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kairos-in-wonderland · 4 years

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Day 1: Ladies First

Okay, so this is actually the first piece of Merlin based writing I’ve ever posted anywhere and technically (in my time zone) I’m a couple hours late, but this is my day 1 submission for Camelove 2021! I hope that whoever reads this enjoys it - it was originally gonna be about 1000 words but it ended up being about 3500 😅 Here it is!

Pairing: OC/Morgana, with Arwen and Mercelot

Modern AU, fake dating AU

Trigger warnings: forced relationship, arranged marriage (attempted), violence, abuse (mild), homophobia

“Wylla!” someone called after her, and she turned to see Morgana running towards her.

“Morgana,” she greeted as the girl came to a halt in front of her, “are you okay?”

“I really need a favour and I didn’t know who else to ask, can we talk somewhere?” Morgana asked tentatively, and Wylla nodded, dragging her into the currently deserted school theatre, “Brilliant, okay… This is gonna be really weird and it’s okay if you say no – really, it is, I jus-”

“Morgana!” Wylla exclaimed, letting out a short laugh, “Calm down, what do you need?”

“Well, you’re friends with Arthur, he’s told you what my step-father is like?” Wylla nodded for Morgana to continue, “He’s hosting a party this week for investors and he’s trying to set me up with Will Sarrum; he’s the heir to Amata Motors, my step-father wants me to marry him for when he takes over the company, to make sure they continue to use Pendragon Financing.”

“Okay, that’s seriously messed up, but why do you need my help? You need someone from the law a-level classes, not drama, I can’t help you get out of this.”

“But you can,” Morgana was grinning, despite the clear panic flashing in her eyes, “if I were to be dating someone else, he’d struggle to get me to do it. And he’d struggle even more if I were to be dating a girl.”

“Are you suggesting what I think you are?” Wylla laughed.

“Yes. You don’t have to, but I think that Sarrum would be put off dating me if he knew I was dating a girl – his entire family are homophobic bigots.”

“Does Uther know that you’re into girls?”

“I’ve told him, but he doesn’t believe me,” Morgana muttered, and Wylla sighed.

“So, you want me to go to this party with you and pretend to be your girlfriend to a) prove to your dad that you’re a lesbian and b) prevent an arranged marriage that your father wants for a business alliance?”

“That’s pretty much the gist of it, yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll do it,” she said, and Morgana’s eyes widened, “you need this.”

“Oh my god, thank you!” Morgana exclaimed, hugging her tightly, “I owe you so bad for this, how can I make it up to you?”

“Dinner and a movie?” Wylla suggested, “Imagine Uther’s face when you tell him.”

“You are amazing,” Morgana laughed and Wylla joined in, “right, okay. The party is on Saturday, formal dress – I’ll help you decide what to wear – and Geoffrey will pick you up at 4pm. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Yeah, of course, and I can’t wait to see Arthur’s face when I show up as your date,” the girls giggled a little and Wylla leaned against the stage, “so, are we keeping up the pretence of this relationship within school? Or just at the party?”

“I think it might be a good idea if we make it look like we’re dating for the next few days within school, otherwise Sarrum and some of our other classmates who will be at the party could suspect that it’s fake. Unless there are people you don’t want to think that you’re dating me?”

“That’s not a problem, Morgana, don’t worry,” she looked up at the clock and groaned, “right, when’s your lunch break? There’s gonna be a class in here for a couple hours but I’m done for the day after that.”

“I’ve got history for two hours so I can meet you here afterwards?” she suggested, and Wylla nodded as her peers started to enter the room, “I’ll see you then,” Morgana pressed a cheek before leaving, and Wylla couldn’t help but blush as the other students looked towards Morgana. To be fair, she was staring too, trying to wrap her head around what she’s just agreed to.

“Was that Morgana?” a voice whispered behind her, breaking her trance.

“Oh, yeah,” Wylla let out a nervous laugh as she turned towards Merlin, “she just popped in to see me before going to her lesson.”

“And since when were you close enough with Morgana for her to think of doing that?” he questioned, and she blushed.

“Uh, since we started dating,” she lied, and his eyes widened, “apparently her step-father is hosting a party on Saturday and she wanted to invite me.”

“Oh yeah, Gwen told me that Arthur’s taking her, to give him a chance to avoid some of the other people who’ll be at the party – all the posh and privileged students who think they’re above us. You do realise that most of Uther’s ‘friends’ are homophobic, right?”

“Why do you think I’m going? Morgana already told Uther, and word is bound to spread about our relationship, I don’t want her to be alone with them for that long,” Wylla argued, and Merlin smiled.

“How long has this been going on?” he asked as they sat down on the edge of the stage, waiting for their teacher to arrive.

“Not long, we’ve kept it a secret till now but we thought it was about time people knew. I’m sorry, I would’ve told you, but-”

“I get it, you wanted to respect her privacy,” Merlin finished for her.

“Yeah. That, and just remember that you didn’t tell me that you were dating Lancelot until you’d dragged me along to three of his and Arthur’s football games.”

“Okay, point proven,” he laughed as their teacher entered the theatre to start the lesson.

The lesson dragged on for Wylla, who was not only eager to see Morgana but also had to endure stares from her classmates because of her new ‘girlfriend’. The whole idea kept going around in her mind – she’d never thought of Morgana in a romantic way before, and yet she couldn’t get the raven-haired girl out of her mind – even when they were meant to be memorising their monologues, her eyes trained on the page, Morgana was the only thing she could think about. She was only woken from her daze when someone clicked in front of her face, “Seriously, Wylla, everyone’s already gone,” Merlin laughed, and she groaned before resting her head in her hands, “how were you that distracted?” she didn’t answer, but she looked up from the table when there was a knock on the theatre’s door which they saw Morgana leaning against, “ah, got it.” Wylla blushed and Merlin grabbed his bag from under the stage.

“See you tomorrow Merlin!” Wylla called as he left and Morgana walked towards her.

“Are you okay?” she asked, and Wylla let out a nervous laugh.

“Yeah, just thinking. Apparently I managed to zone out for most of the lesson.”

“Oh, are you tired? Do you want me to go and get you a coffee or something?” Morgana offered, but Wylla shook her head.

“I’m okay, I was just thinking about us – that is, what we’re going to tell people about us. Merlin asked and I just said that it hadn’t been long, but more people are gonna ask us and we need to be on the same page about this.”

The two girls chatted about what lies to tell and just sat enjoying each other’s company until someone walked into the theatre.

“Morgana!” Arthur called from the door, startling both of them, “What are you doing in here? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you set foot in the theatre, I thought Merlin was joking when he said you were here.”

“Well, I wouldn’t expect you to be paying attention to my whereabouts at all times, Arthur,” Morgana rolled her eyes and subtly reached for Wylla’s hand, “I was just here chatting with Wylla, what do you want?”

“Geoffrey is waiting for us outside, come on,” he beckoned, and Morgana sighed.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, planting a long, soft kiss on Wylla’s cheek before winking and following Arthur out.

A couple days had passed and Wylla still hadn’t decided what to wear so she dragged Merlin and Gwen round to her house in the afternoon to help her decide, “Gwen, what are you going to wear?” she asked as she frantically looked through her wardrobe.

“I don’t know, I’ll probably just decide on the day or the night before,” Gwen admitted, and Wylla groaned, “why are you so worried about this?”

“Because Morgana is gonna look like, well, Morgana and I don’t want to look totally disappointing. We’re going to a party with some of the biggest names in business and the richest kids in our college – they’re all going to hate me for being there because I’m not rich and I don’t want to make Morgana look bad.”

“You won’t be the only person there that isn’t rich,” Gwen reminded her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder

“But at least you and Arthur are a heterosexual couple, most of Uther’s friends are homophobic bigots. They won’t be focused on you and Arthur when there’s me and Morgana to gossip about,” she sighed, running her hands through her hair.

“How about some kind of suit?” Merlin suggested, walking over to grab a red floral blazer out of her wardrobe, “what’s Morgana wearing?”

“Uh, dark green. She sent me a picture, hold on,” Wylla grabbed her phone out of her pocket and scrolled until the found the picture before passing it to Merlin.

“Okay, yeah, you’re definitely wearing that jacket,” Gwen said, excitement lacing her voice.

“I have matching trousers,” Wylla added and Gwen practically screamed, “are you trying to deafen us?”

“Sorry, sorry. Merlin, find some shoes that could go with the suit,” Gwen reached into the wardrobe and pulled out a plain white shirt before shoving it all into Wylla’s hands, “shoo, go put it on. Oh, make sure it’s inside out!” Gwen grinned as she pushed her friend into the bathroom; Wylla emerged a couple minutes later and Gwen immediately rushed over with a bunch of pins and started tapering the suit.

“What are you doing?” Wylla asked as Gwen busied herself putting pins in the suit.

“You called me to help you choose and outfit and I do textiles – I’m tailoring your suit dummie. You want to look good in front of all of the rich people? This is how you do it. You make the, what, fifty pound suit look like it cost a couple hundred, because it only fits you, not anyone who wears that size.”

“Have I ever told you how amazing you are Gwen?” Wylla laughed, and her friend smirked.

“Now would be a good time.”

“Uh, Wyl, you literally have no shoes that you can wear with this suit,” Merlin added.

“What about my black converse?” Wylla suggested.

“Let me rephrase: you have no shoes that you can wear to this event if you don’t want to look like a basic lesbian hipster,” he said, and both girls laughed, “right, what size are you?”

“Six, why?”

“I’ll be back,” was all he said before walking out, and Wylla saw him get in his car to drive off.

Merlin returned about an hour later with three pairs of heels and forced her to try each of them on, “Can we please go with the short heels? I’m gonna be shorter than Morgana anyway and I don’t wanna kill my feet if I have to stand up for hours.”

“Agreed,” Gwen chipped in, “right, go take off the suit, I’ll give it to you Friday.”

Days passed and finally the Pendragons’ chauffeur was driving Wylla to the party – when she arrived it was in front of huge mansion and it was Arthur who opened the car door for her, “Hey Arthur,” she greeted, and they started walking towards the front steps.

“Wylla, are you sure you’re prepared for this?” he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder as the got to the front door, “The rich kids at school will be worse here, and their parents will be ten times worse than that. Geoffrey hasn’t left yet, there’s still time to go home.”

“I promised Morgana that I’d be here, I’m not backing out now,” she said, meeting his gaze as he opened the doors into the hall. Whatever she’d been expecting, it hadn’t been quite as extravagant as what she could see in front of her. Even the entrance hall was bigger than her entire house, and decorated with marble and what was probably solid gold. Everyone there was staring at her, and she scanned the faces until she saw who she was looking for – the raven-haired girl in the emerald green dress. Wylla bid farewell to Arthur before walking over to where Morgana stood, eyes a little wider than usual, or was that just the makeup?

“Wow,” was all Morgana said, and Wylla grinned as she pressed a kiss to her cheek, “you-you look amazing.”

“I have Gwen to thank for all of it, thank god she knows how to tailor,” Wylla laughed nervously, looking around at the still staring faces, “I… I may be dressed up but I still feel like I don’t belong here.”

“You do. You belong here, with me,” Morgana assured her, taking her hand, “you don’t have to stay long. I just need you here long enough to be able to deny the arrangement from my father,” they stayed in the entrance hall and made small talk with whoever walked past, both of them still hand in hand; Wylla assumed that Morgana was just doing it for appearances, but to her it was comforting – an anchor in an unfamiliar environment, “do you want to go up to my room for a bit? Get away from all of these people?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Wylla breathed, still gripping Morgana’s hand as she led her up the stairs and into smaller, brighter room. She ran her hands through her hair as Morgana sat down on her bed, “how do you deal with these parties as often as you do?”

“You get used to it, I guess. I’ve been going to these parties for almost a decade now, but I still hate it.”

“People will notice that we’ve gone upstairs, how long do you think there is until word gets to Uther?” Wylla asked as she sat down next to Morgana.

“Not long, and we’re gonna have to keep up the lie… But I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with…”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking we should be kissing when they walk in,” Morgana said sheepishly, and Wylla’s heart started beating faster, “my father will undoubtedly have Mr Sarrum with him, it’d help get the point across.”

“Okay,” Wylla agreed, probably quicker than she should’ve. She was about to say something else when she heard footsteps getting closer to the room; without a second thought, Wylla cupped Morgana’s face in her hands and kissed her. Morgana let out a small noise of surprise but soon melted into the kiss, pulling Wylla closer by her waist. It took more than a few moments for them to realise the door hadn’t opened and stop kissing, but their foreheads still rested together, “okay, I guess I have to say something now.”

“Say what?” Morgana asked, breathing heavily.

“I like you Morgana, I really like you, and not just as a friend. I-I don’t think I realised it before, but this whole fake girlfriend thing brought it to the surface. I just… I want to be honest with you,” Wylla had closed her eyes as she spoke, and when she finally opened them, she saw Morgana grinning with tears in her eyes, “are you okay?”

“There’s a reason I asked you to pretend to be my girlfriend, Wylla.”

“Because I’m a drama student and I’m literally doing a whole course on pretending to be something?”

“Because I think you’re really sweet, and funny, and kind… and you’re gorgeous – even more so in this suit, you’re killing my Wyl,” Morgana laughed nervously, and Wylla stroked a thumb across her cheek, “I really like you too. I asked you to be my fake girlfriend because I really want you to be my real girlfriend.”

“Are you seriously asking me out?”

“Well, if I remember correctly, we already have dinner and a movie planned, so the date is sorted. I just have to ask the question…”

“Then ask it.”

“Will you be my girlfriend? My actual girlfriend?”

“Take a wild guess, Pendragon,” Wylla grinned as she pressed her lips against Morgana’s, kissing her passionately. And then the door opened.

“Morgana!” Uther gasped loudly, the sudden noise breaking the couple apart, “What is going on here?”

“Father…” Morgana started, standing from the bed and taking a step towards Uther and the man Wylla assumed to be Mr Sarrum, “this is my girlfriend, Wylla Lionel.”

“I thought we agreed that you were going to date Will Sarrum,” Uther argued through gritted teeth, “he’s a nice young man-”

“Exactly!” Morgana exclaimed, “Young man. I told you already, I don’t like men.”

“It’s just a phase, Morgana,” Uther sighed, and Wylla tensed, clenching her fists and moving to stand beside Morgana, taking her hand and squeezing it gently.

“It isn’t a phase, Mr Pendragon,” she said, “my father thought the same, he left us the day my mother decided to fight his idea of sending me to therapy to try and change what gender I love. I hate to break it to you, trying to prevent Morgana from being herself will just distance you from her, and forcing her into a relationship with a man to serve your business goals will make it worse. I love your daughter, Mr Pendragon, and nothing-” Wylla was cut off when the back of Uther’s hand made contact with her face and he grabbed the corner of her jacket.

“Get out of my house, now!” he shouted, and Wylla threw a terrified glance at a crying Morgana as someone grabbed her arm and dragged her from the room. She tried to fight it but it was pointless, she was dragged out of the house and thrown to the ground outside the house. Wylla was crouched there for a few moments, gathering her thoughts as tears fell, before she picked up her phone and dialled the first number she thought of.

“Wylla?” Merlin answered, “Aren’t you meant to be at the party?”

“Ca-can you come and pick me up, please?” she choked out, “I’m still at the house, I don’t know how to get home.”

“I’ll be there in 15, hang in there Wyl,” he said before hanging up, and he was true to his word – just shy of 15 minutes later, Merlin’s car parked up outside the gates. He rushed over to her and helped her get in the car, driving to the nearby park, “come on, you need some air,” he walked around to help her out, and they started walking through the park together, hand in hand, “do you want to talk about what happened?”

“Uther,” she muttered, “he wants Morgana to date, well, marry Will Sarrum.”

“The snobby prick from Arthur’s business class?”

“The very same – Amata Motors uses Pendragon Financing to manage their accounts, Uther wants them to be together to make sure that continues when Will takes over the business. But, of course, Morgana isn’t into guys at all so she asked me to pretend to be her girlfriend to go against Uther.”

