and separation, and to cling very strongly to all his loved ones, as well as to have strong depressive and maniac episodes, which is said to be accurate to Donald Sinclair’s personality. This portrayal was, however, done very subtly.

Character and actor

Alf Wight said to Christopher Timothy that he was the Herriot that he wrote about. They got along very well, and Chris Timothy was considered the perfect actor for the part by him.

Donald Sinclair was, true to Siegfried’s character, always unhappy with the way he was portrayed, and the better and more accurate the portrayal got, the more dissatisfied got he. Robert Hardy was, according to people who knew Donald, absolutely perfect at playing him, and Donald himself was of a very different opinion. But he liked Robert very much, they became very close friends, and Robert actually worked as assistant in his surgery and sometimes their families lived together for filming and holiday periods. Both Alf Wight and Robert Hardy insisted that they “toned him down” while writing/playing him, even people who didn’t know him thought him “too much”.

Brian Sinclair was very happy about the way he was portrayed, and about the books and the show in general, and very relaxed about it all. He also really liked Peter Davison.

Joan was very critical of Carol Drinkwater at first, and thought she made her look like a tart, but warmed up to her later and talked well of her performance in retrospect.

The second girl to play Rosie Herriot, Alison Lewis, was friends with Rosie’s real-life daughter Emma. Rosie didn’t expect her to play the part, and was very surprised to see herself played by her daughter’s friend on tv!

Marjorie Warner, the inspiration for Mrs Pumphrey, was one of the first people to recognise herself on the page while reading the books, and was very happy about the way she was portrayed. It is, as far as I am informed, unknown whether she liked the tv series, but she was still alive when the first seasons were made.

As for the actors

It was Robert Hardy who made much of it all possible. His fame allowed the BBC to cast the relatively unknown Christopher Timothy in the lead role, which they first wanted to cast a famous actor for, and it was him who insisted on making Tristan a larger character, because he greatly enjoyed Peter Davison and set his mind on making the young man a star. He also threatened to leave the show if it were filmed anywhere but Yorkshire, and he also forced the BBC to treat the actors and animals better, and insisted on the necessary safety around the animals. After Chris Timothy’s accident, he insisted that he shouldn’t be re-cast and took up some of the work he couldn’t to, and made Peter and Carol do the same. That aside, he edited, revised and changed some of the scripts, and wrote some of his own scenes. When some younger writers messed up Siegfried in the later episodes, he largely took over himself.

Robert Hardy and Peter Davison actually grew extremely fond of each other. Robert insisted that Peter looked exactly like one of his brothers at that age, and he loved the way Peter tried to impersonate his mannerisms to make them feel more like a family.

Christie the whippet was Robert Hardy’s real dog, the other dogs belonged to producers and other crew members. Some sources claim that all dogs were his, but that isn’t true. SIegfried’s horses were usually actor-horses but he sometimes rode his own on screen.

Mary Hignett was the balancing force between the actors. Everyone loved and admired her, and whenever there was a bad mood between the others, she quickly got them all calm again, just as Mrs Hall used to do. Her sudden death shortly after the (original) end of the show was a great shock to all of them, and Mrs Hall died with her. She was greatly loved by everyone.

Margaretta Scott was also very respected and beloved. She always insisted on carrying the various dogs who played Tricki-Woo on set, and she would only have her make up done by the chief make up artist.

Robert Hardy’s was usually called Tim, as his real first name was Timothy, which he was also occassionally called, and which caused some confusion on the set.

Christopher Timothy had a car crash at the end of the filming of the first season, in which he broke his legs, which is the reason he walked on a stick and had a very stiff walk for some time.

Robert Hardy’s daughter Emma has a very serious riding accident before the filming of the first season, in which she was badly injured, and which made her father rather sensitive to the horse-related safety on set, and insist that everything must be done right and no risks taken. She fully recovered, and actually played the small part of Rosemary Brocklehurst in the series, thirteen years later.

Lynda Bellingham was pregnant during the filming of season five, which is the reason for the slipped disc storyline. Andrea Gibb, who played Deirdre, was also pregnant at that time, but her part was smaller and was simply away for some episodes, and wore some covering clothes.

[smallpotato80]

Siegfried’s tone about Mrs. Hall’s “gentleman friend” in the Christmas Special used by Mrs. Hall in Season 3 to describe his “night caps” with Diana....  Can you see Siegfried’s face if she were to say something?  If Diana and Audrey continue to be friendly, which I think they will, well.....  Like, Diana telling Audrey she should just relax, it doesn’t have to be too serious...share a night cap!   

I really did not take notice of the “gentleman friend” line upon first viewing but now...  maybe I’m searching but.... That line between employee/employer.   Mrs. Hall was teasing Siegfried in S1E2 when he asked her how he looked in his tux and she asked about the “female company”.  Siegfried said he believed a line should be kept.  But by S2E7, he brought up the “gentleman friend”.....   It’s almost like they’re daring one another if they keep bringing up their significant others..... And this was before he saw her in that dress which, come on, had to plant a seed in his mind.   

I would love to know if the scene in S2E4 and S2E7 where Siegfried and Audrey discuss invites (S2E4 invites to Tristan’s birthday and S2E7 Christmas lunch) were written to mirror one another.  Both times Mrs. Hall asks Siegfried about an invite for Diana.  For Tristan’s birthday, Siegfried asks Mrs. Hall if she has someone she would like to invite to “make up the numbers”. The character of Gerald had been introduced by that point. By S2E7, he knew she had a “gentleman friend” that could be invited.   

[writer-and-artist27]

Bar Antics

For @siegfaerie as a part of a fandom trade and posted with their consent. Love you platonically, friend. :)

Canonically takes place during the FGO NA 2021 Chaldea Boys Collection event.

