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teawaffles · 3 years

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The Fugitives from the Fire: Chapter 5, Part 1

Note: This is a long chapter too!

Gregson squared his shoulders as he walked.

“I don’t really want to team up with you; but anyway, we have no choice but to solve this quickly. Now it’s time for me to show my stuff after fighting crime day after day in this capital.”

“I’ve thought about it every time we’ve met — but where do you get that confidence from?”

Sherlock narrowed his eyes as he followed behind him. Then, Gregson turned around.

“Oi, that big attitude of yours is probably because the inspector called you in; but I’m the one who messed up here, so I have to take responsibility myself. Don’t butt in unless you’re needed.”

“I know, I know.”

More than anything, the personality of this assistant inspector he’d come to know all too well brought Sherlock a sense of relief. In addition, his words and actions revealed his pride as a police officer, and Sherlock quite liked that.

“Come to think of it, did you really not find out anything during the interrogation?”

Gregson replied without slowing his pace.

“Well, I can’t say that we didn’t learn anything. He told us how he’d come to hide in that building, but refused to say a word on where his accomplice was.”

“So how did he arrive at the inn?”

“From what we heard, after they escaped, the two of them had been moving from place to place in the slums. They first laid low somewhere, but quickly got wind that the Yard was searching the area; hence, they ran off searching for a new place to hide — and ended up at that inn.”

“So does it mean that at the time, the Yard had been able to track them down to some extent?”

Gregson snorted in displeasure.

“Not a whit. It’s disgraceful, but so far, we haven’t been able to trace their whereabouts one bit. Right now, our only lead is that tip-off; in other words, the two of them were just misled by rumours that the police were coming.”

“…………”

Gregson seemed to be pitying the fugitives for the days they’d spent in fear, but Sherlock’s mind was elsewhere.

The criminals had been flushed from their hideout using false information, and ended up at a particular location. At the same time, information had conveniently come the Yard’s way, as if someone had meant for them to arrive at the same place. His intuition told him the situation could not be written off as a mere coincidence.

——Could the Lord of Crime be involved in this case? But if he was, then for what reason?

Sherlock began to think over that question; but before he could reach a satisfactory answer, the two of them had arrived before a different inn, located a short distance from the site of the fire.

“Now, the suspects have been gathered here on the ground floor — please be quiet.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Temporarily switching his focus, Sherlock replied half-heartedly. Then, with his sullen expression still intact, Gregson stepped into the inn.

Inside, there were several police officers, three men with bandaged faces, and a tall middle-aged woman, who stood firm with crossed arms.

Looking over everyone in the room, Gregson cleared his throat, and spoke in a loud voice.

“Well then, I’ll cut to the chase. ——The culprit is among us.”

“…………”

However, not one person reacted. He was simply stating a fact, but perhaps his entrance had been too sudden, and that pronouncement a tad abrupt.

Looking a little embarrassed after his brave proclamation, Gregson cleared his throat once more, and started again.

“……That’s what we’ve concluded after careful discussion. To begin with, let’s start from these three men gathered here.”

“——Hold on, Inspector! Before that, don’t you have something to say to me?”

“Hm?”

The middle-aged woman took a step forward as she raised her voice, and Gregson turned to face her.

“You are… the owner of that inn.”

“The very one that got burned down, yes! My name is Hillary Weaver — you’d best remember it, since it’s the name of the victim who'll eventually charge you people for expensive repairs.” [1]

Her high-pitched voice was almost akin to that of a witch casting spells. Gregson flinched, taking a step back.

“W-……Why do we have to pay for damages?!”

“Of course you do: the moment all of you came along, my inn disappeared.”

“That’s not true! The one at fault here is the arsonist — the Yard had nothing to do with that!”

“What’re you saying? I’m sure you people sparked it all off. Quit whining and give me back that place of comfort!”

“What part of that wretched inn could be called comfortable?! It’d be more pleasant being buried in straw! When we were interrogating the other man, the floorboards were creaking so badly I thought we were going to fall through the floor any moment!"

“That’s because all of you came in at once! Spare a thought for the building capacity!”

“Are you telling me your rooms reach their limit after just a few people step inside?!”

“…………”

As Gregson and Hillary — the inn’s proprietress — were engaged in a row that was completely beside the point, Sherlock turned his attention to the three suspects.

The first was a burly man. The left half of his face was wrapped in bandages, and his long sleeves were rolled up.

The second was a slim young man with short sleeves. The lower half of his face was bandaged down to his neck.

The last was a tall man of indeterminate age. He wore a thick coat, and his entire face was swathed in bandages.

Three men, three suspects. Right as the detective used his powers of observation on them, Gregson signalled his men to get Hillary to back down, forcing the argument to a close.

“……Dammit, was she silver-tongued. Now I’ve wasted energy.”

His shoulders were heaving, and Sherlock flashed him a cold smile.

“If the talk show’s finally over, then let’s get on with the questioning. We’re short on time.”

“I know! ……Well then, let’s start from the big man over there, and proceed in order.”

Gregson addressed the burly man.

“Tell us your name, the room you were staying in, and what you were doing when the fire broke out.”

“My name’s Mike Myers. I was in room 203, on the first floor. When the fire broke out, I was in my room reading a book. It was from one of my favourite authors, but all my belongings were destroyed in the blaze.”

The man answered in a deep voice that matched his appearance.

Gregson took down the information on a notepad, and moved on to the next man.

“Next, the slim man over there.”

The young man promptly sat up straight.

“Y-Yes, um, my name is Bruno Campbell. My room was…… number 301, on the second floor. At the time of the fire, um…… I was sleeping right until it started. Sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologise. Next.”

Gregson turned to face the last man.

“……Jerry Dorff. Room 101. I was asleep.”

The man who called himself Jerry murmured that in a low voice, uttering only the minimum number of words.

“101…… The ground floor, huh. So all your rooms were on precisely separate floors.”

Once he’d ascertained the suspects’ rooms, Gregson quickly sketched the inn’s floor plan on his notepad.

According to his diagram, on the ground floor, there was a staircase next to the reception desk, and three rooms in a row behind it. Starting from the one closest to the front desk, the rooms were numbered 101, 102, and 103. Further to the back, there was another set of stairs. The other floors had the same layout; it had been a simply-structured inn.

The reception desk, the front stairs, three rooms in a row, and the rear stairs. All the rooms had their doors on the south side of the building, and their windows on the north side. Sherlock craftily took a peek at his drawing, memorising the layout, and applied the locations of the three suspects to his mental picture.

“It seems all of you were in your own rooms when the fire started; but before that, did you stay in your rooms throughout?”

Mike spoke up.

“I never even took a step outside my room after you bobbies entered the building. After all, one of the criminals from that attack on the department store was lurking inside, right? I wouldn’t be able to bear it if I made a wrong move and ended up getting suspected.”

“I-It was the same for me: I tried to avoid moving around as much as possible.”

“Me too.”

The timid young man, Bruno, and the taciturn Jerry both agreed with Mike.

“So you all didn’t leave your rooms, let alone the inn. ——Is that certain?”

Gregson asked one of the officers standing beside him, and the man responded with vigour.

“Yes; I was standing in front of room 303 at first, and two others were standing watch in the ground and first floor corridors — we didn’t see a single person leave their room.”

Sherlock had been listening from the side, and now he pointed to the officer and Gregson in turn.

“So during the break in the interrogation, Gregson took over from you in standing watch outside the room.”

“Indeed.”

“Oi, Holmes. I told you not to butt in.”

Ignoring Gregson’s complaint, Sherlock made a deduction.

“So no one was moving around during the interrogation. Then during the break, the man was left alone in the room. Since no one heard any suspicious noises, it would be difficult to conclude that there had been movement inside the room. In that case, as I thought, the criminal must’ve made his move after the fire began.”

“A-As I was saying, don’t talk without permission.”

“……We don’t have time for that kind of thing. From what you said earlier, it seems you were standing outside the room until the fire began — were you also standing watch throughout after it started?”

Reluctantly, Gregson revealed his actions at the time.

“……No, when I got news of the fire, I went to the stairs nearer the reception to check out the situation. I climbed down until I could see the ground floor, and saw that the corridor there had already been covered in flames; so I quickly shouted for everyone to evacuate as I went back up to the second floor, in order to free the man we had arrested.”

“Did you go door to door when telling people to evacuate?”

“There wasn’t any time for that: the best I could do was to shout in every corridor as I rushed up the stairs.”

“I see. By the way, do we know where the fire originated?”

One of the officers standing to the side responded.

“I was outside the building at the time, but back then, part of the ground floor’s exterior north wall suddenly burst into flames. Though, I can’t say I had witnessed the moment the fire was set.”

“……Oi.”

The officer had readily given information to the detective he so hated, and Gregson glared at him. But as expected, Sherlock continued as if nothing had happened.

“Even so, the mob had surrounded the inn at the time, didn’t they? Was there really no one who saw exactly what happened?”

“The crowd had been rather large, so we couldn’t interview everyone who was there……” the officer responded briskly. “But we didn’t receive any eyewitness accounts of the arsonist.”

Even as he threw a displeased glance at his subordinate, Gregson thought hard.

“In that case, what if he used a device that automatically ignited the fire after a certain amount of time?” he offered.

“That’s one possibility,” Sherlock added. “It doesn’t have to be automatic either; he could’ve sprinkled flammable oil around the area beforehand, then sneaked out the window, climbed down the wall, and thrown a tiny spark — like the cinders of a match — through a window. Just like this, he’d be able to ignite the fire without drawing attention. It started from the north wall, right?”

“Yes, the wall where all the rooms’ windows are lined up,” the officer replied.

Sherlock gazed at the three men.

“In that case, that means any one of you could be the arsonist himself. But the question remains: after the fire began, how did the culprit manage to kill his accomplice in room 303, and create a locked-room murder case without anyone noticing?”

“…………”

In a way, this was the biggest ‘riddle’ in the case; all the officers, including Gregson, fell silent. In this situation, how should they proceed? Sherlock too pondered that question.

——“Oi, Sherlock. This is just my opinion, but……”

Amidst the long silence, the voice of Sherlock’s partner rang out in his mind.

——“When the fire started, Inspector Gregson went down the stairs until he was almost at the ground floor, right? During that time, there probably wasn’t anyone in the second floor corridor. Since Bruno-kun was also on that floor, I think he’s the most suspicious……. Hold on. If Mr Mike climbed up the rear staircase from the first floor, he would’ve been able to avoid the inspector and reach the second floor. Moreover, Mr Jerry was on the ground floor to begin with, so you could say he was in the most convenient location to start the fire……. Oh my, I’m starting to think all of them are suspicious.”