“Wait, you’re not actually dating?” Merlin questioned, and Wylla sighed.

“Let me give you the full story first,” she said, and he nodded for her to continue as they sat down on one of the benches, “I agreed, of course, because just the idea of it was horrible. But, in the days approaching the party, I realised that I actually really like Morgana. I confessed to her, and she said that the reason she asked me to do it was because she liked me too. We were kissing when Uther walked in with Will’s father, and he got really angry. I tried to stand up for her, but he hit me and threw me out of the house. And now, I-I don’t know what he’s going to do to Morgana for not obeying him,” Wylla’s voice broke as she cried, and Merlin hugged her tightly.

“Morgana is strong, she’s really strong, I’m sure she’ll be okay,” he assured her, and then there was a shout from across the park.

“Wylla!” it was Morgana, running towards them, so Wylla got up to meet her halfway.

“Morgana,” she sighed, relieved as she embraced her girlfriend, “you’re okay. Wait,” she pulled away from the hug and held Morgana’s face in her hands, “are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Morgana assured her, before wincing away as Wylla touched a rapidly forming bruise on her jaw.

“He hurt you,” Wylla cried, “I’m sorry, I should’ve fought back harder, I-”

“It’s okay. We argued for a while and he hit me, but then he threw me out.”

“Oh god…”

“No, this is good,” Morgana assured her, wiping away the tears that were spilling down Wylla’s cheeks, “I have the money I inherited when my real father died, I’m finally free from Uther, and now we can be together,” Wylla let out a relieved laugh and pressed her lips against Morgana’s, tears streaming down her cheeks as they kissed. But they were happy tears, Morgana was safe and they were together – and that’s all she needed.

I really hope I got all of the warnings that I may have needed but feel free to let me know if there’s anything I missed and I’ll add it to the tags.

Happy Camelove 2021! 🥰💜💙

#camelove2021 #day 1: ladies first #fanfic #modern au #fake dating au #forced relationship tw #arranged marriage (attempted) tw #violence tw #abuse (mild) tw #homophobia tw #oc/morgana #merlin/lancelot #arthur/gwen

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captainofthetidesbreath · 6 years

Note

A couple hours late but I just saw you saying how Jesse and Fareeha are more inverses of each other and I completely agree! I personally see Sombra and Jesse as more paralleled, and would be interested in hearing your thoughts on that idea? You tend to be very well-spoken and are good at analyzing concepts, I've come to notice.

EDIT - NOVEMBER 3, 2018: With the release of “Reunion” and Ashe’s hero reveal, the majority of what I wrote about Deadlock in the first three sections—Sign of the Skull, Those Left Behind, Revolutionaries and Rebels—is incorrect. Despite this, I maintain that the socioeconomic context outlines in Those Left Behind remains relevant to the American Southwest in-universe and maintain my belief that it is applicable to McCree specifically, even if it does not apply to Deadlock. I will be writing a new post on Sombra and McCree soon. Stay tuned.

in reference to this post… from months ago

Lucky for you, I was thinking about Jesse and Sombra the night before you sent this! Deadlock and Los Muertos, actually, but I’ll get to that. I absolutely agree that the two of them make much more direct parallels than Jesse and Fareeha, who are interesting as a pair in their own right but they aren’t direct parallels.

I often joke that Gabe adopted the same child twice: smart-talking, hyper-competent Latine who tote around skull logos and are from gangs with the word “dead” in their names. It’s a joke—I don’t consider Gabe’s relationship with Sombra to be that of a parent-child, for one thing—but I believe that Jesse and Sombra are very similar regardless.

They both have similar backgrounds: joined local gangs at a very young age and earned later membership into a high-level covert organization through resourcefulness and an admirable natural aptitude in a specific desired skillset. Although both at first look to be unserious and overly laid-back, they prove themselves to be precision operators who indeed execute plans and achieve goals with immense gravity. They’re both supremely confident in their abilities, to the point that one can accuse them of having too high an opinion of themselves and being overconfident.

They come from similar backgrounds, having been orphaned during the Crisis and suffered under economic disparity driven by infrastructure changes in the rebuilding period. They both similarly drop off the map and resurface under new identities. They both have a deep concern in seeing done a justice that is beyond the reach of the law—or when the law refuses to deliver it.

All this, and more, under the cut. The post is very long.

I would also like to thank @segadores-y-soldados for all he’s written, especially on Sombra and especially recently. I make heavy reference to his writing on Sombra in certain portions of this post. I also must admit that reading his posts on Arturito has motivated me to finish this after three months of slow progress, though I still have a nagging feeling I’m forgetting a point.

Sign of the Skull

To make a quick run-through on Los Muertos and Deadlock Gang themselves before moving onto how these organizations inform Sombra and Jesse specifically. Sort of a section to outline basic things about the gangs that doesn’t neatly fit into other points. It’s mostly to establish their context, and some similarities between their structures and presentation.

Screenshot from the Sombra Origin showing members of Los Muertos. Each member has painted skeletons onto themselves with phosphorescent paint in varying colors.

Los Muertos is a Mexican gang with apparent regional influence with members in both Dorado and the nearby Castillo, and it even has some international reach judging from the Los Muertos graffiti on the Hollywood map. Little is known to us about their structure besides this, and even in-universe they are noted to be mysterious with little information publicly available about them.

However, Los Muertos openly broadcasts their intentions: to right the wrongs committed by the wealthy and powerful against the disadvantaged of Mexico. They position themselves as transgressors of the law specifically to disrupt the lives of the “vipers” in power. More on that later.

The name translates to “The Dead”, and they are identified by skull motifs, specifically the calaveras associated with the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. Individual members openly identify themselves and indicate their membership by painting skulls and bones on their bodies with phosphorescent paint.

Screenshot from the Route 66 map of five motorcycles parked in front of The High Side bar. The Deadlock emblem is spray-painted by the entrance.

Deadlock Gang is an American motorcycle club and organized crime ring occupying a Southwestern town on an abandoned stretch of Route 66 running across Deadlock Gorge. It’s unclear where exactly the Gorge is, and the Visual Source Book’s pin for the map is highly unspecific, but I tend to believe it’s in somewhere in northern New Mexico because Jesse’s base of operations is listed as Santa Fe, NM.

In one lore piece, Deadlock is holding a national rally, suggesting they’ve got chapters nationwide and the founding chapter is in Deadlock Gorge. While it’s unclear what their reach is, there is a possibility of international chapters. (Torbjorn’s motorcycle-themed Deadlock skin may suggest this, but it does not have any Deadlock iconography, notably showing a bear where one expects the Deadlock emblem.)

This does not necessarily mean all of the Deadlock Rebels Motorcycle Club is a criminal organization, nor every single member a criminal, but… y’know, the founding chapter is a weapons trafficking racket. They’re a one-percenter outlaw motorcycle club, and there’s a quick and easy comparison in the real-life Hells Angels, whom the show Sons of Anarchy models itself after.

Deadlock, besides naming itself after the concept of death like Los Muertos does, also uses a skull in its emblem. We haven’t seen any member of Deadlock pictured, but extrapolating from the typical behavior of motorcycle clubs, they likely openly identify themselves and indicate their membership by wearing standardized jackets or most likely vests. Members likely have tattoos indicating membership as well, seeing as Jesse has a tattoo of the Deadlock emblem on his inner arm in his Blackwatch skin.

Those Left Behind

Sombra, orphaned during the Omnic Crisis, was taken in by Los Muertos, a gang that positioned themselves as champions of the underclass ignored during the post-Crisis rebuilding process. They’ve done this most notably by opposing the CEO of LumériCo Guillermo Portero, who they’ve described as having exercised his social influence to have many wrongfully imprisoned and who we know is working with the not-as-noble-as-they-put-forward Vishkar.

The social context of Los Muertos and Sombra is very directly told to us. From Sombra’s official bio:

After ░░░░░░ was taken in by Mexico’s Los Muertos gang, she aided it in its self-styled revolution against the government. Los Muertos believed that the rebuilding of Mexico had primarily benefited the rich and the influential, leaving behind those who were most in need of assistance.

From a lore post published to the website:

…its members style themselves as revolutionaries who represent those left behind by the government after the widespread devastation of the Omnic Crisis.

And Michael Chu on Los Muertos at Blizzcon 2016 (transcript):

Mexico really suffered a lot at the hands of the Omnic Crisis. The war destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure. […] They claim to be kind of revolutionaries fighting for people who were left behind during the rebuilding of Mexico after the war.

Despite their noble stated goal, they seemingly also cross a line in their illicit activity enough to earn the ire of Jack, who isn’t exactly on the straight and narrow himself but still seeks the right side of things. As Chu added:

Whether or not that’s really what they are up to, because they’re also engaged in a lot of other shady activities. It is up to you decide.

Given a lot of other suspect activity they engage in, that noble work might not be the only story to be had on them—especially depending on where you’re standing. Saviors with their thumbs in certain pies not meant for them, possibly.

The social context that Sombra rises out of is made very plain for us. But what does it have to do with Jesse?

While we know few specifics about his circumstances growing up, other than he also lived through the Crisis and was likely similarly orphaned during it, the description and in-game environment of the Route 66 map suggest the area is one of difficult social and economic circumstances, emphasis mine:

Though the travelers and road trippers who used to cross the US on historic Route 66 are gone, the Main Street of America still stands, a testament to a simpler time. The gas stations, roadside shops, and cafes have gone into disuse, and the fabled Deadlock Gorge is mostly seen from the comfort of transcontinental train cars. But amid the fading monuments of that earlier era, the outlaws of the Deadlock Gang are planning their biggest heist yet.

Concept art of The High Side, showing the abandoned bar in disrepair with boarded windows and faded paint.

At least one building, the Cave Inn (ba dum tsh) in the streets portion of the map, is visibly abandoned, and the theme of disrepair and long-gone halcyon days is especially prevalent in the concept art for the map. This all paints a portrait of a Deadlock Gang that operates out of an area that suffered immense economic hardship in recent years, likely particularly after the introduction of the transcontinental train cars, one of which is featured in “Train Hopper”, a comic which takes the time to emphasize the wealth of the passengers traveling on them. So, the Deadlock chapter is localized within a region that suffered economically under infrastructure changes that largely benefit the wealthy and powerful. It’s possible that these infrastructure changes were made possible because of efforts to rebuild after the physical devastation of the Crisis.

Without going off on a tangent about it, there’s a bit of a difference between “Deadlock comes out of the lower class in a geographic region beset by poverty” and “Deadlock gang itself currently has no money”. Apparently, well after the effects of financial misfortune set in, Deadlock was and is making enough money to maintain long-distance shipping, as suggested by their semi-trailer truck, and keep an entire town functioning well enough as a cover for their criminal enterprise. Also, missiles don’t sell for cheap. Deadlock might be financially comfortable now, but their context still involves deep socioeconomic disparity.

This is especially poignant against the Route’s invoked nickname, Main Street of America, which conjures images of the average American person. Those average people who owned gas stations, cafes, diners, roadside trinket shops, dive bars are the ones who are forgotten while the more affluent folks pass them over, traveling in style. There’s also a historical precedent in poverty and social disparity as driven by infrastructure changes specifically affecting the way people travel across regions and the country, specifically in the history of the freeway.

To sort of make the clarification, Jesse’s tattoo states that Deadlock was established in 1976—happy centennial, Deadlock—so they’ve certainly changed a lot as their social context and membership make-up changed. There’s much to be said about social non-conformity, outlaw motorcycle gangs, one-percenters, community integration, and how these intersect with both the politics and economics of the local communities along Route 66, especially given how the Route was recently listed as one of the country’s most endangered historic places, even in Deadlock’s apparent founding in a period of American social unease after the Vietnam War and during the late Cold War, and extrapolate a lot about Deadlock from all that, and even about Jesse himself from some of it, but that’s for a different post.

Revolutionaries and Rebels

In that context, it’s worthwhile to note that in their insignia, seen in the graffiti all over the Route 66 map and in Jesse’s tattoo in his Blackwatch skin, they calls themselves the Deadlock Rebels. Generally, outlaw motorcycle clubs are also known for their contempt for social convention and disdain for status quo.

Screenshot of the Deadlock Gang hideout with their insignia, which includes the words Deadlock Rebels, spray-painted onto a wall.

Deadlock is quite the opposite of Los Muertos, though. Deadlock maintains a law-abiding public face—holding innocuous and even advertised national rallies and hiding their illicit activity under numerous cover businesses—and are more discreet in their disrespect of law. One can double down on this by looking to how successfully real-life one-percenter clubs maintain their public image: openly contemptuous of social norms but keeping public knowledge of any legal transgressions to only the small indiscretions while hiding the major ones.

Taking a look at Deadlock’s primary targets, military installations: the train cars on the map are military-related, the gang traffics military hardware and weapons including missiles. Although Deadlock comes from a similar social context as Los Muertos, these aren’t targets seeking to effect a change in society like how Los Muertos seeks to. Deadlock appears largely self-interested, with little interest in changing the fortunes of anyone else in the American lower class. Los Muertos bills itself as other-interested, seeking to change the fortunes of the Mexican underclass as a whole.

Archetypically, Los Muertos are revolutionaries, Deadlock are rebels. While they both groups reject the status quo, the revolutionary seeks sweeping social change but the rebel rejects the status quo on a personal level. The revolutionary wants society to change to suit their vision of what it ought to be while the rebel positions themselves outside of society and will redefine themselves as society changes.

The difference is apparent in their choice of targets. Los Muertos targets institutions and people who directly have a hand in the building of their social context, and attacking those targets will potentially affect a social change. Deadlock targets institutions and people who may have a hand in their social context, but such targets are chosen primarily for the gang’s financial gain.

Los Muertos is politically motivated. Deadlock is financially motivated.

Admirers in the Shadows

Sombra and Jesse don’t remain in their gangs. They both end up joining shadow organizations with global reach, the terrorist organization Talon and the covert ops organization Blackwatch, respectively. Both organizations were wooed by their specific skillsets.

Sombra launched an even more audacious string of hacks, and her exploits earned her no shortage of admirers, including Talon. She joined the organization’s ranks…

With his expert marksmanship and resourcefulness, he was given the choice between rotting in a maximum-security lockup and joining Blackwatch, Overwatch’s covert ops division. He chose the latter.

A young Jesse McCree was recruited into Blackwatch after Gabriel Reyes saw his potential and gave him a choice: join Blackwatch, or rot in prison.

The difference here is that Sombra was offered a place, but she did not necessarily need that offer to continue on with her life. She takes it because Talon resources allow her to more effectively pursue her goals. If McCree did not take the offer to join Blackwatch, his life effectively ended. (There’s a whole thing to be said about this offer, why it was the best offer that could have been made to him at the same, and criminal rehabilitation—but that’s another post.) McCree’s decision to join Blackwatch isn’t motivated by pursuit of a specific goal. He just didn’t want his life to be over before it started. In that regard, his entire life is shaped very directly by his relationship to Overwatch as an individual and Blackwatch, even more than simply its role in ending the Crisis and overseeing the rebuilding efforts.

Sombra, as someone who survived the Crisis, similarly has that more distanced influence of Overwatch in her life, but there’s the possibility she may have a more direct one.

With the recent spawn interaction between Sombra and Hammond showing a sentimentality for her stuffed Overwatch bear, seen in her den in Castillo, there is a possible picture to paint of a Sombra who may have some sentimentality toward Overwatch and might be aiding individual members on the sly not only because she wants to uncover the Grand Conspiracy they’re caught up in but also because she has a personal motivation.

segadores-y-soldados has a lot of good and very recent speculation on what this could mean for Sombra, either working with the room in her background for her to have worked with Blackwatch or having her as never having worked with Overwatch. If she worked with Blackwatch, which is admittedly a shakier theory, it creates a direct and clear mirror with Jesse: given a second chance at life through working with Overwatch and Blackwatch. If she did not and the influence is only the distant one, and she simply remained on the edges of society and making use of the space available, it is an inverse of Jesse. I recommend reading these two posts on the idea: one, two, three.

