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larsisfrommars · 2 years

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El Hotel De Los Secretos Ep. 5 Reaction

@seismologically-silly

Julio lost the fight :/ and Isabela seems to think Cristina did something/hurt someone and that’s why she disappeared (based on the bribe letter).

Diego has shown up and is NOT happy to see Isabel and Julio alone together, good thing Andrés is there to break the tension almost like “hey she’s not alone with him, see?! Please don’t hurt her 😀😅” I love him so much Your Honor.

Bros don’t let bros let blood stay caked on their body! Especially when that blood is evidence of the life savings you just lost before your friend tried to take on a guy twice his size! [insert B99 gay vibe meme here]

Diego confronts Isabel about being in his office, Isabel accusing him of being paranoid and justifies her actions enough to keep him from attacking her further.

Aww, the dogs are all being kept in Andrés and Julio’s room and Andrés won’t talk to Julio because he lost his savings when Julio lost the fight, noooooooo pobresitos!

Diego claims that something extremely scandalous involving her brother (I think?) he’s telling her something to assuage her suspicions about his role in Cristina’s disappearance and that he’s only trying to keep her family safe from disgrace, just looking out for her. She seems to have bought it.

More Belén and Andrés loudly masquerading(?) as a happily engaged couple and Andrés mom is NOT happy about any of it. Oooooof.

Detective Ayala is back for an autopsy on Ximira. Apparently all this “examining the body” shit is new in this old fashion town and Ayala be explaining shit to his sidekick lol.

Alfredo and Sofia are getting screentime again! It seems I was mistaken about Sofia having a miscarriage from falling down the stairs and Alfredo’s mother is coming to the hotel. Unless I was right and nobody has told Alfredo yet? He’s very excited regardless (probably because he feels bad about trying to leave in the first place I hope).

Diego is UPSET somebody (somebody meaning Felipe, not that he knows that) took the bribe money YIKES! He in trouble now!

Ayala has discovered a knife tip in a gash in Ximena’s body. Which means she was stabbed before falling into that pit in the woods. I think they either have or will piece together that the rest of the knife belongs to the kitchen wear at the hotel.

Diego just received an ominous phone call with a disguised voice from INSIDE the hotel and the receiver is off the hook and still swinging. Pasquale (the desk clerk) seems to be more in cahoots with Diego than I realized, or is at least an informant of some kind.

Julio is trying to apologize (and maybe make up for?) the fact he lost all of Andrés’s money and ends up shoving him in the laundry room. Belén just so happens to be ironing clothes inside.

AAAAAAND Andrés just proposed and tried to initiate a kiss (very overexcitedly/badly) Belén is very reluctant. But when she initiates the kiss it’s totally fine. It also could be a sign that Andrés thinks he’s in love with her but she’s not in love with him and is essentially using him as protection (can’t really blame her but oof).

Getting the distinct impression Andrés knows absolute zilch about actual relationships/romance and is reasoning because they’re getting married they must be in love, right? Especially since Belén kissed him first. Even tho they’re getting married because he lied and she doesn’t wanna get fired. Oh honey… no.

Pretty sure Diego just embezzled a bunch of hotel funds to make up for the bribe money Felipe stole from him to pay of the bowler hat middleman of whoever is blackmailing him.

Sofia has gone to her mother for help with the whole Alfredo in-laws situation but Felipe has come in with a different emergency the cops are there about Ximena! The investigation has begun!

I KNEW IT! I knew Belén was still under Diego’s thumb (literally, he’s very violent with her the poor thing). He interrogated her about everything that’s been going on. I think he might be wrongly assuming she had something to do with the missing bribe money. She clearly doesn’t have anything worth giving and reminds him she’s pregnant, he’s not happy about letting her go.

I was right about the matching/missing knife piece thing. The head butler/waiter has pointed out two of the wait staff that would’ve had access to the knife drawer, Julio and… Andrés. I am VERY worried one of them will be wrongly accused of murdering Ximena.

Julio and Isabel are flirting through the door of her bedroom. He’s thanking her for helping him the night of the boxing match and I’m pretty sure she parroted some of what Diego told her to assuage his concerns (maybe told him she’s probably not dead? Again, a bit spotty on the Spanish).

Uh oh, Ayala just addressed Andrés in front of the entire wait staff. I have a really REALLY bad feeling about this… oh, phew, he’s just being interrogated 😮‍💨

More parroting of Diego’s words now that Diego has convinced Isabel he’s less involved in the Cristina thing than he really is. Time to interrupt this romantic interlude with Andrés always ducking as he enters a room like somebody is gonna throw something at him like he do. How are you so this politely awkward?! Blessed.

Ayala is frustrated that he couldn’t get anything from either of our boys and is beginning to suspect someone higher up (I think?) has a hand in what happened to the girl.

Meanwhile! Andrés is bringing Belén flowers because I love him he’s her fiancé. Almost walks in on Ayala interrogating Belén and his mother, overhears they’ll likely be searching the rooms.

Julio’s sister’s uniform! He books it to their quarts to grab it so it won’t be found by the authorities! He shoves it in a closet right as Ayala and his mother round the corner which would look Extremely Suspicious… I have a baaaaad feeling about this.

Ayala found the uniform where Andrés stashed it almost immediately. Andés, Andrés Salinas, Andrésito please do not get accused of murder for trying to protect Julio even though you’re upset with him my heart can’t take it.

Meanwhile, Isabel is snooping on bowler hat guy and Julio got tipped of by the dog loving pianist about something and !!! Somebody just knocked bowler hat guy out with a shovel and took the ominous bag he was carrying AAAAAAAAAA Isabel don’t chase him by yourself!!!! Oh no she got hurt and it’s a cliffhanger I know I can watch the next one right now but also FUCK U!

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mvsicinthedvrk · 1 year

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Was that [NI HAN JIN]? Oh no no, that was just [XIAO CHIYE], a [CANON CHARACTER] from [QIANG JIN JIU]. They are [TWENTY FOUR] years old, use [HE/HIM], and [ARE NOT] aware that they are not actually from Washington DC. Too bad they can’t stray from this city for long. {ooc: ollie}

yeah i have severe brainrot since starting this novel two days ago so here we are, he's too smart for his own good and loves a challenge a little tooooo much, here's xiao chiye.

(in other news if you want to read an exquisitely-crafted story about political machinations featuring enemies (to lovers? supposedly?) pls read qiang jin jiu thanks)

how long has your character been here

he thinks he’s been living here for at least five years, and has actually lived here between 1-5 years.

what is your character’s job

he's a managing executive of xiao legal group, which is based out of new york but has a substantially-sized d.c. branch that deals in all kinds of corporate and finance law, among other things. it's a pretty high-profile legal firm with a lot of lawyers working for it

chiye has essentially been assigned to oversee the d.c. branch, since his father & older brother run the main office back home.

he is 23 with no law degree and seemingly underqualified for this

where has your character been pulled from in their fandom

roughly where i am reading which is chapter 40-something but it doesn't particularly matter right now as he's currently unaware

has any magic affected your character

he has lost his memories. other than that, no.

and any other information you might find useful for us and the other members to know:

xiao chiye!! i love him! his courtesy name is xiao ce'an so sometimes he'll use that to introduce himself, depending on the situation.

he gets described as a "wolf" a lot in the novel, partly because of familial ties and ties to his home of libei, but also because chiye definitely matches that description-- he's rugged, bold, fierce when it comes down to it, and says what he wants to say regardless of opinion most of the time. he can definitely be an asshole but 😂 he can be a lot of fun (in my opinion), because he's also very quick-witted.

also in the novel, one of his main issues is that his older brother xiao jiming is the commander of the libei cavalry, and their clan is worryingly powerful according to those in the capitol. so xiao chiye was "promoted" to be the head of the imperial army to keep the xiao clan and libei calvalry in line-- as now he can't leave the capitol, and he's essentially a political prisoner. a prisoner with a lot of military power! but still stuck there, when he very much just wants to go back home to libei. :(

so therefore!!! in d.c.:

xiao chiye's working for xiao legal group, as previously mentioned. he does not particularly want to be there, and is working there out of familial obligation only since his father and older brother told him to. the only bit of internal motivation he has is that he's also there at the d.c. branch to investigate former shady dealings involving potential employees who may have been wrapped up in an embezzlement scandal and other crimes that tarnished the firm's reputation.

he is so damn smart. far too smart for his own good, though most of the time he'll pretend not to be-- the basic vibe he likes to give off at the moment is: slacker, playboy, not great at his job. he always toes the line of upholding his family's reputation, or being the more disappointing youngest child. rip. as mentioned above: he also does not have a legal degree, so i imagine public perception (as well as his own employee's perception) would think that he's vastly underqualified and was only promoted because of his family ties.

however, he would also be secretly very fucking good at his job and probably has amassed a number of connections and informants, and has found ways to subtly (and legally) reappropriate company funds as necessary, to help promote his own interests and punish departments in the law firm that he suspects had to do with the scandal from years ago 😌

he's the kind of person who would be able to definitely fuck you over in a written contract if you weren't reading carefully enough, because he knows all the ins and outs and loopholes to use. but as long as you don't deserve his ire, you won't have to worry about receiving it.

other personality trait information: he desires things very deeply. at the same time, he doesn't talk about his personal life or preferences unless it's to mislead others or make a point. he's often hot-tempered and definitely cocky & arrogant. he can be polite and respectful when the situation calls for it, but its usually not genuine. it takes a lot to earn his favor and his admiration. he's obsessively attentive to details. he's a fantastic liar. he will not hesitate to make people's lives difficult. he is a good time at a party. he won't back down from a challenge. he is many things l;kajd;lfkj;

and finally, he also has a gryfalcon, which is the largest falcon in the world (with a four-foot wingspan!), its name is meng and it has free rein in his penthouse, though he also opens the windows and lets it fly free because it'll always come back.

as he's unaware, he needs a lot of connections, so i will post in the plotting channel for plots shortly :)) thanks in advance for your consideration!

#hw: intro #;; xiao chiye: intro ;;#swearing tw #;; xcy ;;

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bestshirtcanbuy · 2 years

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Malaysia is voting after years of political instability. The result is impossible to predict

Malaysians will head to the polls on Saturday to vote for a new government following years ofpolitical turmoil.

Three prime ministers have governed the Southeast Asian country since a febrile election with a record turnout was fought four years ago on the key issue of corruption. This time around, the economy – and the rising cost of living – is likely to be the key battleground.

Meanwhile,climate changehas become a potential disruptor following weeks of torrential downpours and flooding that has hindered campaigning across roughly half of the country.

More heavy rain is predicted on polling day and could reduce voter turnout, but officials say the election will go on – rain or shine.

Here’s what to expect.

Who are the frontrunners?

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who came to power last year amid public anger over the government’s handling of the pandemic, is aiming to win a stronger mandate.

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His ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition – made up of right-wing political parties including the dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) – have promised to prioritize political stability.

Election workers make a final preparation at a polling station during Malaysia's 15th general election, in Bera, Pahang, Malaysia November 19, 2022.Lai Seng Sin/Reuters

Since 2015, Malaysian politics has been overshadowed by the 1MDB corruption scandal, which saw billions of dollars of taxpayers money embezzled out of the country. It brought down former prime minister, Najib Razak, who is now serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption.

“We don’t want to go backwards,” senior UMNO member Isham Jalil told CNN. “Immediately we want to focus on political stability as well as grow the economy to make up for unemployment after the pandemic. There is a lot of work to be done.”

But polls show growing support for former deputy prime minister and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. Analysts say the alliance of center-left and center-right parties could make a strong showing – even if heavy rains may deter his supporters from voting.

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim delivers a speech at a campaign rally in Kuala Lumpur.Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images

Also seeking reelection isMahathir Mohamad, the 97-year-old former leader who was recently hospitalized with a heart condition.

The nonagenarian was ousted as prime minister by his own party two years ago after becoming the country’s leader for a second time in 2018.

He will defend his stronghold seat in the resort island of Langkawi with his newly formed ethnic Malay alliance Gerakan Tanah Air, or Homeland Movement. While he is expected to win his seat thanks to strong local support, analysts say he is unlikely to return as prime minister.

Overall, nearly 1,000 candidates will be vying for 222 seats in Parliament.

What are the main issues?

