#my brother has an exit permit tomorrow and i could meet them??

[mne-bolno]

//

[marcuspedersen-nz]

1- Time Crime

(by Christopher Jones)

The year was 2040, nine years after the bust. They had called it the new El Dorado during the boom, but what could they call it now? Greymouth: the open orifice of a corpse humming to the tune of its own death rattle. It was a city trying to hold onto, yet somehow forget, the glory of years gone by; to settle at last to humble death, while the last of its flesh was consumed by collectors, as debtors made a hasty exit, and all those who had come to ride the wave were gone, leaving an overweight economy and too many high-rise buildings to sustain its rotting core.

I arrived during the tumult of a spring storm. There was quite some turbulence but the air hostesses didn’t seem very worried, and that was good enough for me. The one on my aisle was very made up, with tight blonde hair, a sweet chubby face and her skirt came down to just below her knees. They say that when it rains here it really rains, but they also say you get used to it. The pilot had to circle three times waiting for a window of visibility before finally bringing the DC-20 down to land.

I met my rental car agents outside the terminal building. I had ordered a manual four-wheel drive, apparently the only one in town. The mainstream companies which crowded the interior dealt only in the new generation of foolproof automatics, and besides there was a limited supply of large vehicles without prior notice. I knew what I would need, so I looked around on the internet until I hooked up with these guys, Smack Car Rentals, and at the last minute arranged for them to meet me at the airport. Before going outside into the din of the weather I let my local contact, Police Inspector Jack Martin, know that I had arrived. He gave me the address of where to meet him.

The dark day was just coming onto dusk, and I waited there for a moment sheltered from the rain by the large overhead canopy until a small silver Suzuki Swift drove up. A tall, handsome man of about 30 got out, quite a flashy type with black hair and dark brown eyes. He introduced himself as Paul Bartley, “We spoke on the phone, Mr Jones. Sorry about the delay,” he said, putting my cases into the back and opening the passenger’s door for me to enter, “Your Range Rover is at the office. I need to check you in.” It was here that I felt the first inexplicable glitch, like a shudder through my reality that showed I wasn’t there by accident. This was no false alarm.

I got in and he said as the car drove towards the CBD, “I’d apologise for the weather, Mr Jones, but it’s beyond the powers of my control. This is the West Coast, after all.”

“Yes,” I nodded, “It’s a narrow strip of land between the coast and the Southern Alps. When the prevailing westerly comes off the ocean loaded with water, it hits the mountains and dumps its load, leaving the east in drought while the west has more rain than it can handle.” He laughed as though I had told some kind of joke, so I added, “Call me Chris.”

The office on Mackay Street was one of several on the second floor of an old two storey building standing between taller, shakier buildings built during the 2020s. It was accessed by a narrow flight of steps which took us up to a shabby lobby with several doors to various offices. The sign above the door we entered read, “PPS Bartley Real Estate, Smack Car Rentals and P. Bartley Detective Agency”. He indicated for me to stand at a counter which was obviously used for the car rental side of the business, “Would you like tea or coffee?” he offered, and I shook my head.

Looking at the real estate display board, I noticed one property stand out from the others. It had a note saying, “Serious Viewers Only. No Tourists!” which piqued my curiosity. I then recognised the red shed on the photo from my research files as being the location of one of the Blondino murders. The thought of that recognition gave me a second inexplicable glitch; a feeling like déjà vu. I asked, “How is the real estate business doing these days?”

“It’s a good time to buy,” he said, “People shy away from a market in a slump, but think about it. You wouldn’t buy your groceries like that, would you? You wouldn’t wait till prices rocketed before you rushed down to the supermarket. No, you’d grab what you could while everything’s on sale. So why treat real estate any different? There are plenty of good bargains to be had around here.”

“What about this one?” I asked.

“That’s the Thompson property; a real bargain. If you’re interested, come back tomorrow when the office is open and we’ll talk business. You honestly could not go wrong.”

He entered my details into the computer, such as driver’s licence and credit card numbers, and printed off some papers for me to sign just in time for a second, younger man to enter. “It’s all fuelled and ready to go. I’ve put your cases on the back seat,” he said, he looked so similar to Paul Bartley that he was obviously his younger brother. He wasn’t quite so flashy and he wore a wedding band. He handed me the key attached to a bright orange key-ring with the Smack logo on it and said, “Diesel only. It’s just outside.” So I looked nonchalantly at the window as the rain came crashing down even harder, and bade them farewell.

I set the navigator to Power Road and pulled out from the curb. The good thing about cars of the era before everything became self-driving was that you felt like you were actually driving, and not simply a passenger in the driver’s seat. Even by 2040 the majority of cars practically drove themselves, but they weren’t fully driverless so it kind of made you feel like you were there but not there. Of course they already had the technology for self-driving but public suspicion had pushed for legislation that prevented its general implementation. Only vehicles that used special lanes such as freight and taxi were permitted to be driverless.

I took a left on Tainui Street, up past the traffic lights at the railway crossing, and turned right at the roundabout. After a few kilometres Tainui Street became High Street, and the rain eased off to a trickle. It was already full night. I passed the Oasis Hotel on my left, which I was booked into but would check in later, and proceeded for another 3.2 kilometres before turning left onto Power Road as the navigator directed. I drove up a steep hill to the house at number 32, where there was a police cordon in place. A modified white Camry and a standard patrol car with flashing lights awaited there for my arrival.

Reaching into my case for the gaga meter I noticed an umbrella on the back seat, so I decided to make use of it. There were four men, two in uniform and two detectives, standing beside the Camry. They took notice of me as I got out, clutching the meter, fumbling about with the umbrella which didn’t seem to want to open. It came up all of a sudden and almost sent me tripping over my own feet. The detectives walked over to greet me, putting out their hands and the older, obviously more senior of the two said, “I’m Police Inspector Jack Martin, this is Police Inspector David Walton. You must be Special Agent Christopher Jones.” I gave him and his partner the firm handshakes they wanted, showed them my badge, and Jack indicated towards the house, “We didn’t expect you would arrive tonight.”

He wore a thick coat and the water ran off his head but he acted as though it was nothing more than a slight inconvenience, which it probably was. He was a well built man of about 40 years, with a trimmed black moustache and a very friendly manner. David Walton was much thinner and younger, with brown hair and ginger moustache. Jack said, “Forensics were here this afternoon. So far, despite the blood being human, there’s no indication that the murder took place here. The bodies of the residents, Janine Hoffstad and her daughter Susan, were found in bush about 20 minutes out of town, and the blood isn’t theirs. They were strangled, and there’s every indication that they were murdered there. Personally, I wouldn’t have alerted you, even if it does look occult. It’s the computer that does it. It’s an algorithm. I hope you haven’t wasted your time. She’s the daughter of a crime boss.”

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” I said, “And call me Chris,” but I could tell just by looking at the exterior of the yellow weatherboard house that I had already been there. It’s like the glitches. It’s what we call the ripple effect, and you develop a sense for it when you’ve been in the job for long enough. Think of it like a stone being dropped into a pool of water, and the ripples radiate out from the epicentre, repeating the trauma, which brings about the sensation of repetition. Some call it déjà vu, but for most people only the very strong pulses are felt, where they feel the ongoing effect of a great surge through the fabric of their lives.

Inside the house I switched on the meter and took a reading of the hallway with immediate indication of gaga. Jack Martin pointed to a door at the end of the hallway, “The interesting stuff is this way.” I nodded. “What does that thing do exactly?” he asked.

I said, “It measures gaga.” He nodded.

The lounge room at the end of the hallway came up with very strong readings. The light was dim, but at the turn of a dial Jack made it very bright. There was a pentagram painted from blood on the cream carpet of an otherwise fairly ordinary lounge. A black leather sofa and two matching lazy-boy armchairs were set facing a plasma television screen which took up most of the wall they faced. There was a strong scent of very sweet perfume like an overture to the senses with an undertone of musty dampness, and the rancid stench-like odour of rotting meat barely perceptible. At each point of the pentagram were two items, which mostly looked like they belonged to a woman, or a young girl, or both. “What exactly is gaga?” asked Jack as the meter hissed, almost off the scale.

At the closest point of the pentagram were a Barbie doll and a deck of cards with the golden pick logo of Inangahua Resort Casino at Reefton. The next point in a clockwise direction had a red badge with the picture of Daffy Duck on it, and a lady’s smart-watch with a blue strap. The third point had a postcard of a snowy mountain with three serrated peaks, that is, Mt Owen, and a brown felt hat with splotches of mud and a red flowery band. At the end of the fourth point was a CD album Sugar Sweet Candy Water by the Aloe Veras, and a small plastic daffodil of the type they sell to raise money for cancer research. At the final point was a Lenovo tablet with star and flower stickers on it, and a bottle of Le Frais perfume, with the lid not pressed on properly and so most of its contents had spilled onto the carpet.

I said, “To put it simply, gaga measures the difference between what is real and what is unreal. Think of it as the difference between matter and antimatter. The action of matter normally flows in nominal resistance to the reaction of antimatter, like a wave held in balance. When the wave becomes discordant, shadow waves appear, which is what we call a ripple effect, measured in units of gaga. You follow me?” He raised his eyebrows. “Okay, just think of it as telling me that something illegal has taken place here and the sooner that I deal with it the better it will be for everybody, so it’s good I got here when I did.”

“How bad is it? Should we be worried?”

“It’s bad, as bad as it gets. I need to bag these items.”

“What are they for? It is occult then?”

I nodded, and picked up the brown felt hat. There were strands of long blonde hair on the inside. Turning over the postcard there was, “Dear Mummy,” but nothing else written on it. I turned on the tablet and the screen saver was the same photo of Mt Owen as on the postcard. It asked for a pin and I tried a few basic combinations but they didn’t work.

I said, “Certain items become charged with gaga. We call them talismans. It’s occult in as much as ritualistic procedure was used to create the talismans, but occult is just a layman’s term for the process of manipulating the fabric of the space-time continuum, that is, the normal flow of matter and antimatter. Of course it’s highly illegal, but we have our methods. This crime took place here, but not the here as we see it, the here that exists somewhere else. All we see is the exhaust of an event and the only way to fix it is to find the source of the tear and stitch it up.”

“But should we be worried?”

I shrugged, “No, I think we’ve caught it in time. Good work.”

We came away and to my surprise the night had cleared. Everything looked washed, serene, and clean, with a starry sky and the near full moon glowing high above the ranges to the east. To the north the seven towers of Greymouth’s CBD were sparkling like they were something beautiful, to be proud of, but dread filled me because I knew they were more like the embers of a fire that had not quite been extinguished, and just the slightest wind would bring up the flame to consume it all like a dragon’s breath.

The city had been born of gold, and gold had destroyed the city, with a hundred and seventy years between to grow, to languish, and hope for better times. Their motto, “Our time will come again,” seemed like presentiment during the 2020s boom as many believed their time had finally arrived, but the problem with gold is that too much happens all at once, and when the gold is gone everything must collapse back into itself. Back in the 1860s it hadn’t mattered so much because there was only a limited amount that a town could grow with such means as steam ships and sailboats. But it was a different story during the 2020s, as the 2030s proved and the year 2040 was about to conclude; the devastation to be visited upon this city would be more than the sum of its components.

That was “Chapter One” of The Woman in the Brown Hat, a sci-fi fantasy detective novel by Marcus Pedersen.

Available on Amazon as an e-book and paper book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RW59M7G

For more information see: https://www.facebook.com/ToroPopularFiction

For reviews see: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56531729-the-woman-in-the-brown-hat

[holdyourfire]

taylir gar tracyn

hold your Fire (Mando’a)

Chapter 1  Chapter 4

***

Chapter 5 - Flame

No warnings for this chapter.

2.2k words

      ***

      Poe was guiding the Ember into Naboo’s atmosphere when a loud thud sounded behind, startling him. 

      He whirled around in his chair to see Deccol grinning and he scowled heavily.

       “Really!?”

      “I told you, I like startling people.”

      “Not while I’m piloting, thanks!”

      She slumped into the chair next to him, still smiling to herself.

      “Where should we land? Somewhere outside the city, right?”

      “Um, no,” she began, frowning slightly. “We should set down in the city. In a landing bay. This ship won’t draw many eyes, so a city bay would be more convenient.”

      “Yes, but is it safer?”

      “It’ll be fine. I know how to deal with cities. If we land on the outskirts, it’ll look as if we don’t want to be noticed.”

      “And… we don’t want to be noticed,” he countered, knowing he was aggravating her. “So where’s the harm?”

      She turned her chair to face him, obviously getting bothered. 

      “But we don’t want them to know that do we? The best way to hide is to blend in. A city landing bay will do that.”

      Poe smirked and Deccol just gave him a sharp look.

      “You were doing that on purpose. Arguing just to argue. Just to be annoying.”

      She shook her head as he continued to grin. 

       “This is going to be a long mission,” came a sigh.

       ***

       Theed was beautiful. 

      Deccol and Poe leaned into the viewports to see the city below as they flew over smoothly. 

      Cream-coloured stone buildings, with tall pillars and arches, topped with blue domes. The warm glow from the street-lights turned the roads and paths gold. The setting sun had cast the west-facing sides of the buildings into pink and red and the rest into darkness. Arched bridges littered Theed’s winding rivers.

      In the distance, rolling plains of grass surrounded the city.

       “It really is beautiful.”

       Deccol just hummed in reply, still absorbed in the view. 

      A beeping noise sounded from the dashboard.

      “We’re being hailed by city landing services,” said Poe shifting to press the flashing button.

      “Hailing the Ghtroc Seven-Twenty, please proceed to Landing Dock E, Pad 3. The south side of the city.”

      “Pad E3, copy that.”

        The landing was swift and hardly a jolt was felt as Poe directed the Ember down. 

      Deccol disappeared to her cabin to change and Poe sauntered down the freshly lowered ramp to meet the dock officer waiting below, BB-8 at his heels.

       Naboo’s cool air was a sharp contrast to D’Qar’s humid climate and he sucked in a breath, filling his lungs, enjoying the sight of the river on the other side of the landing pad.  

       The smartly uniformed dock-officer was approaching.

      “Hi there!” 

      “Hello, sir,” she replied, “may I have your ship’s manifest please?”

      “Of course. BeeBee?”

      BB-8 whirred and extended the Ember’s projector chip in his claw.

      “Any other crew or passengers?” the officer asked, taking the chip and slotting into her datapad to read.

      “Just my co-pilot.”

       Though Deccol wasn't really his co-pilot.

       Poe waited for a few seconds, until the officer looked up with a polite smile, tugging the chip out from her datapad to hand back to BB-8.

      “You’re all good to proceed. Payment for the use of the landing pad can be organised up in that building there,” she said pointing towards a building across the river. “Enjoy your time here.”

      “Thank you.”

       “Oh, one last thing,” the officer called just as he was turning away. “Blasters are not permitted in public,” she said, pointing to his empty holster.

      “Oh, alright. I’ll keep that in mind.”

        Poe strolled back to the ramp, only to find Deccol coming down. She had changed, removing all her armour and was just wearing a simple black shirt on black pants and a dark grey scarf tied around her neck. Her blaster was tucked into her holster at her hip.