Name: REDACTED

One could compare Sombra attempting to eradicate her identity as Olivia Colomar and later returning as Sombra to Jesse going underground after leaving Blackwatch and later resurfacing to work as a bounty hunter. Their decisions to drop off the map have different motivations and different degrees of extreme, and there is a different tenor in how one disappears as Olivia and returns as Sombra and the other disappears as McCree and makes a resurfaces in a return to that identity.

Sombra accidentally stumbled onto a massive conspiracy that controlled the world and drew their attention, compromising her security and forcing her to destroy all trace of Olivia Colomar to go into hiding. She came back as a completely new person with no trails to her old identity, a transformation so complete that it took years to connect the two.

It is possible to draw a stronger parallel between them here. Jesse similarly has parts of his identity that he’s hiding (but which Sombra knows about):

Sombra: Pleasure working with you, McCree… if that is your real name.McCree: Don’t know what you heard, but my name’s not Joel. Best remember that.

There’s a strong case for the Jesse is the journalist Joel Morricone theory: at some point in his life, he created a second identity for himself and is working to keep the two separate. It’s currently unclear exactly what the details of the arrangement is or why he goes to these lengths. Given that he disappeared for “several years” after quitting and before reappearing again as Jesse McCree, gunslinger for hire, it stands to reason he spent the intervening years living quietly under the Morricone identity.

We don’t really know much about the specifics of what motivated Jesse to go to ground, but based on his official bio, it seems related to the infighting following the Talon infiltration at Overwatch and Blackwatch that also drove him to quit. It could likely be motivated by security reasons—in a similar but less drastic way that Sombra burned her old identity to protect herself.

Justice Against Law

One of the building blocks of McCree’s character is his stance on justice. He makes it very clear: he is concerned primarily in dispensing justice to the point that he only accepts jobs as a bounty hunter if he believes the cause just and constantly gets involved in vigilantism, putting a stop to crimes both petty and serious.

Through this dogged pursuit of seeing justice done, he seeks a self-redemption for the wrongs he committed early in his life: “he came to believe that he could make amends for his past sins by righting the injustices of the world”. At the same time, he makes it clear that he believes justice and law run on different wavelengths. He appreciates Blackwatch for its “flexibility” to move “unhindered by bureaucracy and red tape”. The Morricone article seems to suggest a belief that justice can be defended by law, but everything else about him strongly states that he does not believe justice is exclusively defended by law.

The short version: McCree has a rigid sense of justice and dedicates his life to seeing it carried out, but he does not equate it with the law. Both of those points are amply evidenced and are at the forefront of McCree’s character.

Edited sequence from the “Searching” comic where Zarya and Lynx-17 go door-to-door, showing everyone a photo of Sombra. Zarya’s internal dialogue in the last panel: “But no one has seen Sombra. Or nobody admits it. They see her like our Stepan Razin—attacking the rich to defy the czar.”

Sombra is (perhaps surprisingly) similar. As stated previously, she was brought in by a gang who billed themselves as seeking a justice for the Mexican underclass that they believed could not be achieved through legal means.

On her own? She holds to those ideals and that goal. She attacks and exposes the CEO of LumériCo, creating an opening to see some justice done for the Mexican people. (The attempt failed, and Portero is reinstated, but that’s besides the point.) Her continuing interest in seeing the Viper Portero removed only makes sense if she continues to have a personal investment in seeing justice for the underclass of her country.

This leads to Sombra being seen as an extrajudicial force of change and good by the Mexican people, particularly those in the Castillo and Dorado region. Zarya compares her to Stepan Razin (Wikipedia), who as I understand it led force composed in part of peasants in uprising and, though he failed, was immortalized as a folklore hero.

Though her methods are different and her goals much more specific, her actions, at least in Mexico, are similarly driven by a search for justice that cannot be delivered by the law.

The Enemies of Talon

I don’t have a lot to say about this, and segadores-y-soldados has summarized it quite better than I have, but it’s important enough to get it’s own section. But, Sombra working against Talon actually puts her technically on the same side as Jesse is—even though Jesse as of “Train Hopper” doesn’t seem that interested in actually ending Talon’s activities or denying them what resources they want, only in preventing them from hurting and killing innocents. (Though, I doubt Jesse is going to remain in that mode for long.)

It is entirely possibly, maybe even likely, that Sombra is aiding Jesse somehow as well as aiding Jack and Ana. I linked a couple of segadores-y-soldados’ relevant posts earlier, but I’ll link them again: linked before, new link.

Miscellanea, Smaller Comparisons

Sombra is embraced by her old gang Los Muertos, even though she has broken ties with them for her safety, as evidenced by the gang’s enthusiastic and open support of her attacks on LumériCo. Deadlock openly rejects Jesse and is suggested to have a “shoot on sight” policy for him, as evidenced by the numerous photos of him accompanying rifles and his photo pinned to a dartboard; it’s possible that they resent him for having avoided prison and taking the presented opportunity to turn over a new leaf.

Even after leaving their respective gangs, both Jesse and Sombra still make use of variations on the gangs’ symbols in their personal iconographies. Sombra identifies herself through a simplified graphic calaveras. While in Blackwatch, Jesse openly displays his tattoo and wears a buckle of the Deadlock winged skull; after leaving Blackwatch, his prosthetic arm features plating shaped like a skull. (The iconography extends to the game’s UI also, with EMP represented by a calaveras and Deadeye with a skull.)

Both take somewhat similar relationships to Gabriel: Jesse is framed as a surrogate son and a right-hand, Sombra is framed as a young accomplice who takes a more familiar tack and a frequent trusted partner. They’re opinionated and vocal about it, unafraid to talk back to Gabriel and criticize his planning.

Further in the personality vein of things, they’re characterized as deeply confident in their abilities to the point of cockiness and overconfidence, and they can be accused (and have been, by Gabriel, though with dubious sincerity) of having too high an opinion of themselves. But despite the breeziness, they are highly competent, thorough, and conscientious, and although they may appear to have a lot of things to say about other people’s plans, they execute their own plans with precision and utmost gravity. Arguably, both are playing a bit of the fool to mask how sharp, observant, and cunning they really are.

#Jesse McCree #Sombra #Sombra Overwatch #Olivia Colomar #Overwatch #Anonymous #Gena plays Overwatch #I FINALLY FINISHED IT.#I apologize to you anon for taking three months but it's nearly 4k words and I was in a slump.#But I am always very happy to talk about things—especially if it's McCree related.#But Sombra and McCree are very interesting as paired characters.#I fear I've spent more time talking about Los Muertos and Deadlock than I have Sombra and McCree though.#But I am deeply interested in the social dynamics and context of Deadlock specifically and all that can be drawn out of the little we know #so I tend to let it get away from me when talking Deadlock.

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shitty-check-please-aus · 7 years

Note

What do you think about an “i picked up your bag at the airport but i can’t find your number so i’m about to embark on the largest scavenger hunt of all time by using your strange belongings to track you down” au with charmer or nurseydex or zimbits or something??

Well, I don’t know if you expected three mini fics, and I didn’t fully follow the prompt, but here we are.

1. Charmer

Look, Chris knew it was dumb. He knew that everyone on earth had a plain black suitcase, he knew he should have double-checked the luggage tag, he knew it was important to be sure abut these things. But knowing what he should have done couldn’t help him when he finally got his suitcase home and opened it up to find mostly yoga pants and sundresses.

Fuck.

He zipped the bag back up and flipped open the luggage tag. It was cute, pink with some metallic lettering saying “I’m outta here!” in a handwritten font. Chris blamed jetlag and the redeye flight for making him miss the fact that it wasn’t his Sharks tag. He blamed the bag’s owner for not filling out any of the information on the tag.

Dammit.

Well, sorry random girl, he thought. He opened the suitcase up again to try to see if he could find anything that would give him a clue as to who the suitcase owner was. He moved a makeup bag aside, and hit gold immediately. Well, Samwell red. A Women’s Volleyball tshirt– mystery suitcase girl had to be on the volleyball team.

“Hey Ransom!” he yelled. “You’re facebook friends with all the volleyball team right?”

“He’s friends with everyone on campus!” Holster yelled back.

“Ask their captain if anyone flew in from the Bay Area and lost their luggage!”

_X_

“Is Justin here? My captain said he’s got my suitcase.” Chris overheard her at the door. He grabbed the bag and started hauling it downstairs. As he set it down at the bottom and caught sight of the girl in the doorway, he froze. She was pretty. Like, really pretty.

“Um, hi,” he said.

“So you’re Justin? Oh my god, I’m so glad it wasn’t some total rando who got my bag.”

“I’m actually Chris, Justin was just the one who was friends with your captain. Um, I’m sorry, but I kind of had to look through your stuff? Your luggage tag wasn’t filled out.” The girl laughed.

“Yours wasn’t either! Me and my teammates were like one minute away from googling the record holder for most San Jose Sharks merch, but it totally makes sense that you’re on the hockey team.”

“Since we both forgot to write our numbers down, maybe we should do that now?” Chris suggested. The girl grinned, grabbed his phone out of his hand, and opened up a new contact. She punched in a number, and when she handed it back he saw a text of several random emojis addressed to the new contact of “Caitlin Farmer” with a girl farmer emoji and a volleyball emoji.

“Text me sometime, and maybe we can get dinner?” she said, and she was gone with her suitcase.

Chris collapsed on the couch, a dreamy look in his eyes.

“Chowder? You get your suitcase back?” Bitty called out from the kitchen.

“Yeah! and I think I’m in love now!”

2. Nurseydex

“Cheryl, I’m telling you, I had a ton of inspiration on the plane and I wrote some great stuff for act three. No. No, it wasn’t just me thinking it’s great because I popped some melatonin and got really sleepy. It’s like, legit. Yeah, I’ll send it over as soon as I get home and–”

Derek slammed into something. If he’d been holding his phone in his hand (bluetooth is a blessing when you drop stuff easily) it would have launched across the airport. As it was, his post-flight latte was soaking through the nice white shirt of the handsome stranger in front of him.

“Shit,” the stranger said, looking down to survey the damage.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have trusted myself to make a phone call and not be clumsy after such a long flight,” Derek said. He set his briefcase down and pulled a wad of napkins out of the outside pocket. The guy took a deep breath, going from murderous to calm in a few seconds.

“I wasn’t looking where I was going either, it’s not your fault,” the guy said, setting down his own briefcase and accepting the napkins. He blotted at his shirt.

“Let me pay for the dry cleaning. Or a replacement,” Derek offered. The man shook his head.

“It’s fine, it probably needed to go to the cleaners anyways.” He checked his watch. “If I run, I can probably get a new one before my meeting.” He wadded the napkins into one big ball, picked up his briefcase, and walked towards the exit with a terse nod. Derek, feeling terrible about the whole thing, picked up his own briefcase and walked to baggage claim.

By the time he was reunited with his home office, a cozy bookshelf-lined room in his brownstone, he had almost forgotten about the coffee incident. He was focused on sending the manuscript to Cheryl. Unfortunately, that was going to be difficult, considering he pulled a PC laptop out of the bag instead of his Mac.

Derek stared at the computer for a full minute. He almost couldn’t believe that this was happening to him. Hesitantly, he opened the laptop. On one side of the keyboard there was a weird thing that a few seconds of phone googling told him was a fingerprint scanner. Shit. He hit the space bar experimentally. Something flashed on the screen, and then was replaced with just a plain black screen with red text: ACCESS DENIED

Derek swore. He started to look through the rest of what was in the briefcase, but was disappointed to find it empty except for the laptop’s charger, three packs of gum, and receipts from a lobster shack in Maine. Shit. Nothing in here would tell him anything about the redhead he’d launched a latte at.

He closed the laptop dejectedly, ignored his editor’s text messages, and went into the kitchen to make himself lunch and feel sorry for himself. This was the universe punishing him for covering a cute guy with coffee. If he had just kept his focus and waited to call his editor later, he could have sent the draft along and saved it and not be desperately trying to remember his inspiration.

Just as the self-pity spiral was really taking off, the doorbell rang. Derek sighed, put down his tea, and walked to the door. When he opened it, it wasn’t Girl Scouts or Jehovah’s Witnesses, but the guy from the airport.

“Cancel whatever you’re doing today, I need to teach you the most basic principles of digital security,” the guy said, pushing past Derek into the dining room. He shoved a stack of papers onto a chair and pulled Derek’s laptop out.

“I’m Will, by the way, I make software that’s hopefully a step ahead of viruses.”

“Is the draft still there?”

“The draft of what?” The guy looked confused.

“My third act breakthrough. I’m a novelist, I need to get it to my editor and I couldn’t remember if I saved it,” Derek explained.

“You know you can set up an auto-save every five minutes or so, right?” Will asked.

“This might be surprising to you, but I’ve never had a cute guy storm into my house and yell at me about computers before.” Will looked up from Derek’s computer, blushing.

“I haven’t had a cute guy dump a gallon of coffee all over me and steal my laptop before, either, but here we are.”

“Maybe you can yell about computers over lunch with me?”

3. Zimbits

Button downs. Tank tops. Slacks. Shorts. Three rolling pins. A pie tin. A half-emptied multipack of sharpies.

No lucky puck. No clothes in his size. No jerseys.

Jack sighed. It would just be too much to ask for anything to go well today. He picked up his phone to call someone with the Falconers, in the hope that they could talk to the airline and sort all this out. At the same time, his phone lit up with Tater’s face.

“Zimmboni! Look on twitter. Small internet baker has your suitcase!” Tater hung up before he could reply, so Jack just opened twitter instead.

omgcheckplease: A bunch of pucks, some dirty jerseys, and a history textbook. Either I’m back in college or this isn’t my suitcase.

omgcheckplease: .@falcsofficial please tell your #1 player to DM me and come get his shit

omgcheckplease: and @falcsofficial tell him to give me my shit back. my hockey days are in the past, I need rolling pins, not a mouthguard

Jack smiled and laughed in the way a person laughs when they’re alone, just blowing more air than normal out of his nose. He looked through the twitter for a minute– the guy, Eric Bittle, was a Providence-based chef, whose latest tweets were mostly greetings to the various cities he’d been visiting on tour. Jack clicked the media tab on the account, and looked through the pictures. Bittle was cute. He wrote a reply.

zimmboni: .@omgcheckplease how do I send u a DM

omgcheckplease: .@zimmboni you don’t deserve to be verified, oh my god #verifybittle2k17

A few seconds later another notification popped up, and he tapped it to be brought to a DM window.

omgcheckplease: hey! sorry about the mixup. I can only imagine how confused you were to find all my book tour stuff.

zimmboni: Probably as confused as you were finding hockey stuff?

omgcheckplease: I wasn’t joking in my tweets, I did play hockey before I got into the whole cookbook/food show thing

zimmboni: Exactly, I did a book tour last year in the off-season :-)

omgcheckplease: oh my gosh, isn’t it the best and the worst?

zimmboni: I know. It’s great to meet people and talk about your work, but it’s exhausting.

omgcheckplease: that’s why I’m so excited to be back in Providence! at least until the next cookbook.

zimmboni: Well we should probably meet up to trade suitcases. Want to meet somewhere for dinner?

omgcheckplease: don’t trust me to learn where your house is?

zimmboni: I mean, if dinner goes well enough…

omgcheckplease: OH. okay, then, Mr. Zimmermann, it’s a date.

Jack smiled to himself, and got ready for his date.

#charmer #chris chow #caitlin farmer #dexnursey #nurseydex #derek nurse #william poindexter #zimbits #jack zimmermann #eric bittle #omgcheckplease #check please

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paissahut · 7 years

Text

The process of moving Atlas’ belongings was a simple one. Everything he owns fit snugly into a duffel, and before he knew it his little room was just as bare as the day he moved in. Goodbye creaky chair, lumpy bed, wobbly desk…

He turns to leave the bedroom one last time, but finds himself immediately halted by a tiny figure below him. A little Lalafellan girl that could sit within the palm of Atlas’ hand. “So it’s true huh? Ya got in your fancy arcanist school?”