Rising living costs and government integrity are the biggest issues for voters in this election, according to YouGov polls.

While the economy has managed to rebound swiftly from the pandemic, theunemployment rate is near 4%and remains a concern, notably among new graduates.

Income was especially “paramount” among younger voters, YouGov said.

Aged 97, Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad is running for parliament again

But despite 6 million new young voters being among 21 million Malaysians eligible to vote, experts say this election will be a much more subdued affair compared to2018– with the outcome far from certain.

Political commentator Ei Sun Oh of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said years of instability have left many Malaysians disillusioned with politics.

“In 2018 there was at least a greater sense of enthusiasm among voters about the possibility of a changing government and ending corruption – so voter turnout was at a historic high,” he said. “I’m not sure we will see a repeat this time round.”

Thomas Fann, chairman of the Bersih coalition movement that campaigns for clean elections, said that it would be a challenge to match 2018’s historic turnout of 82%.

“This election (campaign) has been unusually subdued in comparison to (the) last few general elections,” Fann said. “It could be due to Covid and the availability of other platforms to campaign and follow the hustings online, or it could just be voters’ apathy to the chaotic political situation that led up to this election.”

People rescue a motorcycle in a flooded street in Klang, Malaysia on November 10, 2022.Zahim Mohd/NurPhoto/Shutterstock/FILE

Despite increasingly extreme weather in recent years, the environment was a low priority for voters, according to YouGov.

But extreme weather may yet have an influence on the election.

What about the weather?

Like most of its Southeast Asian neighbors, Malaysia is vulnerable to seasonal floods.

But last year’s deluges were the worst ever recorded – 54 people died and tens of thousands were displaced.

This year, the heavy rains have returned. At least 3,000 people were evacuated from floods across seven Malaysian states this week, according to disaster relief officials.

Malaysia is braced for major floods. So why is it holding an election?

And with more bad weather predicted over the weekend, experts say it is unclear if voters will show up in large numbers – especially if heavy downpours and flooding persist.

“If it rains heavily, voter turnout will be suppressed,” said Fann of Bersih, which had previously expressed concerns about holding elections during the monsoon.

“We are already seeing more extreme flooding across states and polling may have to be called off in some areas which could potentially influence voters, especially if the race is tight,” Fann said.

But some say the resurgence of floods just days before the big vote could wash away voter apathy.

Bridget Welsh, an analyst from the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, said while turnout was expected to be lower, holding an election during the monsoon could backfire on the government.

Heavy rains “have served to help PH to win more support by bringing negative attention to the ruling BN coalition government and their self-interested power-hungry call for elections,” she said. “It is (already) decisive in the areas where floods are happening.”

Who’s going to win?

Malaysia’s 15th general election is already shaping up to be one of its most unpredictable.

Experts agree there is unlikely to be a clear winner, and no single party will be able to claim a parliamentary majority.

“Ultimately it will be a hung Parliament,” said outgoing member of parliament Charles Santiago. “There will be no dominant party, no clear cut winner,” he said, adding this was “not the best or most strategic time” for the government to hold an election.

Oh, the political commentator, agreed that a coalition government would remain in place.

“UMNO has won big at recent state elections in Johor and Malacca,” he said.

“The party is very good in turning up supporters on voting day with its resources and it may be likely that they win the most number of seats but would still likely have to form a coalition government.”

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lifeline-au · 2 years

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There is a brief jolt of static.

[ The following is a conversation log between BANNER_ADDISON and SURVEY_ADDISON. Recorded on ███/06/1997. ] [2/2]

-------

BANNER: (SOUNDS OF THINGS FALLING)

BANNER: Survey? Survey! I- I- I didn’t think you’d, uh- are you- did something happen? What- what’s going on?

SURVEY, (laughing a little): Cool your jets, little man. Nothing’s wrong, I just wanted to call.

BANNER: Oh! Oh. Yeah, that’s- that’s cool. Cool. Is there anything I can do for you? Did you leave anything at home? I could come over if you want, if you- if you need to grab something to eat or… or…

SURVEY: Aw jeez, Banner, I was just checking in on you. Er- yeah, sorry, I should probably call more.

BANNER: Hey, hey, hey, don’t apologize!! I’m- I’m really happy to hear from you, Surv’. It’s been… a little while.

SURVEY: …You’re still in your office?

BANNER: H-Huh?

SURVEY, (fondly): I can still hear your broken ceiling fan buzzing in the background. You need to get that fixed, little man. Any reason you’re still working after hours?

BANNER: Oh! Oh, yeah, of course. Of course, I’ll get that… I’ll get that fixed. I, um. I was just pulling up the charts again before I left- it’s for work, y’know.

SURVEY: The charts? Whose?

BANNER, (lying): Um. Mine?

SURVEY, (wryly): Alright. So Spamton’s, then.

BANNER: (MORE THINGS FALL IN THE BACKGROUND) What? What? Pshh- no! No, nonono, of course not, I was just- just doing work- who said anything about him?

SURVEY: Cripes, Banner, I’m not- I’m not mad! I get it, really. There’s nothing wrong with checking in on the guy once in a while.

BANNER: Wh- really? You’re not mad? I mean- I don’t- I didn’t think that-

SURVEY, (tersely): You sound kinda on edge today, ‘Ban. Is anything- did anything-?

BANNER: No! No, nothing’s- nothing’s like, wrong, wrong. It’s fine- he’s fine, still- still... Yeah, he’s fine.

SURVEY: You have a very uncanny way of making things sound not so fine. Are you sure everything’s okay over there?

BANNER: Um. I think so? I mean- it’s not- it’s probably nothing, but-

SURVEY: But?

BANNER: But nothing!! Nothing, it’s nothing, I’m- I’m definitely blowing this up bigger than it needs to be right now, everything’s probably fine, it’s fine, I was just-

SURVEY, (lightheartedly): You’re killing me right now, Banner. You know you don’t really have to tell me if you don’t want to, right?

BANNER, (quickly): Nonono, Survey I- I just- I want to get this off my mind or I’m not gonna be able to sleep tonight.

BANNER: Erm- on the sales page, the one with stocks and all the increases and decreases, public deals and exchanges- it, uh. It hasn’t been updated. For three months.

SURVEY: Sorry?

BANNER: His net worth and average sale increase hasn’t been updated for… a while. The last recorded number was from March.

SURVEY: You’re not using an outdated application to pull the stats up, are you?

BANNER: Er- no. I really don't think so. I tried to refresh it a couple times- but nothing came up. And- and I pulled up mine too, just to double check, but everything’s up-to-date.

SURVEY, (frowning): That’s not good. Has there been anything in the news about it?

BANNER: No. There’s nothing. No- no scandal, shady deals, embezzlement- nothing. I think it’s the nothing part that worries me the most.

SURVEY: He’s been away for a while now, hasn’t he?

BANNER: Three-four months.

SURVEY, (calmly): Alright. Cool. I’m gonna go look into this, ‘Ban. You should probably head out.

BANNER: Wh- what? Wait- right now? Now? Oh jeez, Survey, I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean to- to freak you out or anything. You really don’t have to worry about this, I’ve got it covered, really, I don’t-

SURVEY: Banner?

BANNER: Y-Yeah?

SURVEY: Everything’s going to be alright. I’ll be fine, little man.

BANNER, (calmed down, a little): Oh. Right, yeah.

SURVEY: Mhmm. You get back to Vid’ and Radio before they throw a fit in my voicemails, okay?

BANNER: Sure. Sure, I can do that.

SURVEY: Thanks. See you Sunday.

---------

#lifeline au #[please leave a message after the tone] queue #[ messages - 2 ]

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schmergo · 2 years

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PR Person: Welcome into office, Mr. Governor. It’s such a breath of fresh air to have a wholesome, clean-cut family man as governor of this state after your predecessors’ sex scandals, embezzlement scandals, and deeply offensive costume scandals. Now, I hate to ask this because I’m sure it’s not necessary, but is there anything we should know about your past that you want us to keep out of the news? Any skeletons in your closet?

Governor: (chuckles) Oh, haha, well, I was a major geek in high school. Might be embarrassing if those old photos got out.

PR Person: Haha, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, sir.

(TWO MONTHS LATER, video footage surfaces of the Governor in his high school talent show biting the heads off of live chickens as the audience boos, screams, and faints. The video goes viral. Protestors are chanting loudly outside the Governor’s Mansion. News helicopters are hovering overhead.)

PR Person: WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME, MR. GOVERNOR???

Governor: I LITERALLY DID!

#short skit #skit #short play #politics #I dunno #this idea came to me in the shower

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themusesof75 · 3 years

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Snippet of My Trials of a Teenage Gorgon with Royal Egyptian Scareitage

at the Denile-Gorgon Home, Cleo DeNile sat on her bed with four tablets open. Four were held midair by helpful scarabs. The other two were in her lap. Her husband came out of their bathroom in a robe, his snakes still misty from the shower.

“Hey, that’s three more tablets than we agreed around bedtime.” Deuce Gorgon said tossing a towel on the floor.

Cleo, without looking from her tablet, said “Hey, we agreed to throw wet things in hampers. We could change now or…”

“Or talk about the Lacrowsse game. Had fun?”

“Oh my Ra no. Why can’t that ghoul stick to something indoors? Something clean and cerebral?” Cleo asked as he laid down on their bed.

Deuce stretched; his snakes yawned. “Too much energy, Babe. She’s having fun, making new friends-“

“Bruised and bloodied as if she’s under a butcher’s knife.” Cleo said, she clapped her hands and the scarabs took all her tablets away. “I did learn some interesting things while on the quad.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Toralei may be embezzling school funds to support the Screech& Debate team- just because her kittens are competitors. Hopeless. That McFlytrap nonbinary child is selling the yummy-smokey-greens we found in Cali’s sock drawer and oh! Scandal! Cali has a little crush on the rival Lacrowsse team’s captain!” Cleo said, poking Deuce’s chest with emphasis on each surprise.

“Huh.” Deuce said, chewing on his lip.

“Oh come on, that last part deserves more of a WHOA from you.”

“No, I’m in ‘whoa’. Mostly cause she always seemed to ignore the kid or push him away.”

Cleo laid back on the pillows, “That is exactly how a ghoul her age shows her feelings. Remember when I pushed you into the pool with the eels?”

“Not really. But whoa, I am so glad to be out of high school. Can’t wait for Cali to be free from the fascists and mindgames.” The gorgon said, taking off his sunglasses and rubbing his eyes.

The mummy slapped his still-hard-abbs, “Take that back. She’s gotten too tall already. I swear, I am this close (Cleo holds her fingers a hair apart) to cursing her back into a sweet little ghoul again.”

Deuce reached over to rub her back, “Awww. Cleo, Hun, please don’t.”

The mummy sighed. “Because you said please.”

The next morning Cleo walking into her breakfast nook to see Cali with holding her silver credit card.

“Good morning, darling, is there a halt on your card?” Cleo chuckled to herself, “Oh my Ra, like I’m sure.”

“Morning Cleo, and I’m borrowing yours because Stripe knows my number and wants adult money.” Cali explained as she held her face in her hand and her snakes typed in the routing numbs on her iCoffinZ.

“If Toralei wants a new dime store jewlery she should just hold a fundraiser like a respectable headmistress.” Cleo said, sipping her espresso.

“She is, this is going to a Coffin-Bean fundraiser. I’m doing my part in not going through the silly labor of pouring other creatures’ espresso.” The mutant gorgon said as she used her Mummy-family funds.

Cleo snapped the card out from her daughter’s hand, “No you don’t. Go do peasant work with your little friends. It builds character.”

“But Muuuuuuummmy, I won’t do it right.” Cali said as slouched against the window.

“Don’t ruin good posture. And you’re not an idiot so you’ll be fine.” Cleo said, watching and waiting to see her heir sit up.

Cali scoffed as she sat up. “Thanks for that, Cleo. Like you’ve ever made your own coffee.”

“Young lady, I sold mummy-mochas for the fearleading team when I was your age. Even your wicked aunt Nefera foamed milk- she poisoned all of her customers but that was her bitterness dripping into the cups instead of-“

“Okay, okay. It’s too early for a cautionary Nefera story.” Cali pushed out her chair. “May I be excused?”

