#sas member whereabout asks

[muddyorbsblr]

Where is lovelysizzlingbluebird.. You all even notice when one of your members disappear?

Short answer is I don't know where she is or what happened.

I'm not the SAS member you should have reached out to because our interactions were mostly public and only through SAS threads. We weren't close outside the dash.

Yes, I did notice that she disappeared a few days ago when I went to tag her and the tag for her blog had "deactivated" appended on the username. And once again, we weren't close. So I knew that it wasn't my place to start reaching out to people and asking left and right what happened. I assume that when you choose to delete your account all together, you desire privacy. So running on that assumption, I didn't ask around, and even if we were a touch closer in DMs outside of Tumblr, the most I would have asked her is "Are you alright?" rather than "What happened? Tell me everything."

I'm sad she felt the need to deactivate and I truly hope that she's alright, and maybe hopefully one day she comes back. But until then all we can do and all we should do is wish her the best.

[incognit0slut]

Right Kind of Wrong (15)

She ever thought she’d be involved in a murder investigation and encounter her one-night-stand again, the awkward guy who isn’t exactly that good in bed—Or is he? Offended by the sentiment, Spencer is determined to prove her wrong… But as he gets tangled with the beautiful stranger, he realizes there is more to her than what meets the eye.

Part Summary: Spencer is determined to find her whereabouts. wc: 3.5k

Series Warnings: 18+ explicit content, graphic details of murders, mentions of suicide, mentions of SA

A/n: I want to thank everyone for sticking to this series, don’t worry, I didn’t forget it, life has just been weird lately😔 Also I want to mention there’s like 5 parts left? I think

Other parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

"REID, NONE OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT."

Spencer wasn't sure how many times he heard those words. He knew they were told to bring him comfort, something his team members kept on reciting, yet a sense of skepticism gnawed at him. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were nothing more than lies. How could he not when the only thing he could do was blame himself for what happened?

His shoulders slumped, his eyes were filled with anguish, and his heart held a heavy burden of guilt.

He should've deduced the real Unsub.

He should've been the one keeping her safe.

You also should've never left her fucking house, you idiot.

He hated swearing, even if it was in his own mind—which, truthfully, was so much worse considering he despised being trapped in his own head. Possessing a psychology degree enabled him to understand the detrimental effects of being trapped within one's own thoughts, yet he couldn't escape the clutches of his own mind. The knowledge of this predicament weighed heavily on him, a cruel irony that he understood all too well.

"Pretty boy, are you even listening to me?"

He was, he just didn't want to respond. Morgan was the third person to say those words to him. The first came from JJ, who was the first one to assure him when he had a panic attack at the warehouse. Second was from Prentiss, who he met when he rushed to Y/n's house after collecting himself. And now Morgan was cornering him at the hospital as they waited for Sandy, laid in one of the rooms, to recover from her concussion.

"Reid."

"I heard you," he snapped. Then a thought occurred to him at Morgan's sudden knowledge of his involvement with their witness. "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"The reason why I'm acting this way." He had to elaborate when Morgan merely raised his eyebrows. "Why I'm... blaming myself so much."

"Everyone knows you're involved with her. Heck, I knew it the first time we met her that night. Remember that? You pretended you didn't know her," Morgan recalled. "You weren't as subtle as you think."

God, that night seemed like it happened yesterday. He couldn't believe how much had happened, and to think she was just a stranger when he first met her, a stranger he would never see again... now all he could think about was her. Her smile. Her safety. His stomach churned. The guilt he felt was a relentless, gnawing ache that refused to let go.

Morgan suddenly pulled him. His sudden, determined grip propelled him toward the vending machine stationed at the far end of the hospital corridor. Irritated, he couldn't help but drag his feet along the floor. "What are you doing?"

"You need coffee," Morgan replied, "you function better with caffeine in your system."

"We need to wait for Sandy—"

"She's not going anywhere, Kid. There's no use hovering in front of her door now."

Reluctantly, Spencer gave in. He allowed his friend to pour a cup of coffee; the warmth and aroma offering a small comfort amidst the hospital's stark surroundings. Slowly, with a nod of gratitude, he accepted the cup from his outstretched hand.

"How are you holding up?" Morgan asked.

Spencer took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding to the question. "It's hard to process everything."

A heavy silence hung between them. Morgan's sigh broke the stillness, and he began, "Look, it's not—"

But Spencer cut him off, his voice tinged with guilt and self-blame. "Not my fault?" he said with a mix of frustration and anguish. "Morgan, I was there before it happened. I was at her house before I left to check the warehouse, just to step into his trap. The Unsub managed to pass through Officer Anderson and hurt her closest friend at the same time. If I was still there..."

"Reid, it's not about placing blame. You couldn't have known what would happen. The Unsub's actions were calculated and malicious, even if you had stayed, we can't predict how events would have unfolded." Morgan gave him a pointed look. "Blaming yourself won't help her, and it won't help you either."

Spencer's head shook with regret as he leaned against the cool hospital wall, his thoughts consumed by the painful memories of that night. "I hurt her," he confessed, his voice filled with remorse. "My words were hurtful, and so were my actions, and the thought of... the thought of her being in danger with the last thought of me—"

"We'll find her," Morgan assured him. "And when we do, you'll apologize to her for whatever happened."

Spencer gazed at him with a sense of desperation. In that instant, he unearthed a deep, previously unrecognized truth buried within his heart. It was a stark revelation, an understanding that struck him like a bolt of lightning amidst the storm of emotions he was weathering.

For the first time, he comprehended the true extent of his feelings. Until now, her presence in his life had been a catalyst, a spur-of-a-moment he never expected. He had taken her warmth for granted, never fully appreciating the depth of his attachment to her.

However, the threat to her safety had shattered his complacency. The fear of losing her, coupled with the regret of leaving their last interaction on such a bitter note, had awakened a realization within him. It hit him with a force that was as terrifying as it was enlightening. It was a moment of clarity, a realization that his feelings were far more significant than he had ever allowed himself to admit.

"You really like her, don't you?"

Spencer looked up, but before he could respond, his brief moment of vulnerability was abruptly interrupted by a sudden commotion. Without a second thought, he hastily left his coffee on a nearby chair and rushed toward the end of the hallway, Morgan following closely behind, as a doctor rushed into Sandy's room.

Between the flurry of medical staff, Spencer spotted a passing nurse and stepped into her line of vision. His voice was urgent, laced with concern as he asked, "What happened?"

The nurse delivered the news, "She's gaining consciousness," before swiftly disappearing into the room.

"We'll get some answers," Morgan reassured him from behind. "Don't worry, Reid, we'll find her."

Spencer nodded, his heart filled with a renewed sense of determination. The fact that Sandy had woken up was a glimmer of hope. It wasn't until a few minutes later the doctor emerged from the room, regarding the two men waiting in front of the door.

"She's awake and stable, but we'll need to monitor her for any potential complications." After a brief pause, the doctor continued, "It's apparent that she's still quite shaken. I would recommend that only one of you Agents speak with her."

They both nodded in agreement as the doctor left. Morgan turned toward Spencer. "You should talk to her."

He hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Morgan confirmed. "I'll go check on Oliver in the meantime."

Spencer's thoughts swirled with unease at the mention of Oliver, their suspected Unsub who had turned out to be a pawn in a larger scheme, who was lying unconscious on another floor. He nodded, and as Morgan walked away, he slowly gathered himself and entered the room.

Stark, white walls greeted him as he stepped inside, followed by the beeping sound of the monitors rhythmically punctuating the silence. Sandy lay in the bed, a fragile figure amidst the pristine white sheets. Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling as he called out to her.

"Sandy?" Spencer carefully addressed her, observing the way she shifted on the bed before her gaze slowly met his. "I'm Dr. Spencer—"

"Reid," she finished for him, locking her gaze onto his with a surprising familiarity. "You're the FBI agent she's been talking about."

A moment of surprise shot through him, the realization that she had been talking about him caught him off guard. "She told you about me?"

"On a few occasions," she confessed, and then her gaze sharpened as she looked at him. "You hurt her."

Spencer's heart sank deeper, a heavy burden of guilt weighing him down. "What did she say?"

"She never really told us why she looked so sad that night, and considering you were mostly the topic of conversation when I was with her, I just assumed you had something to do with her mood swings."

His guilt deepened, yet he couldn't help but notice Sandy's choice of words. "Us? You both weren't alone?"

Sandy's gaze held a mixture of curiosity and concern. "What happened?" she pressed instead, her brows furrowing. "What happened after I passed out?"

Spencer took a hesitant step closer to the bed. "What do you remember?"

"I remember inhaling something disgusting."

He nodded gravely. "We suspect the Unsub used Chloroform on you."

Sandy's furrowed brow reflected both her confusion and unease. "What's an Unsub?"

"Unknown Subject, it's a term used when we haven't yet identified a suspect in a crime."

A heavy silence enveloped the room as Sandy absorbed the information. Her thoughts churned, and a growing sense of unease gnawed at her. A thought suddenly hit her. She glanced around the room, her anxiety mounting in the absence of her friend.

The question escaped her lips with an anxious edge to her voice. "Where's Y/n?"

Sandy didn't like the expression that crossed Spencer's face. It was a look that confirmed her worst suspicions, and a wave of dread washed over her as she braced herself for what he was about to say.

"We don't have that information," Spencer confessed, and the shock in her widened eyes was unmistakable. Her lips quivered as her thoughts raced, grappling with the gravity of the situation. She found herself haunted by guilt that this had somehow happened because of her.

"It's my fault," she whispered, her voice a mere breath, but the weight of her confession carried regret.

Spencer now understood what Morgan meant about avoiding self-blame. "It's not your fault," he reiterated. "Listen, there's no use in blaming yourself, what you can do is help us by recalling what you remembered that night."

Sandy's gaze remained troubled, but she eventually opened up about what had transpired, something he didn't see coming.

"I- It was Eric," she admitted, her voice trembling with the admission. "Eric came with me to her house."

Spencer was struck by shock and disbelief, his mind racing to process this revelation.

"Eric Adler?"

She nodded in confirmation, and his world collapsed.

Spencer wasn't perfect. He knew that, like anyone else, he could make mistakes. Typically, he accepted his humanity and the occasional errors that came with it. However, now was not the time for him to make any mistakes, not when her life hung on the line.

He felt like a complete idiot. He was renowned for his intellect and now it seemed as if his stupidity was mocking him. The realization of his own oversight infuriated him and a storm of anger surged through his veins. He was mad at himself, seething with frustration. He hastily fished out his phone and sent a message to Garcia.

Find everything you can on Eric Adler. Now.

Turning his gaze back to Sandy, his features shifted to a more grave demeanor. The urgency in his voice was palpable.

"Tell me everything you know."

Her head was spinning. Y/n groaned at the relentless ache throbbing inside her head. It felt as though a sledgehammer was pounding her skull, every throb sending ripples of pain through her. Her body felt heavy, each limb an effort to move, and her eyelids seemed to be fused.

She managed to shift, and it was at that moment, as her fingers brushed against the coarse bedcover, that she realized she was lying on what appeared to be a bed. The mattress beneath her was surprisingly comfortable, a stark contrast to the chaos inside her head. She shifted again, and after countless attempts, she finally managed to blink her eyes open.

"Took you long enough, Sleeping Beauty."

The voice sent a jolt of panic surging through her, eyes widening as she strained to focus on her surroundings. The room was shrouded in darkness, save for the faint, flickering glow of an old lamp perched on top of a crate. Occasional beams of moonlight pierced through the dusty window panes, casting eerie, uneven patterns on the wooden floor.

The unmistakable scent of hay filled her senses, reinforcing the realization that she was in an old, rustic barn, long past its days of use. The walls, rough and weathered, seemed to close in on her, the space surprisingly narrow with the mattress beneath her positioned by the floor.

But that wasn't what surprised her the most. It was Eric, seated on a wooden chair that had clearly seen better days, watching her intensely with a smile on his face.

"If you hadn't woke up earlier, I would have resorted to my own methods," his smile looked even more ominous. "And I can assure you, you wouldn't have liked it."

Her wide eyes remained fixed on him. What happened to her kind coworker? Or her good friend? This was an entirely different man that she knew of. The eerie smile, so out of place in their past interactions, was etched onto his face like a sinister mask.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he pondered, leaning forward, his voice carrying an unsettling calmness. In his hand, she now realized, was a glinting knife, pointed at her way. "It's just me, Y/n, I'm no stranger to you."

He wasn't a stranger then, but he certainly was now. She stared at him, a creeping realization dawning as she slowly sat up, her fingers brushing against something cold and unyielding, and her heart sank.

"I wouldn't move too much if I were you."

Her eyes moved to the chain holding her, the metal bolted securely into the wall. It was a thick, unforgiving shackle, the links rough against her skin, the very sight of it sent shivers down her spine. Fear took a firm hold of her, like a vice squeezing her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She trembled, her voice shaking as she finally managed to speak, "W-Why are you doing this?"

"You're seriously questioning me when you should be thanking me instead?"

Her voice wavered as she responded, her fear making way for a touch of anger. "Thanking you for what? Murdering people?"

"They weren't innocent,” he spat, his anger flaring as he glared at her. "You should know better than to act as if you didn't want them dead."

"I didn't," she assured him.

"You resented them."

She let out a shaky breath. "...maybe, but I would never wish any of them harm." Then she choked out, "Why are you doing this, Eric?"

His features softened, his gaze locked onto hers as he leaned closer. "You really want to know the reason?" He held her gaze with a disturbing tenderness as he whispered, "Because I love you, Sweetheart."

Her heart pounded as his words hung in the air. "No, you don't," she quickly responded, her voice laced with a mixture of fear and disbelief. "If you did, you wouldn't have—"

"I said," he pressed on, the knife still pointing toward her, his eyes locked onto hers with an eerie intensity. "Because I love you."

She knew it was best not to provoke someone holding a knife. Instead, she carefully asked, her voice trembling, "Since when?"

"Ever since you started working with us," he replied with a smile that felt more disconcerting than affectionate. "You've always been very special to me."

"Why... why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, I was scared of rejection, I guess. You never took any interest in me, and surprisingly I was fine with that, so the only way I could care for you was to be your friend." He grinned, his smile devoid of any warmth. "And kill people who hurt you, of course."

Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over and streaming down her face. Her trembling lips caught them, the taste of her own despair lingering on her tongue, a bitter flavor that seemed to confine the darkness of the moment.

"Oh, stop crying. They were never good enough for you," he chided. He got up and started to pace in front of her, his words steeped in a delusional justification for his actions. "Your scumbag of an ex? He should've seen it coming. That pervert of a lawyer? Should've cut him into pieces. And Jamison? Well, I honestly think I was doing a favor for everyone who hated him."

He gazed at her with a mixture of pity and disdain as she continued to cry, his expression an eerie blend of false sympathy. "Don't worry, I didn't kill them all..." He let out a sigh. "I took pity on Oliver."

"W-What did you do to him?" She cried, her voice breaking with a mix of fear and desperation.

"Gave him a few stabs, but nothing too serious," he replied casually, waving the knife through the air as if discussing a minor inconvenience. "He'll be fine."

Her heart sank at his callous response. "I thought you grew up together."

"I lied about not being close with him the other day, you know? We were best friends, actually. But that's another story to tell," he admitted, his words revealing a chilling aspect of his twisted psyche. He then glared at her, a mix of frustration and hostility in his eyes. "You seriously need to stop looking at me like that. I spared him, it was only a few stabs."

Anger surged within her, ignited by his disturbingly casual demeanor, and she found herself unable to suppress her mounting fury any longer. "You're fucking sick," she spat.

He took a step forward, his eyes narrowing as he loomed closer. "You shouldn't talk to me like that," he emphasized, pointing the knife at her once more. "You're chained to the wall, I could do anything to you."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm the erratic beat of her heart, though the horror still gripped her like a vice. Her face was etched with a stark, unmistakable expression of fear and disbelief. He rolled his eyes.

"Don't act so scared now, I won't do anything—well, not now, at least," he stated with a laugh, taking a step back, as if he were granting her some temporary respite. "For now... I have yet to finish my vengeance for you."

"V- Vengeance? You think of them as vengeance?" She asked in disbelief. "Oliver didn't even hurt me."

"He kept pestering you when you clearly weren't interested in him, he needed a little lesson," he explained, a chilling justification in his tone. Then he narrowed his eyes at her. "But there is one person who has hurt you recently, and I think we both know who that is."

His words hung in the air like a dark cloud, filling her with a growing sense of dread. Her eyes widened, her voice heavy with desperation. "No! Eric, no, please, don't hurt him—"

"He's not good for you, Y/n. He never will be."

"Eric! Please!" She was beginning to wail, her pleas filled with anguish and despair, as she felt the walls of her world closing in on her. The chains rattled ominously when she moved. "Please..."

"I need to punish him, Sweetheart, he hurt you," he said with a chilling detachment. He gave her a pitiful look. "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."

"Please—Please don't, Eric," She pleaded desperately, her voice shaking with an overwhelming fear. "No..." She shook her head and sobbed, "Don't h-hurt him... please..."

Her pleas fell on deaf ears, and the disturbing determination in his gaze made it clear that he had made up his mind. He turned around, leaving her in a state of helpless dread. "I'll see you later," he added with a sinister remark. "Don't cry too much while I visit your FBI boyfriend."

As he walked away, the barn's shadows seemed to close in around her. She did exactly the opposite—she relentlessly cried herself to sleep, seeking solace in the safety of her dreams, however fleeting, as she yearned for an end to this nightmare that had somehow become her reality.