Also, note. Cậu is a Kinship pronoun for “Friend” in Vietnamese. Take that however you'd like when reading. :)

------------------------

“You shouldn’t be holding that cocktail mixer so tightly, my dear.”

“E-Easy for you to say, Moriarty-san,” Vy mumbled, but she still let her fingers relax their grip on the bottle in question, feeling a shaky breath leave her lips as she turned her head to look up at the older Archer. “I’m bad with alcohol.”

“Such a waste, my dear, such a waste,” Moriarty said, the lilt in his voice taking out whatever venom there might’ve been as he gently patted her shoulder on the way to the sink behind the bar. “But why are you so bad with it? I’ve seen you serve other drinks with the young Itzy to the guests and handle yourself just fine.”

In spite of knowing it was an innocent question, uncomfortable needles pricked at the back of Vy’s neck as she did her best to not reach up and play with her ponytail out of habit. “I-Inherited allergy,” she eventually coughed up, heat starting to warm her cheeks in that embarrassing way she didn’t like thanks to the admission. “Daddy could only drink maybe half a glass before turning red and needing to go to bed, and the first and last time I ever drank anything was with my family before coming to Chaldea.”

“Ah,” Moriarty said with a curt nod, his hand reaching over to turn on the faucet at the sink. “You were just as red-faced as him that time?”

“Nearly cursing like a sailor, crying the entire time, and I almost threatened to pummel one of my cousins into the ground for having me drink a single can of the stuff, actually,” Vy mumbled, ducking her head to look down at the mixer in her hands. “It wasn’t fun.” She found herself pausing from the sudden lack of saliva in her throat, eventually coughing out in a weaker voice, “D-Don’t judge me, please.”

“I wasn’t going to, dear, do not worry,” Moriarty said humbly, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips from what Vy could see past the massive pile of dishes he started to wash. “If I did, I believe I may find myself poisoned in the near future.”

Um. What? “What do you mean by that…?”

“Exactly as I said, my dear,” Moriarty said in the same tone of voice, a wink sent her way once Vy was giving him a confused look. “Exactly as I said.”

Oooookay. Vy shook at the bottle in her hands, doing her best not to squeak once a hand eventually landed on top of her head.

Wait. There were callouses, and the scent of mint—

“…Big Robin?” Vy whispered.

“Hey there. Is the drink ready yet, little sparrow?” Robin asked almost too casually as his hand patted her hair softly. “You’ve been standing here for a little while.”

Vy felt herself flush up to the tips of her ears, choosing to hand Robin the cocktail mixer while ducking her head. How embarrassing! “U-Um. Could you check? I-I can’t exactly, um, taste-test it…”

Robin let out a soft chuckle in response to Vy’s fumbling, gently taking the metal bottle from her hands. “You got it, little sparrow. Just take it easy, okay?” Before Vy could respond, he leaned over to bump their foreheads together. “Don’t break anything.”

“I-I’m not going to break anything—” Vy protested, yet still feeling her voice die in her throat once she was looking up into Robin’s visible green eye. The corners of said eye crinkled softly in Vy’s direction as Robin smiled. “Muuu,” left Vy’s mouth instead. “You’re a dork, Big Robin.”

“And you’re a cute little sparrow,” Robin teased back, bumping Vy’s head with his one more time before pulling back and walking elsewhere, shaking the mixer with one hand all the while. “Don’t worry so much~!”

“Muuu,” Vy felt herself voice again, this time in embarrassment, once Robin disappeared around the bar island’s corner.

Another hand proceeded to land on her person, this time winding around her shoulders to squeeze, and Vy blinked once a warm chest was resting against the back of her head. “Vy~!”

Oh. “H-Hi to you too, Itzy,” Vy said softly, swiveling her head a little just to find an eyeful of pink hair. “Did you already finish your order?”

“Yup~!” Itzy hummed, squeezing Vy’s shoulders in a hug from behind as a big smile graced her face. “And I think it’s time for your break, dearie!”

“…Is it?” Vy glanced at the clock. “I thought I still had 5… minutes…”

The minute hand ticked once for extra emphasis, and nearby, Vy could hear Moriarty make a scolding “tut-tut” noise past his dishes. “That, my young lady, is the sound of losing track of time.”

“Well, fiddlesticks,” Vy said finally in mock-curse while slumping against Itzy, much to her fellow Master’s apparent delight if the soft squeal above her head was any indication. “What about you, Itzy? Are you taking a break now too?”

“I was just about to~!” Itzy said happily, squeezing Vy’s shoulders while a cheek gently bumped the top of Vy’s hair. “I wanted to wait on you though, Vy!”

“Thankie…” Vy smiled up at her taller Master friend, closing her eyes in content. “Let’s go together, then?”

“Let’s!”

Siegfried, who came back to the bar island at that moment with a silver tray of empty wine glasses, gave Itzy and Vy a small passing glance. “Robin and I can handle the floor, Master,” he said, the corners of his mouth twitching enough to make Vy wonder if he was giving Itzy a secretive smile. “Go take Vy for some well-deserved rest.”

Vy did her best not to laugh nervously at the discrete callout once Itzy saluted Siegfried with a cheerier, “Already on it!”

------------------------

“No matter how many times I come in here, the break room still feels really fancy…”

“It’s still a break room in the end, Vy, there’s nothing to worry about. No bouncers, no creepy gangsters—”

“I-I can’t help it, okay?! Sieg looks like a Mafia Boss, Diarmuid, Yan Qing, AND Izou are in the gangster way of life here, even though I don’t think any of them would be into that kind of thing, wellmaybeIzou, and, and—“ Vy took in a deep breath, shaking her head enough to rustle her ponytail before she eventually flopped down on the nearest couch and rested her cheek against Itzy’s shoulder. “…Sorry.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart, there’s nothing wrong with venting.” Itzy raised one hand to gently pat Vy’s hair, scooting closer to let Vy rest her head in the small crook between Itzy’s neck and shoulder. “It is our break now, so you can be a bit more unprofessional here.”