Cleo didn’t like the phony way she pronounced the words but she choose the higher pyramid, “You may. You can also pour and drink your own coffee, darling.”

Cali heard the phony tone in the way Cleo said ‘darling’ but rolled it off her snakes and went to the kitchen.

Her father was still there, quickly popping out griffin-omelet-muffins from the oven.

“Hey little dude, here’s breakfast and there are some mice-oat-bars in the fridge. Put the cover back on after, you know it messes with the queen.” Deuce said, pulling off the ovenmits.

“Dad, don’t you ever get tired of bending over for that woman?” Cali asked, her waist-long purple snake hair hissed over the warm muffins.

“Keeps me limber.” The gorgon said, leaning over to kiss the top of his daughter’s head, “It’s how she shows she cares.”

“I miss working Cleo. Stupid corporate coo.” Cali said as she examined her mother’s espresso machine.

“Careful with the words, baby. I gotta go to the restaurant. Beep me later.” Deuce smelled smoke as he walked away but everyone learned to use a fire extinguisher in his home. No one but the gorgon was allowed to cook in that kitchen.

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askthedevicer · 4 years

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Okay I know I won’t shut up about the Berlin level but just, hear me out okay?

So. 47 goes around hunting a bunch of ICA agents. Some are up-and-coming. A couple are experienced professionals. All the agents are Enforcers who can recognize 47 no matter which outfit he’s in. 47 Recites the name of each Agent he notices.

All this leads me to believe that ICA agents must, at some point, come into at least periodic contact with each other. Obviously, they wouldn’t meet in field. I have to think ICA has infrastructure in place that would prevent overlap between personnel. Therefore, they must come into contact with each other at headquarters.

Sometimes agents have to return to home-base for reviews and skill reassessments, right? These tests can take a while, and while they’re waiting, the agents are stuck at headquarters. Of course, ICA isn’t dumb enough to leave a cohort of world-class assassins trapped in a box with no stimulus, but there’s only so much they can provide to people who are used to making life or death decisions.

So...agents get together and...well, they gossip.

Obviously they wouldn’t call it that. But agents Green and Rhodes and Montgomery ARE standing next to a water dispenser (after making sure it isn’t compromised. They’re not amateurs, thank-you-very-much) discussing their latest contracts. Broadly. Company policy dictates that all information on contracts is confidential, even to other employees. Still, if Green says he was in Holland and that he managed to snipe his target at a 1000 yards and Rhodes just happens to find a news article of a CEO in Holland that died from a bullet wound with no suspects. Well, what can anyone do, really?

Sometimes something exciting happens, and they get to discuss whether Helen from accounting actually tried to embezzle money from ICA, is she dumb or what?

Occasionally, 47 will ghost his way through the office. He’s perhaps the only one who holds to the letter of company policy and never divulges anything about his missions. Montgomery always gives a two-fingered salute and 47, polite as always, will nod as he passes by. Green stares, wide-eyed, but Rhodes immediately pulls up the news:

“Heard a movie star got eaten by his pet shark last month,” he says after a moment of scrolling.

Montgomery considers but ultimately shakes his head, “No. Heard about that. Someone else fell in too, right? Too much collateral,”

Rhodes clicks his tongue but acquiesces, “Here’s one, Some bigshot author was found dead, squished underneath his own bookshelf.”

“Could be. definitely ironic enough” Montgomery replies, “What do you think, Green?...Green?”

“I cannot believe how much he looks like Helmut Kruger,” The third agent mutters, distracted. Rhodes and Montgomery share a look of commiseration.

“Are we talking about 47?” A newcomer says from behind. Well aware of her presence beforehand, Rhodes and Montgomery do not jump. Green, to his everlasting embarrassment, does.

“Miss Burnwood,” Green says, trying to pull himself together, “evenin’“

“Evening,” The handler says, smiling disarmingly.

“Don’t mind Green,” Rhodes steps in, seeing that Green has been successfully disarmed, “He’s just being dumb,”

“No, I think he’s on to something,” Diana says, “though if you think he looks like a model now, wait until you see him in a wetsuit,”

“Oh my god,” Green says, eyes glazed.

“Oh my god,” Montgomery says, hand running down his face.

“Actually,” Dina says, turning her attention to Rhodes, who is the only agent who doesn’t look like he’s losing his mind, “Wasn’t Mr. Kruger involved in some major scandal last month? Very tragic tale, as I hear. Ah, but listen to me gossip. If you’ll excuse me, I need to find my rogue agent,”

“You know she’s just playing with you right? Cat and canary,” Montgomery says as soon as the handler’s footsteps leave hearing range.

“She can do whatever she wants with me,” is Green’s reply, which does nothing to inspire Montgomery’s hope for the next generation of ICA agents.

“Guys,” Rhodes butts in, eyes wide, “Guys, I think this is 47,”

He proceeds to show a news article to both his cohorts. The article explains how international model Helmut Kruger is implicated in the double poisoning of power couple Viktor Novikov and Dalia Margolis. The picture is of Kruger himself posing at the end of a catwalk. Or, at least, it’s ostensibly Kruger. It’s hard to tell with the makeup, but the cut of those cheekbones....

“No,” Montgomery says, one last defense for his sanity.

“Yes,” Rhodes says, glee all over.

“Oh my god,” Green chokes, “yes.”

#hitman #hitman 3 #agent 47 #diana burnwood #just some dumb silliness #Listen #my found family feels is showing hard #I want a sitcom #brooklyn 99 style #of the ICA office #and their interdepartmental hijinks #because lets face it #if you ever get a bunch of world class #adrenaline junkies together #crazy stuff is going to start happening

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puppetsoftomorrow · 3 years

Text

the avalance news reader au

hey who said peer pressure doesn't work. anyway i made this post and y'all seemed to like it so here we go!! might post to ao3 later on idk...

It had been a truly terrible day.

Ava considered, in the moment that her coffee machine spluttered coughed up coffee grounds over her last clean shirt, that maybe she'd just had a truly terrible year. All her dreams about finally moving to television after being stuck in the doldrums of local news media for six years had been slashed when she'd been placed on the graveyard shift - sure, Ava was finally reading the news, but her shift was from 1AM until 4AM, so her only audience was long-distance truck drivers and new parents.

Still, she persevered, with the slightly foolish belief that if she worked hard enough, she could be promoted to a primetime slot. Or at least a slot that didn't require her to be making coffee at 10:45PM.

Her day had started off badly - she'd barely slept, as the sound from the construction work three blocks away rattled her windows, and she’d woken to find that her cat, Merlin, had kicked his litter halfway across the house in a fit of pique. Ava couldn't even have her normal oatmeal, as she was out of oat milk, and now she was having to drink her coffee black.

After changing her shirt to a dark dress and grimacing as she choked down the coffee, there was a knock on the door, and Ava groaned as she realised she was running late.

"Hey, Sara." She sighed.

Sara stood in the doorway, hair wavy over her shoulders, hands shoved in the pockets of her hoodie - the same grey hoodie she wore every day, branded with their news station's logo.

"Woah, a dress?" Sara said, eyebrows raised appreciatively, as Ava grabbed her coat and bag and they moved to go down the stairs.

"Don't mention it." Ava grumbled, pulling the coat around her shoulders.

"It looks good on you." Sara said, and Ava shot her a look. Sara mimed zipping her lips. "Do we have to time for Starbucks? I had to have black coffee; my mouth tastes like something died in it." Ava muttered, and Sara shrugged.

"I mean, we've arrived half an hour early for every shift for the past year -"

"Do you want to go back to taking the bus?" Ava said, looking over at her as they reached the lobby. They'd discovered they lived in the same building almost accidentally in Ava's first week, awkwardly meeting across the hall in the early morning, until Sara had realised that Ava had a car and they'd started riding in together.

"Fine, if you're happy with having bad angles." Sara said, holding the door open for her, and Ava rolled her eyes.

"Are you saying I have bad angles?"

"Oh, I'll find one." Sara muttered, and Ava snorted with laughter and unlocked the car. One of the benefits to giving her camera operator a ride every day was always having excellent angles.

After a stop at Starbucks, Ava rolled along the dark, quiet roads, sighing deeply.

"What's up?" Sara asked, sipping her drink - black coffee, which she somehow enjoyed.

"Nothing." Ava muttered, but it only took one look at Sara for her to come out with the story of her crappy day. Sara laughed.

"So that's why you're wearing the dress."

"That's what you're focusing on?" Ava said, focusing on the road with a small smile on her face. "I have to go back to my apartment at 5AM and clean up kitty litter and coffee grounds."

"Not to mention getting coffee out of your shirt." Sara snorted, and Ava groaned, loud and over the top.

///

They always split when they got to the studio, Ava marching off to make-up to get ready, and Sara taking the elevator to the studio floor to set up her camera. The studio was always dead past midnight, just a skeleton crew left, which Sara found she enjoyed - it was easier to know everyone that way. She waved at Nate, distracting him from where he was running through the weather, muttering under his breath and checking his perfectly coiffed hair in the camera. He waved back, a bright smile on his face.

Careful not to trip over any of the wires on the floor, Sara made her way up to the box above the studio, the cramped room filled from head to toe with blinking lights and buttons, with a large window so they could look down on the studio. The techs – Behrad and Charlie - were sat with headphones on, running through sound checks, so Sara just waved to them as she found who she was looking for.

Zari, the studio runner, was running through her clipboard, muttering under her breath. When she saw Sara coming, she rolled her eyes. "Back again?"

"What have you got for her today?" Sara asked, keeping her voice nonchalant.

"The usual. Some city councilor has been embezzling funds, Star City is readying to bid for the 2028 Olympics, and former mayor Queen is opening a patisserie down-town. It's been a quiet week."

"Exactly." Sara said, her grin widening. "You've got to add the cat one."

Ray, their head writer, had found a story a week ago about a fat cat attending the Star City pet spa to lose weight, and Sara had been tracking down clips of the poor thing, bribing the editor, Nora, to pull them together. She'd even written a script. Zari looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Seriously?"

"Yes! I have a bet going with Mick - if I can get Ava to break on camera by the end of the month, he's got to give me $50." Sara said. It was ridiculous, she'd started the bet - truthfully, she found it endearing how Ava read the news with the same abject sternness whether she was covering a political scandal or a dog who'd learnt to surf in Star City Bay. She'd only broken her composure once - a smile creeping on her face when reporting on the 5th birthday of a crocodile at Star City Zoo named Snaps. From that day on, Sara had vowed to make her laugh, properly, live on air.

"I don't have any time to make up." Zari said, and Sara sighed.

"Yeah, but you know Ava reads quick enough. Please? For me?"

Zari seemed immune to the puppy eyes, so Sara sighed. "And I'll give you $20."

Zari snorted. "Do you have $20?"

"I'll have $50 when I win the bet." Sara countered, and Zari sighed.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do."

"Z, you're the best." Sara said with a grin, and turned to return to the studio floor.

///

The program went smoothly, like always. Sara liked her job, the focus of filming and the pride she got when she saw her own work on TV, but she liked it better when she was filming Ava, who had pretty much insisted from day one that Sara be her primary operator.

Ava looked especially pretty today, someone in make-up evidently having convinced her that she didn't need the bun today, and instead curled her hair over both shoulders, which didn't completely cover Ava's defined arms, visible in her sleeveless dress.

The night ran the same as most others, Ava transitioning smoothly between topics and engaging in light, courteous banter with Nate before he presented the weather. Sara looked at Ava during these moments, the five minutes she was off camera, where she looked down at her notes, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

Okay, so maybe Sara wanted to make Ava laugh because she looked so pretty doing it. Sue her.

They were coming near the end, and Sara was losing hope that the story would be included, until she heard the segue.

"Now, in lighter news," Ava started, her eyebrows suddenly shooting up as she read the prompter. Sara grinned; Zari had obviously left this out of Ava's notes to inspire more of a reaction.

"Cats," Ava blurted out, steadying herself before continuing, "they're not normally known for their love of swimming, but one feline in Star City is hitting the water instead of the gym in a bid to lose weight. Mr. Snuggles -" Ava bit her lip as the pictures played on the monitor - a black and white cat in a life vest, looking absolutely terrified, and Sara grinned. "Mr. Snuggles is a thirteen-year-old cat who - dislikes the outdoors and other physical activities."

