#otsanda

[sayuri-of-the-valley]

On how Crowley and Aziraphale felt during the kiss (but mainly Crowley here):

Ok so first, the main idea for this huge meta is that a LOT of us noticed how the music from the kiss scene is similar to the nebula one, right?

Second, a lot of us also correctly noticed the parallels between the kiss and how it was to taste food for the first time for Aziraphale: bc of his reactions, the hand on lips, the similar way MS acted both scenes, the little inhale etc. So how was it for Crowley?

Aziraphale's reaction to the kiss is practically a puzzle to solve on its own, so it's fun to analyse it, but basically, in a few words, Aziraphale kissed Crowley and he discovered he was physically starving for him, longing for him, yearning for him, for his kiss, and he had no idea. Just like with the ox. And now he needs to gorge himself in him but he can't. Great amazing heartbreaking chef's kiss someone give MS an Emmy.

But there's already so much amazing meta out there about Aziraphale x Ox ribs x The Kiss that I want to focus on Crowley here, and on the music.

So back to the music. The song in "Before the Beginning" and the song that plays during The Kiss (I Forgive You + Don't Bother) are so similar. They're not *exactly* the same, but they're totally reminiscent of each other. The viewer is immediately reminded of those chords that played in the opening scene. It's no coincidence that the fandom was talking about this fact only minutes after first watching those final fifteen minutes. This is an obvious intentional choice for storytelling reasons (David Arnold is a genius).

I have no expertise whatsoever when it comes to music, so I asked our friend @otsanda to see if that made sense and not only it does and she explained it, but she also uncovered so much more hidden meaning in all of it (musicians are amazing), so check out her meta about the music that not only serves as evidence to what I'm proposing here but it also has so much more juicy information in it 💖.

Back to the point: WHY thought? Why choose a similar song? Why intentionally COMPOSE a similar song for that moment?

Hear me out. WHAT IF, by reminding the audience of the creation of the nebula, they meant to convey to us that, for Crowley, kissing Aziraphale gave him the same feeling that creating his stars did?

THAT'S what the music is telling us. THAT'S why it makes us remember "Before the Beginning". It may sound cheesy, but Crowley may have literally seen stars when he kissed Aziraphale. He couldn't react accordingly (just like Aziraphale couldn't), bc it was an overwhelming and extremely sad moment (the music is also telling us that) for both of them. They knew it was ending . They were both having a moment of huge revelation that was fated to not come to completion. Crowley was right, it was too late.

It makes sense to show Crowley's feelings through the music, bc he was the one who started the kiss, and also he was wearing sunglasses in that scene, it's different from a character like Aziraphale that has all his million expressions for everyone to see at all times. And they've been doing this ever since s1 with the Queen songs that play in his car or in the background.

So my point is: the same song being used there makes me wonder if kissing Aziraphale finally gave him what he lost. His purpose. What Aziraphale was trying to give back to him by taking him back to heaven. There's no need for Heaven. Just kiss him, Aziraphale, and there he'll find the stars you want to give back to him. There you will one day see that smile on his face you saw Before The Beginning. Neil Gaiman and David Arnold I am in your walls 😭

This is what may lead us to see this happiness in Crowley again (not the action of kissing itself, of course, but what it represents to their relationship, them being together, them being an Us).

As @otsanda said: from the music we can interpret that that moment was a Revelation for them. Almost a religious experience. Crowley found his purpose again. What he'd been missing the whole season (or even his whole life since the Fall, but we've seen him especially depressed this season).

I'm not even getting into the poetry of how one can interpret the parallel to the angel's reaction to the kiss as carnal, and the demon's as religious; that would be another whole essay but let's just agree that it's incredibly beautiful. (Let me be clear that I mean here Aziraphale's reaction is carnal specifically for Crowley, and Crowley's is religious specifically for Aziraphale, not religious as in "worshipping god")

"Do you ever wonder what's the point?" Crowley asked in s2e1. The point, for him, is Aziraphale (if you've seen The Good Place you know what I mean). I hope he figured this out with that kiss, even as heartbreaking as it was. Even if it was a (temporary) separation kiss. (I hope Aziraphale figures this out with time too, that he's more than enough to make Crowley happy, that Crowley doesn't need Heaven, or stars, that Crowley needs him.)