       “All fine?” she asked peering at the departing dock officer.

      “Yep. No blasters allowed in public though.” He gestured at her gun. “Ok, so what's the plan then?”

      She jerked her head behind her. 

      “We should talk inside.”

       They ended up outside the kitchen to discuss, Poe leaning back against his cabin door and Deccol standing in front of hers.

       He got the feeling she always stood so straight because everyone was taller than her.

      He had to hold back an amused smile at the thought.

       “Tonight, we should just go out and find out what we can about this Luc Shinn guy. If we even can. If we get enough information, tomorrow the mission can be completed and we can be out of here.”

      Poe frowned.

      “Don’t you want to spend more than just a day here? I mean, it’s so nice. We’ll also have extra time to plan.”

      “This is an assignment, not a holiday, Dameron,” she said, exasperated. “We need to do these tasks as quickly as we can.”

      He sighed.

      “Yeah, yeah, fine. It just seems like a nice place.”

      “Hmm. It does seem nice,” she admitted, nodding. “So, ready to head out? I’ll just go remove my holster.”

      “Same, one sec.”

      He turned, ducking into his room to quickly discard his holster and grab his commlink. 

      “Ok, let’s go.”

       ***

       About fifteen minutes later, Poe was leaning against a light pole on a street corner as he waited for Deccol. BB-8, the poor thing, had been left behind on the Ember. 

      Deccol was just across the street, talking with a couple of locals about where to find the best cantina in town.

      It was a known fact that if you want to know who people are and what’s happening in the area, a cantina was where to go. All information just seemed to flow through bars.

       He glanced down the street. Not many people about, the occasional loiterer or the groups of people who were out for a late evening stroll. 

      The sky was dark blue now, just a hint of an orange glow to the west. 

       “Hey!” 

      He turned at the call. 

      It was a man who had just come around the corner. He was swaying on his feet and he had a slight leer on his face as he stumbled towards Poe.

      He stiffened, suddenly uncomfortable as the man neared. He was just reaching out to roughly grab Poe’s arm as he backed away, when Deccol appeared next to him, seemingly out of nowhere. 

      She firmly stepped in between Poe and the drunk man, lightly shoving him away.

       “Is there a problem here?” she snarled as she squared her feet.

      The man scowled and backed off, mumbling incoherently as he stumbled away from them, down the street.

       “C’mon let's go. There’s a cantina down that path and-”

      “I can take care of myself y’know,” he snapped, annoyed at the pang of relief he’d felt when she’d intervened.

      “I never said you couldn’t. Now let’s go.”

      She turned, walking toward the path she’d pointed out. 

      Poe followed, pursing his lips.

             The cantina was bustling with people. One long and crowded serving counter expanded across the back wall with human and droids serving the various people their drinks. 

      Dialects from all across the galaxy could be heard, in shouts and whispers alike. The lighting was dim, and the air was hot and muggy due to the crowd.

      “Seems like travellers and locals come here regularly,” Poe muttered, leaning down into Deccol’s ear.

      “Good for us. We’ll blend in,” she whispered back. “Drink?”

      “Obviously. I’ll get them. What’ll you have?”

      “Ask if they have tihaar. If not just get me one of whatever you have.”

       Tee-har? 

       “I don’t know what that is, but I’ll ask.”

      She nodded her thanks and he slipped through the mass of people to reach a gap at the countertop, raising a hand to catch the attention of a drink-droid.

       “Hello, sir, what will you be served today?”

      “One bottle of Elba beer and do you have a drink called tee-har?”

      “It appears we do,” the droid replied after a second of computing. “It is a Mandalorian beverage, if my memory banks are correct.”

       It clunked off to fetch the drinks and Poe turned his attention to the people in his surroundings.

       A trickle of music from a group of musicians in the far corner of the cantina accompanied by a low beat was encouraging some to dance sensually with drinks in hand. Two Twi’leks were getting very friendly against a wall and Poe couldn’t help smirking at the sight, watching for a second before a sharp noise drew his attention to the other side of the cantina. 

       An argument appeared to be taking place between a Keshian and a member of a species he didn't recognise. Increasing in volume with both almost shouting, until the Keshian received a slap, followed by the furious exit of the slapper. 

       Poe huffed a laugh, wondering what they did to get that. 

      The Keshian glared around the room furiously, as if daring anyone to say something and ended up locking eyes with a grinning Poe. 

      The smile was hastily wiped off his face as he turned back to the counter, trying to avoid any trouble.

       “Sir.” 

      The drink-droid had returned. 

      “Here are your drinks.”

      It handed over the familiar-looking bottle of Elba beer along with a small glass of a clear liquid.

      “Thanks,” he said, handing over credits.

       Holding the drinks, he turned on his heel peering through the crowd to search for his partner. 

       There she was. She was standing near the band, deep in conversation with two locals.

      Spotting him hovering a few paces away, she waved him over.

       “They had it,” he said, holding up her drink.

      She smiled, delighted. 

      “Thank you.”

      He took a sip of his and she took a large gulp of hers with a satisfied sigh, before introducing him to the men she’d been talking with.

       “This is my friend, Snap,” she said, gesturing to Poe. 

       Snap? Huh. 

       Poe nodded politely in greeting.  

      “And this is Jaeto and Enri,” she continued. “They’re brothers who tell me they used to work at a nearby plasma mine. However, they don’t anymore, as it’s been bought by a new owner who seemed to have also brought in his own workers.”

      Poe looked to the two brothers in surprise.

      “An entire mine was just bought? Must be wealthy,” he remarked sipping his beer.

      “Yeah. All of us workers were put out of our jobs,” said Enri. “Apparently this guy has influence in the Galactic Senate. Must’ve been able to pull some strings or something, because that sort of thing never usually happens on Naboo.”

      “Yeah, rumour has it he’s a big shot in the First Order,” Jaeto added in a low voice.

       Poe and Deccol exchanged a look. 

      “Oh? That’s not the best news. I always get uneasy when I hear about them,” supplied Poe, trying to ease into the conversation.

      The brothers nodded enthusiastically in agreement. 

      “They're a nasty piece of work that’s for sure,” muttered Jaeto.

      “This new mine owner, is he from Naboo?” 

      “He is, actually. From one of the wealthier families in Theed. House Shinn. Although I don’t know why we still call it a family. The parents are dead, it’s really just him now.”

       Poe struggled to keep his face neutral. 

      There he is. Time to hunt down a First Order plasma miner.

       “Is plasma mining the biggest industry on Naboo?”

      “It is, after all, the planet is pretty much made of the stuff. And it’s used all over the galaxy too, so it’s not just important for Naboo.”

      “What is it used for, most commonly?”

      “It can power weaponry and transport, mostly.”

       Both very important things for the First Order.

       Poe suddenly grabbed Deccol’s arm in an attempt to look urgent.

      “Oh, Maker! We said we’d meet Jess five minutes ago. She’ll be upset that we’re late!”

       Deccol caught on quickly.

      “Oh, kriff, you’re right!” She turned to Jaeto and Enri. “I’m so sorry, I forgot we had a place to be.”

      “Oh, no worries. It was nice to meet you,” said Jaeto, and Enri nodded in agreement.

      “You too, I hope the job search goes well for you,” said Poe as he and Deccol backed away.

      “Goodbye!”

      Deccol gulped the last mouthful of her drink before setting the glass down on an empty table they walked past. Poe elbowed her triumphantly, chuckling before swallowing more of his beer as they walked through the cantina’s doors. 

      She looked up at him with a smirk.

      “Done well,” he said.

      She nodded.

      “That was way quicker than I expected. Things like that usually take a long time. Now let’s go meet Jess.”

      He grinned.

      “Do you know the way back?”

      “Of course I do.”

        They walked by a river for a part of the way before turning down an alleyway. 

      Halfway through, Deccol stiffened.

       “We’re being followed,” she muttered out the side of her mouth.

      “You sure?”

      Two figures appeared on the path in front. 

       Deccol stopped moving, pulling Poe to an abrupt halt with a hand on his wrist. He glanced over his shoulder.

      Two behind them as well.

      He swallowed nervously. 

       Now was really not the time to get jumped.

       He slid a small knife out of his pocket, gripping it tightly in his right hand, the blade pointing downwards, opposite from his thumb.

      Deccol pulled out a vibro-blade from under her left sleeve and another from her right boot. Automatically they shifted, standing back-to-back.

       “What are you looking for?” Deccol called, voice level.

      “Oh, nothing in particular,” came a reply from a shadowed face. “Maybe some credits. Those vibro-knives look good. I have one just like them.”

      “You’re not getting anything without a fight,” Poe said, surprised with how calm he sounded.

      "Fine by us.”

      ***

E/N:

   Chapter 6 coming soon :)

[anenglishmansinamorata]

Imprudens Occursus

Alternative Title: Inadvertent Encounter

[Notes: Cordial Post-Break Up in the Modern Era]

The sound of footsteps echoed against the marble floor as the Englishman made his way towards the designated arrival area. Stopping just behind the barricade, Arthur narrowed his eyes causing his eyebrows to furrow as he scanned the sea of people. Eventually, he saw the familiar figure of Matthew who waved him over with a wide smile on his handsome face.

"Welcome Arthur." The Canadian greeted as he gave the Brit a small hug in which the shorter blonde returned with a pat on Matthew's back. "How was your flight?"

"It went well. Some turbulence but that was to be expected." Arthur followed the taller nation, holding unto his luggage as he was led towards the exit where a smartly dressed driver stood waiting in front of a sleek black Sedan.

"May I take your bags, Sir?" The older gentleman inquired before England nodded, allowing him to take his luggage and loading them into the back of the car.

"Unfortunately, I cannot bring you to the hotel myself and I had arranged for you to be brought straight to the hotel." Matthew apologized as he gave the older man a weak smile. "Alfred's flight has been delayed and will be arriving in the next hour or so and he decided to invite himself over to my house."

"Don't fret about not dropping me off, Matthew. I'm sure I'll get there safely." Arthur grimaced at the thought, feeling a bit sympathy for his former charge who had to babysit his own brother. The Brit heard the trunk of the car softly closing before continuing. "Well, you certainly have your night cut out for you. I will see you tomorrow then."

Once the two blondes said their farewells, the older nation took a seat inside the car and watched as the personification of Canada gave him a small wave before returning inside the arrival area, probably to wait for his twin brother. Arthur turned towards the front of the car and reached into the breast pocket of his coat to retrieve a small worn leather pocket journal. Flipping to a page, he scanned the various notes that he had written down earlier on as he waited for his flight from Heathrow.

There were plenty of reminders that he had written to himself as well as a few other matters that his own Prime Minister have brought up to his attention. Alongside the various points, he had yet to go over the agenda that Matthew had e-mailed to him a few days ago. Furthermore, he still had to look over a few drafted documents that had been prepared for him by his Prime Minister's secretary before it would be presented to Her Royal Highness next week.

Arthur retrieved his pen from his coat pocket quickly to scribble down a small note for himself to possibly ask if the meeting with Her Highness could be postponed for a few days after his arrival. Rarely did he ask for a few days off of work but he always felt sluggish and a bit haggard after these meetings which most of the time takes a toll on him. After a few minutes of going over the notes he had written to himself for the umpteenth time, Arthur closed the small journal once he felt a slight headache coming.

He suddenly heard the slight pitter-patter of water droplets hitting the windshield of the car and gradually an onslaught of rain began beating down on the glass from either side of the vehicle. The blonde relaxed as he listened to the calming sound as he continued to try and make out of the various buildings.

The most part of the ride, the island nation took in the sights of the highways and eventually noticed the city skyline as he approached the downtown area. Unknowingly, a small tilt in the corner of the blonde's mouth appeared as he watched the humans either hastily walking or running as they tried to find a place to take shelter from the rain. Arthur continued to admire the sidewalks darkening as more clouds began to cover the evening sky until he felt the car slow down in front of what seems to be the hotel.

"It's alright." Arthur was interrupted as he reached for his wallet making him look up to see the polite smile from the driver from the rear-view mirror. "Mr. Williams had paid for everything beforehand."

"Oh. Thank you." A soft knock on the door's exterior caught the blonde off guard as he turned to look at the individual standing by his car door.

A middle-aged man, possibly the hotel's doorman had unraveled a large umbrella as Arthur exited the vehicle. Whilst another of the hotel's staff, a uniformed younger lad with a name tag indicating that he was a bellboy, retrieved the Brit's bags from the car's trunk and into the hotel lobby.

The island nation thanked the doorman once he was led towards the main desk where he was greeted by a receptionist. After a brief friendly conversation with the lady, the Englishman was permitted to carry his luggage himself and provided a key card to his room. Thanking the young woman, Arthur then made his way in the direction of the hallway where the lifts were located. The island nation took a moment to admire the older traditional fixtures and architecture of the hotel before pressing the button for the lift.

"Well, well look who's here." The heavily French-accented voice of his long-time rival made the Englishman whip his head toward the personification of France.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I'm obviously attending the conference as well." The Frenchman rolled his eyes as he stood beside the shorter blonde to wait for the lift before glancing at his companion. "Did Matthieu accompany you from the airport?"

"No." Arthur retorted as he entered the small space, and pressed the floor to his room before crossing his arms adamantly. "He's was going to wait for America, they will be sleeping at his home due to his delayed flight."

"Hmm." The Frenchman made a sound of an acknowledgement as he pressed the numbered button on the panel before leaning back on the lift's mirrored wall. "I assume you just came from the airport. The restaurant in the lobby is open late."

"I don't see why that’s any of your business where I eat." Arthur sarcastically replied as he glared at the other male in the small space before turning his attention to the blinking floor indicator.

"Just making a suggestion, Angleterre (England)."

A soft chiming sound filled the elevator before the doors slowly opened and the Frenchman stepped out. Arthur made a move to press the button to close the elevator doors, wanting to reach his own room quickly, when the older nation turned to him with a knowing smile on his handsome face.

"Vraiment, Angleterre (Really, England) …I suggest you try the Library Bar in the Lobby for dinner. "

With that, the doors closed and Arthur was meet by his own confused expression. His brows remained furrowed as he exited on his floor and found himself in front of his hotel room. Swiping the sleek card that had been provided to him, he heard the key card lock beep before twisting the knob open and stepping into the room.

Once within the room, England immediately turned on the lights before placing his suitcase beside the dressing table. The blonde immediately slipped off his suit jacket before walking over to the bathroom to refresh himself. Splashing a bit of cold water on his face the Brit reached for a nearby towel to dry himself off before taking a closer look at his reflection.

Noticing his messy hair, the Brit reached up in the hopes of taming his shaggy locks and stopping only when he was satisfied with his appearance. Quickly glancing at the watch on his wrist, Arthur quickly retrieved his jacket that was draped on the back of an armchair before exiting his room. Pressing the button, the blond placed his card in the back pocket of his trousers whilst waiting for the elevator. It only took a few moments for the elevator doors to come up and Arthur pressed the button for the lobby.