A shakier puff of air resembling a sigh left Vy’s lips as she reached over to take Itzy’s hand for a quick squeeze. “…Same to you, y’know, Cậu Itzy,” Vy whispered, shrugging with one shoulder towards the center of the room. “There’s homemade lemonade on the table if you want some.”

Itzy twitched, and Vy was already expecting the incredulous “Vy…” said in her direction. Almost as if debating whether or not to scold her, Itzy’s hand proceeded to unravel Vy’s hair tie, undoing Vy’s ponytail in favor of stroking the freed hair. “You didn’t have to.”

“Wanted to.” With a pout, Vy added in mock protest, “Before you say anything, I made it this morning, put it away in the fridge before work started, and I checked to make sure Moriarty didn’t put anything weird in it.” For extra emphasis, Vy lifted her head from Itzy’s shoulder so that she could lean over and grab the beverage pitcher in question, pouring out a glass into a nearby cup so Itzy could take it. “I taste-tested it already if that helps.”

Itzy gave Vy a bit of a funny face over the cup’s rim, enough to make Vy fidget for a second or two. “You sure about that last part?”

“99.99% sure,” Vy assured with her best poker face. “Unless you want me to try chugging it?”

The statement was, whether Vy knew it or not, enough to make Itzy relax because her fellow Master was breaking out a grin and taking the cup from Vy’s hands, winking. “No need to chug then, Vy. Lemme see…”

It took a single swig.

Itzy blinked at the contents, Vy leaned in a little from anticipation. “Is it… is it good?”

“I was expecting it to be sweet,” Itzy said in half-wonder, half-amazement. “I wasn’t expecting sour too.”

“Is that a good thing?” Vy could feel another flush of heat start to flood her cheeks, enough to make her raise a hand to cover one of them up and away from Itzy’s line of view. “I-I heard from Siegfried that you liked citrus drinks, so I reworked my old lemonade recipe to what he recommended, and—”

“Wait.” Itzy was blinking again. “Wait, wait, wait. Vy, honey, you came up with this?”

“I said it was a rework of a recipe, but um, yes?” Vy said, caught off-guard. “I’ve had the recipe ever since I was little, and Mommy and Daddy always liked it, a-and you’ve been family to me, so—”

“Vy, honey,” Itzy interrupted with a happy wheeze caught between a grin and a laugh, “I love you too.”

Vy blushed, but still found herself smiling as she watched Itzy down the entire cup after that. Once the contents of the cup were gone, Itzy let out another happy sigh, leaning back against the couch while proceeding to wrap an arm around Vy’s shoulders, pulling her in for another side hug. “Thank you, Vy! It was delicious!”

“I-I’ll make it again for you when we get back to the Wandering Sea,” Vy said softly, smiling as she leaned into her friend’s side. “It’s really simple and doesn’t take up much energy.”

“As long as you don’t push yourself, honey, I’ll take whatever drink you make me!” Itzy hummed.

Vy closed her eyes and hummed back. “Aye,” was all she said back. It felt like it was enough.

Besides, I know I’ll always be here for you. No matter what.

[vampyrekatwrites]

The vanished princess, the woman who takes her place, the sorcerer who changes her, the hunter who loves her.

Odile’s gown is beautiful, designed to lighten the color of her eyes and make her look like the princess, but she cannot shake the sense she should dance with the swans instead of relax with champagne and opera glasses.

Rothbart offers her his arm and she takes it gratefully. Her shoes are unfamiliar, shoving her up onto her toes in ugly, painful, ways, but she is here to see the queen and that is worth a little pain now.

Siegfried hunts for swans, his weapon at his side. He thinks of long white necks draped in pearls and how blood looks across opera seats, fights down the shudder, and Odile walks past him on Rothbart’s arm without a glance. Siegfried sighs and closes a door after the false princess and the man who made her.

Rothbart wants what life had denied him. He wants comfort and luxury and, he has begun to realize, to wed a princess. Odile looks fine on his arm, but he remembers Odette beneath a cloudless June sky and knows Odile is not the princess. Not yet.

When the queen arrives, Rothbart offers Odile opera glasses to examine her. He examines Odile as her eyes widen, soften, become liquid and bright and very like Odette. If she can convince the queen, she will be the princess in truth.

She tricks the queen, and Rothbart loves her.

Siegfried comes to finish what he began on the hunt.

It’s what you’ve come to do.

[therookieking412]

Do you still want writing prompts? If so, heres one - knights at the round table/ King Arthur

There was, of course, no question about it. 

She wanted to be a Knight, just like her father before her. 

He was strong, and brave and sat at King Author’s round table, and he promised her that he would take her when she was older. 

It was a promise she kept close to her heart. 

She remembered, the day he left, and kissed her mother good-bye, and the day the oxen came, with a flat cart where Sir Lohengrin laid, wrapped in burial cloth. 

It was bitterly cold, and she held her mother’s hand - her husband’s shield in the other - as King Siegfried himself told Lady Gardenia that she was welcome in his courts whenever she wished. 

Ahiru remembered pulling away from her mother’s grasp, and watching her reflection ripple on the unfrozen pond. It took all her heart not to give up hope, but she knew it was what her father wanted, for her to chase her dreams. 

She lived on the farm, feeding chickens and oxen, riding her horse and doing everything she could to train to one day be a knight, and take her father’s place at the round table. 

That was her plan, until Excalibur was stolen. 

Until he came. 

Ahiru wanted to go, to find the sword and return it to the king and she could finally prove herself, but her mother disapproved almost.

“No, Ahiru, you’ll stay here, where your safe.” Lady Gardenia touched her cheek, and smiled sadly, it was her way of telling Ahiru she couldn’t afford to lose another.