Sherlock could easily picture John getting confused by his own theories; gently, the corners of his mouth creased into a smile.

Then Gregson flashed Sherlock a bold grin as he spoke.

“Oi, Holmes. When I went down the stairs till I was nearly at the ground floor, there probably wasn’t anyone left in the second floor corridor. In that case, since he was on the same floor, Bruno would be the most suspicious. Fufu, as I thought, there was no need to bring you on this ca…… Hm, hold on. If Mike used the other staircase, he could’ve reached the second floor without me noticing. But Jerry’s room was on the ground floor, so it would’ve been easy to start the fire there…… Dammit, now we can’t narrow it down.”

“…………”

Strangely enough, the assistant inspector had unfortunately put forward the same theory, erasing John’s face from Sherlock’s mind once again.

Then, Mike also put forward his own theory.

“Hey, certainly, it makes sense that any one of us could’ve went up to the victim’s room. But wasn’t the door locked?”

“H-He could’ve been shot or stabbed through the door, but from what I heard, there wasn’t any evidence of that, right? M-Maybe after he killed him, the murderer locked the door again from the outside?”

Bruno also proposed a theory, but Mike was sceptical.

“The fire was going to burn everything down anyway, so why would he bother to do that?”

“I-In that case, maybe the killer opened the door to attack him, b-but the victim suddenly closed the door to try and protect himself?”

“Yeah, that might be possible. So when the wound proved fatal, it ended up looking like a locked-room murder. That makes a fair bit of sense; well, what do you think?”

“……I don’t know.”

Mike’s words had started a frank exchange of theories among the three suspects. Sherlock seemed to be listening with great interest, but Gregson seemed annoyed.

“Oi, don’t talk as you please: this is a matter for the Yard to examine. In the first place, it’s not clear whether it was a stab or shot wound……”

Hearing that, Sherlock spoke up.

“If he’d been done in with a gun, there probably would’ve been the sound of a gunshot. Though with a bit of effort, the sound could’ve been suppressed…… Did anyone hear any strange sounds?”

Bruno, who by chance happened to meet Sherlock’s gaze, responded.

“I heard someone shouting ‘Fire!’ from the outside, then flew out of bed, but I don’t remember anything after that…… Oh right: during the commotion, I think I heard something breaking once or twice.”

The timid young man had given an important testimony, but the burly man disputed that.

“Is that so? I was awake the whole time, but I didn’t hear anything?”

Even Mike’s usual appearance was intimidating; hearing that, Bruno shrank back.

“R-Right. It was probably just the sound of the wood snapping as it burnt.”

“……I can’t say either way. After all, everyone was confused and in chaos.”

Jerry also gave a vague testimony, and Gregson ruffled his hair in frustration.

“We don’t even know if there was a gunshot — it feels like we don’t have a single lead at all.”

“But if the killer had fired a gun in room 303, since he was on the same floor, Bruno probably would’ve heard it — though he himself isn’t clear on that.”

“……I knew that already; you didn’t have to say it.”

“Even though you’re making a face like that was a revelation?”

Sherlock poked a little fun at Gregson, then continued questioning the suspects.

“All of you are bandaged up rather pitifully — are they injuries from the fire earlier?”

“Yeah, I got burned while escaping; It’s not life-threatening, though.”

“It’s the same for me: when I reached the ground floor, it was already covered in flames, and when I tried to escape, I tripped and fell…… It was just my luck that the spot I landed on was aflame, so I ended up getting burned around my neck.”

Two of the suspects had explained how they got their injuries, but only one person remained in silence, his gaze slightly lowered. Of course, the detective probed further.

“Mr Jerry. Is your story the same?”

The man looked up at him. Then, after hesitating a little, he muttered briefly.

“……These are from an accident a long time ago. They have nothing to do with the fire.”

Saying that, he pulled his thick coat closer, obscuring his mouth. That caught Gregson’s attention.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, but only you’ve seemed rather reluctant to speak. It feels like you don’t want to have anything to do with this case.”

Sherlock had also gotten the same impression; in contrast to the other two, who had even made their own deductions, it seemed this man was trying to withhold information about himself.

As both the detective and inspector fixed their gazes on him, eventually, Jerry explained himself in a low voice.

“I don’t like people prying into my affairs. But that’s because of my own personal situation; it has nothing to do with this case.”

“Why’s that? Could you be hiding important evidence from us?”

“…………”

Gregson tried to press him further, but Jerry remained silent, his intentions unreadable.

His actions were clearly suspicious, but Sherlock’s intuition told him the man had definitely been telling the truth. Jerry had answered all their questions properly; in addition, he couldn’t sense any hostility to the police emanating from the man.

However, Gregson tended to interpret such behaviour in the wrong way. Sherlock had to steer the conversation down a different path before the inspector made any needless accusations — so he called out to the inn’s proprietress, who had been waiting silently in a corner.

Footnotes:

[1] No relation to Jackie Weaver, the unexpected star of the Handforth parish council: this book was published end-2020, and that incident was in early-2021. (The Guardian)

#moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #yuumori #english translation #the girl who sees rainbows

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theyungrose · 4 years

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Chrysanthemums and Daisies (Roman Reigns/Jey Uso X OC)

A/N: More Chrysanthemum and Daisy for the TL today. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Rematches and Realizations

Daisy stayed with Chrysanthemum for the remainder of the show talking with her sister about her match and other things, but not once did she bring up Jey. How could she? The last thing Daisy needed her sometimes holier-than-thou sister believing is that she was only focused on finding love, especially her first night on her show. Not only that, from the looks of whatever intense exchange her sister and Roman had before she walked in, that part of the locker room wasn’t really friendly territory. At least to her.

Still, she couldn’t forget the gentleness in his chocolate eyes, the smooth velvety feel of his skin, or the dreamy butter voice he spoke to her in; even for those few seconds. Admittedly Jey hurt her feelings a little bit with the way he reacted to her after her match, it’d brought her down from her victory high quite a bit. Could she blame him though? His cousin was a tyrant.

“What boy are you thinking about now Daisy?”

Chrysanthemum lightly hit Daisy over the head with a beanie before pulling it over her head.

“No one...”

“My ass little girl, who is it?”

Daisy giggled jumping off her big sister’s desk. Chrysanthemum was the perfect balance of mom figure and older sister when she wanted to be, a trait she had perfected over the years.

“There’s no boy mom. He’s a man.”

With her back turned Daisy couldn’t see Chrysanthemum roll her eyes playfully. She had to see Daisy finding a love interest here coming, she found love interests everywhere. She was in love with the idea of love, and as cute and sweet as that was, it was just as dangerous.

“Well you make sure this man doesn’t become the reason I have to yell at you too. I was so proud watching my sister’s hand get raised for the first time on my brand.”

The duo continued to suit up for the cold December air awaiting them outside. Right before they were about to leave, Daisy decided to run to the bathroom one last time.

“Daisy I will leave you here if you’re not back in five minutes.”

Daisy grinned kissing her sister on the cheek.

“You won’t though.”

In all honesty, Daisy was actually looking to use the bathroom before the flight back to Georgia, but the smallest part of her hoped Jey was still here. Hopefully he wouldn’t regard her the same way if he was.

“Daisy...”

See? All it took was a little patience.

Jey had almost missed her, Daisy was on her way back to her sister’s office when he ran into her at the end of the hallway. He was dressed to leave himself, decked out in a black beanie and heavy black winter coat.

“I thought I had missed you.”

Daisy just smiled as she looked up at him, hopefully he didn’t find her slight infatuation with him creepy or disturbing.

“Almost, I was just about to leave.”

Jey leaned against the wall they were standing next to, admiring the smaller woman in front of him. He tried hard not to make it too obvious, but he couldn’t help it. From the moment her small hand had touched him the way she did when they first met, it was as if she’d placed him under a magic spell. Her beauty enthralled him, the soft tone she spoke in sounded like singing in his ears, and he was sure those emerald green irises could tame a savage beast.

She herself, was magic.

“I’m sorry about how I reacted to you earlier, when you tried to talk to me. I know you were only trying to help.”

Daisy nodded clasping her hands in front of her.

“I know. It must be hard having to live with that everyday.”

“It’s torture actually.”

Daisy felt the urge to reach out and touch him but she quelled it, partially scared of how he might react. She yearned to comfort him though, to take some of that heavy burden away.

“He acts like this around family too. Not just my brother, everyone. I’ll never understand how you can just turn on family like that, as if we weren’t here for you when no one else was.”

Jey’s head began to droop again, and just like he’d secretly hoped for, her hand lifted it back up again, bringing his eyes back to hers.

“I’m sorry Jey, that must be terrible. No one deserves to be treated that way.”

Jey responded with a soft smile, avoiding his mistake from earlier tonight and allowing her hand to stay there for as long as she wanted to.

“Do you have a ride to the airport? I assume your heading home for the weekend.”

Only then did it occur to Daisy that Chrysanthemum was still waiting on her, probably with smoke fuming from her ears as she was not one to wait.

“Yeah I am, I have a flight to Atlanta in a few hours actually. As for the ride, if you’re offering...”

“I’m on my way to the A too. There’s this little underground burger spot I know about where we can wait until morning.”

Daisy grinned tucking her hair behind her ears. This wasn’t an opportunity she was going to give up by a long shot, even for a road trip with her sister. They had plenty of times for those, and she figured without having to go the extra mile to drop her at the airport, Chrysanthemum could stay here in Maryland where she lived.

Unfortunately, big sister didn’t share the same sentiment.

“What do you mean you have a ride? Who are you riding with?”

Daisy was never one to lie to her sister, but this time she knew her late night date with Jey depended on it, and while sisters always came before misters, tonight, quite frankly it was quiet for all that.

“I’m gonna drive myself to the airport. That way you don’t have to make the extra trip.”

Chrysanthemum raised her eyebrow crossing her arms over her chest.

“Little girl, I drove you here today. How are you going to drive yourself anywhere?”

Now, Chrysanthemum was no dummy. She could add two and two and get four; whatever guy had her deep in her thoughts a short while ago obviously had found her while she went to go pee (or she found him) and now she wanted to ride with him instead. A silly and hasty decision on the part of her sister, but not one she could fault her for. She was lovesick and young one time too.

“I know that look, that means you understand. Thank you sis I love you!”