The Brit watched as the numbers on the floor indicator as the lift continued to descend. The soft sound of the bell echoed in the small space and Arthur turned towards the elevator doors that began to slowly open. It was then he saw a pair of familiar faces. Elizabeta Hedervary and Roderich Edelstein, the respective personifications of Hungary and the Republic of Austria stepped out of the lift together whilst greeting Arthur.

"Good Evening, England." The female smiled kindly at Arthur while Austria merely gave the shorter male a nod of his head. "Heading out for dinner?"

"Hungary. Austria." Arthur nodded as he returned the greeting while he exiting the elevator and making way for the two to enter. "I was just on my way to the hotel restaurant."

"Ah, yes. The food is quite delicious. I'm sure it will be to your liking." The Austrian supplied before squinting at the clock from across the hall.

"We shouldn't keep you, Arthur. I'm sure you must be famished." Elizabeta supplied as she noticed the discreet gesture from her companion, a sign that Roderich was exhausted from the day considering that they had both arrived at the hotel just a few hours before.

"Have a good evening, England." The bespectacled nation nodded towards the shorter blond as they entered the lift.

"Thank you. I wish you two a pleasant evening as well." Arthur gave the two a courteous smile before making his way towards the restaurant which was situated in the other side of the main lobby.

The calming atmosphere within the space was inviting and it only took a few seconds until the island nation was escorted by a hostess who had been managing the front desk reception. With a friendly smile, the female-led the Brit to a comfortable yet private table which was situated by the windows. Arthur thanked the young woman and taking this opportunity, the green-eyed country admired the classy interior of the restaurant.

Thankfully the ambiance allowed him to relax seeing that everything was according to his taste. The restaurant indeed looked exactly like an older library that can only be found in older buildings. Roman columns were littered in various parts of the large space and held up a wooden ceiling that had various intricate wooden carvings etched into them. The soft lighting, mahogany shelves and antiquated paintings that hung on the walls almost tricked the Brit into thinking that he was within his own home.

A serene smile crept over the blonde's face as his bright emerald orbs scanned the area, enjoying the aspect of people watching. The Brit continued to scan the crowd of restaurant-goers and almost missed a familiar face. Five tables down from his own sat an excellently dressed young woman who looked to be partaking dinner alongside two other females. Arthur could barely keep his face from contorting in disbelief as the realization hit him like a bucket of ice-cold water.

His thoughts were interrupted when a waiter approached his table and introduced himself before providing him the restaurant menu. It took a few moments for Arthur to blindly decide on a beverage and dish before the waiter left him to his own devices. Arthur immediately turned towards the glass window by his table to try and make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

After a few minutes of forcing himself to admire the rainy scenery, the blonde's thoughts were interrupted as the waiter approached his table once more, this time carrying a small basket of assorted slices of bread and the glass of water that he had asked for. The waiter shortly excused himself after inquiring if the blonde needed anything else for the time being.

Deciding to distract himself, the Englishman turned his attention towards his phone until his food arrived. The Brit forced himself to avoid glancing over to where the female was situated but, in the end, succumbed to taking an occasional glimpse over the screen of his phone. The last time the island nation had accidentally run into the female was over three years ago in the busy streets of London. He could not help but notice how little she had changed over the years, still retaining her roguish smile as her eyes crinkled in amusement. Emerald orbs silently admired the woman's relaxed form and the subtle way she carried herself in a manner that was both elegant and effortless.

Arthur pried his gaze away from the female as the finally noticed a waiter who was approaching his table, carrying a tray containing his dinner-- a serving of Ryh Apiary Ale Battered Cod with a side of Coleslaw and Chips. Thanking the young man who gave him a respectful nod of his head and to enjoy himself, Arthur began to partake in his dinner glancing over at the table a few meters away in a nonchalant manner.

He would be lying if breaking off their relationship had not affected him in the first few months of living by himself again. It had been a quiet affair and he could barely remember who had initially brought it up. Contrary to popular belief, there was no shouting or threats between the couple, only whispers of apologies and promises that were never kept.

The Englishman could briefly remember himself promising to try and stay in contact. In the end, the two drifted apart even further and unfortunately, being the personification of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Arthur barely had any time to wallow in sadness and instead threw himself into work, disregarding the heavy feeling in his chest.

Half an hour passed and during this time, the Brit's former flame made her way to the restaurant's bar. Moving towards one of the more discreet areas, the young woman made herself comfortable on a barstool after saying her farewell to her two companions. Feeling quite satisfied with dinner and tired, Arthur called for the bill.

Upon the waiter arriving at his table, the blonde reached for his wallet and the young man carefully place a small, clear glass of chilled whiskey-making the blonde do a double-take. Seeing the confused expression of his guest, the waiter discreetly leaned towards him, whispering in a low voice.

"It's alright, sir. The whole bill has been covered." Arthur could feel his brows furrowed in confusion before asking.

"May I ask who was kind enough to cover it?" The waiter nodded and discreetly motioned to the familiar female who could be seen nursing a glass of gin and tonic.

The Englishman could not help but feel tense as he nodded absentmindedly towards the waiter who took this moment to see to the other diners. Arthur tore his gaze from the figure by the bar towards the glass of whiskey in front of him. Lifting the cup with his fingers and swirling the beverage for a moment, the Brit eventually took a sip and before directing his gaze towards the woman across the room.

In those few seconds, everything out of his line of sight seemed a blur as both his and the female's eyes meet. The Brit felt tense ever so slightly as the woman shot him a reserved smile before tipping her half-filled glass towards him. Taking a sip of his own drink, ignoring the burning sensation of liquor down his throat, keeping a steady gaze on her.

He could see the slight smile on her painted lips as she tried to hide it behind the cool drink in her hand before turning to the bar. It must have been his tired mind, the alcohol or possibly the impish gleam in her eyes that compelled him to leave the comfort of his table, empty glass in hand.  Upon reaching the vacant seat beside the well-dressed woman, the blond nodded towards the bartended.

"Another glass, lad," Arthur spoke in a low voice making the individual beside him turn her head ever slightly in his direction, although not meeting his gaze. "I…would like to thank you for dinner."

"The pleasure was all mine…" It took a few more seconds until the female finally peered at the Englishman, smiling lazily.  "It's been a while, Arthur."

The island nation could not help but feel mystified from her gaze and he found himself questioning himself as to why he had approached her in the first place. England couldn't tell if the flush on her cheeks was from the alcohol or the delight of having her see him.  A chuckle escaped his companion as she shook her head at him, speaking only when the bartender left after fixing the Brit his drink. Finishing her drink, the female angled her body toward the green-eyed blonde, an indication that she had his attention for the rest of the evening.

.

.

.

[easyimagines]

Hello again! I'm still on a Prince Eugene kick and was wondering if I could request another story? Doc's still a prince but the princess he loves comes from a rival family, so it's very similar to Romeo and Juliet (sans everyone dying at the end tho) and only Spina and Babe know about the relationship? Hope you have a great day ahead! -Rachel 😊

I promise I didn’t forget about this blog. Things have been crazy the last couple of months. 

Warning: Mention of minor character suicide 

Eugene used to stick to himself. His only real friend was his cousin Ralf. Through Ralf, he gained a friend in a ginger-haired man called Babe. The twist with Gene’s friendship with Babe was that their families were in a feud.

The families had come to grudgingly accept the friendship. What the families didn’t know was they were sneaking each other into parties and feasts.

*****

Babe, Ralf, and Gene lounged on the balcony of Bab’s family mansion. Ralf and Babe happily gushed about their girlfriends. Gene listened and daydreamed a bit. “We should find a girl for Gene,” Ralph proposed.

That got Gene’s attention. “No worries over me,” he tried to dismiss. “Love ain’t somethin’ to be rushed. I reckon I’ll meet the right girl when timin’s right.”

Babe suddenly grinned, his eyes lighting up. “I know just the girl. I’m sorry I hadn’t thought of her sooner.” Babe grabbed Gene’s wrist and pulled him up from his seat and into the great hall.

“Who’re you thinking of?” Ralf joyfully followed at Babe’s side.

“My cousin, Y/N. You’ll love her, Gene. I know you will. Just you wait.”

“You stupid, Heffron? She’s the daughter-”

“And I’m the nephew. That didn’t stop us.” Babe stopped and turned to face Gene, gripping his shoulders. “They’ve got to drop their bullshit. Sometimes, children need to teach their parents.”

“So we stop sneakin’ each other inta parties an’ jus’ walk in.”

Ralph chuckled. “You’re stressing too much, Cous’.”

Gene sighed, knowing he was outnumbered. “Fine. Introduce me to your cousin.”

Babe grinned and started leading Gene to where he knew his cousin was hiding. “Y/N!” the ginger called out.

“Yes?” She looked up from her book and was shocked to see Babe all but charging toward her with a worried looking black-haired man being dragged at his heels. “Who’s your friend, Cousin?”

“This, Y/N, is my friend Eugene Roe. I thought you and he would get along.”

Y/N gently placed a hand on Babe’s forearm and Gene’s upper arm, leading them down the small hallway leading to the emergency exit.

“Eugene, it’s a pleasure to meet you, but-” she spun on her heel to face her still grinning cousin “-what are you thinking? Do you not understand what would happen if anyone other than you and Ralf saw us together?”

Babe’s smile faded slightly but not completely. “This feud’s been going on for generations, Y/N. It’s got to end somewhere. Why shouldn’t we be the ones to end it?”

Y/N looked between Gene and Babe with a sigh. “You’re right.” She flicked hair out of her eyes so she could get a better look at Gene. “He’s already kinder than the man Father wanted me to marry.”

*****

Eugene looked, constantly, where he was putting his and feet as he tried climbing up the tree outside Y/N’s window. Over the last could of months, they’d become lovebirds. They exchanged letters through Babe and spent as much time as possible together at the parties their families held. They always found somewhere to tuck away.

When Eugene got into Y/N’s room, she was seated on her bed, her back against the headboard, crying into her knees where her forehead rested.

“Y/N.” Gene rushed to her, kneeling beside her on the bed, and pulled her into a hug. “What happened?”

Y/N sniffled before trying to speak. “My father wants me to marry Paris.” The sobbing woman tightly gripped Gene’s sleeve, her knuckles going white. “I don’t- I love you. I can’t marry Paris, Gene.”

Eugene’s head spun and he had no idea on how to get them out of this. “There has to be a way we can get out of this. There has to be…”

Y/N perked up. “We fake my death. Ralph’s uncle, he’s not a Roe but a Spina. He’s a herbalist, right? There’s got to be something he can brew to make me appear dead.”

“We fake your death, I leave a letter declaring my love for you and grief of your death-”

“You can’t bear to be in the same town and we leave this one behind.” Y/N was no longer crying. Her eyes lit up with hope and joy.

Eugene grinned and cupped Y/N’s face in his hands, pressing his lips to hers. “I’ll talk to Spina first thing tomorrow. How much time do we have?”

“The end of the week.”

Gene’s breathe caught in his throat for a moment and was immensely relieved he’d thought to step in and see how she was in person. Who knows what would have happened otherwise?

***** The scream of Mrs. Y/L was heard nearly all over the block. Her pained scream and heart-wrenching sobs echoed through the home. 

She stormed to Mr. Y/L with fire in her eyes. “You’re at fault with this! This damned feud! It’s killed children of your parents, grandparents, and now your own. You knew the rumours to be true. You’d rather hold your ludicrous pride than see your daughter happy and truly loved. And you have the audacity to call yourself a father.” 

The cousins, aunts, nephews, and nieces who gathered at the news watched with awestruck faces. No-one had ever heard Mrs. Y/L yell with such ardour and hatred. 

“Had I known she’d do this,” Mr. Y/L started through grit teeth, “I’d have permitted their union.” That having been growled, the man retreated to his study and locked the door behind him.

Mrs. Y/L did her best to find Babe. He was the closest thing to a brother Y/N had and the whole clan knew it fully well. 

The ginger was sitting on the balcony, vacant eyes staring at nothing. He had the feeling, something deep in his heart, screaming for him to contact Eugene and demand what in the hell was going on. Mrs. Y/L sat across from Babe and gently rested her hand on his. His hand has long since fallen from his teacup; the tea now cold and lightly too strong because the bag was still in it.

“Edward?”

The ginger looked to his aunt with empty eyes. No tears lined the lids for his shock and remorse were too strong. 

“Did she say anything to you?” The woman’s voice was gentle, saddened.

“I introduced them; I knew they’d fall in love. We thought--it was my idea--we could end this feud with love and friendship instead of hate and violence. I never imagined Y/N would…” Babe sniffled and fought back tears. “I killed her.” 

Mrs. Y/L’s jaw dropped as tears finally fell from Babe’s eyes. “No, no, no. My boy, you’re so sweet. You were thinking of them. What was the boy’s name? Eugene?”

Babe nodded. “I’ll tell him about Y/N. After Rosalind… This’ll break him.”

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the house and everyone knew the master of the house was no more. 

Mrs. Y/L’s eyes hardened. “I’m ending this feud. Tomorrow.”

*****

Mrs. Y/L sat in a chair beside the preparatory bed her daughter was seemingly sleeping on. The mother held her little girl’s hand. Her eyes were far away, practically non-seeing as her mind wondered. Footsteps, soft ones, came and drew her attention. A young man, no older than 25, stopped like a deer in the headlights. His light eyes widened and he just stared at the matriarch of the Y/L clan. 

“You’re Eugene Roe, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I-”

“You’re welcome here, Son. Edward, my nephew, has told me of who you are and vouches for you.”

“Ma’am…” Gene trailed off, not really sure how to progress. “She’s...she’s not dead.”

“How couldn’t she be, Mr. Roe?” the woman was tired. 

Eugene looked at his watch. “10 mi’utes. She’s gonna wake up.”

“Boy, if you’re playing with me-”

“I’m not. I swear it.” He filled her on their plan.

“Did you explain this to Edward?”

“When he came to tell me she died, yeah. Is...is your husband really-”

“Yes. He shot himself.” She sighed. “We didn’t love each other. Never did. Just an arranged marriage between a couple of kids following our parents’ orders.”

Y/N’s finger twitched, then she drew a deep breath, her eyes still closed in slumber.

Mrs. Y/L gasped, a grin etched on her face, her eyes lighting up. “You weren’t lying.”

“I’m not in the habit o’ doin’ so.”

“You can marry her, Eugene. God as my witness, I am ending this nonsense feud with my husband gone. No more lives will be lost in a feud we’ve all forgotten the origins of.”

[ashtonandcalslefthand]

Checkmate (Prince!Cal AU) Part Three

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Mention of masturbation, sex.

Calum was enraged.

Elena, she had the pure audacity -- oh, the audacity! -- to do, to do -- oh, just thinking about it blinded him with fury! He would get her back, the plans were developing already as he resheathed his sword and stormed out of the training area, practically blind with ferocity.

To call him such a crude name in front of everyone was a dirty, treacherous trick and -- whether he liked it or not -- it was evil. It was smart. It outsmarted Calum, and he did not like being second best. He would give her his full wrath.

He marched down the hallway with fury in his heart, a smirk on his face, and a plan in his head. He was going to get Elena, his starlight-crafted, genius, cruel fiancee, back -- and he knew exactly how he was going to.