But then, Lord Drosselmeyer came and didn’t give her a choice. 

He came with magic and an army of rogues, he took her mother and she escaped, but not before she saw the monster. 

It appeared to be a giant black bird, descending from the sky. 

“Well, where is it? Where is my present?”

Even as Ahiru hid beneath the bridge they walked upon, she could see his curling grin, his eyes widening with glee.

She wondered if that’s how he looked when he murdered her father.

“I was attacked, Lord,” The bird said, his voice a low gravel, like the earth itself was speaking. “By a crow-”

“A crow?” She could see it too, the grin falling, but his teeth bared. 

“And I dropped the sword into the forbid forest.” No, not the earth, like a powerful wind blasting through skeletal leaves and bare branches.

“My magnificent creature was foiled by a pesky black bird.”

“A crow, my Lord, you must know of their intelligence-”

“This is something you will pay for.” Anger leeched into his voice, and she wondered if his eyebrows came down before his eyes. “Where is it?”

“It fell in the forbidden forest, lord.” The thick sound of a raspy voice, an old man on the verge of death was the monster’s voice. 

“Fool! How will- nevermind. Gather the men, if I can even call them that now, we shall make our way to the forbidden forest.”

Ahiru left her eyes widen, realizing for the first time that they would go after it. 

The whispered words of her mother filled her ear, go to Camelot, to King Siegfried and warn him! Go, Ahiru, now!

But she couldn’t, she had to get the sword before they did, or else. 

She stole her horse and galloped away, she heard them yelling and knew they weren’t far behind her as she lead her steed to the forbidden forest. 

She was thrown off, and while it hurt she couldn’t stop, not with two goons after her, she ran through the forest, her bright hair acting like a beacon, but she fell into a pond and there was a man there. 

With the help of a crow he beat the goons and walked away.

“Wait!” She called out, chasing after him. “Thank you, for saving me.”

“I didn’t.”

“Oh, well thanks anyways.”

He kept walking, but she chased after him, surely he knew his way around the forest, perhaps he had even seen Excalibur falling...

“My name’s Ahiru, what’s yours?”

“Fakir, now stop following me.”

He had to help! If he only knew what had happened...

“Why won’t you look at me when I’m talking to you? That’s very rude, don’t you know?”

“I’m blind.” Fakir said, walking along, the black crow sitting on his shoulder. 

“Well, Excalibur was stolen! We have to find it!”

“We?”

“Yes! I heard that it was dropped in the forest somewhere, and you must know it pretty well! So if we work together-” 

“I stand alone.”

“Okay, but-”

“If Excalibur if here, we’ll find it, right?” He shrugged one shoulder, and the crow cawed. 

“Well, I’ll go with you!” 

No matter what Fakir said, he couldn’t shake her, besides, how far could a blind man get? 

They moved through the forest, Fakir seemed to know where he was going, but Ahiru felt lost, and she was sure they were going the wrong way when they entered dragon country. 

The air was warmer, and sky was yellow and there was a smell in the air that wouldn’t leave her nose...

The oeace didn’t last long, and soon dragons were flying overhead, but not before he dragged her into a hiding place after the crow cawed. 

“We should be safe here.” He said. “Do you see any-”

“Dragons!” Ahiru shouted, pointing across them there were two, lurking behind a broken egg much in the same way they were.

“Dragons! Where!” One voice called, sharp and shrill. “Have they come to eat us at last! Oh No!”

“Can it, or they’ll find us!” Said the other, but suddenly Ahiru was face to face with a two headed dragon. 

“Don’t eat us! Please!” The shrill one cried, but the other rolled her eyes.

“It’s just two humans, and a stupid bird.”

The crow cawed.

“Humans?” 

It was a stout little dragon, with pale blue scales and green tummy, the shrill one had a long neck and two horns that curled out from the side of her head. “I’m Lillie.” And the other had a short neck, and one single horn protruding from the top. “And you can call me Pique.” 

“We should get going,” Fakir said, “We should stay here long-”

“There they are!”

Ahiru turned and suddenly, like a nightmare, there was Drosselmeyer and his band of marauders.

They started to run, but Pique and Lillie pulled them down a dark tunnel that let out in a cave, and as they walked towards the light they were released from dragon country. 

It was getting dark and they agreed to rest.

Except for Ahiru.

“No! We can’t! If my father were here, he’d-”

“He’d tell you to rest to.” Fakir said, who had suggested take a break, who was the one she had to fight with.

Lillie and Pique were trying to start a fire behind her with little success as all the twigs possessed the ability to get up and run away. 

“My father was a knight of the round table and he knew better than to just stop when-”

“Who was your father.”

“Hmm?” Ahiru looked at Fakir, he was facing the setting sun, and she wondered if he knew that, if he could feel it’s warmth on his face even if he couldn’t see it’s beauty. “Oh- my- my father was Sir Lohengrin.”

Fakir nodded, his hands resting on his staff. “He talked about you.”

She looked at him now, her heart quaked. He knew her father? 

“I was a stable boy, in Camelot, I took care of horses and the like, but one night there was a fire, I did my best to free the horses, but they were so frightened,” He paused and she looked into his cloudy eyes, seeing that at one point they could have possibly been green. “When I woke up, my eyesight was gone. I had given up on myself, but your father hadn’t. He trained me, even though I couldn’t see. He was my only chance of becoming a knight.”

“He was my only chance, too.”

“Come with me.”

Fakir lead her between the trees to a place where living plants grew ten feet tall, he prodded it until it unfurled. “You wait until the last possible moment, and then you strike.” The plant swayed before shooting out at it’s adversary, Fakir stayed until the crow cawed, and then he stepped to the side, and hit it. 

“Now you.”

He handed her his staff, she poked the bud, but she attacked to soon, the vine hit her stomach and sent her flying back into his arms.

