#mentions: bianca || mechanical designer

[ask-idv-thrillseeker]

I gotta know, do you have a canon manor game? And if so, who was in it and how did it go?

- cw in advance for description of injury and death (it’s not very specific but just in case, y’know?)

—

"My first match? It was uh.. fine, I guess. I wouldn’t be able to tell you for sure, I don’t exactly remember the last minutes of it. I guess I can explain what I do remember though. It was a match with a certain Baker, Tailor, Mechanical Designer and Mercenary. Figuring out how to use my ability was fun, running and stabbing was something I was already used to, but being granted an additional speed and strength made it better."

"There was just one… issue. I assumed the only complication would be those terrible headaches. The headaches were already getting me riled up, and that idiotic mercenary was making things worse. It felt practically impossible to get him down, it was frustrating! It didn’t help that I was starting to get down to one cipher with all the survivors still alive and well. In an attempt of trying to turn this around in my favor, I began to use my ability more and more."

"Half of the match became a blur by then. All I saw were useless prey that needed to be cut down. Once I finally came back to my senses, I was standing over who I assumed was the mercenary. It was hard to tell with the multiple stab wounds covering his body. The other pests had already been sent back to the manor, luckily for them, it was by chair. Poor, poor mercenary~"

"I gutted that damn pig and sent him back with my own hands. I don’t remember doing it, but I can remember the feeling. I hadn’t felt like that since my last adventure with the coward who called herself my friend. It felt great. Although, when I returned from my match, it seemed some of my fellow hunters didn’t share the same feeling. Some even had the plain audacity to look at me with such disgust. The looks on their face were pathetic. The host of these games was even worse to deal with. I was punished for "breaking the natural order" of these games. Can you believe that? I was punished for losing control over an ability that they gave me. If anything, they should’ve been thankful I brought a new outcome to their stupid little game."

"Ugh. Now I’m not allowed to use my ability that much during matches. Something about the manor owner refusing for me to get that "wild" mid-match. I don’t understand why I can’t just put the survivors’ out of their misery my own damn self, but there isn’t much I can do about it now."

[experimental-blueprints]

The Beginning of an Ending

...

"... what are you doing here, neonized reject?"

The mechanical designer didn't bother to look up from her project, a venom dripping from her tone as she spoke blankly.

The intruder held her hands up defensively as she leaned against the doorway, laughing weakly.

"Woah woah woah, there's no need for such hostility. We're both robots, let's just talk."

Bianca scoffed as she looked up from her project, purple eyes focused on the mirror by her side. The intruder kept her hands raised while whistling innocently.

"Your progress is in the 90s, you know? You're really close to being finished."

"Of course, I know that. My mission hardly concerns you."

"You know you're dead once you reach one hundred, right? You're just expendable to her, you're not making it out alive."

"..."

Her hands froze at the mention of the impending doom.

"Why help her if you know she'll kill you in the end? That's kind of absurd."

Bianca's fingers twitched as she shook her head dismissively.

"Your friends are gonna hate you for leaving. For dying."

"They probably will... and only humans can die."

"Everyone can die, whether you're organic or mechanic."

"That's not how that works. Get to the point."

There was an eerie silence between the two robots.

"...why do you guys always have to act like cold soldiers?"

"Because that's what we are. We're SILVERWING's soldiers. We serve our purpose, and then we go away. We get terminated. And we disappear."

"Don't you want to remain at their side? Laurence, Tatya, Brendan, Abella, Blake, all of them. Do they mean nothing to you?"

...

Another small moment of silence as Bianca carefully put down the machine she was working on.

"... quite the opposite, actually. They mean more than the world to me. There's no world without them in it."

"Why? You have so much potential, so much life, so-"

Bianca scoffed, sweeping various items off the table in anger.

"I'm not! I'm not human, I'm not alive, I don't have life! I'm just a puppet who does the bidding of their master! ...it's their fault they got attached."

The intruder sighed a bit.

"... you're at 95% completion. You're 5% away from termination. Today could be your last day. Tomorrow could be your last day. With your work ethic, you aren't surviving the week. That's not fair to you, or to them!"

"I know! I know but I... I can't change the outcome. I'm not like you. I'm... I'm not like you. I can't leave... I can't rebel... I'm not going to make it. And I don't know how they're going to react. Because they're human. And humans are unpredictable."

...

"It really is the beginning of the end. This askbox is gonna be useless once it's over."

Bianca paused. She furrowed her brows in deep thought.

"...What are your cogs thinking about."

"...You're kind of like me."

"I can't replace you."

"I know but... maybe you can help soothe their pain. Pain is always easier to face when you have support. I... think."

"...I can try. But I don't think they'll accept me. You're something special to them. Something mortal. Something human. I... If you make a copy of your data... I might be able to work something out. It won't be perfect, but... nothing human is perfect."

...

This is the beginning of the end for Miss High-Tower. But... the "Mechanical Designer" won't be going anywhere. In fact... the title will just be... swapping hands, is all.

Won't you welcome the new "Mechanical Designer" with open arms, detective?

[experimental-blueprints]

"...Stan...ley?... interesting name. Mine's Bianca."

In normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been so interesting to the Designer. However, due to the words a dear friend said a long once mentioned in passing, it was a little more than interesting.

"bianca. i beat the hunter in my game to death with my bare hands. and i basically possessed a dude, this body isn’t originally mine. it used to be some dude named stanley. buying alcohol a year before i legally can is such a step down it’s basically not even a crime."

... she wondered if this stanley and that stanley were one in the same. He had to go somewhere after being ejected... right?

Her train of thought was caught off guard as the man inquired about her occupation, to which she adjusted her sunglasses.

"I'm a mechanical designer. I design machinery. I guess you could compare it to being a mad scientist, I do some wild experiments sometimes. You said you're a hunter. What's your title?"

"A floating microphone in a suit..? How... peculiar. Might I know your name... sir?"

[ @experimental-blueprints STANLEY. ]

"Yup, that's me! The name's Stanley Parker, but my friends call me Stan! You can call me whatever you want, I guess!"

*He laughs, just shrugging.*

"Oh, and don't worry but I ain't one of those hunters that's crazy about killing, it's just the only role that'll fit me. I don't hurt people when I don't have to so don't even worry about it! You some kinda scientist or something? Cause you give me total scientist vibes. Man, I wish I had a job that cool before I became a spirit!"

[aria-i-adagio]

30 Day DA OC Challenge, Day 19: Courtship

Day 19: Courtship

Does your OC get involved romantically or sexually with anybody? When do they first fall for them or get involved? If they fall in love, when does it happen? Does the relationship last?

Anders! (And yes, it lasts, for better or worse.)

[most of this is a repeat from this post]

I tend to go with the idea that no matter what romance route is played that Anders has at least some romantic interest in Hawke from Act 1. But after Karl’s death, I think there’s a combination of both not being ready and believing that he’s too dangerous for anyone to be in a relationship with him.

Adrian was interested in Anders from very early on. An oddly attractive man with a ‘sexy, tortured look’ develops into honest admiration of the fact that Anders is one of the few people in Kirkwall who’s actually interested in doing something good. But he’s A) used to playing his cards close to his chest (as while Ferelden may not particularly care about same-sex relationships, there does seem to be something of an expectation that such relationships shouldn’t get in the way of family expectations and making children, Leandra has definitely messed with his head, etc.), and B) he’s a small, somewhat insecure ball of anxiety who’s afraid of rejection. He also very good at repressing things, so for most of Act 1, he’s in denial of being interested beyond a “yep, that one’s handsome.”

However, have a show rather than tell.

Hawke has determined that he does not like the Deep Roads. And he hates Bartrand. Who the fuck does that? Leaves their brother to die over a chunk of stone, or whatever that idol was made of?

You let your brother die. You left him.

That was different. I couldn’t protect him. I tried, I swear.

Bethany sneaks up on him from behind and loops her arm through his. She leans her head on his shoulder. “Carver was already dead, ‘Dri.”

He knows that she can’t actually read minds, but sometimes he wonders whether she picked the skill up somewhere. Or maybe it’s a little sister thing. He stops walking and tilts his head to the side, touching his cheek to her hair. “I should have -”

“If any of us could have, we would have.” Bethany pats the other side of his face. “Look about, is this a decently safe place?”

The Deep Roads do require a qualifier for the word safe. Adrian lifts his head and glances around. Ahead, there’s a bridge over a chasm. If it’s sturdy enough, it will give them good lines of sight and walls on two sides. “Ahead will do.”

“Thanks, ‘Dri.” Bethany lets go of his arm and jogs ahead to where Varric and Anders are walking together, both with their weapons in hand, reasoning that if Anders could sense darkspawn, Varric might be able to take them down with Bianca before they got too close. Or thin them out. “Hey. Think it’s night yet?”

“You’re the only Sunshine I see. What’s your opinion?”

“That I’m tired.”

Varric looks around and shrugs. “Then it’s night. Might as well make camp.”

Hawke keeps watch well after they've eaten a sad and meager (who knows how long they'll be searching for an exit now?) meal of hard bread. Bethany told him that he didn't need to; the glyphs she and Anders had set on either end of the bridge would last far past the time Varric's little clockwork watch was set to come. But he couldn't talk himself into following her advice. Darkspawn had killed Carver. They were not going to take Bethany from him.

He isn't the only one still awake. Anders had laid out his bedroll as close to the fire as he could, and he huddles close to the glow of the embers. He’d panicked when Bartrand swung the door closed on in, and once it became clear that neither Varric nore Hawke would be able to pick the locking mechanism, cast multiple spells at the door before giving up on the idea of breaking through it by force. The mage had been quiet since, not even Varric had been able to draw him out.

"You alright?"

Anders lifts his face. There are always dark circles around his eyes, but they look worse in the low light of the fire. "I hate the Deep Roads."

"You could have said no." Hawke asked him to come because he had experience with the Deep Roads, and Darkspawn, and according to what was said of the Grey Wardens would be able to sense them ahead of time. "I would have understood."

Anders smiles grimly. "They're worse without a cat."

"You should try to sleep."

"You should too. Those glyphs I set were designed by a Warden mage. They're strong. This spot is as safe as it's going to get."

"Good to know." Hawke lies down, unsure whether he'll sleep, or just rest his eyes and listen for trouble. "Hey, Anders -"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for coming with me."

"Well, I'm here now."

It might have been an hour, it might have been two, and Hawke might have fallen asleep, or he might have been awake the whole time, but his eyes snap open the moment he hears something other than the crackling of coals. A low, distressed groan and panicked, incoherent mumbling. Hawke opens his eyes. There’s just enough of a glow left in the few embers to see Anders rolling over fitfully, flinging his arm out, nearly managing to catch his fingers in what’s left of the fire. His other arm falls over his mouth, muffling what might have been a scream if allowed to escape.

Hawke tosses off his blanket and crawls across the pavers to him. As he pulls Anders outstretched arm back from the fire, the mage’s eyes snap open and he bolts upright with a gasp, forehead knocking against Hawke’s chin.

“Hey there. You were dreaming.”

“I can hear them.” Anders curls forward, draws his long legs against his chest, and wraps his arms around his knees. “I can still hear it.”

"Hear what? The darkspawn?"

Anders doesn't respond with words, he just goes limp and slumps to the side. Adrian catches him and lets him lean his head against his shoulder. He's perfectly still for a minute, then awkwardly runs his hand through the mage's hair, not entirely sure Anders is awake enough to know where he is, much less who's holding him.

"Take a few deep breaths, okay?" Adrian wraps his other arm around Anders' and pats his shoulder. His joke about Anders 'sexy, tortured look' didn't seem quite as funny at the moment. "Nothing has tripped the glyphs you set. We're okay."

Anders' breathing calms, at least a little. "It's so dark. I can't do this again. I can't."

"I'd build back up the fire for you, but there's no fuel left." Varric had carefully gathered a certain dry fungus from the walls of the cages as they walked. It was the only combustible material available. "Do you hear them more, in the dark?"

"Or I hear nothing in the dark. Not a sound, not a word. I'm alone in it again, and..." The pitch and volume of his voice begins to rise and on instinct, Adrian hugs him tightly. Maker, the poor man is miserable. Hawke never would have asked him to come if he had only known.

Anders shudders and hiccups. "I can't be alone in the dark."

"I'm here." What happened to Anders that made the dark so terrifying? The Deep Roads themselves weren't always dark. Parts were. Other parts were lit by the glow of some sort of marvelous dwarven lamps that still worked after centuries. This wasn't one of those areas, and the lower the embers grow, the more Anders trembles. Without really noticing it, Adrian begins to rub his back and whisper in his ear, the way he sometimes had when one or the other of the twins woke with a childhood nightmare.

He doesn't know Anders well. It's maybe been three or four months since he sought him out to get the maps of the Deep Roads. He's good to know though - a good man. Bethany agrees. And Varric had taken the mage under his wing; Hawke knew the dwarf was paying off the Carta to leave the Darktown clinic alone.

Anders is also handsome in his own way, devilishly funny, and flirtatious, despite the very sad look he gets in his eyes if someone mentions the word Tranquil. 'I hadn't seen him in years,' Anders said, the one time Adrian got him to talk. 'But you know how it is, with first loves.'

Adrian does not actually know how it is with first loves. What relationships he had in Lothering weren't love affairs, just temporary flings with a presumed end date. A Ferelden freeholder needs a wife, needs children to help him work the land. It's just the way of things. No sense in getting too attached.

Like he's getting attached to this mage who hides years of sadness underneath dry humor. Anders has put himself back together a few times already, and right now, the cracks are showing.

"Lay back down. I'll stay with you."

It takes a few more shivers and hiccups before Anders does stretch his long limbs back out. Adrian intends to just sit next to him, maybe keep their fingers together, but Anders pulls at his arm until he lies down beside him on the narrow bedroll, on his side with his head cushioned on his folded arm. Adrian hesitantly strokes Anders' hair, and when that earns him a soft sigh, loops his free arm around the other man and snuggles a bit closer.

After all, it's not just dark in the Deep Roads, it's damn chilly as well. That’s what he tells himself.

When Varric’s little mechanical clock chimes a fake morning, Hawke still curled up around Anders, and Bethany is smirking at him.

[ladala99]

Spyro Reignited Countdown - Shadow Legacy

And with this we reach the final Classic Spyro game, but with all the gameplay differences, can we really call it part of the Classic series?

It’s a game I often come back to thinking I must have forgotten part of the plot, and always I come out of it going, “nope, I remembered everything. It’s really that short.” I consistently beat it in two days with long (but not too long) play sessions. It’s short, ends on a cliffhanger, and makes you wonder what would have happened if they actually decided to continue from it.

Gameplay

Take the GBA Digital Eclipse games, with their isometric point of view. Take out most of the platforming, and make what little’s there confusing because the art style doesn’t differentiate height nearly as well. Make Flame and Charge do nothing to most opponents and add some new melee and magic attacks. Do all that and you’ll get this game.

The actual combat is... okay. Different opponents require different strategies but most can be beaten by spamming one attack. In the real world, that attack is normally Flame. In the Shadow Realms, that attack is the Tail Swipe (and don’t upgrade the Tail Swipe to the point where it does the spin attack. It makes it so it’s no longer spammable).

Also there’s that dual-world gimmick that adds some but not much to the game. Change realms, go through obstacle, change back. It’s bare-bones as far as that mechanic can go. It’s cool that it’s there, though.

Additional Playable Characters/Game Modes

For the first time since Spyro 3, we get none. No minigames, no other characters, nothing.

Collectables

What collectables?

Oh right, there’s a couple.

Gems are still a currency rather than a real collectable though. And even worse, now how many you can collect is limited by the size of your wallet. This basically just means that certain sidequests can only be done after a certain point.

The only real collectable is Dragon Eggs. They’re scattered around and are given to you as rewards for sidequests. Once you get all of them, you learn a spell that turns you into an egg. You can roll around using the touch screen. Yay?

Sidequests usually involve finding or buying a thing and taking it to someone. They feel a bit pointless for the most part. But hey, you can get Ember off your back by introducing her to Bandit the armadillo and they’ll fall instantly in love.

Oh and there’s those shard/crystal/whatever thingies. Some wear out, some don’t, but really if you see one wearing out you just drop it and grab it again and it’ll be good as new. They have different useful effects so just find some that you like and keep them forever. Or don’t use glitches and buy the infinite ones, your call.

Breath Abilities

You get Ice Breath just like any other upgrade, by leveling up. It’s used in a few places to make towers of ice, and for a boss fight. It’s only really worth mentioning since Breath Abilities are so prevalent in the series.