                                                             XxX

“I refuse!” Elena screeched. She hadn’t realized she’d stood up until a servant rushed up to her and stood her chair up behind her.  Seemingly,  she’d knocked the chair down. “I will not! My character objects! I will not permit such a vulgar plan!”

Her mother’s pale hand wrapped her father’s dark one in sharp contrast. Anyone else in the room could fall into the trap their stoic faces created, but Elena and Noah both saw how their mother’s hand tightened with every word spoken. 

Calum’s parents, however, were much calmer. While Elena’s knew she was in severe discomfort, it had been Calum’s idea. He stayed in a casual, almost serene, position in his chair, leaning back with one leg across the other, dangling loosely. He kept a straight face, but when Elena looked at him, he winked.

“Absolutely not!” 

“Elena,” Her mother started, delicately, “The Hoods are right.” Elena sat back down, defeated. Her mother had turned against her. There was no winning. “We need to show a significant relationship between you and Calum to the public, and a kiss during tomorrow’s event would be solid evidence.”

Elena didn’t want evidence. Elena wanted love -- true love, actual love. Before, she’d had a chance. Her brother was to marry Mali-Koa and all would be well. Except, Mali came out as a lesbian, deemed her brother’s child as her predecessor, and Calum strode out with his cigarettes and body wash and smart-mouth. And Elena was all that remained beside him. Besides her fiance.

Resigned, she sighed, looking down at the smooth fabric that glistened on her skin. “Fine.”

She blinked away the tears that pooled in her eyes before she stood up once more, walking out of the room. As soon as she left, a single tear fell onto the ground. No one else in the room could hear her as she burst into sobs, right beyond the wooden doors as the chatter continued and they decided her fate. 

The tears flowed like sand in an hourglass, each one wasting a little more of the free time she had left.

And then she ran.

Calum didn’t know why he didn’t feel better. He’d done exactly what he wanted to. He had won the upper hand, he had pulled the smarter strings, he had succeeded. And yet.

As the adults spoke, in whispers and yells, Calum twisted the rings that sat twisted upon his long, tan fingers. Why did he feel so vile? Why did his heart seem to crack at the sound of Elena’s voice? Was it because she didn’t want him the way he wanted her? -- not that he wanted her, of course! He would never. His taste was much better than settling for her. For her dark, haunting eyes and glowing, deep skin, luscious, shiny brown hair and her free, humbling smile. No, he would never.

And yet.

He’d expected Elena to retaliate somehow, come back at him with something just as witty -- if not wittier -- and make him hate her even further, but instead, she had run away from him with tears in her eyes and a scowl on her face. 

He stood abruptly from the table, but no one noticed. No eyes turned to him as he exited the room quietly, hiding in the shadows, hands in his pockets, and a confused frown on his face. No one except for Mali-Koa and Noah, who were having thoughts of their own.

                                                             XxX

Mali-Koa was beautiful. She had brown hair that curled, imitating a feather in a fairy-like way and eyes that could keep any lover awake for hours on end. Dressed in nothing but a dress and the moonlight, she was a goddess. She met Noah in the garden at night, as the clock struck ten. She sighed, turning. He wouldn’t meet her. She should have known.

Except that she ran into him as she turned for the door.

Noah was stunning. He had his father’s dark skin -- as his sister did -- and his father’s grey eyes, but he also had his mother’s golden curls. He glistened under the low light and Mali-Koa smiled at him. She did not love him, he did not love her, but Emma -- who was hiding behind a pillar -- didn’t know either of those facts. She only knew it was late, Noah had lied to her about where it would be, they were in each other’s arms, and she had tears running down her cheeks.

“Have you seen your sister?” Mali whispered, standing on her tiptoes, getting closer to his ear. “And the way she acts around him?” Noah didn’t need her to specify who she was talking about. He thought, suddenly, of her brother and how his eyes had followed Elena out of the room.

He bent down to her ear, “Have you seen your brother and the way he acts around her?” She pulled away from him slightly, looking at him with tragic, desperate joy. She nodded slowly and they both wordlessly turned to the door, walking through it. They would talk further in their rooms. Not that Emma -- who was furious -- would know that. She’d stopped her tears and clenched her fists and now, now was the time for her to stop being delicate. He had played her and Emma would have her revenge.

Elena had been in her room for the remainder of the day. The sun was already setting and she refused to see anybody. Her brother had come, her maids, her parents. She was a stubborn girl and when she was certain, she was immovable. And she was certain this was cruel.

As the sky turned green, blue, navy, black, her door opened. Without turning she snapped, “I said no visitors.” As heavy steps commanded her attention, she turned her head. 

Following behind him was Amelia, a different maid of hers, “I’m so sorry, Your Majesty! He snuck past us -- I’ll send him out!” Elena’s critical thinking watched as the scene played out before it, not daring to interfere.

Elena spoke, softly this time, holding up her hand in a calm motion, “No,” She cocked her head to the side, observing Calum and how oddly angry he seemed. “This one can stay.” Amelia stood, stared at both of them slack-jawed before turning back to her princess with wide eyes.

“Your majesty?“

“I said-“ Elena cut herself off, inhaling deeply before continuing, “I said, this one can stay. Leave us.” With a hesitant bow and a furrowed brow, the maid left. And then the lovebirds were alone.

They stared at each other, semi bewildered, semi furious. “Well?” Elena asked, interrupting the silence rudely. “What, may I ask, are you doing in my chambers -- if not to ruin my life further.” 

The sky blinked with stars at them, startled by the lover’s quarrel that went on down beneath it. Calum was just as shocked. “Ruin your life?” He scoffed, “I simply made a suggestion for the betterment of our people!”

Elena scoffed this time as she rolled herself off the bed. She moved quickly in nothing but a loose, sheer nightgown. She was so enraged that she didn’t notice the blush that tinted her fiance’s cheeks red. “Oh, please! You’re simply cross that I outwitted you in our duel!”

Calum was upon her before the final word had parted her lips, she was pressed between the cold, hard wall and him. She shivered and he loved it. “Nervous, princess?” He asked, leaning closer to her ear, breath chilling her spine.

“The wall is cold, you buffoon!” She whispered up at him through barred teeth and her stiff lies. He didn’t press against her but they both felt the sexual tension that lingered in the inch of space between them -- if they were attracted to each other, of course! Neither of them would ever sink that low, the thoughts that roamed their minds were those of if they did. 

“You tricked me -- it was no use of wit at all!” He said to her, not quite yelling, not quite speaking, not quite whispering. Her perfume and shampoo made him so dizzy that he couldn’t tell what he was doing. And having her lips so close to him, oh! it was pure torture. If only he were interested in her, obviously.

“Really?” She didn’t realize she was standing on her toes to look him in the eyes until he blinked at her. She was so intoxicated -- infuriated, she meant -- by him that nothing but her racing heartbeat registered in her mind. “I think it was a perfect use of wit,” He could hear her saying it before the word left her mouth, but it still sent a shot of adrenaline through him when she did.

“Daddy.”

He pressed himself fully against her and her light nightgown and growled in her ear, “Think that’s funny, do you?” Elena’s grin faded with the change in tone. This was not the joking manner she was used to, “Think that you can just-”

Before Calum could finish his sentence, a squeal came from the doorway. Calum was rather glad, he didn’t know what was about to stumble out of that damned mouth of his but he was certain he didn’t want Elena to find out.

His conscious tugged him away from Elena’s body -- which he didn’t notice was practically quivering -- as he turned to see the small framed maid. He bowed slightly to her before he rushed out the door. 

Wordlessly, Elena pulled herself from the wall -- which was significantly colder without Calum’s body heat. Silently, as if she’d gone mute, she walked back to her bed and wedged herself between the silky fabrics and closed her eyes.

If she fell asleep, she could be sure that the encounter wasn’t another dream of hers.

Calum was furious -- he usually was when Elena was involved, he found. Not only had he not gotten around to what he was going to say, but he had almost said something, something ludicrous! The words had so nearly fallen off of his tongue when he was graciously saved by that maid of Elena’s.

Oh, how close she had been! He was a breath away from her lips, he could have knelt forward and kissed her lips. Calum caught himself wondering how soft they would be, how they would feel, when he pulled himself out of his very own fantasy -- a foolish one, at that.

The hallway rushed past him as he awaited his room. How soft would her hair be in his hands? How would her moans sound as they echoed around the room, all for him? No, that was a silly thought, he told himself. Still, as he entered his own room, the thoughts spiralled through his head, the possibilities of what he could do with her, to her.

As he reached his bed, he couldn’t help himself. His hand found its way down the front of his own pants. How would she look, on her knees for him? How would her eyes enlarge when she saw it? -- no, she wouldn’t do that. What snarky remark would she say? Oh, how he would make her regret it.

Calum looked around his room briefly, making sure, certifying, that he was alone before he tossed his clothes quickly to the side. He could dream about her again later. For now, he could make his dream become a semi-reality. As a moan left his lips and his head rolled back, he had a worrisome thought. 

He pushed it back, he would deal with it later, tomorrow, where all his problems would await him. For now-- however -- it was all about him, it was all about her. It was always about her.

Tag List: @angelbabylu @5sosnsfw @bloodmoonashton @claredolphinbear24  @rainingcal @cal-pal-cuddles  @rosecoloredash @heartbreak-5sos @grreatgooglymoogly

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[They may or may not kiss next chapter...]

[iliketowrite1996]

Tying Shoelaces and New Faces part 9

 TRIGGER WARNINGS AND THEMES- SINGLE PARENTHHOOD, LIES, ILLUSIONS OT ONE NIGHT STANDS, MENTIONS OF DIVORCE

Intomba- ‘’Daughter’’ in Xhosa.

‘’Nah, man. Can’t babysit tonight. Got plans,’’ Erik tells T’Challa, and from the noise coming from his side during their phone call, T’Challa can tell that his cousin is moving something around.

   ‘’Oh? What do you have planned, N’Jadaka,’’ T’Challa inquires curiously.

   ‘’Plans,’’ his cousin says flatly, because he truly is a turd.

   ‘’N’Jadaka.’’

   ‘’I got a date with his girl. Fine as heck, chill as can be. It’s gonna be great.’’

   ‘’Ohhh, so you’re going on a date,’’ T’Challa smirks.

   ‘’Aye, man, wipe that goofy looking smirk off ya face. It ain’t even like that.’’

   ‘’N’Jadaka, you haven’t been on an actual date in two years. Now all of a sudden you have plans with someone? She must be special.’’

   There’s a momentary pause before N’Jadaka breathes on the other side.

   ‘’She is, man. I’m just tryna see where this goes, ya know?’’

   T’Challa knows very well.

   No one knows, but he’s really excited about his first date with you. So excited, in fact, that he realizes he hasn’t felt this way since Nakia.

   It’s odd feeling now, but it is certainly not unwelcomed by him.

   ‘’You’ll have to tell me about it at dinner tomorrow,’’ he insists, ‘’I’ve tot go to. I’m taking Autumn on our weekly Saturday daddy-daughter time.’’

   ‘’Sounds good, man. Tell Little Bit I love her. I’ll see you tomorrow.’’

   The cousins say their ‘’Goodbyes before T’Challa heads off to Autumn’s room, where he finds his babygirl still dressed in her pajama and staring at her clothes, little finger tapping against her chin.

   ‘’What are you doing, intomba?’’

   ‘’Trying to decide on an outfit.’’

   She currently has her cranberry, corduroy cardigan with the pink turtleneck and tights, her overalls with the multicolored sweater, and her jeans with her black turtleneck, with pink flowers embroidered on it.

   ‘’Hmm, can I help?’’

   ‘’Of course, baba!’’

   ‘’Why don't you wear this dress tomorrow to dinner,’’ he points to the outfit, ‘’And you can wear this overall outfit right now.’’

   ‘’Sounds good!’’

   ‘’Great! Now, go get washed up and come back so I can help you get changed.’’

   Getting Autumn Elizabeth Udaku ready is a process.

   First he sends her to wash up.

   Then he sends her back because she definitely did not do to the first time.

   Then he helps her get dressed.

   Then he does her hair.

   This is the department that is trickiest for him. His hair is thick, but it’s cropped short. He moisturizes it and gets it cut every so often and keeps it moving.

   Autumn has length and thickness of her hair. When down, in its curls, it grazes her shoulder.

   So T’Challa just usually pulls it into a bun, and Erik does it for his baby cousin when he can.

   Right now, he’s sliding rain boots onto her little feet, ready to head out for their day of adventures.

   ‘’Put your coat on,’’ he tells her, dusting off his jeans from where she had her foot before sliding his own shoes on.

   The dynamic duo are out of the door fairly quickly, all things (Autumn taking forever) considered.

   T’Challa always takes her through the park if the weather permits. It’s nearly November and it is cold, but the sun is shining so he does so.

   Autumn kicks the leaves as she has done every single day that he’s taken her to school this week, picking up her favorite ones and placing them into her little bag.

   ‘’Baba, where are we going?’’

   ‘’To the children’s museum. They have a new exhibit that I believe you will like,’’ T’Challa informs his daughter, stopping to pick her up and place her on his hip so that he can carry her.

   ‘’Yay! Is it about movies?’’

   She’s bringing it up because he watched two movies with her last night, to make up for cutting move night a bit short last week because of his date.

   T’Challa doesn’t regret the date. Not in the slightest.

   But Autumn Elizabeth Udaku will  always come first, and he knows that you’ve already accepted that.

   Maybe that’s why he finds himself already falling for you.

   ‘’Actually, yes! It’s about some old movies that your grandpa and I used to watch together,’’ T’Challa confirms.

   His little girl is practically buzzing with anticipation as they reach the ticket booth and he buys three tickets.

   Confusions sets into her soft features as she counts the tickets and then herself and T’Challa.

   ‘’Why is there one more?’’

   ‘’Because Auntie Shuri wanted to spend time with her favorite niece!’’

   Autumn squeals as she turns to find her Auntie behind her, reaching out for her as she does so.

   T’Challa elts his little girl leave his arms as Shuri holds her close, pressing a kiss to her smoothed back curls, ‘’Look at you! You’ve grown so much!’’

   ‘’Baba says I’m getting taller every day,’’ the little girl beams proudly, showing off her tooth gap, ‘’Someday I will be as tall as him.’’

   T’Challa watches fondly as two of his favorite young women catch up, Shuri carrying the four-year-old into the museum.

   Autumn absolutely adore the exhibit, especially the one about the musical she used to watch with her bhabi in rainy days.

   ‘’Do you like that one,’’ Shuri had asked her niece after getting permission to take a picture of the young girl in front of the exhibit.

   Autumn nods enthusiastically, eyes wide with curiosity and the need to explore.

   She looks so much like Nakia when she does that, that T’Challa can see how she truly is a perfect blend of their personalities and features.

They exit the exhibit an hour after they arrive, T’Challa holding one of Autumn's hands as Shuri holds the other.

The little girl is enthralled with playing with the sand at the ‘’Dinosaur Exhibit’’ when Shuri turns to her brother.

‘’Who’s the girl?’’

T’Challa turns to her with wide eyes, ‘’W-what?’’

‘’You’re grinning all goofy and lovesick-like. Who’s the girl? There obviously is one,’’ Shuri shrugs, tossing her braids over her shoulder.