Maybe that's why Crowley didn't leave and kept waiting outside until the very last moment.

Aziraphale and Crowley both bit the apple at the end of s2. There's no turning back from that Knowledge now.

Edit: I just have to add here this brilliant colour analysis of the nebula scene by @halemerry. And it's pointed out that during the nebula formation there's a moment when it looks like two people embracing. And the fact that a similar song is used in the actual Kiss scene I just... I have no words

[missmacfire]

9 people you want to get to know better!!

Thank you for the tag @ahopefulsun 🩵

favorite color: black (I'm still a goth at heart)

Currently Reading - Books: Facing the Climate Emergency: How to Transform Yourself with Climate Truth by Margaret Klein Salamon

Currently Reading - Fics: Nothing 😢

last song: Poltergeist by Lolnein

last series: The Witcher Season 3

last movie: Barbie (or technical I tried to watch Mr. Holmes after that but I didn't finish it)

currently working on: A bag (denim and knitted combo), a knitted dressing gown for kid, a password manager app, a memory pc game for kid.

Tagging:

@4typercent @otsanda @redshiftsinger @readingtheentrails @piersbananarama @z-is-very-tired @bromelads @tiredmouse @jordanlafordan

💜

[pain-in-the-riri]

put your ‘on repeat’ playlist on shuffle & let your friends pick their favorite of the first five songs!!

Thanks for the tag @kaaaaaaarf 😌

(Songs embeded under cut)

Taggin yall: @beabonnet @itsmfgames @sadbananarama @otsanda

[otsanda]

Otsanda’s Fav Good Omens Fics

Here is a modest list of a few of my favorite Good Omens fics. Originally compiled on twitter, but we all know how stable twitter is these days. Please check the tags before reading! More fics will likely be added in the future.

Being Gentle by Sodium_Azide: Rated M, very similar feel to the book/tv show and absolutely lovely! Mostly canon compliant. My first favorite GO fic. 28k words. You do need to be signed in to AO3 to read it. http://archiveofourown.org/works/36273472

Pray For Us, Icarus series by Atalan: Rated T, canon divergence AU. Crowley is mysteriously turned into a human and lives typical mortal lives… and deaths. Aziraphale tries desperately to find out why and they continue to be drawn together. 65k words. http://archiveofourown.org/series/1448647

Slow Show by mia_ugly: Rated E, Show Business (actor) AU. Slow burn. The pacing on this is incredible and the meta fics are hilarious. 95k words. https://archiveofourown.org/works/20395261

Wednesday by Raphaela_Crowley: Rated T, Crowley gets thrown into an AU where he is an angel and Aziraphale is a demon and C is trying to get back home. Replays the same day over and over, as Aziraphale tries to discorporate him again and again. 52k words. http://archiveofourown.org/works/27392620

Still Waking Up by sleepymccoy: Rated T, canon (S1) compliant. Deals with trauma aftermath (Crowley mostly) from season 1, but is exceptionally and delightfully fluffy. 31k words. https://archiveofourown.org/works/21321310

In Case of Emergency by summerofspock: Rated T, more or less canon (S1) compliant. Missing scenes from Crowley’s perspective. How he’s there at exactly the right moment to save Aziraphale (yet again). 7800 words. https://archiveofourown.org/works/19190848

Villainous by IneffablePenguin: Rated E, fantasy/fairytale AU with gorgeous prose, a unique magic system and worldbuilding, and a delightful slowburn plot. 216k words. https://archiveofourown.org/works/30248922/chapters/74545029

Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm: Rated T, canon (S1) compliant. Therapist OC, Crowley-centric, deals w trauma and heavy issues, but is also a delightful outsiders perspective of both Crowley & Aziraphale.  99k words. https://archiveofourown.org/works/20177950/chapters/47807593