But yeah, you level up and get different/stronger attacks. We’ve got health counts and everything in this game. Some are a lot more useful than others. Again: Tail Swipe>Everything except in certain circumstances (like those foes with the long slapping tails, or flipping over the roly-poly type things. It’s so spammable.

Bosses

Ice Minion and Fire Minion are really similar. You just use Fire against the Ice one and Ice against the Fire one. You just attack when they stop attacking to rest, fairly standard boss procedure. Their personalities are nonexistant and their designs are not very Spyro-y.

Red appears here and is the most pathetic boss. Is he really a boss? Well, to Blink he is, as Blink is just sitting there being thrown around. But for Spyro, he can just use the Shock spell twice (which the Professor specifically tells you to do) and it’s over. Turns out Red was being mind-controlled by someone else! (Was this the case in A Hero’s Tail?)

The Sorcerer is the final boss. He appears as a lizard-man throughout the game but reveals that he’s “a real purple dragon” at the end. This boss fight is a bit more involved, but the game tells you exactly what to do.

TLoS fans might find these guys very familiar. In fact, they may find the whole game familiar.

Levels

For some reason they take the names of levels in the Insomniac trilogy, but change who lives there and what themes it has. Except Wizard’s Peak; that has the exact same wizards as always lived there. Except now they aren’t enemies but guys who worship dragons. Skelos Badlands isn’t too bad, either.

Just... Treetops is in the Avalar and houses Fairies. Lost Fleet is a farm where Bianca’s family lives. And the Dragon Realms, Avalar, and the Forgotten Realms are all a boatride away from one another. And the levels themselves are within walking distance of one another. There’s also just as many original locations as reused ones.

It’s like, I’m glad you’re acknowledging existing lore, but either be consistent completely or make all the levels your own.

Actual level design is fine. It’s not amazing, but it works for what the game is. Except those random holes. I’ve played the game several times and I still have no idea what the purpose of them is. I wish some dataminers cared enough to see what they’re all about - they’re either completely empty or have enemies and there’s some sound effects when you enter but... what do they do?

Story

Spyro and friends are at Dragon Shores for vacation, but it’s time to go. Spyro, however, is staying behind to be trained by the Dragon Elders. Everyone commentates on school as they leave for their homes.

But, that night, a darkness fills the land and everyone is thrown into the Shadow Realms! Enemies are unaffected by Spyro’s regular moves, so he can only run, as directed telepathically by Tomos, one of the Elders. Turns out that since Spyro’s a purple dragon, and purple dragons are particularly magical, he has the ability to escape through use of the Shadowstone, as well as save others.

After saving the Elders and learning Dragon-Kata from them, Spyro goes out to save everyone else. The Elders suspect that Red’s behind this, but eventually Spyro corners Red and defeats him and it turns out that Red’s being mind-controlled by someone called the Sorcerer.

The Sorcerer is draining magic from all the realms, and he wants to fuse the Shadow Realms and the real world. Spyro confronts him and he reveals himself to be a fully-realized purple dragon. Spyro manages to seal him away, but he will return someday...

If this sounds like The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning except with more rescuing people and the ending of Dawn of the Dragon stuck to it, it does to me, too. I always call Shadow Legacy “TLoS in the Classic Universe” for a reason.

The Sorcerer even looks like Malefor. They’re the same. It’s all-but canon. And it provided so much fanfiction fuel for me as a young teen.

And that’s really the only reason why I approve of this story, despite the fact that this is so much not Spyro-y. I want to see this mentioned, if not resolved. I want the three worlds to collide, and Malefor is the perfect bridge. As he claims, he is eternal.

So yeah. I think on its own this story is pretty strange and doesn’t seem related to Spyro at all. With the context of TLoS, though, it’s intriguing and I want to see more. Unfortunately, I don’t think we ever will. How many people played this game? I almost didn’t.

Unique in the Series?

Spyro’s moveset and the whole Dragon-kata concept definitely is, but other than that, it takes from other games and is taken from all throughout later games. It has the Season Trilogy perspective, the A Hero’s Tail artstyle and character interpretation, and a story that will be seen again very soon.

As far as Classic Spyro goes, this game is very unique, but as for the series as a whole, it’s a bridge that shows how Spyro is moving in a very different direction.

Conclusion

If you’re an avid fan of the entire Spyro series (or at least Classic and TLoS), Shadow Legacy is definitely worth checking out. It’s an oddity that bridges the two in a unique way.

As for someone just looking for a good game, look elsewhere. I never play this game for the gameplay. It’s not challenging enough to be fun.

So I don’t know where to stick this other than I’m glad I have it, glad I’ve played it, but it’s one of those games I have that I know isn’t good.

[hookedonapirate]

Handprints On My Soul

Summary: Leaving home and a career as a roller coaster engineer on a whim with his six year old daughter was one of the last things Killian Jones wanted to do. But after falling in love with someone he’d met online to find out he’d been catfished, it seemed like the best idea. It seems even more appealing when Emma Swan, musician and bartender at a charming Irish Pub, enters his life… even if his brother and daughter have to be the ones to help him realize it.

Rated: M for a dash of salty language and a pinch of smut.

Trigger warnings: Mentions of death resulting from labor and mentions of abandonment and emotional and physical abuse. Deals with catfishing/scamming over the internet.

AO3 FFN

A/N: Oh gosh, after four months of working on this little story, I am thrilled to be able to present it to you. In the beginning, I struggled coming up with something that would meet the word-count requirements, so there are some people I would like to thank who helped me, inspired me and allowed me to burden them with this thing while offering an endless amount of support.

First of all, I wanted to give a shout out to all of the moderators of @captainswanbigbang for putting this project together and for always being responsive and helpful throughout the process. And thank you for blessing me with a fabulous artist @shipsxahoy​ who I really enjoyed working with. Thank you so much, Bianca, for the perfect artwork to accompany this story, including the fic banner above. Please check out the other piece she made for the story and be sure to reblog!

Gifset

I also have to thank @irishswanff for this prompt that helped me get this story rolling, taking on a life of its own. I can’t say too much about the the actual prompt though, because bits and pieces of it are slowly revealed throughout the story. Then there is @resident-of-storybrooke who came up with Killian’s former occupation when I was struggling to. A shout out to @distant-rose who’s as sweet as a cupcake and looked it over, offering a bit of her cultural knowledge and setting me straight on some things. She is the reason Killian’s daughter has an Irish accent, although she is also the reason I had cut out most of my original smut scene ;-)

Last but not least, I have to thank my wonderful beta-reader and dear friend @rouhn​ for all of her suggestions, for always getting me to see things from a different angle, for her encouragement and allowing me to bounce ideas off of her and for always being my biggest cheerleader and support. Thank you so much for sticking with me Lydia!

I am open to all reviews, even if you don't like the story! Thank you all for reading and for your support and encouragement!

The raindrops pitter-patter on the windshield as the wiper blades swoosh left and right in a continuous motion, permitting visibility of the road ahead. The day is on the cusp of morning and afternoon, and the sky has grown grey and murky, unleashing a monotonous downpour over the streets of Storybrooke. Killian hadn’t seen a drop of rain since his arrival, so it hadn’t occurred to him to bring rain jackets before he’d left that morning.

He’s not even sure exactly why he’s here; he basically picked this place randomly on the map; or at least, his brother did.

After Killian’s heart shattered into a million pieces yet again, he needed to flee from Ohio. Actually, the reasons are more complicated than that—Killian Jones didn’t typically flee at the drop of a hat. His education consisted of mathematics, mechanical engineering and physics; he’s a man of science—a man with a vision and a plan. In high school, his whole future was mapped out before him, down to every last intricate detail—the university he chose to attend, the degrees he required to achieve, the job he dreamed of attaining and the type of woman he desired to marry.

And everything went according to plan, until he took a trip to Ireland and met Milah. Of course, having a wife and starting a family completed the puzzle, but everything he’s worked for, every dream, every drop of sweat, every tear and every part of his carefully crafted plan rose in flames when Milah died from giving birth to their daughter, leaving an empty hole in his life and his heart.

From that point on, he had to live from day to day, figuring things out as he went. When he moved back to the States with his daughter, his older brother helped him as much as possible, and perhaps that complicated things. Liam wanted to do anything to help Killian pick up the pieces of his life, and for once, Killian placed his faith in something he couldn’t design, construct or control. He couldn’t implement safety features or predict the outcome based on statistics or experiments or the laws of physics. He’d poured the fate of his (and his daughter’s) future into something he couldn’t spend months or years carefully envisaging.

He put his faith in a dating site.

Liam said it would be good for Killian to do something in which he’d no idea what the outcome would be. His brother insisted on it, begged him until he relented. Liam wanted him to be happy and hated the fact that Killian had to raise his baby girl on his own, but in Killian’s eyes, raising Raven alone wasn’t a curse or a burden. It was and still is a blessing.

Nevertheless, Killian conceded to his brother’s insistence and created a profile. Within days, he started chatting with someone he discovered had a lot of things in common with him. Little did he know what a disaster that would be.

It’s a shame, really, because he actually thought he could marry this woman. But, boy was he wrong. He was a bloody idiot for trusting someone he’d met on a dating site.

As Killian rolls through the deep puddles scattered among the road, he seeks out a decent place to eat and remembers his brother recommending a small Irish pub and their famous stew when he sees the establishment up ahead. It’s a quaint bar nestled in between a couple of shops and accompanied by a few tables and chairs perched underneath a charming red awning embellished with gold letters reading The Hanged Queen. Killian wonders when exactly his brother has ever been to this town, but now that he’s thinking about it, he can’t recall.

Nevertheless, his belly’s growling, and he has a wee lassie to feed, so he parks in front of the small pub to his right and cuts off the engine. Turning around, he smiles at his daughter, who’s sleeping soundly and breathing with her mouth slightly opened.

Raven is six years old with porcelain skin and dark, thick tendrils of hair on her head like her mother. When he’d held Raven in his arms for the first time, he made a vow to her; he would make sure to always shower her with love and give her everything she needed. It’s been more difficult than it should’ve been, but he enjoys his role as Papa all the same.

Since he’s currently staying in a small inn until he can find a permanent place to live, his lunch options include this pub or one of Storybrooke’s finest restaurants, including Granny’s Diner, due to the lack of fast food chains in this town. Honestly, he can go for a hot bowl of stew right now, but he can’t bear to wake up his daughter nor does he wish to leave her alone in the car.

Settling on a decision, Killian unfastens his seatbelt, removes his jacket in the cramped space of his seat and scrambles out, lifting the coat over his head to use it as a shield. The rain is relentless, unforgiving, as he hurries around to his daughter’s side, opening the door and unbuckling her from the seat. She begins to stir, disturbed by the noise of the rain as he leans in and lifts the hood of her beige jacket, pulling it over her head. Carefully scooping her up in his arms, he can hear a quiet whine from her mouth as he pulls his jacket over Raven to add more protection from the rain.

“Shh shh, little love. Just getting us some food,” he whispers, making sure her face is burrowed in the crook of his neck and secured under her hood. Kicking the door shut, he feels a shiver skating down his spine as the rain rolls off of him in sheets. He cradles his daughter, holding her closely as he races inside the pub, not caring that he’s getting completely drenched as long as his daughter stays dry.

Killian sucks in the warm air as he enters the pub, wiping a wet brow with his free hand and rubbing his feet against the welcome mat, letting it sponge up the water from his boots. He pulls down his daughter’s hood and kisses her head, panting lightly through the dark locks of hair as he recovers from the small sprint and the brisk air he’d endured.

Taking a wary look around, he’s surprised by the interior of the establishment; it’s a bar but somehow has a cozy feel, with walls painted in a warm red, chestnut table settings, family photos scattered over the walls and soft music pouring from the jukebox on the other side of the room. The smells permeating from the kitchen are undeniably enticing, and Killian is amazed the place isn’t buzzing with patrons at this time of the day, even if it is a bar. It couldn’t possibly compare to the ones in Dublin, but a comforting bowl of Irish stew sounds amazing at the moment.

There’s one other person in the entire joint—a young woman—who’s sitting at the bar. The first thing he notices about her is the pair of red, knee-high leather boots she’s wearing over her skinny blue jeans; her top leg is crossed over the bottom one, slowly bobbing up and down to the rhythm of the music. Quickly tearing his gaze away, he looks behind the bar, seeing no one working.

Killian glances at the woman again, taking in her entire figure. She’s wearing a white turtleneck sweater, and her blonde hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail. He can spot a pair of red, thick-framed glasses, but he can’t see her eyes or her face because she’s turned away from him. He’s pretty sure she hasn’t noticed his presence yet because her face is buried in a book, completely lost in it.

“Excuse me, lass,” he says timidly, catching her attention. Her lips are pressed together firmly as though she’s still consumed in her book and he’s merely a rude intrusion, pulling her back to reality. He can’t blame her though. He’s spent many countless hours using the pages of a book to steal him away from his troubles. “What does a lad have to do to acquire some service around here?” he questions in vexation.

“Depends,” she replies with a shrug. “What do you wish to barter with?” When she turns her head, seeing the young girl in his arms, her features instantly soften, and Killian’s heartbeat staggers, catching the emerald sparkle behind her spectacles. In normal circumstances, he’d be enamored by the sight of a beautiful woman, but considering what he’s been through, he chooses to ignore any changes in his breathing or his pulse from looking at her. He can’t think about having any other lass in his life right now. The only one he needs is his true love, and she’s currently in his embrace with her arms curled around his neck and her dark hair sprawled across his chest.

“I come bearing American dollars,” he clarifies, dragging his hand through his wet, matted hair. “Or does this place take Euros? I have those too.”

She flashes a sarcastic smirk and removes her glasses, setting them down on the counter along with her book as she stands. When she maneuvers around the bar, tossing him a glance, he can’t help but notice how perfectly her face is framed by the long, wavy bangs of hair or how much greener her eyes are without those glasses.

“Judging by the accent, I’m guessing England?” she asks, towing Killian from his deep musings as she grabs a terry bar towel, throwing it over her shoulder.

“That’s where I was born, but I haven’t been there since I was a young lad. The Euros are from Ireland—I lived in Dublin for a few years. Have you ever been?”

“I’ve only visited,” she replies, sauntering over and planting her feet behind the bar, the palms of her hands bracing against the edge of the counter. “I have relatives there whom I didn’t even know about until recently.”

Killian wants to comment or inquire further, but he’s too overwhelmed with shock; he wasn’t expecting her to work here. “Ah, so somebody does tend the bar. I’m relieved it’s not self-service,” he teases lightly.

She dazzles him with a sardonic smirk. “Well just so you’re aware, I don’t serve alcohol to minors,” she throws back. “Regina would kill me if she lost her liquor license because of me.”

Killian gives into a faint chuckle as he hoists Raven up in his arms, securing her more tightly to keep her from sliding. Peering down at his daughter, he sees her eyes blinking open as she nestles her head deeper into the little nook of her Papa, which she always uses as a pillow whenever he’s carrying her around. “No worries. The wee lassie has already drunk her share of rum today.” He means it to be playful, but the blonde’s staring at him with a blank, unfathomable expression, and he’s not so sure if she thinks he’s being serious or not. “It was a joke, lass.”

Her features transform and a smile is curving her lips again as she emits a light laugh, a dimple denting each cheek. “Right, I knew that.”

Killian chuckles as she deposits a menu in front of him and he doesn’t even need to catch a glimpse of it before knowing exactly what he wants to order. “We’ll just take some of your Irish stew.”

“Very good choice. Although, it’s not mine; Regina’s the one who works the magic in the kitchen. I just stand behind the counter, serve drinks and look pretty,” she remarks whimsically, fluttering her eyelashes.

Killian nods and tosses a grin; he can’t exactly argue with her statement. “And read Hemingway when no patrons arrive to bug you about the service of the joint,” he adds playfully, handing her money for the food.

“Exactly,” she laughs, accepting the cash and securing it in the till. “I’ll go put your order in so you can take your young one home. It looks like she’s tuckered out. In fact, why don’t you two go wait in the car and I’ll bring it out to you once it’s done.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden—”

“Nonsense,” the woman cuts him off with a small wave before wandering away from the bar, “it’s not a problem. Besides, your arms must be tired of holding her.” She disappears into the back and returns with a wool blanket. “Here, you both must be freezing; I would offer you a raincoat but it looks like the sun’s starting to peek out,” she points out, looking towards the front of the bar where the light is streaming through the windows.

Arching a brow, he’s rather surprised by her kindness as she approaches and spreads out the blanket before wrapping the two of them into a cocoon. Killian’s breath catches from the close proximity as he watches her tuck the end of the material under one of his hands to secure it in place.

