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mariana-oconnor · 1 year ago

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The Three Gables pt 2

A little late, because life and Christmas are just... it's a lot.

Last time we had a lady who wanted to sell her house and someone who really wanted to buy it and everything in it. Including the remaining possessions of her dead son. Who had died of pneumonia? I think, but also been involved with some sort of woman his mother did not approve of.

And a servant was fired after everyone was kind of terrible to her, even if she was spying for some bad guys.

And there was a lot of racism, which I expect will increase.

Anyway

"Now, Watson, this is a case for Langdale Pike, and I am going to see him now."

Ah, it's another randomly referenced character that it sounds like we should know and yet we do not. Unless I have forgotten him. I don't think I've forgotten him.

Langdale Pike was his human book of reference upon all matters of social scandal. This strange, languid creature spent his waking hours in the bow window of a St. James's Street club and was the receiving-station as well as the transmitter for all the gossip of the metropolis. He made, it was said, a four-figure income by the paragraphs which he contributed every week to the garbage papers which cater to an inquisitive public.

OMG, he's the paparazzi!

Well, the Edwardian equivalent of it.

Holmes, I thought better of you than this. You're really feeding this guy information. Ugh.

'Please come out at once. Client's house burgled in the night. Police in possession. — Sutro.' Holmes whistled. “The drama has come to a crisis, and quicker than I had expected."

Really? You must have known you sped up their timetable a little. They knew you'd gone to see the place and they were worried enough about you they tried to warn you off. It makes sense that seeing you there would move up their plans.

“Well, they don't seem to have got much. Mrs. Maberley was chloroformed and the house was— Ah! here is the lady herself.”

She was chloroformed and it's just an ordinary burglary? I hate to see what you call an odd burglary.

Just going to skip over the extra racism.

“Well, I don't think there is anything of value missing. I am sure there was nothing in my son's trunks.”

You hadn't even looked in them and Holmes told you that he thought there was something in them. Why are you so confident in this, lady?

"It is in my son's handwriting.” “Which means that it is not of much use,” said the inspector. “Now if it had been in the burglar's—” “Exactly,” said Holmes. “What rugged common sense!"

Please allow me to use my Holmes-English dictionary. I'll just check... yeah... Mmhm.

“I never pass anything, however trifling,” said he with some pomposity. “That is my advice to you, Mr. Holmes."

Oh, oh no. Oh poor boy. You are being set up for the biggest of falls. You have no genre savvy. I'm sorry. This will hurt.

“Seems to be the end of some queer novel, so far as I can see.”

Please, tell me more.

“Why should they go to my son's things?” asked Mrs. Maberley.

Clearly they wanted the manuscript of his magnum opus of homoerotic literature, Mrs Maberley. I can see no other possible reason.

And honestly, relatable.

"Man must live for something. If it is not for your embrace, my lady, then it shall surely be for your undoing and my complete revenge.”

🔥VENGEANCE!🔥

So it's not a homoerotic bodice ripper, at all. It's a tell-all memoir.

"I hear that she is about to marry the young Duke of Lomond, who might almost be her son."

Refreshing to see an older woman-younger man romance portrayed for once. Usually it's the older man preying on the sweet young ingenue. This time the sexual predator is the woman. Although... honestly, nothing that's been said so far makes me think she's doing anything but having a good time.

“Not at home means not at home to you,” said the footman.

RUDE!

The lady had come, I felt, to that time of life when even the proudest beauty finds the half light more welcome.

Also rude!

Come on, Watson. You're not exactly young yourself at this point. And you're still apparently marrying people left right and centre. Do you hide in the shadows?

Pah.

...two wonderful Spanish eyes which looked murder at us both.

I know what he means by this, but also I am imagining her irises being the Spanish flag.

Beautiful.

“I need not explain, madame. I have too much respect for your intelligence to do so—though I confess that intelligence has been surprisingly at fault of late.”

Holmes is in such a bitchy mood in this one. He's just insulting everyone as much as he can. I kind of love it.

"I feel that I may be frank with you, Mr. Holmes. You have the feelings of a gentleman. How quick a woman's instinct is to find it out. I will treat you as a friend.”

Wow...the bullshit is strong with this one.

“No doubt it was foolish of me to threaten a brave man like yourself.”

You should totally stroke his bicep and ask if he works out. That's clearly where this is heading. Lolol!

“No, no, you would not. You are a gentleman. It is a woman's secret.”

Wow. Just... wow. Weaponising femininity indeed.