Or Be Nice by charlottemadison: Rated E, human (neighbor) AU. Closest I’ve seen to actual enemies-to-lovers. After an upheaval, Az moves into a new flat & finds his neighbor to be infuriating (and SO noisy). The characterization and banter! 151k words. https://archiveofourown.org/works/28427940/chapters/69660750

Postcards from Paris by ghostrat: Rated G, human AU. Crowley moves into his new Mayfair apartment and is surprised to receive a series of postcards addressed to “Dearest A”, the previous tenant, and signed AZF. Incredibly charming fic! 12k words. https://archiveofourown.org/works/51028819

[ao3feed-ineffablehusbandz]

The Opposite of Spooky

The Opposite of Spooky

by Otsanda

Muriel walks into the bookshop and is momentarily overwhelmed.

Words: 315, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Good Omens (TV)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen, Other

Characters: Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley (Good Omens), Muriel (Good Omens)

Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)

Additional Tags: Angels Can Sense Love (Good Omens), There was only one chair

From https://ift.tt/hxe3J6f https://archiveofourown.org/works/47174596

[splat-precipice]

Spring Ball: Pepa pt2

Pepa scanned the room. Glittering figures dressed in extravagant finery chatted serenely. She could feel her heart beating through her whole body. Aleja’s hand on her arm brought her back to the present.

“Milady. Breathe.”

“I’m breathing. Breathing is not the problem.” She was trying to get her heart to stop beating out of her chest.

Aleja stepped into Pepa’s line of sight and gestured around the room. Her voice was measured and deliberate and it helped to ground Pepa.

“Lord Guzmán is just there with Lady Gaitán. I don’t see Vicount Velasco at the moment. He may be in the parlor. Elena and Emilia are just beyond the piano with Lady Julieta. Over by the window...”

But Pepa could no longer hear what Aleja was saying because it was at that moment that she laid eyes upon the most beautiful woman in the world. Her hair was swept effortlessly into a dark knot at the nape of her neck. Warm mahogany honey-colored curls hung loose, perfectly framing her face. She wore an elegant scarlet gown with a subtle golden trim that set off her dark skin. Pepa inhaled sharply.

The hum of Aleja’s voice stopped and Pepa realized she was staring rather rudely.

“Who--” she started, throat suddenly very dry. “Who is she?”

Aleja turned and followed her gaze. 

“That is Lady Adriana Currea Manrique. ”

“Alejandra. I need your help.”

———

[vasiliquemort]

Such is life - don't cross yourself - To forge gold into claws, Who was a kitten will become a lynx, A velvet glove, an iron fist.

Don't visit me, my desired one, Don't try to divert my grief It fooled me in the drunk night I won't return before the dawn.

I'll get up, go out and slam the door - Silence is around the village - Stars fall off like feathers On the footprints of clawed paws.

Spicy smell of the darkness, Bitter fount of the forest, They called you a bear cub, You grew up a savage beast.

The underripe moon grins In the window from under the eaves; It seems like I hear: Drink, dear, drain to the dregs!...

Drink - maybe something will come of you, You'll regain your worth, Who was a wolfling will be a wolf, In wind, blood, and silver.

The precious, beautiful @druidickats introduced me to a woman of astringency, darkness and rapacity - and there were many days and the time together was filled for me with creativity, sensuality of characters and thoughts.

In this experience, I see both the sacrament and the shades of predation and maturity familiar to my gut - meanwhile, there are no words to describe the pleasure and innovation that I experience, revealing such figure for myself for the first time. I cannot help but feel delight knowing that I am allowed to draw women of such complexity and varied gravity as Makatza - and this is my endless gratitude to her wonderfull creator;зз

[rinnysega]

Life has been….a lot to say the least this week. I’m glad I took a vacation to ease me into the stress this month.

Anyway I’m gonna disassociate and think about my fav AUs my friends came up with

Can’t forget “Erin Simps AU” @prophetic-hijinks

Thank you @dancingmantis @otsanda @justthepeelings @thebiggestnope @cheetour @dos-mariposas @sionnaach @ednakrabappel and @ursminor ❤️❤️❤️

[youryurigoddess]

‪Disclaimer: I didn’t joke about listening to the same music as Aziraphale. Luckily my favorite playlist at the moment isn’t exactly classical or instrumental, but still be advised to proceed with caution if you’re not used to objectively old tunes.