Daisy ran up to her sister and wrapped her in a tight hug, placing a long kiss on her cheek before grabbing up the rest of her things. Chrysanthemum didn’t say anything as she packed, but right before she ran out the door she spoke up.

“Daisy.”

Daisy stopped mid-stride before her handle could touch the door, silently praying Chrysanthemum hadn’t changed her mind.

“Does he know we’re sisters?”

Daisy glanced over her shoulder, noting the subtle worry on her older sister’s face.

“No of course not. No one does.”

Chrysanthemum nodded giving her a small smile.

“Keep it that way.

The conversations between Jey and Daisy seemed to stretch on for hours. She loved the way he chuckled a bit at his own jokes, and he loved the way her eyes were focused only on him the entire time he spoke. Being the quieter twin of the Uso duo, he wasn’t used to that much attention, but Daisy watched and listened to him as if he was the most intriguing man on this Earth. And to her, he was.

Admittedly, Jey would be lying if he said it didn’t surprise him how fast Daisy took to him. Daisy was gorgeous, absolutely stunning to be exact, she had the kindest spirit he’d ever come across, and with those green eyes she could have any man she looked at. Yet, here she was with him. Jey didn’t want to imagine how different life would be if he’d never taken the time to talk to her earlier, or if he hadn’t found her before she left the arena. He wondered what good karma allowed the universe to bless him so.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Her soft voice pulled Jey from the trance he’d unknowingly fallen into while speaking to her, and he realized that he was indeed staring at her with his chin propped up on his hand.

“Sorry Daisy I didn’t mean to stare. I think I just got lost in your aura for a moment...you’re just magical girl.”

Daisy smiled softly, pushing her chair back so she could rise from her seat. Jey looked at her questioningly as she slid her warm hand into his, urging for him to stand with her. Slow holiday music played from the speakers in the bar’s walls, and as she pulled him under the ambient lighting in the middle of the space, Jey realized that she was silently asking him for a dance.

There were a few other superstars from Smackdown gathered in the bar with them, but as Jey glanced around at them no one seemed to be paying much attention. Daisy smiled into his chest as his body finally relaxed against hers and his free hand slid along her side to cup her back. Now closer to her than ever before, Jey took in the notes of vanilla and amber in her scent. The softness of her straight hair against his cheek.

It was then that Jey started to realize the magic he held in his arms, and soon he was convinced that meeting her tonight was no coincidence. Daisy was a free, gentle spirit, warmth and love exuded from the depths of her being, and Jey knew then and there he only wanted that warmth and love for himself. She was a fragile snowflake that had tumbled down from the heavens into his hands, and he would protect his fragile snowflake with his life if he had to.

He would hold her in his hands forever, just as he did now.

Meanwhile, Daisy couldn’t have been any happier. She’d trusted this feeling from the moment she felt it, and her intuitions had not misled her. She knew the energies that drew her into this man was not to be ignored, and now here in his arms, she felt safer than she’d ever been. His arms around her were like her favorite comforter wrapped around her naked body with the heat going.

There couldn’t be a more perfect ending to this perfect day.

*****

Fast forward a few days and it was Monday Night Raw, and as promised Roman interrupted McIntyre in the middle of his promo and demanded a rematch from Survivor Series. Drew didn’t pass up the opportunity, and with a few verbal jabs there was security overcrowding the ring to keep the two men from tearing the other to shreds.

It would have to wait until the end of the night.

Roman knew in the back of his head that this wasn’t a good idea, and Paul surely wasn’t allowing him to forget. He knew Drew was almost an impossible feat to overcome, he’d barely succeeded the first time. He knew this. To attempt it twice was simply put, a stupid idea. Nonetheless, Roman was here strapping up for his match because he had something to prove.

More specifically, something to prove to her.

Chrysanthemum had occupied the Samoan’s mind since the last time they spoke. As a man, a woman that attempts to challenge his power should offend him, and offend him strongly. Yet, when Chrysanthemum spoke, even as she was ripping him a new ass, he was undeniably drawn to her.

Her power matched his, only his. The way she walked and carried herself through life, he admired it. She was the alpha female if he’d ever seen one, and the only one worthy enough to hold her hand was the hand of the Chief.

When he reached the gorilla for his main event match, he was pleasantly surprised to find her standing in the corner beside the curtains. Even more surprising, she’d changed her hair. The usual raven black was now mixed with a light honey blonde, the splash of color bringing out the bright features of her face.

“I’m assuming you’re here to watch your champ go main event?”

Chrysanthemum smirked at his cocky tone, on a worse night it would’ve pissed her off, but even she would admit she was happy to see him.

“Actually I’m surprised you showed up at all. You’re usually more stubborn than this, at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

Chrysanthemum had been this close to him on Friday, but this time he was shirtless. Hair wet down his chest and shoulder, dripping water down his abs. It was a little bit harder to maintain her composure. At least a smidge.

“Well I’ve got something to prove to you tonight little mama, and I’m never one to disappoint.”

At the end of the day Chrysanthemum was still a boss woman. She was here only to represent her broken brand and bring some power and respect back to it, which was the only thing Roman needed to focus on. This wasn’t about whatever Roman was trying to make it about, and she would show him mercy if-and only if- he walked out of here the victor tonight on his own. Polynesian God or not.

He was still just a man.

Roman noted the sudden straight expression that covered Chrysanthemum’s face, and secretly he hoped he hadn’t offended her.

“Don’t call me little, Reigns. And don’t embarrass me either. I’d hate to walk out of here with a loser.”

Just then Roman’s music echoed through the Superdome.

“I think that’s you’re cue...champ.”

Roman smirked down at her as they walked past each other, him towards the curtains and her towards the computer monitors. They shared one last glance as she sat down at a desk and pulled a headset over her ears. With those full pink lips she mouthed...

Make me proud.

And boy did he.

As promised, Roman gave Drew the ass whooping of a lifetime. It was like watching a man with nothing to lose yet all the world to prove, and Chrysanthemum loved every second. He dominated damn near the whole match, and in the small moments where it looked like Drew had the upper hand, he came back ten times harder.

As soon as he hit Drew with a deadly spear in middle of the ring, Chrysanthemum knew it was over. But its when he didn’t go for a pin, that’s when she knew she had him wrapped up like a toy on Christmas.

When Drew finally stood up Roman nailed him with another spear more deadly than the first one. Then with a white fire in his eye Roman hit him with a third, nearly snapping the poor Irishman in half.

“That’s a man on a mission there.” One of the producers said.

Chrysanthemum could only giggle and grin to herself, knowing she was the reason why.

@lavitabella87 @oncetwiceandoveragain @msbigredmachine @stellarollins

@saccreigns @fatedxdestiny @thewrestlingobsessor @bigpsychicbagelauthor @jasmine03322

#roman reigns fanfiction #roman reigns x oc #roman reigns #joeanoa'i x OC romanreigns x OC #joe anoa'i #joe anoai fanfiction #romanreignsxocfanfiction #jey uso #jeyusofanfiction #jeyuso x oc #theusos #theusosfanfiction #wwe #wwefanfiction

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himbeaux-on-ice · 3 years

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Sorry! Lehner had around a 10 minute rant today about how he feels like the NHL lied to the players about loosening up the restrictions placed on teams and forced teams to get the Covid Vaccine. ESPN and the New York Post released an article about it today.

(this is a follow-up on this ask)

Ah okay, I found a TSN article about it, which covers the fact that he also apologized for some of his remarks (mainly comparing the restrictions to being “like prison” which is a bit cringe when you’re a millionaire in a free hotel, yeah), and also significantly clarified some of the intent behind what he was trying to say at the presser:

I’m gonna put my full thoughts this under a cut because it’s ended up running pretty long and rambly, but tl;dr: after considering his more precisely clarified points here and with the perspective I know he’s coming from, I can honestly see and empathize with what Lehner seems to be expressing here about how the NHL has chosen to handle player vaccinations and informing them about what that means for the restrictions on their lives, and I actually don’t disagree with his criticisms overall. Some of the phrasing could have been better, but he’s acknowledged that too.

All in all, it sounds like the NHL may have done a poor job of honestly managing expectations around what vaccine rollout would mean for the extra restrictions placed on the players and their families with each team, and that they’re also up to some version of their usual NHL schtick of prioritizing some platonic ideal of Competitive Parity (remember “the Vancouver Canucks will play a 56 game season”, anyone?) above all else, even when that is no longer realistic and/or comes at the expense of the short-term and long-term mental and physical wellbeing of the players. Classic NHL.

Right, so, long thoughts are down here. Also gonna copy the majority of his comments directly because I think it’s worthwhile for people to read exactly what he said:

"As I’m frustrated like a lot of people in the world right now everything didn’t come out of today’s press in the right way," Lehner wrote. "Main point is that we need to start take the mental health important as well In this situation. It has a huge impact on everyone in society right now. To put competitive edge before well being of people's lives is wrong. As I said, people are struggling with many different things mentally and we need to consider that, as well. Then, being lied to makes it worse."

I love hockey and the league has done a lot of good things," Lehner continued. "But this missed the mark. My bad to say it’s like prison and I apologize, but with mental health issues that are developing in the world, it develops problems mentally. We will see exactly how this affects everything with time. I don’t mean to offend anyone. I hope we can all work together to help people that suffer through mental help from this going forward. I’ve heard how a lot of people are doing through this as people talk to me about it."

During his briefing, Lehner said that the league has misled the players about how vaccination will lead to the loosening of restrictions.

"They told me yesterday that they're surveying all of the teams to see who has taken the vaccine and who has not taken the vaccine and they're not going to change the rules for us as players until all of the teams have a fair [amount] of [vaccinated players] at the same time, so there's not a competitive edge," Lehner said. "And that made me go crazy, to be honest."

Lehner said the league is failing to look at its players as people first and lied to them about taking the vaccine.

"These are human lives and people are struggling with this stuff a lot in society and we are humans just as everyone else," Lehner said. "So there's a twofold problem for me here - the first one is we got promised something to take something that not necessarily everyone wanted. So that was lie - a blatant lie. Second, to put competitive edge over human lives in terms of going back - and I'm not saying we're going out to a party or whatever, but we had a meeting when the season started, at the beginning of camp, that pretty much told us we can't go outside of our house, can't do anything, can't go to the grocery store, can do nothing on the road. You can take a meal out of the meal room and go sit up in your room, don't be with your teammates, don't do this, don't do that. Nobody thinks about the mental impact."

The Gothenburg, Sweden native says his peers are struggling through this pandemic season.