Sara's grin widened as Ava lost it, barely making it through her lines through her giggles. Her face was flushing pink and she bit her lip to try and compose herself. "But with encouragement from his owner -" Ava pressed on, trying to hold herself together, "Mr. Snuggles had lost one pound in six months."

That was the final straw, as Ava descended into a full-on laugh, barely making it through her sign off. Sara was so distracted by the sound she nearly missed Zari's voice in her ear. "Camera 1 to Camera 3 in 3, 2, 1 -"

Sara switched off, but not before Ava snorted, flushing even deeper and covering her face with her hands at the sound, not disguised by the jingle from the lottery numbers playing across the screen.

///

Ava had bolted from the set, and Sara packed up her equipment as quickly as possible, ducking out just in time to catch Ava as she walked down the corridor to the lobby. Her face was now free of make-up, her hair tied up in a messy bun, but she was still in the dress that left Sara's mouth a little dry. She looked at Sara, blushing again.

"I can't believe you did that." She groaned, and Sara put on her most innocent face on.

"Did what?"

"Bribed Zari to put the cat story in! John in make-up said that Charlie had told him that you'd bribed Zari."

"To win $50!" Sara said, grinning. "And you have a really cute laugh."

Ava looked up; eyebrow furrowed. "Really?"

"Yep." Sara said, trying to play it cool. "Look, do you want half? I feel bad now."

Ava sighed. "No, it's okay."

"I could buy you dinner." Sara said, almost blurting it out, and Ava looked at her. "To make up for it."

Ava's mouth quirked up in a smile. "Uh - yeah, okay. I can do dinner."

~the end~

okay so this was fun to write and i kind of want to write more so uhh send me where u think this story should go. or ideas for a part 2 maybe. thanks for reading!!

#phoebe lifeblogs #avalance #legends of tomorrow #my writing #this is almost Too cute lmao

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filmsmakkari · 3 years

Text

Congratulations

Wordcount- 1.7k

Hamilton!Tom Holland x Angelica!Reader

Tom Holland x Princess!Reader

I would recommend listening to the song here!

Full Series Masterlist

Your time in Hasnaa was joyous. You wished you could have stayed there forever, but you most unfortunately had to return to your husband, and your disastrous marriage in London. With him, the days were drab and dull. It felt as if every day dragged on longer than the last, but drag on they did, and before you knew it, five years had passed.

You were sitting at the end of the table what felt like miles away from your husband, when a servant entered with a letter in her hand.

“It’s from Prince Phillip, your grace.” The servant girl curtsied before exiting.

“Thank you,” you said as you opened the letter.

It read:

My Dear Aunt,

Cold is my heart as I reckon with the affects my father’s whims have had on our family name. I’m not sure if word has yet reached you there in London, but I must most regretfully inform you that our dear Duke of Saataun has had a most unfortunate affair with the young Countess Nadia Renoylds. Apparently, it took place when we were visiting grandfather at the Fadar da Hasnaa, a considerable time indeed. He also had the privity and connivance of the count, whom he paid off to not tell mother. Apparently, the entire affair was an elaborate scheme on the Renoylds’ part. Their most intricate plan was for the countess to seduce father into an affair, and then blackmail him. If father did not find himself in a prosperous enough position to put wealth into their pockets, they would tell mother of the affair. Of course, this all took place many years ago, and father did pay the count off. None of this would have come to light if those vultures Anthony Monroe, Christopher Jefferson, and Aaron Blackwell hadn’t accused father of embezzlement. To prove his innocence, father published an essay entitled “The Reynolds Pamphlet”in which he admits the truth of his affair, and how he did not in fact embezzle money, but rather used it to pay off his mistress’s husband. In truth it isn’t much better, but he committed no crimes. He might have mortally wounded his prospects, but his papers are orderly, that is a fact none can deny. I have attached a copy of The Reynolds Pamphlet with this letter so that you may read it yourself. Tis no surprise that my mother is outraged. She has father sleeping in his office, and last night as I was passing her cracked bedroom door, I saw her setting fire to all the hundreds of letters he’s written to her. I know it is much to ask of you, seeing as you are the ruler of a large realm, but if you could journey here to see her, I’m sure it would be much consolation. With our dear Peggy sick in Paris, you are the only of her sisters with the ability to make the journey. Please consider.

Votre neveu le plus adorant et le plus vrai,

Prince Phillip of Saataun

Your heart sank as you read your nephew’s words. You quickly took the “Reynolds Pamphlet” from under his letter and read it.

It Read:

I owe perhaps to my friends an apology for condescending to give a public explanation. A just pride with reluctance stoops to a formal vindication against so despicable a contrivance and is inclined rather to oppose to it the uniform evidence of an upright character.

The charge against me is a connection with one Anthony Reynolds. For purposes of improper speculation, my real crime is an amorous connection with his wife, for a considerable time with his knowing consent, if not originally brought on by a combination between the husband and wife with the design to extort money from me. I had frequent meetings with her, most of them in my own house, the Duchess with our children being absent on a visit to the King.

This confession is not made without a blush. I cannot be the apologist of any vice because the ardour of passion may have made it mine. I can never cease to condemn myself for the pang, which it may inflict in a bosom eminently intitled to all my gratitude, fidelity and love. But that bosom will approve, that even at so great an expence, I should effectually wipe away a more serious stain from a name, which it cherishes with no less elevation than tenderness. The public too will I trust excuse the confession. The necessity of it to my defence against a more heinous charge could alone have extorted from me so painful an indecorum.

The essay went on for several more paragraphs, but you could not bear to read any more. Your heart felt as if it was cracking as you thought of your dear Eliza. Oh, all the pain she must have been in. How could Thomas, your Thomas have done such a thing? How could he have hurt your sister in such a way? The anger must have been clear in your eyes, as your husband suddenly spoke.

“What is it?” his monotone voice asked. He barely even looked up from his newspaper.

“My dear sister, Eliza, and our brother, Thomas seem to have been involved in a scandal. I must return home immediately.”

“Oh, well you do that. I shall remain here.”

Oh, of course, he was. You held back an eye roll as you stood and went to your quarters to begin packing.

You booked passage on a ship that was heading for Saataun the next day and quickly made your way home. Your carriage was awaiting your arrival when you stepped off the docks, and you immediately directed him to Eliza’s palace. When you knocked on the door, to your surprise, it was answered by your nephew, Phillip, now fourteen years old. You hugged him tightly.

“Where is your mother, Phillip?” you asked as you released the boy.

“At the store, I believe. But father’s just upstairs, in his office.”

You thanked the young boy before rushing up the stairs and into Thomas’s office.

His eyes widened at the sight of you. “(Y/N)?”

“I came as soon as I heard,” you said flatly.

“Oh, (Y/N), thank God,” he rose and walked towards you, taking your hands and trying to kiss it “someone who understands what I’m struggling here to do-” he paused as you snatched your hand away from him.

“(Y/N)?”

“Congratulations, Thomas.”

He looked at you confused.

“You have invented a new kind of stupid! A damage you could never undo kind of stupid, an open all the cages in the zoo kind of stupid! Truly, you didn’t think this through, did you?”

You gestured with your hands as you spoke. “Let's review, shall we? You two a rumor a few-what was it, three- people knew and refuted it by sharing an affair of which no one has accused you!” You got close to his face, saying, “Thomas, I begged you to take a break and you refused to.”

Now you were pacing and speaking loudly. “You’re so scared of what your enemies will do to you when in reality you’re the only enemy you ever seem to lose to! Do you know why Jefferson can do as he pleases? He doesn’t dignify schoolyard taunts with a response! So yes, congratulations, Thomas.”

“(Y/N)...”

“You’ve redefined your legacy. No, really! Congratulations,” you said, walking out.

“It was an act of political sacrifice!” he exclaimed.

You stopped in your tracks, looking back at him bewildered. “Sacrifice? Thomas Holland, you know nothing of sacrifice.”

“What does that mean?”

“Thomas, I languished in a loveless marriage in London, I lived only to read your letters. I look at you and think “God, what have we done with our lives, and what did it get us?” It doesn’t wipe all the years or all my tears away, but I’ve returned to Larione, and this time I’m here to stay. Do you know what I’m here to do, Thomas?”

“(Y/N)...” he said, coming close to you and cupping your face.

As much as it pained you to do so, you grabbed his hand, tearing it from your face, and saying, “I’m not here for you.”

Thomas sighed, tears burning in his eyes.

You felt the anger begin to rise again as you spoke, “I know my sister like I know my own mind! You will meet a more gentle, kind, trusting soul. I love my sister more than anything in this life! If it comes to choosing between her happiness and mine, I will choose hers every time! Yelizaveta is the best person in our lives, so never again make the mistake of forgetting that you have been blessed with the best wife! For the rest of your life, every sacrifice you make is for my sister, you be sure to give her the best life!”

You raised your hand and slapped him as hard as humanly possible and turned to leave. You paused in the doorframe, turning back to him. “Putting what we had aside, I’m going to find my sister and I am going to stand by her side. I already know “you could never be satisfied.” God, I hope you’re satisfied.” And with that, you were gone.

Your night was spent whispering comforting words to your younger sister, remarking to her “Oh, my dear Eliza, I fear you have married an Icarus. He has flown too close to the sun.”

You did in fact stay in Larione, just as you had told Thomas you would, choosing to relocate to the Fadar da Zuri. It was frowned upon by the public that you, the Empress of Jimbaari, were staying in a palace outside of your country without a husband or some other guardian, but you didn’t care. Your sister and her happiness were all that mattered to you. You prayed for your sister’s happiness. You also prayed that she’d forgive Thomas. Not, in fact, because of your love for Thomas, but rather as you didn’t want anything weighing on your sister’s gentle soul.

As for your ever most complicated relationship with Thomas, you barely interacted with him, not speaking to him when at their home and not writing to him. Though sometimes, you would catch him staring at you with such deep longing that it made your heart ache. And it pained you so deeply, because you knew you couldn’t have been more in love with him- even after his betrayal. So, pray you did. Prayed for your sister’s inner peace, and your own, prayed for the well being of the children, and prayed begging the lord why in all his goodness, he would cause you the utmost pain by bringing that foolish soldier Thomas Holland into their lives.

#tom holland x princess!reader #tom holland x reader #tom holland #hamilton fanfic #hamilton #tom holland angst

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akimmito · 4 years

Text

Heroes are made by the path they choose

Previous | AO3 | Next

________________________________________

Chapter 4

Chloe Bourgeois is not having a good day, the National Assembly has spent the whole morning discussing the mayor's ridiculous decisions regarding the orders given to the MT and, indirectly, to the heroes regarding the danger of the new villain.

She's the youngest member of the 577 deputies that make up The National Assembly of the French Parliament, having the minimum age to enter the elections and having demonstrated her worth, far from the stigma of her father as mayor, she won a position. And she has been doing everything possible for the good of France (especially Paris, with the miraculous butterfly still loose).

The arrival of the first Akuma in seven years shocked the entire country. She knows the senate must be chaos too and not to say the presidency, she can only imagine the Elisha Palace on fire with everyone screaming as they run in all directions… Or, a similar scene, many adults almost yelling in panic while pretending not to panic. It's good that the meeting is held in private.

Which brings it back to the real reason for the whole discussion, since the events with Hawkmoth, the French Government has been more involved in what happens (which should have been from the beginning being because is the capital of the country) and they have been active in trying to laws allow arrest for embezzling the use of a prodigy (leading to a long list of crimes). And when she joined, she did her magic and started talking about a way to prevent someone from using the prodigies to misuse, making the MT an organization recognized by the Government for the protection of Paris (therefore, the heroes also have that faculty to be treated as part of a whole) and of France as a whole; they have access to the government, the MT is above the police in power to enforce the law, but always maintaining its independent character (not that someone should know it and she has said nothing, all to prevent Marinette from giving an attack for that).

The entire process involved each State Institution and lasted four months; it was stressful, but two months later, everything is going smoothly and the news no longer mentions prodigies, evidence of jewel magic and any non-butterfly mentions have been removed. Additionally, anyone posting information about the prodigies will face legal charges accordingly.

The only requirement for this was to provide a list of the official members (they didn't ask for identities knowing that it's dangerous), both teams gave their members and it was recently updated with the inclusion of Thuban.