Atlas’ eyes widen in surprise of her knowledge, and he nods rapidly with his usual enthusiasm. “Word travels fast in the boarding house, as always. Indeed I got in. The application process was not as difficult as I anticipated.”

The little bean sprout applauds Atlas. “Yay! Good work, Atlie. I hope you didn't think of leaving without saying goodbye to me though, right?”

Atlas is aghast at such a suggestion. He reels back animatedly and retorts. “I would do no such thing!! In fact I was on my way to doing so, but you beat me to the punch.”

“You got all that schooling and magic and stuff and you still can't take one step ahead of me.” She sticks out her tongue in a teasing manner.

“Yeyelu! The NERVE! But you are not wrong, you've always been much keener than I. Perhaps you have a future in studying magics too, I would proudly watch as you grew and even surpassed me.” Atlas smiles fondly at his little friend. She is struck with the look and immediately tears well in her itty bitty eyes.

“Gonna miss having you around here, Atlie.”

Atlas panics and drops his bag, then follows on his knees. He huddles over her, frantic to calm the unrest he caused his little friend. “Yeye, please don't cry! Ahhh-- you know I can't stand to see you sad. Please remember I'm not leaving you for good! I'm still here on La Noscea, and if you need me I'm only a linkpearl away.”

He’s busily patting Yeyelu over the head with the tips of his fingers with rapidity, as if speeding up his petting would also speed up her emotional recovery. She's used to Atlas’ odd behaviors by now, and they even seem to succeed in soothing her. She pins his hand atop her head with her own little ones, relieving Atlas of his overeager effort to calm her.

“It's okay. I know.”

Yeyelu pulls the roe’s hand from atop her crown and looks at it… then swipes one of the big, fat, plain rings that adorn his fingers. She slips it over her wrist like a bangle. Twelve above, she can wear it on her wrist shecanwearitonherwrist. Atlas feels his heart squeeze as he's reminded just how small his friend is.

“This is mine now though.”

Atlas is nearly driven to tears just thinking about how cute Yeye is, but he bites back his overwhelming emotion. “It's yours,” He affirms. “I must be off though. There is a curfew and I don't intend to break it on my first night. Will you t--"

He clears his throat loudly and swallows down embarrassment.

“Will you tell your mother I said goodbye?”

Yeye notices Atlas stutter, and she grins impishly. “Yeah. I will. Bye Atlie, smell you later.” She jumps and high-fives his forehead before scampering off down the hallway.

Atlas is left helplessly dumbfounded. Several blinks later he’s launched to his full height and retorts defensively. “I… I do NOT smell!”

Atlas hurriedly collects his bag and proceeds down the hallway in a huff.

He does not smell.

Atlas returns his room key to the boarding house’s owners, a couple who use their inherited farmland and orchard to house and feed refugees. The boarding house used to be a huge home that the couple stayed in, but they humbly repurposed it for those in need of a roof over their head, and they now live in a furnished barn. They're easygoing and kind, and often lament that they haven't the space to take in more people. Atlas is endlessly grateful for their hospitality towards him.

With the key taken care of, there's only the trip back to the Mists remaining. It's a very short one, and before Atlas knows it he's beneath the door frame of his cozy little dormitory. He sets down his duffel and opens it up to hang up his garments in the wardrobe.

Done. Now for his books and stationery. Atlas is an avid letter writer, to the point where most of his income goes towards postage. He discusses and trades books, writes to two penpals in both the Shroud and Thanalan, and soon will be writing to Yeyelu who is in the process of learning to read. He quietly longed to be the one to teach her, but it's not his place to butt in the way of her mother’s curriculum for her.

As he's unpacking his stationery into the drawers of his fancy new desk, he notices an unopened letter jammed between two boxes of fancy paper. He pulls it out with some effort; the wax seal on the back melted a tad and became stuck.

...Ah. He immediately knows what this is. He receives these on a monthly basis now. Despite his displeasure at seeing the letter, it's his due diligence to open and read through every letter he receives. As expected, it reads the exactly the same as every single previous one.

“Usynhanth Awyrahtynsyn,

We have received a letter of recommendation on your behalf, and after review and much consideration, it would be our pleasure to have you at the Academy of Aetherial Manipulation.”

The letter goes on to list the benefits of the college, such as it's staff, housing, scholarships, etcetera....

This “letter of recommendation” that was supposedly submitted on his behalf is actually his father, the founder of the academy, trying to pluck him up for himself. His father is well aware of how Atlas feels about him, and yet he persists.

Sometimes he can’t help but wonder if he founded that academy just to bring Atlas back to him, but he knows better. It was founded so that he could bring all the resources he needed for his dark ambitions together into one place. Whatever bribery he might throw next, it won’t work. The only way that could ever happen is if he were to give up his secretive studies on Black Magics, and Atlas does not see that ever happening.

Unfortunately his father isn’t the only one at fault. Atlas’ silence on the matter has been gnawing at his conscience since the day he invited Atlas to study with him. He should report it to somebody-- no-- NEEDS to report it to somebody. The fact he is hesitating to makes him just as culpable as his father.

Atlas furrows his brow and quickly tears up the letter. He lets the shreds fall to his desk and turns away.

Now is not the time, Atlas. You have a room to tidy.

The student quickly busies himself, soon forgetting his worries once more. It’s not long until everything of Atlas’ is stowed away and the room looks almost as perfect as it did when he first came in, save for a little photo frame by his bed.

The clock on the wall reads ‘way past time-to-sleep-o’-clock,’ and Atlas practically leaps out of his clothes at this realization. Before it could get any later, the diligent roe has already wedged himself into bed and folded his glasses by the portrait. He aggressively turns over, as if to tell his brain, ‘Okay, now SLEEP!’

...It’s not happening. Oh Thaliak. This is not good. He’s going to wake up tomorrow TIRED and he CAN’T AFFORD THIS on the first day. What is Professor Ward going to think if he yawns in class? What if he misunderstands a small detail of a lecture or misses a note or...

Atlas has an idea, but he hesitates. He queues his linkpearl and speaks quietly. “Yeyelu? Are you awake?”

It takes almost no time at all for a little voice to peep back at him. “Yeah. Mum said it’s bedtime but I’m coloring instead.”

“Yeye! That’s not good behavior!” His hardened expression eases. “...But I’m glad you’re here anyhow. Do you remember when I said that if you needed me, I’m only a linkpearl away? Well, what if I need your help?”

“I know how to use the aetheryte if I gotta sneak out!” “Yeye, NO!” Atlas makes a sound so wholly horrified that the people in the other dorms now must think he has a haunted house set up in here. He claps a hand over his mouth, now horrified over the fact that he bleated loudly like a sheep. He practically begs her, “Please don’t sneak out! I just want you to read me your book!”

“Oh. I can do that.” There’s a shuffling where she takes her hand off her linkpearl, and she disappears for a minute or so. When she returns she’s flipping through the thick pages of a children’s book. Yeyelu’s gone through it a thousand times and probably has it memorized like a poem by now, but she likes the pictures and so she always finds the book anyhow. “The Very Hungry Spriggan.”

By the time the spriggan eats through five oranges on Lightsday, Atlas is fast asleep. Yeyelu can tell because he stopped chiming in after every single page to tell her good job. Her work here is done.

“G’night, Atlie. Love you.”

-For Awyrahtyn Doereidinsyn’s eyes only-

Father,

I contact you to inform you I will not be seeking schooling at the Academy. I have found my place elsewhere.

My opinions of you have not changed, even after all this time. So long as you carry on with your work you can expect me not to find my way back to you. Do not contact me again-- I want nothing to do with the life you lead. Failure to do so will tempt my impulsivity.

Usynhanth

Atlas calmly folds the strongly worded letter into thirds and slips it into an envelope. He posts it with a plain blue stamp and addresses it-- no return address. Next he’d pass it by, he would slip the envelope into the College’s postbox.

He stops and spends a long moment staring at the box containing his warning letter. Would the latter sentence come across as he intends? It wasn’t meant to be a threat, but no matter how he tried to word it in his head it still came across as such. He wanted to convey his severity; that’s it. The situation he is in is rather precarious, and whichever way the scales tip he needs to be ready to react.

He just… sincerely hopes he doesn’t have to turn his father in. Doing so would begin a domino effect of events that would result in his father dragging Atlas down through the Seven Hells with him. The fact that Atlas studies magic at all is evidence enough for any higher power to put him to death alongside his father. And if it’s not that, then he’d surely be locked up for “co-conspiring” with him, as his father would likely claim. None of this is below the petty man.

Atlas sighs heavily, then draws in a deep breath that has his chest puffed bigger than a lion’s. Everything will be okay. ...It’s gotta be okay. No matter how scared he is, it’s going to be okay.

The roegadyn turns his back on the postbox and returns to his dormitory. There’s still so much to be done before his first lesson! He should definitely brush up on algorithms. Or refresh his knowledge on the history of magic. Or both. Yes, a sound plan. He will evenly divide his remaining time between each genre of studies and get a fine tune in both.

#ffxiv #writing #mateus rp #atlas #atlas usynhanth

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mojput-mypath · 5 years

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Quite a long read...yet - exciting! Go for it :)

August 24th 2019

Reading time: 10 minutes, 7 seconds.

I wake up in the morning, my body clock tells me the time. Even if I wanted not to wake, I still wake. My body tells me: it is time. It took a few days to get to this point with a super loud alarm clock my sister would strangle me for, but then 3-4 days later, the body already knows. Every day at the same time – so easy.

SHARING

Gurudev says: when you share something, it looses power. If it is a secret, and it is spoken, it loses its power and leaves you. If it is something precious to you, kept inside, it grows and enlightens you from within. That is why I wait before I write, until it grows in me so much I cannot but share, when it all matures inside of me. I also have my bad secret secrets, but I share them skilfully, so I am free of them and no one gets hurt. At least that is how I perceive my actions in the world.

Today I shared a burden of guilt on my chest to someone who was able to take it easily. It made me really free. All the bad things we do or have been done to us, the pain that comes with it, gives us so much depth. The pain can bring sadness with it, but if we drop the sadness and stay with the pain, the pain will slowly dissolve. The sadness is our own creation, we choose to keep it. Another amazing pearl of wisdom from Sri Sri (Gurudev) is: Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Easier said than done, I guess. How to let go of the sadness? By choice, I tell you. The only thing that blocks us from letting go of all the emotions we so selfishly keep to ourselves, is that we do not really know how. We struggle.

To live a life of spirituality for me is a direct result of the early part of my life being a really heavy and sad one. No one to blame for it! It is how it is. Me being a little more sensitive only makes my life’s events more difficult for me to digest. If I think back, it took me years (and I guess this is just another growing up experience for all of us) – it took me years to come out of blaming my parents for all my life’s experiences. Not for the war, or the divorce, or the moving from place to place, not because of all the previously mentioned events – but for how I felt about them happening to me. All my emotions and my states of mind had basically two people holding responsibility over them: my parents.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

I just took such a long time to get out of pointing fingers and start looking at myself as the responsible one for how the experience of my life was and is influencing my state of being. At that exact moment, I wished to come out of blaming, but had no idea how to do that. I resorted to turn the blame on myself. At the time it has already been a bit late, as I was a full-blown drug abuser and alcoholic. Just added to the list as more things I blamed ‘life’ for bringing on me, still not taking any responsibility for what I was doing to my body, my mind, or how I behaved to my partners and friends and family.

I will tell you, my dear, that even today I do not take full responsibility on many occasions. It takes time for me to see that I am truly the creator of all that comes to me. And even if I had not known that I was the creator myself, that is no reason not to take responsibility – not for what happened – but for how it made me feel and think. That is entirely mine. No one can take responsibility for my reactions, for my thoughts and my feelings. Yes, they are mine and mine alone.

I came to realise how the habit of taking proper care of myself, of my body, my mind, my emotions and my state of being has not yet reached a level I could be proud of. I am 37 years old. I have been meditating and doing yoga and other practices since 2005. Soon to be my 15 years anniversary of mostly being surrounded by people that are into health and happiness, good habits, cleansing techniques, healthy food, environmental care etc. etc. etc. Most of my friends even before that time were and are activists for human rights, artists, meditators. I can say my environment has been only supportive for me to adopt fully only good life habits. Yet, every single day I wake up in the morning, it is a new day and a new struggle to keep discipline for my own well-being.

I am the embodiment of opposites and extremes. I can keep a strict restrictive diet for months. And I can eat pizza for months. I can dream of staying in one place for years, and move house five times in a single year.

PLANNING

Whatever I plan will take another direction from the expected one. I think that maybe there is no point in planning any more.

Quoting myself from the other day:

When you feel so free to go wherever and do whatever at any time, it becomes difficult to make decisions. That is where the ‘sadhana’ comes in handy for me. No matter what, I have one thing that is always with me, my personal spiritual practice. It gives me clarity, when I really need to make decisions, I make them and I do not regret them. Whatever I decided and did, I stay with it and then see what will happen. I never wish to go back on my stupid and crazy and sometimes even very smart decisions.

Anyway, do you think you ever really decided anything in your life? You might think you have, but in the end life will take you by the hand wherever life plans to take you. It may happen that sometimes you made a decision in alignment to where life was anyway taking you – and you got the illusion that you are the decision-maker.

Everything works in opposites – we have absolute responsibility and are creators of our own lives and at the same time: life slaps and hugs us however it wishes to. Absolute control, and absolute surrender – at the same time, all the time. Wow!

DATING STORIES

I have recently moved from my safe space into my very-not-safe space. Exposed to just life. Without big plans, saving the world, and serving humanity. I am figuring out how to earn more money, how to pay rent, how to interact with new people. I have a network of dear friends and spiritual family, but I also meet completely new people. I also interact with so many people on a daily basis, just coming out of my house. I somehow feel less inhibited to talk to anyone in any situation – post office, bank, shop. As if these people were my friends and family. It is a shift for me, I feel more comfortable with people in general.

I am also meeting people, let’s say kind of dating. Meeting people that are interested in dating, and seeing where it takes us. I met someone who could really be a new buddy. A younger person, a refreshing openness of mind and heart. I also met someone else, who I really liked. Or I might have liked who I imagined this person to be. I have mad intuition, and I just know when things are not right and it takes me a little time, but eventually, when I stop being obsessive, I can feel exactly what the doubt in me was about. In this particular case, the someone is engaged with someone else. I had felt this instant connection, like an old acquaintance, from another life. You know how some people you just connect to instantly, and some who have been your friends for years, you maybe never come to that level of connecting/understanding.

The whole story was just insane how much energy was spent on it. You ‘recognise’ someone, and you just want to become an essential part of the other person. So, on the metaphysical/emotional side, such a connection, such easy understanding with practically a stranger. On the other, practical/material, who is this person really? Did I truly ‘recognise’ or did I just wish to?

One more person that I met seemed obviously perfect, but there is something I cannot quite pin-point about it all. I know it has nothing to do with the other person, I feel some distance from myself and cannot quite pin-point the reason behind it yet. I’ll let you know when I figure it out! (see end of this blog)

I still have no idea what all happened and why, I just realised so many things about myself in the process.

I LEARNED SO MANY THINGS

Firstly, I fall in love in a fraction of a second. I connect to people so easily, on a certain level. I can instantly imagine spending my life with the person. Yes, I start projecting my desires on the person in front of me. Secondly, I got clear plain confirmation that my intuition is spot on. Just accurate, in detail. I can know how the person feels, how they will react and what they are hiding (if they are hiding something). Thirdly, people like me at first sight, because I am smart and funny, for sure, but also they have not experienced meeting someone so instantly easy-going and honest. It attracts them. Even though they might not even know what it is, they feel drawn to me. Realisation number four: if someone actually likes you does not mean that is the right person for you.

I wanted to meet ‘ordinary’ people. Not activists and artists, just people, with ‘normal’ lives and jobs, just living the life, without big ideas, goals, saving the world and so on. Someone who I can talk about music, art, and psychology. It gave me calmness to realise there are so many different people in this world, but it also left me empty.