>> NEXT PART

a/n: y'all can stop cursing poor Oliver now😭

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taglist #1

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PLEASE READ: If you already asked me to be added but you're not on the list OR you want to be added in the future, please comment on this post so I can see it. But make sure your blog can be searched or I can't tag you. Or if you want to be removed you can also tell me. Thank you :)

Don’t forget to interact with the story!

[pannaginip]

The latest incident happened on June 18 in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan where soldiers ransacked the house of Tanggol Magsasaka Secretary-General and Spokesperson Ronnie Manalo.

Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of Karapatan, said in a statement that these incidents may be a “prelude to a major crackdown against peasant leaders, activists and farmers’ rights advocates.”

According to KMP, soldiers forcibly entered Manalo’s unoccupied house at around 7:00 am on June 18. The group said that the soldiers, reportedly belonging to the 80th Infantry Battalion, illegally searched Manalo’s house and claimed to have found a firearm. Just like in previous raids of activists’ houses and offices, KMP stressed that the evidence was fabricated.

On the same day at around 10:30 am, soldiers went to the house of 63-year old Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan (AMB) Chairperson, Cecilia Rapiz in barangay Paradise 3, San Jose Del Monte City in Bulacan asking for her whereabouts.

According to KMP, farmers have observed an increased presence of soldiers in civilian communities over the weekend. [...]

Farmers are defending their rights in San Jose Del Monte as their land is reportedly being grabbed by the Aranetas.

Meanwhile, Karapatan also documented a case of harassment against a farmer in Negros Occidental. Human Rights Alliance of Negros (HRAN) reported that on June 13, Evelyn Manait, a member of the Ituman-Bukidnon tribe, was harassed in her house in Barangay Amontay, Binalbagan. Eight men in civilian clothes interrogated her on the whereabouts of her husband and brother-in-law. The said men accused them of being members of the New People’s Army.

Meanwhile, on June 19 in Batangas, a man who identified himself as a police officer asked barangay officials in Bauan, Batangas for the whereabouts of Tanggol Batangan paralegal Juvie Ann Biding.

“These forms of harassment and threats are committed with impunity by State security forces, as sanctioned by the Marcos administration through its counterinsurgency program. Karapatan calls on human rights advocates and the public to strongly denounce these rights violations which are a prelude to worse forms of violations as military operations continue in rural areas,” Palabay said.

2024 Jun. 20

[insufferablelust]

Hi, I hope you're having a great day! I was wondering if you could write something for Hotch where the reader is one of the younger members and he always wants to protect her. She messes up on a case and Strauss yells at her and she ends up crying and Hotch takes care of her. Thank you so much, and it is okay if you don't want to write it!

Hi! i’m so sorry it took me awhile to write your piece but i hope this is worth it! and i also changed it a bit so i hope you don’t mind, but if you have any specific ideas just let me know! anyways thank you so much for requesting and waiting! much love!

This is an Aaron Hotchner x SA!Reader Blurb.

Warnings : Fluffs, angst, Mean!Strauss, Hotch is like your caregiver in a professional way like he guides you through the cases and help you etc because you’re new and young, Mention of Guns, Blood, Supportive!BAU, Mental disorder, and Abductions.

this blurb also have a special meaning to me since i’m diagnosed with the same Disorder the unsub has in this so i’m sorry if the descriptions are a bit too detailed. i still hope you like it and give me feedbacks or constructive criticisms thank you for reading❤️

———————

Being the youngest in every field has its own disadvantages, when you were at school, being the youngest would get you picked at, but you shut them up quickly with your bravery. When you were in college, most people doubted you even your professors, but you also managed to make them stare in awe when you became the top student of your criminal psychology class. When you were training in the academy, many underestimate you, but again— you came out on top, trainee with the highest score amongst others. So you never thought about being the youngest much,

No, not until you actually work— by work i mean becoming a part of BAU, Special Agent Y/n Y/l/n. It was easy at first, you received such a warm welcome from your new teammates that you already thought that this is going to be easy enough. The first time you met them were at the bullpen, they were all lounging and talking about a recent case as you stepped in nervously yet you put a stern smile. The first person who approached you was the wonderful Miss Penelope Garcia, who happens to be your friend, and then you shook hands with David Rossi, Jennifer Jareau, Aaron Hotchner, Dr. Spencer Reid, Emily Prentiss, and got a flirty remark from none other than Derek Morgan— who you scoffed at and said “not going to work on me pal, Garcia has told me aaaall about it” which drew laughter.

Your assignments were quite easy at first, you were always the one to be confident, top of your class and all— so on your first day you got your first assignment with the team, a case in Virginia. You were told to follow Agent Hotchner, and you have to be honest that it couldn’t be any more easier for you. He showed you the ropes, how to analyze certain behaviors, even let you interview the family alone. He made you feel safe and comfortable to do this job, and you couldn’t be more grateful.

Now that you’ve gotten to several cases, you’ve felt like you earned your place here, not just as the new girl, but a profiler, an agent, and you couldn’t be more prouder— and you can’t help but to thank Aaron for it, he always guides you through all the horrible things that you just feel content to work on cases with him. Your teammates joked about it sometimes, saying how close you two have gotten, they noticed how Hotch never raised his voice with you, not once, it’s either you’re that good or as Prentiss likes to call it “He has a soft spot for you (Y/n)”

But not all paths are smooth paths, it was sunday afternoon, you were lounging with Emily, Garcia, and Sergio when you heard the call coming from Garcia’s phone. Upon seeing “HOTCHER” as the called id, you and Prentiss sigh deeply before preparing your go bag not even bothering for Garcia to finish the phone call.

Turns out it was a child abduction case, and the first thing to note about this is that time is of the essence and every second counts. The first abduction started in Virginia a month ago, where it was handled by the local police— but then the same type of M.O and Victimology appeared in some abduction cases all over the country, the most recent one is Los Angeles. So off to LA you goes with the team, only thing different this time is that JJ and Hotch was staying behind to talk to the police in Virginia—it’s your first ever case without his guidance and you haven’t decided if you like it or hate it.

———————————

12 hours into the abduction, and Y/n has messed up bad, bad enough that it put her own life in jeopardy. Y/n had gone to follow a lead, that she received from the hotline tip, she debated at first.. on telling the others about the call she received, all her training would told her to tell someone, you can’t go alone but the caller insist that you go alone. Something about this man is not right, you can feel it in your guts. But you know that if you were about to tell the others- they wouldn’t let you pursue, not because you’re incapable but because its not right to go alone, but you took the risk to save these children— the caller did mentioned you only have 10 minutes to drive to his address and if you don’t show up alone, the children will be killed— and you can’t let that happen. So you told the tip responder that you have told your team and that you’re under pursue before sprinting out of the LAPD.

When the team realized that Y/n was gone, it was an hour after she actually left. The second they found out about her whereabouts, they rushed to the location— already hoping that you and the kids are still alive. To their relief, you were found alive, but you were tied to a chair, face bloodied and its clear that you took some harsh beating. The unsub was holding one of the child, threatening to kill him.

He was a man who has Abandonment issues with severe borderline personality disorder, the reason why he abducts children is because he hated his childhood— he hated himself for being a fuck up, so he took the perfect children according to his judgment and kept them— it’s masochistic, he kept them as a reminder for himself of how worthless he is.

“Put the gun down, and let the boy go” Morgan’s voice rang through the abandoned building, causing the unsub to panic and move backwards “No! stay there! c-come any closer and i’ll blow his perfect fucking face off” He snarled, before you gained all the energy you have left and speak up,

“Adam, let him go please. I know how you feel, and let me show you that you are none of those things your mind is telling you. You’re not worthless and you deserve to be loved, a- a mother’s love.. don’t you missed it? Come here, i- i can give it to you” You coughed up blood as your vision gets blurry, The team gasped as the unsub let the boy go.. all of them and kneeled next to you, gun still in hand as he untied you, then lay his head on your thighs. Your fingers shakily move, to ran through his hair, and inching to get the gun from here.

“Shh, shh Mama’s here, give me the toy.. I’ll let you play w-with it later” You said holding back the tears as he slowly handed you the loaded gun before you tossed it and the team cuffed him.

You cried hard as you fell to your knees on the floor, the last thing you heard was Prentiss’s voice calling for medic and then you black out.

——————-

Its been a few days after the incident, you’re on your way back to Quantico. Some of the bruisings are gone but there are some scars that will be there forever, and honestly you don’t worry about it all— the only thing you worry about is what your superior is going to do with you. You knew you messed up bad and it doesn’t matter that you are the reason that those kids are free, you should’ve told your team. When Emily asked you why, you said it’s just gut feeling em. And when Spencer asked you how’d you know?

you told him, that The unsub told you about his young mother, the same exact age as your age, your hair color, and around your height. Thats why he wanted you to come, and the pieces clicked, All of the hesitancy to kill, He liked the pain, not inflicting it to others if not necessary but to himself. That’s how you know. Your answer seemed to please the young doctor as he smiled and whispered a small “Great job, Agent.”

All of them were understanding on why you did it, except Morgan because he’s like your big brother but he did said something along the lines of “You’re a damn good profiler but you’re still stupid” but the worst had to come from your superior; Erin Strauss.

As soon as you landed in Quantico, Hotch was there waiting for you, then escort you to his room, where Strauss was there also. You were nervous not because you’re wrong but because you knew you could’ve done better and it’s against the regulations.

Hotch had said to you during a phone call that he “understands why you did what you did but it certainly doesnt justify it.” The way he spoke those words calmed you down up until now.. standing in front of Strauss herself.

“Agent Y/n, sit down.” You sat down in front of her with Hotch leaning against his desk, you put on a smile as you keep eye contact with her, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling fine, Ma’am. Thank you for asking—i’ve completed the psych evals too and-“

“What you did was reckless and stupid, Agent. You put your own life in danger as well as your teammates. You let your own ambition to lead you into this mess—“

Taken aback at her words, you quickly replied, “Excuse me Ma’am, with all due respect i never have any intention other than saving the boys from the unsub. So i don’t understand how my ‘ambition’ led me.”

“Agent, you will not interrupt me. Must i remind you that you’re an intelligent, bright, and exceptionally young with a lot of great potentials but let me ask you this, Are you too immature that your ambition on becoming the one who caught the unsub is your top priority? The Director agreed that maybe you should take another year of training to successfully complete mature so you dont make mistakes like this.” and at that your eyes brimmed with tears, How could she? how could she compared your age to how you do your job? You were trying to save the kids and you did. Your age has no connection to any of this and certainly not to your abilities. You were about to say something when Hotch stand and put a finger up signaling you to hold it.

“Ma’am I know what Y/n did is incredibly reckless but she only did that because the unsub specifically asked for her— she reminded him of his young mother, their features are the same. Agent Y/n, does know the regulations and protocols, and she knows that if she tells anyone the risk of those boys dying is greater than any other. So with all due respect Ma’am, As her direct superior in this case, i’m asking you to back up and let me handle her penalty according to my professional judgment as someone who has seen her incredible work and sacrifices.” His voice is loud, ringing on your ears like you’re the only thing that mattered. It left you speechless as he give you the tissue box and then waiting for Erin’s reply.

To your surprise she didn’t say anything before leaving his office. You broke down once again, gasping for air as you feel the pain now, the ache on your shoulder and wrists, the dull pain on your face, the cuts and bruises on your stomach. You are exhausted, and It seemed that Hotch knows it too.

He sit besides you as he gently placed your head on his shoulder, so you can cry with a shoulder to support you. You were so exhausted, that you dont even care if this is breaking any rules or protocols. You just want to save people, you just want to be with your team.

“She won’t do anything, I promise you that ill protect and guides you, so hang onto my words.” He said, rubbing the back of your neck and shoulders as you let out tiny gasps, trying to form a sentence.

“T-thank- y-you, Aaron.” is the only thing you managed to speak before the exhaustion wipes you out, the last thing you heard was his voice, “Anytime Y/n, Sleep well.”

——————

Feel free to send me blurb ideas! give this a like and reblog, thank you!

[fanmoose12]

Sitting in the damp and cold cell, staring at a small glimpse of moon, visible from a tiny window up above her, Hange had no regrets. She held no blame towards the people of her own village, and she was not angry with them. She knew that they were ignorant and afraid, and it was their fear that led them to such cruelty.

In the end, if Hange was granted another chance in her life, she would have done it all again. Although, sitting there, reflecting on her life, she realized she wasn’t completely honest with herself. There was one thing she regretted – she didn’t get to see Levi one last time.

Hange quietly chuckled as she remembered the first time she met Levi. It was such a long time ago, she felt as though it happened in another life. But still, a wistful smile appeared on her lips, as she thought of her adorable demon friend.

Hange was strolling through the village’s market, desperately trying to find a merchant, who wouldn’t be afraid to look her in the eyes and who would agree to sell her some vegetables. Her own crops this year were less than satisfactory, as Hange had ignored them for most of the season, too preoccupied with the books she brought from her trip to the capital.

Hange groaned, as another merchant closed his stall right in front of her face. What was wrong with those people? So what, if Hange lived on the outskirts of the village, led a mostly solitary life and she was probably the only member of this community, who could read? It didn’t mean they had to be afraid of her. After all, she was nothing but kind to them, always trying to help and doing her best to cure any illnesses the villagers had possessed. And they let her help, but just as soon as they were healthy again, they turned their back on her once more, calling her a heretic and a witch.

It hurt Hange, but she tried not to show it. She understood, why they were like this, and she knew there was nothing she could to change their attitude towards her. Their hatred was rooted in years of living in poverty and fear, and they needed someone to blame. Their king was far away, and they couldn’t possibly hold any grudges towards God, so Hange had to suffer. And she was okay with it, most of the time, but still she wished they could at least sell to her some vegetables and meat. It wasn’t like she couldn’t pay them!

Hange leaned against a tree, wiping sweat from her face and lowering her basket. It was a rather hot day, and she was getting tired of mindlessly walking through the village, hoping that at least one merchant would be kind enough to sell her their goods. Or greedy enough, it wasn’t like Hange was picky.

A pair of children, playing on the other side of a street, attracted Hange’s attention. She looked at them more closely, squinting her eyes. Her eyesight was quite poor and one lens of her glasses was broken, but with her crops dying, Hange didn’t have the time to ride to the town and order a new pair. But another lens was in good condition, and as long as it helped her see, she didn’t mind that the other part was damaged.

The kids were discussing something in hushed tones, and, curious, Hange took a few steps closer, so she could hear what they were talking about.

“My pop just returned from his hunt,” one of the boys began. He was clearly the leader of their group, as the other children watched him intently, hanging onto his every word.

“Did he meet the werewolf again?” the girl asked, her voice a mixture of fear and excitement.

The boy shook his head. “Nah, it was something scarier this time. He said that he happened upon a big dark mansion, hidden in the woods,” the children around him gasped. Satisfied by their reaction, the boy smirked and continued. “Pop says that a demon is living here. He says he saw him – he was tall and had big pointy horns. He probably would have killed my dad, if he didn’t run away.”

Hange smiled, as she watched how children’s eyes widened in shock. However, she was also intrigued by the boy’s tale. She knew that werewolves and vampires weren’t real, they were just scary stories, made to frighten children and discourage young women from venturing through the forests at night, but demons? Of course, Hange had heard about them and she read books about them, but were they real? She couldn’t say.

With a wide, excited grin on her face, Hange turned around and headed back to her small hut. The groceries could wait, when there was a new discovery, waiting for her in a dark, dense forest.

 ***

As Hange moved through the forest, she barely managed to hide her excitement. She walked with a slight pounce to her step and she restricted herself from running, but only because she was trying to save up her energy. She didn’t know the exact location of the demon’s house after all, and she didn’t want to get lost in the woods. She didn’t dare to ask those children the whereabouts of a demon, and even if she did, she was sure they wouldn’t answer her. And they could tell their parents about her question, and if the villagers found out that she was curious about a demon, Hange would surely get called a witch and then she would never be able to buy anything in the market.  

And that was not something she was looking for, that’s for sure.

But even without outside assistance, soon Hange walked out to the clearing and saw a dark, big mansion. She wasted no time and swiftly ran up to it, squealing with joy, when the door turned out to be unlocked.

Hange threw the door open, took a step inside, and in the next moment she felt a strong, clawed hand circle around her neck, as her body was roughly pushed into the wall.

“Who are you?” someone hissed right in Hange’s face.

Hange blinked a few times and then squinted, trying to see her attacker in the darkness. But she saw no one, except a pair of bright blue eyes, which were staring quite angrily at her.

“I…I’m Hange!” she chuckled nervously. The hand around her throat was holding her rather tightly. “I live in the village near the woods!”

“You live in that village? So you must know about me, you must know who I am, right?” Hange cocked her head to the side, giving a figure in front of her another critical look. She still couldn’t see its shape, but the voice sounded almost human, although it was slightly tinted with something else, some echo, that reminded Hange of her books about dark magic. Could this creature be real? Was it an actual demon?

Hange must have ignored him for too long, because suddenly her neck was gripped tighter. “Yes, yes, I know who you are!” she answered immediately. She flailed her hands around, she knew she couldn’t possibly fight the creature in front of her, but Hange wanted to touch him, wanted to see if the rest of his body was as solid as the hand around her neck. To her surprise, her fingers came in contact with something sturdy, which almost felt like a horn… The creature instantly let go of her and took a few steps away.