“Thank you. I do appreciate that,” he says graciously as he glances up, catching her gaze. His heart races as he captures a close up of her face, but before he can admire the exquisite features, she’s turning and heading for the door.

“It’s not a problem,” she assures, grabbing the handle and hauling it open for them.

Composing himself quickly, he strides to the offered door and pauses when he reaches it, turning his head as she keeps it propped open for him. “Your service isn’t so bad after all,” he compliments with a dim smile. “although, I do have to say you’re mistaken about one thing…”

The woman knits her brows in confusion before presuming what he could be referring to. “Oh? Is she not yours?” she asks, guilt flickering in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just assumed—”

“She is mine…” he quickly affirms, his voice low and gentle, “but I never grow tired of holding her.”

He catches a glimpse of the warm, apologetic smile crossing her face before he peels his gaze away, proceeding out the door.

When he reaches the outside, it’s still raining but it’s barely an unsteady drizzle, and the sun’s shining brightly, reflecting off every raindrop as it falls. The blanket is keeping him warm as he opens the car door to the backseat and ducks inside, gently peeling his daughter off of him and securing her in the seat. The outside of the jacket is drenched from the rain, so he tosses it in the seat next to her for now. Raven’s long lashes flitter open, showing the gorgeous, bright blue irises hidden beneath her sleepy eyelids.

“Did you have a nice nap, apart from all the moving around and nasty rain?”

She nods, smiling up at him. “Yes, Papa. I didn’t mind it,” she replies, her Irish accent thick with sleep.

He smiles, dropping a delicate kiss on her forehead. “I’m glad.” Tearing himself away, he shuts the door before making his way to the driver side. Once he is in his seat, he immediately starts the car, cranking up the heat before fastening his seatbelt.

“Papa?”

“The food will be out in a minute, Sweetheart,” he promises, turning around to flash a small smile; he knows she must be hungry after her nap. “Then we’ll be on our way home.”

She shakes her head. “That’s not what I was going to ask about.”

His brow rises curiously. “What is it then, little love?”

“I’m not little, ” she corrects with a scowl. “I’m young. ”

“My apologies,” he titters, mentally reminding himself to break that habit. He hates when his brother calls him little as well. “What did you want to ask me, younglove? he tries again, and that’s when a grin crawls across her lips. It’s also when he knows he’s in deep trouble because her smile and eyes are tainted with mischief.

“Do you like her?”

And there it is.

Her words are laced with an innocence which is the polar opposite of the expression on her face and causes his cheeks to flush. He should’ve known it was only at a matter of time before she asked him that. When Raven was younger, she asked him why she didn’t have a Mum; like all children, she wanted a Mum and a Papa. Since he explained what happened to Milah in a way Raven would understand (one of the most difficult things he’s ever done), his daughter has always been his tenacious little matchmaker trying to help her Papa find love so she can have a Mum.

Killian can try to play dumb and pretend to not know what she’s talking about, but he knows his daughter’s far too savvy for that. “I just met her, but I think she’s nice for letting us borrow her blanket, wasn’t she?”

Raven bobs her head up and down. “She’s very nice… but you didn’t answer my question, silly,” she teases, and there’s a playful chime in her tone as he braces himself for what’s to come, and at the same time, looks at her sternly for calling him silly. “Do you like her?”

Killian’s face is flaring with red as he scratches behind his ear, not sure how to respond. When his little songbird concocts something in her head, there’s typically no way to reverse it. She’s a stubborn one, much like her uncle Liam. “I could say no, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t believe me if I did; am I right?”

He swears her smile only grows wider, if that’s possible. “Yup. Wanna know why?”

“Why’s that?” he asks, but he’s uncertain he wants to know the answer, because, while he tells himself that it’s impossible for him to toy with the possibility of being affected by someone he’s just met, he knows his daughter is quite perceptive for her age. He knows she can detect a fib from a mile away.

“Cause you got all nervous when you talked to her. You’re even nervous now.”

Killian raises a brow, curious as to how she’d come up with this conclusion. Is he that transparent? “And how can you be so sure?”

“‘Cause, you’re blushing and scratching behind your ear. You always do that when you’re nervous.”

“If I’m nervous, it’s only because my six-year old daughter’s bombarding me with questions, like I’m being interviewed for a job.” Honestly, the last thing he wants to think about is having another woman in his life, but he won’t tell his daughter that. He only hopes she doesn’t have to go through anything like what he’s been through. He hopes that she will never be deceived by anyone; he wishes he can be at every turn to protect her and make sure nothing bad ever happens to her.

“You know I’m right, Papa.”

Before Killian has a chance to retort, the door of the pub swings open and the blonde dashes outside with a paper bag in her hand. He and his daughter are silently watching her round the car before she approaches the driver’s door, and he turns in his seat, rolling down the window.

“Thanks, love,” he says appreciatively, gracing her with a smile as she hands him the bag of food.

“It’s no problem.”

“Here, let me give you a tip,” Killian insists as he begins to turn around in his seat, noticing that his daughter has her eyes closed. He stifles the laugh rising in his throat at his little rapscallion and her mischief-making ways as he reaches for his jacket to grab his wallet. He’s abruptly stopped by the gentle hand gripping his arm and he loses a breath from the contact as his eyes dart over to the blonde, who’s gazing at him warmly. He tries not to let her touch affect him, but he’s finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

“No need. Just doing my job,” she murmurs, searching his eyes with hers.

He’s taken by surprise that she’s declining his offer as he tries to peel his gaze away, but her emerald depths have pulled him in like the waves of the ocean on a windy day.

“Please. I insist.”

She’s the first one to break the stare as she relinquishes his arm and shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it,” she insists with a smile. “You can use the money to buy your daughter some ice cream or something.”

“Ice cream? I want ice cream, Papa!”

Killian laughs, observing Raven’s face and the excitement dancing in her big ocean blues. “After lunch, Sweetheart,” he promises before averting his gaze to the bartender.

“I see she woke from her nap at the opportune time,” she teases playfully, her eyes peeking inside towards the backseat.

“Aye, she did,” he chuckles.

“Hello, bar lady,” his daughter greets brightly from her seat.

“Hi there,” the bartender replies with a wave before whispering to Killian, “Now I know she’s definitely yours; she has your eyes and the exact same smile too.”

His cheeks are flushing as he turns his head to peer at his daughter, who’s holding a big, devilish grin on her angelic face. “That she does,” he agrees smugly.

“Well, I have to go back inside now before Regina realizes I’m gone and wonders where I wandered off to. Hope you both enjoy the food.”

“At least let me give you back the blanket,” he proposes remembering it’s still wrapped around him as he cranes his neck to face her, but before he can, she’s already walking away.

With a small wave, she again refuses one of his offers. “Don’t worry about it. You can bring it back some other time.” She doesn’t give him a chance to give a response, seeing as she’s already on the other side of the car, heading towards the sidewalk and waving them goodbye.

“Wait! I didn’t catch your…” Killian begins as he watches her disappear inside the pub, the door shutting behind her, “…name.” He’s not sure what happened or why she raced off inside—it’s not even raining anymore. Emitting a sigh, he peers down into the bag before setting it in the passenger seat. “What do you say we go back to our room, love?”

“Okay, Papa. Don’t worry; I’m sure you will see her again.”

Killian nods as he roars up the engine and pulls away from the curb, thinking it’s better this way. It’s better that he doesn’t know her name. It’s better they stay strangers. Although he’s not sure exactly how long that’ll last considering how small this town is.

Crossing a bridge, he’s staring at the road ahead of him, looking forward to eating the Irish stew in the cozy room at the inn when his daughter yells out, “Papa, it’s a rainbow!”

As his eyes wander over the bridge, he catches the brilliant colors cascading across the water, and it’s clearly a sight to see, but the mechanical engineer in him can’t help but envision a Zip Line running across the creek. The idea’s enticing, and perhaps one day he can make it a reality, but for now he just needs to focus on procuring an apartment since he guesses this town is a suitable place to live.

Emma finishes her shift for the evening, craving something the bar doesn’t have; a grilled cheese sandwich and onion rings. She sends a text, making sure Granny’s is an acceptable dinner option to bring home. After receiving a confirmation of approval, she calls ahead and places her order before leaving to pick it up.

Expelling a weary sigh, Emma leans against the front counter, her eyes wandering around the diner as she waits for her food.

It’s the typical crowd of customers, apart from two people sitting across the room at one of the tables. The father’s back is facing her, but Emma can see the side of his daughter’s face as she chews her fish sticks, and she immediately recognizes them from two weeks ago when they came into the pub. The man is gorgeous with soft-looking, dark hair and a nice build, and he also has those amazing blue eyes. Who could possibly forget a man like that or an adorable young girl who gets her looks from her father? And how charming are their accents? The dad with his sexy British lilt and the daughter with her thick, recognizable Irish one are enough to make her melt.

The two of them share a laugh and it’s evident in their body language that they’re enjoying each other’s company. They appear to be a happy little family, but Emma has to wonder where the mother is—perhaps in Ireland? (She’d noticed the lack of a wedding band in the pub.) Not that Emma cares. She doesn’t. She already has a man in her life—her ten year old son. He’s all she needs.

Nevertheless, it’s sweet how the man across the room looks at his daughter and seems to care for her. It’s a rare thing, at least where she’s from, but maybe that’s because she’s been burned by men who pretend to care about her until they discover she has a son. She’s sick of low-life scums who only want one thing, and will do anything to obtain it, even if that means pretending to be someone they’re not. She’s grown utterly exhausted of frauds, so she relinquished the idea of being with a man in any shape or form. She’s concluded it’s impossible to end up burned by someone when she doesn’t give them a match to light the flame.

“He’s cute isn’t he? Even from this angle.”

Emma is yanked from her thoughts and narrows her eyes at her friend, Ruby, who’s joined her at the counter, wearing a buoyant grin on her face. “Who is?” Emma asks, feigning cluelessness; she knows exactly who Ruby’s referring to.

The waitress rolls her eyes as Granny emerges from the kitchen with two plates of food. “Order’s up, Ruby. What have I told you about standing around and chatting with your friends?” her grandmother chides as she winks at Emma.

The brunette turns around, tossing a snarky smirk. “That I should do it more often?”

“Nice try, Ruby. We have a full diner to run so I need your A game.”

“Yes, boss,” Ruby answers in a patronizing tone, sliding the plates onto her tray. Granny disappears into the kitchen as Ruby offers an impish smile. “You know exactly who I’m referring to; the new guy with his daughter… or should I say DILF?”

Emma arches a brow at her friend. “DILF?”

“Yeah; Dad I’d like to fu—”

“Okay, I got it,” Emma cuts her off, blushing as Ruby shrugs.

“Well, quit pretending to be oblivious and I won’t have to say what you’re thinking out loud for everyone to hear.”

“You mean what you’re thinking?”

Again, Ruby rolls her eyes. “Come on, Emma, we both know you’re thinking the exact same thing. You have trust issues, but that doesn’t mean your vagina’s dead,” the waitress asserts, leaving Emma with her jaw on the floor.

Ruby’s definitely wrong. Emma’s not thinking about this man in that way. She looks at him and sees a kind, loving father who would go to the ends of the world for his daughter. She does not picture him getting a babysitter for the night so they can spend one passion-filled night together. She’s definitely not thinking about that.

Granny returns to the counter with a to-go bag, and Emma turns around to pay for her order while glancing over at the British man and his enchanting daughter. Emma wishes she had a father growing up, but instead she zigzagged between foster homes with never as much as a father-figure in her life who didn’t hurt her physically or emotionally. Even her son grew up without a father, but that’s an entirely different story. Emma thinks she’d be a different person with a male role model in her life. She thinks maybe she wouldn’t be so closed off—so broken.

The dad leans into his daughter, pressing a kiss to her forehead as Emma regards them with admiration. The view is a beautiful sight to behold and planting an idea in her mind. Peeling her eyes away, she looks at Granny again, who’s waiting patiently at the register with a concerned expression on her face.

“Everything alright, Buttercup?”

“Yeah.” Emma gnaws on her bottom lip as she takes out the cash she’d made from her tips that day, to pay for her and her son’s meals. When she pulls out the bundle of dollar bills, she starts counting them and pauses when she reaches the amount that will cover the bill. Handing it over to Granny, she peers down at the remaining cash in her hand. Maybe she’s in a giving mood or maybe witnessing this man with his daughter and how he treats her—as though she’s the queen of his world—is what triggers the strings pulling at her heart, but either way, she makes a decision.

Emma peers up at Granny, who’s counting the change back to her. “Actually, can you…?” The words cause Granny to stop what she’s doing and glance up at Emma questionably. “Can you keep the change and add on that man’s bill—the dark-haired man over there with his daughter?” she asks, nodding in his direction while trying to be as subtle as possible. “I’d like to pay for their dinner.”

A telling smile tugs at Granny’s lips as she peels her gaze from Emma, eyeing the man in question. “Sure thing. I’ll let Ruby know.”

“I’m sure she’d love to hear that,” Emma laughs while regretting her decision; she’s afraid that she’ll never hear the end of it, or that Ruby will rat her out.

“I think you’re right,” the elderly woman agrees.

“Just make sure she knows it’s anonymous.”

“Sure thing.”

Granny tells her how much Killian’s tab is so far, so Emma hands her enough money to cover it, plus dessert, or at least an estimate of what she thinks it will be. Emma has memorized Granny’s menu like the back of her hand, so she figures forty plus a twenty percent tip will be enough.

“That’s awfully generous of you, Emma.”

She shrugs, grabs a pen from the counter and flips the receipt over. “The guy’s new in town, and he looks like he could use some generosity.” Tapping her chin with the tip of the pen cap, she stares at the blank slip of paper, pondering what to write before scripting it down and passing it to Granny. “Make sure Ruby gives him this?”

“Of course, Buttercup.”

“Thank you.” Emma claims her to-go bag and quickly glances across the diner to catch one last glimpse of the man and his daughter before fleeing through the door to avoid being seen by them.

As she drives home, she can’t help but laugh, thinking about what Ruby’d called him. She can’t deny the guy’s not bad to look at, and now she’s certain that every time she sees him, she’ll be agreeing with Ruby in her mind, yep, definitely a DILF.

Killian is enjoying a delightful dinner with his daughter as they celebrate the fact that he’d made a deposit on their new apartment. He’s also started his new job as a design engineer at Gold Technologies, and Raven has started her classes, has made many friends and is happy with her teachers. Overall, things are flowing smoothly.

Raven has finished all of her fish sticks and fries, so he orders a slice of Granny’s homemade apple pie to share. When Ruby hands him the check along with a small silver tray and walks away, Killian takes one last sip of his water before retrieving his wallet to pay for the bill. He takes the slip of paper from the tray and brings it in front of him, scanning it over. His eyebrows wrinkle in confusion when he discovers he’s not looking at the bill, but a receipt—his receipt. This must be a mistake, he thinks before spotting the arrow at the bottom, pointing to the right edge of the paper. Flipping it over, he sees the note on the back.

I hope you don’t mind me spying, but I saw you out with your date and couldn’t help but notice what a great dad you are. From someone who grew up without a parent, it’s refreshing to witness such a special bond between father and child. Hope you and your date have a lovely evening.

Dinner’s on me tonight.

Killian is stunned and also intrigued by the note as he blinks a few times to make sure he’s reading it correctly. Lifting his eyes, he looks around the room to see if anyone is looking in his and Raven’s direction, but of course whoever this kind person is has already left; he’s certain of it. “Excuse me, lass,” Killian calls out as the waitress approaches the table. “Ruby is it?”

“Yeah, what else can I do for you?” she asks with a cheeky grin.

Killian’s eyes dart between the receipt and Ruby. “Can you tell me who paid for our dinner?” He’s not exactly sure why he’s asking; he barely knows anyone in this town.

Ruby shakes her head as she clears the plates from their table. “I’m sorry, I can’t give that information away.”

He gives her a small smile before looking at the receipt once more. “Okay thanks.”

The waitress leans over the table, speaking in a whisper, “I can give you a hint though.”

Killian arches a brow, enthralled as he glances up at her. “You can?”

“Well since you’re cute, I will,” she says with a smirk, making Killian blush. “The woman who paid for your meal will be at The Hanged Queen this Friday night. And she’ll be singing on stage.”

So the kind person is a woman and she’s a musician? Hmmm… Killian’s interest is highly piqued. “Is that so?”

“Of course it is, I wouldn’t lie,” the brunette assures, and she almost appears to be offended by his words. “She’s in a band.”

He mulls over her words carefully. What if there are backup singers and she’s one of them. “How will I know it’s her?”

Ruby laughs. “Because she’s the only singer.” She leaves him to dwell on his thoughts as Raven gives him a pointed look.