I can connect so easily, yet the connection I am looking for seems not to be so worldly. Maybe that is my mistake. I wish for an out-of-this-world connection, yet tangible, real.

All of these thoughts and ideas about what I want are just that: thoughts and ideas. I had a lot of time to think about what I want, and now I am meeting people, and it is becoming more clear to me what I am really looking for. On the other hand, as said before: complete surrender and complete control, at the same time.

BALANCE

I have no idea what this life of mine has in store for me, but I do know now that it is guiding me to maintain balance in everything. Balance between the spiritual and the material, balance between work and rest, balance between searching to meet someone and allowing life to surprise me.

Time to take rest now. I have been so active this August, and it will continue for quite some time. No holidays ahead for me, as things are looking now.

Love you readers, really love you all. I cannot emphasise enough that I am totally available for you, and how being available for others makes me a happier, more fulfilled person. I am recently understanding that to be there for whoever might need me requires me to do many things for myself. That is another balance that is slowly starting to work out for me. So, on that note, I am going to get some extra sleep this night: 7,5 hours in comparison to less than 6 hours per night, every night since close to a month ago. I will tell you how I manage to stay alive and actively functioning!

September 5th 2019

Reading time: 7 minutes, 0 seconds.

Time freaking flies!

INTUITIVE ANATOMY

Still, I will give August a little recap, because it was eventful. It started with me assisting and attending a program called „Intuitive Anatomy“, by the ThetaHealing technique. Sounds cool right? Well, except me always being in the business of self-exertion, because I worked AND attended the seminar. I also did learn a lot. When I say a lot, I meant a whole bunch a lot. What was probably the most interesting for me was how I was interested more in the body and its functions than the beliefs that each bodily system carries. My favourite bodily system is: skeleton and bones. Very, very interestingly, this is where I have the most pain throughout my life as well as currently. Bones are structure, and structure is safety and stability. Of which I know nothing, less than Jon Snow himself.

A two-week full-day program, where I discovered how people who you would expect least to connect to, somehow you do. Where I learned what it means to not rest enough and to work too much for too many projects and people simultaneously. Did I learn, though?

At the end of it all, I felt relieved, exhausted and brainless/calm. It was really a mixture of so many things, that in the end I cannot even say what exactly would be the feeling or takeaway that I would point out. I learned a lot, about the body, about myself, about others, about my life, about what I want and I what I really need.

In this time, on ‘rest’ days, I went to see my granny with my sister and her boyfriend, and that day was such a relaxed and lovely experience. I even had a swim, my second swim this summer. The other rest day I spent travelling as well as working.

TEACHER TRAINING

As soon as this project was finalised, I travelled to Germany that same night. I walked into the Black Forest whirlpool, again in the role of a course assistant, usually, I was more an admin assistant for the Art of Living Teacher Training, but this year I spent more time in the course itself, as the teachers’ assistant. I really recovered from my tiredness quite soon. As Katina says: the Ashram provides. It did provide for me.

I meditated a lot and spent more time in the course than I have in the previous years, and could really feel how my energy was going higher and higher. But then, too many days of sleeping too less finally got to me. I did so much yoga as well, that I later realised was really bad postures for my broked spine. My spine is not really ‘broked’, but it is kind of wonky. Less sleep, wonky back, too much exertion in yoga postures. And on top of all that, every day a little more sugar to keep me up.

Me, doing Yoga I should not be doing at the moment, August 2019

The energy was so high, that it was mostly like flying through the day, just making it till the evening, getting totally recharged in unforgettable parties, I ever only saw with YES!+ people (18-30 years of age sober/straight insane dancing and enthusiasm).

But. The accumulated tiredness and lack of care for food and sleep got to me eventually and I broke. My body was in so much pain, and my whole nervous system kind of collapsed. It was so strange, because people know me as being so strong. And I was! Until I was not anymore. I just caved in completely. I was hurting physically, I was hurting emotionally and my brain was fried. The first thing I did was call mom, as she did not pick up – who you’re gonna call – ghost busters! I called my sister K, and she yelled over the phone about people not instantly flying to the moon for me. She knows me too well, and if I am crying out of physical pain, it means it is really extreme levels of pain.

I don’t know if this is something to be proud of, but I was told by a physician that he rarely saw such a high pain tolerance, and that if I would ever actually complain of pain, that he would really be very worried. At the time I thought it was cool, but not truly realising the gravity of the situation.

WHO CARES?

All sorts of strange situations happened, through which I understood a few things: - People will really care, and people will not care – regardless, I should know that everything that is happening is somehow benefitting many people in many different ways. Everybody learns from a situation, everybody gets what they need.

- When in need, I need to ask for help. Even if I do not ask, I need to know to accept it when it is given. Relax, let go and allow nature to take care of me. Without worrying whether I have money to pay the needed treatments, without being ashamed about what people will think if they see me weak, without pushing myself to be strong, and to be better and just allowing my body and mind and heart to take what it needs, and in this case it was rest and care.

I got cared for in so many ways. I was driven, people called doctors for me, gave me all possible treatments, comforting things and food, hugs and support. I even had a beauty session, to make me feel better and a nature and cake photo-shoot! Wow. Nature never leaves you to suffer. Even when you are in such pain. And remember, my pain tolerance level is high and I am saying I am in a lot of pain.

There was so much pain in my body but also in my heart. I felt all the stress and worries from the previous 5 months just had to come out in those two days. I was also quite high on pain killers, tried them all. They have various effects, some really make you feel high in the mind, and some just take away the physical pain.

I had to allow others to see me in need, to see me weak. To let them care for me. They could also see how different things were without my presence. I thought that was also a good perspective for everyone to have. How things are when I am not around.

The pain was a tiny bit little less, and I was still getting treatments till the end of my stay and managed to play guitar in that time, my arm cramping up during the strumming.

But I made it, because I am STRONG, as my little nephew says through his clenched teeth.

BACK TO LIFE

I travelled back home, slept, rested and came back to daily life, after a month of such an intensive time. Daily life is also quite busy now, and on top of the work, I have another mission to attend to: healing my wonky back. I managed to do a lot of things in a very short time, and in one week saw a specialist, and did tests and am seeing the specialist again next week and probably start physical therapy as well. The Gordana Express, all aboard!

The diagnosis is a bit scary and the words ‘pre-operational state’ are not comforting, but everything else is.

Such a bump on the head for me, to really, really start caring about my body’s needs. I disregard myself all the time, for work, for others, for so many projects. And of course I love it, but it is all a bit too much, this lifestyle. I just need a tiny bit more balance in the work/rest equation.

It is also so beautiful to see how much people care and how much they can really help me. I am not the only one who can help others, people are magnificent with their talents and approaches and how much they can give to others in need. Absolutely lovely.

‘The divine dwells in every heart.’ – says G.

I am doing some treatments (ultrasound massage, laser healing and magnet) of modern medicine to help by back, and they are helping. I also had a few Ayurvedic therapies, because I am scared that the western machines are helping my tissues, but also ruining my aura - haha! It feels slowly, slowly better, and the journey continues. What also helps a lot is me being satisfied for everything that is and being grateful for all the gifts life gives me, every single day.

Me in Rijeka this summer

September 23rd 2019

Reading time: 3 minutes, 52 seconds

FOLLOWING UP!

Exciting gazillion news, again! When I will not have news to share, it will be the end of this blog.

I am still doing my therapy for the back and in quite some pain, but not so much suffering, to be really honest. I am taking it well. I am also taking some Ayurvedic supplements and following suggestions about food and what to do to make the nerve less inflamed as well as the muscles less cramped. It’s kind of working. I can proudly say I am making slow and steady progress with ups and downs. I can now also exercise and I love it.

I also feel utterly helpless. It is silly, but I can actually not ride my bike, play guitar, or even press or hold things with my left hand. It is difficult to accept, to have to ask for help all the time. Luckily, other people take better care of me, than I do.

So, let’s move on to the news! I am actually dating someone. I wrote a list of what I thought was a perfect person for me and to be honest, this guy is 90% this person. The one from the first text of this blog.

We met on Tinder (a dating app), and instantly felt comfortable with each other. There is nothing like what you want and then you get that. It is that you somehow like the person, and then like many things about them, when you get to know them better.

I put him at a distance at first and it took me some time to allow him to come closer. I was quite cautious. It is all a very fresh experience, but let’s see where it takes us. It seems promising, but on the other hand, what do I know, I cannot really see the future…

As my back is creating me serious limitations on what I can and cannot do, a big project to travel far, work a lot and earn money is currently out of the picture. I had it all nicely planned out. August I spoke about, September to finish a job I resigned from, October in ashrams, November and December working in the USA, but now the America part is no longer happening, so I needed to restructure. America meant quite some cash, and I even considered to go and live in Switzerland or Burma.

I know, I know, but my ideas are quite brilliant! Burma, I would have gone and taught English and possibly saved some money. Switzerland (Lausanne) was a Western-world wish I have had for some time now, and also to brush up my French. And also Zagreb, after so many years coming here, I was planning to work part-time in a bar, a non-smoking, non-alcohol-serving patisserie, bakery, coffee-shop. But health has different plans for me. At the moment, I cannot teach yoga or organise events, because of the physical requirements. I can sit at home and do things on my computer, so that is what I’ll focus on. If you have some writing needs or any kind of marketing skills needed with a bit of design and/or website management – ping me!

And finally, big surprise – I am moving from Zagreb, this time it is Rijeka. My nightmare city, where I definitely never wanted to live in. Yet, what you resist persists, so Rijeka it is. The place I lived my darkest times. My first, and so many more times, getting drunk, getting the worst beating from my mom, worried for my sister’s well-being on two occasions, unhappy love stories and strange people, bullied at school etc. All this was so many years ago. Resenting a city is a strange thing to hold on to. So, here I have the opportunity to come out of all that. I will stay with my dear mom’s place, close to my new boyfriend’s place, and my sister Jelena’s and her partner and my nephew; my youngest sister, Eleonora, will be living in Trieste, that is also close by.

In the end, all roads lead to the place I least wished to be in. That is how it is! I have some ideas what all I’ll involve myself into in Rijeka, but let’s keep a secret or two for now.

Dudes, get me some online work, yo! I’m smart, hardworking and creative.

Love you Zagreb and ‘OK, bye’ to You. Hello cold Germany and rainy Rijeka. At least I’ll be at the seaside, finally. Even though you cannot really reach the seaside in Rijeka, but who cares, as long as you can see the big blue Adriatic bay every day.

Ahoy to new adventures, again and again.

:neverstop:

A lovely present, from a lovely person. Saying: I believe in you.

___________________________________________________________________

NAŽALOST BEZ HR PRIJEVODA OVAJ PUT, PREVIŠE TEKSTA...

#personal blog #learning about love #relationships #dating #love

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simplemlmsponsoring · 6 years

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New Post has been published on http://simplemlmsponsoring.com/attraction-marketing-formula/pinterest-marketing/3-tailwind-tools-i-use-to-automate-my-pinterest/

3 Tailwind Tools I Use To Automate My Pinterest

Doing social media is super time consuming and boring. Luckily Tailwind for Pinterest has our backs and has made a set of tools that help to automate the whole process with just a wee bit of work!

Here are my favorites, most practical to the most amazing freaking thing ever (with actual results shown)!

This is not a promoted post from Tailwind, I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this service. I have included my affiliate link in case you want to sign up and get going!

Posting Other People’s Stuff

One of the hardest things about social media marketing in general is figuring out a good mix of sharing your posts or products and other people’s content.

I have heard as high as sharing 20% of your own posts or products and 80% of other people’s but that seems really high to me. YES! I want to be a good friend, but on the other hand I really need to get views and make sales for my businesses.

I tend to share about 40/60… half mine and half-ish other peoples.

Now this really depends on how much variety you have of your own content. If you have a new blog or Etsy store and only have 20 or so different posts or products to share, then you are going to have to fill in with other people’s until you get to a critical mass.

I have been blogging for a long time so I have LOTS that I can share!

Tailwind Scheduler

I use the Tailwind scheduler feature to post other people’s content! It is a super cool way to “set it and forget it” for a while.

Functionally, you set a “schedule” that shows how many posts you want to go out each day.Here are three types of times that I have in my Scheduler…

Solid Green – Are times that Tailwind recommended and I confirmed Outlined Green – Are times that Tailwind is suggesting that I could send posts out but I don’t Gray – Is a time that I put in myself Colorful ones are part of the LOOPING that we will talk about later

So I have 25 pins set to go out today, 9 of which are other peoples. Now, I could use those recommended times to send out even more pins, but I like to keep my pins to around 25-30 per day.

Seeing what is going on two ways….

On the first review side of the Tailwind Scheduler you can do all different kinds of editing, deleting, changing descriptions, etc.

The three kinds of pins here are:

Lock – these are ones that I have hard coded to go out on a specific date at a specific time. This is great if you have an event coming up or a big sale that you want to promote on a certain date. Pushpin – these are the other people’s scheduled posts. Arrows – these are the looped pins that go out regularly from my site (more later)

If you are a control freak, this is your spot! You can see everything that is scheduled to post and make any changes you want.

Tailwinds Visual Scheduler

The second way to see your pins is by what is coming up visually. While you can’t really make changes to the pins you can SHUFFLE the queue if you see that you have a lot of other people’s pins in a weird order.

For example, my assistant does all the other people’s pins a couple of days a month and sometimes she pulls a few from the same website and they get all “bunched up”. A simple hit of the shuffle key rearranges them and no one is the wiser!

Sharing Your Stuff With The Tribes

The second cool tool Tailwind has is Tribes which allows you to share your content with other Tailwind users that have the same kinds of boards you do!

For example, here is a partial list of the Tribes I belong to…

As you can see, some are for blogging, some are for my Author posts and some are good for my Etsy posts!

Sharing Their Content

Most of the Tribes have “rules” about how much you can share your content. Many are 1 for 1, so if you share one other post, you can add yours to the mix of that Tribe.

Here is a great example, I added this post about SEO to my Great Marketing & Infographics board. It is win win because that is one less post I have to go out and find to share AND that same Tribe is sharing my posts at the same time on their boards!

But wait, there’s more!

Not having to go hunting all over the internet for stuff to share is great, but the best part is they share your posts too!

Here is a pin I shared on Tribes yesterday. 5 people from this Tribe shared it and it has over 41 repins already.

Now, there are some big Pinterest accounts out there who can get 41 repins overnight (heck they can get 4100 repins overnight) but I am not that popular on Pinterest.

Having access to some of these big pinners who can share your content is a Godsend for little Pinterest accounts like mine!

Looping (Automating Your Posts)

Okay, now we are down to the WICKED COOL, brand new, amazing new feature from Tailwind… LOOPING!

All those colorful arrows above are “Looped Posts” that will go out over and over again without me doing anything but scheduling them once… wah wah!

Why is this such a big deal?

Well there are bloggers and Etsy sellers out there with HUGE spreadsheets and way more time and attention than I have who are dedicated to posting their old stuff regularly. BUT THAT’S NOT ME!

I have occasionally posted old blog posts or products and gotten a wee bit of interest but I have always been focused on doing the hamster wheel… make new content, make new pins, post them out, rinse and repeat.

Looping let’s my old posts get a new audience and more love from Pinterest.

I thought I would show you the IMMEDIATE difference it made in traffic to my website (I KNOW, caring about repins should be my thing, but because I am a blogger and Etsy seller, I care WAY more about views than I do repins!)

My sessions (people who came to my website) went up 21.53% and my pageviews increased 24.12%… are you freaking kidding me?!?!

So how does Looping work?

Loops – you set up loops for your types of pins. I have Etsy, time management, real estate agents and general marketing that I talk about. Pins – you add pins to the loop and select the specific boards you want them to go out on. Sorting – you can use the sorting to see which pins are getting the most repins and attention.

Honestly I found setting up the loops a bit kerfuffly, BUT after making one and taking it down and then making it again I got the hang of it and did all those Loops in about a day and half.

So now, ALL my old pins are out there churning for years and years to come without me ever having to lift a finger again!!!

Tailwind FAQs

You said “automate” but don’t you have to schedule pins?