“Don’t touch me, human!” he hissed.

“Alright, alright!” Hange raised her hands in a placating gesture. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to!” So, it didn’t like to be touched, huh? Hange wondered if that was a demon thing or it was just a part of its personality. For some reason, she heavily suspected the later.

“So you’re actually a demon, huh?” Hange chuckled, looking at the blue eyes in front of her with excitement and curiosity.

“You do know what I am! Then why aren’t you screaming in fear? Why haven’t you run away?”

Hange shrugged. “I’m not afraid of you. Actually, I came here to seek you out.”

“I’m not making pacts with humans,” the demon answered her with audible distain.

“No, no, it’s not about that! I just wanted to get to know you! I’ve never actually met demons, and I was just curious if you were real. Besides, you live here all alone in that big mansion, don’t you get lonely?”

“Lonely?” the demon repeated in a quiet, disbelieving voice. His eyes stared at Hange, like she was crazy.

“Yeah, lonely!” she eagerly nodded. “I just thought that, well, you live alone, and I also live alone, then maybe, well, maybe we could become friends?”

“Friends? You want become friends? With a demon?”

“Yep,” Hange grinned.

“You’re insane,” the demon huffed.

“Oi, come on! It won’t be so bad, I’ll just come here every once in a while, chat with you for some time. It’ll be fun, you’ll love it, I promise!”

The demon sighed. “Why do I get a feeling that I don’t get to say no in this situation?”

“Oh, I didn’t know that demons can see future.”

“Tch,” the demon clicked his tongue. “Smartass.”

Sighing once more, the demon turned around and snapped his fingers. The darkness disappeared and Hange gasped, as the room became illuminated by a warm candlelight. She looked at the demon’s figure and she was surprised to see that it looked so much like a man. He was dressed like a man, too, and, looking at his rich dark blue suit, Hange felt slightly out of a place with her dirty, torn shirt and worn pants. But that feeling was quickly forgotten, as she continued to study her new friend. The boy back at the village obviously lied about the demon’s appearance. He wasn’t tall at all, and was probably shorter than Hange. She also couldn’t see the horns on his head, and Hange wondered if she had imagined touching them.

“Well, are you coming?” the demon asked, turning around and crossing hands on his chest, scowling at Hange. “Or are you going to keep staring at me?”

“I’m sorry!” Hange ran up to him, following the demon into the next room. “I’m just very curious about your nature, that’s all.”

“Tch, I’m not some animal on display at a town’s market. So quit looking at me like that, or I’ll kill you,” the demon promised her darkly.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it!” Hange plopped down into an armchair. The demon obviously led her to his living room.

“So what do we do now?” the demon took a sit opposite from Hange, and was now regarding her with irritated eyes.

“Well, I ask you some questions, and you ask me in return,” Hange shrugged. “We get to know each other.”

“Alright…” the demon said warily. “What is your question?”

“Well, you haven’t told me your name yet, so let’s start with that, yeah?”

“Demon’s name is a sacred thing. I’m not going to tell it to some stranger.”

“But I’m not a stranger, I’m your friend!” Hange grinned. “Besides, it’s not like I’m going to tell it to anyone. You can trust me.”

The demon looked at her skeptically for a long moment. “It’s Levi,” he whispered finally, turning his head away from Hange’s curious eyes.

“Levi!” she exclaimed. “I like it, it fits you.”

“It’s my name, of course, it fits me, moron.”

“Alright, alright,” Hange chuckled. “Now it’s time for your question.”

“What is that shit on your face?” Levi pointed a finger at her and scrunched his face in disgust.

Hange was baffled by his question. Did Levi mean the dirt on her face, or—

“Not the actual shit,” Levi clarified, seeing Hange’s confused expression. “That thing on your eyes, what is that?”

“Oh, that’s my glasses!” Hange took them off and handed them to Levi. “Everything is blurry, when I’m not wearing them,” she explained.

“So you need them to see?” Levi asked, looking at object in his hands from all angles.

“Yeah, can’t do much without them.”

“Huh,” Levi hummed thoughtfully. “And are they supposed to be like this?” he pointed at the crack in one of the lenses.

“Haha, no,” Hange giggled. “I just fell from a ladder one day and accidentally broke them.”

Levi said nothing, just closed his eyes, his right hand hovering above the damaged lens. Hange’s eyes widened, when Levi’s hand suddenly started to glow. However, she didn’t get the chance to study it more closely, as the light disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

“Here,” Levi handed her glasses back. “I don’t know if it helped, but…”

Hange put the glasses back on her face and gasped. She could see so clearly now! “Levi, thank you!” she smiled brightly. “Now they are as good as new!”

“And they don’t look so stupid anymore,” Levi agreed.

Hange opened her mouth to say something, but whatever she was going to ask Levi was interrupted by her wide yawn. “Sorry,” she covered her mouth with a giggle. “Maybe, it’s time I head home. It seems I’m a bit tired.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Levi nodded, getting up from his seat.

“I’ll come back in a few days,” Hange said, when Levi led her out to the front door. “If t-that’s alright with you, of course!”

Levi sighed. “Again, I don’t think I have a choice. Just… wash your clothes and your hair before visiting me. It honestly looks disgusting.”

“Roger that!” Hange agreed with a chuckle.

She bid Levi goodbye and started her way home. As she moved through the forest, there was a happy smile on her face.

She wasn’t alone anymore.              

 ***

“Levi, don’t you have horns?” Hange asked, as she was sitting beside him on the sofa. She knew Levi for a couple of months now, and she was confident they were close friends, even if Levi fiercely denied it every time Hange had brought it up.

But in all that time she knew Levi, Hange had never seen his horns. Levi gave her a lot of books about demonology, and he patiently explained everything Hange was curious about and even helped her translate the texts, which were written in a language she didn’t know. There weren’t a lot of actual images of demons in those books, but a couple of pictures Hange had seen, always showed demons with big, black horns. But as far as she knew, Levi didn’t have any. She remembered touching them during their first meeting, but she wasn’t sure if she hadn’t imagined it all.

“Every demon has them, stupid,” Levi huffed. “And I do, too.”

“You’ve never shown me!” Hange grabbed Levi’s shoulder, getting close to his face and looking him straight in the eyes. “Why?”

Levi turned away, crossing hands on his chest. “Don’t want to,” he grumbled quietly.

“But why?” Hange cried out. “Do you still not trust me?”

“It’s not that,” Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance. “It’s just… well, they appear only when I’m in my demon form. And I don’t want you to see it.”

“Why not?” Hange wasn’t giving up.

“It’s different from my human form. I look… I look different. You may not like it.”

“Levi,” Hange grabbed his chin to make him look at her. When their eyes met, she smiled warmly. “You’re my friend, and I want to know what you look like. I promise, no matter how ugly you look, I won’t be scared of you.”

Levi rolled his eyes, his posture relaxing under Hange’s gaze. “You’re stubborn as a bull, Hange, has anyone ever told you?”

Hange laughed. “You always do.”

“Alright,” Levi shook his head, getting up from his seat. “I’ll show you my demon form, just… don’t freak out, okay?”

Hange gave him an encouraging smile. “You know it’s not that easy to scare me, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Levi grumbled. “You’re crazy, but still, don’t panic. Just remember that I won’t hurt you, under any circumstances.”

Hange nodded. “I trust you.”

Levi ran a shaking hand through his hair and stood in the center of room. He muttered something under his breath, and a bright white light illuminated the room. Hange closed her eyes to shield them, and when she opened them again, Levi’s familiar figure disappeared. The creature in front of Hange was still as short as Levi, but it was hard to call him human. Behind his back was a pair of black wings and on top of his head were two large horns. But the most impressing thing about his appearance was his eyes. They were brighter than usual, and Hange remembered that she had seen the same intense blue color, when she met Levi for the first time.

“Oh,” Hange breathed out in wonder. She slowly got to her feet and took a few steps closer, until she stood right next to Levi. “Can I?” she asked, her hand hovering above his wing.

Levi nodded slightly, his eyes following her every move.

Hange tentatively laid her hand on Levi’s wing, gently caressing thick black feathers. Then she moved to his head, touching his horns. They were smaller, than Hange expected, and curled at the end. She giggled as her hand traced it along the length.

“They remind me of goat’s.”

“Tch,” Levi waved Hange’s hand away, taking a step away from her. “So you’re really not weirded out? Not disgusted by my appearance?”

“Levi,” Hange smiled gently, taking his clawed hand in hers and laying her head on his shoulder. Levi’s wing instinctively wrapped itself around her. “You can look like a giant hairy beast, or some kind of serpent with horrible tentacles, and I still won’t be scared of you. No matter what you look like, I know that you have kind and caring soul. You’re my friend, Levi, and nothing will change that.”

Levi was evidently at a loss of words, as he kept staring at Hange with hopeless, stricken expression.

“C’mon,” she tugged at his arm. “Let’s go to the library. The lighting there is better, and I can take a closer look at your form.”

“Weirdo,” Levi huffed, but followed after Hange without further complaint.

 ***

“For fuck’s sake, Hange!” Levi was at her side as soon as Hange passed his threshold. He instantly began taking off her wet cloak. “There is a fucking storm outside, why did you come here?”

“But Levi!” Hange pouted. “I haven’t visited you for two days already! I missed you!”

“Idiot,” Levi scoffed, but Hange didn’t miss the softness in his voice. “C’mon,” taking her hand, he started leading her upstairs. “Go and change your wet clothes, and I’ll make some tea in the meanwhile.”

When Hange joined Levi in the living room, already dressed in his clothes, Levi wore a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Did something happen?” Hange asked, coming to sit next to him and laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Hange,” Levi sighed. “I think you sh—”

“Oh, no,” Hange interrupted him. “I know where this is going. You’re going to once again ask me to start living with you?”

Levi glared at her. “Yes, and I still don’t understand why you refuse. I can’t understand why you insist on living in that wretched thing you call a house, surrounded by those fools, who hate you!”

“Levi…” Hange ran a hand through her hair. “This is my home, I’ve lived here all my life. I can’t just abandon it.”

“This place can be your home. You can live here, with me. Don’t you want this?”

Hange shrugged, letting out a small laugh. “I don’t know. What about my crops? I can’t possibly leave all my books behind, and what is going to happen to Philip, if I come to live here?”

Philip was Hange’s black cat, and for a long time he was her best and only friend. He was an adorable little thing, who came to nuzzle to Hange’s chest every time she was sitting down. Philip was always so affectionate with her, Hange had never seen him hissing or using his claws to hurt anyone. Until she introduced Philip to Levi. The cat’s pupils delated the moment he laid his eyes on Levi. He bended down slightly, and that all warning Hange and Levi got, before Philip jumped right at Levi with a vicious hiss, his claws aimed at his face.

Thankfully, Levi was able to dodge that attack, but he swore to never again put his foot in Hange’s house, as long as her insane cat was there.

Levi rolled his eyes, flicking Hange’s forehead. “Your crops are a fucking mess, Hange, and you can always take your stupid books with you. And… that thing can come live with you, too.”

“Are you talking about Philip?” Hange’s eyes widened. “You will actually let him into your house?”

Levi sighed. “If it means that you will leave that dirty shack, then yes, that infernal beast can live in my house.”

“Levi!” Hange hugged him to her chest. “Thank you! You are the kindest demon I know!”

Levi narrowed his eyes. “Do you know some other demons?”

Hange smiled slyly. “And what if I did?”

Levi shrugged. “Nothing. I’d just have to kill them, that’s all.”

“Levi!” Hange punched his arm. “You can’t just say things like that!”

“What? I’m serious. Those are demon rules, Hange. I can’t let another demon close to my human.”

Hange crossed her hands on her chest, pouting at him. “I can’t understand if you’re joking or not. Besides, I’m not your human.”

“I know that,” Levi agreed. “But most demons don’t know what a friend is. We live a solitary life. Some demons can find a human to… entertain themselves, and when they do, those humans become ‘theirs’,” Levi’s eyes filled with distain. “They do not care much for those humans, but they’re pretty territorial about them. Demons are territorial about everything,” he spat out. “They act like mindless beasts, but think they’re better than humans. I hate other demons, that’s why I left the Underground.”

“But you’re different from other demons,” Hange said, laying her head on Levi’s shoulder and gazing softly at him.

“And you are different from other humans,” Levi replied in an unusually warm voice.

“Alright,” Hange sighed. “I’ll go back to my house to get all my belongings, and then I come here the next evening? To stay with you?”

“We don’t have to live here,” Levi told her. “Paris, Rome, Cairo… whatever city or place you want.”

“Nah,” Hange shook her head with a smile. “I don’t care where to live, as long as I’m with you.”

“Let’s go then,” Levi took her by the hand and helped Hange get to her feet. “I’ll walk you home.”

Whenever Levi walked with Hange through the forest, he always kept her close. He held her hand or hugged her shoulders and watched her every step. Hange honestly couldn’t understand, why Levi was so careful and what he was afraid of, but she found his overprotectiveness to be very sweet and adorable.

“I’ll walk the rest of the way by myself,” Hange gently freed her hand out of Levi’s grasp. Usually Levi and she said their goodbye at her doorstep, but Hange could see that there was some kind of commotion in the village. It was brightly lit as though by a fire and she could hear shouting. Was there some kind of a festival tonight?

Either way, she was afraid that someone might see Levi, and even if he was in his human form, it still would raise unwanted question. And Hange’s reputation in the village was bad enough without it.

When Hange let go of his hand, Levi’s eyebrows furrowed for a second. But then he composed himself and nodded. “But you’ll come back tomorrow, right?”

“Of course,” Hange smiled. “As soon as I gather everything I need.”

“Good,” Levi leaned in and gave Hange a small peck on her lips. “I’ll be waiting,” he added, before disappearing into the woods.

Hange stayed there for a little longer, staring at the place, where Levi had just been. It was just a kiss, and a brief one at that, but it made her feel all fuzzy inside. She could feel her cheeks burn, and her chest filled with warm, pleasant sensation.  

She couldn’t wait to see Levi again, and she couldn’t believe that he asked her to abandon her home and make a new one with him. Could it be that she wouldn’t be alone anymore? Could it be that she would finally be happy?

However, as Hange began to approach her own house, all of her giddy feelings disappeared. Something was very, very wrong, she could feel it.

And as Hange walked out of the forest and reached the village, she realized that she was mistaken. There wasn’t any festival in the village, no, instead her house, her own home, in which she spent her whole life, had been burnt to the ground.

Hange shrieked in horror and tried to run inside. There was so much books and plants inside, and, oh god, Philip, did he manage to escape? Hange had to enter, she had to at least try to salvage something, but as soon as she got close to the house, her shoulders were roughly grabbed.

Hange turned her face up and her eyes widened, as she saw the people of her village staring back at her, their expressions cruel and triumphant.

“So the witch has finally returned!” one of the woman took a step forward, taking Hange by the hair, making her look right in her eyes. “What have you been doing in the forest at night, huh, witch? Were you summoning a demon? Or were you meeting with others from your kind?”

Hange stared helplessly at that woman and the rest of the angry crowd behind her. She knew all of them. The woman, who stood on the left, - she helped her deliver a baby. And the man in center - Hange brought him home, when he had broken his leg. The woman, who was standing above her, still holding her by the hair - Hange had given her son syrup to cure him from a severe case of coughing fits.

“I don’t understand,” Hange murmured, her eyes filling with angry tears. What had she done to deserve such ire? What had she done to earn their hatred?

“You’re a witch! Don’t try to deny it!” the woman shouted.

“We have found this, your wretched woman,” a man stepped out, holding a book to Hange’s face. She recognized it immediately. It was a demonology book Levi had given her. She had probably left it on a porch or on a bench near her house, and some curious kid or a noisy housewife had found it, while Hange was visiting Levi.

“And what is my punishment going to be?” she asked, her voice defeated. She knew it was pointless to further argue and protest. Those people wouldn’t listen, and even if they did, what Hange could say? How can she redeem herself? Tell those people that she wasn’t trying to practice any magic, that she was just reading this book to get a better understanding of her demon friend’s nature? Yeah, that would surely not soften their anger. Besides, she wouldn’t scoop so low as to lie and beg. If this was the end for her, then she would meet it with dignity and without an ounce of fear.

“You’re lucky, witch,” the woman in front of Hange sneered. “I would have locked you inside your own house and burned you there alive, but the people of this village are kind and merciful. They decided to give you a fair trial, to give your sinful soul a chance to cleanse yourself.”

“And then you will burn me at a stake, right?” Hange scoffed.

“Your punishment will be decided by a just and honest trial,” the woman repeated with righteous fire in her eyes.

She and the rest of the crowd didn’t give Hange a chance to answer, as she was yanked to her feet and then dragged to the village’s jail.

They threw her into a cell, and it was there, where Hange had spent her last night on this Earth. The trial was to begin the next day, and so she just sat there, staring at the moon and remembering all the happy moments of her life.

The priest came in the morning, just before a trial was about to begin. He said he came to hear out Hange’s confession, to forgive her for her sins.

Hange wanted to laugh in his face.

“Please, explain it to me, father,” she began, sitting as comfortably as she could with her hands chained to the wall. “You always say that God is merciful and forgiving, that He is righteous and just, but why is He doing this to me? Why is He punishing me, if I have never done any harm to the people of this village? I’ve always tried to help them, I’ve done my best to care for them, but they have been nothing but spiteful and cruel to me. How can they be such good Christians, if they hate me just because I’m different? Is that’s how God had made them to be?”