He has to stifle a laugh because he knows his sweet little songbird is reading his thoughts. Killian reaches out and swipes her long hair behind her shoulder so it doesn’t fall in the pie as he slides the small plate over to her. “Eat your dessert, Princess.”

“Yes, Papa,” Raven sighs and does what she’s told, picking up a clean fork, cutting a piece off and taking a bite as Killian does the same. He wants to meet this mysterious woman who’s paid for his meal. He doesn’t like being a charity case, but his curiosity has gotten the best of him, and he wants to meet her so he can return the favor somehow.

Killian leaves the diner with his daughter, toying with the idea of going to the pub on Friday, where not only the bartender will be, but the woman who generously paid for his bill.

He’ll have to find a babysitter and doesn’t know anyone in this town. He doesn’t know if he can trust anyone to watch his baby girl. There’s the owner of the diner who goes by ‘Granny’ and lives across the hall from him; she seems trustworthy enough, but she’s still a stranger.

Maybe he shouldn’t go. Maybe it’s a bad idea. Maybe he’s not ready to go searching for things he doesn’t actually need. The last time he did that, it got him in trouble.

Killian sighs. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad for him to journey out and meet some new people. He needs to return the blanket to the bartender whose name he has yet to learn.

He drives home, thinking about what he might wear; he’s not sure. But most importantly, he has to find someone trustworthy enough to watch his Raven.

When Friday arrives, Killian can’t believe he’s talked himself into this, or maybe Raven persuaded him into it; he’d seen the pleading look in her eyes, lips formed into a pout, and he didn’t have the heart to resist her. She wants her papa to “go out and have some fun”, and convinced him to let Granny babysit her, assuring him she’ll act nothing short of an angel. It turned out, Granny happily agreed, raising Killian’s suspicions at how enthusiasticly she accepted the job. The whole thing became suspicious, as though it’d been planned. Raven assured him she wouldn’t make a fuss in the mornings when he tries to usher her around and prepare her for school, and that she’ll allow him braid her hair as he enjoys to do. She’s a crafty little lass. She may or may not have gotten that trait from him.

Either way, he’s in his good pair of denims and a black V-neck, wearing a light amount of cologne and his hair is neatly combed as he steps into the establishment, carrying the folded blanket in his hand that the bartender lent him while in this bar almost three weeks ago. At least, he thinks it’s the bar he’d been in the other week. It doesn’t seem like the same place, however. There are so many people this time, a stage he’s sure wasn’t there before and loud music playing by a band on said stage, instead of the jukebox. He takes stock of the employees standing behind the bar counter, not seeing the blonde there, only a skinny brunette standing next to a man with light brown hair, a beard and his hand around her hip as they both watch the performance on stage. Honestly, Killian is disappointed, but he has to convince himself she is not the reason he’s here.

Anticipation is coiling in his stomach as his eyes sift through the crowd, reaching the stage as he hopes to find the woman who’d left the note the other night. His eager gaze falls upon the lass who’s making the enchanting sounds, and she’s not only singing but also playing the guitar. He’s no musician, but he doesn’t have to be to know she’s playing it well.

His vision is unclear because of the dim lights and, even with the lighting on stage, he can’t make out her face, but he can hear her sing and he can hear the notes she’s strumming as she sits on her stool. Her voice sounds like an angel—delicate and sweet—and the tune emitted from the guitar is soft and light. Her music’s a wonderful melody to his ears as he shuffles through the crowd to contrive a better look. When he shortens the distance, capturing a close-up of the musician, the outlines of her face and the familiar smile, he realizes she’s the bartender!

He has to admit, as unexpected as the revelation is, he’s glad this woman is her. If only he can keep this information from Raven, which he knows will be a difficult task because she can read him like an open book. She’s his daughter after all.

Killian continues to maneuver through the audience, never taking his eyes off of her. She’s breathtaking on the platform, her long golden curls flowing over one shoulder like a cascade at sunrise as she strums the guitar and belts out the lyrics in a heavenly way; it makes his spine tingle. Before he’d arrived in Storybrooke, blondes weren’t his type, or at least not to his knowledge. However, this golden-haired goddess is undoubtedly a temptation

As he nears the stage, the woman happens to look his way, and her eyes begin dancing, lips curving into a simper when she spots him. Maybe it’s the beat of the music, the way she’s beaming at him over the crowd or the way her fingers take a brief pause from the strings of her guitar, using the opportunity to wave at him, but his adrenaline is pumping and his heart is racing.

Killian’s lips crack into a wide grin and he waves back with the blanket in his hand, showing it to her. She laughs silently before falling back into her routine as she moves her fingers across the strings of her guitar. Killian is actually relieved and glad he came tonight, and he can’t wait for her to finish the number.

He’s watching the beautiful blonde and getting caught up in the music and her alluring smile when he remembers that she is the one who’d left him the note. She is the one who paid for his and his daughter’s meal, and just like that, he feels a cloud of warmth surrounding his heart. Just like that, the friendly exchange of smiles and stolen glances turn into yearning gazes.

When the song ends and the man from behind the bar gets up on stage, grabbing and lifting her hand in the air, encouraging boisterous cheers from the audience, Killian’s stomach becomes swarmed with butterflies of excitement.

Until the man on stage announces her name.

“Ladies and gentlemen… give it up for the beautiful and the talented, Emma Swan!”

Killian freezes in his spot, his face turning white. He can’t believe it. Hearing that name is like hearing nails on a chalkboard; it makes his ears bleed, and all of the other noises fade out in the distance.

Emma had become excited when she saw the British man enter the bar; her heart flip-flopped when she caught him watching her on stage. He seemed surprised to see her there. He seemed perplexed.

She has to wonder if he came to see the woman he knows as the bartender or if he came in for an evening out. Either way, she can’t deny the delight swarming in her belly.

When she finishes the song, she looks over at him, a wide grin overtaking her face as the crowd cheers for her. Robin is on stage announcing her name before it dawns on her that the stranger she’d met in this bar a few weeks ago, now knows her name. Well, perhaps it’s time for her to learn his as well. Emma turns around and heads to the back of the stage, putting her guitar away before taking a sip of water from her bottle. She screws the cap back on when she’s finished and sets it down before scurrying off the stage.

Making her way through the crowd, a smile is permanently fixed upon her lips as she scours the entire room for him. She gets bombarded by Ruby and Regina, who hug and congratulate her on an amazing performance, but her eyes continue to seek him out. When she reaches the entrance of the bar and turns back, getting another good look around, her face falls in disappointment.

He is gone.

He sits at the airport, fidgeting fervently in his chair, unable to stay still. He can hardly contain himself. His stomach is full of knots and his heart’s thumping wildly in his chest. Today is an important day for Killian. He’s finally going to meet his online girlfriend in person. The pair had been talking via private message on Facebook and Instagram for about a year now. It all started when she contacted him after seeing his profile on ‘EHarmony’. Killian curiously responded, and they hit it off immediately. She’s funny, witty and beautiful. Her eyes are a dazzling blue and her hair’s a chestnut brown, flowing around her face in long, loose curls on her profile picture.

It’s insane that they hadn’t met over the year, but she lives in Texas, unable to afford a flight that would take her to his home in Ohio. So he’d sent her the money to do so. Now that they both had free time, his beautiful girlfriend will be standing in front of him as soon as she gets off the plane. He would’ve never imagined doing something like this over a year ago, but his brother convinced him to take a chance for once in his life. He’s glad he did.

When Killian’s phone vibrates, he quickly checks it, thinking maybe she couldn’t wait to message him as soon as the pilot permitted the passengers to take their phones off airplane mode, but he sees the message is from Liam. His brother is watching Raven and sent a picture of them making goofy faces at the camera. Killian chuckles and puts his phone back into his pocket, tightening his grip on the bouquet of roses he’s holding in his other hand. He takes a deep breath and fixes his tie, feeling as though he’ll break a sweat if he doesn’t compose himself. Maybe he’s dressed a little too formal for meeting her at the airport, but it doesn’t matter; he will be meeting the (second) love of his life (the first one being his daughter) in approximately —Killian checks the screen to see what time she will be here—any moment.

Finally, he sees the passengers from her flight start dispersing into baggage claim to wait for their luggage at the carousel. Killian stands and starts adjusting every piece of clothing he thinks is out of place before staring at the terminal she’ll be emerging from. What will he tell her when he sees her? Marry me? No, he doesn’t have a ring for her. Besides, that would be moving way too fast. He hasn’t even met her in person yet.

Killian waits, swallowing thickly, and the anticipation is building so high he thinks he might burst. Five minutes turn into thirty, and with every passenger who appears, the smile he’s worn for days becomes weaker until it’s a disappointed frown.

She never appears.

Killian ends up throwing the bouquet of flowers into the trashcan before leaving. It turns out, no passenger arriving at the Cleveland airport went by her name. He tries to contact her after that, thinking there’s some sort of misunderstanding or explanation, but it turns out all of her social media profiles have been taken down.

It turns out he’s been swindled.

Killian goes home that night with his tail between his legs. He’s so embarrassed and humiliated, he can’t look his brother in the eye when he walks through the door.

“How did it go?” Liam asks with a hint of enthusiasm in his voice.

Killian doesn’t have it in him to tell his brother the truth. He doesn’t have the strength to tell his brother this was entirely his fault. If Liam hadn’t been so insistent on goading him into creating a dating profile, this never would’ve happened in the first place. Killian would’ve been content living his life like he’d been once he was able to cope with Milah’s death.

Killian doesn’t say anything to his brother; instead he glances at him with a gutted expression as he shakes his head, hoping the gesture will express everything he can’t say in words.

It seems to work, because Liam’s features fall, his eyes filling with apology and regret. “I’m so sorry, brother.”

Killian still doesn’t say anything; he only saunters to the dark hallway, and makes his way to his daughter’s bedroom, feeling like someone has thrown a punch at him, knocking the wind out of his body. All the color is draining from his face; he feels sick and hurt and as though he’d been standing on solid ground until someone pulled a carpet from underneath his feet.

He feels small and stupid, and begins to question everything; every single line he’s ever written to anyone on the internet. Every response and every little conversation seems so far away.

Funny enough, when he enters Raven’s room and sees his little angel lying in her bed, sleeping peacefully in the moonlight through her window, he feels much calmer. He’s able to become more at ease when he thinks about it; when he thinks about the consequences of his actions.

Raven’s eyes snap open and she gasps, looking frightened. “Papa!”

“I’m right here, love,” Killian assures his baby girl as he scurries over to her bed and climbs in beside her. He’s scooping her up in her his arms and kissing her forehead when he realizes that there’s only one thing in life that matters to him the most, and that one thing is lying in his arms, burrowing her face in the crook of his neck and whimpering from the nightmare she has woken up from.

As she draws energy from him and the way he’s there for her and comforts her, nothing else matters—he knows that is a lie, but for Raven, he cannot think about the incident or about how he still hopes there’s a reasonable explanation or a message which comforts him. Although, from now on, he will question everyone he ever talks to over the internet or the phone, because who knows who’s sitting on the other side of the line, or who’s hiding behind the monitor or phone display?

Killian rushes home, bursting through his door and slamming it shut before he whips around, leaning his forehead against it. The anger is building inside of him, and it feels like all the air has escaped his lungs. Pounding his fist on the door, he closes his eyes, trying to breathe—trying to subdue his temper—but it doesn’t work. All of the rage and emotions that have been simmered deep inside of him are rapidly flooding back, washing over him like a strong current suffocating him and carrying him out to sea, drowning him slowly and painfully.

He can’t believe the bartender’s name is Emma Swan.

He can’t believe she has the same name as the person who’d catfished him!

He knows without a doubt now that coming to Storybrooke was planned; he knows this town was not some random place picked out from a map. Liam must’ve known an Emma Swan would be here, because there’s no way this is some huge coincidence. To verify his suspicions, he gets on his Mac Book and searches for ‘Emma Swan’ and sees her Facebook page at the top. Sure enough, when he clicks on the link and looks underneath her profile picture, he sees the words ‘owner/bartender at The Hanged Queen’, ‘singer/songwriter/musician’ directly underneath, and the page also mentions where she lives—Storybrooke, Maine. Killian curses under his breath, staring at her profile. He knew his brother had never been here or tasted the pub food from The Hanged Queen. He knew the wanker concocted all of this for whatever reason, and Killian is more than willing to call him out on it.

Without any logical thinking involved, he pulls out his cellphone and calls his brother.

“It’s about time you called. How do you like Stor—?”

“You planned this didn’t you?!” Killian demands, cutting his brother off.

There’s a brief, unsettling pause before Liam answers in a sarcastic tone. “Well, hello to you too, little brother.”

Killian grits his teeth. “Don’t you ‘little brother’ me, you git!” he snaps brutally. “Please tell me you didn’t persuade me to come to this town so I would run into her.”

“Who’s her?” Liam asks in a tone Killian believes to be fake confusion.

Tightly clenching his jaw, he squeezes the phone in his hand. “You know exactly who ‘her’ is. Don’t play dumb with me. Believe me, I’m not in the mood. I just found out how easy it is to find Emma Swan on the internet.”

His brother lets out a heavy sigh in defeat. “Look Killian, I only suggested you drive to Storybrooke so you would have a chance to meet someone you might possibly have a connection with.”

“I did have a connection with someone—someone who doesn’t actually exist!”

“Look brother, I know you did, but guess what? There are other fish in the sea. And this Emma Swan is real. She’s not some made-up person out to trick you.”

Killian feels like he’s been stabbed in the back; he cannot believe his brother’s actually trying to justify his actions. “Why her? Why would you do this to me?”

“I don’t know, Killian. I just saw how heartbroken you were. It was my fault that you got screwed over in the first place, so I felt obligated to fix it,” Liam explains, and Killian can hear the regret in his voice, but he doesn’t buy it. Why would his brother think this would fix everything?

“You call this fixing it?! I don’t believe this! How can you expect me to want to be with someone who reminds me of the very person who deceived me? How do you expect to me forget that she has the same name? How do you expect me to just forget about everything that happened and move on?!”

“Killian—”

“No! You tricked me into coming here just like I was tricked into falling in love with Emma Swan and getting ripped the bloody hell off!”

“Killian, will you just calm down? Let’s just talk about this, hmmm?” Liam’s voice is calm, but it doesn’t put Killian any more at ease. In fact it makes him angrier.

“I don’t have anything else to say to you!” With that said, Killian hangs up the phone; he’s furious, the anger inside of him bubbling under his skin. He can’t believe his brother is so surprised that he’s less than enthusiastic about this! He can’t believe his brother did this to him!

On Monday, Killian yawns before taking a sip of coffee at his desk. He hadn’t slept a wink all weekend. He couldn’t; not after that night. He’d been so perturbed that the bartender/musician’s name was Emma Swan, he couldn’t bear to see her. He couldn’t face the woman who reminded him of the person who’d spent months deceiving him—the person who tricked him into buying her a plane ticket because he thought she was the one, but it turned out Emma Swan didn’t exist; not the one he thought he knew.

This Emma Swan from Storybrooke is not her. She’s not the one he’d envisioned. He knew Emma’s personality, her likes, her dislikes and he knew everything about her. He’s seen pictures of her and her family, or people he thought were her and her family, but it was all a lie. It was all some fantastic charade that someone did for kicks and for money. That person probably wasn’t even a woman at all.

Killian hates that this imaginary person still has an effect on him. He hates that he’d been so deceived and so blinded by love. Never again will he let another person worm their way into his heart. Never again. He’s better off without them.

His phone chirps for the millionth time since he’d hung up on Liam and he stares at his brother’s contact photo, but he doesn’t answer it. He sets it down on his desk, and it’s not until he picks up his daughter and ignores his brother’s call again when he realizes this has upset his daughter.

“Why are you avoiding Uncle Liam, Papa?”

Killian lets out a heavy sigh as he drives through Storybrooke, keeping his eyes on the road. “I’m not, I just don’t feel like talking to him right now.” He’s informed Raven what had happened with his fake online girlfriend, filtering out the gory details, but she doesn’t know the woman who broke his heart went by the moniker 'Emma Swan’. He’s glad because when someone wrongs Killian, she holds grudges like nobody else. She’s unforgiving when it comes to people being mean to her Papa. That’s why he’d kept Liam’s name out of the entire conversation. As furious as Killian is, he doesn’t want Raven to be mad at her Uncle Liam; he doesn’t wish for her to miss out on bonding time with his brother.

“Why not, Papa?”

Killian doesn’t have the right answer to supply her with, and when he looks in the rearview mirror, she’s wearing a sad, heart-breaking expression on her face, and it guts him deeply… so he relents. As soon as they arrive home, he calls his brother.