There are two ways you have to schedule pins… other people’s and your own when you write a new blog post or list a new product. My strategy for my new blog posts or products is to post them and then put them into some kind of scheduler to go out again. I use MeetEdgar for Facebook & Twitter and used to use the scheduler in Tailwind, now I just add it to a loop! For other people’s pins you can just batch this once or twice a month, loading it up and letting it run.

What’s the cost?

Each feature has it’s own cost which is awesome since not everyone needs them all. For example if you are a blogger, it is great to share your posts with the Tribes but if you are an Etsy seller then Looping your products might get you the best return on investment instead. I use all the tools since my business is internet based. Here is the price list for Tailwinds.

Is Looping good for Etsy sellers?

YES! I think bloggers are the ones who found out about Tailwind first and use it the most, but I can think of a bunch of handmade and supply sellers off the top of my head who could use this and up their shop views dramatically! (I don’t think this would be great for OOAK or Vintage sellers because you would be looping products that might have sold.. but you could use Tribes and get more views)

Doesn’t it take a LONG time to schedule other people’s pins?

If you are struggling to find other people’s content to post I recommend you join the Tribes. Instead of spending hours on the internet looking for great posts and then realizing they don’t have a Pinterest pin she can use, my assistant just goes into the Tribes and finds great content with pretty pins and does it in a few a hours a month!

Is it hard to set up?

I have to admit, it was a wee bit overwhelming at first. Tailwind does a LOT of great things, but seeing them all in one place can be a bit intimidating. What I suggest is get the plain old scheduler working and then figure out which of the addons would work best for your business! If you have any personal questions about this email me and I can help! tara (at) marketingartfully.com

Didn’t some other company just get shut down for “looping” Pinterest pins?

Yes, they did! The problem was that they weren’t working with Pinterest and were doing it in a way that was not approved. Tailwind is an approved partner and worked closely with Pinterest to make sure all the tools they provide are according to the terms of service!

The post 3 Tailwind Tools I Use To Automate My Pinterest appeared first on Marketing Artfully.

Read more: marketingartfully.com

#ndash #other #pins #post #posts #share #tailwind #them #your #PINTEREST MARKETING

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entergamingxp · 4 years

Text

Disintegration review – a quirky but troubled sci-fi shooter • Eurogamer.net

Back at last year’s E3 – an event that now feels like a lifetime ago – I had a chat with V1 founder Marcus Lehto to pin down what Disintegration was all about. Due to the game’s dystopian sci-fi setting and Lehto’s background as the co-creator of Halo, I came away thinking Disintegration’s narrative had the potential to explore some fascinating topics, including post-humanism and the threats to our world today.

Disintegration review

Developer: V1 Interactive

Publisher: Private Division

Platform: Reviewed on PC

Availability: Out now on PC, Xbox One and PS4

In the end, Disintegration doesn’t ever delve too far into these ideas: but what I didn’t expect was a silly yet genuinely convincing shooter hidden beneath the surface.

Disintegration bills itself as a first-person shooter with real-time strategy elements, half campaign and half multiplayer, set in a future version of Earth ravaged by every bad thing under the sun. Climate change, pandemic, war – all things so alien to us here in 2020… The premise is that swathes of the Earth’s population have chosen to “integrate” in order to survive the harsh conditions: a process of transplanting someone’s brain into a robot body to preserve their consciousness. It was intended to be a temporary measure, but a nefarious group called the Rayonne decided integration was actually the future of humanity. The motives for which aren’t really established at the start of the campaign, unfortunately, but at least you can tell they’re bad guys from their glowing red eyes. As Romer Shoal – a celebrity who previously convinced people to integrate – you and your band of robot outlaws team up to take down the Rayonne using a combination of your Gravcycle (a weaponised hoverbike) and ground units, each of whom boast special abilities and can be commanded to attack specific enemies.

Here is Black Shuck, antagonist and Rayonne thug who menacingly thrusts a robot switch-blade at you when angered.

Disintegration’s story blurs into a jumble of missions, but the levels are such a romp that I didn’t really care about the narrative reasons for being there – I just knew I was having a good time. Each one introduces new challenges, with varying team compositions, Gravcycle weapons and enemy types which force you to reconsider and evolve your tactics. Thanks to the hybrid nature of the combat, you can opt to just shoot your way out of trouble, but the secret to success is managing battles through the RTS mechanics. It’s about knowing your enemies, and which ones to prioritise. I soon discovered aerial units and snipers could easily destroy my Gravcyle, which was also hard to heal and would instantly fail the mission if blown up. I started commanding my troops to prioritise those units first, and later learned how to manipulate the Gravcycle’s mobility to swoop behind cover. It’s easy to be overwhelmed during the chaos of these battles, and sometimes the best approach is to methodically pick off enemies while keeping your Gravcycle distant, rather than flying in guns blazing. As I learned to my peril.

The enemy AI is surprisingly responsive, with enemies ducking and rolling behind cover when shot. The player’s own units, however, can sometimes be a little slow to react when directed to certain areas. Yes, that is an enemy there, you can shoot them.

Some of the main tools in your arsenal are unit abilities, and these are deeply satisfying when used to good effect: landing a mortar barrage on a bunched-up group of enemies results in a satisfying crunch of robot bodies, while a time-slowing dome creates a shimmering Matrix moment amidst the disorder. Adding to the chaos is the destructibility of the surroundings, which shatter and explode across the screen. It’s not just about cool explosions, however, as destroying enemy cover will make it far easier for your team to get a clean shot.

In classic video game form, someone’s left dozens of hazardous exploding oil barrels around the place. Who keeps doing this?

The level design in Disintegration’s campaign forces significant changes in gameplay style more broadly, some areas requiring the player to ferret enemies out of hollow brutalist buildings, others providing life-saving refuge in the midst of a heavy aerial battles. One tense rescue mission requires precision flying and sneaking around in tight spaces – without backup from your team – armed only with sticky grenades. Another sees you shepherd your team between protective domes, or risk being stunned by an EMP pulse mid-battle. And there’s just something rather lovely about the use of scale and perspective in these levels. One of the earliest sees you fight amongst ruined wooden houses and a graveyard, like directing toy soldiers between doll houses. Later in the mission, you skim over vast golden plains to explore the wreckage of a vast, burnt-out spaceship which dwarfs you and your crew. There’s storytelling within the levels that feels enjoyably dramatic in a Call-of-Duty way, with my personal favourite mission seeing the outlaws ascend grassy hills to fight a climactic battle atop a dam. Despite the world feeling desolate and barren, I kept wanting to explore and admire the gorgeous North American landscapes.

It’s hardly a narrative masterpiece, but Disintegration’s campaign is about putting a new spin on the classic sci-fi shooter… and letting rip on waves upon waves of robots. The mechanics alone are novel enough to keep you entertained, and once the ability to multi-task the FPS and RTS elements clicks, there’s plenty of room to keep refining your techniques. Once I’d finished the campaign, I went back to replay levels on a higher difficulty with my new-found knowledge, and found myself thinking more carefully about timing my special abilities, and how to smoothly manoeuvre the Gravcycle through levels. In short, it not only entertained me for the nine hour campaign, but kept me coming back.

The multiplayer is, unfortunately, where all this good work comes unstuck. I played a brief two-hour session before Disintegration’s release, but I wanted to test the multiplayer in public matches before writing this review. After three days of trying, I have been unable to connect to a match on PC. Judging by comments left on Steam and Twitter, I’m not alone in experiencing this, although I cannot say whether the problem lies with a technical issue or a simple lack of players.

It’s a shame, because I felt I’d only just scraped the surface of Disintegration’s multiplayer experience. It’s a team-based shooter, kind of like Overwatch if everyone played Pharah. You can pick between nine different Gravcycle crews, all with different perks, strengths and specialities, in three different game modes: Zone Control (capturing zones), Collection (basically team deathmatch with tags), and Retrieval (attack/defence). The modes themselves are fairly standard stuff, but the complexity comes from the ground units, team composition, and maneuvering your Gravcycle. In the first few matches, I initially focused my attention on enemy Gravcycles – which you would, seeing as they’re the enemy player. Yet that’s only half the story, as the ground units are often essential in completing each mode’s objectives. In Collection, for instance, points can be gained from killing enemy ground units rather than just other Gravcycles, and it makes more sense to target these as they’re much easier to kill – and there are simply more of them. In Retrieval, only your ground units can carry the core to the drop-off point.

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I tried flitting between a few different crews to get a feel for them, and went with the obvious tactic of choosing faster crews for attack, and tankier Gravcycles for defence, but I found some of the lighter crews would simply crumble into dust when put under any kind of pressure, and the increased maneuverability wasn’t enough to balance it out. I enjoyed experimenting with the different abilities for each crew, but in the end I found myself favouring high-damage crews like The Ronan to keep up with the carnage. Or maybe that’s just my playstyle – dumping a load of rockets on a fellow journalist’s Gravcycle is quite fun, what can I say?

There were moments in the demo session where I felt the team genuinely start to pull together: people were healing each other, moving as a group to target weaker Gravcycles, and setting up proper defences on zones using proximity mines. To Disintegration’s credit, the multiplayer did make me want to improve. The battles are frantic and not immediately readable to new players, and I imagine there’s a fairly high skill ceiling. This might be where the problem lies, as the multiplayer doesn’t instantly grab you, but becomes more interesting over time.

In the end, of course, I wasn’t able to spend more time with the multiplayer – and it’s disappointing, because Disintegration’s campaign gameplay is so compelling that I would happily recommend it to anyone who asked. Yet it’s hard to justify a £39.99 price tag when half of the game is, for many, currently unusable. I also fear Disintegration’s realistic art style and gritty sci-fi setting makes it appear run-of-the-mill, when its gameplay actually has quite a lot to offer. This might be a case of holding off until later (or perhaps until V1 makes the multiplayer free-to-play), but if you do decide to take the plunge on Disintegration, I can guarantee you one thing: somehow, inexplicably, you will never get tired of smashing robots.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/06/disintegration-review-a-quirky-but-troubled-sci-fi-shooter-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=disintegration-review-a-quirky-but-troubled-sci-fi-shooter-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

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soulcollector0100-blog · 7 years

Text

Kailey Fens Vs Pinterest

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, ORANGE COUNTY Kailey Fens Plaintiff Address Sealed Case #: ______________ v. Pinterest 808 Brannan Street San Francisco, CA 94103. Defendant COMPLAINT PLAINTIFF, Kailey Fens, comes this day, November 3rd, 2017, pro se, and for the reasons and causes for his Complaint, states as follows: COUNT I: BREACH OF CONTRACT 1. Plaintiff, KF, created a Pinterest profile in 2014 near Christmas time. My Pinterest page was very popular and if I give myself a complaint enjoyable to view. I temporarily closed it in 2016 due to my grandfather passing and other things going on in my life. It was a rough patch that lasted about 4-6 weeks. 2. There is a two step process in deactivating your Pinterest profile. I only did one which was click the deactivation button on the site. There is or was suppose to be another deactivation button finalizing deactivation sent by email which I purposefully never clicked. I have an emotional attachment to those boards. . They changed settings so that clicking deactivate on the website automatically deactivates your Pinterest pages and starts the two week time limit to my knowledge of permanently deactivating the pinterest page. 3. I was not aware of the change till after the two week time period has passed I missed it by approximately two weeks if I’m not mistaken. I was notified my Pinterest was permanently deleted. 4. I did send a message to Pinterest letting them know I wanted my boards back and I was not aware of the settings change. At the time it crossed my mind to talk to the CEO or someone in management but I did not want to step on toes. But I would have been right in doing so because it would appear done purposefully and maliciously. to delete my boards. 5. At that point two weeks had surpassed the timeline. They probably still had my boards sitting in their face. A year has passed at this point and is probably more work but it is not my problem considering they had the opportunity to do the right thing a year ago when I requested it be done. 6. I hate to be boastful but it appears Pinterest may be jealous or have a personal interest in my boards closing. I have contacted them in recent days preceding this complaint giving them opportunity to once again recover my boards peacefully without courts or judges being involved but they refuse I will post all correspondence in this complaint. I will be adding monetary damages because while I agree now a year later it may be work to RECOVER MY boards, OVER 20 I will add here ,its till cheaper then going to court. And it appears deleting my board was done maliciously. And it’s a compliment I love the site. Its speaks of mean spirited and ill-intentioned people that this can’t be handled peacefully. Summary of Events and Relief follows, See Attached. Respectfully submitted, _____________________ Kailey Fens, Plaintiff Write a short and plain statement of the claim. Do not make legal arguments. State as briefly as possible the facts showing that each plaintiff is entitled to the damages or other relief sought. State how each defendant was involved and what each defendant did that caused the plaintiff harm or violate the plaintiff’s rights including the dates and places of that involvement or conduct. If more than one claim is asserted, number each claim and write a short and plain statement of each claim in a separate paragraph. Attach additional pages if needed. Note Only Pinterest Will have a COPY of the original message as it was sent through the website. I only have a copy of the response. I did inquire about the settings change and that I wanted my boards back but I got generic answers. Nevermind Found Both. 7/15/16

to Pinterest

sobbing. unconsolable. On Fri, Jul 15, 2016 at 2:03 PM, Pinterest Help <[email protected]> wrote: ##- Please type your reply above this line -##

Help Center

Hi Keyonna, This is just a reminder that there's a response to your question. If it solved your problem, great! You can ignore this reminder and your ticket will solve in 24 hours. If it didn't, just respond to this message with any other helpful info. Here's a reminder of our response: Zendesk (Pinterest Help) Jul 14, 12:04 PDT Hi Keyonna, If you haven't seen this in our help center yet, learn how to deactivate or close your account here. If you can't get into your account to deactivate it, try resetting your password by going to https://pinterest.com/login/ and clicking Forgot your password?� Permanently closing your account means that you won't be able to get your Pins or boards back. While your public profile will be deactivated immediately, it will take 14 days for your account to be permanently closed. If you change your mind before the 14 days are up, log in with your email and password, and well send you a link to reactivate your account. To permanently close your account: - Log into Pinterest and go to your profile - Tap the Gear menu and select Account settings - Select Deactivate Account, then Permanently close my account These steps may differ slightly if you're using an Android or iOS device. If youre still having trouble, reply to this email and let us know. Thanks, The Pinterest Team

7/14/16

to noreply

So I did close my account but I never clicked the close account in my email I kind thought it would still be open is there anyway to reopen the account On Fri, Jun 17, 2016 at 12:35 AM, Pinterest <[email protected]> wrote: More info: You got this…

Closing your account is permanent, so we just want to make sure you’re ready to leave. We’ll close your account after 14 days. If you change your mind before 14 days are up, log in with your email and password and we’ll send you a link to reactivate your account. Yes, close account More info:

You got this email because someone asked to close your Pinterest account. If this wasn't you, you should reset your password. If you need any help, get in touch at our Help Center.