The priest was obviously taken aback by Hange’s speech. His eyes widened and his hands, which held Bible, were trembling slightly. But he quickly composed himself, straightening his shoulders and putting a stern expression on his wrinkled face.

“You have sinned, my child. You have turned to dark creatures and magic. The people of this village are not guilty of your downfall, those sins are yours alone. And God cannot forgive you for them.”

“You are right, father,” Hange glared fiercely at him. “I have sinned. I’ve been meeting with a demon. I’ve befriended him, I’ve fallen in love with him. And he had been kinder and more caring with me, than all the people in this village.”

The priest shook his head. “Your sins are much worse than I thought. But there is still some hope for you, my child. Ask God for His forgiveness, renounce your bonds with that monster, and your soul will be saved. You can still go to Heaven and spend your eternity in bliss.”

“I would rather rot in deepest pits of Hell,” Hange spat. “Than spend an eternity with the likes of you.”

“I see there is no salvation for your soul,” the priest nodded, as though Hange’s fate had been decided. “But I’ll keep you in my prayers, child.”

“Just leave me alone already,” Hange sighed tiredly.

“Your trial will begin in an hour,” Holy Father said and then walked out of her cell.

The trial, just as Hange had expected, was a complete farce. The villagers tested against her, each of them telling how they always suspected that she had been a witch. How all the times she had helped them proved that she was practicing magic.

Hange didn’t even bother to listen to them. She knew her punishment already, long before the judge and the jury announced it.

She was to be burnt at a stake this night. Hange accepted her sentence with a surprising amount of calmness. And to think that just yesterday she was excited to start a new life with Levi, but now it seemed that her life was ending.

 ***

Levi stood on his porch, tapping his leg impatiently and staring into the forest. What the fuck was taking Hange so long? She promised to come as soon, as she finished packing. How many belongings did she have?

As he waited for her hour after hour, unpleasant thoughts began to plague Levi’s mind. Could it be… could it be that Hange has changed her mind? Maybe, she had decided that a life with a demon wasn’t for her? Had she finally realized what a monster Levi was? Or maybe… maybe he had made her uncomfortable last night? Maybe his kiss had made her feel uneasy?

Honestly, Levi didn’t know what had possessed him to kiss Hange last night. He just felt like he should do it, it felt right and natural. And Levi… Levi couldn’t resist.

It seemed like he could never resist himself, when it came to Hange. From the first moment that he had seen her, Levi couldn’t stay away. He tried to, knew that it was wrong, demons and humans didn’t belong together, but Hange… She made him feel like he had never felt before. She made him happy, with Hange Levi felt like he belonged somewhere, like he belonged with someone.

He wanted to always be with her.

But it seemed like Hange didn’t feel the same way about him.

Levi’s solemn thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of rustling leaves. His head snapped to its source, and Levi’s heart swelled when he saw Hange’s cat, Philip, walking out of the woods.

However… Hange didn’t follow after him.

Levi quickly approached the cat and took another look at him. Now that he was standing right beside him, Levi saw that Philip was covered in grime and the tip of his left was burnt. Levi’s blood ran cold. What had happened to Hange’s cat? What had happened to her?

Levi crouched down to the cat and tentatively laid his hand on his dark fur. Using his demonic powers, he searched the cat’s mind to see what had happened. As soon as he connected to him, Levi was hit by a wave of hot air and crippling, paralyzing fear. Through Philip’s eyes, Levi saw the burning house and heard the victorious shouts of an angry mob. He saw Hange become surrounded by those people, saw their hatred and her tears.

Levi squeezed his hands into fists, rage filling his mind and soul. He will make them pay, every last of them, every fool, who dared to lay their dirty hands on Hange, who dared to hurt her. They will pay.

Without wasting another moment, Levi began sprinting towards the village. He ran fast, faster than was humanly possible, but still, it felt like this wasn’t enough, like he wouldn’t be quick enough to save Hange.

He couldn’t let that happen.

So he changed into his demon form and flew into the air, reaching the village in the shortest time possible. He landed in the dark alley, swiftly returning to his human appearance. As he walked to the market place and saw a huge pyre, built in the center of it, Levi had to stop and took a deep breathe.

He felt rage burn inside him once more and his mind filled with desire to kill all of them, to slaughter every person in this village. But he knew he couldn’t do that – Hange would get upset, he was sure. After all they had done to her, she still cared for those people.

Levi could never understand her kind and sympathetic soul, he had never met anyone like Hange. Maybe, that’s why he loved her so much. That’s why he would do anything in his power to save her.

A woman walked past him and Levi grabbed her elbow, roughly digging his fingers into her skin.

“Tell me where she is!” he hissed into her face.

His eyes began to glow and sharp claws appeared on his hands, his control was slipping, but the woman didn’t seem to notice any of that, as she wore a blissful, ecstatic smile on her face.

“Are you asking about a witch?” she asked with the same carefree expression. “She is still inside her cell, I think,” she pointed to a small building with thick walls. “Oh, but they’ll lead her there soon. They’ll burn the heinous witch and that fire will cleanse our village, destroying all of our sorrows and hardships. God will forgive us and without that evil woman, we will be able to live happily again!”

Levi pushed the woman away, and hurried in the direction, where that she had pointed him to. His anger at the woman’s words was somewhat subdued, as a sense of relief nearly overwhelmed him.

Hange was still alive, there was still time to save her.

He rushed through the streets and soon he saw them. Two men, dragging unresisting Hange behind them. The look of her face, the expression of resignation – it nearly broke Levi’s heart. Hange shouldn’t look like this, his expressive and cheerful Hange shouldn’t have that defeated look in her eyes.

His anger was returning.

In quick short strides, he reached them.

“Let her go!” Levi bellowed, resisting himself from ripping those men limb from limb.

The men looked at him, their faces instantly paled and their eyes widened in horror.

“A demon…” one of them whispered, as he moved back, stumbling and falling.

Levi paid no mind to him, his eyes staring at the woman in front of him.  

“Levi!” Hange’s face was surprised, as though she couldn’t believe he was actually here. That foolish woman, Levi thought. Had she not expected him to come? Had she believed that he would leave her alone?

“I’m here, Hange,” Levi finally closed the distance between them, placing his arms around her. “You’re safe now.”

In an instant, Levi changed his forms again, turning into a demon. Hange and he disappeared from a market place in a cloud of smoke.

When Hange opened her eyes again, she was back at Levi’s manor. She stared at him, her eyes filling with tears.

“Levi!” she pressed her face into his shoulder. “Why are those people so cruel? They’ve burnt my house, destroyed my books and everything I’ve owed. And Philip!” Hange’s sobs grew louder. “Oh my dear, darling Philip, they’ve probably have killed him!”

“Calm down, Hange,” Levi sighed, patting her hair. “As much as it pains me, but that beast has survived. He was actually the one, who told me that you were in trouble.”

As on cue, Philip ran out of his hiding place under Levi’s sofa and walked straight to Hange, rubbing her feet with his head.

“Philip!” Hange scooped the cat into her arms, pressing him close to her chest. “Oh my dear boy, I was so worried!” she kissed his head, and Levi was confident that the annoying creature was smirking at him, as he enjoyed Hange’s tight embrace. “And is it true that you’ve helped Levi save me? Oh, you’re my little hero,” she cooed. “What would I have done without you?”

“Oi!” Levi interrupted. “He wasn’t the one who actually saved your ass.”

“Oh, I know,” Hange smirked, leaning in and kissing Levi’s cheek. “You’re my hero, too. My adorable demon with shining wings!”

“Don’t push it, Hange.” Levi narrowed his eyes, wrapping his hands around her and giving her a proper kiss on the lips. Philip hissed in Hange’s hands, and she laughed, moving away from Levi.

“I don’t think he likes you that much,” she gazed at Levi, softly ruffling his hair.

“That feeling is more than mutual,” Levi grumbled in reply, closing his eyes and enjoying Hange’s gently touches.

“Levi?” Hange’s voice was troubled, and so Levi opened his eyes, looking at her worryingly. Hange was biting her lip, staring into the distance. “I had been thinking about your proposal… to leave this place. Is it still stands?”

“Whatever you wish,” he replied, taking her hand in his and squeezing. “Whenever you want to live, just say a word, and it’ll be done.”

“I don’t care where to live,” Hange shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll be happy, as long as you’re with me.”

“Doesn’t sound so bad,” Levi nodded, closing the distance between their faces once more and pressing his lips to Hange’s.

[voltrontranscript]

VLD S8E2: Shadows

Season 8 Episode 2: Shadows

Transcript by @dragonofyang

Summary: In a series of flashbacks, we learn about Honerva’s history with Lotor and Zarkon across the centuries. We follow her from the events of Season 6 until the present as she looks for Lotor, mixed in with flashbacks of Lotor’s childhood.

[Google Doc]

[Open on a flashback from Season 6, then Honerva transports away from Lotor and his generals to the bridge of the ship.]

Honerva (as Haggar): Commander Mar, the emperor has been taken. The Voltron Paladins have betrayed him. Track him down and return him to me.

Mar: Vrepit Sa.

[Scene change to Honerva in her alchemy chamber.]

Honerva (as Haggar): Have you any word from Commander Mar?

Macidus: Nothing, High Priestess. Communication with Commander Mar has been lost.

Honerva (as Haggar): What of Emperor Lotor’s whereabouts?

Macidus: Still unknown.

[Scene change to Honerva back on the bridge at the ruins of Daibazaal where Kova waits hidden in the debris, then transition to a flashback of Honerva with Zarkon while Kova watches.]

Zarkon: I don’t see anything. Can it be true? I am to be a father?

Honerva: Yes.

Zarkon: And you, my queen, will be the mother to the heir of the Galra throne.

Honerva: Yes. There is much to do. First, we must continue to harvest the quintessence. It will be needed for your son’s empire.

Zarkon: He will be the best of both our people.

[Flashback ends to return to Honerva at the bridge, this time with Kova at her side as they overlook Daibazaal.]

Honerva: I will find you, my son.

[Scene change to Honerva’s alchemy chamber once more.]

Macidus: High Priestess, I am sorry to disturb you.

Honerva (as Haggar): Have you located Emperor Lotor?

Macidus: We still have not been able to ascertain any information regarding Emperor Lotor, Commander Mar, or Voltron. It has been phoebs since Emperor Lotor disappeared. The empire is in a state of chaos. The Blade of Marmora still challenges. We need a strong leader. The druids look to you, High Priestess.

Honerva (as Haggar): Tell them to look elsewhere. The druids are but ash in the winds of infinity. Let them be led by someone of equal esteem.

Macidus: Priestess…

Honerva (as Haggar): Depart my presence.

[Flashback to Honerva and Zarkon in the royal bedchamber.]

Zarkon: What shall we name the boy?

Honerva: I was thinking a name that has deep Altean history. Lotarious.

Zarkon: Lotarious?

Honerva: He was one of the ancient Alteans believed to have established much of the foundation of the engineering that built our world.

Zarkon: Interesting. I was considering a name from mythology. Kaltor. But he did not build the worlds, he conquered them.

Honerva: Perhaps we can honor both traditions.

[Scene change back to the alchemy chamber, where Honerva kneels.]

Guard: High Priestess, apologies. I was ordered to notify you when Commander Mar returned.

Honerva (as Haggar): What happened to him?

Drick: I found him like this, near death.

Honerva (as Haggar): What does he know?

Drick: His vitals are weak. He has yet to regain consciousness. We may never find out what he knows.

Honerva (as Haggar): There may be a way. Leave. Do you have news of the emperor?

Mar: Yes. I located Lotor’s generals.

Honerva (as Haggar): Where are they?

Mar: They… they attacked me and took over my ship, leaving me stranded.

Honerva (as Haggar): And what of the emperor? And what of the emperor?

Mar: The generals said Emperor Lotor accessed the Quintessence Field.

Honerva (as Haggar): He pierced the veil.

Mar: But then Voltron attacked. The fight ended. There was an explosion. Lotor and Voltron perished.

Honerva (as Haggar): No… No. I must find him. Call forth the Kral Zera.

[Flashback to just after Zarkon and Honerva’s “deaths” in the rift.]

Honerva: Who… who are you?

Zarkon: You do not recognize your emperor?

Honerva: Who… am I?

Zarkon: Where am I?

Guard: Aboard your ship, sir.

Zarkon: Take us home.

Guard: I can’t, sir. Daibazaal has been destroyed.

Zarkon: Get a doctor to this room immediately.

Haggar: Excuse me, my empress. I just need to--what are you doing? I need you to let go of me. Please! Let go!

Guard: Haggar! Haggar, can you hear me? Haggar, answer me! Oh, no. Help! Send help now!

Honerva: Haggar…

[Flash forward to Honerva-as-Haggar laying in bed after Lotor’s birth.]

Doctor: Sire, the birth was difficult but successful. Your son is healthy and in good shape, though we seem to be getting some strange readings coming from him directly. Similar to those that, well, similar to those of the empress and yourself.

Medic: Your son, sire.

Zarkon: Take him away.

Medic: But--

Zarkon: I said take him away! And what of her?

Doctor: I’m sorry, sire. We have her under constant watch, but she remains in this state. She only seems to become aware when we administer her quintessence. I’m hopeful her condition will improve with time, but, sire, we’re going to have to face the fact that our quintessence supplies are finite. The empire cannot continue to run on what we have. And you and the empress… without it, you’ll--

Zarkon: Give me the room. Do you know who I am?

Haggar: You are emperor.

Zarkon: And you?

Haggar: Ha… Haggar?

Zarkon: Do you know of quintessence?

Haggar: Quintessence.

Zarkon: Can you find me quintessence?

Haggar: Yes, my emperor.

[Flash forward to Feyiv, where Galra ships gather for the next Kral Zera.]

Drick: I am lighting the flame. Bow now, and your allegiance will be remembered.

Galra Officer: My fleet would crush yours in an instant, raining fire and death upon you and your clansmen. What makes you think I would ever bow to you?

Drick: Because I have the witch’s favor.

Galra Officer: It matters not. Power rules absolute.

Drick: I invite you to challenge me once the ceremony has begun. A display of the witch’s magic will bolster my claim as nothing else could.

Second Galra Officer: The Archivist!

Galra Officer: And your witch is nowhere to be found.

Honerva: This flame represents Lotor, son of Zarkon, prince turned emperor, emperor that pierced the veil. And my Altean blood coursed through his veins, but the Galra Empire failed him. It was the Galra blood, deeply boiled in traditions of evil, that tainted him. Your ways weakened a god.

Drick: That treacherous witch!

Honerva: The empire is weak. And now, I will end it.

Galra Officer: What’s this?

[Flashback to the Galra Command Center’s throne room, where a young Lotor stands before his father with a Dayak.]

Zarkon: Dayak, update me on the prince’s progress.

Dayak: Yes, sire. Prince Lotor completed the Agotian Trials as you requested. He was successful, even though they were advanced for his age.

Zarkon: What else?

Dayak: His physical stature is below expectation for the blood lineage of the Galra royalty, but his tactical scores are the highest we’ve ever measured.

Lotor: All I do, I do in the name of Galra. Father, there’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask you.

Dayak: Greatest apologies, sire. This one should not be speaking out of place.

Zarkon: Proceed.

Lotor: I would like to know about my mother. Please, Father, what happened to her?

Zarkon: I will tell you this and no more. She was my only weakness, but now she is gone.

Lotor: What was her name? What was she like?

Zarkon: Enough.

Lotor: Please, Father, I must know who I come from.

Zarkon: I said enough! If you do not remove his impurities, then I will find a Dayak that can.

Dayak: He will be punished accordingly. We will sear him down to his inner fire so that he may burn the universe. Vrepit Sa!

[Flash forward to Honerva, returning to Daibazaal after the Kral Zera.]

Honerva: My son.

[Flash back to Zarkon’s throne room, with a preteen Lotor at his side.]

Guard: Sire, your audience is requested in the Kandar wing.

Lotor: Father, may I accompany you?

Zarkon: You will stay here.

Lotor: But I want to join you. I have learned much of our--

Zarkon: You are an insolent boy. You may be the prince, but I am your emperor.

Haggar: Do not touch him. He will hurt you.

Lotor: What is his name?

Haggar: He has no name.

Lotor: Then I shall name it. Your name will be…

Honerva: --only Kova.

Haggar: Kova. His name is Kova.

Lotor: This creature pleases me. It will be mine.

Haggar: My lord…

Lotor: You may be the high priestess, but I am your prince, and you will do as I say. Isn’t that right, Kova?

Haggar: Yes, my lord.

[Flash forward to Honerva arriving at the first Altean colony.]

Merla: What are you doing here? Answer me.

Honerva: I am Honerva of the planet Altea.

Merla: That is impossible. Altea was destroyed over ten thousand years ago.

Honerva: A powerful portent that is shared with the birth of my son, Lotor.

Merla: Lotor’s mother?

Honerva: Lotor is gone.

Merla: How did he die?

Honerva: Voltron. To all of you who believed in my son so justly, your faith will be rewarded. I have come here today to continue my son’s mission and for that, I need you all.

Luca: We are your humble servants as will be the members of our sister colony once we inform them of the news. Do you know of their whereabouts?

Honerva: Unfortunately, they have also fallen to the evils of Voltron. Voltron and the Galra will pay for what they have done. With your help, I will resurrect my son’s dream.

Merla: We pledge our allegiance to you, Honerva, mother of Lotor.