Tagging those who play actual bangers during their live streams or otherwise indicate having a good taste: @mrghostrat @gahellhimself-blog @otsanda @gleafer @sayuri-of-the-valley

But as always, consider this invitation open to anyone!

Shuffle your favorite playlist and post the first five songs that come up. Then copy/paste this ask to your favorite mutuals ❤️

🪽

Tagged by: @phoen1xr0se — thank you! 💚

1. I Bet My Life — Imagine Dragons

2. We Didn’t Start The Fire — Fall Out Boy

3. How To Save A Life — The Fray

4. Little Lion Man — Mumford & Sons

5. Courage — P!nk

No pressure tags: @crowleys-hips @tragic-cosmic-magic @sad-chaos-goblin @ineffabildaddy @skinnyscottishbloke @shadesofdeviant @scarecrowcloud @bildads-shoes @apocalypticginger-blog @wearecrowley

[threeawfulfruits]

Yooo for anyone else who reads/adores “Chasing the Past” by @otsanda: La Gaita just did a cover of “A La Nanita Nana” - there’s a preview on her insta!!! 😭😭😭 I cryyyyy

[sionnaach]

the watch encanto to obsessing over ocs pipeline is ridiculous

idiot trio

Aleja is @otsanda​’s and Viv is @dancingmantis​ :>

[youryurigoddess]

Thanks for the tag, Sarah, this game truly was a delight!

Things I have in common with Crowley and things I have in common with Aziraphale*:

Crowley

1. ADHD, incorrigible optimist, hopeless romantic, useless lesbian. Acts of service are my love language.

2. Drinking 4-6 shots of espresso in one coffee cup, to perpetual annoyance or literal horror of many baristas.

3. Adored by and adoring of kids (humans and goats), very vocal about urban birds safety, like nature, favorite pastimes include gardening at my family’s summer cottage.

4. Can effortlessly blend in corporate or otherwise not necessarily safe environments and talk myself out of most situations, especially by engaging jurisprudence. Know my coworkers’ passwords and ask too many questions. Socialist, activist, sauntering HR hazard.

5. MOVIES. Utterly obsessed with the history of cinema, including (proto)animation, film noir, James Bond, romcoms and musicals. This should explain a lot of Good Omens meta published here.

Aziraphale

1. Autism, intellectual giftedness, making the most stupid decisions and sticking to them even when it hurts just because they’re right or logical.

2. Gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide. But the kind that’s fully buttoned-up and sits too straight to be even considered straight. Often frequenting discreet or publicly accessible queer spaces just to dance in peace. Can’t actually dance.

3. Can generally be found wearing various shades of loathsome beige. And gold jewelry, including a pinky signet ring to stim with. Natural drift towards anything analog or vintage, especially Victorian or Art Nouveau.

4. Angelic patience, but extremely stubborn and able to act deviously petty when challenged. Definitely a bit of a bastard. And a trained fencer — will sword fight you if absolutely necessary.

5. BOOKS. Spent early childhood reading encyclopedias and academic textbooks (especially those on theology and mythology) for fun. Regularly abused my privileges as a honors student to read novels in class and to quite literally hole up in a school library instead of attending classes after being chosen the student council president without even submitting a candidacy. The first part-time job I’ve ever applied to as a kid was at a local bookbinder’s workshop. The next one — at a Catholic publishing house. Regular visitor of second-hand and antique bookshops.

*This feels a bit like cheating because Aziraphale and I are way too similar, and I don’t only mean things like having a baby face and the same type of eyes as Michael Sheen here. We listen to the same music. Love the same drinks (excessive amounts of tea, red wine, sweet sherry, champagne, piña colada, banana daiquiri), old clothes, pocket watches, fancy restaurants, theatre. Sound holier-than-thou by default, but don’t mean it. We were both in a six (thousand) years long situationship with a goth-adjacent, black-donning, self-loathing, oblivious, but most adorable girlfailure before she was ready to finally take the risk herself. The resemblance is uncanny, but I’m incredibly happy to feel this represented.