Get creative on Pinterest Re: [Pinterest Help] Re: Complaint/Account Reactivation

Fri, Oct 6, 2017 4:51 am

----Klmnopqr (----)To:help+id3654602 Details I Will b adding damages since it appears the on the spot change to account deactivation made it so that I cold not reactive my account. Me emailing and allowing you to fix it on your own behalf was a gift if e have to go to court I'm demanding 10 million plus court and attorney fees. Its not money I want but it gives me proves pintrested has a personal interest in seeing my account deleted. I will also be making yo do what could be done for free reactivate my account. You can talk shop to any person on the street but I'm smarter than you obviously. Sad fucking companies think because they run accompany they can throw commons sense in the trash. t would be untillgent not to have a server of account on hand. I'm really not believing you. You will not have a pinterest fucking with me. I could be mean spirited and go AFTER your company. -----Original Message----- From: Pinterest <[email protected]> To: Elle ELLE <[email protected]> Sent: Fri, Oct 6, 2017 3:20 am Subject: [Pinterest Help] Re: Complaint/Account Reactivation ##- Please type your reply above this line -##

Pinterest Support

Aaron (Pinterest Help) Oct 6, 03:20 PDT Hey Elle, Thanks for getting back in touch. After an account is deactivated it takes 14 days for the account to be permanently removed. After this time the account cannot be retrieved. I'm sorry if this is upsetting but please feel free to start a new Pinterest account at your own convenience. You may even be able to find some of your old Pins by searching for related characteristics. Let me know if you need any further help. Best, Aaron | Pinterest

Elle ELLE Oct 5, 15:00 PDT I was already given the pro quo the normal spill but one that's a company I'm sure there is a server. I'm sure you have some copy if not my profile sitting at your disposal. It would be stupid not have a back up of sorts. It is a SUIT at this point because pinterest purposefully changed settings to avoid me reactivatng my account. A year later it might be difficult but two weeks after the deadline your spill is bullshit. Please pass this along to whomever runs pinterest and let him decide if he wants to be sued. You have till Friday of next week to prove an answer before you are sued. Up to you. I'm a legal professional so don't take what I say lightly or underestimate my intelligence. Id assume at the very least you have a sever a back up of pinterest of sorts. That's the worst case scenario. The game you are playing I'm not in the mood for. Please do not pass this email along to another paid ROBOT pass it along to someone who ha say so in the company's profit and the FUTURE of pinterest. I agree its petty but thi should have been handled a year ago/ When I emailed in about reactivating it. My grandafather died along with other bullshit was happening which cause me to close it. You have 7 days to come to your senses. Abcdefghij Klmnopqr [email protected] -----Original Message----- From: Pinterest <[email protected]> To: Elle ELLE <[email protected]> Sent: Thu, Oct 5, 2017 8:33 am Subject: [Pinterest Help] Re: Complaint/Account Reactivation

Aaron (Pinterest Help) Oct 5, 08:33 PDT Hey Elle, Thanks for getting in touch. Sorry for the trouble! I was unable to find any account linked to [email protected]. After an account is permanently deactivated it cannot be retrieved. I'm very sorry as I'm sure you put a lot of effort into making your account. Thanks for your understanding. Aaron | Pinterest

Elle ELLE Oct 4, 19:08 PDT I made it very clear what I AM requesting. I did not mince words. Pass this email along to your creator or whomever is in charge or reactivatin OLD accounts past the deadline. You have 7 days for an adequate response before I file a suit. This is EASY. We can do it the hard way or the easy way up to you. My old email address is [email protected] That was was the old account that was deleted in 2016. Abcdefghij Klmnopqr [email protected] -----Original Message----- From: Pinterest <[email protected]> To: Elle ELLE Sent: Wed, Oct 4, 2017 7:19 am Subject: RE: Complaint/Account Reactivation

Elle ELLE Oct 4, 07:19 PDT I was originally emailing to complain about the arrangement in my pins and the "coincednetal" timing of pins. Meaning they do not appear to be coincendental but done purposefully which would then make Pinterest liable for conspiracy and other crimes. While I am making this complaint. I wrote probably a year ago maybe a month after closing my first account under the email address and wishing to reactivate the account. I was not aware the account had been deleted because pinterest settings had changed changed pinterested usually rquires an extra tep via email to delete an account the new setup deletes it via the site alone. I am requesting my account back in its entirety along with all boards and pins I did make it clear I wanted to preserve mya ccount which I find hard to believe it was impossible to do considereing it had only been 2 weeks after pinterested time line and it was a popular account. I will be pursuing this in court if Pinterest is not accommodating in my request. I am looking forward to a response either to the address associated with this account or at Copy of Email sent to pinterest in 2016 requesting boards be reactivated. Oh I'm requesting boards be reactivated without followers if that is not possible I will keep it private. I have a copy of them email to pinterest requesting it be opened and a denial. let me know if I need to search my account for the emails. Relief State briefly and precisely what damages or other relief the plaintiff ask the court to order. DO not make legal arguments. Include any basis for claiming that the wrongs alleged are continuing at the present time. Include the amounts of any actual damages claimed for the acts alleged and the basis for the present time. Include any punitive or exemplary damages claimed, the amounts, and the reasons you claim you are entitled to actual or punitive money damages. For any request for the injunctive relief, explain why monetary damages at a later time would not adequately compensate you for the injuries you sustained, are sustaining, or will sustain as a result of the events described above, or why such compensation could not be measured. I am requesting the boards/ account associated with .com opened in 2014 and Deactivated in 2016 be reactivated in its entirety. And how they were left. PUBLIC boards Public and private board private. I am requesting 10 million due to the company’s criminal behavior. And Intentional unnecessary emotional distress. All attorneys and court cost be paid for by The company. I am requesting discreet and continued anonymity when the boards are reopened I do not want the staff to take particulate interest in my account

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birooksun · 7 years

Text

So I made a story based on this Riddler Fangirl picture. I’m stopping it now because if I don’t it’ll become a whole novel and I’ve already got 2 giant WIP’s right now.

She first saw him on the news, a story about a criminal now locked up who used riddles to lead Batman to solves his crimes. They posted a clip of his face and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen until it was pulled down. He apparently was killing people with death traps they had to escape from. She debated missing school just to find out more about this man, but decided not to.

She needed to expand her mind and learn more. Something just pulled her towards him, this man was a genius and instead of being bullied for it, he was testing and killing off those who couldn't pass his tests.

By the time she returned home she was carrying a bag full of books of riddles, trivia, and a few self-help books on sharpening her mind. She also had a newspaper with an article on Gotham and the rogues. There was a description and picture of each of the main ones on it. She cut out the one of Riddler and pinned it to her wall. She gave a smile just looking at his smirk as he held up the sign with his name and prisoner designation number. "I'm going to prove to everyone I can be just as smart as you."

She spent the next few years sharpening her mind, attending community college with her AP classes and finding information on the Riddler at the same time. Her parents worried a little bit about her obsession, but decided to leave it be since it was making her into a model student even if she still had only a few friends. Hannah was startled by her dad one day when he opened the door to her room. "What smells like smoke?" She jumped and bumped the soldering iron against her hands and gave a hiss of pain. "Sorry dear! I was worried you had burned something." He grabbed the ice pack from her dorm fridge they had gotten her for her birthday. "What are you making this time?" He unplugged the soldering iron as he sat next to her and placed the ice pack on her hand.

"Oh um, I saw the Riddler trophies mentioned on the news and how he was using them to mark how many people could solves his problems and death traps. I decided to make one myself as a night light." She bit her lip and looked up at her dad, wondering how he would react. He gave a small sigh and looked over at her wall. There were newspaper clippings and even photos printed out from the internet. There was a corkboard filled with riddles and location answers. He gave a frown and looked back at his daughter with concerned eyes.

"Hannah, I love how much you've applied yourself to being a good student and I know you already got accepted to Gotham University, but I just ask you don't do anything to get yourself killed. I know you look up to this man, and it's probably because of the bullying you used to receive at school, but remember we will love you no matter what. I just don't want to turn on the Gotham News Channel and see your name listed as a victim, alright?" He placed a hand on her shoulder and walked out of her room. He turned and gave her a smile as he closed the door. "Also, don't burn anything down."

"It was one time!" She shouted back. She looked back to her tv, glad her parents had satellite so she could watch the news in Gotham. She gave a smile looking at the reports of the latest breakout. "Life must be so exciting there." Hannah stood up and plugged the iron back in, working on the last bit of wiring. She gave a squeal of excitement when she flipped the switch and it came to life. "I did it! I made my own Riddler Trophy!" She placed it next to her nightstand and decided to work on her book of crossword puzzles some more before dinner. She was so excited that in a couple months she'd be living in Gotham. Who knows, she could even meet her idol in person. Maybe she'd even be smart enough to solve his riddles in real time and track him down, or solve one of his death trap puzzles and get her own trophy.

Dinner was a quiet affair, her mother reminding her to pack her things light enough to load on the dolly and carry into the penthouse. Hannah smiling and nodding along because she was glad to have such supportive parents. "But Hannah dear, you must attend a few of Wayne's events if you can. Show that our family supports his causes of course." Hannah gave a tight smile. She hated the parties, she hated hearing whispers of how plain looking she was, how she had to be from money because why else would she be there? As she looked at her plate she thought of how Riddler wouldn't judge her for her plain looks. He'd see how brilliant she was. He wouldn't whisper behind her back like others did. "Yes mother. I'll be sure to attend a few charity events, but I will be busy with school." She looked pointedly at her parents, reminding them that for her the mind always came first.

Her father spoke up as he handed her a few pamphlets. "I also found some martial arts schools near where you'll live. Darling I know you've wanted to move to Gotham since you started highschool, but it's not safe and even with the driver we hired to take you to and from campus I'd like for you to be able to defend yourself if need be. There's also a few pamphlets for near the university if you'd like to be closer to school. It's entirely up to you. Just tell us who to write the check to honey."

Hannah smiled and looked up at him. "Thanks Daddy, that really means alot to me." She thought to herself as she ate. Should she search him out? Or just find and follow his riddles like Batman did and keep the knowledge to herself. A daring thought entered her head- what if she instead left riddles for him to find her? They'd have to be challenging, she'd have to prove how brilliant she really could be. She finished her dinner and left for her room, looking around the boxes and her eyes fell upon the Riddler trophy she built. Maybe if she left her own for him? They couldn't be green, but what about purple?

A plan started to form in her mind but first she needed to get to Gotham and start learning martial arts just in case. It never hurt to be prepared.

Two months later found her and the movers her parents hired carrying everything into her penthouse. She went to the second bedroom and started to set up her computer system as the movers placed all her boxes in the marked rooms. One of them stopped and stared in surprise as she started drilling into the wall to place the primary monitor and then proceeded to set up the other two monitors.

"That is an impressive looking set up there miss. Three monitors?" He gave a whistle. She felt slight annoyance he'd be checking out her computer instead of working.

"Thank you, I've built the computer into the desk so it was easier to set up." She went back to work, ignoring the worker who left the room. She grabbed her step-ladder and set up the fourth monitor and made sure to tilt it enough she could see while sitting down. Humming a song to herself she turned it on and started some system tests to make sure everything went well in the move. She had one monitor showing the diagnostics and knowing it would keep running and recording the data she left the room to check over the movers work. After they had brought the last thing up, the bed she thanked them for their help and tipped them before watching them all walk out of place.

She walked over to one of her boxes labeled BD#1 and opened it, giving a sigh of relief that everything was intact. She carefully pulled out the framed photo, the magazine cover from when he developed the award winning game, and newspaper clippings. She devotedly put up the framed picture of him smirking as he held his cane out. It had been a picture someone snapped of him facing off Batman. She placed near it the very first photo she hung up of him, his mugshot, then on the other side the magazine cover and surrounding it all clippings from the Gotham News and various articles mentioning him. She stood back when her work was done, smiling to herself. She's made it to Gotham, she was dual majoring in Computer Sciences and Business. Though she was only taking Business classes for her parents benefit though. She didn't want to take over the Realty Empire they had. She just wanted to meet The Riddler.

Hannah stepped back and sat down on her bed looking around the penthouse that would be her home for at least the next four or five years. She curled up on herself, arms wrapping her arms around her long legs. Her college orientation was tomorrow and she wondered if she'd make any friends here. She knew of course she'd get a few people trying to climb the ladder by being her friend, but those were easy to pick out. They never cared until they heard the 'Vanderbilt' name; that's when they perked up and started being kind to plain-jane Hannah. Usually her reading or asking of puzzles and spouting trivia facts made them leave her in the end. She looked up at her collage of Riddler clippings and memorabilia, she bet he'd answer her questions, solve the puzzles with her, and even respond to her with trivia of his own.

She smiled to herself, letting that warm hopeful feeling grow in her chest as she uncurled and started unpacking. She did make sure to pull out clothes for tomorrow. Deciding on her striped thigh highs, a pleated skirt, her green blouse and her gray sweater vest. She might get the usual Slytherin jokes, but while she'll happily wear her green and purple striped socks she wasn't sure on going completely in Riddlers colors.

The next morning she stood in front of her full length mirror, smoothing her hair one last time and wondering if she should have tried to do something to make herself look nicer. Her mother always thought the pigtails were cute on her. She gave a sigh and adjusted the book bag while looking over herself. A tall scrawny girl stared back in the mirror. Her face was 'too pale' as her mother put it, light brown hair, pale green eyes and to top it all off she had freckles covering most of her face. Once again she wondered if she should try to wear makeup but she didn't know the first thing about it. Her mother always paid for her to get her face and hair done for events. She pushed her green rectangle glasses back up her nose. She gave herself a forced smile and was glad for years of braces at least giving her nice teeth before exiting to the university.

The driver dropped her off with a nod and a smile, she gave him a wave and left to find her orientation group. She saw a couple that looked her age standing nearby. "I don't know why you have to go to this orientation Babs, you've lived here your whole life!"

"It's for students to find where they'll be going and learn more about the school Dick! Plus, you're not even attending, you're still finishing high school."

"Not every graduates early Babs."

The beautiful red head turned away from her boyfriend, Hannah felt intimidated just being near the couple. She blushed when the tan skinned blue eyed man saw her and gave a charming smile. The redhead looked back and gave a soft smile to Hannah. "Hi there! I'm Barbara Gordon, you're here for orientation too?" She walked up and gave a firm handshake.

Hannah sucked in a breath and really hoped she wasn't blushing too hard. "Hannah Vanderbilt, yes I am. I just moved into town yesterday." She gave a weak smile as she looked down at Barbara Gordon. "I'm studying computer sciences and business management, you?"

"Pre-law and computer sciences." Hannah sagged in relief at meeting someone else double majoring. Barbara turned and smirked at Dick. "See Dick? First person I meet is also double majoring. So take that." She looked back at Hannah and gave a small laugh. "Sorry, my boyfriend was making fun of me for double majoring. He says I don't have to prove myself, but we know all us girls have to, right?" She winked at Hannah.

Hannah was surprised, this beautiful woman was actually talking to her still? She was double majoring as well? She blinked and realized the two of them were still looking at her expecting a response. "I'm sorry, it's just that people have one of two reactions towards me and you've both given neither." She gave a short giggle and curled in on herself. "I'm a bit of a nerd and not even pretty so the fact that someone so pretty is still talking to me without even reacting to my last name is weird." She bit her lip as the two looked at each other.

Dick snapped his fingers, "Vanderbilt! Bruce has worked with your parents before. I thought it sounded familiar." He looked her over. "Being a nerd isn't bad. My little brother Tim's the biggest nerd I know." He turned and gave Barbara a kiss on the cheek. "See you later Babs. Let me know how it all goes." He waved towards Hannah and gave another smile as she blushed.

"Come on Hannah, let's find our orientation group. Maybe since we're both computer sciences we'll be grouped together." Barbara guided Hannah to one of the orientation leaders, taking faster steps to keep up the four inches of height difference.

"So um Barbara, I heard you say you live in Gotham? Are there any martial arts dojos you recommend? My parents wanted me to study one for general safety." She threw back her hair and laughed. "You just asked the daughter of the police commissioner about general safety. Yeah I can recommend a few. There's also a women's self defence class my dad makes me go to."

-- She'd done it, she solved one of Riddler's riddles and gotten there in time. Months of following the leads, of finding and solving the puzzles to collect his trophies, this was her moment! When she snuck in she saw Riddler fighting Batman and had to hold her hands over her mouth. He was beautiful, he moved fluidly and quipped at Batman while fighting, mocking his ability to solve his puzzles without help. She saw Batgirl jump in to fight as well.

She couldn't fight back the anger that welled up inside her. "No cheating allowed on Quizzes!" She shouted as she jumped in and blocked a kick Batgirl had aimed at Riddler. He gave her a puzzled glance and went back to his fight while Batman ignored her. She focused on Batgirl and the two of them fought against each other. Hannah was trying to move the two of them away from Batman and Riddler.

"Who are you and why are you defending this creep?" Batgirl's voice sounded familiar. Hannah blocked a punch and kicked her in the stomach while moving back to keep a distance. She knew the mask and makeup she applied hid her face, this girl wouldn't figure her out. She was glad she'd been getting herself used to moving around and fighting in combat boots. It was very different than in a dojo. She was also glad she'd put on her purple leggings under her green skirt as opposed to her usual thigh highs. Batgirl was making her do some high kicks and rolls during this fight. "You're obviously not officially with him. That's a homemade costume! Who wears a skirt while fighting?"