“You moved to soon.” He smirked, but there wasn’t a trace of mockery or rudeness.    

There was something in his eyes, something she couldn’t see, but then he convinced her to rest. 

“We’re getting close.” Fakir said, although Ahiru wasn’t sure how he knew that. 

The crow cawed, however, as they moved closer to a forest of brambles as tall as oaks, her mouth fell up, her eyes on the tallest needle point, but she tripped and fell.

“Woah, be careful.” Fakir said, pulling her back up.

“A giant!” The two-headed dragon said, but while Lillie said it full of glee, Pique said it with a hint of exasperation. 

“A giant? Does a giant have it?” Ahiru asked, never once considering them to be real. Even as she talked to a two-headed dragon. 

“There’s only one way to find out.” Fakir forged ahead, entering the brambles, he crotched before a foot print, running the tips of his fingers over it.

 Ahiru spoke, they should hurry, they shouldn’t be wasted time, but Fakir hushed her, and she thought they were beyond point, but he hushed her again, begging her to be-

“There they are!” 

Something flew past her, but she could only watching as Drosselmeyer came running in, she heard Fakir groan, and then she realized that they were being attacked. 

But so did the brambles around them.

The creatures opened their eyes and attacked the intruders, allowing Ahiru to hoist Fakir up onto her shoulder and allowing them to escape.

They found a cave, and Ahiru couldn’t think or see as tears streamed down her face, but Fakir comforted her. 

His hand on her cheek, he asked her to describe the sky, to describe the stars, and he smiled at her. 

She leaned over him, holding his hand, the crow placed a purple leaf on his bleeding side and it healed in a blinding light. 

His hand was on the back of her neck. 

“I’m fine.”

“I’m so glad!” She smiled, and his thumb wiped away her tears.

They tried the giant again the next day, they entered his lair, and found him relaxing, he was using Excalibur like a toothpick. 

They waited until the giant fell asleep for a nap, and Ahiru was lowered down, her ankles in Fakir’s hands, and his own in the hands of Lillie and Pique.

“Hurry up!” Pique called. 

“Oh, if only we could fly! Then we could go down and get it ourselves!” Lillie bemoaned. 

“Shh!” Fakir called. 

But Ahiru grabbed it, they made a mad dash, but then she heard Drosselmeyer, like a never ending nightmare, he was across the ravine, shouting at his men to go after her, but he had woken the giant.

“We’ve got it! We’ve got it!” Ahiru shouted running as fast as she could, the sword and scabbard in her hands, she circled back to Fakir, and took his hand, “We can return it, together.”

He gave her a half-hearted smile. 

They walked to the very edge of the forest, and there it was. 

Camelot. 

And Fakir left her. 

Ahiru did her best not to cry, finally seeing a clear blue sky for the first time in days. He had made his choice, and he didn’t choose her. 

It didn’t mean anything. 

Perhaps she could go back, make him come! Make him see that-

but then, a hand was around her arm, and Excalibur was ripped from her grasp, she watched in horror as Drosselmeyer attached the sword to his hand. 

A permanent fixation that made her stomach flop. 

She was thrown in the back of a carriage with her mother. 

Drosselmeyer came and told them, Lady Gardenia would lead them into the city, and if she refused, Ahiru would die. 

Ahiru was gagged, her wrists bound, she wiggled and writhed, and listened as they opened the gates for Lady Gardenia, to alert the King. 

Ahiru found a rusty nail that stuck out of the wood, and with her hands behind her back, she started sawing at the ropes, and as soon as she was free she pulled the gag from her mouth and leapt out of the wagon. 

“IT’S A TRAP!”

The world was pandemonium as Drosselmeyer revealed himself and so did his band, surrounding those who walked through the courtyard. 

Ahiru lead her mother to safety, but she had to get inside and warn King Siegfried. 

What she didn’t expect was Fakir to suddenly appear, with Lillie and Pique flying at his side.

“You’re flying!” Ahiru said in disbelief. 

“Yes, we’re frequent fliers now!” Lillie said proudly. 

“Come on, I know a way inside.” Fakir took Ahiru’s hand.

He lead her to a secret passageway that ran under the castle, Sir Lohengrin had showed him, and they come out in a large room, the room that held the round table.

Ahiru gasped when she saw Drosselmeyer leering over King Siegfried, he was already injured, his arm in a sling, as he crawled away from Drosselmeyer and his own sword. 

The roof had been burst open, presumably from when the monstrous raven tried to steal Excalibur, and so wood tied to pully systems that would lift it up to where it needed to be placed laid all around her.

“Drosselmeyer!” She called, and he turned his crazed gaze on her, allowing Siegfried to get away. “I will not serve a false king!” 

She’s not sure how she did it, but she pushed off, holding onto the rope, and for a moment she was flying, soaring through the air, and she thought her father would be proud of her.

The plank hit Drosselmeyer’s chest and sent him soaring through the window, and Ahiru stumbled after him, falling to the grass and standing as quickly as she could, mist covered the sky and grew thicker.

He was taunting her, she knew that much, but she couldn’t think about that as she hid, playing cat and mouse, and she was waiting for him to spring the trap.

She ducked the sword, and landed in front of the stone. 

The stone that harbored the sword until the true king came. 

Fakir was behind her, defending her while she sat transfixed to the glowing stone. 

He pulled her to her feet and they moved until their backs hit the stone. 

“Wait for the last possible second.” Fakir whispered.

Ahiru nodded, Drosselmeyer couldn’t hear above the noise of his own prattle. 

He raised his sword, “Two for the price of one!” Ahiru watched the sword coming closer, she could see her breath fog the blade before Fakir pushed her to the floor and the sword sunk into the stone. 

She watched in horror as Drosselmeyer screamed, thinking he would be stuck for forever, but something worse happened. 