Friendly suggestion, absolutely no pressure: @captainfantasticalright @camilleflyingrotten @embracing-the-ineffable @depraveddame @otsanda + everyone else who reads this and wants to participate!

Good omens tag game

Name two things you have in common with Aziraphale and two things you have in common with Crowley

More reasons to love them!

Crowley

1.- Taste for black clothes and... I WANT TO BELIEVE that I look good too

2.- I love Aziraphale Dramatic

Aziraphale

1.- I love books

2.- Stubborn. Really stubborn

No pressure tags: @fearandhatred @bildads-shoes @harbinger-of-existential-dread @di-42 @sayeverythingwillbefineplease

And of course, open tags!

[otsanda]

This man throwing salt around like he’s getting paid by the handful - how did he get so much salt living in the walls???

Okay but WHERE did all that salt come from? I can’t imagine he’s been saving his two handfuls of salt for 10 years to use them at the dramatically appropriate moment. There’s gotta be 10 years of salt just scattered around, right? Was Julieta just buying extra and then under-salting the food? Did Bruno visit the market with his hood up to buy bags of salt? Was Dolores running errands for him??? Or maybe a secret unspoken part of his powers of precognition is to generate piles of salt? 

[yeahwhatdidisay]

Antes De Dejarte Ir (Before I Let You Go) Prolog

[Next Chapter] [Masterlist] [AO3 Link]

Pairings: Bruno x OC Warnings: none Notes: Here it is, the first part of my Encanto Fanfic. I cannot give enough thanks to the wonderful @otsanda! Go and give her a visit and all the praise she deserves! This story is so much better because of her! Thank you Lovely!

Aurelia looked through the sack of trinkets and small novelties she’d managed to scrounge up over the past few hours.

To say she was disappointed would have been an understatement.

She had heard about the small abandoned village through whispers and quick references by eavesdropping on conversations over the past week.

She had to resort to piecing together what information she could; no one wanted to talk about the old village.

All she knew was something had happened decades earlier and that no one went there. Almost as if the village itself was cursed because of its past.

When she did find someone who would talk about it, the only information he could give was a warning.

‘Death and carnage leave ghosts that can’t be denied.  Nothing but bad luck thrives there.’

Not the most ideal description of an abandoned town, but exactly the place she was looking for.  At least that’s what she thought.

If no one had gone into the village then there had to be something left behind that she could trade or sell.

She had spent the majority of the day searching through crumbling and decaying buildings that had been abandoned decades before.  Many had  either fallen into themselves or been taken over by the surrounding trees and vines, making them hard to search through.

The buildings that were safe enough to venture into had little to salvage, to her dismay.

It would seem others had the same idea she had and they had gotten there long before she did.

‘Nothing but bad luck thrives here.’

These words kept echoing in Aurelia’s mind.

Her horse came over and nudged her out of her thoughts.

“Lo siento, Valiente.” She said, reaching up to pet her only companion.

She reached over to a different sack and pulled out two apples.  Their last bit of food.

“You earned these treats today, my friend.”

The horse took the fruit from her and slowly limped a few feet away.

She took in a deep breath in an effort to quiet the guilt she felt.

Her poor horse had hurt one of his legs after being startled by a flock of birds escaping one of the collapsed buildings.

‘I guess we should have listened to the warnings.’ Aurelia thought, reaching up and holding onto the charm hanging from the old silver necklace she wore around her neck.

This was bad.

Valiente wouldn’t last too long if she didn’t get his leg looked at soon. The thought that his small injury could get worse very quickly manifested itself as a pit in her stomach.

Her horse was more than just her main mode of transportation: he was also her friend.  Her only friend.  He had been her only constant companion over the past fifteen years and the thought that this may be the beginning of the end of their time together scared her.

She needed to find someone who could help them.  On top of everything she had to watch out for, searching for a person who’s only suggestion wasn’t to put him down would be a struggle.

And even if she did find someone to help him, how would she pay for it!?

She huffed and searched through the original sack again.  Door hinges, silverware, old picture frames complete with old pictures, nothing of great value for their situation.