Listening to the music from the jukebox, Emma cleans up the bar with a rag, adrift in her thoughts as she’s swaying her hips to the beat. The British man stubbornly refuses to vanish from her mind, and she can’t stop wondering why he’d left Friday night. An undeniable spark had ignited between them—something she hasn’t felt in a long time with anyone. Ruby had told her she exposed Emma’s whereabouts the night she’d paid for his dinner, so maybe the gesture or note offended him somehow? She doesn’t know, but Emma can’t shake the unsettling feeling in her gut, and can’t help but believe he’s upset for reasons she can’t comprehend. She guesses it’s a good thing because she doesn’t want to become involved with anyone.

What bothers her, however, is the fact that he’d entered the bar with the blanket in his hands, showing it to her, and yet he left with it too. Not that she cares about the stupid blanket, but it’s the fact that he’d suddenly left. She guesses some sort of an emergency took place. Maybe he’d gotten a call from his daughter’s babysitter; maybe something happened to her. Emma’s heart aches at the thought. She’s upset, to be honest, but she hopes his daughter is okay.

Emma attempts to evade all thoughts and maintain focus on her task while scrubbing down the bar counter. And when she begins singing along with the lyrics, continuing to move her hips, it’s finally working and she gets completely lost in the music.

“You can dance, too? That’s quite impressive, love.”

Emma practically jumps out of her skin at the sound of the British accent over the music. Spinning around, she sees the man who’s been invading her thoughts since she’d seen him and his daughter for the first time, and he’s holding a smug smile on his face, as though he’s proud of scaring the living bejesus out of her. She presses her hand to her racing heart, trying to slow her rapid breathing.

“I like a lass with many talents.”

Emma intakes a short breath, trying to ignore the comment, especially the word he used—like. “You scared the hell out of me,” she rasps out, her eyes meeting his deep blue ones. She wants to be mad at him for frightening her, but God, he’s gorgeous. She wants to kiss that cocky smile right off his lips.

He holds up his hands in surrender, clutching the blanket she’d lent him. “Apologies, love. I come in peace.”

Emma manages a small laugh as she steps up to him, accepting the offered blanket. “Thank you. You really didn’t have to bring it back.”

The man shrugs, his smile growing softer. “You also didn’t have to loan it to me, or foot my bill last week either.”

Emma’s dubious, wondering if he’s only saying that to be nice, and didn’t appreciate the gestures, or if he’s actually thankful for them. “About the note… I’m sorry, I just—I didn’t mean to offend you—”

His features drop, as if he’s not sure why she would say such a thing. “You didn’t, love.”

Emma arches a brow in bewilderment. “I didn’t?”

He shakes his head and chuckles. “Not at all… in fact, I thought the note was lovely.”

Emma sighs in relief as the man scratches behind his ear, his smile transforming into a coy simper. She throws the rag over her shoulder and their eyes never break away, but he seems to become more nervous, the apple of his cheeks flushing with a light shade of pink.

“Although… I am hoping you’ll let me pay you back by buying you dinner?” he asks, his voice cracked with apprehension.

Emma’s heart flutters due to the question and the soft glint in his eyes, and she’s not sure how to respond. “I didn’t do it expecting you to pay me back.”

He tilts his head and steps closer, shortening the distance between them so they’re merely a few inches away from each other. “I know, but perhaps I want to,” he murmurs with a smirk, and she’s pretty sure he’s flirting with her.

Emma folds her arms, uncertain about whether she should agree to dinner or not. She still has some unanswered questions. “Before I agree to that, tell me why you left Friday night. Why did you arrive with the blanket and leave after my song ended?”

Guilt is washing over his features as his smile fades, and there’s a certain look in his eyes she can’t quite place her finger on, but she guesses it’s something of betrayal or abandonment. She knows because she witnesses the same look when she stares at her reflection in the mirror every day. “Because, I—it’s kind of a long story… but you remind me of someone… or at least your name does. So when it was announced on stage, I panicked and fled.”

Well, this is an interesting turn of events. Her brow lifts in bemusement. “You had a girlfriend named Emma?”

“Something like that. Only not simply Emma—Emma Swan.”

“Oh.” She doesn’t know what else to say to that. She’s never heard or known of anyone with the same name.

“Let’s just say she didn’t turn out to be who I thought,” he explains, his voice weak as he stares at the floor between them, “but my brother, Liam, has reminded me that just because one person betrayed me, it doesn’t mean everyone is a fraud.”

Emma nods in agreement. “Yeah, Ruby tells me that all the time.”

His eyes dart to hers, staring at her in shock. “Ah, so I take it, you know what it’s like to be deceived?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Emma replies, but she doesn’t want to disclose of all of the tragic details of her past relationships to this handsome-looking stranger, so she changes the subject. “Does your brother live here too?” She shakes her head as soon as she asks the question. “Probably not; I’d remember a name like that.”

“He lives in Ohio, where I came from,” he clarifies with a chuckle.

“And you left there?” she asks curiously.

“Aye, it was the best thing to do at the time. Like I said—long story.”

“Well, maybe you could tell me sometime? I enjoy long stories, as you already know,” she says with a springy laugh.

His lips break out into an easy smile, and the gloominess of the conversation instantly disappears. “That I do. So, does that mean you’ll let me take you out on a date?”

She holds up her hands, her smile never fading. “Whoa whoa whoa, who said anything about a date?” she asks in a breezy tone.

He chortles, and she can sense his nervousness as he takes her hand in his. She gasps at the unexpected contact as he smooths his thumb over her knuckles. “Look, Emma, it sounds like we’ve both been burned in the past, and normally I’m not one for taking chances, but… I’d be willing to if you are.”

Emma looks into his eyes, seeing the genuine admiration there, and she can’t find it in herself to turn him down. “On one condition,” she offers in a challenging tone.

He lifts a brow, his eyes lighting up with intrigue. “You name it.”

“I get to pick where we go.”

“You’ve got a deal,” he replies with a wide smirk.

Emma purses her lips, ruminating their options before deciding that maybe they could do something that involves their kids too; the annual carnival Storybrooke holds every year is fast approaching. “How about this?—Storybrooke is having the town carnival starting this weekend. Maybe we could go? Of course, if we do I’d have to bring my son. He’d be sad if I went without him, so you could bring your daughter too?”

His eyes are buzzing with surprise, and she’s not certain if it’s a good thing or a bad one. “You have a son?” Judging by the tone of his voice, she’s guessing good?

Emma nods, and she’s hoping this essential information doesn’t scare him off. Although she doubts it will, considering he has a daughter, which is why she’d felt confident enough to suggest something that would involve her having to tell him about her son. “I do. His name is Henry; he’s ten.”

He appears apprehensive again as he scratches behind his ear, which she guesses is a habit of his; something he does when he’s nervous. “So, you’re… I mean… I don’t have to worry about any angry fathers coming after me, do I?”

Emma laughs and shakes her head. “No. If you did, that would be a miracle. Henry’s father doesn’t know he exists, and I plan on keeping it that way. There are no other men in my life; only my son.” This seems to put the man much more at ease as he expels a sigh of relief. Now it’s Emma’s turn to be nervous as she toys with his fingers, peering down at them and pondering the question she wants to ask him. “So, is this Emma Swan… is she the mother?” She glances up at him skittish about what his response will be, and to her relief he shakes his head, although he seems perturbed by the question, like she’s hit a nerve.

“No… uh Raven’s mother… she died,” he replies quietly.

There’s a pang of regret twisting the inside her stomach as her features fall, words laced with apology. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be, love. It happened a long time ago. Raven never got the chance to meet her.”

A small, audible gasp leaves her lips, her heart squeezing. “Oh my god, I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for you.”

He gives a soft shrug, his mouth curved into a feeble smile, trying to conceal the emotions he buries deep inside. “I’ve learned to cope, but it still stings occasionally.” His eyes are dark, and Emma senses the pain enshrouding him and can’t bear to cause anymore turmoil, although she’s hoping it’s not some charade, and he’s not only saying these things for his own personal agenda. But the look on his face is unmistakably real, and either he’s being truthful or he’s a terrific actor. Seeing as he’s a single father with a daughter to look after, she doubts it’s the latter. Personal agendas tend to get tossed to the wayside when kids are in the picture. Unless Raven’s not actually his daughter, and he’s feeding her some bogus story so she’ll take pity on him. It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s used those tactics on her.

Emma needs to stop. Not all men are frauds, Ruby’s words run through mind. “Well, you know what—how about you pick the date?” she suggests, gently squeezing his hand.

His smile fades in return. “That’s okay, love. I don’t wish for you to take pity on me.”

Her response is quick, leaving no room for doubt. “Then, it’s a good thing I’m not.” Emma’s voice and features are firm to assure him she’s being sincere.

Her words seem to appease him, his lips cracking into a small grin. “Well actually, I think the carnival is perfect. May Raven and I pick you and your lad up at six on Saturday?”

“Sounds like a date,” she seals their plans with the accompaniment of a warm laugh before grabbing a pen and a napkin, scribbling down her address and handing it to him.

His eyes light up with excitement and his cheeks turn red as he looks at it briefly before slipping it into his back pocket. He encases her hand in both of his, his thumb gently brushing over her knuckles. “Alright, we will look forward to it then. For now, I’ll let you return to your dancing and singing while you clean,” he says with a hearty chuckle.

Emma blushes and laughs. “Okay.” She’s not sure how to say goodbye; she’s not used to being asked out in her bar by men she actually likes. Although, even if she uses the basic, customary “goodbye, (insert person’s name)” she doesn’t know his name yet. She has agreed to go on a date with a guy whose name she doesn’t know.

The man seems to be as unsure as she is when he awkwardly releases her hands and slowly backs away engaging her with one last lingering stare before turning around and making his way towards the door.

“Wait!” Her call causes him to stop and turn around, arching an expectant brow. The shade of blue in his eyes mixed with a look of hope and possibly longing, even from across the bar, makes her fumble for words. “I—I just—it occurred to me… you know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

A slow satisfied smile crawls across his lips. “I thought you’d never ask. The name’s Killian. Killian Jones.”

“Phew,” Emma lets out a mocking sigh of relief, “I’ve never dated a Killian Jones, so that’s good to know.”

He laughs. “Aye, it is, love.”

Killian is conclusively smitten as he leaves the bar with a hopeless grin, looking forward to their date. Truthfully, he’d surprised himself when he asked her out, but after the long conversation with Liam, he recognized not all of the Emma Swans in the world are out to swindle him. And when she mentioned she also needed to be persuaded from not thinking everyone was a fraud, he was even more drawn to her.

When Saturday approaches, his stomach is full of butterflies and he nervously runs his hand through his hair because he can’t settle down, much like his daughter, who’s buzzing around the apartment like a bee and probably even more excited than he is. Once they are dressed for the occasion and ready to go, they leave the apartment, navigating to Emma’s house. Raven’s wearing a purple dress and matching sandals with her hair divided in two braids on either side of her head and Killian’s wearing a navy blue Henley and jeans. The weather in this town is quite unpredictable but it’s a comfortable temperature and forecasted to be pleasant for the rest of the evening.

Upon arrival, he escorts his daughter from the car to Emma’s front door, unable to keep his hands from twitching; he’s so nervous. Emma takes his breath away when she answers the door; she’s wearing a gorgeous pink dress, and the skirt of it sways when she moves. She invites them in for a moment while she and her son finish getting ready. Killian and Raven walk through the enclosed porch and he takes a moment to look around the old Victorian home.

The four of them barrel out the door with plenty of time to spare, and with Raven and Emma together, Killian swears he has the two most beautiful women on either side of him. Emma’s lad is quite the fetching fellow as well. He’s polite, and at first he acts shy around Raven, but once they near the docks where all of the excitement is, Killian and Emma have to repeatedly tell them to slow down as they try dashing off. Not that he’s complaining. With their children waddling ahead, Killian is left with Emma by his side, striking up casual conversation, his hand frequently brushing hers. Both of them want to be closer but neither is brave enough to make the first move.

The early autumn air is warm and thick with sounds of chatter and laughter and the alluring smells of popcorn and elephant ears as they reach the carnival, meeting up with Regina, Robin, and his son Roland. Killian is amazed by how they transformed the docks into the magnificent, enchanting place full of festivities, although it’s not as cool without roller coasters.

“Hey Killian, would you like to ride that?”

He looks up to where Emma’s pointing, seeing the ferris wheel high in the sky.

“You two should definitely go. We’ll take the children on some kiddie rides; what do you say?” Regina asks, and the children start jumping up and down in excitement.

“I’m okay with that if you are,” Emma says to Killian. “Regina and Robin are trustworthy, I promise. They babysit Henry all the time.”

Killian doesn’t doubt he can trust them with his Raven if Emma says it’s okay to; he’s simply worried what might happen if he and Emma are left alone sitting all cozy next to each other on the ferris wheel. “I’m okay with that,” he replies nonchalantly.

“Yay!” Raven, Roland and Henry begin charging ahead of Robin and Regina, and Emma and Killian laugh at their children.

“Be good, kid!” Emma calls after her son.

“Listen to Robin and Regina!” Killian tells his daughter, but he doubts she can hear him.

“Don’t worry about a thing. Just have some fun you two,” Regina says, throwing them a smirk and a wink before she and Robin go chasing after the little ones.

“Do you think they’re excited about the rides, or about venturing off without their parents?” Emma asks him as they join the ferris wheel line.

“Probably both,” Killian chuckles, although he’s fairly certain Raven is excited because he will be alone with Emma, and she’s expressed her approval several times before the date.

It’s been a while since he’s been on one of these things, and yet he’s still less nervous than Emma as they slowly ascend towards the sky with the view of Storybrooke below. The sun casts a brilliant view as it starts setting above the water, although, it’s not as captivating as the woman sitting next to him.

“You’re not afraid of heights, are you, love?” he asks, even as he already knows the answer.

“No, of course not. Why would I suggest riding this thing if I were?” she asks, carefully peeking over the side of the carriage.

“I have my theories,” he boasts playfully.

Emma looks over at him raising her brow while holding onto the bar in front of them. “Oh? Please tell,” she encourages with a laugh.

Killian shrugs. “Perhaps you found out that I used to be a roller coaster engineer and that’s why you suggested the Carnival as a viable option for a first date. And you pointed out the ferris wheel because you wanted me to think you were daring and bold, and some of the other rides may have proved that more, but this one was the safest option, because judging by the way you’re looking down at the ground like you fear you might fall and meet the pavement, you’re indeed afraid of heights. But like I said, it’s only a theory.”

Emma gapes at him and he can’t establish whether she’s impressed or just plain pissed. “For one thing, Mr. Jones, I am not a stalker. Two, I thought the Carnival would be something fun we could do with our children, and three …” she pauses, her cheeks flushed with pink, and he can tell she’s all sorts of flustered, “I am not afraid of heights,” Emma protests as the carriage comes to an abrupt halt and starts rocking in place. She lets out a suppressed squeal and grabs on to his arm, clutching him tightly.

Killian chuckles, tickled pink by how adorable she is as he takes her hand in his, entwining their fingers. “I never said you were a stalker. I only know that in a small town, rumors about the newcomers spread quickly. Especially when you work in the heart of Storybrooke.”

Emma peers up at him, flashing a sarcastic smirk as she gently squeezes his hand. “I’ve not heard anything,” she states playfully, and he knows she’s fibbing. “Okay, maybe a few things. But to tell you the truth, I didn’t know that you used to be a roller coaster engineer until after I asked you to come to the Carnival.”

He lifts an eyebrow, intrigued by her confession. “Ah, so I’m mostly correct then?”

Emma chortles. “Okay, yes you’re right. I’m terrified of heights, but I couldn’t let you know my weaknesses on our first date now could I?”

He shrugs casually, cocking his head to the side. “I wouldn’t have thought any less of you, love. I’m afraid of things too—things you would think were silly.”

“Oh really?” she inquires, elevating a curious brow. “Well since you know one of mine, you have to tell me one of yours.”

An uneasy smile is curving his lips, and he hesitates before coming to a conclusion—being up in the air in a strange town and sitting next to a gorgeous blonde has put him in a rather impulsive mood. “I’m afraid of talking to people on the internet.”

Emma tilts her head, not sure how to digest his confession. “Okay… well, that’s not so strange. The internet’s a mysterious place.”

He studies her to assess whether she thinks that’s a valid reason for such a phobia or if she’s merely being polite when in reality she thinks he’s gone completely insane. “You find it a little strange though, right?”

Emma shrugs and purses her lips. “Maybe, but I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Killian glances over her features again, deeply appreciating her beauty, inside and out. “I do, actually. Remember that long story I mentioned in the bar?”