Everyone is aware of the mayor's request and she's smirking, that inept is worse than her father. Ask the MT not to investigate a dangerous criminal who in just one day of his appearance caused at least a hundred deaths with her first Akuma? That the cure of Rakkīgāru (official name since last night, after making it clear that Ladybug is not a cloak with an immovable name) brings everything to its former state does not exonerate the murder.

France designed a maximum underground security prison protected with safeguards similar to those of the MT headquarters, where the most violent criminals are sent (so that they don't become weapons of the new criminal). Unfortunately the safeguards can't be put in all of Paris or they would start to cancel each other, so they use them for the important thing. Suzaku, who is Marinette's vigilant identity, is in charge of all the processes.

But going back to the important thing, she hopes that a new law will be created or the status of the MT within France will be made public.

She, of course, understands Felix and Marinette's plan. Agreeing not to investigate is another way to investigate while relaxing from active work because they went so far to say that the patrols are canceled for the entire week and if they ask, it was the mayor. And it was the two days of silence that led the vice president of the country that morning to send a message to the MT (something funny, if they ask her, just two days and they worry) and, therefore, to find out that the mayor asked them without giving an explanation (said by Corvus, Felix was very specific with his concerns about it and that they didn't want to cause problems with the government). That generated all the meetings she knows are happening.

At lunchtime, she escapes to the MT in search of Marinette or Felix, to tell her about government disaster they caused, to discover that the demonic blonde is in Romania supervising the recording of a movie and that Marinette went to her country house. Oh well, she can tell they after the chaos comes to an end. The only thing she finds is Kagami being hugged by Luka to appease her anger, a gracefully adorable image in her eyes.

____________

Alizee @AlizeeShin_

In my opinion, the government has reacted well to the return of the butterfly. I lived in Paris nine years ago and the government then did nothing. Good for us!

Elliot Renault @Elliot_Renault

The MT has been silent since the Akuma appeared, they have not been seen on the streets or on the roofs. The Government is treating the matter as the problem that it is, since today the institutions were in full swing and surely we will soon have news about it.

Chloe B. @QueenBourgeois

I need urgent vacations, a break from all this madness would be good. I 'm sure that all of Paris has the same desire.

Michel J. Laforet @LaforetLeGrand_

Such a scandal about a man, perhaps the heroes are not so heroic. They only accumulate failures.

Chloe B. @QueenBourgeois

@LaforetLeGrand Soon, all of Paris will know that it was your father, the ridicule that she asked the MT not to investigate, today at 8:00 pm on the National Chain;) ___________________

As the French Parliament catches fire figuratively and almost literally, Marinette is engaged in her little investigative work on the Mayor of Paris and his son, especially his creepy son, still remembering that he had to deter Damian, five months ago, from assaulting his home and murdering him (using methods intended to cause the greatest physical pain as he dies) for harassing her during a party (which they went to just because Chloe took them). Damian was ready to pounce on Michel with the first sharp thing in hand when he saw him put a hand on her butt; in the end, it was Felix who sent him flying politely with an explicit threat in his words.

"Mother, you are still working..." Damian is not happy, especially when he sees the face of the man who dared to lay hands on his mother without his consent (man who should be dead). He doesn't understand why she investigates them.

"I'm just curious, Pierre Laforet doesn't seem like the type who would want to sabotage our work."

"Yeah, Michel Laforet doesn't seem like a sexual depraved either, and I'm sure he's capable of raping a poor defenseless lady." There is poison in his words, he still wants to see him writhe in agony as life slowly leaves him. No man has the right to approach his mother with such impure thoughts.

"Could be..." She replies distractedly, reading on the surface, if she want to go deeper into them, she must do it from the MT.

"Mother, let's play with the dogs. They are happy to see you, too. ”Damian tightens her shirt sleeve to get her attention, not that he enjoys acting like the ten-year-old he is, but his mother needs a break from everything that stresses her out.

"Uh, fine." She closes the laptop and agrees to go out and play with the dogs, which are huge and knock her down as soon as she goes out into the yard, as a bonus, they also do it with Damian and the two ofthem are being overwhelmed with doggy love for four adult dogs, two puppies and a black cat (which is like a miniature dog for being raised by the two German Shepherds), Dafne only watches from the bottom in disgust.

Hugo watches everything from the kitchen window, listening slightly to Marinette's laughter and Damian's humorous complaints. The employees whisper beside her about how excitable canines are with their owners.

Those little happy moments are necessary to face the difficulties that arise and enjoy them to the best of your ability.

__________

Violet @SilkenLavanda

There was an explosion in or near the Louvre... I can see the fire from here. I doubt it's an Akuma...

Paris News @ParisNewsTWT

An explosion is reported around the Louvre Museum, people are invited to keep their distance. Authorities confirm that the cause was a bomb, two fatalities and eleven wounded. More information in the 6 o'clock newsletter.

Max K. @ MaxKan_Tech

What was missing…

#maribat #dickinette #dick x marinette #ml x dc

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give-me-back-my-rhodey · 4 years

Text

Here We Are, Born to be Kings - AUgust Day 9

Title: Here We Are, Born to be Kings

Author: Purple_ducky00

Rating: Teen

Warnings: N/A

Pairing: Rhodey/Tony

Square Filled: G2 Dramatic Proposal

Link: Read on AO3

Summary: Prince James is in love with Lord Tony Stark, a childhood friend. However, the Starks have been disgraced due to embezzlement charges. Can they overcome this?

++++++++++

“Your Highness. Lord Stark is here to see you.” Quentin Beck holds up his nose.

Prince James Rhodes rolls his eyes. It’s not like Beck should judge. He was only hired because his family was in serious debt. Tony is working out of his.

Tony walks in a few minutes later, hair askew. “Wow, Rhodey, your servants hate me. I call it an achievement.”

“They just think it’s ok to judge since their scandals happened long ago enough for people to forget. You don’t deserve this.”

“I probably do.” Tony shrugs. “It doesn’t bother me. Actually, it gives me the chance to ditch my politeness because they already dislike me.”

“Oh for that luxury,” Rhodey sighs. He hates the protocol he must go through. Maybe that’s why he finds Tony so refreshing.

They first met at a football match. Tony was on the other team, and he told the young prince, “We’re not playing any easier because you’re the prince. So, be ready for that.”

Rhodey laughed and started playing. Tony’s team was clearly better, and they defeated Rhodey's team easily. After the game, Tony invited him to grab some lunch. They have been fast friends ever since.

Now, Rhodey is 22 and Tony is 21. Tony’s father died last year, and Tony inherited his estate. After going over the numbers, Tony’s godfather, Obadiah Stane informed him that Howard had been falsifying records and was basically bankrupt.

Dazed and reeling from his parents' sudden death, Tony doesn’t know what to do with this information. He reaches out for help, but as Howard had been stealing money from his peers, everyone refuses to help him. Rhodey offers to bail him out completely. Tony won’t let him. He decides he will work to pay off his father's debts.

Tony was always incredibly smart. His patented inventions were used worldwide. He decides to start his own company, Stark Enterprises, where he builds and sells hi-tech machinery and entertainment devices. As his company quickly grows, he branches out into clean energy and satellites. Not even a full year after starting his company, Tony is very successful. With only Stane and his PA, Pepper Potts, at his right hand, Tony makes sure that he himself takes care of the books. Every entry is painstakingly entered and checked by the big boss himself.

Rhodey is very proud of his friend, but it seems that his family is the only one in the kingdom that is. King Terrance and Queen Roberta love the young man as a son, but they often wonder if he is taking on too much, causing his sleepless nights and unhealthy eating habits. Tony waves them off saying he had had those problems before his parents had died.

Prince James’ PR agent tells him that finding someone to date might be a good look for him. Everyone is looking for news of the royal family, and they will only assume the worst if they don’t hear from each member. Queen Roberta’s cooking classes and bingo games are televised. The king does a podcast twice a month. Jeannie plays tennis professionally. James is the only one without a big public profile, and he prefers that. However, there are some people who think that James is being pushed out of the spotlight or being abused in some kind. To quell any quickly rising rumors, Rhodey agrees to attend sports matches and talk to the press for a few minutes each time. When Tony’s not working his ass off, he often accompanies Tony.

What Rhodey doesn’t tell his PR agent is the reason he doesn’t date. He is hopelessly in love with Tony and admitting that would be bad for a few reasons. 1.) Everyone in the country is against Tony. They would slander his name even more if they thought he had got his “money-grubbing claws” in the prince. 2.) Tony is straight. He had never told Rhodey otherwise, and he has only dated women as far as Rhodey knows. 3.) He doesn’t want any reason to make Tony uncomfortable in the only place he is welcome other than his home. So, he skirts the topic because fake dating is not his idea of fun.

Now, Tony’s here and Rhodey knows he’s giving Tony heart eyes. “So, you’ve got a day off from me. What’s the plan, Rhodey?”

“You pick today. I’m up for anything.” Rhodey trusts that Tony won’t do anything Rhodey can’t.

Tony sits on the chair beside Rhodey. “I need to sit. I don’t think I’ve stopped moving for a week.”

“So, what you’re saying is you need sleep.” Rhodey retorts.

“No, I need to spend time with my Rhodeybear. We never did that Star Wars marathon after Rise of Skywalker came out, did we?” Tony pokes him. “We can order like tons of pizza and greasy foods and bro it out like the old times.”

Stuck in a theatre room with only Tony and highly unhealthy food? “Sounds like a great day. Let’s queue up the movies. I’ll have |Miss Cabe order our food. The usual?” Tony nods and heads off to the theater.

Rhodey pulls out his phone and texts a maid, Bethany Cabe, to place an order for the following: an extra-large bacon pizza, two orders of cheesy curly fries, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings. Rhodey has cases of Tony’s favorite beer, so they did not need to worry about drinks.

As they settle in to watch the movies, Tony tells him, “Wake me up if I fall asleep. I don’t want to miss Episode Six again.”

“Come on Tones, Return of the Jedi isn’t the best.” Rhodey smirks.

Tony glares at him. “It’s my favorite. Leave me alone. Go ahead and like Empire or whatever one you like the best. Geez.”

“You know mine is Episode Three. The tragedy, the pain, the John Williams’ scores? A masterpiece.”

“Anakin deserved better.” Tony mumbles as he eats a bite of pizza. Rhodey sighs. He’s heard this rant many times, and he’ll probably hear it again tonight. Tony really gets into these movies.

Tony falls asleep at the end of A New Hope, his head falling on Rhodey’s shoulder. He looks so exhausted so Rhodey lets him sleep through Empire since Tony thinks it’s overhyped or something. Rhodey likes it. When Return of the Jedi starts, Rhodey nudges Tony awake. “Episode 6? Honeybear, you are an angel.” Tony kisses his cheek.

By the time The Last Jedi comes on, both of the men are sleeping. Jeannette comes in to check on them and snaps a picture of Tony lying on top of Rhodey, both snoring away.

Rhodey wakes up a few hours later and freezes. Tony is sleeping peacefully on him, his head on Rhodey’s chest. He doesn’t dare move in fear of waking Tony up. He slowly reaches for his phone and scrolls through Instagram and other social media apps until Tony wakes up.

Tony wakes up slowly, but when he’s fully awake he jumps up and goes. “I’ve got to get to work!”

“Hey Tony. It’s Sunday. We were going to spend Saturday and Sunday together, right?”

“Oh. Oh. Whew. I thought.” Tony slumps. “Probably hallucinating from all that grease.”

“Maybe we should get a little more sleep in a real bed.” Rhodey suggests. Tony nods, and they walk up to Rhodey’s room. Since they were kids, Tony always slept in Rhodey’s bed with him. They only ever slept and/or cuddled, and Rhodey has a king bed in case either of them needed their own space.

They go to Jeannie’s tennis match then accompany her to an expensive Italian restaurant for dinner. The next morning, there are pictures splashed across the tabloids. Stark trying to get in with the Royal Family? Read more on page 3! One says. The Apple Doesn’t Fall far from the Tree – Another Gold-Digging Stark! Rhodey shakes his head. He was afraid this would happen. He calls his PR agent, Maria Hill.

She answers with a “Now do you see why having a partner would be good?”

“Yes. Do you have any candidates who would be willing to date with no sex and/or strings attached? For public only?”