She slowly lowered the sack before tossing it beside her, fighting the urge to pout.

Valiente looked back and gave her a disapproving gruff, as if to say ‘I told you so’.

“Yes, yes, as usual you were right!  I should have listened when you tried to walk us straight through and out of the town.  It’s my fault you’re hurt. I’m sorry.”

Her horse neighed and turned toward the fire Aurelia had made.

She often spoke to Valiente as if he could communicate with her. She didn’t know if Valiente could understand her or not but that didn’t stop her from talking to him.  She hoped he could.

Aurelia let herself laugh for a moment before returning her gaze to the fire.

She watched as the flames danced and moved in front of her.  She closed her eyes and let the sound of the fire blend with the sound of the river that flowed a few feet from where they camped. The pops and cracks perfectly mirroring the sound of the shallow water quickly rushing past helped to calm her.

She stopped her mind from wandering and began to mentally go through her end of day checklist as she opened her eyes back to the fire.

‘All supplies packed up and ready to go, check.  Valiente’s saddle ready to throw on him, check.  Escape route found, check.  Tree branch ready to sweep away prints in the sand, check.’

“I suppose we’re ready.” She whispered, again clutching onto the necklace. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen them.  Hopefully we’ll have a few worry free days to get you the help you need.”

Aurelia got up to place two blankets onto Valiente, making sure to scruff his snout the way she knew he liked.

“Get your rest, my friend.  We have a long, slow walk in the morning. Noche de descanso, amigo mio.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aurelia woke the next morning to the sound of men calling to one another sounding far too close.

‘How the hell could they have caught up?  How did they manage to follow us here?’

Her heart dropped as she pushed herself up and searched her surroundings. She knew exactly who the men were and she could feel the panic rise within her. She shot up, instinctively grabbing up their supplies and Valiente’s saddle.  She quickly scanned for anything that could give their location away when she realized she was missing something big. The one thing she couldn’t find was Valiente himself.

They were too close for her to call out or give Valiente’s whistle to return.

She frantically scanned the jungle around her.  What was she going to do?  If the men found him they wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.  A lame horse meant nothing to them, especially one that belonged to her.

Aurelia began to quietly plead to the wind as she searched the ground around their camp.  She could feel the panic continuing to grow within her until she looked down and realized she could make out Valiente’s hoof prints leading back and around the bushes that grew from the mountainside behind their camp.

She followed and pushed through, coming to a large tangle of vines and bushes that grew out from a clearing in the mountainside.  Aurelia couldn’t believe her limping horse was able to push through them to the other side, but she didn’t have long to contemplate it.

She tossed her supplies and Valiente’s saddle into the clearing and ran back to grab the branch she had picked the night before.

She trailed the branch along the floor in a way that swept their prints out of the dirt and sand.  Aurelia had only a moment to finish her job and literally throw herself into the bush to hide.

Just as the leaves settled around her, the men emerged on the other side of the river.

The group of about thirteen rode their horses through the river and surrounded the camp where only minutes ago she had been sleeping.

“Oye, Señor. She was definitely here.  This fire hasn’t been out for too long.  No pueden estar demasiado por delante.”

An imposing man dressed in a light riding suit pushed through the group on his monolithic black horse.  He wore dark circular glasses and his hat cast a deep shadow over his face.  He looked down at the remains of her fire and scanned the jungle around them.

“Bueno.  Let’s keep moving.” He bellowed, his deep voice sending an even deeper panic down Aurelia’s spine. “Guerrero!”

Guerrero she knew.  She had known him for years and the sheer mention of his name pushed a tinge of hate and disgust through her as she watched them from her hiding spot.  She wanted to spit at the mention of his name, but stopped herself.

“Si, Jefe?” Guererro responded, riding up beside him.

“Take a few men and ride ahead of us.  See if we can find our missing gem or anyone who has seen her.”

“Si, Jefe.” The man answered, riding off just as the man asked.

“You three, search the jungle for anything we may have missed.  The rest of you, let’s turn back and ... question more of the villagers.  I’m tired of this woman making fools of us and our benefactor has reached his end as well.”