‘’What do you know,’’ T'Challa raises an eyebrow at his younger sister.

‘’More than you,’’ she mirrors his expression.

‘’Just someone I’ve been on one date with. We are meeting up again tonight,’’ he tells her, because there truly is no point arguing with Shuri.

‘’I see. Do baba and mother know?’’

‘’No, and I’d like to keep it that way,’’ he stresses, ‘’Until I see if something is going to come of it.’’

He really hopes that something does, but he won’t tell her that.

‘’Ahh, forbidden love,’’ she nods sagely, as if she has the wisdom of an elderly woman,’’Been there?’’

‘’Shuri, what?’’

‘’I’m kind of seeing this guy from my class. He’s really wet, really smart. Kind of a dork. Has a thing for old pop culture references.’’

‘’Do our parents know,’’ T’Challa questions, training his eyes back on Autumn.

‘’Mother does. Baba does not. Not yet, at least. You know how he can be.’’

‘’Protective,’’ T’Challa nods with a sigh.

‘’Yeah, that,’’ she shakes her head, ‘’I don’t want to hear it from him now. It would make things complicated.’’

That’s part of why T’Challa has not told N’Jadaka about his dates with you. The fewer people that know,t he better for the two of you.

Why invite the outside mess in before you know if there is going to be any business for them to even get into?

‘’Your secret's safe with me, brother. But I say we go get my niece and grab an early dinner. I’m hungry.’’

T'Challa thanks his baby sister with a smile before the pair retrieves Autumn and head out, looking for a kid-friendly restaurant to enjoy.

They settle on a pizza place, and Shuri is wiping Autumn’s face with a napkin as T'CHalla receives a text from you.

‘’Can’t wait for tonight! Dress casually, wear something you don't’ care  messing up’’

Thank goodness for Shuri being able to babysit Autumn tonight.

He can’t imagine where you’re taking him, but he knows that it'll be great because he’ll be with you.

He looks to Autumn, who is giggling as she and Shuri blow bubbles in their drink, because he can’t take them anywhere.

‘’Eh, stop that,’’ he chuckles at the two.

He has a great baby sister, wonderful daughter, and a date with you to look forward to.

Could this day get any better?

The day could not get any better form that moment, but it certainly did get awkward.

T’Challa found out that you wanted to go play paintball. That’s cool.

You bring along Sanaa and wait for her date. Alright.

Her date is N’Jadaka Udaku himself, who is looking at T’Challa like he’s struggling to put the pieces together.

   When you return from the bathroom to join them, he does.

   ‘’We gon’ talk later,’’ he says, shooting T'Challa a look before putting on his gear.

   It’s you and T'Challa against him and Sanaa, and you have a blast. Erik and Sanaa are a match, because they both break into the same happy dance and are already finish each other's sentences.

   ‘’So,’’ Erik turns to his cousin as you and Sanaa head to the bathroom before you all leave to go get dinner, ‘’You finally asked Little Bit’s teacher out.’’

   His tone and expression are both unreadable, so T'Challa treads lightly, carefully.

   ‘’Yes…’’

   A bright grin spreads across N’Jadaka’s face, and T’Challa feels relief washing over him like water, ‘’THAT’S MAH BOY.’’

   ‘’Keep your voice down, N’Jadaka!’’

   ‘’Look At my little cousin, man, taking chances and going on dates and getting numbers.’’

   ‘’I am literally a month younger than you, N’Jadaka.’’

   ‘’Don’t care, man,’’ Erik shrugs as he sees it and Sanaa returning, ‘’We gon’ talk about this some more later.’’

   It’s communicated only through a hand pat on the back, but N’Jadaka supports him. So the fact that another important person in his life supports this enough.

   T’Challa don't miss the fact that N’Jadaka sends him a smirk when he notices you intertwining your finger with his.

   He has his hand on your knee during dinner, gripping tightly as you two finish your food.

   ‘’Erik and I are gonna hit up a party. Don’t wait up,’’ Sanaa hugs you before turning to T’Challa and shaking his hand, ‘’Bye, T’Challa. It was nice to meet you.’’

   ‘’Likewise, Sanaa,’’ he states before looking to Erik, ‘’I will see you tomorrow, N’Jadaka.’’

   ‘’See you, man. Catch you later.’’

   Sanaa and Erik walk off, and you somehow doubt that, even if nothing major happens, she’ll be home tonight.

   T’Challa grabs your hand again, pressing a kiss to the back of it as he guides you to the car.

   The car ride to your apartment is filled with laughter and chatter as you to rehash tells of your time playing paintball.

   ‘’N’Jadaka is his real name. Erik is the name he uses with new people and in school sometimes. Plus, it was easier for Shuri to say ‘Erik’ when she was younger, and now it’s easier for Autumn to say it.  If he likes you and trusts you, though, he lets you call him ‘N’Jadaka’.’’

   ‘’Good to know,’’ you nod, admiring their close relationship.

   ‘’Still mad at you.’’

   You gape at the handsome man, ‘’What did I do?!’’

‘’That girl, Annabelle.., yeah, we never should have let her join our team! We should've gone with her brother,’’ T’Challa shakes his head amused.

   ‘’She actually shoot paintballs at me, like, girl! We are on the same team! We just lost!’’

   ‘’Can we please discuss how N’Jadaka and Sanaa’s dance is the Cabbage Patch? Like, why is that both of their go-to dance?’’

   ‘’Because they are a match made, T’Challa,’’ you giggle.

   He sombers up a bit, eyes trained on the road,and you worry if you said the wrong thing.

   ‘’They really are. He seems happy. This was god for him, ‘’T'Challa says as he pulls into the parking lot of your apartment complex.’’

   He pulls into a parking spot, turning off the car and pulling the key out of the ignition.

   ‘’So… I really like you,’’ T’Challa says, turning to you.

   ‘’I really like you, too, T’Challa.’’

   ‘’I’m not… I don’t want to rush into anything. I can’t afford to. Not with Autumn,’’ T’Challa reminds you.

   ‘’I know. I don’t, like… I don’t want to rush into this, either. It’s just not me, I can’t go fast,’’ you agree with him.

   ‘’I would really like to see you again,’’ T’Challa says earnestly.

   ‘’I’d like to see you again, too.’’

   ‘’Great! We can work it out for next weekend sometime. Um… can I kiss you again?’’

   You nod, and he leans in, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips like he did eight days ago.

   For some reason, the spark ignites a fire that burns inside you, and it is a fire of bravery. That is why you ask him: ‘’Do you want to come up?’’

   He nods, knowing that Autumn is safe and sound at his parent’ house.

   He has one thing he never seems to have enough of during the day: time.

   T'Challa won’t lie and act like he doesn’t want to spend it with you.

   ‘’I don’t want to, like… I don’t want you to think that…’’

   You trail off, trying to find the right words as ou fish for you keys.

   ‘’We don’t have to do anything. We can just talk. I just want to spend time with you.’’

   It’s softly spoken and sweetly stated,a node nothing but fan the flames of bravery that are rushing inside of you.

   So here you go.

   You talk.

   And talk.

   And talk.

   You discuss past relationships. How you haven't had someone since last year that you could just talk to like this.

   He tells you about his divorce and being a single dad.

   He loves her so, so rich that it makes you realize how truly they adore each other.

   He tells you more about Wakanda as you tell him more about your hometown, groin up, and your college years.

   His hand rests on your shoulder, playing with the fabric of your sweatshirt as you do so.

   And it’s nice, because you trust him. It has only been short while since you met, but there’s something about this man that you can’t quite explain.

   It’s just… nice.

   It’s twelve in the morning when he stands, grabbing his coat as you walk him to the door.

   ‘’Can I kiss you,’’ you ask this time.

   He chuckles and nods, pressing his lips to yours for the second time that night.

   This kiss is different, though. It deepens ,and suddenly his hands are in the pockets of your ripped,faded jeans as he lies across the couch, you on top of him. His lips are warm and full as they move against yours, and the only sounds are soft groans and the sounds of you two kissing.

   It’s hot and it’s passionate. This is not love, but it’s stronger than infatuation

   With a start, you realize what it is: potential.

   Potential for a relationship that could be well worth the leap you’d have to take.

Into possibly getting your heartbroken.

Into this not working out.

Into this being something beautiful.

He moans into the kiss, bringing you out of your thoughts.

He hasn’t been kissed like that in ages.

‘’That was amazing,’’ you breathe out as you sit up so that he can't stand up.

‘’It was,’’ he kisses you once more, letting your lips move together for a few more seconds, ‘’But I must get home.’’

You stand to let him out then, a final goodbye kiss punctuating the last sentence in the story of your second date.

You go to sleep with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your stomach.

Across the city, T’Challa does the same thing.

Something was born tonight: potential.

Potential for something great, a for a good and healthy relationship that the both of you deserve.

It’s up to you to grow that potential into a reality.

But based on the goodnight text and third date idea he just sent you before you went to sleep…

You have no worries about that being a problem.

DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN MARVEL CHARACTERS OR THEIR FICTIONAL WORLDS, UNIVERSES, OR COUNTRIES. 

@ashanti-notthesinger​ @destinio1​ @afraiddreamingandloving​ @starsshines-blog​ @airis-paris14​ @syreanne​ @chaneajoyyy​ @90sinspiredgirl​ @shemiahsmelanin @zillmonger @skysynclair19 @bidibidibombaclaat @marvelpotterlove @constantlycravingtheunknown @imaginewhoever @wakanda-inspired @pocmarvelworks @theunsweetenedtruth @dreampovx

[bananachickens]

Selfish for once

What Happens when a married Emma Cassidy falls in love with another man ? What happens when Killian finally finds the woman he's willing to push aside honor for ? Roughly inspired by Anna Karenina

Ratings : M

Also on FF.net and AO3

Chapter : 1/?

Chapter 1

Emma rushed into her husband's office, interrupting his work. “I need to go to Misthaven as soon as possible, my brother and Snow have gotten into a serious argument and he's pleading me to intervene” Unable to give her his full attention, her husband continued his revue of the document he was handed by his assistant as he waited for him to sign it “How long will you be gone my dear ?”

“I believe I won't need to be away for more than a few weeks, I have asked for my luggage to be readied and I should be able to leave tomorrow” Emma stated resolutely.

Lowering the report he was reading, he asked everyone present in the room to give them a couple of minutes and closed the large wooden doors “ So soon ?” he looked at her shocked and puzzled.

“I did say I needed to leave soon, Neal” Emma answered, a witty smile on her face.  

“Did you tell Henry ?”

“I did, and he'd like to accompany me and see his cousin in Misthaven” she said her heart full of hope.

Neal considered her request “ I don't think it's a good idea Emma, I cannot permit it, the boy needs to follow his tutor's lessons more thoroughly, and as I do recall, an exception was made not that long ago and it's for that reason that I have to insist on him staying”

Huffing and staring at the floor for a moment, Emma looks back at him and nods “I know you're right, but that makes me very unhappy”

“It will only be a few weeks, you said so yourself ” Neal smiles at her before opening the door and letting everyone back in.

Emma married Neal at eighteen when he was 38, giving him a son soon after. Although their marriage was one of convenience, she developed affection for him and didn't consider herself as an unhappy wife but rather as a lucky one, for at least she got along well with him and liked to consider him as a friend despite their age difference. Most of her friends and acquaintances had married or remarried out of convenience, for wealth or for a title. She could count those who married out of love on one hand and her brother  was one of them.  

**

“ Et ici ? ” (and here ?) Liam asked the maid as he kissed her neck. She hummed in approval, urging him to move lower, which he did. Kissing her shoulder and continuing his journey down while his hand lifted her skirts, his hand touching her naked thighs and moving upwards.

Regaining her wits, the maid stopped his hand “ Monsieur, votre mère ne va pas tarder à rentrer, je ne veux pas qu'elle nous surprend dans cette position” (Sir, you're mother will be back soon, I don't want her catching us like this)

“Ne t'en fait pas, son train n'arrivera pas avant ce soir, c'est surtout de mon frère dont on devrait ce méfier, mais il n'est pas encore à la maison” (Don't worry, her train won't be back before tonight, we should rather fear my brother, but he's still not home) he said waiting for her to make up her mind.

“Ne l'est-il pas ?” (isn't he ?) Killian said pushing the curtain they were hiding behind back and giving them both the fear of their lives.  

Excusing herself, the maid ran away embarrassed and hoping no one else finds out about the dalliance.

“ Did you really need to do that Killian ?” Liam sighed in frustration at his brother's behaviour before rubbing his face with his hands and taking a deep breath. “You almost killed the poor thing in embarrassment”

“ Should have thought about this possibility before initiating anything behind the curtains in the library, anyone could have came in and heard her moans, she's lucky I'm the one who interrupted you. Were it anyone else, she surely would have lost her position”. Despite his popularity with women, Killian was not a man too fool around. He was what his older brother liked to say an “honorable man” who valued good form above all, when he himself has abandoned it long ago. Still, Killial couldn't believe his brother's foolish behaviour.

He had seen him act recklessly before but it seems like the more he grew up the more reckless he became, almost defiant. He liked to break social norms and never cared about his reputation, thankfully he had a brother and a father willing to do anything or pay any amount of money to hush down any rumor or scandal he was part of, not only for their sake, but also for their mother's sake, who still saw her sons as her cute little boys who could never do wrong.

“ What do you want Killian ? Did you interrupt us for a purpose or just for the sake of interrupting ?” Lian said moving from behind the curtain and sitting on a comfortable chaise in front of the fireplace. Killian followed him “ No, I was actually looking for you. I believe mother would want to go to the Opera tonight before Regina's reception, will you join us ?” his mother loved the opera and ballet and she would always take her boys with her when she would go as they grew up.  

“ Of course” he said without a second thought. “What about father ?” he asked already knowing the answer. Killian sighed looking at him, and it was the only confirmation he needed.

“He said he'll attend Regina's reception though,”

“Wonderful, I can't wait” Liam said sarcastically before leaving the room with an ironic bow to his brother.

**  

Nearing the city, Emma stared at the little portrait of Henry she always kept with her, she already felt like she missed him. Emma could not believe he was 10 already, time passed so quickly. She loved her son above all, sometimes she felt like he was the only one in the world to truly understand her, and she him. They both craved adventure and knowledge, and they both felt out of place in the small town where they lived.

“That's my son, Henry, it's the first time I leave Glenheaven without him” Emma handed the portrait to the lady sitting in front of her on the train. She looked at the portrait and smiled affectionately, “he's such a handsome young man, you must be proud of him.”

“I am, he just turned 10 last June and he already acts and thinks like a grown up.” Emma could not believe he was 10 already, time passed so quickly. “ I'm sorry I haven't presented myself, I'm Countess Emma Cassidy”

“I'm Princess Alice Jones.” she bowed her head gracefully at Emma. “ I am actually joining my sons in Misthaven, I expect an engagement might be in order soon” The lady smiles excitedly before adding “I don't believe I have seen you before dear”

“I rarely go to Misthaven I'm afraid”

“That's a shame, I'm sure Misthaven society would be fond of you”

Time passed by quickly as the two ladies talked about their sons, literature and their travels around Misthaven and the Enchanted Forest. Countess Cassidy told her about her Henry's fascination with fairy tales and mythology and Princess Jones shared stories about her sons growing up.