“You don’t know how many celebrities only hope for that. Let me see which ones I can get. I’ll send you over a packet when I get them.”

When he gets the packet, Rhodey isn’t surprised to find that 75% of them are women. Skipping through them, he tells Maria to reach out to an A-list actress Natasha Romanov. She is a beautiful woman, and they seem to have a lot of the same likes and dislikes. She agrees to meet with Rhodey at a small café near the palace. He introduces himself as Rhodey, then corrects it to “James or Jim” when Romanov gives him an odd look. “I’m sorry. My best friend always calls me Rhodey. It’s just what I expect now. I mean, if you want to call me that in private, it’s fine. Maria thinks it’s better if you call me James or Jim when talking with the press.”

“Tell me about this best friend.” Natasha leans forward. “He sounds like a nice guy.”

Rhodey launches into a detailed description of Tony: his strengths, his flaws, his quirks, etc. When he’s done, she asks, “And you’re dating me because you can’t date him?”

“How did you…?”

“You’re in love with him. Just look at your face. It’s ok. I won’t tell the press. I have almost the same problem. I’m in a poly relationship with a different celebrity couple. However, since Hollywood, even with its sex scandals, still looks down on poly relationships. I need a beard to keep our activity on the downlow. Is that acceptable for you?”

Rhodey nods. “Of course. And you’re right. I love Tony, but I need to keep the press out of his life. His father put him through a lot, and he’s trying to make up for Howard’s sins. He doesn’t need the extra press coverage. Also, I don’t know if he likes me like that. I’ve never seen him date a guy.”

“Well, I’d like to meet him.”

+++++++ Natasha and Tony eventually meet. Tony is happy to meet her, but Rhodey feels that Tony is wearing one of his many masks. |When they kiss goodnight, Natasha tells him, “Rhodey, he likes you.”

“Not that I want to doubt you, but I’m highly doubtful on this one here.”

A few months pass, and Natasha and Prince James are photographed at red carpet events, at sports games, and at galas. Rumors are spreading that Prince James might propose soon. Natasha shows up at the palace for a surprise visit. “Hey, can we talk?” She pulls James from his family dinner.

She tells him how the couple that she is dating are planning on coming out to the press as poly with her because they know some younger people who are receiving hate for their relationships. They want to be allies for such people. And they want her there when they come out. “Can we say we amicably split? I’d love to keep in contact with you.”

“That sounds good.” His phone pings. He has a google alert set up for Tony because the press likes to come up to him for hostile interviews at the most inopportune times. James does his best to save him. “Listen Nat, I will talk to my publicist, but I have to go.”

The press has trapped Tony on the palace driveway. “What do you think of Prince James marrying Ms. Romanov?” One reporter asks.

“I didn’t know they got engaged, but I think they are an excellent match. Well-suited for each other.” Rhodey can see Tony is keeping his press face on but was not ready for the sudden press conference.

Another reporter sneers. “We know you were trying to get a piece of the royalty. Will you try for the princess now that the prince is spoken for?”

“Excuse me?” Tony reels. “What are you talking about?”

“They’ll never have you. You’re just a charity case to them. What do you think of that? Did you think Prince James really liked you? Especially after what your father did?” Another reporter shoves a microphone in his face.

Tony loses his mask. “Do I think Rho- Prince James really liked me? I have known the prince since we were young teenagers. I know he likes me… as a friend. But anything more? No. He never did, never will. I know what my father did; I know what I have to do to fix it. My father and Prince James have no correlation. What are you even trying to say here?” Rhodey can see the pain in Tony’s eyes. They flash when he says that Rhodey will never like him as anything more as a friend.

“Excuse me.” Rhodey steps forward. “Can you step away from him, please?”

The press apologizes and steps away. “Now, I want to say this once more and hopefully never again. Lord Stark is not his father. Lord Stark is paying his father’s investors back as quickly as he can. He started up his business on his own with his trust fund from his maternal grandmother. Howard never saw or added to a penny of that fund. What is the point of hating a man for the sins of his father? Keep rolling. I am talking to the country as a whole. Leave him alone, please. I want to say one more thing. Tony Stark, you are the love of my life. The reason I have not dated is because the only person I have ever loved was you. Yes, Natasha and I dated, but we did to keep other things hidden. I’m sure she will let you know at some point. It’s not my job. Tony, again, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and perhaps rule with you. I do not have a ring yet because I had not planned to propose to you in front of live TV today, yet here I am. Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”

“You’re serious?” Tony gasps.

“Completely.”

“Then Rhodey, my Honeybear, my Platypus, my Sourpatch, I will marry you in a heartbeat.” Tony smiles widely, and Rhodey kisses him deeply, in front of the cameras. As they turn to the palace, Tony turns back to the cameras, lifts his middle finger, and says, “Fuck you” whilst smiling sweetly.

++++++ The country is so shocked at Prince James’ dramatic proposal. People wonder if Tony is a good fit for the prince due to his blatant disregard for protocol. Princess Jeannie posts the picture she took of them sleeping in the theatre room on Instagram, the caption “I knew it.” She broke the internet with the most likes on an Instagram post.

Tony goes through his numbers and his father’s numbers again to make sure everyone is paid off. While looking at his father’s records again, he notices some discrepancies from Obadiah’s report. The truth comes out – Howard had not done anything wrong; it was Obadiah. He falsified documents, records, and even bills to give him much more money. Obadiah is fired and imprisoned. Tony’s name is cleared. Anthony Stark marries Prince James Rhodes a happy man.

#ironhusbands #royalty au #tony stark doesn't give a care #ironhusbands bingo 2020 #ironhusbands bingo #au_gust_2020 #i write!

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rustandruin · 4 years

Note

Can you just drop Robert's return and Robrons reunion out into the universe now please?? You seem to have......ways of predicting future canon. Please make it so!

Hey Anon!

This is very sweet of you, but I think the instances you’re referring to were just really me giving Robert and Aaron my own personal interests because I thought they fit well! (So please approach this with multiple grains of salt scattered liberally over your shoulder.)

That said, I think a really cool way to bring Robert back would be with everyday soap logic. Something happens so he’s released for good behaviour or something within the next few. Now what? He’s given up Aaron (and Liv and Seb), the only thing that really mattered to him, so he’s unmoored. He tries to live an Aaron-less life, settle down in Leeds, get a job in some marketing firm doing the accounts, starts small again, etc. (I like to think he somehow reads and studies a lot while he’s away in fancy white-collar prison, but I digress.)

For the most part, he’s doing fine. Only October 5th hits and it’s his and Aaron’s fifth anniversary. He goes to a bar after work because he’s a bit maudlin and maybe gets hit on by a cute bartender, but turns them down because he really meant what he said to Aaron all those years ago. It’s him. It’ll always be him. He doesn’t want anyone else. Five years in prison and all he can think about is how good Aaron looked on a suit on the day he officially made him his husband.

And because he’s full of booze by a certain hour and getting quite sentimental, he does what any emotional bisexual does: he calls himself a taxi to a little village in the dales, because he wants to visit a certain gazebo.

Unfortunately, Aaron has done exactly what Robert had told him to do. He’s moved on. He doesn’t have Seb in his life anymore, and Liv’s moved out and is working in Manchester. (Thanks to Robert’s guidance and Doug’s and Belle’s, she’s working at a start-up in Manchester, living her best life.) So he’s currently in a longterm relationship with Jason, a handsome accountant friend of Ryan’s who ran into Aaron when Ryan was helping update the Holey Scrap website, and politely flirted with him enough that even Jimmy King noticed and told him to take him up on it. (Aaron doesn’t know this, but Jimmy has secretly taken it upon himself to hold up his “Robert’s second best friend” duties even though Robert’s not here, because he knows that’s what Robert would want.)

Jason, who is also the new accountant at Home Farm and helps the new owner figure out a whole money scandal with the business, knows about Robert and how special that date is, so he offers to take Aaron away for the weekend as a form of distraction. With some more of Jimmy’s egging (because he’s also pulling double duty as Aaron’s secret second best friend atm), Aaron does take Jason up on his offer and goes away to Manchester to see Liv with him.

While there, Aaron has a ton of fun and realises that Jason really is a great guy and that if he had to move on from Robert and marry someone else, Jason would be an ideal pick. The sex is good, his family likes him, and Aaron actually does love him underneath it all. Of course, it’s not the earth-shattering love he had with Robert, because nothing will ever match that, but it’s enough. He never thought he’d move on from Robert, but look! He’s found it in himself to look at another man and get butterflies. It’s progress!

He doesn’t tell Liv or Jason, but the whole ride home he’s thinking of his wedding day with Robert and how he might propose to Jason. (Jason’s always floated the idea of marriage, but has never pressed because he has enough sense to ignore Paddy and Chas and listen to what Aaron’s not saying: i.e. that he doesn’t want to get married again.)

And THAT’s when it strikes! The massive week-long event that Emmerdale has been hyping up all month: A plane crash that causes a multi-car pile up. (The plane crash has to do with the new owner of Home Farm confronting the person related to the embezzlement of funds.)

Aaron and Jason are caught up in pile up it but aren’t hurt. Unfortunately, Cain is and it’s serious, so they rush to the hospital. Aaron has flashbacks the whole time and can’t help but wonder if this is how Robert felt when it was him.

They get to the hospital and Jason goes to park the car and Aaron goes rushing in, and a familiar blonde nurse says “Oh! You’re here. Thank goodness. He won’t settle.”

She grabs him by the arm as she drags him to a room, Aaron asks if Cain’s alright, and she says they don’t know. They still have to run tests. Aaron tries to text Chas with one hand because his phone is blowing up. The Dingles are trying to make sure everyone is accounted for.

It’s not until he finishes sending his text that he looks up and his heart stops. There’s no way the face looking back at him is the face that is right now. There’s no way those eyes and those freckles and those lips can belong to anyone else.

He must be imagining things. “Robert?”

And that’s when he hears it. The voice he’s practically memorised off a short video message and several others they’ve sent each other during their time together; fleeting snippets of a life shared.

“Aaron!” Robert exclaims looking at him with nothing but love and happiness. Then he frowns, brow furrowing as he frowns and looks Aaron over. “Thought you’d at least dress up for our honeymoon.”

(The doctors find nothing physically wrong with Robert, just a special kind of soap-induced memory loss. And because he still thinks Aaron and he are married, he moves back into the Mill with Aaron, thus kicking off a three-month love triangle of Aaron and Robert and Jason, where Aaron must figure out which man holds his future and Robert has to slowly come to terms with how life has moved on and changed around him.)

And there you have it! This is how I would do it if I were an Emmerdale producer with a billion dollars in the bank. Or just a new producer. Bring Ryan back with the promise of a juicy storyline (amnesia), a clean slate for Robert and Aaron to move forward from (amnesia), and a way for them to revisit their relationship and work through the pain of what he did in prison and how he stayed away while getting out, thus moving them towards a third reunion/wedding. (This time in the gazebo, when Robert finally has his memory back and is really giving himself a hell of a reunion tour.)

In any case, it’s the perfect way to hide Ryan’s return (a big event which they can keep promoting), while giving said event a banner ending, especially if you want to give Danny/Aaron a nice juicy storyline moving forward. (Being torn between two men who love him and he loves in turn. Though we all know he’ll be back with Robert within a month or so, or at least by Christmas, where maybe they can have their own Christmas special, but this time it’s like a sliding sideways type deal where Aaron sees how his future would be with both men and he truly has to choose.)

Though, in my hypothetical universe, I do think the news will be “leaked” and then we’ll all tune in and they’ll get the high ratings they want. I dunno. I hope it turns out this way and we all get surprised with Robert showing up in a hospital bed thinking that time hasn’t passed at all because that would be such a good parallel to him walking into the pub like he did when he returned in 2014.