"I know people will say, 'Oh, you're millionaires' and this and that or 'What about these guys?' but we care about that, too, man," Lehner said. "No matter what people think, this is a society problem. But when government, corporations, NHL, whoever are taking decisions in terms of irrelevant things like competitive edge over the human being? It's not okay."

It seems pretty clear to me from this article that his main issue isn’t really with getting the vaccine or being required to do so (my understanding is that it is still opt-in for all players, not mandatory. It’s that he doesn’t view the League as having provided players with a realistic expectation ahead of time for how being vaccinated would or would not change their daily reality. That they were led to believe that getting vaccinated would lead to things that didn’t end up happening, and therefore weren’t empowered to make an informed choice about when to get vaccinated.

The way he describes it, the League was not clear enough ahead of time about the fact that individual players being vaccinated would not make them individually exempt from league-wide restrictions, and this created a feeling of false hope about what getting vaccinated would mean in terms of not just having to stay in your house or hotel room literally all the time. If you were looking forward to getting vaccinated because you were led to believe it would mean finally not having to live in that isolated, mentally draining environment all the time, and then only found out at the last minute or after the fact that no, you actually still have to keep following all these rules that are making your life so isolated and difficult, that’s gotta be pretty emotionally jarring. If you were a player who was a little unsure about getting vaccinated quite yet (for whatever reason, including possibly being in a risk group for side-effects or just not wanting to get waylaid for a week with the smile symptoms it induces during a crucial stretch of games), but decided it was worth it for the tradeoff of getting back to a life that was less of a strain on your mental health, and then got told AFTER you made that decision and got the shot that no, that tradeoff isn’t happening the way you were made to expect it to, I think it would understandably piss you off.

It also sounds like part of what he has taken issue with is that, from the sounds of it rather than ease internal restrictions on a team-by-team basis as determined by each team’s vaccination rates (which would mean that if for example the Wild had 95% of their team vaccinated, the Wild only the Wild would get to start living a life with slightly less restrictions), the League is instead opting to say “no, we’re only going to ease the rules for EVERYONE at the same time once all teams have reached similar numbers of vaccinated players and staff to ea other, because we would see having different rules for different teams as giving some of them an unfair competitive edge”.

Lehner takes umbrage with this approach, because he thinks that focusing solely on “competitive edge” by making more-vaccinated teams keep having to live incredibly isolated lives (even isolated from vaccinated teammates) is a case of the League prioritizing parity over the toll that barely being able to interact with other people or leave their houses is taking on players’ mental health. And I can really really understand his point here. We have all seen what quarantine has done to our individual mental health, and even if they are millionaires, those impacts also exist for the players.

I actually just recently re-read the Athletic piece about the intense mental health and addiction struggles Lehner has gone through and done the incredibly difficult work of getting help for in the last five years. This man has fought incredibly hard and done a massive amount of therapy and other work to sort out his head, deal with his demons, and get himself to a place where he can cope and wants to be alive. That kind of recovery journey is a battle which will continue for the rest of your life and requires constant maintenance practices (again, speaking from experience). He also spent most of this season not even getting to be around the team at all, stuck at home recovering from a concussion (which usually involves doing frustratingly little and waiting around impatiently in dimly lit rooms for your brain to heal). And now, upon returning to the team, road games mean more time spent sitting in a room trying not to be bored out of your skull, while possibly also having to have some limits on things like screen time as a post-concussion precaution.

Imagine being somebody like him, who has spent a lot of time working very hard to build up a lifestyle and a system of coping mechanisms in recent years which have allowed him to live a healthier and happier life, to then be thrown back into an isolated and highly restricted new lifestyle where probably at least half of all those habits and norms and support systems are taken out of reach, that has to be incredibly difficult (I’ve experienced something similar myself this year). Especially when you haven’t been able to even go and be with the team in the dressing room, or probably even do anything with your family that classes above “mildly strenuous”, because you’re out for six weeks recovering from a concussion, which is its own mental and physical health battle. And then, you are apparently given the impression from the League that “hey, if you’re willing to get vaccinated, that will lead to you being able to return to some semblance of a life that is less taxing on your psyche”, and you agreed to do so even if you were perhaps cautious about getting the vaccine before, because you’d rather accept whatever risk comes with the shot than gamble on keeping your sanity together for however much longer this isolation drags on, only to then find out that “actually no, even if your team and staff is entirely vaccinated you still have to spend most of your time sitting alone in rooms trying not to sink into a spiral of dangerous depression until other teams in other states with different vaccination programs are also immunized to similar levels, and our only real reasoning for holding that mental relief out of reach is mostly based on ‘competitive parity’”.

Yeah, I absolutely understand why he would feel very frustrated and even betrayed by that course of action! For Lehner, it’s not about competitive edges or the game on the ice, it’s about having made the decision to get vaccinated at this time with the understanding that it would allow access to an at least slightly less mentally taxing lifestyle, only to find out later that the League seemingly never intended to follow through on providing that despite you holding up your end of the deal. And it sounds like he is speaking for a number of other players beyond just himself who are also struggling with their mental health in these conditions. Even if he himself is managing to cope because of what he’s learned in his recovery, he would certainly be well-positioned to recognize signs in the people around him that they are struggling in ways that may be similar to what he went though before, and know how dire that can spiral into being.

Look, I don’t think Robin Lehner ever expected to be allowed to go out and lick people’s eyeballs or wander the supermarket maskless once vaccinated, but you heard the description of how intensely restrictive the NHL’s rules for players off-ice lives during COVID are. They are far more intense than the rules being enforced for non-NHL individuals in many of the same cities and states, because the NHL is trying to bring risk as close to zero as possible. And if you were a player told that being vaccinated was going to reduce contagion risks enough to mean that right away the NHL would finally let you and your teammates from “can’t go anywhere or see anyone, eat your dinner in your hotel room and try not to be depressed about it” to “you can go to the store with a mask on. you can eat meals with your also-vaccinated teammates. you can visit your parents or siblings while social-distancing/masking. you can spend free time around other people and/or in more public spaces without being chaperoned constantly by team staff. you can sit next to your also-vaccinated teammates on the plane/bus. you can hang out with them in their room”, and THEN later were told “sorry, we’re not actually going to let you do that yet. not for COVID reasons but rather because we worry not being totally miserable shut-ins will give you a competitive edge over that team in another state who aren’t getting vaccinated as quickly”. That has to feel like a slap in the face in terms of how much the league actually cares about your well-being or about being honest in its role in your personal medical decisions. Perhaps when he says “forced” he is expressing a feeling of being stuck between choosing “either get vaccinated or let your mental health keep degrading in isolation”, only to find out that making the deal doesn’t get you the relief you were promised.

Idk I feel like I’m repeating myself a lot here trying to circle in on my precise point bc my brain is a little scrambled today, but like. If the players made their decisions to consent to vaccination (at this time, with whatever version of the shot was offered, under whatever circumstances they may have going on personally or medically) based on one understanding of the situation, and then NHL really said “lol NOPE actually that was a false premise” and changed things after the fact, that’s kinda an informed consent issue and I think he’s right to call it fucked up! And everything he says about how mentally taxing such a super-isolated lifestyle is honestly only repeats worries I myself had right from the moment the “stay in your hotel room alone” rule was announced — that the League may be underestimating the toll (especially with some of the long road trips this season) that forcing players to live in total isolation like that was going to have on individual wellbeing and team morale.

Robin’s comments this morning could have been put better, but as somebody who has ADHD and who knows about bipolar disorder, I know emotions for folks with brains like ours can run fast and intense and sometimes lead to not always planning out every word as precisely and you might later have liked to once that moment has passed. The fact that he apologized for the less tactful part of the comment and sought to clarify his words tells me he’s thought a lot about this and wasn’t happy with how he expressed his thoughts initially. Also, while his English is very good, you can sometimes forget it isn’t his first language, Swedish is — some thoughts don’t translate exactly as they sounded in your head. That said, also Robin Lehner one of the more outspoken NHL players about mental health issues in recent years, and he also doesn’t seem like the type of guy to mince his words or tiptoe around a point — I’m not surprised he’s the person expressing these concerns about mental health, and I’m not surprised he was a bit blunt about it either lol.

All in all, it sounds like the NHL did a poor job of managing expectations around what vaccine rollout would mean for the players and their families, and that they’re also up to their usual NHL schtick of prioritizing some platonic ideal of Competitive Parity (remember “the Vancouver Canucks will play a 56 game season”, anyone?) above all else, even when that is no longer realistic and/or comes at the expense of the short-term and long-term mental and physical wellbeing of the players. Classic NHL.

(also: the New York Post is a right-leaning sensationalist rag 90% of the time. take all spin it puts on things with a grain of salt)

#long post #god I hope this makes sense my brain feels like a potato chip #also yeah I don’t judge people too hard for having slight cautions about getting vaccinated right away or with certain ones #when we don’t know their medical details medications risk factors etc #people deserve to be able to make decisions of informed consent when it comes to things like that and if the NHL has not been affording that #well. that is messed up #asks #anon

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cordonia · 4 years

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Estela + MC: “Xanny”

Summary: Estela Montoya has isolated herself from everyone at school; safer that way. One party, one moment lacking judgment, and now a girl is following her home. [au where rourke never bought an island?]

Inspired by Xanny by Billie Eilish

“What is it about them? I must be missing something They just keep doing nothing Too intoxicated to be scared Better off without them”

Warnings: Party behaviour, mention of drinking/past car accident, this took such a weird turn but I’m rolling with it?! Just kissing as well!

Word Count: 2100

Estela had never been a party person, or a people person. Her mother had always called a sociable child but it was long before her death that Estela changed. It was difficult to read so many emotions, when every single person expressed them differently. She did not venture far into what she didn’t understand anymore, it always seemed to lead nowhere.

That night, however, she was misled by her new roommate. Heavily. How she fell for the “small gathering” descriptor was beyond her, films should have prepared her for this kind of lie. The party was packed into a dorm that she only dreamed of being able to afford. It was basically a castle compared to her apartment.

She had felt bad that Diego was going alone, and if it were truly going to be small... Estela wasn’t that much of a grouch, she could participate in small talk. She had been living alone up until last month when another school year was about to begin and her money was less accessible. A roommate was daunting, but Estela was brave. Diego had so far proven to be a perfect roommate, until that night of course.

“A small gathering?” Diego just grinned and handed her a red solo cup. Classy.

“My best friend lives here, she wasn’t entirely clear about what kind of party it is. Sorry? But let me introduce you to her, she’s through here,” Diego said pointing to a hallway that presumably led to bedrooms.