Hannah grinned as she grabbed Batgirl's cape during a roll and pulled her down hard. "Who wears a cape while crime fighting? The Scarlet Pimpernel surely didn't, written in 1905 by Baroness Emma Orczy." She jumped back while Batgirl pulled herself up, "She had the sense to write a masked vigilante without a cape."

"Trivia? Really during a fight?" Batgirl almost caught a hit on Hannah when she decided to try a new move she had seen recently in a movie. She dropped to the ground and swung her leg out while spinning in a circle. She made sure to keep the leg above the ground so Batgirl couldn't jump over it. She ended up being knocked down and hitting her head. Hannah paused, lightly massaging her leg while waiting to see if Batgirl would get up. She didn't and Hannah knelt by her to check her pulse while making sure she wasn't bleeding.

Satisfied Batgirl would be alright she ran over to where Riddler was starting to lose his fight with Batman. "Need a player two?" She asked while knocking aside a fist Batman had aimed for Riddler's head.

"If you can be obliged." She tried to fight back against Batman, but his punches and kicks were a lot harder than Batgirls. Hannah quickly learned she couldn't block against him, she had to evade or redirect his blows. She got a lucky shot in against Batman and made him step back. Riddler used the moment to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her with him as he ran for an escape. "Time to bid you adieu Batman!" She felt her heart racing as he pulled her along. This was her moment, she was finally meeting The Riddler. She had actually helped him fight against both Batman and Batgirl.

She felt herself gasping for air by the time they stopped and he pulled her behind a pillar. He placed a gloved hand over her mouth to keep her silent as they heard someone running past them. She closed her eyes to burn this feeling in her memory. Her back against Riddler's chest, his arm heavy around her waist and pulling her close, the softness of his leather glove as he held it over her mouth. She could feel his heart racing as well. They stayed like that for a minute before he let go of her.

This was the moment, this was her idol, he was standing right in front of her and she couldn't think of a proper opening sentence. "You have me today. Tomorrow you'll have more; as your time passes, I'm not easy to store. I don't take up space, but I'm only in one place; I am what you saw, but not what you see. What am I?" Her face was flushed as he laughed, throwing his head back and placing one hand on his chest.

"Why memories my little Quizlet." He gave that roguish smirk she'd only seen in pictures and on tv, it made her knees tremble. "Is this one you never want to forget?" Hannah just nodded, her throat tight and she knew even through all the makeup he could probably see her blush.

"I-" Speak hannah speak! "I've admired you for years Mr. Riddler." She wanted to slap herself, did she really just say that?

He looked a touch surprised and gave her a soft smile. "So you strived to become as intelligent as me? You make a costume and actually came looking for me?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, she could feel the warmth through his glove and her blouse. "I liked your entrance. Very impressive." She wondered if there was blood anywhere in her body except her face. "Come on little Quizlet. You should head home." She felt cold, he didn't want her? She was sure the disappointment was evident as he gave another soft smile. "Of course I shall have to escort you to ensure your safety." She smiled at him.

"Of course, that seems like the logical conclusion to all of this." She looked around where they were and sighed in defeat. "I've gotten turned around and have no idea where we are sadly. I used a map to get to your location."

"Well I know Gotham very well, just tell me the adress." When she told him he raised an eyebrow. "Little rich girl too? That's an expensive area." She bit her lip and blushed in shame, he couldn't be like everyone else, could he?

"That's all anyone sees me as. They don't see my brain." He moved her out to the street with his hand still on her shoulder and guided her several blocks to a simple looking sedan before climbing in the driver's side. She walked around and sat down in the passenger seat, looking down at her hands. She failed somehow, he didn't see her intellect and passion. She was still plain-jane Hannah, even if he kept calling her Quizlet.

"Riddle me this little Quizlet, what can travel around the world yet stay in one spot?"

"Easy, a stamp." She gave a smile, "You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead.”

"Onion of course. How do you make seven even with adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing?"

She gave a small laugh, "Drop the S." She looked from her lap to his face, she could only see his profile but he was beautiful, he was smiling now and she loved it. "What has a foot on each side and one in the middle?"

"Yardstick. Marking mortal privation, when firmly in place. An enduring summation, inscribed in my face."

"Tombstone." She couldn't look away from him and glanced up at his hair escaping from the bowler cap. "I move very slowly at an imperceptible rate, although I take my time, I am never late. I accompany life, and survive past demise, I am viewed with esteem in many women's eyes. What am I?"

He glanced over at her at a red light and gave a smirk. She was glad to be sitting still because her knees felt even weaker and she felt so warm. "Would that be hair?" She gave a small nod. They drove in silence with her looking between him and her hands. He smirked to himself noticing her ears and neck were red, her face wasn't because of all that makeup caked on to hide her appearance. He wanted to laugh at the Questionmark she had placed on one cheek. It was so childishly adorable. They pulled up to the building and she thanked him and he decided to press his luck. "Aren't I invited in?"

She stumbled out of the car when he asked that, stuttering over her words. "O-Oh! Of cou- of course you are. I didn't- sure? Yeah." She coughed into her fist and cleared her throat, taking a deep breath. "Of course you are Riddler." She gave a smile, trying to regain that confidence she had when fighting Batgirl. He stepped out of his car and walked up to her, noticing how he barely needed to look down to meet her eyes. Now that he really looked, they were a pale green. "Is there a way in without being seen?" He looked over the building, both hands behind his back as he rocked on his heels.

"Only for me." She reached into her blouse and pulled out a small ring before walking up to an elevator. "It's a private entrance to my place." She bent down to place it against the scanner and after a single beep the doors opened. They both stepped inside and he gave a nod of appreciation as it went straight up without her needing to hit any buttons.

"Fancy. So little Quizlet. Why did you jump in on the fight?" His bright green eyes were piercing as he looked down at her. He had a slight frown and she took a step back from the intensity of his gaze.

"Two on one is cheating. They were cheating!" She felt her hands make fists and could hear the blood rushing in her ears. "I hate when people cheat! If Batman really could defeat you himself he wouldn't need Batgirl to sneak up on you! He wouldn't need his gadgets! He shouldn't need help if he was really a worthy rival for you!" She was yelling. She couldn't believe she'd just yelled at her idol. Her hands quickly covered her mouth before she said anything else.

His frown softened into a neutral expression as he looked back towards the doors. "Interesting." The doors opened and he walked into her penthouse. Hannah followed him into her own place, her head hung down in shame. "You should change out of that costume Quizlet. I want to see who you really are."

She nodded and quickly walked into a room off to the side. While she scrubbed off the make up and cried to herself he looked around the livingroom. It felt barely lived in. There was a couch, a coffee table and a tv. No pictures of friends or family, no trinkets, just the bare minimum. He walked over to the kitchen, a bowl with only a few pieces of fruit sitting on a countertop, a mug placed next to a bottle of pills. He picked up the bottle and looked at it.

"Hannah Vanderbilt, cyproheptadine, Initial dose: 2 mg orally four times a day, may increase gradually over 3 weeks to 8 mg orally four times a day. Hmm. Didn't take her for an anorexic." He looked over the kitchen and turned back to the main room, opening and looking in the other room. He paused in surprise at the screens and computer setup. One showed a red dot moving in a map of Gotham before it went out, another screen showed the CPU usage and a basic computer check up, the third screen was the internet with tabs open for homework, he looked over at the fourth screen and it showed an excel document listing his past crime locations and how close she had gotten. He gave a chuckle to himself at that one.

He looked around the dimly lit room, realizing the color was green he looked in a corner and saw a row of shelving with ten riddler trophies on it. He was shocked, he thought Batman was the only one out there collecting the trophies to stop the bombs from going off and assumed he was somehow cheating to get so many. He turned when more light entered the room and saw the little Quizlet, Hannah standing at the doorway.

"I wanted to prove I could be as smart as you. So I decided to start collecting the trophies. I wanted to leave my own and try to get you to notice me, but-" She paused and nervously twisted one foot on the floor. "I was too scared to." He looked at her, really looked at her and simply stated, "Yet you jumped into a fight with no issue?"

"I was angry. She was going to hurt you." She flipped the light switch on and glanced at the top monitor. "Oh, I guess he found my tracking device." She walked over to him slowly. He noticed she was pale and very thin for her height. She kept her face towards the ground but he saw the freckles covering it and had looked into her pale green eyes earlier. She was wearing a tanktop and a pair of waist high shorts with thigh high socks. He raised an eyebrow and smirked at the colors.

"They actually make purple and green striped socks?"

"I custom ordered them. Most of my clothing is custom made." He walked over to meet her, placing a gloved hand under her chin.

"Look at me when you speak." Her head snapped up and he could see those pale eyes widen. She gave a small nod and he circled her, looking over her. He took off a glove and felt her light brown hair. "You don't take care of yourself. You are much too thin and your hair is dry."

She gave a sigh and narrowed her eyes at him. "My mother's said the same thing for years. I'm sure a man as intelligent as you has noticed the medication on my counter. They hope it'll increase my appetite and remind me to eat. I'm not anorexic, I'm not too thin, and yes my hair is always dry!"

He placed one finger on her chest and pushed her lightly as he walked out of the room, forcing her to step backwards. "You will start drinking nutritional supplements if only to help you from losing weight with the martial arts you are obviously still taking." She pursed her lips. "It was obvious from the way you and Batgirl fought. She's a student in your class, there were moments you two dropped into forms during the fight." He chuckled to himself. "Although I did like how you yanked her down with her cape. Well played. Though she will learn from that now."

"I know damn well who she is. I figured it out easily." She placed one hand back and pushed against him to keep from falling over the couch.

"Good. Keep that puzzle to yourself, you never know when it'll come in handy." "I'm sure she figured out who I was, but I won't be positive until I see her in class tomorrow." He looked at her and saw the bruises forming from blocking Batman's punches. She looked at them as well. "I wear sweaters or longsleeved blouses all the time to begin with. Hiding the bruising won't be an issue Riddler."

She gave a sigh and moved to sit on the couch. He sat down on the arm and placed his feet on the cushion next to her. He saw the small quirk of her lips, not the usual rich girl then. "By the way, as I'm sure you saw on the pill bottle. My name is Hannah Vanderbilt. I'm not entirely sure my parents would pay if you kidnapped me which is why I don't mind you knowing I'm an heiress."

"Surely they care enough about you to supply you with this penthouse and all the funds necessary." He leaned forward and rested one arm on his knee. "Or is it because they know you're doing this?"

She looked deep in thought for a moment then sighed. "Follow me." She stood up and began walking towards her bedroom. He took a second to follow her, wondering what exactly was going on now. She opened the door and he looked around the room, his eyes locking on one of the walls. It was almost a shrine to himself. "This is all they know." He slowly walked towards it. A framed magazine of him as Edward Nashton, hailing his video game, a framed copy of the game itself alongside it. His very first mugshot, newspaper clippings of articles mentioning him, pictures of him. It was all shocking. He backed up and sat down on her bed, just staring at the wall. Near the collage was a corkboard filled with riddles, reading them he realized they were the one's he's publicly used. His morse code riddle was even there. She sat down next to him. "You inspired me to become more. This wall, it's your transformation into something great, something legendary and looking at it reminds me I can become more. I can use my brain to prove myself."

"I'm honestly shocked." He jumped slightly when she placed her hand over his.

"What are you-" She cut him off by placing a hand on his face.

"You're even more amazing in person. Seeing the way you move, those smiles you give. I have a feeling you could have any woman you wanted."

He regained his mental footing and moved her hand from his face, he still held it, unsure of where to put her hand. It was all surprising. "Now Hannah. Think of what you're trying to do." He thought back to the bottle and her date of birth on it. "You are 19, I'm in my 30's. We have a rather large age gap. I'm a wanted criminal, you have your whole life ahead of you and so many possibilities I never could have had. Why do you want to throw it all away?"

Her eyes watered up and she pulled her hands away to wrap them around her knees. "Validation. I had hoped you would look past my name, look past the fact that I'm a plain-jane, and see me for my mind." She sniffled and rubbed her eye. "I don't know, I had this stupid childish thought you'd meet me and become enamoured by my intellect. We could trade riddles back and forth like in the car and you wouldn't mind my spouting of trivia. I even thought that we could have something romantic."

He gave a sigh and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Everyone is disappointed when they meet their idol. I may not be enamoured by you, but I am impressed. You did a good job out there tonight. I really did love the no cheating on quizzes line. Fit perfectly."

She looked to him. "Where do we go from here? I'm a criminal now, aren't I? You don't want someone like me holding you back, and I never planned past this moment."

He squeezed her shoulder. "You're only a criminal if you get caught, and Batgirl can't implicate you without implicating herself. You are safe. I'm the only criminal in this room. As for what to do from here? If you really want to prove yourself, stick to your studies."

"I'm a dual major with a 4.0 average. I actually already earned my associate degree in high school through dual enrollment." He could see her hands turn into fists, the knuckles turning white. "It's never enough for those fucking socialites! I'm so sick of them all judging me for my looks over my intellect." He just pulled her against his chest in a hug.

"People like those never matter. They're mere ants, nothing worth your time." He patted her on the back and she sat back up, wiping away silent tears. "Take the nutritional supplements, they and a proper diet will help your appearance. Skin and bones only works for Scarecrow."

"They won't change pale eyes, a bland hair color, or all these freckles."

He looked back at the many pictures and articles on the wall. "There's one thing never mentioned in those articles. My parents, but only one is worth mentioning right now. As I'm sure you know I'm a natural redhead, even though I've colored my hair several times." He flicked his eyes over to hers and saw her nod. "My mother was Irish. I got my red hair and green eyes from her. What I didn't get were her freckles, sure I've got a few, but she had a face full of them like you do. She used to call them 'Angel kisses'." He paused and looked over at the 19 year old. "I always wondered as a kid why she would cover up so many kisses from The Angels. Of course I never realized it was just something said to make people feel better."

She gave a laugh. "It made me feel better. Thanks Riddler." She stood up and looked at the costume she had hanging in the closet. "So, Quizlet's retired for now?"

He stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "For now. Graduate first, schmooze with the elite and see if you can survive their world. Also if your hair bothers you that much, just color it." He turned her towards her full length mirror and placed his head on her shoulder pulling some of his hair over her face, "How about a nice auburn?" They both laughed and she smiled at him. "I'll see myself out, but take care of yourself. Graduate college, then we'll talk." He put his hat back on and replaced the glove he had in his pocket. "I suppose you do deserve an award for doing such a good job at your first attempt." He turned and gave her a smirk, it grew when he saw her face turn red. "Also, keep collecting those trophies. Use them as proof you're a good guy if you get caught." He placed his fingers under her chin and pulled her the few inches forward to kiss her.

"Goodbye for now Hannah." She stood there in surprise as he walked away and into the elevator.

"Goodbye Riddler." She smiled to herself and did a little dance as she skipped back to her bedroom. "What a night!" She tossed herself back on the bed. She giggled to herself and placed her hand on her lips. "My first kiss, from the Riddler! Wow." She sat back up and looked over at the costume, frowning. "If I know who Batgirl is, she has to have figured out who Quizlet was." She stood up and looked it over, taking the hanger off of the closet door and hiding it far in the back, behind all the evening gowns and shawls her mother insisted on her having. "I'll show the whole world who Hannah Vanderbuilt can really be. Then I can take up Quizlet again." -- Years later she got to see him in person, he was standing in the crowd as she stood next to Barbara Gordon, the two of them sharing a valedictorian speech. They'd both gotten 4.5 GPA with their dual majors and even separate internships. He gave her a smile and a nod, which she returned as she watched him turn and walk away. They both knew she'd don on a new costume soon.

She wondered if Enigma was a better title than Quizlet.

#my fanfiction #Obsession #edward nygma #riddler #the riddler #Batman #Batgirl

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