[Flash forward to Honerva’s ship flying toward the white hole that hides Oriande.]

Honerva: This ancient land was created through powerful magic. Alteans would travel here to learn the secrets of our race. We have a long and difficult road ahead of us, but our path is true.

Merla: We will do anything to bring Lotor back.

Honerva: I know.

Merla: The acolytes have worked tirelessly. The prototype is ready.

Honerva: Excellent work. Find me the most faithful amongst us.

Merla: Yes, my queen.

[Flashback to Lotor’s colony planet, where the Galra Command Center orbits as it’s constructed.]

Ven’tar: Are you nervous?

Lotor: No, Ven’tar. This is my chance to finally make a difference, to show my father what we are capable of.

Zarkon: Update me on your progress.

Lotor: Our quintessence yields are some of the highest in the empire, and we’ve been more efficient than any other. By working alongside the denizens of this planet, like Ven’tar here, we’ve outsourced--

Zarkon: You dare work with this pitiful race as if they are your equals?

Lotor: It is working. We have outpaced even the most generous projections.

Zarkon: The heir to the Galra throne should not sully our honor by working with his subjects!

Lotor: It is the way my mother’s people would have done things. You thought I couldn’t find out about my own mother? About her people? You thought you destroyed every remnant of Altea, but you cannot unless you destroy your own son, as well!

Zarkon: Enough! You are to crush this planet beneath your heel!

Lotor: Never!

Zarkon: Then I will!

Lotor: You wouldn’t. You can’t! Father, wait! No, please do not do this, Father. Do not make these people suffer for my actions.

Zarkon: It is already done.

Lotor: I will do as you ask. The people will serve the Galra. No… No!

Zarkon: You are hereby banished from the empire. Forced to live out the remainder of your days remembering your failure here.

Lotor: Have you nothing to say, witch? Surely even you can see the folly of your master’s actions.

[Flash forward to Honerva as Haggar on the bridge of her ship.]

Honerva (as Haggar): Commander Sendak.

Sendak: the Lions of Voltron have arrived as you suspected. Shall I capture them for you, High Priestess?

Honerva (as Haggar): No. Destroy them.

Sendak: Vrepit Sa.

Honerva: Voltron has been found. It is time to test our first Altean acolyte.

[Flash forward to Honerva standing before the Alteans, lined by mechs on either side.]

Honerva: Today, the light of the universe shines inside our most brave. The dream of life is realized through her actions. For Luca the first acolyte, we shine in Lotor’s bright luminescence!

Luca: Voltron will pay for what they have done.

Honerva: May the light guide you. Rise and avenge my son.

End.

[sablelab]

Covert Operations - Chapter 52

DISCLAIMER: This is a modern AU crossover story with Outlander and La Femme Nikita. LFN and its characters do not belong to me nor do those from Outlander.

SYNOPSIS: Later that afternoon an opportunity arises for Jamie and Claire’s to capture Madame Cheung unawares at her club where his team is on standby to put the profile into action.

The Madame Cheung storyline is nearing an end and there will be THREE more chapters that bring this arc to a conclusion.  My THANKS for reading my work in progress and I appreciate your support of my story in the plethora of so many talented writers. xox 

Chapters 1 - 51 can be found at …https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

  CHAPTER 52

  Later that afternoon James Fraser made his way to Madame Cheung’s new nightclub premises in Patpong. The street in which it was located was hardly recognizable in the daylight and was vastly different this time of day and it was hard to believe that it was the same one they had come down last night. There was nothing to distinguish this area as a red-light district in the day time.  There were no spruikers enticing people into their establishments, no night time hawkers bartering with people and certainly no neon lights advertising the night time entertainment available.  It was as if these businesses didn’t exist.  Instead a farmers’ market had been set up in the lane where its overhead covering provided much needed relief from the heat and humidity of the day. Locals mingled with tourists as they bought their fruit and vegetables from the produce stalls set up by the vendors selling their wares along the pavement. Jamie, however, moved determinedly through the throng of people as he walked towards the club at the end of the lane. On entering the building by the same side door as last night he was once again met by Mali, the petite Thai woman who had welcomed them the previous evening. Madame Cheung’s assistant cordially greeted him. “Ah ... Monsieur Le Comte ... we meet again. Madame is expecting you but she will be delayed for a short time and has asked that you be taken care of in the best possible way.” “Thank you.” “Please follow me.” They made their way slowly up the stairs until they came to the lounge and bar on the second floor. There were a few people gathered there and when Jamie glanced to the other end of the bar, he recognised the beautiful Thai girl with ebony hair who had been their escort last night standing between two Asian men. It appeared that these people were in the employ of Madame Cheung in some capacity more than likely body guards. They exchanged a nod in acknowledgement and Jamie watched as she spoke to one of the men who glanced over towards him. As Mali and Jamie approached the bar, she pointed to the end where the three people were gathered. “I’ll leave you here Monsieur Le Comte. Suchin and Chatu will look after anything that you need. Madame Cheung should be along presently.” When Mali left, Jamie ordered some green tea. As he poured and drank from the small oriental cup one of the Asian men approached him at the bar. Walking over he stood beside him and trailed his hand across Jamie's shoulder as he did so.  Although the gesture appeared friendly Jamie’s suspicions were raised by the presence of these men here at Madame Cheung’s premises at this time of the day.   “Sawatdee Khrap,” He said as they exchanged a greeting in Thai. “Sabai dee reu?” “Phoot Thai mai dai,” Jamie replied indicating the he did not speak the Thai language. “Kor thoad ... Ah ... Sorry Monsieur Le Comte I will speak English. My name is Chatu Shinawatra.  I am an associate of Madame Cheung’s.  Suchin was just talking about you. Madame said you would be here this afternoon. We are very happy that you have the opportunity to do business with us.” “Thank you.” “It is a pleasure to finally meet the Monsieur Le Comte that Madame has spoken about so admirably. But ... please enlighten me ... How did you meet my boss?” “She didn't tell you?” The man had a closed look on his face despite the friendly manner he presented.  There was a coldness behind his eyes that Jamie knew only too well.

“She did ... but I want you to tell me.”  He smiled at Jamie as if he was bantering in jest but in fact, he was deadly serious. The smile he exhibited didn’t reach his eyes. 

Jamie realised that the man was testing him as to his association with Madame Cheung and if he was indeed who he said he was. He had seen the likes of this man’s type many times and knew just how to thwart Chatu with his reply.

“Through my connection with Sun Yee Lok.” “He does a lot of business in Vietnam, doesn't he?” He asked trying to catch Jamie out if he did not have a legitimate connection with the triad’s Dragon Head. “He's never been to Vietnam. He works out of Hong Kong.” Jamie replied aware of his ploy as he returned a look equally as menacing. “Quite right,” he stated as if the standoff tension between them was nothing more than cautious banter. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As they were talking Suchin joined the two men at the bar. On seeing her approach Chatu Shinawatra stated, “Ah, Monsieur Le Comte, I believe you have met Madame’s assistant already.” “Yes we met last night.” With a nod of the head Jamie acknowledged her presence.

“Sa-wat-dee Monsieur.”  She smiled at him, but Suchin turned and spoke in quiet undertones to Chatu whispering in his ear. Looking up at Jamie he relayed what she’d said to him. “Monsieur Le Comte, Madame Cheung knows of your arrival but unfortunately she will be longer than she first anticipated.” “I see.  I hope it is nothing serious?”  Jamie asked wondering what it was that was causing a delay.

“No, she is caught up with paper work that is all.  There is nothing to be concerned about Monsieur Le Comte,” Suchin answered politely.  “She has asked if you could please wait, but if not, Madame will see you back at the house this evening.”

“Certainly. I am prepared to wait until she has concluded her business.”

“Good ... Madame will be pleased. I will relay your message.” Stumbling forward in order to thank her, Jamie accidentally spilt some of his drink on the woman. “Je suis vraiment désolé, “he mumbled in French then repeated in English.  “I’m so sorry ... my apologies.”

While their attention was diverted by his clumsiness, Jamie took the opportunity to scatter minuscule tracking devices onto the floor one of the many small stalking tools Murtagh had given him that would stick to the shoes of unsuspecting victims.  

“No problem Monsieur Le Comte,” she replied brushing at her wet clothing where the tea had spilt. “I will let Madame Cheung know of your decision.”

Upon leaving the bar to go downstairs to talk with her boss, Suchin walked through the tiny self-adhesive gizmos that Jamie had dropped onto the floor would invariably be instrumental in tracing her whereabouts and the location and number of hostiles that may also be there. Clandestinely, he watched her descend the stairs knowing that back at Section One Fergus was tracking her every move.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In true Section mode, Fergus and Operations were indeed listening in on the conversation as Jamie and the Thai talked while waiting for the right moment to give the word to commence sequencing. Once Jamie had tagged the gofer and the devices attached to her shoes, Fergus was able to monitor her exact movements and he immediately set the wheels in motion. "Jamie’s tagged Madame Cheung’s assistant sir. She's heading in." “Good ... keep me informed.” The tags on her shoes gave Fergus all the information Section needed. He watched her movements on his computer screen tracking Suchin as she crossed the room below and entered a guarded hallway. Heat thermals appeared on his monitor as the woman joined Madame Cheung in her office. Looking at his computer screen he relayed the Intel to Operations. “Here we go.” “Fergus, what does your sat-thermo say?” “Thermo is hot. It looks like Madame Cheung’s got two bodies with her. Small ..., probably female. Right inside the door there's four more ..., larger ..., probably bodyguards.” “And Madame Cheung’s egress?” “Only one way out.” “Good. Download the game plan to the onsite ops.” “It’s done sir.” “Start sequencing.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Two of Madame Cheung’s girls had been watching the handsome stranger at the bar and once Suchin had disappeared downstairs they seized their opportunity to make his acquaintance. The winsome, beautifully attired women approached him and joined Jamie as he waited for Teams One and Two to get on mark. “Is there anything we can do for you?” One of the girls remarked capturing Jamie’s eye. “Two for one. Very good price,” replied the other vying for his attention also. The first woman started to flirt with Jamie brushing up against his side provocatively. “We will show you a very good time,” she whispered in his ear. Jamie in turn leaned closer to her in reply ignoring Chatu Shinawatra who was still standing next to him. Downstairs, Claire, Geillis Duncan and Rupert Mackenzie quietly headed for the guarded hallway that led to Madame Cheung’s office. As the women occupied Jamie’s attention Chatu glanced around. He saw trouble walk in the door as armed Section One operatives came up the stairs.  Abernathy’s team members were poised to make an assault on any hostiles in this room upstairs.  Realising that something was amiss, Chatu was about to raise the alarm, but was unable to do so, and when he attempted to grab for his gun, Jamie casually whipped out his hand snapping him in the throat throttling him, all the while giving his undivided attention to the woman beside him. Before he knew what had happened Chatu bent over gasping for air then dropped to the floor unconscious as   Abernathy took out the other target who was about to fire his weapon.  

With their backs to the action, the Thai women were oblivious to any ruckus and continued to flirt with the handsome man at the bar. “We can show you a very good time,” they purred in unison.

"Jamie ... Thirty seconds." “Sorry ladies but some other time perhaps,” he stated as he left the two despondent women standing at the bar pondering what might have been and joined his team downstairs before they even had time to realise what was going on behind them. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ When First team got to the hallway entrance, they took cover and pulled out their weapons. In front of Jamie was a lone guard. Signalling his intentions to the other operatives to follow he entered the corridor. Caught off guard by the appearance of unauthorised assailants who had surprised him with their stealth, the guard had tried to fire his gun but was quickly taken out before he could raise a whimper. As Jamie slipped down the hallway towards Madame Cheung’s inner sanctum, they took care of two more of her other bodyguards who had wandered into the passageway. Meanwhile, more of her guards descended from an adjoining corridor and from her office to investigate the commotion. On seeing several black clad attackers, the guards started shooting at anything that moved. “We’ve got shooters, everybody down.” Ricocheting bullets went flying every which way. The operatives immediately took cover from the melee then returned fire. The guards continued shooting and a hail of bullets was rapidly exchanged. Unfortunately, in the crossfire, Rupert Mackenzie was winged by a wayward shot to his shoulder. “Are ye all right?” Jamie asked. He slumped down the wall holding his arm as sticky, wet blood oozed through his fingers. “I’m fine,” Mackenzie replied taking his hand away from his wound. “Nothing too serious it’s just a superficial wound. I can still function.” “Good.” Madame Cheung’s bodyguards were dogged in their defence of their employer and they held the operatives at bay for a while. Nevertheless, the tenacity, quick thinking and precision accuracy of the team overpowered them and systematically all of her men were taken out of play. “All clear Fergus,” Jamie declared knowing that their main target Madame Cheung was now their main objective and within reach. “Proceed with Phase 2 Jamie.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James Fraser continued down the winding corridor then stopped next to the closed door of Madame Cheung’s office. Pulling his gun out, he checked the ammo clip, reloaded his firearm and leant against the wall for a brief moment before bursting through the door with his weapon poised at the ready. Madame Cheung’s two assistants, Mali and Suchin were cowering on the floor in fright with their hands covering their heads. Jamie ignored them as he quickly glanced around the room to ascertain the situation. Unfortunately, it was not as he would like. “Fergus she’s not here.” Turning to the two frightened women he demanded, “Where is she?” “We ... don’t ... know,” the women fearfully replied as they huddled together on the floor terrified that he would hurt them. This menacing man was the complete opposite of Monsieur Le Comte who had walked into the club not so long ago. It was hard for them to comprehend the change in his demeanour. “Yes you do!” Jamie repeated more forcibly. “There must be some secret wall panel in her office.” Fergus interrupted in his comm. unit. Turning away from the two women, Jamie ran his gloved hand over the book case behind Madame Cheung’s desk searching for the mechanism that would open a hidden panel in the wall. Finding none, he walked over to the furthest bookcase. “Jamie, we’re running out of time. Madame Cheung will be long gone by now.” However, Operations interjected ordering, “Continue to search.” Pulling a homing device from his pocket, Jamie continued to search, and ran the device over the books along each shelf. The two women watched terrified that Monsieur Le Comte may discover the secret getaway button that Madame Cheung only used in cases of emergency and if he did, then what would happen to them. Suchin and Mali began to panic as they knew he was getting closer to discovering the secret passage, but they were too frightened to do anything but cower on the floor. Casting a terrified glance towards each other uncertain of their fate they huddled even closer together. “You've got to get out of there Jamie.” Fergus relayed. Jamie ignored Fergus’s warning and Operations outburst, and continued to search for the secret passageway anyway. Although he heard another commotion going on outside, he quickly scanned the lower shelves meticulously running his device over the surface once more. A red light soon lit up indicating that the secret opening was located in the book case. “I’ve found it.” “Good ... Proceed!” Haphazardly pulling out books from the shelves the hidden button was eventually revealed. Jamie depressed it and the bookcase rotated revealing a secret door that opened to some stairs and an alleyway at the back of the building. He made his way through the opening just as Geillis, Rupert and Claire, joined him. Making their way through the secret door, together they all headed in the direction of the alleyway and into the bright afternoon sunlight in pursuit of their elusive target Madame Cheung who had managed to escape the pandemonium that had ensued at her establishment.  

 Madame Cheung was convinced that she had outwitted any assailants who might try and find a way to follow her given that she had escaped through a secret passageway.  Any attempt would be hindered by this very fact and thus would give her crucial time to disappear into a crowd of people and become incognito.

However, little did she realise that the very individuals she had trusted were now hot on her tail.

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* to be continued

Sawatdee Khrap – hello spoken by a male

“Sabai dee reu? – How are you

Pood Thai Mai Dai - I cannot speak Thai

Kor thoad - sorry/excuse me

Sa-wat-dee - hello

[greyias]

FIC: Traditions

Title: Traditions Summary: It had been the fourth time that the Alliance’s commander had seemingly disappeared from the base. Pairing: Theron Shan/f!Jedi Knight Genre: Mostly Fluff Word Count: ~4600 Author’s Notes: Just some lighthearted fluff I found myself needing to write in between the angsty pieces that keep trying to turn into epics.

Crossposted to AO3

He finally found her above the military hanger on the outcropping overlooking the clearing where the Defender was parked. It had been the fourth time that the Alliance's commander had seemingly disappeared from the base. The previous three times Theron had contacted her by the comm, and she'd eventually made her reappearance after being summoned. He could have done the same this time, but his curiosity was piqued. He had spent the past hour asking various personnel the last direction they'd seen the Alliance's commander heading in, and followed the mismatched directions like a treasure hunter following a badly written starmap. It was probably the most inelegant game of hide and seek ever conducted, but Theron wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

She stood poised near the rocky ledge, and either didn't notice his approach or was too focused on her task to pay him any mind. She was barefoot, the toes of one foot digging into the loose, rocky soil as the other was drawn up, balanced against her knee. Her palms were pressed together, fingers woven together in front of her as she balanced on the one foot, unmoved by the mountain breeze rushing past her and tossing her blonde hair up into the air. She had foregone her usual bulky, ornate armor, opting for a simpler, more relaxed set of vestments he'd spied her wearing during a few sparring sessions. The wrappings showed a small sliver of skin, which sent more of a rush of heat through him than he'd like to admit to.

Subconsciously he softened his footsteps, footfalls hardly making a noise as he approached. It wasn't exactly sneaking up on her, as that would be possibly unwise with someone who could be quite as deadly as her when she put her mind to it. Not that she usually put across those airs to most of those around her. There was more of a quiet serenity about her that he was hesitant to disturb. He was still a few meters away when she finally spoke.