“This is your best friend’s party?” Estela shook her head, why was she here? Diego clearly didn’t need her, and was intent on making her miserable only three weeks after moving in. She thought it had been clear that parties made her uncomfortable.

Diego, you were perfect until right now, Estela thought, a tight smile on her lips.

“She’s sort of a legend here. The football team nicknamed her Catalyst for some reason. You’re going to love her!”

Catalyst? What a stupid nickname, Estela was only half curious in learning how this stranger had earned it. She didn’t have a nickname, never had. Her uncle called her Estelita but she didn’t think that counted.

“I’m going to find the bathroom, I’ll find you soon,” Estela said with an apologetic shrug, and began backing away.

It was easy to push through the crowd when everyone was already swaying slightly. She set her cup down on the staircase bannister and soon found herself in the kitchen. After grabbing an empty cup, she poured herself some water. The people chatting in the kitchen didn’t acknowledge her, too involved in their friends.

“Estela Montoya?”

She turned at the sound of her name, a little too quickly and cringed at the cold water that sloshed up against her shirt. She looked up, and once her brain adjusted, she looked back down again. Was Estela always this tall, or was this girl adorably short?

“I’m sorry, you know me?” Estela’s words sounded jumbled together but it was no worse than some of the people slurring in the kitchen. Maybe her awkward nature blended into the party setting after all.

“You’re Diego’s roommate, I’ve seen you around school a bit I think.”

Estela blinked a few times, connecting the dots as the girl in front of her smiled innocently at her.

“It’s good to finally meet you, I’m--”

‘The Catalyst,” Estela interrupted. She blushed, a bit embarrassed for sounding rude, and then quickly stuck her hand out.

“Also known as Isadora Taylor. So you’ve heard of me?” Isadora shook her hand and held on for a beat longer than Estela anticipated.

Her hand was a bit cold but strong, skin undeniably soft. Estela caught herself staring into the face of her companion before she responded. She finally dropped her hand.

“Diego told me about you when we got here. I’m supposed to be meeting you in the bedroom.” It was as though a fog had filled Estela’s head, and she had never felt more disconnected from her own thoughts. Control yourself, she ordered her brain. The people actually drinking that night were probably more coherent than she was.

As Estela tried to focus again, she noticed the surprised expression across the beautiful girl’s face.

“Diego told you that? Oh, wow, I thought he’d be a little more subtle. I apologize, unless you want to--” “Hang out with you and Diego in your room? He said he wanted us all to meet, I think.” Estela interrupted her for the second time that night, far more embarrassed the second time around. However, not nearly as embarrassed as the supposed “Catalyst”.

“Right, yeah, would you want to go do that?”

These were the moments Estela tried to avoid. If she found herself in a room of strangers who didn’t know her limits... She wasn’t worried about being pressured into drinking not being overly sociable. She was worried that someone would ask why she looked so uncomfortable, out of place. Then she would think about her mother and the anger it brought her. Every red cup was a reminder in itself.

“It’s really nice to meet you, but I think I should head home. Tomorrow is my studying day.”

The disappointment was even clear to Estela, the girl who could never read a room. She felt guilty for whatever it was about her leaving that was upsetting.

“Diego has some of my things that he keeps forgetting to give back to me. Mind if I tag along so I can grab it?”

“You’re going to leave your own party?

The Catalyst laughed, as if this were her plan all along, to get every idiot on campus to infiltrate her apartment, and then to just leave. Estela didn’t quite say yes, but she didn’t complain about the shadow that followed her into the night. Sometimes having company was a little bit exciting.

Estela’s prediction was partially right, though the entire campus could not fit into one house, the streets were quite quiet.

“I’ve seen you around campus, you fall asleep in the library every Sunday. Has anyone ever told you about how coffee works?” So this girl was attentive; that scared Estela just as much as her heart quickened at the notion of someone being attentive of her.

“Coffee doesn’t make me feel like myself, it just makes each thought harder to distinguish. My mind moves quick enough,” Estela explained. This earned a nod of understanding and a small smile.

“I’m just teasing, I admire your commitment. You’re in pre-law, right?”

The night was still fairly warm even if it were void of light, and that was Estela’s favourite time of the day. There was something comforting about the warm early fall breeze, but also hiding in the darkness.

“Yeah, I don’t mean to be cliche, but I guess I want to make a difference somewhere. Pre-law is a good start for now.” Estela didn’t bring up her mother, not when someone was showing real interest in her like that.

“I believe you’ll make a difference,” her companion assured, strangely confident in her statement. “Every time I try working up the courage to talk to you, I feel a bit inferior, honestly.”

Estela laughed, the first genuine laugh in a fairly long time. “The people in your house right now think you’re the coolest person around town. What makes you feel inferior to someone like me?”

“There’s just something about you, I think. I’m going to sound insane, but I swear in another dimension you must have left quite an impression on me. I don’t know what that means. Maybe far away from here, we fight evil together or something.” She spoke playfully, but not without a note of sincerity. It was a weird thing to say to a stranger, but nothing about her made complete sense so far.

Where did this girl come from? Estela had never enjoyed talking to anyone, let alone the girls she saw around campus. She wasn’t entirely sure this girl was even real, surely nobody could fascinate Estela that quickly.

“I would fight evil with you. That sounds exhausting though. I don’t drink coffee, remember?”

“I drink too much coffee, possibly where all of these strange thoughts come from.” Was that nervous laughter? Estela was used to making people feel uncomfortable, but nervous was new.

“Thank you for walking with me, by the way,” Estela offered, hoping to make her more comfortable. It was the truth too, their walk made going out that night certainly worth it.

“I have to admit something, I had ulterior motives. Two, actually.”

Isadora stopped walking, her hand reaching out to gently grab Estela’s wrist, and then her hand, pulling Estela back slightly. An unexpected touch would normally put Estela on edge, but there wasn’t a single part of Estela that wanted to pull away.

Isadora’s voice was almost musical, even when she spoke quickly and nervously. Estela could have listened to her talk nonsense all night, but something felt off.

“I don’t think I understand.”

“I knew of you before Diego, before I’d ever seen you. I have really amazing friends here and sometimes those friendships reward me with strange nicknames I didn’t ask for. Other time, those friendships offer complicated and sensitive information.” She took a deep breath and met Estela’s eyes for a moment before looking away again. “I know you’re looking for a way to legally avenge your mother.” Estela stared wide eyed in anticipation, but the more Isadora spoke, the more she suddenly wanted to run away. She seemed to sense that somehow.

“Please don’t run off or anything, I know this is a lot coming from a stranger, but I need to explain. A friend of mine trusted me enough to tell me about a private case against his family. His dad, for that matter, and it’s only a matter of time before everybody knows about it.”

She watched Estela expectantly, anxious to see if she had overstepped.

“Is Aleister finally going to testify?”

“Not for the night Rourke drove your mother home drunk, he has no proof, I’m sorry. But his father did a lot more than cause that accident, and he can’t buy his way out of what Aleister is building against him.”

“Why now?”

“There’s a lot I don’t know, but I convinced him that you should know. He understands what it’s like to lose a mother,” she explained mournfully.

Estela had tears in her eyes but the underlying sadness of the circumstances weren’t in the front of her mind. Her chest tightened, restricting her air, and Isadora gripped her hand tightly. Estela had forgotten their hands were still intertwined.

“I’ve wanted to properly meet you since the day I noticed you in the library, when I didn’t know it was you. I’m trusting a very strange feeling that I’m supposed to help you, Estela. I hope this doesn’t feel like an ambush.”

Her body finally relaxed and Estela let out a sigh of pure relief, and exhaustion. “I’ve waited so long for someone to finally say they could help me. I didn’t think it would ever happen,” she admitted incredulously. If she weren’t so stunned, she would have sobbed, and she hadn’t cried since the night her mother didn’t make it home.

Catalyst, what a stupid nickname, and yet the one in front of her was bringing Estela the biggest change she could have asked for. If Rourke went away, her whole future would change. Everything she was working towards in school would have a different meaning, she could fight for something beyond herself.

There weren’t any more words to describe how she felt, so against the traits encoded into Estela’s being, she grabbed the Catalyst by her waist and pulled her close. They leaned into each other and Estela’s face tipped down to meet waiting lips. Nothing tasted better than kissing girls in the middle of the night. It was unfairly seductive to feel her moan against Estela, a gentle body hum that made her press her thighs tighter together. Isadora had her arms around Estela’s neck, her fingers pulling gently at her hair.

Estela would have forfeited every breath to remain in constant motion with the girl in her arms. Touching the skin where her shirt had ridden up, letting her tongue graze swollen lips. Estela held her upright, realizing they were slowly falling backwards. She finally smiled and pulled back just to avoid falling over in the street.

“I feel like I’ve kissed you a hundred times,” Isadora whispered hesitantly.

“I’m fairly certain I’d remember that, but with your permission I could kiss you a hundred times more,” Estela managed to articulate smoothly.

“I only explained one of my motives, believe it or not, I followed you out the door for that kiss as well. You just beat me to it, but thankfully you have all night to apologize for stealing my moment.”

Estela nodded, no desire to argue with that, and said, “I have a million questions but for tonight, I can make a few apologies...”

Note: It’s so hard to write without using names ahhh, so I did use my MC’s name here, but I try and avoid it to make the MC more universal! I will be writing some of my fan fiction in this style, and some written as “imagines” which I have more experience writing! I work late nights and never sleep so I apologize if certain parts don’t flow...

Tagging: @edgydepressedchoicesthot @marmolady

#choices: stories you play #estela montoya #endless summer #endless summer fanfic #estela montoya x mc #estela montoya fanfic #playchoices #pixelberry #aleister rourke

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numberonepapermaker32 · 4 years

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 1 Review

SPOILER ALERT!!!

01. All’s Fair

The opening story of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 1. It was nice to hear/see Spike and Dru's dialogs, but there wasn't that much more to the story except it was another one of their adventures. I was kinda misled to believe it would be set during the Boxer Rebellion, but instead, the time of it was the Chicago World's Fair in the 1930s. It was short and not that fun, the theme of the crazy scientist with a wondrous machine was even a bit silly. I didn't much enjoy the artwork, either. Spike and Dru don't look like themselves from the show. All in all, a quick and somewhat fun read.