The men all began to whisper and eye one another, the fear visibly spreading over their faces.

Aurelia stilled her breathing and placed her hand over the scar that rested just under her ribs.

“Well?  Vamos!!”

The group began to hoot and call as they road back from where they had come from to terrorize the poor villagers.  All to make up for the frustration of not being able to catch her.

The three searching the jungle wandered off in another direction. Aurelia didn’t dare move until she was sure they were far enough that they wouldn’t hear her.

The sounds of the jungle returned to it’s calm echoes.

She let out a long exhale. It was then that she let the fear subside and be replaced by the scowl she had fought to keep in when ‘Guerrero’ had been called.

“Cobarde traidor!” She whispered, finally allowing herself to spit in his ‘honor’.

She sat motionless for another moment before the weight of what had just happened began to settle over her.

‘That was too close.  Maybe our luck hasn’t been completely stripped from us just yet.’ She thought to herself.

She turned and picked up her belongings before pushing the rest of the way through the thick leaves and branches where she had been hiding.

“I still can’t believe Valiente was able to get through all of this.” She whispered, tripping with a hard thud as she made her way out of the thick bush. Which she followed with an aggravated groan and a swift kick to some roots, which she immediately regretted.

Valiente neighed at  her from further down the overgrown path.

She turned and grumbled as she picked up her belongings again and made the rest of the way to her friend.

The horse grunted and nuzzled her when she got close enough.

“You may have saved us, but I’m still mad at you for leaving me there!” She said, taking off the blankets that somehow had managed to stay on him and replaced them with his saddle.

Valiente just neighed and lifted his head, looking out beyond the rolling hills.

Aurelia turned and gasped.  Down the path, just beyond the  hills she could see a beautiful town. It’s buildings almost seemed to glisten in the rays of the rising sun as if from a dream.

“Luck seems to still be on our side, Valiente...how about we see if we can find someone who can help down there.”

The horse neighed, seemingly in agreement as the two of them slowly made their way toward the hidden village.

“Yes, and hopefully something to eat.  I’m starving too.”

[wifwolfe-blog]

@tonfa-in-hand

Otsanda stepped, cautiously, onto the dirt road. She sniffed the air, hoping to catch again the scent that had piqued her curiosity. For days she had been sneaking along this road, keeping in the woods alongside it. But now.. something eerily familiar had caught her attention.

Lifting her muzzle, she gripped the cloak that concealed her body in a clawed hand. A light drizzle, nearly a mist touched her nose. A cold, dreary day, trying to wash away that tiny glimmer of hope! She growled, and stepped forward, following the scent that caused her heart to ache. She began to track the smell of another wolf, praying the moisture in the air wouldn’t take it from her.

[splat-precipice]

Spring Ball: Pepa

Pepa had been frantic all morning and the afternoon wasn’t looking much better. Spring was finally spurring the gardens to grow in earnest, the last vestiges of winter now more than a month past, and the first ball of the season was imminent. 

Pepa fussed with her hair, tugging out the yellow ribbon that Aleja had woven into it not 20 minutes ago. It still didn’t look right! 

Pepa heard Aleja’s quiet knock on the door and the serving girl entered. Pepa knew her face probably looked quite guilty, but Aleja kept her own expression carefully blank. 

Aleja pursed her lips and gently took the ribbon from Pepa’s outstretched hand. 

“Shall we try again?” 

Pepa blushed red in the mirror. “The… the braid was already falling out. I think maybe if we put it up all the way? That would look more elegant anyways. What is Julieta doing with hers? She always looks so refined.”

Pepa forced herself to relax her hands in her lap as Aleja began combing through Pepa’s hair for the fourth time. 

“Would you like me to check with Milena? Perhaps she could do yours to match?”

Pepa had a sudden vision of Milena’s hands running through her hair oh-so-tenderly and her face grew even hotter. 

“Uh. No. That’s… I mean I’m sure this will be perfect.” She gestured at Aleja’s handiwork. Aleja was braiding Pepa’s hair into a tight crown that looped across her head, leaving just the right amount of curls to cascade around her face, framing it just so. 