He turned to dust, and his spell was broken.

Ahiru wore the white dress her mother made her, her long hair out of it’s braid as she and Fakir were knighted with the sword they recovered. Her mother smiled, Lillie and Pique wept tears of joy, and Ahiru watched the crow on the King’s shoulder transform into a young woman in wizards robes, she smiled at Ahiru, too.  

Ahiru danced with Fakir the entire night, her eyes never left his face, and his hand never left her waist. 

“Isn’t this everything you ever wanted?” She asked him. 

“Not quite.” He said, and before she could pout and fight him, he kissed her. 

They left the place, seeking their next adventure, but finally, finally she was a knight of the round table. Just like her father. 

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Episodes 16-17

Just a short one tonight, as I’m quite tired. In which we set the stage for things to come, and I lay some love on Yang the Man.

Setting the Stage

You know, it’s funny; as dry and stiff as this show is, it’s also surprisingly intense on a regular basis. Even outside the big space fights, the political machinations and ongoing civil unrest means there’s usually some form of tension playing out before us. Consider that one more point in this show’s favor for how well it’s able to keep my attention. But every long epic needs its downtime, and these two episodes are the biggest breather we’ve gotten in a while. Not much conflict occurs, and the focus is primarily on setting up upcoming conflicts and shifting the status quo around to prepare for arcs to come. Thankfully, they’re still plenty interesting in their own right, and the pieces they’re setting up are gonna be pretty interesting once things really get going. So let’s take a page from the show’s book and relax a bit as we catalogue all the interesting, meaningful, and otherwise important developments that occur in the eye of the storm here:

-Following the last battle, most of the Alliance war council has resigned in disgrace. Sadly, that also includes military officers who were against this foolhardy expedition in the first place, making it all the more important that Yang stay in this mess so at least someone in the army has the right idea. To that end, he’s been stationed as captain of Iserlohn fortress, which is a pretty sweet promotion!

-Reinhard’s also jumped quite a bit up the promotion ladder. The Kaiser has passed away, and the throne is taken up by his five-year-old grandson. Reinhard, newly a marquis, will assist as the boy’s mentor figure alongside a couple other nobles until he’s old enough to rule himself. And if real world history is anything to go by, a child king being puppeted by self-serving nobles isn’t gonna lead anywhere good.

-On the bright side, though, Reinhard finally has enough power to protect his sister! Huzzah!

-We learn there’s a religious extremist cult in the Alliance dedicated to reclaiming Earth (or Terra, as it’s called), currently under Empire control, as humanity’s ancestral homeland. Also, the leader of that neutral city-state Fezzan seems to be working for that cult’s founder, which is... less than ideal.

-Yang and Siegfried finally meet face to face! And it’s absolutely delightful, from everyone thirsting after Sieg to Sieg striking up friendly banter with Yang and Julian. I really like how despite being mortal enemies, Yang and Reinhard’s squads can’t help but respect each other and ponder over the possibility of being friends. I’m already looking forward to the day Yang and Reinhard themselves finally meet.

-Reinhard’s next ploy is to sneak double agents into the Alliance with a mass-POW exchange to destabilize things, making sure the Alliance can’t attack while he solidifies his own political position among the nobles. Not the most ethical ploy, but at least he gets kudos for treating his own returned POWs with utmost respect and putting all the blame for their capture on their incompetent commanders, where it belongs. Even if he’s just doing it to shore up their support, that’s still a bro move.

Yang for Mayor

Well, it’s official: I really like Yang Wen-Li. He was low-key my favorite character from the start, but these couple episodes really drive home what a boon he is to Legend of the Galactic Heroes. In a way, he does to the show what he does to the Alliance military; he undercuts the stuffy formalism and lets you just have fun. He’s got no shortage of instantly iconic quotes, from cutting observations on the nature of war and peace (”Military is nothing more than a tool. A tool that should never be used. Remember that, and try to be as harmless a tool as you can.”) to snarky asides poking fun at himself good-naturedly( ”If I had a gun, do you think I could hit what I shot at?”). There’s a fantastic moment where he and Julian rush out of the returned-POW ceremony, and as he hurries past a monitor of some politician spewing guilt-trip propaganda to press the POWs back into service, he casually spins it like a carousel just for the hell of it. It’s such a perfect little character beat, highlighting how flippant he feels towards the military machine and how unafraid he is to spit in its face as a matter of course. And that doesn’t keep him from being plenty serious himself when the situation demands is, such as when he considers how the value of human life is weighed against supposedly “greater” causes when it comes to starting and ending wars. Bottom line, he’s just a really fun character, and his mere presence goes a long way toward keeping Legend of the Galactic Heroes from suffocating under its own overwhelming dryness. I raise a glass of brandy to you, my good sir.

Odds and Ends

-Huh, I actually disagree with Kirchies here. Bittenfield messed up and cost Reinhard a lot, some kind of punishment feels warranted.

-It is so unfortunate that this guy’s name is literally one letter removed from being Commander Shithole.

-OKAY BUT THIS IS LITERALLY JUST EMPEROR PALPATINE GOD DAMMIT SHOW

-”When you let someone get promoted without considering the consequences, you get corrupted day by day.” *stares at Reinhard*

-Ooh, that’s a cool way to introduce this Lynch guy. Transition from the Alliance talking about his cowardice to Lynch himself justifying his actions to the Empire.

-Veeeeeery sinister sunset shadows here.

-”You’ve crossed the line, Oberstein!” Lmao, Reinhard really doesn’t let anyone talk shit about his boyfriend, does he?

-What’s with pre-2000s sci-fi and multi-level chess games?

-Huh, I think this is the first time this show has pulled away from a conversation to build mystery around what the characters are planning together. Interesting.

Looks like shit’s gonna go down next time. See you then!