02. The Origin

I loved this volume!! I have yet to watch the Buffy movie, somehow I can't make myself. So keep in mind I read this without knowing the plot and the facts from it. Buffyverse Wikia says how this comic is ''considered the canon story that replaces the events of this movie,'' so it's fair to say it gives us the whole backstory of Buffy's life prior to coming to Sunnydale. It shows Buffy already fighting vampires and eventually finding out about her Slayer destiny. We get the complete info because, on the show, they glossed over that part: how Buffy was quick in adjusting to this new life, figuring out how in order to beat more vampires at once, she should seek a priest to bless water for her to use, etc. Just as with Melaka Fray, here we see how Potentials transform into Slayers, being quick on their minds and feet. Another important part was how she tried to talk to the school's guidance counselor about vampires and the dreams she'd been having, and he didn't even listen to her but instead talked about himself. This is indicative and shows some good foreshadowing for the show. It tells us at this very beginning how no one will believe Buffy to be a sane person when she mentions these ''shadow activities'' of hers. The word crazy gets tossed around a lot, which I strongly dislike. I hate the stereotypical gender roles that Buffyverse keeps on projecting. The girls are pretty and dumbsih, the boys want sex with the pretty girls. Other than that, I really enjoyed this issue. Very much so!!

03. Viva Las Buffy

Wow, this issue was excellent!! Really fast-paced and I read it in a single breath! It's a prequel with more of Buffy's backstory, but also Angel's and Giles's, which I loved! Randomly picked thoughts: 01. The only thing I HATED about this issue is Pike. I mean, he's utterly horrible! Again, Buffyverse displays some stereotypical gender roles, and those are painfully obvious in this story. Pike is constantly whining and worrying about how Buffy will not like him and how he's a nuisance when we know as well as he does, Buffy doesn't need that kind of crap in her newfound life as a Slayer! I mean, the dude tries to kill himself in front of Buffy and actually thinks it's a good idea and a valid way to help her because he's so self-involved!!! Thank the heavens he leaves at the end, urgggh. 02. Dawn is in this comic, which I'm not sure how I feel about, and it also contradicts the show and movie (as Wikia suggests). I don't like her as a character on the show, except for when she is there for Buffy emotionally. 03. There are many scenes in this issue, as well as the next one, where we get info about the marriage between Joyce and Hank. It's difficult to read, really, knowing what we know after we've seen the show. The strain is huge, and Hank is strict, cold, and distant. 04. I loved to see how Giles became Buffy's Watcher. The use of Dark Magics is also indicative and comes full circle in the episode about his Ripper days, The Dark Age. Oh, and Wesley and Gwendolyn Post are also here! :) 05. Angel's story is quirky, so to speak. He follows Buffy to Las Vegas to watch over her (as we learned on the show from his talk from Whistler). He calls himself Angelus for some reason... Like, doesn't that only happen when he's soulless? Whatever. Then he gets into this messy situation with the casino manager regarding his vampire factory and ends up going through a temporal portal that leads him back to the manager's backstory. It was so fun when he said ''...So would someone like to tell me why I'm the only thing here in color?'' LoL, way to be meta, Angel. This is a great comic and I would recommend it to all Buffy fans!!

04. Dawn and Hoopy the Bear

Oh my everloving lord, was this bad!!! Like, why would someone write and publish this in an otherwise great series!?? I'm only giving it 3 instead of 2 stars because the artwork is amazing. But seriously! Some guy who we don't even get to meet chants and calls upon a demon* to curse a teddy bear into killing the Slayer. A teddy bear. A. TEDDY. BEAR. Without knowing who or where the Slayer is. Dawn is just as irritating as on the show, yelling ''What about ME?'' All right already... The nice thing is that the bear protects Dawn because Buffy ran away to Las Vegas, so it's a lovely touch. The parents are getting more distant, so Dawn is kinda alone. Oh, but then?? The ending? The freaking ending?! ''...He came to life and became a real bear. But he turned out to be a naughty bear...'' ''Oh, Dawny, what an imagination you have!'' AND THEN: THE END!! And we see the bear sitting in a dark alley with a beer in his hand. Sorry, paw. WHAAAAAAT??! I mean, was this supposed to be funny?? It's horribly sad and wrong and why am I even thinking about this bear and why does this idiotic story bother me so much?? Omg... * The demon at the beginning looks a lot like the Asphyx demon that gave Spike a soul at the end of s06 of the show. I asked the folks over on reddit about it, but so far haven't gotten an answer. IF ANYBODY KNOWS ANYTHING, LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS :)

05. Slayer, Interrupted

Yeah, this is the best installment in the Omnibus vol.1 collection, mainly because it completes everyone's backstory prior to the show's s01, after they all arrive in Sunnydale. This volume is set around Buffy's time in the mental institution which we learned about in s06 of the show, this gives us details. Basically, Dawn being Dawn, the insufferable idiot she is, goes on and reads Buffy's diary which makes their parents decide to send Buffy to a mental hospital. She can't possibly be sane if she's writing about vampires, right?? Urghh, Dawn. Anyway, the doctors set a diagnosis of a ''severe neuroses paranoia'' and ''a Messiah complex.'' Then they go on to decide she should get medication prior to electro-shock treatment. OMG... Like, did they actually do that stuff in the 90es still?? Eventually, we find out that, of course, the asylum is laden with the supernatural. The head doctor turns out to be the Rakagore demon who sires teenage brides. Yuck, again with this gender stereotype crap. BUT! This episode does raise some interesting foreshadowing. Buffy's problem with authority and the almost complete lack of faith from adults in general. There's this scene where she describes her childhood with her father. He reads her Alice in Wonderland (of course, what else, geez) and she then felt safe. The symbolism is clear even for Buffy and she raises an excellent point of how the word 'crazy' is just awful and plain wrong. Random thoughts: 01. Giles's story of passing this super-difficult test by facing his inner demons, or rather his younger self was kinda weak. However, I was happy to see how he and Buffy have other things in common, here namely father figure issues. 02. We get this short glimpse of Sunnydale Hight with Cordelia and Willow and that makes me super happy!! I wish there was more! 03. There's a couple of scenes with Angel and Whistler that are completely unnecessary because they give us no exposition whatsoever. 04. There's this great foreshadowing at the end when Buffy visits Alice in the hospital and offers her a Doublemeat burger.

#buffy the vampire slayer #comics #review

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kenzbee · 7 years

Text

Blinded - 3 ┊Min Yoongi

┕ pairing: yoongi x reader

┕ genre: fluff, angst (mostly angst)

┕ words: 2.2k

1 / 2 / 3

Summary: There’s a fine balance between work and romance, Yoongi just hasn’t found that balance yet.

The next day, I stared quietly at my laptop. Yoongi had given me a link to the mixtape. Names of the tracks, and the mixtape in its entirety, were missing. I assumed he did it on purpose so I didn’t go snooping to find out who exactly he was. Of course, if he was really that famous, I would be able to actually just look up the lyrics and find out just exactly who this mysterious man truly is. However, he seems to value his privacy. I didn’t really feel like upsetting him and digging too much into it, even though I would be suffocating from curiosity the entire time.

Plugging in my headphones, I clicked on the first track labeled “01”. My ears were immediately met with an upbeat sound that was almost completely jumbled. It was a mess of sound and yet, it sounded so captivating. Agust D? Is that what he was spelling? Before I could think too much, the next track began to play. “02” it was titled. The beat was almost identical to the first.

When I found out Yoongi did music, my first thought was that he was a singer. But dear god, I was horribly misled. This boy- no, this man- was such a godly rapper that I almost forgot how to breathe as I listened to him continuously spit out his lyrics. The song’s beat was my favorite part, the rapping only made it so much better. It was a song basically rubbing his success in his competitions’ faces. The lyrics to this song weren’t anything special, typical songs really, but the way he presented it was fantastic. His unrealistically fast pace draws you in and keeps you gripped. I barely ever heard him talk, and now listening to him fire off syllable after syllable at such a speedy rate was amazing. Thrilling. Captivating.

I took a good break after the second track- that I concluded was titled Agust D or something of the like. I continued to listen to the rest of the mixtape, and soon I slowly began to understand the purpose of this mixtape. After I got over my initial shock from the raw talent he possessed, pieces began to fall into place.

The opening track was him taking credit for all of the success that he had, making it known that his hard work paid off and he’s damn better than any of your second-rate rappers. Then, he took a back track to discuss all of his struggles when it came to obtaining his success. He had struggled with what seemed to be anxiety or depression- maybe even both- but despite it, kept going. He became greedy, though. He let the fame get to his head for a while. After a while, he had to step back to reflect. He looked back on his dreams that once seemed so far away, but yet he was here now.

This mixtape had me going from feeling like I could punch the world in the face to wanting to curl into a ball and cry. The roller coaster of emotions was most definitely worth it, and immediately upon finishing it, I had taken some time to think over everything. After that, I was scrambling to contact Yoongi. I sent a text with no immediate response and soon grew impatient. I settled on calling him.

The line rang momentarily before a clock sounded through my ears. A sigh was heard on the other side, and I quickly sat up on my bed (which I was formerly curled up in the fetal position on). Sniffling quietly, I let out a shaky breath. This seemed to grab his attention.

“Shit, Y/N?” His voice was deeper over the phone. Or maybe I had interrupted his sleep? It was nearly midnight after all. I mentally cursed myself as he continued, “Fuck, did something happen?” Worry drenched his tone.

I sniffed again, wiping my nose. I shook my head no as if he could actually see me, “I listened to your mixtape.” Was all I could manage to breathe out in my current state. I sure was adept at making a complete and utter fool out of myself.

“Oh yeah?” A chuckled filled my ears. It was such a nice change from the harsh rapping I was hearing earlier. It reminded me that the soft Yoongi I knew definitely existed. “Was it that bad that you felt the need to cry?” He hummed into the phone.

I sunk down onto the bed with a quiet plop, my hair sprawling out around my head. “The opposite actually. I had no idea.”

“No idea about what?” Yoongi inquired. I heard a quiet bit of shifting around him and the sounds of voices around him. Someone was calling for him. I pushed thoughts of who it could be to the back of my mind and continued on with my original mission- to discuss his mixtape and what all it really means.

“Everything.” I was about to go on a complete ramble about everything I felt during the mixtape, but instead sighed. “I concluded one thing though.” I paused, hoping I wasn’t stepping over any boundaries with this. “You’re in a k-pop group, right?” I paused for a second before popping another question, “And... how do you feel? Are you okay?”

Yoongi drew in a long breath. It sounded almost disappointed, and I immediately regretted it. “Yeah.” He sighed. More voices were in the background. “One second, someone is-“

A lot of shuffling was heard this time, until finally, an unfamiliar voice came from the other line. “Hello! The mysterious lady Yoongi has been talking to recently, might I get a name please?”