"Hello, Theron."

Chagrinned, he flashed her back a sheepish smile. "Heard me coming?"

"In a way." She didn't break her stance, and her voice was quiet, as if coming from a far off place. It was possible that she had felt his approach more than heard it. He had a feeling that whatever she was up to had more to do with attuning to the Force than simply enjoying the fresh mountain air.

 "It's a nice view," he mused as he came up by her side.

"Mmhmm," she said noncommittally, but as he spied a little closer, he could see that she had her eyes closed, concentrating on something else other than the valley and vistas beyond. 

"So this is where you've been getting off to," he kept his tone light, "was starting to wonder if you had dug out some secret tunnel back when you guys were constructing the base."

"That would just be silly. Not to mention architecturally unsound."

"Well, you wouldn't want to offend the engineers. They're a touchy folk."

"Did you need something, Theron?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "Nothing that can't wait a few more minutes."

"Do you always walk so far for things that can wait?"

The beginnings of a smirk quirked at the edge of his mouth. "Well, I didn't want to disturb you over something minor."

Her serene composure started to crack, brow furrowing ever so slightly in consternation. It was clear she was still trying to concentrate on whatever she was doing, despite his continued efforts to lure her into conversation. He should have probably just have returned back to base after satisfying his curiosity about her whereabouts — but restraint wasn't exactly one of his strong points. Especially where this little blonde Jedi was concerned.

"Can I ask what you're doing?"

"Meditating. Or attempting to."

"Attempting?"

"I was doing better before things got noisy up here."

"A true master can tune out all distractions."

Her brow creased into a full frown, lips pressing into a thin line as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Some distractions are louder and more persistent than others."

"If you say so." Out of habit he hid his grin behind his hand, before realizing that with her eyes firmly shut she couldn't see it. "I guess I should have been more specific. Why are you meditating out here? And not the Enclave?"

She let out another deep breath, this one bordering on a sigh. "It's quiet out here — or used to be." That was clearly directed at him.

"Sana-Rae never struck me as the loud type. Or are you trying to tell me you guys throw secret Force raves when the rest of us aren't looking?"

Her lip twitched, clearly trying to suppress whatever reaction he was engendering. Whenever she found that modicum of calm she was so desperately trying to project she spoke again. "It's quieter here. Both in sound and people."

"Is that a subtle hint for me to make my exit?"

She remained quiet for several more long moments before responding. "No, it's fine. I just... sometimes like to come out here when it gets hectic.  Clear my mind, ground myself and reconnect to the Force."

"And you need to be barefoot to do this?"

"It's a Togruta tradition," she said simply, as if that explained everything.

"Yes, of course."

She apparently picked up on the not-so-subtly disguised sarcasm in his tone, and added. "They believe that the land is spiritually connected to them. Wearing shoes cut themselves off from the their bond with the land—"

He leaned over into her space, miming into the air as if he was trying to grasp something invisible over her head. The slight crease in her forehead transformed into a full frown, and her balance wavered ever so slightly.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking for montrals."

That finally did it, and she cracked open an eye at him, deep frown marring the previously serene expression. She looked so incredibly irritated and grumpy he couldn't help himself, and leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her lips, hands ghosting down her sides to rest on her hips.

"You're being very distracting," she murmured against his mouth.

"You said I could stay."

"This is not what I had in mind."

"I'm improvising," he murmured back, and kissed her again, feeling her press into him as she rebalanced on both feet, arms looping around his neck and frown slowly melting away.

"You did that on purpose," she accused quietly as she broke away. Their was no venom in her tone, just a quiet resignation.

He didn't check the cheeky grin he flashed her. "Maybe a little."

She leaned into him, face burying into his chest as he let her rest all of her weight on him. "Why did you come looking for me?"

"You kept disappearing. I didn't know if something was wrong." After he said it, he realized that she probably was asking what Alliance business had prompted his search. He flashed her a sheepish look, but she was eyeing him in a curious way that made his chest tighten a little.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice soft, "I sometimes forget how long things were for you."

"That's not what I meant," he returned, absently brushing his thumb at the soft hairs at the base of her neck, "but... yeah, it was."

"What did you mean?"

"We kind of sprung all of this on you. Fighting Zakuul. The Alliance. Sometimes I worry it's asking too much."

A shadow of something passed across her face, as if maybe he had hit a little too close to the truth. He thought about pressing her, but experience had taught him that the best way to get her to open up was to not press. It was frustrating at times, but there was already too much on her shoulders. He wasn't going to force her to bear the burden of his impatience. When she was ready to discuss it, she'd come to him. At least he hoped she would.

So instead, he gave her an out in the form of a change of subject. "I don't recall Togruta footwear being a part of the Jedi syllabus. Then again, I didn't exactly have the normal Padawan experience."

She flashed him a grateful smile, apparently aware of what he was doing. "I didn't either."

"Look, just because you failed one meditation session doesn't mean you still weren't the star pupil of your creche."

Her eyebrow arched delicately. "You certainly have invented an interesting backstory for me."

"Well, I certainly can't imagine you as the bully of any group."

"I never was a part of any creche," she said, nose wrinkling. "With all that research you did on me back before Korriban, you're telling me you didn't look into my childhood?"

"No," he frowned, "it didn't seem relevant."

She let out a quiet huff of laughter as she rested her cheek against his chest. "And here I thought you were thorough."

"Most of the time I am." He thought about mentioning that he had gotten distracted by the redactions in her file, but seeing as they were from the time in her life she'd rather forget, he decided to let that slide. She was at least smiling right now. "I just seem to make exceptions for this one Jedi."

"Hm, I'll have to ask her for her secret."

"Let me know if she spills them for you," he said lightly. "I keep trying to figure out how to do that."

"You could always ask."

"Be straightforward?"

"You could try."

"All right, I suppose there's a first time for everything." He gave her a measuring look. "If you weren't a member of the Bergruutfa Clan, then what did happen?"

"After my parents were..." She trailed off, and he felt the muscles in her shoulders tense, her eyes getting a far away look in them. She shook her head after a moment, took a deep breath, and then let it out. "I was taken in by a Jedi Knight when I was young."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, "we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay. I'm not sure why I never mentioned it before," she said quietly. "His name was Thyos Dae. I guess you could say he raised me."

The name was vaguely familiar, but Theron couldn't immediately place it. Probably cropped up in the history books somewhere. "I'm going to guess that he was a Togruta?"

He felt her nod against his chest. "I didn't realize it at the time, but I think he was breaking a few rules teaching me instead of taking me to an enclave. It's kind of funny. He always seemed to be such a stickler for the rules."

"Yeah, things seem different when you're a kid," Theron mused, memories of Nagani Zho surfacing, "but I guess he had his reasons."

"Maybe." Her shoulders shrugged lightly under his hands. "We traveled a lot at the time. The first war was still going on, at least for the first few years."

Theron nodded, remembering his own youth, much of which had spent in the crowded interiors of starships zipping about the galaxy. Those memories ended abruptly at the end of the war, when his path had taken a decidedly different turn than hers. A sudden chill ran down his spine, as he remembered exactly what had happened during the treaty that ended the war. "You weren't near Coruscant during the Sacking, were you?"

"No, but I... felt it. I think all of us Jedi did." She lifted her head from where it had been resting, eyes searching his face for something. "Were you there?"

He shook his head. "I was in the Outer Rim. Master Zho said that the Force had called him elsewhere. That was... the end of my training."

A frown creased her forehead. "What? He left?"

Theron pressed his lips together, the usual sour feeling that settled in his gut when he thought of his time on Haashimut was chased away by a light warmth brought on by her mildly indignant expression. Her disapproval at Nagani Zho's decision to leave Theron behind was written on her face. Without even realizing it, he was already pressing a soft kiss to her forehead to ease away the frown. "It's in the past."

"But..."

"He and I made our peace with it," he assured her.

One brow delicately arched ever so slightly told him that she may not have quite believed that. He really didn't want to get into all of the events that happened in the Vesla Sector with Darth Mehkis. Even all these years later, he still felt the loss of the man who raised him keenly. He supposed he always would, people tended to leave their mark on those around them whether they realized it or not.

"So Orgus Din wasn't your only master?" he asked, tone possibly a little too light as he tried to redirect the subject.

She shook her head. "I had a few over the years before Master Orgus. I was with Master Dae the longest."

That far off look had returned to her eye, making him wonder exactly what he had missed by not digging further into her past when he'd had the resources at his hands. Sure, he could just ask right now, but like with whatever was weighing on her mind about the Alliance, he suspected it wasn't something she was ready to share yet. She readily accepted the boundaries he set on his own past, it was only fair that he do the same for her.

Even if she had lit the fires of his curiosity.

"We traveled a lot," she continued after a long pause, "I stayed on the ship most of the time when we would dock planetside, at least while the war was still going on. But before we left, we always tried to sneak in one meditation session."

"You couldn't do that on the ship?"

"We did," she flashed him a slightly impatient look, as if he was slow to catch on, "but it's different, surrounded by metal and hyperspace. There's so much more life on each planet."

"There's life in the dirt?" he asked disbelievingly.

"More than you'd think."

"I'll have to take your word for it."

"You don't have to. I could teach you how," the offer was quiet, as if she wasn't sure she should have been saying those words, "if you want."

There was about a hundred things that Theron would like more than spending his time on than digging his toes into the hard rocky soil beneath their feet, and caking layer upon layer of dirt under his toenails as he pretended to "connect" with his surroundings. But as she stared at him with that hesitant, but slightly expectant expression he couldn't think of any of them. As closed off as she was about her past, she was willing to share this piece of it with him.

"I think I'd like that," he said, and the brilliant smile that lit up her face told him that had been the right response.

Without a word she tapped his boots with one of her bare feet, knocking a little dirt on it.  She flushed slightly, but they had seen far worse on their best days. He flashed her a smirk all the same which caused her cheeks to redden further, but obliged the silent request by slipping his boots and socks off so that he was mirroring her state of partial undress. When he quirked an eyebrow at her in expectation, she motioned for him to turn around and take up the spot where she had been standing. He followed her silent direction, his larger footprint obscuring the deep impressions she'd already made in the ground.

"All right," she said softly, "first close your eyes and concentrate."

He followed her instructions, and took a deep breath, before letting it out. If he concentrated, he could feel the sensation of dirt pressing between his toes. He could hear the distant chirps and growls of the Odessen wildlife. He could feel the soft mountain breeze as it caressed his face. But those were all sensations that he was easily aware of both wearing footwear and with an eye on the horizon. Nearly forgotten words echoed in his mind, Nagani Zho's final frustrated lesson—

"There is stillness. Yet like ice on the surface of a lake, the stillness only conceals movement. Feel the wind stirring the dust. Smell the water flowing through..."

But he couldn't feel the wind stirring the dust. He could only feel it gently tease the sweat dotted at his temples. The Force could have flowed through every fiber of his being, and lit up every dark corner of the galaxy. He was still as blind to it as the day he was born, and no amount of stripping down or communing with earthworms was going to change that. He'd always be blind, deaf, and dumb when it came to the larger universe. 

His frustration must have shown, because he heard her let out a small noise of disappointment, before he felt a hand lightly rest on his shoulder. "Take a deep breath, and think less. Just focus on what you can feel."

This was an exercise in pointlessness, but he could at least pretend to follow her instructions. It didn't hurt for him to look like he was trying, and if he gave up in frustration he had a feeling it would probably hurt her feelings more than if he failed after trying. Besides, the point of this wasn't for him to magically become a Jedi Knight and start throwing things around with the Force. It was her sharing something deep and personal for her, even if he didn't quite get it. So he took another deep breath, and just focused on the ground beneath his feet.

It was cold, but was starting to warm ever so slightly the longer he stood there. As they were in the shade the morning dew hadn't completely dried, and the damp granules seemed form a deep trench under his weight. Small pebbles littered the soil, sharp and unworn by the elements. His large toe brushed across the rough edge of one that had been disturbed the deeper his feet dug into the ground.

"What do you feel?"

He almost said something about the long shower he was going to take when he got back to his quarters, but stopped himself. "Dirt?"

"Anything else?"

"There's a nice breeze today."

"There is," she admitted. "Anything else?"

"Not really. Should I be trying to strike an acrobatic pose?" He attempted to mimic the pose she had been trying to maintain when he had found her, but didn't really have his feet set right so he wavered slightly. "Does that help somehow?"

She let out a soft huff of laughter, and he felt her arms circle around his waist to balance him. "That's for when you're trying to achieve balance."

It was a credit to his long training as a spy that he didn't laugh at the absurdity of that. "What are we trying to do here?"

"Let's just focus on connection for now," she said, pressing in close. Her chest rested into the curve of his back so that he could feel every breath she took. "Let me help. For now, just concentrate."

That suddenly became a much taller order than it had been a minute ago, as her close proximity sent a thrill from his spine straight down to his nether regions. He pursed his lips, trying to focus on everything but the feel of her breath tickling against his ear, and the way her palms slid across his arms as she readjusted his stance.

"Just focus on breathing," her words were barely a whisper, but sent a shiver through him all the same, "and open your mind to what you feel."

He nodded ever so slightly, knowing with her close proximity she'd feel the affirmative. Instead of the environment around him, he turned his attention to the person with him. He decided to just focus on the deep, calming breaths she took in, unconsciously mimicking her actions until they almost breathed in and out as one. He focused on the feeling of her palm pressed into his, on the light breaths puffing against his neck. He focused on the way she molded against him perfectly, like two halves of one whole.

And as he focused on that, perhaps it was just his imagination, but for just the briefest moments, despite the fact that he had his eyes closed he could have sworn that he saw the most brilliant burst of light, like every sunrise he had ever seen had been rolled up into one beautiful kaleidoscope of sensation. He grasped onto that moment, trying to stretch it out as long as humanly possible, not wanting to let the warmth and light fade.

He wasn't sure how long it was, but at some point he opened his eyes, feeling her weight press into him from behind, as if she was taking a rest after a particularly taxing kata. He gently took a hold of her hands, intertwining their fingers together as she let her head rest against him, feeling the dotting of perspiration on her forehead as it rested against the sensitive skin on the back of his neck.

It felt wrong somehow to break the silence, but the fleeting sensation of that brilliance he'd experienced hadn't quite faded away. "Is it always like that?"

"No." He felt the smile press into one of his shoulder blades. "I... may have been trying a little too hard to help."

"I like your help."

The corners of her lips drew up into what he assumed must have been a beatific expression. "Did you feel something other than dirt?"

He had no idea if it had been wishful thinking, his imagination, or something else entirely, but that brief moment was burned into the back of his mind. "I think so."

Her lips twitched against his neck, as if she were trying to suppress a wider smile. "Good."

He gently readjusted his position so that they were facing each other, and her cheek once again rested against his chest, and he had looped his arms under hers so he could take her weight on. He had a feeling she wasn't so much tired as just settling into the moment, but he didn't mind it one bit.

"Thank you," he wanted to say for what, but those words didn't quite form. How could a blind man describe a sunrise to an artist? Anything he could say wouldn't do justice to the tight ball of feeling in his chest.

She nodded quietly, as if she knew those words anyway, without him needing to say them. "Sometimes I wish we had more moments like this. Is that selfish?"

"No." The response was immediate, instinctual. She tucked her head under his chin, the soft hairs that had escaped her ponytail tickling against his sternum, and the tightness in his chest eased some. "There has to be something in between all the action."

"I thought you lived for that."

"Used to." He took in a deep breath, feeling the weight of her chest press against his, and then let it out. "Didn't have the moments in between like I do now."

Her head rustled against his chest, as if she was nodding ever-so-slightly. "Me neither... at least not quite in the same way."

Theron wondered exactly what downtime had looked like with her and the previous crew of the Defender. At least before they had been scattered amongst the stars after her disappearance and Zakuul's conquest of the galaxy. Was the companionship as quiet and calm as they shared now, or had it been more boisterous and lively? But perhaps, he realized, that time her life was something unique. Her old crew had made its mark on her just as Nagani Zho left his on Theron.

His fingers found a bare patch of skin between her vestments, feeling the tight coiling of the muscles beneath, and gently kneaded the knots there. That time before Zakuul, before all of this, that was something he couldn't replicate, no matter how much he wanted to try and give her back something of what she had lost. All he could do was offer was what he could in the now.

"I get it, though."

"Hmm?"

"Needing a break," he said quietly. "The galaxy seems to be throwing a lot our way."

"A Jedi doesn't—"

He cut off the familiar retort before she could even get into her normal stride. "There's nothing wrong with needing a little time to yourself."

She didn't respond, but he felt the annoyed exhale of breath at being interrupted.

"I've got your back, you know that right?"

"Of course." The reply came out fond, if a little exasperated. As if he had been asking if she needed oxygen to breath.

"Then if you need a few minutes, a few hours, a few days... hell, weeks or months, just let me know. I'll make it happen."

"Theron..."

"No, I told you I'd take care of things, I meant that. If you need a break from the responsibility, the Alliance, even me, just say so. I've got you covered. No questions asked."

"Why would I need a break from you?"

"I don't know," he said as lightly as he could manage, "but... I'd hate for you to feel like you need to—disappear—I mean, drop off the radar for any reason. Lana and I can hold down the fort for a little while if you need a breather."

She pushed away from where she had been reclining against him, the soft pressure of her pushing her hand into his chest pulling his attention down to her searching gaze. "I'm not going to just leave you holding the bag on your own."