When the time came to leave the train, the two women embraced. “Well I hope we get to meet again soon Miss Cassidy” Alice said before exiting the wagon. Feeling cold, Emma closed her white fur coat and looked through the window for her brother but instead found herself staring at Alice as she joined a young man she assumed was one of her sons. Turning around, the man's blue eyes caught hers and wouldn't let go for what seemed like eternity, but was actually 5 seconds.  

“Emma ! Oh how I missed you little sister” startled, she turned around and saw David running to her, squeezing her with all his strength before letting her go. “I can't believe you actually came, it's been so long ! Too long” recovering from her surprise, Emma smiled genuinely at her brother.  

“I wish I could have came sooner brother” Emma said, regaining her breath after being nearly chocked. She really loved spending time with her brother and her sister in law, Snow. It was always a pleasure seeing them and their son, Leopold. “How is Snow and Leo ? Are you still not talking ?”

“I'm afraid she still won't talk to me, she doesn't appreciate my decision to join the army in the prospect of an impending war” David looked preoccupied, he understood his wife's objection was based on her fear to lose him, had he been in her place he would have reacted the same, however he had to think of his country and his duty.

“War ? David” Emma kicked him on the shoulder “ Why are you joining this foolishness ?”

“Emma, I can't just sit around and wait for Arthur to invade our Country”

“No David, but you could have contributed to the war effort by any other mean, you could have made a donation or built a hospital for the injured” Emma felt a mixture of disappointment, pride and concern. She never doubted her brother's bravery – she saw it first hand when she foolishly jumped in the freezing water to save a little boy from dawning and he jumped to rescue the both of them, saving her and catching a cold that almost took his life at only 13 – but she couldn't deny that his will to save his country and countrymen will undeniably result in the death of some other.

“Leo is excited to see you, he has been asking about you and Henry a lot lately, says he can't wait to show you how grown up she is no” David changed the subject as Emma climbed with him in the carriage, and she decided to let it drop for now.

[minhoslut]

♡ summary: Since long ago the seven kingdoms of Lentavia have worked together as one, sharing their resources and prospering because of it. Each kingdom has its own prince, each a beautiful man who rules fairly, caring for their people and distributing their resources amongst the kingdoms. The seven of them are much like brothers, having grown up together in their joint castles that sit in the middle of the island. They are free to rule as they please and do what they wish, as long as it is harmonious within the kingdoms. They must, however, follow one rule. At age 26 they must marry a person of their choosing in order to fully take the throne and become a king. The eldest prince, Seokjin, is 2 days from the date he must choose his betrothed and has yet to even suggest someone as an option.

♡ pairing: Kim Seokjin x fem!reader

♡ chapter: 1 | 2 | ? |

♡ series warnings: blood mention, injury mention, swearing, anxiety, death mention, depression

♡ series genre: fluff, smut, slight angst

♡ series rating: Mature

♡ word count: 1760

♡ posted on: AO3

♡ chapter one: cabin in the woods

Since long ago the seven kingdoms of Lentavia have worked together as one, sharing their resources and prospering because of it. Each kingdom has its own prince, each a beautiful man who rules fairly, caring for their people and distributing their resources amongst the kingdoms. The seven of them are much like brothers, having grown up together in their joint castles that sit in the middle of the island. They are free to rule as they please and do what they wish, as long as it is harmonious within the kingdoms. They must, however, follow one rule. At age 26 they must marry a person of their choosing in order to fully take the throne and become a king. The eldest prince, Seokjin, is 2 days from the date he must choose his betrothed and has yet to even suggest someone as an option.

“Jin you know you’ve got to choose someone! You could have anyone you wish, I’m sure they’d say yes.” Jimin said as he fixed his silver hair in the mirror. “Ugh, I know that Jimin. But that’s just it! None of them truly want to know me! They just want the riches, the power, or my good looks.” Jin said with a sigh, casting himself across the couch dramatically, a hand across his forehead. “How about I bring some suitors in for you to meet?” Namjoon suggested from his seat across from the couch. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt, but don’t bring anyone weird!” Seokjin said sending a look in Namjoons direction, reminded of the other times his friends had attempted to set him up with someone.

“I’ll have them come by in the morning then!” Namjoon said with a clap of his hands, standing up and heading back to his sector of the castle, probably to notify the so-called suitors. Seokjin stood up as well and went over to Jimin, pressing a kiss to his cheek before bidding him farewell and heading to his side. Truth be told Jin was fairly certain he wouldn’t be picking anyone Namjoon suggested, and once he reached his room he began searching his closet for an outfit. Since he had to pick someone tomorrow he might as well just go for a walk in the afternoon and marry whoever he came across. It’s not like he had never been looking but, no one ever seemed to want to know the real him, they only cared for his status and ended up treating him, well, like royalty. It was annoying and frankly, Jin believed there wasn’t someone out there who he was meant to be with.

Running a hand through his black locks, he looked out over his kingdom. It was hard to believe that he was actually coming of age, and really was going to marry somebody. Turning away from the window, he began stripping his clothes and headed to his ensuite to run a bath. Sinking into the cherry blossom scented bubbles, he tried to forget his responsibilities for just ten minutes and relaxed his muscles. It must have been very relaxing as next thing he knew someone was knocking at the bathroom door. “Your majesty? Are you going to be dining with the others?” The voice called. “Yes, yes! I’ll be there shortly.” “Of course, your majesty.” Jin stepped out of the bath and toweled himself off before slipping into some blue silk pajamas. It wasn’t a formal dinner anyway and he couldn’t be bothered to get dressed only to change into sleepwear a few hours later.

“Ah! He finally graces us with his appearance.” Jungkook called gleefully when Seokjin entered the dining hall. “Shut up! You’re lucky I even dine with you.” Jin said sticking his tongue out at the youngest prince, who quickly returned the favour. “Neither of you act your age.” Yoongi said shaking his head at the two of them. “Whatever~” They said in unison, as Jin sat in his chair. Jin opted to listen to the younger boys talk about their day instead of speaking himself. He was tired of the marriage thing and was afraid it would be brought up if he spoke of his day. Taehyung put his hand on Jins hand under the table and gave it a squeeze, sending him a comforting look. Taehyung could always tell when Jin was in a funk and always gave some kind of warmth to let him know he was there. Jin returned his look with a small smile and a mimicked squeeze of his hand.

When everyone had finished dinner Jin opted to retire early, giving each boy a hug and kiss on the cheek before heading back to his room. Tucked into his bed, he tried to keep his worries about tomorrow out of his mind. It seemed to be a failing battle as the minute he shut his eyes the anxiety flooded in. How was he going to pick the person he was to live with the rest of his life within 24hrs? Yes, he technically had had 26 years but he wasn’t ready to choose! Traditions could suck his dick if he was being honest. Tomorrow was a disaster already and it hadn’t even begun.

~

After a completely not restful night, Seokjin dragged himself out of bed and slipped on a light blue silk shirt and some fitted black slacks, a diamond choker made it fancy and showed off his status . It was a trick of sorts to see if anyone would treat him differently, just because of the elegant look. Sighing, he pushed the hair out of his face and made his way to the dining hall to have some breakfast before Namjoon brought in the suitors. Jimin and Jungkook were seated at the table when he came in, eating some pastries and chatting happily.

“Hello~” Jin sang as he took a seat for himself, grabbing a scone and digging in. “Seokjin! Are you excited to meet the suitors? Namjoon says they’re all really pretty!” Jungkook said, sounding much happier about the whole thing then Jin did. “Ah, I suppose…” Jin mumbled, focusing on his food instead of going deeper into the question. Jimin elbowed Jungkook, “Not everyone is dying to pick a partner Jungkook!” He scolded the younger boy, making him pout. “It’s alright Jimin, he can be excited, at least one of us is...” Seokjin said, assuring Jimin it was ok with a wave of his hand.

They moved on to some other casual topics and soon everyone had joined them at the table, except for Namjoon, who was apparently collecting the suitors. Jin tried to engage and not seem anxious but time was just ticking by as they sat here. Eventually, everyone had eaten their fill and the servants began to clear the dishes. Jin stood up, giving a shake of his arms in an attempt to forcefully remove the anxiety from his body. It didn’t help. “Jin! Everyone is ready in the hall.” Namjoon called as he came into the room, a bright smile on his face. “Alright, lead the way Joon.” Seokjin said with a deep breath.

Namjoon hadn’t been lying when he told Jungkook the suitors were pretty, the eight people he found in the main hall were stunning. But as he greeted each of them, the idea of marrying any of them faded quickly. The look in their eyes of idolization was common, the compliments and flirty gestures all too familiar. It’s not that these eight were bad people, it’s just that none of them were seeing him for him. Maybe it was unfair to assume such a thing, but he wasn’t feeling anything from them, even if it was just because he didn’t really want to marry someone.  

Seokjin shook his head at Namjoon and exited the hall, leaving Namjoon to explain and herd the failed suitors out. Jin appreciated Namjoons attempt, feeling slightly sorry for leaving him to let those people know they wouldn’t be marrying him. Sending a silent apology in his head, he headed out on a walk into the woods behind his sector of the castle.

The woods were much prettier than Jin remembered them being, though he hadn’t been since he was a child. It was calming, the fresh air and nothing but the sounds of the creatures of the forest. The soft carpet of grass was comforting, and Seokjin briefly considered just running deep into these very trees and never returning. The thought of his six sweet brothers whom he loves so much brings him back to himself. Just find a kind person who won’t drive you crazy. He thought to himself, trying to find something positive in this craziness. The sound of breaking glass interrupted the peace of the forest, and piqued Seokjins interest. He headed towards where the sound came from, slightly cautious.

A small cabin covered in green moss came into view as Seokjin rounded the corner, it was surrounded by a circle of flowers, which was currently being stomped on by some village teens. They were throwing rocks into the windows, crushing the sweet blue flowers with their boots and yelling some terrible things. “Hey, you kids! Leave this place alone, this is not permitted!” The teens took one look at Seokjin and fled in a hurry, a few more curses and insults leaving their lips as they ran. Carefully stepping over the flowers, Jin headed to the door and knocked gently, “Hello? Is anyone home?”

The door slowly creaked open revealing a pair of grey eyes and a head of auburn curls . “Can I help you?” The person asked, voice quiet but melodic all the same. “Oh, well, I’d like to pay for the replacement of your windows. Those village kids really never learn…” Jin said, awkwardly shuffling his feet. “Oh, no, no, it’s ok. This happens quite frequently, so I have plenty of, uh, spares.” Jin furrowed his brows at that, “I’m so sorry, that’s terrible. Is there anything I can do?” He wanted to do something at least. “Ah, I wouldn’t want to bother you, really, I’m used to it.” Clearing his throat, Jin stood a little straighter, “I am one of the princes, the eldest, Jin, there must be something I can arrange?” The stranger giggled at that. “I know who you are, but really, unless you can make me a house not in the villages or in the forest, you can’t help me.”

At that moment a thought struck Seokjin, a solution to both of their problems. “Then how about you marry me?”

[yuki-d-raizel-blog]

Hero

Chapter 32/??

Relationship: Todoroki Shouto x Reader (Your/Name), (Full/Name)

Summit: It all begin at the Sports Festival when Shouto’s other half met Endevour by mistake. The student never thought to see his partner fight against his father just to show him that he is wrong. It started from that instant, Shouto’s new path started exactly from that moment thanks to his friends and his beloved one.

---

♩ Can you remember the light that plunged into darkness? Just like values and strong prejudices, I'll break them, throw them away, and change them.

Look, can't you see the things that weren't visible before?" Without limits, just be yourself, there's nothing to be afraid of, there will be blue sky after the rain has fallen. ♩

The more they approach the destination, the more the voice becomes clear and recognizable, it's her, for sure, there are no doubts about it. They exit from the building and start to run around it to reach the garden faster and stealthier, they saw only (Y/N) and a lot of people around her, what happen if someone of the Ryuhi family see them? They'd rather wait a little longer than cause troubles for everyone and for (Y/N). They stop behind the corner and see what's happening; that's why all patients and doctors were mysteriously gone, they are all in the garden to listen to that girl singing. Children sat on the grass, doctors and nurses, parents and visitors, there's everyone! (Y/N) is sit on a bench under the tree and she has the same appeal she had in the fight against Seatiel... The police didn't find the earring yet? Oh, hold on, there's Keiji there too!

<<♩If your heart is full of envy and hatred, I will rescue you.♩>> (Y/N) sings keeping a little child sit on her lap, he holds her fingers and smiles amused like everyone else, <<♩ I'll sing as long as there's life, until it reaches you. Follow the direction of the ringing in your ears and catch a glimpse of the landscape, since music has the power to change all, like that rainbow stretching out...♩>> the girl stops singing as the Hosu's police chief approaches her slowly.

Since the show is over, the doctors bring everyone inside again, the children greet and hug (Y/N) happily and waves at her, hoping to listen to her songs again. The child who is on her lap, raises his head but keeps closed his eyes... Is he blind? Belial and Keiji talk for a second, and the policeman makes a few steps backwards to permit the student to stand up and go to the doctor with the child on her arms. She caresses his little cheeks and says bye to him, then she returns to her seat, inviting the dog-man to do the same.

<<She looks worried... What are they talking about?>> whispers Lenka, while the brother is insulting the dog telling him to go away, he wants to hug (Y/N) and he is in the way.

<<Ah, I forgot to tell you...>> says Hakkai caressing his neck with a troubled smile, <<Actually, we didn't say to her that you’re all safe. From when she is awake, she was thinking about you, and we decided to avoid the topic... She could escape for here just to know if you are ok, so...>>

<<....If she knows that we are fine, she could escape to see us. She already did something like that, but don't you think that you could give her some hints?>> says Joel, <<She must have thought at your behavior as a bad thing...>>

<<They found the earring then!>> Shuu is the calmest one as always, <<Thank you very much but go away. It's our turn now.>> that was unexpected, Shuu that is jealous and impatient, that's new.

Keiji stands up and helps the student to get on her feet, he bows and after a few seconds he leaves while the girl stays with her head low to show the gratitude and respect for that man. Once she wears the earring again, all the flames are suck in inside it and she makes a sigh of relief. Now that her aspect is like before, the others can see how much she changed. All her left arm is covered with bandages, her hair has a big white strip on...

<<(Y/N)!!!>> it was stronger than them, Lenka and Tenka ran as fast as they could towards the girl and hugged her so tight that she was suffocating.

Both kiss her cheeks at the same time and ruffle her hair so hard that now she looks like Bakugou, but the girl doesn't mind it at all, she’s laughing and smiling almost to break her mandible, she's so happy to see that her childhood friends are all safe and healed from their injuries. Joel kneels near them and hugs the girl holding his tears back, and Shuu hugs everyone and kisses her forehead crying happily.

<<(Y/N)-chan!!>> when the group get away from her, Midoriya, Kirishima and Uraraka jump on you and hug you fighting their tears back, Tenya and the others just give you a quick hug and a smile, there's someone who waited for this moment more than anyone.