I stammered, completely awe-struck. I heard voices, but I didn’t think they’d steal Yoongi’s phone. He can be a pretty intimidating guy when he’s serious, I definitely wouldn’t want to play around with his property. As silence hung over us, I soon realized I should probably pipe up. “Sorry. W-who’s this?” My voice definitely cracked at least seventeen times.

“He didn’t even tell you about me? Aish, this guy!” The mystery man sighed, over-exaggerating his exasperation. “I’m Seokjin!” Seokjin exclaimed proudly. I’m sure that if I were in front of him, he’d have a huge smile on his face. Or perhaps a smirk?

“Well, nice to meet you Seokjin. I’m Y/N.” I sighed, a small smile cracking onto my lips. “I’d love to chat, but I was chatting with Yoongi and-“

“Damnit Jin, give it back!” Yoongi suddenly yelled and I stopped speaking entirely. The line went silent momentarily and I presumed that Seokjin conceded in giving back Yoongi’s phone. A bit of shuffling filled my ears again until Yoongi’s usual sigh graced my ears. “Sorry Y/N, we’re in the middle of something. We can chat later.” His tone was a lot harsher than earlier. Why did he have to be so crass?

He hung up abruptly, not giving me much of a chance to utter goodbyes.. It was nearly midnight. What could he possibly be doing? The line went dead and I slowly dropped my phone onto the bed besides my head. A drawn out sigh fell from my lips as I turned onto my side, curling up in a slight ball. Whenever I felt that we were starting to get closer, or that I was beginning to figure him out, he just got farther. Isn’t that pleasant?

He said we would chat later, but his definition of later was a lot longer than mine. Hours turned into days, days into weeks. Weeks into an entire month. What was he possibly doing 24/7 that made it so impossible to send me one little text? At this point, I was craving for his attention that even a simple word would’ve been enough.

In his absence, I was craving knowledge on his whereabouts that I nearly gave him a quick google search to see what exactly he was apart of. A k-pop group, yes, but how famous are they? How have I not heard of him or seen him at some point?

This ignorance seemed to be short-lived, however. I should’ve figured I couldn’t remain blissfully unaware of his career forever, especially if he’s on as big of a scale as he claimed to be.

It was a normal day for the most part, except for one major detail. We had one day of break for high schoolers to come and check out the campus. Normally this wouldn’t be too bad, but Mina and I were apart of one of the committees guiding everyone around campus. Whereas Mina was so incredibly excited for it, I was dreading it completely. As a fresh graduate myself, I still had a pretty good idea on the different types of seniors.

Some would be on this open-campus trip simply to get out of classes. They’d be messing around the entire time and quite frankly, I had plenty of that when I was still their age. Or you would have the chatty bunch that feel the need to comment on every little thing you say, snickering while they’re at it. Perhaps I was being a bit cynical, but I figured high schoolers wouldn’t have changed much since the three years that I graduated.

Things went smoothly enough, and I did my best to drown out their annoying chatter. My curiosity piqued when I heard the mention of... Agust D? I turned to see a girl and a guy walking close together, peering at one of their phones.

“Honestly though,” The guy sighed, “After hixtape and RM’s second mixtape, can we pllllleeeease,” He threw his hands in the air, grasping the phone tightly, “Have Agust D part two?”

The girl giggled, grabbing the other’s arms and pulling them back down to gaze at the phone. “They’re busy with their Japanese album, I bet.” She sighed, “BTS is always so busy, no wonder that hixtape took like, two years, to come out.”

“Yoongi will do it one day,” The boy frowned, “Until then I’ll just listen to So Far Away on repeat.”

It was at that point that I turned away, deciding to tune out their definitely private conversation. Eavesdropping isn’t something I’m proud to do, but since it was about Yoongi, I could barely resist. Their short conversation definitely cleared a few things up for me. Guilty as I felt for listening in, and finding out about something Yoongi wasn’t comfortable to share with me yet, I was somewhat content now.

Yoongi wasn’t ignoring me because I was a nuisance. He was probably just busy working on another album. Or better yet, another mixtape? The guys I’ve met around him previously are most certainly apart of that group... BTS. I thought to give him a call on it, but I should just wait until he spills it, right?

Probably.

I already know now, so what’s the harm in digging into their group a little bit? No personal information needed... I just wanted to listen to their songs, or maybe even learn their names.

And I did just that.

I came to easily recognize the face of Yoongi, and his stage name, which was awfully fitting, Suga. I was able to vaguely recognize the one called Hoseok I had met during my second encounter with Yoongi. He was called J-Hope. It was cute and seemingly fitting for such a bright guy. Jungkook was the one I saw at first. If Mina found out about this, she would definitely be all over BTS.

I was able to put a face to the cheerful voice of Seokjin. I thought Jin was simply a nickname from the way Yoongi had used it, but that was apparently his stage name.

All of their music was uniquely different from most things I’ve heard before. It seemed that with each album, their style evolved into something better and better, constantly outdoing their last. It was amazing that I hadn’t heard of them before considering how absolutely huge they are, especially with international fans.

As I fell deeper into the hole that was k-pop, I was soon pulled back into reality. Nearly a month later since I had initially called Yoongi regarding his mixtape, he had contacted me. After weeks of trying to get a hold of him first, he sent me a small text. My heart fluttered so much I thought that I was going to forget how to breathe.

He was simply requesting to meet up after such a long time of absence, stating plainly that he finally caught a break. Apparently he had a want he wanted to discuss. In person.

With all my newfound information on him, I was almost scared to say yes. But I had been waiting for this moment for essentially an entire month. Of course there was no way I was turning him down now.

Although, in hindsight, I kind of wished that I did.

#yoongi #min yoongi #min yoongi x reader #yoongi x reader #bts #bts x reader #x reader #fluff #angst #fanfiction #this is really late but i tried :(

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lepau123 · 7 years

Text

4. Sneaky

I do hope you like this chapter! again so sorry for mistakes, English is not my first language. I speak Spanish, if you are wondering.

Masterlist!

The evening was cold my robe was not thick enough to keep me warm so I had to light a lot of candles. The sun was setting the sky was red, it looked like it was bleeding. Bleeding before the massacre that is coming. I thought. Zeinab came early, to bring me some food which I ate really quickly. I asked her to deliver a letter to Tøumd. I had change from my dress to a pale beige blouse and pants and my short cloak. I put my blades on and with one last look at the room I leave through the window.

I grab the bumps that the wall had and climb up, grasping to everything I could. It is a rush of adrenaline, you just climb up and look around, everything looks amazing in the heights, as I reached the edge of the roof I push myself up and sit there to catch my breath., you just climb up and look around, everything looks amazing in the heights, as I reached the edge of the roof I push myself up and sit there to catch my breath. What? Almost 300m. Nice.

I heard a movement behind me and in a blur I had him down on his back with my left blade to his neck. But to my surprise it was Tøumd with wide eyes.

"Easy there, I'm not going to do anything" he said with his hands raised.

"Sorry I forgot that you learned how to climb rooftops" I said pulling my blade out and helping him to stand. His height towered me, almost two heads "I'm really sorry" I repeated

"It's nothing" he said laughing "but this time I really thought that you were going to do something" he added with a nervous laugh.

I just gave him a look and shake my head, I walked over a small balcony that watch over the city, you could see he fire lightning the streets. Light turning off and on. The same city that watch me grow and suffer will burn in a few days. I sat down on the edge dandling my foot on the air as Tøumd join me with a nervous expression.

"How could you not be afraid" he said pointing at the height and the huge death fall.

"You get used to it" I simply said "I've been waiting to die for a long time, so it will make no difference if I fall or not." I just raised my legs.

"hmmmm" he said grabbing the wall for dear life.

I looked around seeking for a guard to be eavesdropping our making guard but we were alone, no one was on the rooftops.

"I know the plans for the attack, I requested the port. We have to plan how we are going to make I happen. How we are going to approach them. And if they remember you." I said. I told him how we divided the guard's circles and how everything was controlled

"We can tell them that they are coming from land. There is a small port outside the city that nobody uses." He said "you can say that they have arrived there, the gate is closer to the palace so everyone will go and make the wall there"

"That actually is not a bad idea" I said thinking all the cons a pros. "we still need people".

"Really one assassin can't kill one of us, trust me, if we warn them. We are five times stronger than you" he said.

"Yes but we are ten times faster than you, you have strength. We have the speed and the precision" I added with a wave of hand.

"Fair point well" he said with a gesture of his hand.

"I want you to tell me" I said quickly looking at him and then toward the city that was sleeping under our feet "more stories of Kattegat. I want to know more of them"

"What do you want to know?" he said question looking at me "or perhaps who do you want to meet?" he said correcting himself.

We had this meeting of "people", we usually would describe them and tell me things about them, like what would they normally do in the day.

"I don't know" I said "the only one I know is Ragnar Lothbrok" I said.

"King Ragnar Lothbrok" he corrected.

"Oh so he is king?" I asked looking at him

"As far as I know yes" he said "I don't know now" he added sadly. "So who you want to meet?" he says again.

"I don't know" I said thinking "probably his sons? You told me he had many sons or so that said the seer" I answer myself and him.

"You want to meet the Ragnarsson" he said "Okay".

"first the eldest of the five" he says looking at the city " his name is Bjørn Ironside, his is tall, taller than me, he is very strong, he has blue eyes, he is an amazing warrior, really formidable, he went with his father to raid Paris and to England. He grew up with his father in the golden years, his mother is Lagartha, and he had an adopted member in the family that was a monk or a priest I am not sure which it is. So he has a very different mindset than most Vikings. If you ever meet him if you show you are not afraid he would probably listen to you. Before you ask I grew up with all the Ragnarsson."

"then comes the second eldest which is Ubba, he is very alike to his father or so is told, he is very loyal and kind to the people he cares about he is a very good warrior like his brother, he likes to go out and hunt. He loves and protects his brothers like a mama bear." He says and we laugh.

"Then comes Hvitserk, he is very lighthearted, but never be misled, he is very mysterious, and he is tall like all of us. He is a very angry aggressive warrior he is very good. He looks up at Ubba a lot. He likes to fight train with his brothers."

"Next is Sigurd snake in the eye, he has a snake in his eye. He is a light warrior, he is not as good as his brothers, and he prefers to play instruments than fight, so in our culture he is no warrior at all. That is why he was always excluded from us, he never really understood us when we play."