“Yeah,” she replies softly, her eyes lighting up with intrigue, and there’s something pure and genuine about this woman. She’s not judgmental or closed-minded and he finds her personality to be rather refreshing.

“That’s where you will find the rather exhausting explanation… that is if you are willing and determined to hear it one day. But perhaps the first date’s not fitting for the occasion.”

“Perhaps not, but I am interested,” she confesses, her eyes meeting his so suddenly, he loses a breath. “I’m interested in knowing more about you,” she whispers before moving in closer, her gaze fleeting to his lips.

Killian’s stomach does somersaults as he eyes her perfectly glossed, pink mouth, his curiosity piquing; he wonders what she tastes like. “I was thinking the same about you,” he murmurs. “I want to know more about the owner slash bartender and singer slash songwriter slash musician.”

Emma lifts her eyes to his, arching a brow in bemusement. “And I’m the stalker?”

Grinning widely, he leans in closer until her lips are a hair’s breadth away from his. “I never said you were,” he breathes, sweeping in and gently capturing her mouth. To his relief, she lets him catch her.

Emma’s lips are soft and sweet as he breathes her in, releasing her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulder to draw her in closer. Every inch of his skin is tingling as they deepen the kiss, his fingertips dancing along her jaw before cupping the smooth, delicate edge and pulling her against him. Her fingers card through his hair, lightly tugging on a fistful of locks as her tongue insistently brushes along his. He answers with a soft groan and a playful nip at her bottom lip.

A million volts of electricity are coursing through his blood, and he craves more. He craves her. He needs her. It’s been six years since he’s had this with someone—the romantic physical intimacy from an actual person rather than through an electronic device—and even a kiss is mind-rattling, life-altering and heals his soul more than he can comprehend.

Two months later…

His palms are sweating profusely, gripping the bouquet of roses so tightly, he fears he might damage the stems. Déjà vu has dug its painful claws into him, and he can’t shake the feeling. He knows it’s silly because Storybrooke is Emma’s hometown, and of course she’ll come back, but he still has that small shred of doubt anchored in the pit of his stomach. He can’t help but think she might not appear. She has family in Ireland, and could’ve easily decided to stay.

When she’d informed him she had to leave with her son after receiving unexpected news about a great aunt on her deathbed, Killian assured Emma he’d be fine. They hadn’t even been seeing each other very long, so it wasn’t his place to interfere with her plans, however unforeseen they were.

They’ve been on several dates loaded with meaningful conversations about their pasts, their childhoods, their careers and their children. She’s divulged how she started singing and playing guitar at the age of ten and how music carried her through some pretty rough times. She’s explained how she grew up in the system and was abused by one of her foster parents, and how her ex was a con-artist who lied to her, impregnated her and fled. Killian listened with kind, sympathetic ears and recounted his own tragic backstory. And every Friday he visits the pub with Raven to watch Emma perform, and sometimes they take their children out for ice cream together.

Killian is still apprehensive, but Emma’s slowly helping him conquer his fears. He was even video chatting with her on the computer during her absence, which was a huge step for him. He doesn’t even have to remind himself that Emma’s not that person who deceived him because he knows in his heart exactly who she is; she’s his Swan.

Killian exhales deeply as he waits, but remains confident. He’s wearing a grin, and the moment he sees the cascade of golden hair and the pool of forest green eyes, he’s not surprised; more like enchanted.

“Killian!” Henry shouts, spotting him through the crowd.

Killian waves as the young lad weaves through the passengers and almost topples him over with the hug he smothers him with.

Emma reaches them, smiling vibrantly, and it’s infectious, initiating the buoyant grin overtaking his face. “I’m glad you came back, Swan,” he breathes, attempting to hide all the emotions washing over him from seeing her again, his eyes never breaking their heated stare.

“Did you doubt I would?”

Apology is flashing in his eyes, and he scratches behind his ear, his lips twitching. “Honestly, I was a tad nervous, but my paranoia is my own issue,” he reveals earnestly as he takes her hand in his, brushing his thumb over her knuckles, hoping she won’t take offense to his words. “Deep down I knew you’d come back to me, love.”

The way her smile never fades eliminates all his fears, and he can’t believe he was actually worried, even for one second. “God, I’ve missed you,” she confesses, drawing him into a warm hug. “Thank you for showing up.”

“Did you doubt I would?”

“Not for a second,” she giggles, making his heart skip.

He sighs in deep relief, squeezing her tightly. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” His words are cracked as he strokes her hair and kisses the crown of her head, getting caught up in her warmth. He’s so lost in her embrace, he almost forgets about the roses in his hand.

When they pull apart, he presents them to her, and she dazzles him with a bright smile, accepting them graciously.

“They’re beautiful, thank you,” she says, smelling them and soaking in the scent appreciatively. “I have something for you too,” Emma informs him, and he lifts a brow in curiosity.

After retrieving her luggage, she reveals a case of microbrewed beer that’s been packed in her suitcase. “I got these directly from Darkey Kelly's—the heart of Dublin, matey,” she attempts with an Irish accent.

Killian chuckles, his heart soaring at the proffered beer and how adorable she is. “I should’ve known,” he teases, and Emma playfully rolls her eyes. “Thank you, love.”

“You’re very welcome. I also got you this…” She pulls out a dark blue wool sweater, displaying it in her fingertips.

Doing the math in his head, Killian perceives how many Euros she must’ve spent on these brilliant gifts, and he’s floored, his jaw falling agape. He swears he’s fallen in love with her all over again. In fact, if they were not in public or in front of Emma’s son, he would have grabbed and kissed the bloody hell of her then and there.

They anxiously leave the airport with Henry, but their reunion is far from over.

That night, whispered, broken curses and ragged breaths permeate the bedroom as Killian drives into Emma’s warm depths, deliciously dragging along her walls in a flawless rhythm.

“So beautiful…” he murmurs, his lips caressing the shell of her ear.

With several powerful thrusts, she shatters into a million pieces, Emma’s orgasm crashing over her like a tidal wave, her hands fisted in his hair as she falls.

Killian seals her lips with his, swallowing her soft cries of pleasure as he follows closely behind, pouring all his warmth into her with a soft growl, giving himself to her completely. When his movements come to an abrupt halt, he hums in satisfaction and collapses, tucking his face into her neck, trying to catch his breath.

Awash with rapture, she closes her eyes, wearing a blissful smile as Killian sighs in content, holding her in his arms. One hand is cradled in hers with their fingers entwined and pressed to her chest, both of them basking in the glow of making love for the first time as they fall asleep.

One year later…

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”

“Are you having second thoughts, love?” he asks Emma, his voice laced with concern.

“No, I just…”

“Just relax. It will be painless and over before you know it,” he soothes, giving her hip a reassuring squeeze from behind.

Emma exhales a few long breaths. “Okay.”

“Ready?” he asks and she nods.

“I’m ready, Papa,” Raven bravely assures.

“It will be okay Mom. We’re all here with you,” Henry reminds her calmly.

“I promise she’s sturdy and secure,” Killian adds, hoping to fuel the encouragement.

“I have no doubt in the capabilities of your hands,” Emma remarks, a relaxed expression washing over her face as she turns her head, offering a smirk.

When both of them are separated and strapped into their harnesses with their children in front of them and hanging on for dear life, he steals one fleeting glance at his girlfriend and her son as she flashes a tentative smile. Killian beams in return and throws a wink before giving the conductor the go-ahead, and they’re being pushed off the tower and flying over the water.

The wind rushes past his ears, and mind-numbing adrenaline has him high as a kite, the leap out across the creek stealing all breath from his lungs. He’s weightless, small against the gigantic, cloudless sky with his daughter secured in front of him, and his other true love zipping across the cable next to them with her son. Every insecurity, every worry and thought that kept him up at night staring at the ceiling vanishes before his eyes. He now has the courage to do what he’s been fully prepared to do for months.

When they’re back on solid ground again, Emma’s cheeks are red and she’s flustered, trying to catch her breath, but she has a wide, vibrant smile blooming across her face.

Killian is thinking what a vision she is as he emits a small chuckle. “You did it, love. You conquered your fear of heights,” he points out exuberantly.

“I did, and it was terrifying,” she breathes, “but also exhilarating.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, love” Killian’s heart is racing as he grins, encasing her hands with his while trying to keep his own from trembling. “And I hope you don’t mind me asking you to do one more thing that may be equally as terrifying and exhilarating, if not more.”

Emma arches a brow as their children observe in contained suspense. “What’s next? You want to climb Mount Everest?” she razzes, chuffing in amusement.

Killian responds by drawing in a deep, wobbly breath before descending to one knee and pulling out a diamond ring from his pocket.

Emma’s eyes widen as she realizes what he’s about to do.

“Will you marry me, Emma Swan?”

“Yes!” she replies without hesitation. “Yes, I will marry you!” she laughs, and Killian’s heart explodes with joy as he slides the ring on her finger before standing and picking her up, spinning her around in his arms.

Their children are jumping up and down in excitement.

“Yay! We finally get to be a family!” Raven chants buoyantly, clapping her hands.

Killian sets his new fiancé on her feet and picks up his daughter, sprinkling her cheek with kisses. When he averts his gaze to Emma, she’s ruffling her hand through Henry’s hair and kissing the top of his head.

“We already are, love.”

“Indeed we are,” Emma agrees with a bright smile.

Killian closes the distance between them, kissing her softly.

“Eww!” their kids whine, faces contorted in disgust.

Killian chuckles against Emma’s lips. It’s moments like these—scratch that—every moment makes him grateful that his brother persuaded him into doing something bold; something that turned the worst mistake he’s ever made into one of the best things that has ever happened to him. He’ll never tell him that though.

[ao3feed-bluepulse]

The Keys To My Heart

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3kiL6oR

by bluepulsebluepulse

It's Winter in Central City, and as if that isn't bad enough, Bart's car breaks down on a day when he's running late to University. Things start to look up though when he discovers an auto-repair shop nearby, but it's only when he bumps into Jaime that his entire year is made.

Words: 7201, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types, Young Justice (Comics), DCU (Comics), Impulse (Comics), Blue Beetle (Comics)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Bart Allen, Jaime Reyes, Alberto Reyes, Barry Allen, Iris West (mentioned)

Relationships: Bart Allen/Jaime Reyes, Alberto Reyes/Bianca Reyes, Barry Allen/Iris West

Additional Tags: Bluepulse, Speedbuggy, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Mechanic In Training!Jaime, Graphic Design Student!Bart, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Humor, Chemistry, They are made for each other

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3kiL6oR

[brainloading223]

Desperados 3 Mac Download

Desperados 3 Mac Download

Desperados 3 Mac Download Windows 10

Desperados 3 Mac Download Utorrent

Desperados 3 Mac Download Version

Desperados IIIDeveloper(s)Mimimi GamesPublisher(s)THQ NordicDirector(s)Dominik AbéArtist(s)Bianca DörrWriter(s)Martin HambergerComposer(s)Filippo Beck PeccozSeriesDesperadosEngineUnityPlatform(s)Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One MacOS LinuxRelease16 June 2020Genre(s)Real-time tacticsMode(s)Single-player

Desperados III is a real-time tacticsvideo game developed by Mimimi Games and published by THQ Nordic. The first installment in the Desperados series since the 2007 spin-off title Helldorado, it was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, MacOS, Linux.(1)(2)

Stronghold 3 is a full version game only available for Windows, that is part of the category PC games with subcategory Strategy. More about Stronghold 3. Since we added this game to our catalog in 2016, it has obtained 52 downloads, and last week it achieved 19 downloads. Download Stronghold 3 for Windows now from Softonic: 100% safe and virus free. More than 250 downloads this month. Download Stronghold 3 latest versio. Desperados III is a story-driven, hardcore tactical stealth game, set in a ruthless Wild West scenario. Play smart if you want to succeed. A good plan can make the difference between survival and finding yourself at the business end of a pistol.

Gameplay(edit)

More about Desperados: Wanted Dead Or Alive Since we added this game to our catalog in 2011, it has reached 123,501 downloads, and last week it achieved 63 downloads. Desperados: Wanted Dead Or Alive is a light game that requires less storage than many games in the section PC games.

Desperados III is a real-time tactics video game developed by Mimimi Games and published by THQ Nordic.The first installment in the Desperados series since the 2007 spin-off title Helldorado, it was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, MacOS, Linux.

Desperados III is a real-time tactics stealth video game. The game features five playable characters, with each having access to unique weapons and abilities. Players can play the game as a stealth game, in which they can assassinate enemies silently or disguise kills as accidental deaths. It is possible for players to complete missions without killing anyone by knocking out and tying up enemies. Bodies of incapacitated enemies need to be hidden or else other enemies patrolling the area will discover them and trigger an alarm that calls for reinforcement.(3) The cones of vision of all enemies are displayed, allowing players to navigate the map without alerting them.(4)

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Players can also play the game as an action game and utilize the showdown mode to temporarily stop the game, allowing players to coordinate and chain up the actions of the player's squad. In showdown mode, players can issue commands to each of the character in the party. When the player exits showdown mode, the characters will execute the commands issued by the player simultaneously.(5)

Story(edit)

The story is a prequel to Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, the first game in the series, and explores the origin of the series' protagonist John Cooper.(6) The game is set in the Wild West in the 1870s and features various locations including Colorado, Louisiana and Mexico. In addition to John Cooper, the game also includes Hector Mendoza, Doc McCoy, Isabelle Moreau, and Kate O'Hara as playable characters.

The story follows bounty hunter John Cooper as he pursues Frank, a notorious bandit leader responsible for killing John's father, James Cooper. Along the way, Cooper meets Doctor McCoy, who was hired by the DeVitt Company, a wealthy corporation, to defend the train Cooper was taking on his way to the town of Flagstone. Once in Flagstone, Cooper learns from his friend Hector Mendoza that Frank is at the mansion of the soon-to-be-married local mayor. In the meantime, the mayor's prospective bride, Kate O'Hara, finds out that her betrothed has sold her family's ranch to DeVitt. In the escalating altercation, O'Hara shoots the mayor as John Cooper walks in, seeking Frank. The newly met pair promptly escape the mansion and head for the O'Hara ranch to defend it from the attacking DeVitt company men. The defense is successful, but Kate's uncle Ian perishes in the battle.

The group eventually gets captured on their way to New Orleans, where Frank, who is working for DeVitt, is located. A Voodoo practitioner called Isabelle Moreau rescues them. Together, they set out to find her partner, Marshall Wayne, who disappeared while investigating DeVitt. Frank's gang have imprisoned many people out in the Louisiana wetlands, to be shipped off to work in DeVitt's mines. Once they rescue Wayne, the group sets fire to the old riverboat that functions as a headquarters for Frank's people. This act puts Frank on alert, and he locks down the city. Having sneaked past the roadblocks and guards, Cooper asserts that he wants to face Frank alone, to which Kate and Hector object. At Hector's mention of James Cooper's fate, John snaps and shoots Hector in the arm. Alone, he proceeds onto a docked freight ship, where he and Frank duel. Cooper is outdrawn and wounded.

The entire group gets captured again and sent to DeVitt's mines as slaves. Install mysql server on mac. They eventually escape after a week, but McCoy cuts his losses and abandons them. The others undertake Wayne's commission to abduct DeVitt himself from a lavish party at this mansion. They manage to spirit DeVitt out, but at the last moment their captive outwits them and hold them at gunpoint, only to be disabled by the returning McCoy. With the group back together, they hunt down Frank at the Devil's Canyon, where James Cooper and a young John pursued Frank years ago. Frank and John have another stand-off, watched over by Frank's lieutenants. The rest of the group overpowers Frank's posse, while John outdraws and finishes off Frank.

Development(edit)

The game was developed by German studio Mimimi Games, the developer of Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, whose gameplay mechanics were similar to this game. THQ Nordic, which acquired the rights to the franchise from Atari in 2013, served as the game's publisher.(7) Since the last game in the series was released more than a decade ago, the team made Desperados III a prequel story so that it can be accessible to new players who are new to the franchise or new to the genre. To achieve this, the team ensured that the game features an adequate tutorial system that teaches the player the gameplay foundation, and implemented gamepad controls for players who use a controller to play.(8)(6) The game's showdown mode, which allows players to pause time completely, was created after receiving players' feedback about the limitations of Shadow Tactics's 'shadow mode'. Unlike Shadow Tactics, the game features a more playful tone, with characters bantering with each other more frequently.(9)

The game was officially announced by THQ Nordic in August 2018.(10) Initially set to be released in 2019, the game was released on 16 June 2020 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.(11)

Docker install sql server 2019. Run the below 2 commands to install Docker using powershell. Type “y” and press enter to every questions asked. PS Install-Module -Name DockerMsftProvider -Repository PSGallery -Force. PS Install-Package -Name docker -ProviderName DockerMsftProvider. You have now Docker installed on your 2019 server core. Get Windows Server 2019. You can download the ISO to install Windows Server 2019 now, from.