#robron #emmerdale #robert sugden #aaron dingle #ryan hawley #rust and ruin has thoughts #rust and ruin answers #Anonymous

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fluorescentpipedream · 4 years

Text

For Aliviya pt 1

Deacon has ever been the calm one of his family. The middle child is often credited with being brash and attention-seeking as they try to outshine their older or younger siblings but that was never the case for him. Born after the twins, Benjamin and Charlotte and followed by their baby sister Rachel, Deacon was a more determined, hard working young man never content to stay on the side but also not one to rock the boat. With his parents, Lord Harrison Moore and his beautiful wife Francesca, behind him in any and all of his endeavors, he’s always been free to be the kind of man that would be the best representative of his family. The Moore family is 13th in line for the throne in England, and to some degree a favorite of the Queen, even being so long out of being actual royalty. When he was in his early 20′s, he moved out of London and into a mini-mansion in Bibury, by way of Gloucestershire. The picturesque little hideaway was his own private home, only an hour outside of London itself but it gave him a sense of peace and serenity. There, Deacon had three Irish wolfhounds named Gaius, Augustus and Brutus and for a time he had a young woman he’d been courting for some time, and while he’d been able to accept her harsh temper and selfish ways, things with Diana Ashworth were not meant to be.

Something changed in him when he was rather spectacularly dumped by Diana after they had been together for nearly seven years. Her reasoning made little sense, she said the $2.5 million, Harry Winston ring was too small and tacky and made a scene when Deacon had tried to propose to her. Whatever her reasoning really was, he could never be sure but after the dust had settled, he’d finally realized how terrible for him she had really been. Diana was a very “particular” woman. She liked to have things a certain way, usually with servants for nearly everything she could ever need and with all the money she had, she was expecting to live in the lap of luxury inside the safe confines of one of the main areas of London, none of which fit Deacon’s small “cottage” as he called it. She didn’t like his dogs and often didn’t respect him much either, all things he came to see only after they had rather publicly broken up. Another thing Deacon disliked had been how public she liked to do anything and everything. Diana always wanted to be seen doing something, so people who still think of her...but considering her family wasn’t as well known as the Moores, it may have had more to do with her wanting to show off her newly acquired status. Whatever the reason, he was happy to have her gone but had been left in a vulnerable position now without her.

One thing he had always prided himself on was having close friends with those in his same caliber, the likes of Niall Hannigan and Peter Danvers, just to name a few. These men always had his back, or so he had thought but their idea of comforting him following his breakup was to use a work trip to the states, specifically St. Louis, to visit a sex party. The rules had been simple enough, wear a mask and never exchange names, this was meant to be a meeting of like-minded individuals looking for a night of consensual frivolity, though while it might have been Niall and Peter’s scene, it was hardly Deacon’s. Still, he had allowed himself to be drug to this horrible thing, though he’d ultimately ended up in a private room with a few bottles of wine, trying to forget where he was and exactly why he was there. Through some strike of fate, it was that night he met Aliviya St. Michael. Ali blew him away, her kindness and compassion when he was at his worst had been more of a comfort in his heartbreak than his closest friends.Deacon never saw her full face but there was something in Aliviya’s eyes that just seemed to stick with him.

The Monday after the party, Deacon had found himself still hungover and mortified by his unprofessional behavior, as his father would have described it. For all of his attempts to actually make himself look presentable, he just came across as disheveled and tired looking. Or so he had believed. When he’d arrived at Giovanni Incorporated, the darkening sky opened and began a steady, chilly downpour over his head. He had come into the building shaking out the collar of his wool jacket. His bodyguard and one of his best friends, Samson, had failed to get the umbrella up in time as they had been walking into the building and both men had gotten drenched. Most people would have been annoyed but Deacon had only laughed if off, running a hand through his hair and rushed to catch an elevator that was already going up. Samson and his partner, an impressive sized man named Roman, remained in the lobby of the office, waiting for Deacon to come back down again. After they left here, it was back to the Chase Park Plaza to get some much needed rest before they would all fly home.

Deacon finished shaking out his coat once he was in the elevator and scowled as he realized the warped reflection in the chrome showed exactly how bad he looked. As he struggled to fix his tie, his eyes shifted slightly towards those beautiful eyes he had been thinking about since Saturday. Aliviya offered to fix his tie for him and as her fingers had played with the soft silk of his tie he’d lost his mind for a moment, carefully tipping her face up towards his and kissed her. It straight out of a badly written romantic comedy movie, but he had recognized her eyes, the softness of her touch on his chest and the lyrical tone to her voice, everything had been there exactly as he remembered it. For only a moment, he’d had those perfect lips on his own again before the moment ended and as any actual woman would do when a strange man kissed him, she slapped him. Deacon had been flustered but what was he supposed to say? “Hey I’m that guy you found sobbing in the private room at the sex party downtown this weekend, want to go out?” It didn’t have the greatest ring to it.

Instead, he had apologized several times for stepping out of bounds with her and told her that she had looked like someone he thought he knew. That hadn’t been the best recovery either, but as she got off on the 7th floor, Deacon hesitated but decided not to say anything. It wasn’t until he was leaving the office later that evening that the two saw one another again and he was given a second chance to talk to her. The poor girl had a busted umbrella and seemed to be at her wits end as she stood in the rain waiting for the bus. He had asked Roman to pull up alongside her and asked if she would like a ride.

"I’m fine....fine.”

“You don’t look fine...Lord Moore would like to offer you a ride, anywhere you want to go?”

“Lord...Moore....No no, it’s really fine.”

Deacon had rolled his window down and looked at the young woman for a moment, wanting to bring her inside and take her back to the hotel with him though the best he could do was offer a soft “please”. She had eventually given in, though only allowed him to take her to a rather run-down looking apartment building a few blocks away.

“I’d like to take you out to dinner...”

“That kiss didn’t mean anything, really...it’s fine. I’m afraid I don’t really have the time...I have class and I work early tomorrow...”

“What about after class?”

“You’re persistent, aren’t you?”

“I tend to be very determined...” Deacon had started then, leaning forward in his seat as he looked over her and after a moment he reached out to take her hand. “I have met you before, Aliviya....on Saturday. You had been kind to me when you could have left me alone... I’d like to have a real chance to get to know you. When I’m not sobbing into my cheap chardonnay.”

It had started out so innocent, dinner in a diner after she had gotten out of class for the night and over time their romance bloomed. It was still a bit like a movie and sometimes, Deacon found himself wondering how he’d managed to be so lucky as to meet someone like her. She was driven, hard working and had an odd variety of friends, all of which brought something new to her personality that Deacon may not have noticed before. Her compassion and caring nature was rivaled only by her beauty, which was as much inside as it was out.

As it stood, Deacon and Aliviya had been dating for six months, almost entirely remotely due to his living in London and her being in St. Louis. It was difficult, only seeing her when he was able to come in and often work prefaced the trip as it was the only time he could get away from his family business.

They had made it through some pretty murky waters as all relationships struggle but the long distance ones are extra tricky. The main issue had resolved itself only a few weeks ago, when Ali had been used as a scapegoat for a massive embezzlement scandal going on within Giovanni Incorporated and while his father and brother had wanted Deacon to break off his relationship with her, he hadn’t been able to actually ever say the words. He had been a little distant through it but when it all came down, Deacon didn’t believe Aliviya to be the type to steal money from anyone, much less a company that she bent over backwards for and who had taken a chance on her. Though the situation had worked itself out and the right people had been persecuted for the role they played, Ali had been left unsettled about the whole thing, not that anyone could blame her. As they sat together on her couch, Deacon attempting to offer comfort he finally came off with the only thing he could think of.

“You need a vacation.”

“Yeah...right let me just pull that out of my ass.” Her dry tone caught him off guard but he recovered, chuckling.

“Vincent would like you to take some time off to regather yourself, after the entire situation he believes everyone needs some time to settle back in again. Not to mention...with you taking over as Mr. Lowery’s new assistant, it’s going to take some time to get everything processed.”

“Oh...and where am I going on this vacation?” She seemed to be warming up to the idea, that was a good sign at the very least. Deacon thought for a moment before finally speaking again.

“You had to meet my brother and father under the worst circumstances, I’d like you to meet the rest of my family, on my terms this time...you could come to England with me...I’ll introduce you to my family and if it goes well, we can go to my parent’s anniversary trip in Greece.”

“Deacon...that’s a big trip and...your father...he doesn’t like me. He said it to my face...”

Deacon frowned and looked at her. “I know, chicken...I know. But the last time I allowed everyone to make decisions about my life for me, I nearly married someone who had none of my best interests in mind.” Diana had been one of Charlotte’s friends and while he didn’t blame his older sister in the least for her friends’ conniving ways, everyone had thought she was going to be the best person for him. His father may have told Ali to her face that he didn’t think she was right for his son, but he’d said the opposite about someone who shattered him, it was his turn to make his own choice.

“My friends like you..." He trailed off, knowing that wasn’t exactly a good way to start. Niall liked everyone and while Peter could be pretty discerning he wasn’t overly picky. His brother Michael was a bit more choosy but then again, Michael was...unique. Gavin Deveroux was the one that would give him his honest opinion, Deacon knew and trusted that at least. But Gavin hadn’t had a chance to meet her yet. Deacon frowned softly before starting again.

“Ali, I want you to come with me. I want you to see where I live...and I know things have been tense but I’d like to keep you in my life. This is something important to me. I love you...and I want to show you the places that matter the most to me.” His parents’ home was one of those, but the other was his “cottage”. A place all his own that Diana had almost ruined with all of her issues with it, but it was still home and still his favorite place to be. Aliviya was quickly becoming his favorite person, so of course he’d want to take her to his favorite place, right?

There was silence for a while as she seemed to consider it and when she finally agreed, as long as she could bring Mike with her. Mike was...an odd egg, as Deacon’s aunt Sarah would have called him. The smartest man in the room at 28 years old, he could sound like the genius he was one minute and the loudest, gayest man only half a second later. It always amused Deacon how the man’s mood could fluctuate, but he was Ali’s closest friends and because of that, he was quickly becoming very important to Deacon too. Mike was a good judge of character and if the situation got too uncomfortable, he would give her an easy out of the situation. Deacon felt his heart swell like a balloon filled with too much air. He hopped off of her couch, startling one of her two cats, and captured Ali in his arms, cupping her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.

“I love you, chicken.” She had returned his kiss deeply and leaned back only slightly.

“I love when you call me that.” Deacon beamed. Chicken was a term of endearment his grandfather used to call his grandmother when they were together, and they had survived World War II together, he was part of the Royal Navy and she was a nurse, not a lady or a duchess, just a woman who had met him when he was hospitalized following a siege and he had fallen head over heels for her. Deacon’s grandfather, the late Lord Moore, had been an amazing man, still a Lord even though he was also a naval officer. And he had the greatest love story, Deacon had always loved hearing it.

Aliviya had agreed to join Deacon after Mike’s Mensa meeting in Washington. The two of them would be flying together to New York on first class and after a day to rest they would take the Moore family private jet the rest of the way to London. After picking her up it was just a short drive out of the main city and to the family home in Oxfordshire. Aliviya was going to be meeting his mother and both of his sisters, as well as the majority of the family when she joined them on the family yacht in Greece. He had plans there, of course, but those would come into play soon enough.

When the pair had made it to New York, they were met on the air strip by Roman, who rode with them on the plane the rest of the way. The flight itself was only going to take 7 hours, as opposed to the 12.5 it would have taken for them to make it commercially, which was part of why Deacon had insisted that they travel this way. The other was so they would have a quiet, easy trip. The jet was one of the luxury liners that featured it’s own staff, a bedroom in the back as well as a working shower and high quality entertainment system. Roman had told a very amused Deacon via text messages that Ali and Mike had wandered through the whole of the plane before choosing a place to sit and played cards with drinks and a mild meal during the flight. Of course she wouldn’t take advantage of all of the amenities but he had wished he could have heard the noise when she’d seen it. Oh well, all in due time, there was still the yacht.

It was late when the plane arrived at the private airstrip near the family home, and Deacon was waiting on the concourse for them with flowers and a bright smile. They were going to the Moore estate for the first few days before they’d be heading to Santorini, Greece for his parents’ anniversary. Most of the family and some very high profile guests would be in attendance and while he was nervous about inviting Ali to the party, he was more looking forward to having her on his arm and introducing her as his girlfriend. It would be the first big event he had been to since his breakup with Diana, and luckily she would be nowhere in sight. As they got off the plane, he watched Roman fight off a yawn before he set about getting the bags out of the back. Samson moved to take their smaller personal items and set them in the car before opening the door. Ali had run to him, her arms going around his neck like he was catching her and holding her for an eternity, which he could have, in all honesty. Kissing her deeply, Deacon leaned back and smiled.