"Hey, I can handle things on my own," he met her gaze evenly, "at least I can if I know you're all right."

Her eyes darted from his, searching out a distant point beyond his shoulder. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"I know," he ran his fingers through the bangs flopping on her forehead, "and I try not to. It's... I just got you back."

"I don't plan on going anywhere."

He managed the barest ghost of a smile for her. "Offer still stands, despite that. Just... please let me know if you need a little time?"

He hated the pleading note in his tone, but it was impossible to keep out completely. Just like it was impossible to describe that brief moment they'd shared, it was as equally difficult to communicate the suffocating feeling that overtook him when he couldn't confirm that she was still here, still real. He wasn't even sure it was fair for him to let her know that. So he held it in, hoping he could convey some small measure of what he was feeling.

One of her hands cupped his cheek, pulling his focus down to those wide blue eyes. "I will. I promise."

He should have said something suave, something that would have distracted her from how close she had managed to dig in with that simple acknowledgement. But that was as impossible as finding the words that often escaped him. So instead, he just dipped down to capture her lips again in an attempt to communicate what he couldn't say.

And as brief as it was, he could almost have sworn he'd found another sunrise in that small moment.

[thefeedpost]

Infants Wodumo a no-show at press rundown, as family members share gratefulness to SA for assistance

2019-03-05 10:01

Babes Wodumo (Photo: Gallo)

PRESS BRIEFING SUMMARY: 11:15

Cape Town – Babes’ Wodumo’s family have expressed their gratitude to the South African people, law enforcement and medical staff for their support on Tuesday. 

Expected to start at 10:00, Babes’ family only arrived at 11:00 and the briefing started shortly thereafter.

Babes was not present at the press briefing, instead her mother and father addressed the public. 

According to her father, Reverend Welcome Simelane, the matter has been formally reported at the Westville police department. 

He also added that Babes will continue working in the entertainment industry, and urged South Africans to support victims of domestic abuse and to not pass judgement. 

The family would not take any questions from the media. 

Cape Town – Gqom musician Bongekile Simelane, popularly known as Babes Wodumo, was expected to brief the media on Tuesday after allegedly being assaulted by her long-term boyfriend, Mandla Maphumulo (Mampintsha).

This comes after video footage of a man, who appears to be musician Mampintsha, assaulting a woman, who appears to be Babes Wodumo, surfaced on social media on Monday. 

Speaking to The Juice following the release of viral video, Babes Wodumo’s sister Nonduh Simelane confirmed the authenticity of the viral video, saying: “It is very, very real.”

ALSO READ: Official statement released via Babes Wodumo’s Twitter account: ‘She is still emotional about the situation’

When asked about Babes’ well-being, she said: “She is doing okay, she is resting and she is safe.”

According to Nonduh, Mampintsha has disappeared and his current whereabouts are still unknown.

Babes will break her silence and address the public at the media briefing. 

ALSO READ: The latest on Babes Wodumo and Mampintsha’s alleged viral abuse video

WATCH LIVE HERE: 

The post Infants Wodumo a no-show at press rundown, as family members share gratefulness to SA for assistance appeared first on TheFeedPost.

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[krrw2020]

'Yolanda' survivor who served Pope now a priest himself

DUMAGUETE CITY -- It’s not every day that one gets to meet up close and personal the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, more popularly known as the Pope. For this young man in his mid-20s at the time, Alvin Villaflores, then a seminarian studying Theology in Palo, Leyte, it was more than a dream come true.

In fact, never in his wildest dreams did he expect to meet and to serve Pope Francis, a man whom he describes as “holy” and “saintly” that it was like meeting Jesus in person.

The now 29-year-old Villaflores, who hails from Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, was recently ordained as a priest. In an interview a day after, he recalled two of the most unforgettable experiences in his life that have touched him to the core, inspiring him to become a “good and holy priest”.

After finishing Bachelor of Science in Philosophy at the St. Joseph Seminary College of the Diocese of Dumaguete in March 2012, Villaflores was one of two seminarians – the first from here - who proceeded to study at the St. John The Evangelist School of Theology in Palo, Leyte.

Although he had other choices such as in Cebu City, he chose to study in Palo because the former prelate of the Diocese of Dumaguete, John Du, D.D., was also transferred there to become the next archbishop of the Archdiocese of Palo.

It took awhile, he said, for him to adjust to the new environment, language barrier, and the local culture, and later, he was “left alone” because the other seminarian from Negros Oriental decided to leave the seminary.

Near-death experience with Yolanda

Despite being alone, Villaflores continued his Theology studies, and during his 2nd year, on that fateful 8th of November, 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan), one of the strongest and biggest storms ever recorded, pummeled Eastern Visayas, putting his faith to the test.

“Abi nako mao na to ang akong katapusan. Abi nako at the time mamatay nako. (I thought that was my last. I thought I was going to die),” the young priest recalled.

He said he and other theologians who were staying at their formation house in the seminary compound, were literally caught “flat-footed” and were not prepared for Yolanda’s wrath.

“Actually, gi-under estimate namo ang Yolanda. No one informed us to evacuate so we stayed at the seminary,” he said.

They also did not expect the worse, such as flooding inside the one-story formation house where they got stuck for several hours at the height of the super typhoon’s onslaught.

On the eve of November 8, 2013, the theologians stayed put at the formation house but by daybreak, 'Yolanda" came barreling through Eastern Visayas. The super typhoon made its first landfall in Guian, Samar and passed by nearby areas including Palo, Leyte, as it continued to plow across several islands, making four other landfalls and leaving catastrophic destruction in its path.

According to Villaflores, by 7 a.m. that day, as Yolanda unleashed its fury with strong winds and heavy rains, he and other theologians decided to leave the formation house, whose roof was already swept away, and scuttled over to the chapel nearby where they sought shelter.

But it was impossible for them to cross over, “kay paliron na mi sa hangin (the wind will blow us away)” and the chapel’s roof was also already gone.

They decided to stay inside the formation house instead, grabbing hold of blankets and other items that would keep them “fastened” together as they stayed in one room and later lined up in the corridor.

The floodwaters that flowed through the house started to rise and as hours went by, the water rose up to their necks.

“Kadto nga time, natulala na ko ug ingun ko mao na siguro ni akong katapusan. Ni ingun ko sa Ginoo na ikaw na ang bahala (at the time, I was already dumbfounded and thought my life has come to an end. I told God, 'it’s up to you now'),” he said.

Many priests thought that the theologians all perished in the flood because they could see from another part of the seminary compound that the formation house was already filled with floodwater and nobody could come and rescue them, he added.

They struggled to stay alive, even doing a headcount from time to time to make sure nobody got separated, or worse, drowned.

Fr. Villaflores said he disengaged briefly from the group to swim towards his room to retrieve his wallet that had some cash and more importantly, his identification cards.

“Akong kuhaon akong wallet kay naa akong ID didto aron kung mamatay man gani ko, mailhan ko sa akong mga ginikanan (I wanted to get my wallet with ID so that in the event I perished, my parents would be able to recognize me),” the priest explained.

With no breakfast and lunch and no water to drink, Villaflores and about 40 other theologians held on until the floodwaters started to subside. By around 2 p.m. the water was knee-deep.  

Faith put to the test

As soon as they deemed it safe to get out, the young priest said they immediately buckled down to work to rescue their neighbors after seeing many of them trapped inside their homes.

They took the survivors to the nearby retirement home for priests, which was not damaged by the typhoon.

But a heart-breaking and heart-changing experience met him that day, which put his faith to a test again.

“Ang pinakasakit nga akong na experience gud kana bang una nga nitugdon ning bata nga walay kinabuhi (my most painful experience was the first person that landed in my arms was a lifeless child, a girl of about three years old),” he recalled uneasily during the interview.

According to him, he wanted to scream and his heart was crushed, but silently, he asked: “Lord, as man ka?”

“Inosenteng bata imong gikuha. Ako mismo usa ako ka makasasala apan gihatagan nimo ug chance nga mabuhi (An innocent child, you took. And here I am, a sinner, but you gave me a chance to live),” he recalled to have told God.

It was a very painful experience, he said. He struggled after that, losing hope and already entertaining thoughts of “not pursuing the priesthood, going on regency, transferring to another school,” Villaflores admitted.

The young girl who was unidentified, was separated from her parents and among those buried in the mass graves later.

Later on, in the seminary compound, they found so many dead people scattered all over. A neighbor lost 12 family members while all 10 family members of another neighbor perished, Villaflores said.

He stayed on for two weeks in Palo, helping out in rescue and relief operations until he finally found a chance to go home.

In the aftermath of Yolanda, telecommunications were down, there were no trips to and from Leyte, and his parents and relatives were frantically trying to locate him.

His mother had even gone to local radio stations and national television stations with branches here to find out if his name was included in the lists of the dead, missing, and survivors but there was no information at all about him that they could get.

During this time, he had the opportunity to reflect and was overcome with grief for doubting the love of God. He said he was able to bounce back and asked for forgiveness from the Lord, and realized that God was indeed present in the midst of the tragedy.

“Kay sa wala pa ang bagyo duna man gisibya sa mga tawo nga dili basta basta ang bagyo (before the storm, there were already advisories and warnings to the public about how devastating it would be),” he said.

As he regained strength, he continued to help out in rescue and relief operations, not feeling any fatigue at all, but was still worried about his parents who still did not know of his whereabouts.

Finally, a priest gave him a ticket to Cebu so he could return home to Tanjay City.

In Tacloban City, he said he borrowed the cellphone of a friend and inserted his SIM card, and a call came in from someone from his hometown who had been trying to reach him all this time.

He spent his Christmas break at home and by January, was awaiting word of when they could return to school. It was highly considered that they be distributed to other theology schools but eventually, all of them who survived the harrowing encounter with "Yolanda" returned to Palo.

In the succeeding months, Villaflores said his faith became stronger as they were assigned on “immersion” visits to typhoon-stricken areas.

Face to face with God

When the Vatican announced that Pope Francis was scheduled to visit the Philippines in January 2015 and had included Leyte in the Pontiff’s itinerary, Villaflores was among those picked as Pontifical servers.

Already in his third year in Theology then, Villaflores said his first assignment was to help distribute Holy Communion during the mass of Pope Francis, but things changed later, much to his surprise.

“Nag sige na mi ug practice unya ang liturgist sa Palo niingon nga ilisan ang altar and microphone servers kay puro tag.as (we were already practicing when suddenly the liturgist of Palo said the Pontifical servers had to be replaced),” because of their height that would obstruct the Pope.

It was clearly stated in the liturgy that the height of the Pontifical servers must not be more than that of the Pontiff, he added.

At first, Villaflores said, he was assigned as a candle bearer during the mass but when the liturgist from the Vatican saw him during the dry run, he was once again removed as a candle bearer and this time, was assigned to be the microphone bearer for the Pope.

“I was stunned. I could not believe it. Syempre, taga Dumaguete gud ko. Dili ko hatagan ug priority kung dili ang taga Palo (Of course, I’m from Dumaguete and so the priority would be for the seminarians from Palo),” he said.

He admitted, though, that he was grateful, overjoyed and overwhelmed to have the opportunity to serve because “Santo Papa gud na (he is none other than the Holy Father),” he went on to say.

And then came another surprise, the best of all, he said.

On the day of the Pope’s visit to Tacloban amid stormy weather, Alvin was preparing the altar table for the Pontiff’s mass when suddenly, their liturgist came up to him and told him to meet Pope Francis at the sacristy.

“I was told to bring two candles with me and to meet Pope Francis at the sacristy where he will be changing his vestments for the mass.”

“I was nervous but proceeded to the sacristy, and there, up close and personal, I met Pope Francis and kissed his ring,” Villaflores smilingly said.

“Lisod ma describe unsa akong gibati adto nga time (it’s difficult to describe how I felt then), happy kaau ko ug nitulo gani akong luha (I was so happy and my tears fell),” the young priest recalled.

During the entire celebration of the Holy Eucharist, he stood on the right side of the Pope, with all of them wearing yellow raincoats and drenched. That did not dampen his spirits as he held the microphone for the Holy Father.

“Nangurog ko siguro, pero sa katugnaw ug dili tungod ky naa ang Santo Papa (I must have shivered due to the cold, but not because I was in the presence of the Holy Father),” he shared.

Asked how he would describe Pope Francis, he said, “He is very simple. Iyang vestment nipis ug dili arte (his vestment was made of light material and not fancy)” and even his watch looked like an ordinary one.

Journey to the priesthood

The encounters with Yolanda and Pope Francis, he admitted, have played significant roles in his decision to enter the priesthood.

“Nakatabang kaau ug dako ang akong experience sa Yolanda (my experience with Yolanda has truly helped me),” he said.

The simplicity and humility of the Pope have had an influence on him.  “Makita gud nimo nga down to earth siya, pareho ba ni Jesus (and you can definitely see that he is down to earth, just like Jesus),” he said.

Last Sept. 18, Bishop Julito Cortes ordained Fr. Alvin Villaflores at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Dumaguete City.

The eldest of 10 children of Serafin Villaflores and Alice Fe Almendra had this to say of his recent ordination: “Please pray for me. All I want is to be a good, sincere, and holy priest.”

In response to the call of many for a “priest to go down to their level and understand them”, as what Bishop Cortes shared during his ordination, Villaflores said he is prepared to take on the challenge.

Coming also from a not-so-privileged family, he said he can relate to them after all. (PNA)

[grimhappenings-blog1]

The Twitter murder that wasn't what it seemed

In January 2016, a South African newspaper, The Star, reported the story of a brutal rape and murder of a young girl, by a group of men in Johannesburg. The horrific details described a tale that was disturbingly common in South Africa at the time. But this was slightly different. This never happened.

The Star Newspaper – Monday, 11th January 2016

The death of Kamo Peterson

The origin of the story was a series of tweets posted by Twitter user @JustKhuthi over the space of a few hours that received much attention and were retweeted and reposted hundreds of times.

1) I met @Kamo51702562 when I was 12, our mothers had met at some work function & developed a friendship almost immediately. She was 15.

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

Through seventy numbered posts, @JustKhuthi told of her close relationship with her childhood friend, Kamo Peterson, a young graduate who was on the verge of starting a professional tennis career.

15) December 30th, I landed in hospital for a condition I've been battling with. Kamo dropped all of her plans and ran to my aid.

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

The tweets went on to describe a night where Kamo was planning on going out for dinner with her father.

25) Her dad called me at around 9 in the evening, asking me if I knew where she was because she hadn't shown up for dinner.

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

Her friend and her father assume she is with her boyfriend, so they attempt to contact him to find out if he has any more information on her whereabouts.

28) That's when I ask Kamo's guy if he's with her. He says no, he thought she was with her dad. And the last time they spoke was around 6.

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

The concerned friend calls her mobile phone, which is answered by someone who found it in one part of Johannesburg, while her car has been tracked to another part of the city, approximately 45 minutes away.

35) Why is your phone in Centurion but your car is in Germiston when you were supposed to be in Sunnyside with dad? I'm worried now.

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

They follow the co-ordinates of her tracked car. The frantic story takes a more emotional turn.

36) First reaction when we found her car was to puke. I was paralysed with fear when I saw how battered it was. Where is she?

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

37) Windscreen & driver's window was smashed to pieces. Driver's seat was stained with blood. Her bags and wallet are still in the car.

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

Although her car was found, there was still no sign of Kamo. That was until…

45) They found her in Edenvale Hospital, barely alive. Someone found her next to the road somewhere in Germ, and called an ambulance.

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

The worst fears of Kamo’s friends and family were realised. Kamo Paterson had been assaulted so badly that she was barely hanging on to life.

54) These selfish men put a father in a position to switch off the machine of the only surviving member of his family.

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

The distraught tweets continued and brought the pain that @JustKhuthi was feeling to life.

69) I'm only 18, but I feel like I'm 43. I'm tired of being South African. Please be safe out there. We live in such a cruel world.

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

The tragic story resonated with many South Africans who retweeted the posts and sent messages of support. The #RIPKamo hashtag was posted hundreds of times, including by the government-run South African Department of Women.

The truth about Kamo

The one post that was mostly omitted was the last tweet before @JustKhuthi began her account of events.

Story time ..

— 21 Narcissist (@JustKhuthi) January 10, 2016

Twitter user @JustKhuthi is Khuthi Makananise, a fiction writer who wanted to bring attention to how she sees life in South Africa at the moment.

“It was just a story I read on the internet and it made me feel like I didn’t want to live in South Africa anymore, so I made up my own story to show people how bad it is to live in South Africa.” – Khuthi Makananise

This went unnoticed by South African newspaper The Star, who reported the story of Kamo as if it were real. This became the subject of ridicule as their editorial process and journalistic integrity was brought into disrepute by publishing a fake story.

Hi @leratombangeni how did you and your editor publish a fake story? No follow up, no finding family. #RIPKamo pic.twitter.com/Yq1oeYxOkL

— East God (@VuyoTheGreat) January 11, 2016

While some mocked the newspaper for being duped, others saw value in this work of fiction being so widely publicised.

Why do so many of you insist on missing the fact that the Kamo story was easily bought because it is COMPLETELY believable in this here SA?

— Wokus Pokus ? (@KopanoMashishi) January 11, 2016

The number of sexual assaults in South Africa for the years 2014-15 were reported by the police as being around 50,000, although campaigners believe the figure to be much higher.

Violence against women and children is real. Khuthi story may be fake but in reality there are many of #Kamo's out there.