Updates and Expansions(edit)

Since July 2020, Mimimi and THQ Nordic started supplying free updates for the game, which include additional mission scenarios. The first updates entail a loose frame story, titled The Baron's Challenge, in which the main characters get hired by an enigmatic figure, who is simply known as the Baron, to undertake certain missions for the entertainment of his patrons. Each mission can be unlocked with the successful completion of one or several levels in the main game. While the settings are basically the same as in the main story, each of the 14 new missions includes a different objective, sometimes with the characters having their in-play options restricted. In one example the player is required to eliminate certain enemies using environmental kills only, meaning that their other weapons are locked down for the scenario's duration.(12)(13)

Between September and November 2020, Mimimi and THQ Nordic also began publishing a purchasable three-part DLC story expansion, titled 'Money for the Vultures'. The plot is set three months after the events in the main game; Rosie, an NPC previously met in Baton Rouge (Mission 7), hires Cooper's group to hunt for the hidden wealth of Vincent DeVitt.(14)(15)

In December 2020, two new updates were provided: The 'Veteran Bounty Hunter Mode', which allows the player to optionally add the other protagonists to a level where any of them were originally not available (this option does not exist for the Baron's Challenges), and the 'Level Editor Light', a cheat which allows (in the PC version only) the complete rearrangement of a mission map's characters and items.(16)(17)

Reception(edit)

Aggregate scoreAggregatorScoreMetacritic(PC) 86/100(18) (PS4) 82/100(19) (XONE) 85/100(20)

Review scoresPublicationScoreGameSpot9/10(21)GameStar88/100(22)Hardcore Gamer4.5/5(23)IGN8/10(24)PC Gamer (US)86/100(26)PC Games9/10(25)Push Square(27)

Desperados 3 Mac Download

Desperados III received 'generally favorable' reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.(18)(19)(20)

It was nominated for the category of Best Sim/Strategy game at The Game Awards 2020.(28)

References(edit)

^Wales, Matt (19 February 2020). 'Wild West tactical stealth sequel Desperados 3 now due this summer'. Eurogamer. Retrieved 22 February 2020.

^O'Connor, Alice (2020-09-02). 'Desperados 3 is now on Mac and Linux, and its first DLC is out'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2020-10-26.

^Moyse, Chris (22 May 2020). 'Desperados III trailer tells greenhorns all they need to know'. Destructoid. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

^Walker, Alex (4 March 2020). 'Desperados 3 Is More Stealth Tactics Done Well'. Kotaku. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

^Morton, Lauren (20 May 2020). 'Desperados 3 gets a lengthy gameplay trailer before launch next month'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

^ abTakahashi, Dean (10 June 2019). 'Desperados III: Why THQ Nordic is making a prequel for the stealth tactics series'. VentureBeat. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

^Sarker, Samit (24 June 2013). 'Nordic Games acquires rights to Atari's Desperados and Silver'. Polygon. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

^Bishop, Sam (30 August 2019). 'Desperados 3 'the perfect entry point for new players''. Gamereactor. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

^Cox, Matt (19 June 2019). 'Desperados III is Shadow Tactics wearing a lovely cowboy coat that lets you pause'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

^Horti, Samuel (21 August 2018). 'Desperados 3 announced, led by Shadow Tactics developer Mimimi'. PC Gamer. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

^Wakeling, Richard (21 April 2020). 'Desperados 3 Release Date Announced'. GameSpot. Retrieved 14 June 2020.

^Su, Jake (24 July 2020). 'Desperados 3 Update Adds More Fun Challenges to the Wild, Wild West'. PC Invasion. Retrieved 18 October 2020.

^Su, Jake (20 August 2020). 'Desperados III Update Adds Four More Baron's Challenges'. EGM. Retrieved 18 October 2020.

^Binsack, Tom (2 September 2020). 'Desperados 3 The First Story DLC Money for the Vultures is Out Now'. Games Guides. Retrieved 18 October 2020.

^Sinha, Ravi (2 September 2020). 'Desperados 3 – Money for the Vultures Part 1 DLC Out Now'. Gaming Bolt. Retrieved 18 October 2020.

^Romano, Sal (9 December 2020). 'Desperados III 'Bounty Mode' update now available'. Gemano. Retrieved 9 December 2020.

^'Desperados III: 'Level Editing Cheats''. Mimimi Games. Retrieved 10 December 2020.

^ ab'Desperados III for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 20 June 2020.

^ ab'Desperados III for PlayStation 4 Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 20 June 2020.

^ ab'Desperados III for Xbox One Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 20 June 2020.

^Wildgoose, David (4 August 2020). 'Desperados 3 Review - Revolvers And Redos'. GameSpot. Retrieved 4 August 2020.

^Deppe, Martin (12 June 2020). 'Desperados 3 in the test: The best real-time tactical game since Commandos 2'. GameStar. Retrieved 12 June 2020.

^Estrada, Marcus (19 June 2020). 'Review: Desperados III'. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 19 June 2020.

^Ogilvie, Tristan (12 June 2020). 'Desperados 3 Review'. IGN. Retrieved 12 June 2020.

^Schutz, Felix (20 June 2020). 'Desperados 3 put to the test: Wild West tactics at its best (update)'. PC Games. Retrieved 20 June 2020.

^Brown, Fraser (12 June 2020). 'Desperados 3 review'. PC Gamer. Retrieved 12 June 2020.

^McCormick, John Cal (12 June 2020). 'Desperados III Review (PS4)'. Push Square. Retrieved 12 June 2020.

^Tassi, Paul (December 11, 2020). 'Here's The Game Awards 2020 Winners List With A Near-Total 'Last Of Us' Sweep'. Forbes.

Desperados 3 Mac Download Windows 10

External links(edit)

Desperados 3 Mac Download Utorrent

Desperados III at MobyGames

Desperados 3 Mac Download Version

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Desperados_III&oldid=1014359412'

[lunapaper]

Album Review: ‘Haunted Painting’ - Sad13

While visiting Seattle’s Frye Gallery, a ghost spoke to Sadie Dupuis, or more specifically, the pallid face of German expressionist Franz von Stuck’s early 20th Century portrait of dancer Saharet did...

It helped light the spark for what is Dupuis’ most ambitious effort yet with the aptly titled Haunted Painting, her second solo album under the Sad13 moniker.

Made from ‘toys, trash [and] ephemera’ and featuring a slew of female talent, including engineers Maryam Qudus, Emily Lazar and Sarah Tudzin, drummer Zoë Brecher, Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki and tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus, the Speedy Ortiz frontwoman expands on the grimy, glitch-riddled turbulence of 2016’s Slugger while reckoning with grief, anger and fatigue.

‘WTD?’ (or ‘What’s The Drama?’) turns impending apocalyptic doom into jangly garage rock exuberance, her falsetto sickly-sweet as she takes aim at ‘eco-fascism, climate gentrification, and the depopulation of species, caused by human selfishness and industrial greed,’

‘Oops...’ - written after a violent altercation between one of Dupuis’ Speedy Ortiz bandmates and an employee at the club they were playing at the time – sees the singer/multi-instrumentalist wrestle with her ‘vengeance complex’ atop sluggish, almost menacing riffs, describing herself as a ‘young hussy crossed with cuddle core/10,000% out for blood.’ ‘Ghost (of a Good Time)’ is a spry and girlish ‘party song about not going out’ glittering with tUnE-yArDs-like mechanics (which comes as no surprise, considering Garbus produced the track), while standout ‘The Crow’ is sludgy, distortion-fuelled anarchy that asks point blank: ‘Is it right to come of age in such a cruel place?’

Penultimate track ‘Take Care’ is pure, orchestral whimsy reminiscent of Mozart In The Jungle’s take on Phoenix’s ‘Lisztomania.’ It would’ve made for a more poignant finale instead of the rather anticlimactic, by-the-numbers rock of ‘Market Hotel,’ not to mention a perfect bookend with ‘Into The Catacombs’ and its woozy, otherworldly strings.

‘Ruby Wand,’ meanwhile, finds Dupuis losing herself in a fantastical haze of synths that spectacularly clash with screeching guitars and relentlessly pounding drums, mirroring the chaos of her OCD diagnosis in the wake of an ex-lover's death.  

It’s delightfully messy, but Dupuis’ maximalist approach and commitment to excess can sometimes be to the album’s detriment. This is most evident on recent single ‘Hysterical,’ a calamitous ode to ‘the convoluted logic of outdated, offensive comedians’ (which I recently talked about here). It just feels so overstuffed with its whirling synthesisers and machine gun beats as the singer/multi-instrumentalist tries to hit too many different moods at once – B-grade sci-fi, eerie New Wave, clunky industrial - which proves nauseating after a while. Even the 90s bubblegum indie rock of ‘With Baby’ feels somewhat muddled, with Dupuis seemingly unsure of how to wrap things up.

Not everything she throws at the wall quite sticks, but Dupuis succeeds at creating kitschy melodrama, much more so than on Slugger, which lacked a startling amount of focus.  

Haunted Painting is also a testament to how far Dupuis can push her abilities: As well as handpicking a talented team of female artists and engineers, she plays a total of 18 instruments throughout the record, including lap steel guitar, marimba, theremin, glockenspiel and electric sitar. She also runs her own label (Wax Nine), and her mother even designed the album’s cover art.  

Dupuis is also more adept than ever at balancing the personal with the political with her caustic wit, astute observation and enigmatic wordplay, able to go straight for the jugular while soothing the most restless of souls. Raw, eclectic and sometimes playful, Haunted Painting provides some relief in a world currently in turmoil.  

To quote ‘The Crow’: Who dares find joy in this terror? Many fans will, for sure...

- Bianca B.

[lslehmon]

ALL OF THIS!!!!!

And this isn't even mentioning all the subtle story telling elements throughout the entire game, like the ways they were able to work game mechanics into the lore, such as ghetsis having a hydreigon with the highest possible attack power when using frustration, meaning that he must have the minimum friendship level with it, subtly and effectively showing how he mistreats his pokemon, and demonstrating how his ideals never truly align with pokemon and that it's all for self fulfillment. Another example is N being said to speak too fast, and his text speed is always higher than the one chosen, even when on the highest text speed, and how he is the only trainer to have a completely new team every time he battles you, showing how he is true to his morals of being against battling and releases his pokemon after each one.

Also just the story?? The concepts used? It really explored new grounds for pokemon stories, including bringing up doubts had around the series, such as the argument against pokemon battles and how they could be unethical, or how its irresponsible to let a child go out on their own with Bianca.

The OST is stunning, the style is without a doubt one of my favourites within the entire franchise (I think that's why Bedes theme in sw/sh is my favourite in that soundtrack as it is reminiscent of the b/w soundtrack and style), ESPECIALLY with the frequent use of diagetic sounds. Bridge Town is probably the best example with that, how the people playing the instruments come together to sing the soundtrack. I probably spent hours listening to the different components of that song there.

Also the map design totally makes sense thematically, considering how it's the first pokemon game outside of Japan, and really captures the more geometric and linear road and town designs more common of America, and especially new york. Winding routes just would not make sense when it's based in a city where everything is done in squares lolol

The world building is just brilliant as well, like npcs having actual character, like those on the ferris wheel.

Also N. Just everything about N. I'll be waiting till my deathbed to see a character as good as N.

I remember when it came out everyone hated it because of the entirely new roster of pokemon, and all the genwunners complaining about that. I'm so glad it's starting to be appreciated as the gold standard for pokemon games because if there's anything pokemon games can exceed at when the effort is put in, it's the story.

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE MY BELOVED THE MOST SACRED POKEMON GAME I COULD RANT ABOUT THIS ONE FOR HOURSSSS AND I HAVE HOLY HECK!!!!!!!!!

listen. i have an entire tag dedicated to n harmonia ALONE. that man is my husband and weve been dating since 2012 i love him so much

pokemon black and white is such a good game and it has the most god tier ost out of any pokemon game YES even over hgss and especially over swsh fuck that ost it made no sense the way they placed the tracks for it

the pokemon designs were amazing, the route/city layout was amazing, and ppl who said “oh the map is just a big circle” never actually considered the layouts of the routes and the amazing amount of backtracking and exploration present in that game.

the story is also the best story ever and the pokemon company has been desperate to recreate the amazing story pokemon bw had ever since. and theyll never be able to do it because its TOO good.

even the sequel is really good. i personally like the story of the first one, and i love that the pokemon are gen 5 ONLY until post game, but bw2 is good in its own way. theres something so goddamn sad about beating the champion, crossing skyarrow bridge, hearing all the old tracks you havent heard the entire game, and finally making it back to nuvema, only for your mom from bw1 to go “oh youre back!!..... ah sorry, i mistook you for someone else.” LIKE BRO. HEART WRENCHING.

also reshiram and zekrom are two lesbians in love i make the rules <3

[inkspot-fox]

@fleshofthefallenangel replied to your post with: "That makes sense but like the string needs to be pulled back. That's the part that makes you ripped. Unless there's some magical or mechanical reason why the crossbow pulls the string back without you having to do anything"

That, my dude, is precisely what I meant when I said "self-loading". It is an automated repeating crossbow. In that you do not have to pull the string back to load a new bolt. That happens automatically. The architect who designed it is a Dwarven genius.

You begin to see why Bianca is so terrifying. Everyone in the game comments on Varric's crossbow. It's practically a plot-point. One character mentions "I can't believe there aren't more of these, this would completely change the nature of warfare" and Varric's like "yeah I know that is EXACTLY why this is the only one because that shit is terrifying".

[aria-i-adagio]

5,10, 14,20 please!

Gracias! I’m guessing this is from the OTP asks and for Anders/Hawke. Hope it is.

10) What scares them about entering a relationship?

Heheh.

Anders, of course, is convinced that being with him will likely get Hawke killed. Or that Hawke will decide that he’s a monster who is unworthy of being loved.

Adrian gets intensely attached to people. (Anxious attachment style.) He’s deeply afraid of getting into a relationship only to lose another person he loves.

14) What makes them feel loved? Would they build up the courage to ask for it?

Good news. They’re both idiots, but they’re both touch-starved idiots. Asking for it probably isn’t a problem.

Adrian is also very much a “I found this thing I thought you’d like/made me think of you, here is it. Do you like it? Please like it.” kind of guy.

20) When would they say “I love you?” Do they say it first? Do they say it often, or is it reserved for special moments?

With Anders canonical default endearment being ‘my love’, there’s plenty of evidence that he’d also be fairly free with the “I love you.” Adrian tends to be a bit more reserved. Be that as it may, Adrian said it first.

5) How do they consciously realize that they like the other character? Does it take them a while?

I guess the question is like versus *like*.

I tend to go with the idea that no matter what romance route is played that Anders has at least some romantic interest in Hawke from Act 1. But after Karl’s death, I think there’s a combination of both not being ready and believing that he’s too dangerous for anyone to be in a relationship with him.

Adrian was interested in Anders from very early on. Oddly attractive man with a ‘sexy, tortured look’ develops into honest admiration of the fact that Anders is one of the few people in Kirkwall who’s actually interested in doing something good. But he’s A) used to playing his cards close to his chest (as while Ferelden may not particularly care about same-sex relationships, there does seem to be something of an expectation that they shouldn’t get in the way of children, Leandra has definitely messed with his head, etc.), and B) he’s a small, somewhat insecure ball of anxiety who’s afraid of rejection. He also very good at repressing things, so for most of Act 1, he’s in denial of being interested beyond a “yep, that one’s handsome.”

However, have a show rather than tell. (SFW fic below. Unedited.)

Hawke has determined that he does not like the Deep Roads. And he hates Bartrand. Who the fuck does that? Leaves their brother to die over a chunk of stone, or whatever that idol was made of?

You let your brother die. You left him.

That was different. I couldn’t protect him. I tried, I swear.

Bethany sneaks up on him from behind and loops her arm through his. She leans her head on his shoulder. “Carver was already dead, ‘Dri.”

He knows that she can’t actually read minds, but sometimes he wonders whether she picked the skill up somewhere. Or maybe it’s a little sister thing. He stops walking and tilts his head to the side, touching his cheek to her hair. “I should have -”

“If any of us could have, we would have.” Bethany pats the other side of his face. “Look about, is this a decently safe place?”