“Chicken! I’m so glad you’re here finally! How was your flight?”

“Smooth and uneventful.” Mike muttered as he stumbled down the last step and lost his balance, falling into Roman’s arms. It took him a second before he barked out a laugh. “Thanks Hulk” Deacon chuckled softly. His two bodyguards had wound up with nicknames now because of these two, and honestly now he couldn’t unsee it. Samoan Hulk was Roman, a 6.5ft monster of a Samoan man with broad, tattooed shoulders and a shaved head. He looked like someone that should be a fighter. The other was Samson, or Samoan Jesus, as Ali had referred to him. He had long hair and dark, piercing eyes. The irony of his tough guy exterior was his love for growing roses in Bibury in the house beside Deacon and spending time with his 5ft tall wife.

“Deacon!”

Deacon beamed, holding her close for another moment or two before letting her go. “Shall we head to the house?” He looked back at Mike and smiled at him though only got a halfhearted smile back.

“Are you alright?”

“Hmm? Oh...yeah. Sorry...I’m fine. It’s good to see you again, Deacon. I’m just really tried.” And distracted, Deacon thought but he didn’t say anything. The other man moved over and got a hug from him as well before letting him go and got into the car. Ali had told him that Mike was going through some things, so this listless behavior was probably because of that. After they were settled into the car, he turned Ali’s face towards his and kissed her gently, teasing her mouth softly as he did so.

“Since you’ve had such a long couple of days, my parents thought breakfast together might be the better way to go, rather than bombarding you as soon as you arrived. Is that alright?”

“I like that idea much better, I can’t wait to meet your mom. Roman was telling us about everyone on the plane so we’d be more prepared...though I’m still really nervous. After everything what if...”

Deacon stopped her with a soft shake of his head. “Nothing that happened had anything to do with you, chicken. It’s just something that happened while you were there. I’ve reassured them, they’re looking forward to getting to meet you finally.”

“Lord Moore has been talking about you non-stop every time he comes home, at this point the Lady Moore may know you better than you know yourself” Samson had quipped from the driver’s seat ahead of them before exchanging a look with Roman before both men laughed.

“It’s a short drive to the house....Oh... Lord Moore? Em and I brought up the boys, so they’re waiting for you too.”

“Oh god.” Deacon’s dogs were about 3ft tall and weighed about 175lbs each, and whenever they saw him both Augustus and Brutus would rush him, tackling him to the ground. When he was with Diana, he’d had three of the wolfhounds, but Gaius was unfortunately poisoned and died only a month before the proposal incident. Deacon still missed the old gray beast but his two brothers more than made up for his lack of presence. He laughed lightly and looked at Ali.

“They’re going to pounce you.”

Ali laid her head on his shoulder when he settled back in the seat, she wasn’t asleep but she had her eyes closed. Deacon started playing with her hair and did so, absently as they drove on in silence. The ride itself wasn’t much to really see this time of the night, he figured while they were in the area he would play tour guide for a few days and take them to the Tower of London or one of the museums or something. While he wanted Ali to stay here with him forever he wasn’t sure how long she was going to want to stay in England, especially since her entire life was in St. Louis.

When they had arrived at the house, Mike leaned forward and lightly poked Ali’s nose like it was a button and motioned to the great gates that lead up the drive. “We’re entering Downton Abbey.” He mused and Deacon laughed, lightly rubbing on her back before pointing out the window.

“The drive goes all the way up and circles around a fountain in the middle of the courtyard. It’s lit up right now but you’ll really get to see it in the morning. The manor’s courtyards are a tourist attraction in their own right.”

“Hmm...I can’t wait to see it.”

Deacon smiled and kissed the top of her head before the car slowed to a stop and Roman got out to open the door for her, while Samson opened up Deacon’s side for him and Mike. Just as he had predicted, the front doors were open already and the boys were sitting on the steps, waiting to be called. They looked like mutts, but they were actually thoroughbreds. Taking a stance much like that of someone playing rugby, Deacon planted his feet and called out to the dogs. Just as he had said they both rushed down the stairs and tackled him to the ground licking him and nuzzling their heads into him like they hadn’t seen him in weeks, even though it had only been a couple of days. Laughing, Deacon managed to push them off after a minute or two and took Samson’s offered hand to get off the ground. For their part, Augustus and Brutus moved and sat down like perfect gentlemen as Deacon held his hand out for Ali to take, and introduced her. Brutus moved to pounce on her but Deacon held his hand up, stopping him without even a word. Instead they approached her slowly, sniffing her hand and then Augustus licked it before walking away.

“Bloody hell I thought they were going to rush you too.” Deacon laughed and made another hand gesture at the boys, they both walked back up the stairs again, taking their place beside the front door and waiting patiently.

“Those aren’t dogs, those are furry horses.” Ali laughed, wiping the drool onto her pants before picking up her purse from inside the car.

“I know...they can be quite a handful but I love them. Come on...let’s get everyone settled.”

As they entered the grand foyer of the manor, the lights were already on and the whole house had a soft glow to it. Unlike a lot of the bigger mansions that have a cold feeling to them, this one actually felt like the family had all lived in it and there was a residual warmth left from them. In his father’s office, there was a pillar that marked the growth of each of the Moore children and now their little niece too. Charlotte and her daughter were coming in tomorrow, and Benjamin and his teenage daughter Tess should already be settled in. As they came in, Deacon smiled up at a beautiful, older woman with whitish blond hair and bright eyes.

“Aliviya St. Michael and Mike Tomlin, I’d like to introduce you to the Lady Francesca Moore. Mom I thought you weren’t going to do this until tomorrow?”

“Nonsense, I wanted to be the one to welcome this young lady to our home, Deacon...”

“Ah...well....at least Charlotte can still surprise us with the Princess. Is father in his study?”

“Of course he is, he’ll be out in a moment.” No doubt his father had told her about Ali when he’d met her the first time, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that they were both here and ready to introduce themselves properly. Francesca looked comfortable in a loose fit gray dress and a black shawl around her shoulders. Her hair was pulled back and tucked around a little. She looked to Deacon as though she had been reading on his father’s couch. Behind them, Samson and Roman moved silently up the stairs to take Ali and Mike’s suitcases up to their designated rooms. Ali had a room of her own, of course, but Deacon had already told Samson to take her suitcase to his room, since it wasn’t likely she’d be spending much time apart from him. Mike’s room actually overlooked the back part of the house and his mother’s garden, the lighting made it look beautiful of course but tomorrow it was going to be a truly stunning view. Deacon shifted a little uncomfortably before his mother took notice and only smiled at her son, with a soft, understanding look. He had been hoping to save the uncomfortable introductions for later, not having to do them right as they arrived.

“Alright...well Deacon’s giving me that look...I’ll let you all get settled and see you for breakfast outside in the gardens.” Deacon moved and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek before she left them to undoubtedly go check in on her husband in is study. Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Deacon laughed uncomfortably.

“Sorry about that...Umm...Mike your room is upstairs and the last room on the left. It’s got its own bathroom so you won’t have to worry about running into anyone. Chicken...I’ll show you to our room?”

“Our room?” Ali’s eyes twinkled and Deacon couldn’t help but smile, the light of it reaching into his eyes and dancing.

“Well you do have one of your own near Mike’s but...I thought you’d want to stay with me”

“Uh-huh. I want a real tour tomorrow though, this house is huge.”

“And very easy to get lost in” Came Harrison’s cool voice from the other side of the main hallway. He smiled and moved towards them, all but ignoring his son’s uncomfortable stance. “Aliviya, it’s good to see you again. You’ll forgive me for that unfortunate business the last time? I’m afraid I was a little more rude to you than I should have been.”

Ali, for all her grace under fire looked somewhat relieved to have gotten an actual apology out of his father. Harrison was wearing a soft pair of black pants and a gray jumper that made him look less like a lord at the moment and more like an older gentleman getting ready for bed.Harrison’s eyes fell on Mike as he shifted to the side and extended his hand to the other man. Mike took it and gave him a firm handshake, making his introduction simple before the Lord’s attention went back to Ali.

“You two look absolutely bushed, I’ll let you get settled and see everyone in the morning. Deacon...” Harrison nodded his head towards his son before heading back in the direction of his and his wife’s room. After hearing the door click shut Deacon’s eyes widened before he shook his head.

“Ah...well that was uncomfortable.”

“Parents are the same in any country it seems...” Mike moved and kissed Ali’s cheek before telling them goodnight and heading upstairs to his room. Deacon watched him pause for a moment before turning his head to the right and headed in that direction. Deacon chuckled before holding his hand out to Ali.

“Shall we, love?”

Deacon’s room was one of the larger ones on the second floor to the left of the stairs. It had actually been his brother’s room first, before he’d moved into it some time after Ben had left for college. The windows faced the front of the house and had heavy, blackout curtains framing both sides in a soft green fabric. The rest of the room looked like a small apartment, and had a small sitting area to one side beside the walk-in and around closet. Behind the couch was Deacon’s cherry wood sleigh bed with a warm looking comforter made up perfectly with several of the decorative pillows positioned to hide the king sized pillows. At the foot of the bed was an extra soft wool knitted blanket from Killian McLeod's wife. She used to make the blankets before she had gotten too sick, though they had a few of them scattered around the house. To the right of the entrance was another door that lead into a relatively large bathroom with an enclosed closet for towels to one side and a hamper hidden behind a small curtained opening under the sink, set within the counter space. Everything on the counter had it’s own special place, and it looked like it had never been touched, even though he had actually stayed here the last few days. Further into the bathroom was a tiled, waterfall style shower to one side, a simple sink and a small half wall that separated the toilet from the rest of the room, seemingly hiding it.

Bringing Ali into the room, he took her purse from her and set it on his couch, moving over to turn on the fireplace. As it came to life, the light of the faux flames danced in the dim lit room, casting shadows this way and that. There were bookshelves built into the wall all along the sides of the fireplace and above it, filled with a lot of Deacon’s favorite books. Moving back over to her, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, nuzzling her softly.

“I have missed you, chicken.” Deacon purred against her lips. He knew the next few days were going to be a little tough to get through, between his friends coming in from parts unknown to the various friends and family that would be introducing themselves to Ali...it was going to be a little crazy. But right now was just for them. Brushing her hair over her shoulder, Deacon moved his lips down around her neck and nipped at her playfully, teasing her skin until he felt the little goose pimples rising up on her. As he leaned back and looked into her eyes, Deacon smiled and suddenly scooped Ali up in his arms, carrying her over to the bed and laid her down on one side of it, climbing onto the bed with her, kissing his way down her body. They hadn’t had much of a chance to be together for some time and he wasn’t sure how much time alone they were going to have in the next few days.

“Deacon...I’ve been traveling all day...I....” For every inch Deacon moved her shirt he kissed around the skin, teasing her stomach and up her chest, finally removing the shirt and tossing it over the foot board and onto the floor revealing her bra beneath.

“Do you want me to stop?” He rested his chin on her stomach for a moment, looking up at her with a playful, almost hungry look.

“N-no...” Deacon smiled and continued to work his way along her body, moving his hands underneath her and carefully unhooked her bra without a second glance or even much of a pause. Slipping it off her shoulders, he looked down at her body for a moment and smiled, beginning to work down this time, taking extra care to give each breast a bit of time of its own, lightly flicking his tongue over each of her nipples before moving away from it. He only wanted to tease her right now, though he watched how her body reacted to him and it seemed to only fuel his movements. His fingers danced along her hips before he sat up slowly on her and began unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it from his trousers though he didn’t take it all the way off just yet, instead left the baby blue cotton hanging open as he shifted his hips just enough to begin pushing Ali’s pants down, repeating his delicate kisses.

Before he got too much further, Deacon slipped off of her and carefully pulled her pants and panties down at the same time, tossing them to the side before taking a moment to just look over Ali’s body on the bed. He knew she was tired and sex was probably the furthest thing from her mind right now but having her finally here in his country, his house, his bed, there was something about it all that had driven him nearly to the point of no return as it was. Unbuttoning his pants, Deacon left them open as he took off his shirt and added it to the scattered bits of clothing on the floor and opened up a drawer in his bedside table. Of course, his brother had bought condoms recently.

#Richard Armitage #part 1 #characters

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