— Department of Women (@Dept_of_Women) January 11, 2016

  The Twitter murder that wasn’t what it seemed was originally published on Grim Happenings

[cubaverdad]

Being Rich Is Banned in Cuba

Being Rich Is Banned in Cuba / Iván García Ivan Garcia, 8 June 2017 — The die is cast. At the special session of the National Assembly of People's Power held on May 31 and June 1 at the Palace of Conventions, delegates have, as expected, approved the economic plan for 2016 to 2021 and a national plan for economic and social development for 2030. Were it not so serious, it would seem like a sketch from the late night American comedy show "Saturday Night Live," especially since the parliamentary debates were more farcical than rational. Numerous "discussions" were televised. Not even Pánfilo — an elderly character created by the famous Cuban comedian Luis Silva and a man obsessed with his ration book — generates as many contradictions and absurdities. Committees made up of so-called peoples' representatives held debates, attempted to change one word in a paragraph, tweaked a concept and championed trivialities in order to justify two days of meetings in an air-conditioned facility where attendees were provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner along with breaks for coffee and mineral water. Mercenaries of a different kind. No parliamentarian asked the recently reappointed economics and planning minister, Marino Murillo, to specify just how much capital one would be allowed to accumulate in Cuba. In other words, how rich could one be? A few official reports offer some clues. The regime is already preparing a series of measures aimed at limiting or restricting the prosperity of citizens and small business owners. Lucio, an economist, believes that, "in addition to legal restrictions, they will issue repressive rulings and adopt tax provisions to curtail wealth. Those who accumulate certain sums of money that the government considers excessive will be subject to a severe fiscal knife. In the worst cases, they will face forfeiture or criminal sanctions. I see no other way to curtail the accumulation of capital." There is a dreadful incongruity to the new legislative stew. While the island's ruling military junta grants approval and legal status to private businesses, it also uses a range of prohibitions to limit their growth and to prevent them from prospering or making money. The island's chieftains are paralyzed by fear that the state will lose its control over society. They are worried that, as successful mid-size businesses grow, they will move large sums of money that could exceed a million dollars and create supply chains that will benefit society. Or that the owner of a restaurant will open two or three branches, expanding within the same city or into other provinces, and acquire a million dollars or more in funding through bank loans or other sources. Of course, if a private businessman plays his cards right, he will do well, even earning annual profits in the six figures. That is the basis of national economic growth. As long as they respect the law and pay their taxes, bring on successful private business ventures! But the government has a specific strategy. The only companies that may accumulate millions of dollars and enter into joint-ventures with foreign firms are state-owned enterprises. In other words, GAESA-style military-run conglomerates or others of the same ilk. It is the state playing with capitalism. I did not hear any voices in the boring, monotone Cuban parliament asking for explanations or details about how Gaviota and Rafin's multi-million dollar earnings would ultimately be used.* By 2020 Gaviota will operate 50,000 hotel rooms as well as marinas, golf courses and stores. Within the next ten years the military-run conglomerate will become the largest hotel group in the Americas yet the whereabouts of its revenues are unknown. Rafin, which according to sources is an acronym for Raúl and Fidel Investments, is an opaque corporation in a country with a planned economy that has never stated publicly what its sources of capital are. This mysterious company bought Telecom Italia's stake in a joint venture with the Cuban government that was intended to modernize the state-owned telecommunications monopoly ETECSA. Rafin is now the sole owner of ETECSA. What is it doing with its multi-million dollar profits? Are parliamentary deputies not concerned that ETECSA has not created a social fund to benefit primary, secondary and pre-university schools, whose makeshift computer labs lack internet access? Furthermore, they did not complain about the high prices ETECSA charges for its mobile phone, wifi and internet services, a subject much discussed in online discussions sponsored by official media outlets and about which readers have expressed their frustration. Or about the alarming prices for goods sold at hard currency retail stores. Or, even more scandalous, the prices of cars on display in large, well-lit showrooms. Nor did any parliamentarians demand that state-run companies lower the prices of household appliances, televisions and smartphones at places like the Samsung store on 3rd Avenue and 70th Street in Miramar in western Havana, where a Galaxy S7 edge costs the equivalent of $1,300 and a seventy-inch 4K television goes for around $5,000. The fact that the state is planning the lives of its citizens through 2030 seems like science fiction when no one knows how we will make it even to year's end. The average Cuban pays no attention to parliamentary debates or to party politics. People often look the other way. Apathy, dissimulation and indifference to national affairs pave the way for regime's excesses. Workers attend labor union meetings where, without giving them any thought, they approve economic proposals they do not want and do not understand. And in their neighborhoods and districts, they vote mechanically for candidates to the National Assembly who solve nothing. Cuba has become a nation of domesticated zombies. Everyone complains quietly at home to his or her family members, neighbors and friends. But in workplaces and schools, they feign loyalty to the government, especially when it comes time to have a document approved or to vote in sterile elections. We have gotten what we deserve. Deng Xiaoping, a diehard communist and father of China's economic reforms, understood that making money was neither shameful nor a crime. "It doesn't matter if the cat is black or white. What matters is if catches mice," he said in 1960. In Cuba's dictatorship, the cat wears olive green battle fatigues. *Translator's note: Gaviota operates a chain of tourist hotels throughout the island and offers other tourism related services. According to Bloomberg, Rafin SA "operates as a diversified financial services company." In 2011 it bought Telecom Italia's 27% stake in the Cuban state telecommunications monopoly ETECSA for $706 million. Source: Being Rich Is Banned in Cuba / Iván García – Translating Cuba - http://ift.tt/2rNChK0 via Blogger http://ift.tt/2sx82nX

[todokori-kun]

Well, at least it hasn’t been confirmed yet, only heavily implied (honestly Mutsurie has been implied since the Auction arc)…sad thing is that back when Mutsuki was likable I used to kind of ship it. But now…

Ishida, bring Saiko back.

Urie deserves to love someone who truly cares for him and could actually give him a happy, stable life/relationship (because Saiko is totally filling the ‘Sasaki’ role for the Q squad now that Ken’s gone).

Not this murderous angsty yandere who’s very much obsessed with somebody else.

Also, I’m getting a bit tired of Kaneki making everybody’s relationships difficult. First it was Kanae loves Tsukiyama but Tsukiyama loves Kaneki but Kaneki loves Touka, and then Kanae DIED, and now Ishida’s going to replace that with Urie loves Mutsuki but Mutsuki loves Kaneki but Kaneki loves Touka? No.

The only thing worse than that would be Saiko loves Urie but Urie loves Mutsuki but Mutsuki loves Kaneki and so on and so forth… I seriously hope Ishida won’t do that. Not only would it be terrible for my feels, it would also be kind of ridiculous.

Though that freaking centipede was hands down the worst part of this chapter tbh

I’m really, really happy Yoriko’s alive, but this isn’t 100% fluff either because there are three questions I have now:

Since Yoriko appears to have both of her hands, whose hand did Mutsuki show Touka? (I just remembered that Torso cut off Mutsuki’s hands and put a wedding/engagement ring on one of them…ew. This is getting creepy)

Who was it that called Yoriko while she was out shopping?

Do the other two questions have anything to do with how somber Yoriko looks at the wedding, or is that just because of nerves (she does smile later on when throwing her bouquet, but…)?

(And yeah, Urie has known Mutsuki is biologically female since the auction arc: I got confused about this too because of weird translations, but apparently he smelled their blood and realized it was from menstruation and not an injury. For them, Mutuski being AFAB is an ‘I know you know I know’ kind of situation)

(Aww that’s so sweet! Tysm <3 Wish I had a Shuu irl…I got diagnosed with SA earlier this week so things are difficult over here ;-;

Once we got close, though, Shuu’s dramatic behavior might start to trigger my sarcastic/teasing side…like,

“Ah, so you’re using watercolors? How lovely! What are you painting? Is it me? Well, of course it’s me, your one true-”

“Actually, it’s Yomo. I’m kinda into the strong, silent types.”

“…What are you implying, love…?”)

Luna/Urie (Lurie? Uruna?) HCs:

-Urie’s attitude around you is a bit like this:

Urie around other people: (Total scum. I can feel myself getting stupider whenever I talk to you) Of course, sir. You are truly setting a great example.

Urie around you: (I was going to work more but then I remembered I haven’t spent much time with you this week…ugh, this is like those cheesy games Yonebayashi likes to play) Be quiet, I’m trying to exercise. I suggest you do the same (oh ***** wrong answer)- just to clarify, it’s not because of your looks, it’s because you have to get stronger.

-He’s super organized and has a great memory so you can just text him when you’ve lost/can’t remember something (‘Urie, where’s my notebook?’ 'second drawer in ur desk’).

-Though he’s more comfortable with texting, he occasionally leaves short sticky notes for you when he’s busy. Usually it’s serious but maybe not quite flattering stuff like 'there are bags under your eyes. The average human of your age requires at least 7.5 hours of sleep per night' but there’s also the rare, awkwardly sweet note- 'I’ll try to be back soon’,'stay safe’,'Your hair looks nice’ (when you cut it when he was at work and he came home when you were already asleep)

-Cookie’s actually nervous about making this relationship work and the sticky notes were inspired by advice from the internet.

-when it comes to school and studying, he’s extremely impressed with how many things you’re managing to do at once.Though he usually doesn’t express this openly he definitely lets you know when he’s proud of you.

-He helps you with Japanese when you need it.

-in social situations like parties, you usually stick together and don’t talk much to anybody else unless you’re with the other Q squad members (I think I remember you mentioning you’re an introvert?). Though it might not look like it, there’s a lot of banter in these situations and you almost always have fun together.

-Urie secretly likes your 'weird, slightly pervy’ jokes

-He probably has a secret sketchbook with dozens of pictures of you in it. His face when you somehow find it is priceless.

-At some point you turn him into Hamiltrash. When you try to tease him by asking him to rap Guns and Ships, he disappoints you by rapping the whole song perfectly. He also relates to 'The Room Where it Happens’ on a personal level.

-He doesn’t understand your manga/anime obsession. Especially when it comes to Love Live- one day you get him to watch the anime with you and he remains poker-faced the whole time (honestly he looks more interested in playing with your hair than watching the show). In the end, you agree to disagree.

Until a week later, when you discover Urie’s been secretly listening to 'Storm in Lover’.

(I’ll stop rambling now…I admit that a lot of these were slightly crack-y, though I did try my best to throw in some fluff and serious HCs as well ^^;; I hope you like it! :D)

Again, thank you so much for being so nice and supportive <333 (I say that a lot, don’t I XD) I actually tried out the watercolors yesterday, and though I messed up my picture by adding too much water (I’ve never actually learned to use watercolors and I started painting with them this month), the paper is actually pretty good! I was right when I guessed it wasn’t really watercolor paper, but it wrinkles much less than my other sketchbooks :D

but wait, 'Huge airhead with the memory of a goldfish’? Are you sure you aren’t talking about me? I don’t really have a bad memory, but I only seem to remember the things I WANT to remember LOL for example, I remember almost everything about my various fandoms, but sometimes I find that I have no idea where I put my glasses when I took them off barely a minute ago (plot twist: they were on the shelf in front of me the whole time and I couldn’t see them because of my terrible eyesight. Yes, this has happened before. Several times, in fact).

Burr would later be unable to look Lee in the eye lol. Seriously though, I ship this a lot. Burr is way too shippable ;-; Remember when I said I ship him with Eliza? The fic 'True and Earnest’ on ao3 is what really made me ship them but still (I totally recommend that fic you get the chance to read it because it’s just perfect. So sweet and beautiful <3 plus, there’s some implied Angelica/Alex at the end so everybody gets to be happy! :D)

btw, just found some fanart of Burr titled 'Aaron Burr has strong opinions’

Burr in the picture: 'Personally, I love things…

…AND stuff.’

And they call Jefferson a francophile. At least we know he knows where France is.

Last note of this ridiculously disorganized message:

I just wanted to ask, are you into the MCU fandom? Because I’m very deep into it…I haven’t watched the Iron Man trilogy or the Guardians of the Galaxy movies yet (though I have the latter on my computer and am planning to watch it soon) but I’ve watched almost all of the Captain America movies and all of the Thor and Avengers movies.

Honestly I have 0 problems shipping Cookie with anyone as long as they’re mentally stable. Hell, I’ll even ship him with Shuu as long as it means Urie would be happy. The amount of suffering in TG is starting to be too much. There is a fine line between ‘a little angst to keep the plot moving’ and ‘bucketful of angst because everyone shall suffer for no particular reason’. 

I read the new chapter myself (I always seem to do after you update me on the happenings hahah) and I am screaming. It’s like Ishida put a huge ‘No happiness allowed’ sign on his desk and looks at it every time he’s thinking of how to advance the plot. Sigh.

Honestly, it’s so heavily implied, I consider it canon. ‘I wasn’t going to come, but then I heard you’d be here’? Come on, Urie would never say that unless he really liked someone. 

Oh, what if Sasaki/Kaneki is Urie’s true love! I mean Saiko=Sasaki and he wanted to see Mutsuki since they might know about Kaneki’s whereabouts… Don’t mind me, I’m just trying to think of something, anything that doesn’t involve Mutsuki/Urie because that has become my ultimate NOTP.  But Saiko/Urie is very attractive…

Everyone loves Kaneki. Ishida lied to us, this is actually some sort of twisted harem/reverse harem manga that’s only full of suffering for the lols. When the end of the manga comes, it’ll turn out this is a stage play/movie/dream and that everyone is Kaneki’s classmates who have a crush on him, but he loves Touka, whilst she doesn’t give two shits about him. Yeah, that’d be a nice end.  Waaait a minute. That implies Urie will die ;-; Nooooooo, come one, the cookie deserves happiness, his life is a big enough shitstain already. 

The love relationships form a centipede. It’s like this a→b→c→d→e→f→g→h→i→j→k→l→m→n→o→Kaneki. 

I was studying biology this morning, and passed the Chilopoda unit. GUESS WHICH BUG WAS THERE. I WAS THIS CLOSE TO SCREAMING OUT LOUD BECAUSE FUCK CENTIPEDES.

Oh, those are good questions! Here are my thoughts:

a) Maybe it was Mutsuki’s hand? But the hand looked…. fresh, in lack of better expression. Who knows, maybe Mutsuki just chopped off a random person’s hand to use as bait. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me. 

b) I checked the panel, and Yoriko didn’t look alarmed or confused when she turned around, so maybe it was a random person she knew? Or someone from the CCG she met before? (what would they be doing in a wedding dress  shop, tho?)

c) I’ll choose to believe it was simply wedding nerves, because if it wasn’t the nervous, it was something else more sinister and there’s already enough suffering.

Oh, right! Now that you mention it, I remember! Thanks for reminding me ^^

That can’t be easy for you… If you ever want to talk, I’m here ^^ And I’m very sure Shuu would be persistent in getting to know you, yet he’d be careful not to trigger anything. Once he’d realise you have that teasing side, I’m sure he’d be a lot happier, because ‘HOLY SHIT EVANS OPENED UP TO ME HELL YEAAAAAAAAAAH’. He’d get a bit pouty if you’d tease him, tho. Of course, that’d make it even funnier. 

MY HEART! A critical hit. You really know how to pull those off.

Here’s an accurate representation of me while reading them:

Urie perfectly rapping Guns and Ships is now my favourite thing, especially considering he’d do it with a perfectly straight face. Like ‘oh this? this is nothing’ while everyone stares at him like -_-

I’m pretty sure that Storm in Lover came from my ‘the names can be weird af’, but you chose the one which is sung by the girl that I’m sure would be his absolute favourite.  whoops, my idol trash side is showing again.

Thank you so much for this ;-; It’ll serve as motivation for me to survive next week which is the last one this school year with exams (and they’re the hardest ones, whooo). THEN I’M DONE AND CAN WATCH TONS OF ANIME AND REDA MANGA AND WRITE AND SLEEP AND RELAX IN GENERAL BECAUSE NO MORE SCHOOL FUCKING FINALLY.

We all make mistakes when trying something for the first time, so it’s completely normal that you added too much water ^^ Now you know how much you should(n’t) add the next time you draw :p  Ah, that’s great to hear! Now you have somewhere to draw where it won’t be as bad as if you painted on normal paper.

We used to paint a lot with watercolours and temperas in elementary school, and my drawing always ended up being disfigured blobs of colour. So I’m sure yours are perfect ^^

The useless things I usually end up remembering are usually animal facts (and, for some ??? reason, heights and blood types of characters. don’t question it). Here are my proudest goldfish moments: Search for glasses for 15-20 minutes only to realise they were on top of my head all the time. Thinking I lost my ID only for it to be buried deep inside my bad. Finding a fork in my bed (I’m not joking, I somehow managed to leave a fork there for some twisted reason). And my favourite: Being late and looking for my shoe for around 5 mins to realise I already put it on. Yeah, I’m not very smart. 

Yes, Burr is very shippable. Musical Burr, at least. I ship him with Angelica, Eliza, Ham (to some degree) and Lee. Man, that’s a lot of Burr ships. 

Ask him a question: it glances off, he obfuscates, he dances

Honestly, no so much ^^;; I mean, I’ve watched the Iron Man (and went through the obligatory Robert Downey Jr. fangirl phase, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America (1st part) and Ant Man, but that’s it ^^;; However, I was planning on having a marathon during the summer, because I like superhero movies (that probably explains my obsession with BnHA which is a superhero manga.)