Aleja finished pinning it into place and retreated towards the wardrobe. 

“Are you still content with the saffron dress?” Aleja asked. “It is still a bit brisk and the wool will keep you warm if that old manor is drafty.”

“Yes, I think so. Do you suppose a shawl, as well?” Pepa realized she was wringing a section of her chemise into a knot again and ordered her hands to stay still. She turned to watch her lady’s maid. Aleja nodded absently.

“If you like. You have your good wool stockings already,” Aleja reminded her. “I think that will be sufficient.”

Milena burst into the room without knocking and Pepa jumped.

“Lady Madrigal says we are to leave at once if we are not to be intolerably late! Oh. Sorry… I… uh.” Milena’s face grew red to match Pepa’s. 

“We will be down shortly.” Aleja assured her and gestured for her to leave. “Go pester Bruno. He’s the one that will make us late. Or tell her ladyship to take the first carriage and we will follow along shortly.”

Milena was gone in a flash of skirts before Aleja had finished talking. Pepa and Aleja both let out a breath.

Aleja helped Pepa into her saffron gown. It fit beautifully, which was good because Pepa had been afraid she would need to look through her wardrobe for something else and she simply couldn’t imagine wearing another color to start the season.

As Aleja adjusted the dress, Pepa blurted, “What else can you tell me about the new season?”

Aleja met her eyes in the mirror, one eyebrow raised.

“You already know everything that I do, milady. Would you like me to go over it again?”

Pepa nodded rather more frantically than she intended.

“According to the grounds staff, Lord Guzmán and Vicount Velasco are planning to summer here. Nico says their valet is inordinately tight-lipped, but seems content working there. And Hernando says they have employed two gardeners to revitalize the old gardens, which were in some disrepair. Elena and Emilia will be there, of course. They just returned from visiting Emilia’s aunt. Poor dear. And Lady Adriana Currea Manrique and her mother have taken quite modest rooms nearby. Paola was quite surprised to hear! But they don’t seem to be under financial distress. There is speculation that they are simply not planning to stay long.”

Pepa relaxed hearing this again. Aleja had told her all of this before, but it was reassuring to hear it once more. She clasped Aleja’s hands in her own and turned to look down at her.

“Thank you. You’ll be with me, yes? The whole time?”

Aleja smiled. “Just out of sight, Lady Pepa.” 

———

Aleja (Otsanda):

Aleja had wrapped Pepa in a shawl as they left the manor and handed her an elegant yellow fan. Pepa would certainly not need the fan to stay cool, as perpetually cold as she always was, but Aleja knew she would need something to do with her hands and the fan was sturdy enough to withstand some mild wringing. Thank heavens.

They had met Lord Bruno and Nico in the entrance hall as they prepared to leave. Bruno looked a bit disoriented, but at least he was there. Nico informed them that Lady Julieta and Lady Madrigal had already departed and that he would be driving them in the smaller carriage. Aleja followed Nico to the driver’s seat rather than spend the ride bumping about with the anxious Madrigal siblings. She was glad to breath in the bracing, spring air. It smelled like renewal.

She grinned at Nico, who met her smile with a matching one of his own. He stepped lightly into his seat and nudged her with his elbow.

“Do you reckon I should take the long way just to let them simmer down a bit?”

Aleja pushed his arm playfully.

“I don’t think it’ll help. They’ll probably just work each other up more if we do that. Best get them there as soon as possible. Then they’re Lady Madrigal’s problem.”

As they passed by the stables, Aleja caught sight of Viv. She was leaning casually against the doorway, arms crossed under her armpits to keep warm. Aleja’s heart leapt to her throat as they made eye contact.

She grabbed Nico’s arm to ground herself and nodded in a way that she hoped conveyed serenity and poise, but which probably just made her look grumpy and aloof.

Damn. Well, it was probably better to play it cool.

Nico glanced at her and returned his gaze to the road. He cleared his throat.

“Don’t.” Aleja said, threateningly.

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You were about to.”

They drove the rest of the way in silence, Aleja still gripping tightly to the coarse wool of Nico’s jacket.

———