[yukiwrites]

A Way to Unwind

For CorrianderWeek 2020, Day 1: Training. IT’S HEREEEE, THE BEST WEEK OF THE YEAR!! Let’s have a blast this year too, folks!

Xander had been educated to follow through his father’s kingly footsteps from infancy. He was no stranger to paperwork and the dreadful weight of carrying the lives of thousands of his own people at the tip of his pen or at the top of his tongue.

That did not mean that nothing would get to him.

No. Even the recently crowned King regent of Nohr and Valla was prone to succumbing to stress.

Or rather, precisely because he was the King, it was indispensable for him to have an outlet or two from his pent up stress and pressure. Though Xander had a most dreadful tendency to hold it all in and let it consume him until there was smoke coming out of his ears, so it fell to his wife, Kamui, to nudge him towards the right places so he could take better care of himself.

Having said that, the Queen got up from her seat at her jointed desk, right beside Xander’s in their shared study, soundlessly walking behind him so as to place both hands on either of his stiff, oh-so-stiff, shoulders.

“You were a tad harsh there with that man, you know.” Kamui hummed, smoothing her hands from her husband’s shoulders to his chest, then crossing her arms around his neck in a tender hug.

“Hahh…” The King sighed, leaning his head against his wife’s soft cheek, closing his eyes as he already felt a headache forming in the bridge between his eyes. “Was I truly? I shall make amends to that right away…” He meant to move back to his papers, not even allowing himself to rest for a minute inside his wife’s arms, but what he didn’t expect was Kamui not moving from her spot, trapping him in her hug. “Kamui, please.”

“‘Please’ is my line, Xander.” The Queen huffed, letting go of her husband so as to circle his chair and sit on the desk right in front of the documents he was about to go over. “Look at you: If I weren’t there last night, I would say you haven’t been sleeping for weeks! You look dreadful. Even your crown is crooked.” She twisted her lips as she spoke, at least putting his tiara back in place. “You can’t keep on working like this.”

His frown ever so present over his brow, Xander simply closed his eyes further, feeling the headache pulsate inside his skull. “What do you propose I do instead, Kamui? There are many things of which I am responsible as a King-”

“As do I as your Queen and Chief of State of both our kingdoms. We share our burdens, Xander, and we work together to not let them take the better out of us; which I know they are doing to you at the moment.”

Xander hardened his jaw, a sign he usually did whenever Kamui hit the mark but he was too hard-headed to admit that he needed to take better care of himself. After a few moments, however, he deflated, letting out the air he hadn’t noticed he had taken in as he rested his body on the backrest of his chair. “What do you propose we do, then, my Queen?”

As he asked that, Xander finally looked straight at his wife’s eyes, feeling her worry and love overflowing through them and piercing right through his heart. To top it off, the moment their eyes met, a mischievous smile grew at the corners of her lips as a curious glint shone in her gaze.

“I know exactly what we need to do to help you, well, unwind.” She scooted closer to him while still seated on the desk, placing both arms over his chest. The heat of her body made Xander wonder if she really did mean what she seemed to be implying, but…

He placed one hand over hers, ready to thank her and decline her offer when her smile grew into a childish grin.

“Let’s go spar!”

“Wh- spar?” The proposition came so suddenly it left the King wordless. Those were surely not the words he thought he would hear from his wife’s lips.

“Yes! It’s always when you’re dealing with unpleasant thoughts that it’s better to just unwind by swinging your blade, isn’t it?” She patted his shoulders before sliding down from the desk to stand beside him, reaching out one hand to help him up from his seat. “And maybe we can do the other thing you were about to refuse after you’re feeling better, heehee,” she giggled deviously, making the King clear his throat before accepting her hand without even thinking too much about it.

The moment his eyes ran through his full desk, however, he stopped himself in the middle of standing up, staying at an uncomfortable position.

“The offer is delightful, Kamui, however-”

“Nooo!” Kamui pouted, jerking him up fully, almost tripping back with the amount of force she needed to use to do that. “You can’t make a clear judgement with a clouded mind!” She lectured, throwing back the words he often told her during her training days right at him.

“Ahem,” his body rock-solid, he promptly held Kamui in his arms when she was about to trip from pulling him, so he simply cleared his throat, loosened his cravat and nodded. “Fair enough. Lead the way, my Queen.” He smiled at last, the shadow of his frown still ever present, but Kamui was about to erase all of that soon, so she was happy to see at least a more relaxed expression on him.

“Great! Let’s go to the Northern Tower!” Still within his arms, Kamui stole a peck on his lips before hopping to the floor, pulling him by the hand.

Infected by her enthusiasm and eagerness to help him, Xander simply allowed himself to be led by his small wife, sometimes mirroring a most jovial smile that he only flashed in Kamui’s presence.

Look at them! King and Queen of two realms, Conquerors of the Forgotten God and Those Who Ended the Endless War with their neighboring kingdoms… just sneaking around the palace, hand in hand, like they were two pages running away from their lessons! And they weren’t even about to do… unsavory activities, like the ones he previously thought his wife was going to suggest, no: they were going to spar! The absurdity of the situation alone was hilarious enough to make Xander smile to the point of forgetting that he had had a headache just a few minutes ago.

Kamui muffled her laughter during the entire way, making sure to pull her tall husband to hide behind a pillar or around a corner whenever she saw someone coming from the opposite side, to add even more mirth to their situation.

Once they arrived at the Northern Tower’s training grounds, Xander’s steps picked up -- now he was walking right beside his wife, properly infected with the desire to swing swords with her. Kamui held the hem of her dress with her free hand, biting her lower lip in anticipation as they reached the changing room -- not wasting any time, the couple quickly picked the first garments that fit them and changed as fast as they could.

By the time they were at the storage room to pick their training weapons, they were already running, as though racing to start their sparring session even one second earlier.