"And last but not the least there is Ivar the Boneless" he says looking at me this time " you will like a lot his story" he chuckles " from the name as you can hear, he has no bone in his legs, he always crawls around. Rumor has it that when he was a baby Ragnar left him to the wolves, but his mother Aslaug pick him and took him back to the house. He is very selfish, cruel, unpredictable and very wise. He loves a lot his mother and his brothers, Ubba always looks after him, even when he doesn't know" he says and claps his hands "well that is the end of the story telling, any questions?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Ivar can he walk?" I ask curious

"No, he can stand, but I never saw him walking..." he says murmuring "he was very neglected by his father and the people. It's hard to be a cripple or have something wrong with you in the Viking world, it's not like here that you, all the community helps them. Over there you are just by yourself, I mean his father left him to the wolves, what can you expect from him" he says deep in thought.

"Someone like me you say" I said turning to him "what can you expect from me. I have been whipped so many times that I lost count already, and still I will choose to be a monster and kill my father. That makes a monster like him. Because I am violent and cruel. I am the most unpredictable person in the palace and people fear me for it."

"but you are not like him" he says more likely convincing himself.

"what happen if I am?" I asked

"You haven't met him yet" he says "you do not need to trouble yourself."

"Do you think they will allow me to leave with them?" I asked "what happen if they say no?"

"Bjørn will never say no" he says "he loves meeting new people, he will take you and because you are a princess here they can't take you as a slave, we Vikings respect a lot the ranks of nobility either is from birth, rank or acquired. But that follows the way of death." He says

"I think we should go back, I don't want them to start searching for me again" I say with a smirk.

"Yeah" he says and goes to the way he climb up and ties a rope around his waist.

"Hey! That is cheating you have to climb without help." I say crossing my arms and walking towards him, and tugging at the rope and smile.

"Well I am not an assassin that knows how to handle themselves at heights" he says grabbing himself on the wall.

"Have a good night Tøumd" I say shaking my head and smiling, as I head out to my room. I climb the edge and dropped little by little until I reached my floor and swiftly I get inside my room.

I took off all my clothes and put on my silk nightgown and went to the jar and grab a cool glass of water. I unbraided my hair and went straight into my bed and lay there wide awake looking at the high sealing of my room. It really left me intrigued the last Ragnarsson, it seems that we was like me. A monster, not by choice but by how life was treating us. i want to meet them. I though.

How tall they are, how do they look, what would they say about me? I have so many questions and I am so thirsty for answers. And with that the tiredness crashes over me, dreaming to the five sons. The princes of Kattegat.

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sasukeuchiha-eternalmangekyou · 6 years

Text

While listening to the ninja's explanations and the conclusions he'd drawn - some of them long ago, some maybe just the other night - a sad smile crossed Sureen's face.

Things were… different than what she'd expected. Learning the truth about Itachi hadn't left Sasuke disoriented or aimless. Not at all. The only thing that had changed was the direction and the extent of his mission. It was no longer about restoring justice by killing merely the culprit. Now it was about eliminating the very root cause by destroying a whole village including all of its inhabitants. A deep-drawn sigh escaped her. There was nothing left for her to do. "I think the reason why I came after you, in the first place, was because I was sure that learning the truth about your brother would turn your plans and your convictions upside down so much that you wouldn't… you couldn't… dunno. At least in my head it felt alarming enough to set out straight away. But I guess I was wrong. Because in a way things are still the same now. If anything, they grew larger and deeper… to a whole new stage. I can't even tell if that's a good or a bad thing. 'Cause basically, it's still all about revenge, it still serves to keep you focused and moving forward. You can still stick with the very same survival strategy that has always worked for you. It's just…" Sureen paused and let another sigh escape her lips. She rubbed her tired eyes with her hands, then massaged the bridge of her nose in an attempt to unravel her muddled thoughts. "... It sucks. Seriously. Because in fact your mind is amazing, you have the ability to really think things through and look at them from various perspectives and then come to a conclusion or even change your mind after collecting enough new information. You could totally leave old paths, look for new directions, question old ways of thinking, and come up with new ideas based on what's happening around you - that would be so you. But as it is now, you can't… get there. All you can do is isolate yourself. From everyone around you, and from yourself. From what you'd really feel if you'd go there. "I'm so sorry everything turned out this way. But the only thing that comes to my mind… as an answer of sorts, is… at this point you need to go follow your chosen path, it's the only thing that makes sense, I can see that now." She swallowed hard, slowly moving her fingers through her long, tangled hair strands. But suddenly another cautious smile lit up her face as a thought crossed her mind.

"But you know what, at least according to MY experience, making future plans almost NEVER works. Somehow you just can't include all those existing options and determinants, 'cause things tend to develop in the weirdest directions which you just can't anticipate, no matter how hard you try. 'Cause life is unpredictable. I mean… I'm not trying to say your plans are nonsense and in fact things will turn out differently anyway. But I guess that's what I'll secretly be hoping for," she bashfully shrugged her shoulders. A few minutes later though, listening to Sasuke's theory on what the world would be like if everyone had her ability, Sureen couldn't help but grin broadly. "Oh boy, just why am I NOT surprised about THAT point of view? Feeling like you want to do your self-discovery thing all by yourself with no guidance from no one - that's so you being you man," the girl chuckled.

"Nah, but seriously… you've got a point. That's why usually we would be trained in fully mastering our ability. And people my age would be perfectly capable of switching it on and off, and only use it when they feel like they wouldn't cross a line with it. And from there it's common sense and intuition. Because no matter which additional abilities or senses you might have, people still do have the right to keep their secrets to themselves, and it doesn't mean you can shamelessly interfere with their lives or their privacy.

"It's just that… for obvious reasons I was never trained to master anything. I only know the very basics of my ability. So most of the time I'm totally going overboard with it, or more like, it's going overboard with me, since I've got no clue how to switch it off. So yeah. If everyone used that thing the way I do, you'd totally have a point. But I'll figure it out, it's just a tad complicated to get there when there's no one left to teach you… but well, I'll figure it out eventually," Sureen hurried to shrug it off before her grief could take over. She nodded in agreement, a relieved smile tugging on her lips as she listened to Sasuke telling her there was no need for her to join him since he already had team Taka on his side, regardless of his shifting objective.

"And regardless of your shifting objective as well, rest assured that I'll still be on your side when it's over. Because the day after will come when there's no one left for you to kill - either because you completed your mission or because your plans vanished into thin air. But either way, that shall be the day I'll come back. Because trust me, the real difficult part begins when you realize that your life is gone but you're still there. But we'll cross that bridge when you get there, 'cause I guess at this point it's rather meaningless to you. Just remember I'll be back when your plans come to an end," she replied, her eyes bright with confidence. "Pffffft… and just for the record, your sanity isn't all that trivial. At least not to… well, I could name at least four [// million!!!!!] persons including ME," Sureen growled with feigned annoyance, the telltale smile still tugging on her lips. "Otherwise, as for me, I wouldn't have come here to begin with, Mister."

“Things have changed, that much I can assure you,” Sasuke explained, sight still absorbing the skyline of auburn. “But you’re right. It’s still about revenge. Nearly my entire life has been. But there is something deeper that’s altered after discovering a truth my brother never wanted me to know…”

He closed his ebon eyes, taking a deep breath to collect his rampaging thoughts. They still managed to run wild whenever Itachi was consuming his mind, but now heartache accompanied them in a cascading sorrow he nearly forgot existed. It overflowed, temping to drown him in this ravaging battlefield called love. He was devoted to a lie, something so contradictory while being tugged along by restricting strings.

He shook his head, trying to chase the pain away to no avail. He spoke quietly without looking over to Sureen. “You don’t have to be sorry. We all suffer our individual traumas and some manage to dig themselves out of the darkness while others don’t know how. I may be strategic and levelheaded in most cases, but I’ve always been impulsive when it came to my motives. Leaving the village was a reckless move, but not something I regret. It may very well be due to isolating myself, but that place stopped feeling like home a long time ago.” He raised his hand, clutching his fingers. “I appreciate the friend you’ve been to me in spite of being at odds on many occasions. The mere fact that you understand my path means a great deal. Even if you don’t agree with it.”

Unlike some, she wasn’t trying to stop him and return him to a life he no longer wanted. Although his former teammates have decided upon themselves to save him, they failed to realize that choices were factors. If he wanted off this destructive path, he’d have done so by now. It no longer mattered. His new goal was waging a war against Konoha, one they’d all perish in anyway. Or he’d die trying.

“I figured you’d hope for that,” the Uchiha commented, now glancing towards his comrade. “I know firsthand that plans never go as we expect. The unpredictability of my life never ceases to throw me off track. My trust in what’s real is sometimes shaken. Not only have I been misled, but I’ve been used. Itachi’s intentions were created by his sense of justice. He left me alive out of care. But it was cruel. The method he used to keep me blinded and strung along… If I had known everything, I could’ve made my own decision on how to take the massacre. But instead, he chose for me. So, I know well enough that life changes unexpectedly. Until it does though, I’ll keep striving to avenge my family.”

He listened to Sureen clarify her abilities and outlook on those powers. It was no form a revelation that she felt that way pertaining to what she couldn’t control. He knew little about her, but never pried to discover more. They’ve been traveling together for a short while, but never had she once tried to interfere too harshly when in disagreement. He didn’t pity her capabilities or think less of her for the empathy she formed with them. Rather, he was somewhat reserved about his attention towards her attendance this entire time. Like Taka, she didn’t fight him on much, but her company and endeavors to try to understand was helpful while he was struggling with this mess of information.

“It’s possible that you’ll be able to teach yourself how to control your gifts. In my experience, not many are willing to help what they don’t understand. Perhaps for you it will be different. I was merely unwilling to accept it.” Sasuke fully faced her now, aware that they’d soon be parting ways. The others have left once the sun set the other day and were waiting for him to be prepared to head off. She was the only one who sought him out this morning.

Her declaration of being by his side when this was all over was heard and silently accepted. He knew it was pointless to dispute. If she wanted to witness what became of him once this trial of vengeance commenced and ended, then he’d be fine with that. It’s not as though she were his enemy. She wasn’t from the Hidden Leaf or standing in his way.

Sasuke walked past her, a nod given. “I guess this means goodbye until next we meet.”

#EnthusiasticUmbrellaAnon #I honestly think it's been an eternity since I answered this.... my apologies ;A;#been so slacking on everything ugh #but hey we ended one :D #yay #well technically you could answer again if you wanted ^-^#all up to you <3

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