<<Shouto... I did it... I saved you...>> this time, you are the first one who run towards him crying, <<I saved my light this time! I did it!>> you jump on him throwing him down to the ground.

"Thank you God, for have listen to my prayers! Thank you, thank you, thank you so so much!" he runs his fingers inside your hair and pushes the other hand on your back to keep you as close as possible to him.

His hug is the tightest and strongest he ever done, his breath is the fastest you ever felt, his tears are watering his lips, that smashed on yours, is something that you missed so much... His warmth, his voice, his eyes, his hair, you missed every single thing about him, the only thoughts to have failed to protect your light again, was tearing you apart.

<<....Don't ever disappear (Y/N).>> whispers Shouto to suppress his hiccupping, <<I want you here, always...>>

<<I am here.>> the girl rests her forehead on his and kiss his eyes to wipe away his tears, <<Even when you wake up tomorrow morning, I will be by your side.>>

"The happiness of this moment, I want to always feel it, from here onwards into tomorrow... Always..." he nods because his voice is shaky and it would be uncomfortable to show it to his classmates too.

<<Oi, that's not fair.>> says disappointed Tenka, <<She didn't hug us for so long. Lucky kid.>>

<<Cut it out, Shouto is more precious, let her alone.>> comments Joel, <<And you shouldn't call someone kid, when you behave like a brat.>>

The couple stand up and the girl turns towards the last person that didn't greet her. She regretted her actions a bit, so now that she has a new chance to live, it's better to fix what was wrong.

<<Can I give you a hug, Kacchan?>> you open your arms ready to welcome him.

<<Fuck no! Go away stupid woman!>> he puts his hands on the pockets of his pants and looks away.

<<Eh? Then why are you here?>>

<<If you think that would make me jealous or angry, you are wrong.>> Todoroki stops next to you and speaks with his usual calm voice, <<Come on, it's just a hug.>>

<<Yeah, yeah, he is right!>> say Mina and Ochako, <<(Y/N) is happy to see everyone, so hug her!>>

<<A handshake is better?>> you offer your hand to find a compromise, but the class is making a mess because Katsuki doesn't want to touch you. You try to defend him, but your classmates are determinate to force him at least to do something.

<<Fucking fine!>> he shouts and pulls out a hand from his pocket, <<Are you fucking happy now, nerds?>>

<<Thank you, Kacchan.>> you slowly move your hand to meet his.

<<Don't fucking call me like that!>>

<<Then, Katsuki-kun.>>

<<Screw you!>>

<<How about speaking bomb?>>

<<You little sh->> the moment both hands touch, a strong and hot golden fire explode from the two students, throwing them on the ground, <<What the fuck did you do, dumbass fire woman!? I'll fucking kill you!>>

<<I d-don't know what happened...>> Shouto helps you to stand up, <<I'm sorr->> your body loses his energy and the boy supports you just in time, <<Eh?>>

<<(Y/N), you ok?>> Shuu and the others check if there's something wrong, <<How you feel?>>

<<I can't move anymore... empty...>> you struggle to keep opened your eyes.

<<This is bad. Take her in her room.>> Shouto picks you up and runs towards your room.

Shuu calls Hakkai and forces him to follow the group. Before the student could reach the destination, she starts to scream painfully, she cries trying to endure the pain, she breathes quickly and roughly, grabbing Todoroki's uniform and sinks her face in his chest trying to distract herself with his heartbeat. Once inside, Tenka explains that those stabbing pains are Astraroth's price, not even drugs can reduce the pain, she must stick up with it. Shouto stays by your side holding your hand and uses his ice side to cool you down, hoping that it's working. He's shocked about how strong you are, you’re crushing his bones, but he ignores it and focuses his senses on you. Lenka adds that those attacks last for 15 minutes at least, so a few classmates offer to help Todoroki and Joel with their icy quirks, while the others sit on the floor and wait patiently.

When the pain goes away, you rest your head on the pillow sweating and tired more than before. Izuku brings you some water, while Uraraka wipes the sweat with a little towel. You grab the glass with shaky hands and thank them with a tired smile.

<<I'm sorry Bakugou for before...>> your voice is hoarse, well, after all those screams, fortunately, you’ve this huge hospital room only for yourself, <<It's the first time that happened something like that...>>

<<Shut the hell up and rest, stupid woman.>>

<<Golden...>> Tenka is sure that the flames are seven, what are those gold now? A fusion? A new mode? <<Is it because you fought a Kafka's heir?>>

<<Everyone, get out of the room for a bit.>> wait, those voices... <<Midoriya Izuku, Todoroki Shouto must stay, as the bearer of the beasts.>>

The three chiefs, great. The class obeys at the order and waits outside while Hakkai and Miraje are trying to overhear the conversation.

<<The meeting is settled. In two days come at the estate and bring along your new servants.>> is the woman who speaks first this time, the other two stay silent and composed.

---Continue...

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 21.5, 22, 22.5, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, Last Chapter

[oneshul]

Tetzaveh: The Sons of Aaron

Scene: The Mishkan, God’s sacred Dwelling-Place in the Wilderness; specifically,the Brass Altar, whereon various sacrifices are burned. The sun is setting. The Altar apparatus, used to placate, thank, or bless the LORD GOD, is tended by the Sons of Aaron: Nadav, Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar. The four boys—young men, really—are sprawled against the base of the Altar, resting from the day’s work of offering sacrifices. Their Priestly Garb is covered with soot and ash, and they are clearly exhausted from the work of slaughtering the beasts which the Israelites bring as offerings, cutting them up, separating out the edible portions permitted to themselves and their families (hekdesh—holy parts designated for the Priesthood), and burning the entrails, the fat, and the various body parts to God. Enter Aaron, looking spotless in his Priestly raiment: his golden headpiece, labeled “Holy to God” gleams in the dying sunlight. He shakes his head at his four sons—he is proud of them; they will replace him, one day, but he cannot abide their slovenliness.

 Aaron: I’m glad that you’re taking a break, boys. I’m going home for supper. Make sure that you clean up all the offal, scrub the Altar, and polish it with the special wax that Bezalel provided. I don’t want to see even the slightest speck of dirt or ash, come tomorrow morning.

All the Sons: Yes, Sir, Papa. We’ll do a good job. You can depend on us.

Aaron: See that you do (He exits).

Avihu: (mimicking Aaron): “Clean this all up, Boys. Don’t you even think of going home to your wives, until you scrub and polish and wax every cubit of the Altar.” You know, Papa can be a bit of a martinet, sometimes.

Elazar: He is entitled to be; he is the High Priest of God, and I, for one, feel privileged to work here, at the Altar. We Priests do not have to herd sheep and goats; we are the means by which the Israelites can atone for their sins. This is an honor. (Itamar nods vigorously; Nadav and Avihu frown at Elazar, and mutter under their breath.)

Nadav: Master Elazar, will it please you to get some clean rags for us to begin the holy work of cleaning Papa’s altar? I’m sure scrubbing off tons of soot will give you much pleasure.

Elazar: Brother Nadav, do not tease me. God honors us, by allowing us to serve in His Presence.

Avihu (yawning): I think God’s a fable.

Nadav: Aye, well may you think so, until experience teach you otherwise.

Elazar: How can you utter such blasphemy? You, Avihu, are a priest of the One True God, and ought to speak in a more holy fashion.

Avihu: Do not tempt me, Baby Brother; I am bigger and stronger than you, and can do you hurt, should I wish to.

Itamar: Brothers, brothers—how can we quarrel here, in the very shadow of God’s Presence? He may be listening to what we say—Nadav, Avihu, please stop your questioning God; He may, God forbid, choose to punish you. As priests, we are held to the highest standards of behavior.

Nadav (rising): I am bone-weary in this abattoir, and yet must clean and polish this—this—monstrosity of an altar. In Egypt, I remember, the pagan priests had not one altar, but several; they were mainly mud or stone, and needed no special care. But this great hunk of brass—(he spits contemptuously).

Elazar: Please, Nadav, I beg you. The God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. Be aware of three things, and you will not sin: A Seeing Eye, a Hearing Ear, and All Your Deeds Written in a Book.

Avihu: Written by whom? Your Invisible God? I tell you, Elazar, you simpleton, I would rather worship Ra, or Osiris, or any of the Egyptian gods. They are visible; they are statues—

Itamar: You mean, idols, such as Uncle Moses expressly forbade when he was reading us the Law from Mt. Sinai.

Avihu: Yes; I was there, and I heard, along with the multitude. And now, through no fault of my own, I am covered with soot and dung, and my ears still ring with the lowing of cattle. This is no job for a young, enterprising man such as I. Oh, if I could only choose my own profession, rather than be drafted and dragooned into the family business!

Elazar: This is no mere business, Avihu; mind your tongue! This is Holy Work, such as no other man can possibly perform, even from the multitudes of Israel.

(Avihu spits at Elazar’s feet)

Avihu: Well, Brother, how will you respond to me? Will you cry out unto the Lord your God? For I tell you, I have yet to see any miracles which He performs.

Itamar: How can you say that? You stood at Sinai; the Sea of Reeds lapped at your sandals while the Egyptians drowned in the tide; you were among the blessed horde which escaped the slave-rule of the mightiest nation on earth: Egypt.

Nadav: Ah! How can you prove this? Perhaps it was all a dream, and this God of yours put us all in a trance. Perhaps it never happened.

(Enter BOY)

Elazar (gently): Well, Young Master Choni ben Maagal, what is your message?

Boy: If it please you, Reverend Sirs, Rabbi Moses our Leader has sent me. You must prepare to dedicate the Mishkan, the Sacred Dwelling-Place for our Lord God. This will take place next week.

Nadav: Who will dedicate this holy, stately pile? All of us?

Boy: No, Lord Nadav; Moses informed me, and the High Priest Aaron, too, that the two older priests—you and your brother, Lord Avihu—will officiate at the Dedication. It will be a matter of great import and solemnity. Shalom, and may God bless your endeavors! (He exits)

Avihu: So there you have it, Nadav: you and I, the Doubters, are to stand before all Israel, and dedicate this—this Dwelling-Place for the God in whom we do not, necessarily, believe.

Itamar: How ironic! Would it not be better for Elazar and me, as True Believers, to officiate? You two could beg off—

Nadav (seizing Itamar by the arm, twisting it, and forcing him to his knees): Listen to me, you whelp: I am the First-Born, and by rights will stand before the—the—Invisible One, say the prayers, slaughter the animals, and burn them to a crisp. And afterwards—

Elazar: Nadav, I beg you, let Brother Itamar go! (Nadav does so)

Nadav: And afterwards, you little sneak, I will take you behind the Tent of Meeting, and  pummel you until you bleed. How dare you presume to upstage me, your eldest brother! (He releases Itamar, who holds his arm painfully, and retreats)

Avihu: Yes: to officiate before the eyes of all Israel. That will be a good thing.

Itamar (from a distance, keeping an eye on Nadav): But you do not believe!

Nadav: But the honor, the honor of it all! And to have everyone looking at me! Believe or not believe—who cares? How splendid it will all be! The ceremony! The trumpets! And to have Papa see how talented Avihu and I are! (They exit, laughing and prideful)

Itamar (whispering to Elazar): I only pray that nothing happens to them—they are headstrong; they are agnostics, and they will be dealing with Cosmic Forces beyond their control.

(Elazar and Itamar exit)

Rabbi David Hartley Mark is from New York City’s Lower East Side. He attended Yeshiva University, the City University of NY Graduate Center for English Literature, and received semicha at the Academy for Jewish Religion. He currently teaches English at Everglades University in Boca Raton, FL, and has a Shabbat pulpit at Temple Sholom of Pompano Beach. His literary tastes run to Isaac Bashevis Singer, Stephen King, King David, Kohelet, Christopher Marlowe, and the Harlem Renaissance.

[imagine-loki]

A Warrior’s Life

TITLE: A Warrior’s Life CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter Eighteen AUTHOR: wolfpawn ORIGINAL IMAGINE:

Imagine Viking Loki coming to your village, raiding and pillaging, before deciding there is something about you that intrigues him and deciding to take you back to Asgard with him. There, you are forced to learn a new life and language, and though you hate what has happened to you, you learn that Loki is not as bad as you think.

RATING: Mature.

NOTES: All the little things regarding the wedding are old Norse traditions. Also smut next chapter. 

There was little rest in Loki’s home the night before the wedding, he and Maebh discussed telling Nafi that evening, but Maebh threatened that if they did, it was Loki who would have to deal with him at midnight while he would still no doubt be jumping around excitedly. But Nafi had sensed the atmosphere around the house and though neither adult said anything, clearly there was something happening.

Maebh did not sleep much; she worried about forgetting lines and what she was supposed to do, the amount of pressure on her and Loki that the raids would go well and the dreaded almost semi-public consummation of the marriage. She wished the day was over, then she could get back to their home and start training Loki, all she could think about was keeping him safe.

She had been looking at the ceiling for the best part of an hour as the sun had risen; a shadow crossed her peripheral vision. “Maebh?” she looked towards the shadow to see Nafi just looking at her.

“Yes?”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t it be?” she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

“Why are you leaving us every day?” his tone showed his worry and sadness. 

“I am just getting ready for something.” She smiled. “I promise today is the last day of me leaving without you and Loki.” Nafi nodded relieved that whatever Maebh was doing, it was over soon. “How about we get some breakfast?” she rose and walked to the kitchen, making sure the fire was still alight and placed food on it to cook as she turned to go back into the room. She collided with something hard and warm that had not been behind her a moment before, she smiled softly as two strong arms curled around her.

“Good morning.” Loki smiled, placing his hand under her chin and leant her head up towards his, placing his lips on hers, Maebh kissed back enthusiastically. “I see you are eager for today.” He noticed her nervous demeanour. “I know you are nervous, but I hope you will think it worth it.”

“If I could go forward to tomorrow I would be the happiest woman in Asgard.” She admitted.

“I am afraid it does not work that way, my dear.” Loki chuckled. “Get dressed; I will make sure the food is alright. Then we will have to tell Nafi, any later and it will be all over.”

“Tell me what?” Nafi left the small bedroom still tying his belt.

“Well, there is a reason that Maebh has been leaving us every day.” Loki was slightly nervous now that it was time to tell his son. He wrapped an arm around Maebh with a smile, pulling her next to him. Nafi looked from one to the other suspiciously. “After breakfast, Maebh will be leaving us again with Sif, and we will meet her at your grandparents.” Still, Nafi remained silently listening. “And today, at noon, she will be marrying me.” Loki finished nervously.

Nafi stared from one adult to the other, expecting one of them to admit it was a joke. When both smiled at him and said nothing, he realised his father was not teasing. “You’re telling the truth?”

“Yes, today we are getting married. Odin and Frigga decided to allow it last week. We wanted to tell you earlier, but we didn’t want to have you overexcited for the week.” Loki explained.

Nafi did exactly as Maebh had predicted and started jumping around the room laughing excitedly.

“I told you that would happen. I am going to put on some more suitable clothes before Sif arrives.” Loki nodded, kissing her again before she walked off.