Without his crown and his face flushed from the run, Xander already looked 100% better than he had been one hour ago, back inside their study. He was now full of life, the frown over his brow one of concentration rather than of preoccupation. Smiling, Kamui dove with her shortsword towards her husband, not even allowing him to take his proper form to start their training.

However, Xander was a trained warrior who had been wielding a sword at the same time he had been learning how to write -- so he simply blocked her attack by lifting his broadsword, the familiar ‘clang’ of their practice weapons ringing inside his ears and making him feel ALIVE for the first time in a while.

“Ukh, your defense is as solid as ever!” Kamui gasped, being pushed back by her husband’s overwhelming strength.

“If it were not for the width of my blade, I would have fallen to your, ah, quick jabs,” he spoke as he dodged and defended himself from his wife’s fast attacks, knowing all of her movements due to, well, him having been the one to teach them all to her back in the day.

“Haha! If you were wielding Siegfried, I would’ve simply done this,” she stabbed his sword right in the middle, though he simply turned his wrist to rotate the weapon to the side, pushing Kamui back, “and I would’ve been able to tuck my blade in the middle of it and throw it out of your hands!”

Xander smirked, using the back of his hand to dry some droplets of sweat sprouting on his forehead -- and Kamui had to force herself to focus on the match instead of simply admiring how manly, strong and - and viril her husband looked at that moment; full of life with his chest going up and down with the effort of their training.

“No normal weapon can pierce through Siegfried’s energy field,” he declared as though he were taking a walk in the park and not swinging his towering sword towards Kamui, forcing her to take long jumps backwards to escape its grasp. “It would have melted in the very moment you’ve attempted such a foolish action.”

“Yato can pierce through it, though.” Kamui wriggled her eyebrows, brandishing her weapon to start her counterattacks. Xander bobbed his head to the sides, acknowledging her claim.

“Indeed, I do believe it could.” He prepares to defend from her flurry of jabs, his attentive eye making note of her every movement in case she thought of using any opening from his sides to take a winning shot at him.

It was as though they were in the middle of their courtship days all over again -- the way they had to pay attention to one another’s every movement; the shifts in their breathings or the way they grasped their respective weapons… The way a similar fire was ignited in both of their gazes and how only they could recognize one another’s wordless signs…

Ah, truly they were made for each other.

Xander’s smile widened as he watched his wife approach, his head no longer clouded and his heart fully prepared to thank Kamui for always showering him with her love and to tell her for the thousandth time that he truly, deeply loved her.

[fategranddisorder]

Place your bets (Siegfried) -request-

Warnings: gambling, mentions of gambling

Tags: fluff

Yours cheers could be heard throughout the casino as the final card on the table is revealed.

Your luck is sometimes the absolute worst but during this event QP seems to overflow your pocket, if only SSR servants would the same.

Siegfried observers you quietly from his own table as yet another stack of chips is moved away from him. Ex rank luck as a stat is really the worst when it comes to casino games.

As if you sense his gaze you turn to wave to the man. Before hopping off the chair and collecting your winnings.

Siegfried smiles, it has been a while since you have been so relaxed. So happy, so bright. As he sees you like that he sometimes wonders.

What if he met you? What if you were the maiden he fell in love with in his story? Siegfried chuckles almost nervously and he fingers one of the very few chips he had left.

What is he thinking? His history with lovers is already complicated. His feelings about Kriemhild never faded, keeping his heart warm during these lonely times as a servant. Or maybe, Siegfried thinks, as his eyes focussed on you, you slowly replaced that warmth. You, who has unwavering faith in the ones around you. Always trying to save everyone even if they might end up betraying you. You would reach out.

You are a hero in your own right.

Siegfried chuckles, even entertaining the thought that what would happen if you were his maiden in his story should be telling enough.

"Where is your head at?"

Your voice rings out close, closer than Siegfried expected. You managed to sneak next to him with a huge pile of chips nonetheless. Siegfried almost scoffs at his lack of awareness, an apology already passes his lips before he can stop himself.

Yet as another patron of the casino bumps into you, slightly jostling your own position next to the saber, Siegfried places a hand on your upper back to stabilize you.

You tilt your head to look at Siegfried as he moves his to your lower back to guide you closer to the table. Closer towards him. It is uncharacteristically bold of him, yet you decide not to address it. And you allow yourself to feel the warmth of the man next to you.

"I am sorry Master, it would seem that I have run out of luck."

You glance towards the lack of chips the Saber has on the table before looking up at the man. Yet his eyes are slightly obscured by the glare of his glasses. The casino lights reflected in the glass.

Yet the man before you saw everything. How your eyes glitter in the lights as you mull over what you should do. How the soft green glow from his scar illuminates your own skin ever so slightly.

During his life he always put himself last and the desires of others first. His luck drained in favor of making others happy.

Yet as you stand here with him, a soft smile on your lips as you only give him a nod before turning towards the table before you.

"Don’t worry Siegfried, I will be your lucky charm!" 

You are excited, he could feel it in the mana that surrounds you. It is so easy as your body moves just a bit closer to his. So naturally as his hand moves from your lower back to your hip, securing your place next to him.

Was he allowed this? This ease? This chance? As the sins of his hero's journey bear down on Siegfried, the words of an apology ready on his tongue, you stop him.

"Hey, let's do this together" 

Siegfried's thoughts stop and he focuses on you again. You are still smiling as you dump your own winnings on the table before you look up at the Saber again.

Bright eyed and a little reckless.

Call for final bets ring out your sole focus is on the man before you and it makes Siegfried only a little nervous.

"All in!"

You call with such confidence, ready to dive in. Siegfried is sure, so sure that you are not talking about the game you are playing now.

Is it alright for him? To stop apologising, to try? Maybe it wasn’t so bad to give his feelings for you a chance. This was after all another him, another time.