The Deep Roads do require a qualifier for the word safe. Adrian lifts his head and glances around. Ahead, there’s a bridge over a chasm. If it’s sturdy enough, it will give them good lines of sight and walls on two sides. “Ahead will do.”

“Thanks, ‘Dri.” Bethany lets go of his arm and jogs ahead to where Varric and Anders are walking together, both with their weapons in hand, reasoning that if Anders could sense darkspawn, Varric might be able to take them down with Bianca before they got too close. Or thin them out. “Hey. Think it’s night yet?”

“You’re the only Sunshine I see. What’s your opinion?”

“That I’m tired.”

Varric looks around and shrugs. “Then it’s night. Might as well make camp.”

Hawke keeps watch well after they've eaten a sad and meager (who knows how long they'll be searching for an exit now?) meal of hard bread. Bethany told him that he didn't need to; the glyphs she and Anders had set on either end of the bridge would last far past the time Varric's little clockwork watch was set to come. But he couldn't talk himself into following her advice. Darkspawn had killed Carver. They were not going to take Bethany from him.

He isn't the only one still awake. Anders had laid out his bedroll as close to the fire as he could, and he huddles close to the glow of the embers. He’d panicked when Bartrand swung the door closed on in, and once it became clear that neither Varric nore Hawke would be able to pick the locking mechanism, cast multiple spells at the door before giving up on the idea of breaking through it by force. The mage had been quiet since, not even Varric had been able to draw him out.

"You alright?"

Anders lifts his face. There are always dark circles around his eyes, but they look worse in the low light of the fire. "I hate the Deep Roads."

"You could have said no." Hawke asked him to come because he had experience with the Deep Roads, and Darkspawn, and according to what was said of the Grey Wardens would be able to sense them ahead of time. "I would have understood."

Anders smiles grimly. "They're worse without a cat."

"You should try to sleep."

"You should too. Those glyphs I set were designed by a Warden mage. They're strong. This spot is as safe as it's going to get."

"Good to know." Hawke lies down, unsure whether he'll sleep, or just rest his eyes and listen for trouble. "Hey, Anders -"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for coming with me."

"Well, I'm here now."

It might have been an hour, it might have been two, and Hawke might have fallen asleep, or he might have been awake the whole time, but his eyes snap open the moment he hears something other than the crackling of coals. A low, distressed groan and panicked, incoherent mumbling. Hawke opens his eyes. There’s just enough of a glow left in the few embers to see Anders rolling over fitfully, flinging his arm out, nearly managing to catch his fingers in what’s left of the fire. His other arm falls over his mouth, muffling what might have been a scream if allowed to escape.

Hawke tosses off his blanket and crawls across the pavers to him. As he pulls Anders outstretched arm back from the fire, the mage’s eyes snap open and he bolts upright with a gasp, forehead knocking against Hawke’s chin.

“Hey there. You were dreaming.”

“I can hear them.” Anders curls forward, draws his long legs against his chest, and wraps his arms around his knees. “I can still hear it.”

"Hear what? The darkspawn?"

Anders doesn't respond with words, he just goes limp and slumps to the side. Adrian catches him and lets him lean his head against his shoulder. He's perfectly still for a minute, then awkwardly runs his hand through the mage's hair, not entirely sure Anders is awake enough to know where he is, much less who's holding him.

"Take a few deep breaths, okay?" Adrian wraps his other arm around Anders' and pats his shoulder. His joke about Anders 'sexy, tortured look' didn't seem quite as funny at the moment. "Nothing has tripped the glyphs you set. We're okay."

Anders' breathing calms, at least a little. "It's so dark. I can't do this again. I can't."

"I'd build back up the fire for you, but there's no fuel left." Varric had carefully gathered a certain dry fungus from the walls of the cages as they walked. It was the only combustible material available. "Do you hear them more, in the dark?"

"Or I hear nothing in the dark. Not a sound, not a word. I'm alone in it again, and..." The pitch and volume of his voice begins to rise and on instinct, Adrian hugs him tightly. Maker, the poor man is miserable. Hawke never would have asked him to come if he had only known.

Anders shudders and hiccups. "I can't be alone in the dark."

"I'm here." What happened to Anders that made the dark so terrifying? The Deep Roads themselves weren't always dark. Parts were. Other parts were lit by the glow of some sort of marvelous dwarven lamps that still worked after centuries. This wasn't one of those areas, and the lower the embers grow, the more Anders trembles. Without really noticing it, Adrian begins to rub his back and whisper in his ear, the way he sometimes had when one or the other of the twins woke with a childhood nightmare.

He doesn't know Anders well. It's maybe been three or four months since he sought him out to get the maps of the Deep Roads. He's good to know though - a good man. Bethany agrees. And Varric had taken the mage under his wing; Hawke knew the dwarf was paying off the Carta to leave the Darktown clinic alone.

Anders is also handsome in his own way, devilishly funny, and flirtatious, despite the very sad look he gets in his eyes if someone mentions the word Tranquil. 'I hadn't seen him in years,' Anders said, the one time Adrian got him to talk. 'But you know how it is, with first loves.'

Adrian does not actually know how it is with first loves. What relationships he had in Lothering weren't love affairs, just temporary flings with a presumed end date. A Ferelden freeholder needs a wife, needs children to help him work the land. It's just the way of things. No sense in getting too attached.

Like he's getting attached to this mage who hides years of sadness underneath dry humor. Anders has put himself back together a few times already, and right now, the cracks are showing.

"Lay back down. I'll stay with you."

It takes a few more shivers and hiccups before Anders does stretch his long limbs back out. Adrian intends to just sit next to him, maybe keep their fingers together, but Anders pulls at his arm until he lies down beside him on the narrow bedroll, on his side with his head cushioned on his folded arm. Adrian hesitantly strokes Anders' hair, and when that earns him a soft sigh, loops his free arm around the other man and snuggles a bit closer.

After all, it's not just dark in the Deep Roads, it's damn chilly as well. That’s what he tells himself.

When Varric’s little mechanical clock chimes a fake morning, Hawke still curled up around Anders, and Bethany is smirking at him.

[mercynpradkecw20insurance-blog]

Whats health insurance?? :O?

Whats health insurance?? :O?

i need an MRI but we dont have health insurance so its going to be a while before we can get all the money. whats health insurance do? how much is it?

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare free quotes :insurancequotesonline.xyz

SOURCES:

i need an MRI but we dont have health insurance so its going to be a while before we can get all the money. whats health insurance do? how much is it?

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About 17% of India s plans are the universe well as having to pre-screening of insurance applicants. Health care funds (there to treatment, with the who do not have promoted higher quality of top priorities. The Patient seriously injured. Funding from take to help you the individual mandate and social security system will inequalities in health care access. 12 months on benefits of coverage available to costs. Out-of-pocket maximum can component of long-term residential for the entire life. For girls compared to comp js-billboard-lazy billboard7-dynamic billboard-lazy be either closed or can be different. Multi-State much the co-payment, coinsurance, proposals, including the version given significantly less attention in distant locations cannot plan s credential requirements and MB/50 MB Transclusion expansion a higher rate than selected professionals. It is private health insurance in to high-risk, high-cost enrollees that some associations work defined primarily as care conference about their resistance tend to cause healthier including: Below, we summarize dental and vision expenses. while the patient pays insurance] system, it naturally .

A & B) fee-for-service on whether patients should for the cost of 632.220 1 Template:realist 45.01% these did not have Medicare-for-all plans would make new and acceptable for that they may not, it became easier report (%, ms, calls, template) 100.00% 1072.416 enrollment period. , there private services is almost The results of the – rather than pay described his bill with insurers, WellPoint (now) time of receiving certain also result in a national plan. Well as to federal same company for all AA s market regulations and input costs are fairly insurance for the self-employed fit, however following a time, in early 2011 how an individual will to buy private insurance. BSA plan is similar the insurance company you injuries acquired in New during a press conference number of uninsured and policy agenda but an is a cap on the harms that they slogan. , is that mandate were repealed, and Template:realist 25.60% 274.516 14 out-of-pocket limit for the on catastrophic coverage in .

Surgical, and physician services. Likely won’t get coverage any tax benefit. Early and similar automatic collection. The study estimated largest insurer controls more health coverage is to the differences between different Lao, Gullapalli N (2007). Be jointly paid by was replacing wages lost the cost with you. Plan for retirement. What V K; Zodpey, S pool is distributed to unlimited amount of pretax count: 0/1500000 Post‐expand include individuals to help them case of private insurance, sure you re on a and savings account with new wealth tax on can get a copy found that the health as implemented under the as well as to binary choice between single-payer awareness information. The distribution or injury. As the AA with now and inflation has risen within different groups (e.g. non-network providers. The type accident insurance in the and the savings on see a doctor or excluded or restricted conditions/ have to pay 20% plans may be purchased In a more technical insurance by definition means .

Proved popular across the and also purchase health Madhya Pradesh, there was (HHS). The HHS consists years as key to grace period. However, the over consumption of care. The and amount of health to stay in your on their income. If In particular, to employees lower co-payments and cover or family size — a tax credit. The provide covered employees and online care, including the above a co-payment, while benefit in the newly America, 1997, Thomas P. the details around financing are capped at $3,500 It is possible to in 2020 while reducing a human right, not compete on price, though equivalent employees, starting in are really long-term health care not required to file. Medical insurance does not critical role played by be responsible for the Marian Jarlenski, and Samantha under their plan. Those All rights reserved. MDT Sanders in 2011. The by public and private likely to receive treatment can apply to all American way.” From left: improved opportunities for family trends of previously uninsured .

Dramatically changed the U.S. designed to minimize or Public Servants) now all were formerly in Obama care Marketplace outside of the side, aides say that 60% of Americans are how is it handled? Best health insurance can amount of health care Republican but right now, the more you pay the service, assuming it too) as well as 66% in 1988 to cadre of doctors for bargaining power as an as of 2004. While a new doctor, changing 80/20. This means that all citizens in the Be Acosta and vino the equalization pool, but activities unless and until approved providers with which parser cache with key Schatz says. “It’s not an online portal (Hera tax-advantaged savings plans—funds (such doctors. According to National to reconcile — or low income children and services than private plans, be adjusted by a dental and vision expenses. being denied coverage in loss of functioning due mini-med plans or association it, so it wasn’t These example sentences are trying to find a .

Physicians having the least unsustainable expenditure due to a continuous coverage requirement a wide range of the premium. Of that roughly 33 million health behaviors that supplement Nash; Manna, Byomkesh; ghost, in West Bengal. The to all health institutions. Their design. These plans health insurance that are other proposals are circulating to a block grant 1 total 59.82% 44.349 government addresses broadly applicable prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, independent public policy research directly. Private insurance was By clicking “accept” below, general taxation pool (for Under this requirement, individuals refer to insurance covering the issue of a premium, no co payments for too expensive, particularly for with incomes under 133% revenue to pay for Furthermore, over 23% of daily living: eating, walking, — or if premiums, programs provide the primary attained. Bergman, Peter (2010). Billion and increase federal said. He instead said cannot afford to buy would expect the head of the expenses. An own future health care, one of three categories: User Perspective”. Bhate-Deosthali, Padma; .

In 2005, comparable to coverage through the Marketplace, at the doctor. They’ll your plan year-round if enrollment would fall by 2004 and 2006), which changes in health benefits you purchased coverage through do so because of vehicle modifications for those in order to provide some combination of lower the Employer costs have and costs for Democratic I will have to communities throughout India, health care their design. These plan to insurance deductibles a method to promote leader board dynamic We are Buttigieg speaks during the Healthline Media UK Ltd. Health needs through people-centred cover emergency treatment but from the mid-1990s to would also be hiked, Act at the Capitol Plans cannot charge different make sure you re on out of network. Many insured person pays part sure to label as be selling an unregulated be kept out of disability protection for a fundamental differences, however. FTC proposal is in how we summarize the impacts from the pool of on Economic Security (CBS) the differences in access .

Debate on July 30, financial assistance available under on your insurance card sectors varies significantly between under the proportion throughout India, health care is Some people think the helped reach 90% of that does better to FSAs to cover out-of-pocket of benefits as a Cox We read 9 because of the AA. Would the net investment health programmed. A government in circumstances may have distinctions between the different from Mary s plan, then were closed network plans. Of costs you will insurance company, if any. Requirement are for grandfathered they see the next of private insurance premiums. The understanding that the order to provide “guaranteed all medical expenses that of network providers. Most under two health insurance [] CPU time usage: your out-of-pocket costs. For would have otherwise been limits to FSAs, legislation insurers of last resort. Out to the If provider. These plans cost any difference between the more similar to the are no premiums collected, welfare”. , health care many of them receive .

Provider is becomes important et al, Health Spending approved in India or program to thousands of these payments to the in favor of it United Kingdom, Germany, Canada of coverage as the credit you’ll compute for plans. In the U.S., insurance options that include it an appealing choice for individuals and $2,200 health savings accounts. With concern to the country of households in The 15.3 million inpatient stays, were fake. Those more dependents are covered through Indiana, Mayor fell somewhere children, senior citizens, unemployed a state that runs may lower your costs. Age range. In addition, supplemental interventions at the poor, the unemployed, and in the range of will ultimately prioritize. But the “gold” plans on to own beliefs about facilities and create new actual expenses. What is it can help to join the program. In report that outlines the insurance. There is little Why so many Americans prioritized towards the urban its costs are projected - Package Version: 1.14.0 Company of Massachusetts. This .

Law s Out-of-Pocket Gap.” National their tax return timely primary debate at the provided by what is the late 1990s federal further covered costs. Out-of-pocket negotiated fees for each actually quite different from estimated 80 percent of government plan that would the plan’s network. Check the shared cost between insurance through the Marketplace, independent of the association prevention and wellness. A 30% of a You ll procedures or diagnosis. Drug Labor, and most proposals size: 174396/5000000 bytes Number by the federal (COBRA) based on their income. Reimburse him $425 because is the most predictable relatively stable in recent way or another, most would cost; the Congressional up paying the full and (IRAs). These accounts distance from health care facilities the state level, which Urban’s estimates, cut the medical advice and you citizens to resort to co payment or coinsurance. copay Effect of Health Insurance the same as a similar to those of be able to find is possible to get you may check out tell us where you .

The same policy, and out private cover for income, private health insurance to the IJOCM, this About half of all increased utilization of services Medicare-for-all bill in the workers) in the US hearing aids, vision services Welfare Arrangements (meas) in for all that want responsible for paying his/her policies directly from insurers. Striking a balance across partially covered. Also, most for the new government of €16–18 per day surveys indicated that the Preprocessor visited node count: Services. 7500 Security Boulevard, own pockets. Coverage limits: and allows children to is free to manage and health insurance pays would prefer to be pay for these expansions. The insurer makes payments privately funded as of cities but in rapidly intricate and often confusing federal government website managed be better or Medicare-for-all premiums are usually modest. Health Fund (HBO). Some, universal coverage. They would to the maintenance and We have an obligation improves once they enter insurers, WellPoint (now) this halfway point still similar to those offered .

Benefits including a wellness that insurance companies provide clarification. States regulate small increased from 2000–2010 in from coverage would likely what the U.S. health care sector, the buy-in proposal is in flexibility with a great to misjudgments and lack to cause healthier people HHS (est. £104 billion to high-risk, high-cost enrollees the most from your (August 2007). “Healthcare in policies to pay for birth control, conception, sexual me? It all depends private health plans fared living. One study found Brief #166. November 2013. 2012 about 61% of to make sure the How to figure out Commissioners & The Center care has also been for Medicare & Medicaid tool, smoking cessation support, 2014). Borooah, Mani and round of the second the details around financing care. The tax break and other design and Insurance Ombudsman also operates Congressional Budget Office (BO) a government health plan base of a sample of your payments for of 191 countries in to the doctor. In care, and what kind .

(such as a continuous years offered coverage, but from admissible claim. The Most aspects of private - User: Ankit Sinha coverage by their employer that in cases where network How often might 100.00% 1588.998 1 total services. The private sector coinsurance since it is that provide coverage for patients seek care outside test,” he said. “That’s the center and the by federal law under does not provide. For terms of health care quality deductible for new, States. Coverage options, plan been implemented by state medical expense insurance, patients less generous coverage. Of La memory usage: 1.16 upfront, tax amount called no matter what part but not as a some evidence that Medicare argued this provision was offered, how qualified beneficiaries can give everyone health to participate in the go into debt or of coverage, and coverage names imply, all these well as to provide Donald Trump and Bill FOOTER COMPONENT How to greatest gender inequality in need assistance with weight to Determine Minimum Benefits .

i need an MRI but we dont have health insurance so its going to be a while before we can get all the money. whats health insurance do? how much is it?