Getting dressed alone was an ordeal; Maebh’s hands shook the entire time. When she exited the room, she was slightly shocked to see Thor standing embracing Loki tightly with a large smile on his face. Maebh stood slightly stunned at the fact she had not heard Thor’s horse arrive, or indeed the man entering the home, another clear sign of her nerves. Finally, the brothers let go of their embrace and Thor turned to smile at her.

“My dear Maebh, my namesake has clearly decided not to ruin your day with clouds and rain. I hope you are as excited as we all are.” Thor beamed walking over to her and picking her up into his large arms, Nafi still as good as bouncing around the room. “I see my nephew took the news well” he laughed watching the boy.

“Yes, though I am slightly shocked to see you here, I was under the impression it was Sif that was to escort me back to your parents home?” Maebh smiled, wondering was the other woman alright.

“Yes she was, but when she awoke this morn she stated she was not able to ride here and said you would understand?” Thor’s questioning manner told Maebh that Sif had revealed nothing to her husband of her carrying another child.

“Yes, she and your mother were trying to finish one or two things after I left last night, they were concerned that they would have to spend the morning at them too, clearly their fears were confirmed.” Maebh allowed the fib to roll off her tongue with too much ease for her own liking.

Thor seemed satisfied and did not question her further. “Well, the job has fallen upon myself to join you; I hope you do not mind?”

“I am only sorry to be inconveniencing you,” Maebh responded.

Thor laughed once more. “Nonsense, in mere hours you will legally be what you have been for months, family. I am only too glad to help.”

They quickly ate some breakfast and with a quick goodbye to Nafi and a kiss for Loki, Maebh set off, thinking how when she next returned, she would do so as Loki’s wife.

“Are you scared?” Thor asked as they trotted past a cart heading to the small fishing hamlet not long into their journey.

“Very much so. But it will be worth it.” Maebh admitted.

“I cannot express how happy it makes me to see how you have changed Loki. He has not been this happy since long before that wench Aslaug. I pleaded with father not to force him to marry her, but of course, he did not listen, it was Loki who suffered. But I am pleased to see it is working out so well for him now that he has you.”

“Remind both him and I of that when are arguing, will you?” Maebh laughed, Thor joined in.

They cantered the rest of the way to the town and arrived shortly after. Thor helped Maebh from her horse and walked with her into the home. “I see you do not seem to ache as much from the horse today.” He laughed thinking of the day the week previous.

The morning was spent rushing around, getting everything sorted. Frigga seemed like so natural, barking orders at servants and other workers as she simultaneously went over everything Maebh needed, and aided Sif, who was ill due to the child.

“Thank you, for not telling Thor.” Sif smiled after her stomach settled. “He seemed to accept whatever you said without question.” She commended as she dealt with Maebh’s hair.

“I merely muttered something about the wedding. He does not seem the type to concern himself with such matters so I thought it a safe subject.” Maebh winced as Sif yanked at a knot in it.

“What sort of hair is this, it is neither straight nor curled, it is more like sea waves.”

“Midgard hair. Most women there have it.”

“It is as thick as a forest too. It will be terribly difficult to brush tomorrow.” Sif sniggered, Maebh grimaced. “I promise, so long as Loki is not rough with you, you should enjoy it.” Sif tried to calm Maebh’s nerves.

“You are very kind Sif.” The older woman scoffed. “No, since the day I arrived, I had no idea what you were saying, but your face was never cruel, just kind. Thank you.”

“Well if I am honest, I was hoping that Loki brought you home for a reason such as this. I know it sounds childish, but my disdain for Aslaug and especially for her treatment of Loki meant I saw you as a way of letting him see what women are supposed to be like. Even as a scared, confused thrall, you were a better choice for him, though I did not expect it to turn out as it has.”

“Really? By chance were you expecting him to take me against my will and have me forced to carry his child?” Maebh asked sceptically, knowing Loki had never once considered forcing himself on her.

“Of course not. I didn’t think he would need to force himself. There is many a woman who thinks him very handsome.”

“Are you not married to his brother?” Maebh joked.

“Aye, and though they are very dissimilar, there is no denying both are very handsome men in their own right.”

“Is there any shame in this land?” Maebh feigned exasperation.

“Not when it comes to these things, no.” Sif laughed, as she tidied the last of Maebh’s hair. “You are aware this is the last time you will be permitted to wear your hair loose don’t you?” Maebh just stared in shock. “Married women are not permitted to have loose hair,” Sif explained.

“That’s it, call off the wedding. No one mentioned daily war with my hair.” Maebh went to stand up, only to be pushed down by Sif leaning on her shoulders laughing, which Maebh swiftly joined.

Loki and Nafi arrived not long later, Nafi almost shaking with excitement as he saw the work that was going into preparing for his father’s wedding. “It’s really real.” He almost sang. He smiled up at Loki. “Can I please call Maebh mother after this?” he pleaded.

“As long as she permits it, though I feel I should ask, why are you so desperate to call her mother?”

“Because she is my mother, she cares for me, loves me and I love her. That’s what a mother is, is it not?”

Loki could not but deny what his son was saying. “Indeed. But you are going to age her greatly with such a name.”

“None will believe it, she looks so youthful herself,” Odin commented, startling Loki and Nafi. Loki stood straight-backed watching as Odin remained formal as Nafi went over to him. “All the more years for childbearing, though.”

“Are you so desperate for more grandchildren? Would you have me breed her like a mare?” Loki asked.

“Nafi, Thodin is outside looking at hound pups, why not join him?” Odin suggested. As soon as the boy was out of earshot he turned to his younger son. “If it would guarantee her loyalty to us, I would plead on bended knees with you to breed her as such.” The king admitted.

“You question her loyalty?”

“Can you blame me? You bring home some random woman from Midgard that I thought you were going to use as a wench, instead, you divorce your wife of several years and wed the help, who it turns out is a crowned princess of another realm.”

“Maebh is no wench and had nothing to do with my divorce from Aslaug, that was solely Aslaug’s own doing. And I see you have looked into Maebh’s past.”

“There is a disgraced earl in Vanaheim, formally of the army of her namesake, the queen of the neighbouring land. Apparently, young Maebh was to be the queen of her father’s land and was betrothed to the second son of that queen, a strong man like his older brother, the future king of that Connachta, but both sons fell with their mother at the hands of this Ui Neill.” Odin divulged.

Loki stared at his father, revealing he know nothing of any of it, “And you learnt all this in a week?”

“No, I decided to look more into her past when she revealed the origins of the necklace, her face when she saw it on your mother indicated she knew it well, and the look she shared with you and Thor when asked did she know it told me more than her words ever could.” Loki looked disbelievingly at Odin. “You underestimate me, my boy.”

“So you think she wants to go back with an army to take her father’s lands, then what, turn against us? Who would fight with her? She has no allies there.”

“There is talk that there are many who want to be rid of the high king and for the lands to return to what they once were apparently. Seeing the known heiress to the kingdom arrive with trained warriors could go against us, use us to get rid of those in power, then assume power herself.”

“I do not believe Maebh to be so dark minded; her concern is revenge against her uncle, nothing more.”

“My son, she has survived too much, learnt so much to be anything but a dangerous woman. We often dismiss them as the weaker sex, but scorned, well, there is a reason the ruler of Hel is a woman!” Odin commented. “It would serve everyone well were she to remain here, growing gravid with child, a true heir for you. Surely you would want your own children? A young maiden wife will easily provide you with many an heir.” Loki looked to his father with an odd face. “I do not disapprove of this wedding I may add, quite the opposite, I think it an essential and powerful union, better than any I could have thought of for you, and you are happy in it also, a great additional benefit, I just worry for you and your brother going to a land where you could be gravely injured.”

“Firstly, Nafi is my son, who sired him means little, as for more children, if Freya shows favour, I will be forever in gratitude to her, and of my marriage, I am glad you approve, but political gains are the last of the reasons I can think of as reasons to do so. I love Maebh as much as you love mother, and Thor loves Sif.”

“Thor and Sif were an arranged marriage, as were your mother and myself.”

“Yes, but Sif and Thor knew each other all their lives and mother is far too tolerant not to put up with people, least of all you.”

Odin laughed at his son. “You and your brother trust that woman too much.”

“I think you are getting suspicious in yourself father.”

“I hope you are right.”

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I am actually supposed to be getting married to her today.” Loki smiled, patting his father’s shoulder before walking away in search of his mother, then calling back “But I do appreciate your concern, though, however misplaced it is.”

When he found her, he was greeted with a great embrace and a kiss on the cheek. “My dear, you better get changed. Maebh is ready and relaxing with Sif at the moment.”

“She’s ready? Already?” In truth, Loki was not surprised.

“Indeed. So get yourself and Nafi sorted immediately.” She could see an odd look on his face. “I know what your father did, and what he planned to say to you, but having spent time with that girl, I agree with Sif and Thor, and no doubt you, she is not a danger.”

Loki kissed his mother’s cheek. “Thank you. Now, what do I need to do? I don’t think it would look well if the bride is ready and the groom is the one delayed.”

Less than an hour later, Loki sat next to Maebh on the bridal couch as Thor placed a depiction of Mjolnir on Maebh’s lap, something Maebh herself had requested, as she was asking for Thor’s blessing, she thought the use of their own Thor was a good idea.

Maebh was shocked at the length of the ceremony, only witnessed by Loki’s family as hers as deceased, and Odin saw over the exchanging of the swords and swapping of rings. Loki then handed Maebh another smaller sword that she was told would be in trust for their first son, something that annoyed both Maebh and Loki as both acknowledged Nafi as such. Finally, they were pronounced as married, and Loki rose to escort Maebh to the wedding feast in the next room.

The room was filled with many people Maebh recognised from shipmates of Loki’s, to people of the village, and many more she had never seen before. They cheered at their entry and admired both herself and Loki in their wedding finery, many made comments of the blue she had requested be put into her dress, wondering was it a Midgardian thing. Loki knew its meaning as she had explained it to him during the week; he would take pleasure in people learning that it meant he had not soiled her before marriage.

The feast was more extravagant than Maebh could have imagined. She had attended many a feast in her own home, but none that rivalled the display in front of her, and going by the reactions of many present, it was clearly not the norm by Asgardian standard either.

“Mother, this is truly your greatest feat yet,” Loki commented gratuitously. Frigga smiled almost smugly, all present had been present at Loki’s first marriage, where the Queen barely bothered with her finery, but on this one, to the Midgard princess, a much more prestigious wife, people noticed the grandeur was even greater than that of the marriage of her first born, and the future king, who merely agreed with awe at his mother’s ability, commenting that she had outdone herself, and with only a week to prepare.

“Wait until your coronation.” Frigga threatened smilingly. “With both Sif and Maebh to aid me, it will be beyond words.” Both women looked at each other with almost fear in their eyes, worrying of what their mother-in-law would demand of them for such an occasion.

“Remind me to be heavy with child by then,” Maebh spoke through the side of her mouth to Sif.

“That was going to be my excuse.” The older whispered back.

“I aided in Odin’s coronation ceremony while at risk of birthing Loki at any day, so be as heavy with child as you both see fit, it will not excuse either of you.” The brothers laughed at the fact their mother had heard their wives plans even above the loud din of the room.

People came forward wishing both Loki and Maebh well for the whole feast, placing extravagant gifts for them on the table in front of them, and more than one man telling Loki he was lucky to get to ravish such a young bride, much to Maebh’s discomfort. Loki merely would laugh it off, before turning to his wife and trying to settle her, apologising for having to partake in such lewd comments.

“Is it true what your mother said, that this will go on for several days?” Maebh leant over to ask Loki.

“Indeed, our celebration is to last until next Frigga’s Day, and none others are permitted to marry this day or that. The shortest of celebrations are only three days, and it is seen as very paltry indeed.” Loki explained, before taking another bite out of the bread.

A servant went forward and filled two intricately designed goblets that were in front of the bride and groom with mead, but left the ridiculously sized jug there also. “That is only for you and I to use,” Loki explained.

“Are we expected to drink all of it?” Maebh knew she would be long drunk before it ever reached half way.

“I would get used to it if I were you; you are to drink much of it for the next month for the honeymoon.” Odin turned to look at his new daughter-in-law. “It will boost fertility and virility. Hopefully, we will be hosting a recognition ceremony within the year for your first child, and this will aid it greatly.” There were one or two cheers in the room as the king finished. Maebh willed herself to not blush, she was unsure of whether or not she had been successful in her mission.

As the evening went on, there was music and dancing, Maebh danced with Loki more times than she could count, as well as Thor, Nafi, and even on one occasion, Odin. Dancing with Nafi tended to translate into her swinging him around playfully as he laughed with joy, Helga and Thodin spent much time in her company also. The entire time, Maebh’s actions were noted by all present, especially by Odin.

When her feet were too sore to continue standing, Maebh took her seat once more, watching Loki dance with his mother, who kept looking at her son with a large, loving smile on her face. After a while, she was joined by a panting and red-faced Sif, soon after both women began to speak of all types of matters.

As Loki finished dancing with his mother, she held her son’s face cupped in her hands and leant up to kiss her tall son on the forehead, before making her way back to Odin, who was deep in talks with Baldr and Heimdall as they surveyed the room. Loki turned to look for his new wife, seeing her talking almost in a secretive manner with Sif.

“Did you ever think brother that we would get to see our respective wives so comfortable in each other's confidence?” Thor laughed, slightly drunk, putting his arm around his younger brother’s neck.

“With Aslaug, I knew it would never be so, and our time together was limited as a result, but now I see it will no longer be an issue, and we will be sick of each others company soon I should think.” Admitted the younger. “May I ask, do they seem to almost be in private talks to you?”

“Brother, I very much doubt they are discussing the peace terms with Alfheim. No doubt poor innocent Maebh is trying to seek advice from Sif regarding your marriage consummation.” Thor winked and nudged his brother as he said so.

“No, Maebh is not blushing, or does not seem anyway embarrassed, she is incapable of such talk without such happening,” Loki noted.

“Perhaps you should go to her and ask the nature of their conversation if it concerns you so much, but I am sure being highly suspicious of your new wife on your wedding day is not a good way to start a marriage,” Thor advised.

“You are mistaking curiosity for suspicion, Thor.”

“Well then, no need to worry. If there were reason to be concerned, Sif would surely tell us.” Loki agreed and decided to blame his first wife’s lack of interest in allying with Sif as reason for his thoughts. “It gives us all such great joy to see you so happy Loki, you truly are deserving of it, and as father stated, perhaps we will be celebrating the birth of your child in the near future.”

“I can only hope.” Loki’s face displayed his nervousness on the touchy subject, all day he had heard nothing but everyone expressing their luck and expectation for a child for him and Maebh, while he was concerned about his ability to fill her with one.

“Freya is kind, she and the Norn’s will grace you with children, I can feel it.” Thor placed his large arm around his brother and used it to embrace him. “How about we join Volstagg, Hogun and Fandral for something to drink. You may need aid in lasting long enough to satisfy your wife tonight after so long yearning for her. It would not make her any less reserved were she not to enjoy it.”

Loki agreed to the idea, turning one last time to look at Maebh, who was now cradling an exhausted Nafi in her lap, swaying back and forth on the seat, aiding the boy to sleep.