✨ Gaslight. ✨ Gatekeep. ✨ Girlboss. ✨

So roguish and exquisite did she look as she stood before us with a challenging smile that I felt of all Holmes's criminals this was the one whom he would find it hardest to face. However, he was immune from sentiment.

That's because unlike you, he is not ruled by his horny brain, Watson. Please, take some deep breaths, drink a glass of cold water and come back when you've calmed down. You were literally just saying you thought she was too old to stand in proper lighting, my dude. Down boy!

"Because I had given he seemed to think that I still must give, and to him only. It was intolerable."

OK, fine. I'm on her side now. She's still the most ridiculous person ever, but this is a valid and correct point. Douglas needed to take no as an answer.

Barney and the boys drove him away, and were, I admit, a little rough in doing so.

I'm torn. On the one hand, Douglas needed to understand that just because his sense of entitlement told him she owed him something, he really didn't. On the other hand, don't hire people to beat people up. Maybe just hire bodyguards to keep turning him away and save the beating for if he escalates?

I feel like everyone sucks in this story.

This... this is the same story from Charles Augustus Milverton except the female character is rich and has agency. And yet we're supposed to not side with the people who stole back the blackmail material that would ruin her? Because she's promiscuous?

Yeah, she's kind of terrible, but her crime was getting people to beat him up. The theft seems fair, honestly.

“Very good. I think you will sign me a check for that, and I will see that it comes to Mrs. Maberley. You owe her a little change of air."

Yeah, she was chloroformed and it's possible that the beating led to her son's death. She definitely deserves something for all of this.

"Have a care! You can't play with edged tools forever without cutting those dainty hands.”

Weird line to end on, but okay. Basically 'fuck around and find out' in Holmes speak, I guess.

But yeah, this is just a different version of Charles Augustus Milverton and A Scandal in Bohemia only this time the lady is the bad guy. And she actually has done some horrible things. But if she'd come to you and said 'Mr Holmes, I had an ill advised dalliance with a young man and I need the evidence before it ruins my upcoming wedding!' Holmes might have done the burglary himself.

Well, probably not if he found out about her having Douglas beaten up.

But it's a weird change of perspective.

#Letters from Watson #The Three Gables #Sherlock Holmes #long post

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asena-graywolf · 2 years ago

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Full Time Cleaner || Part 2

The next evening, you prepared for going to Kenma's house for the first time as a guest, not a cleaner.

You didn't need to wear fancy dresses. Otherwise, you didn't want Kenma to think you like her and get spoiled.

You weren't going to act like a loose woman tonight. You would be a dignified lady. You've never been one of those loose women anyway, and you wouldn't destabilize yourself today either.

You wore jeans and a stylish shirt. You waved your hair and put on a light daily make-up.

Now you were ready and you could go. You left the house and walked to the bus stop. The last bus was at 22:30. You thought you could catch the last bus if you didn't stay late at Kenma's house

You waited for the bus for half an hour at the stop. Get on the incoming bus and head to Kenma's house

You got off at your usual stop and started walking to Kenma's house. You entered the apartment, caught the elevator, went up to the 12th floor and came in front of the apartment number 43 and rang the bell.

Soon Kenma opened the door and greeted you.

"Welcome"

"Thank you"

"Be my guest. Get in”

He stepped back to open the door and let you in. You didn't expect to find Kenma in her home state. You were dressed elegantly, but she was at home. He looked pretty shabby in a matted T-shirt and a black wrinkled sweatpants underneath.

“Today you are a guest in this house. I'm not very good at cooking, but I hope you like my cooking"

“Of course I like it. What did you do?"

“Meat sauteed rice and miso soup.”

“Oh! I like a lot."

"Come then"

Kenma took you to the kitchen. He put the soup in the soup bowls.

“Can I help you too?” you got up

He stopped you with his hand

"No. Sit down. I will handle it. You've already done a lot of work for me every day."

"Alright. As you wish” you said and sat down at the table again.

He placed the soup in front of you. He then brought candlesticks and candles to the table. He lit the black candle on the candlestick and turned off the light

It had been a half-romantic setting.

When you tasted the soup, you realized that it was even better than your grandmother's.

“Delicious! Kenma, you did great, I love it!”

He smiled softly at you as he said, "Enjoy your meal."

"You've been in trouble. I hope you didn't have any trouble thinking about food"

"No. I don't usually live, but sometimes I think about what to cook"

"I understand"

You chatted and ate your food. Kenma asked you after serving the sauteed meat and rice

“Shall we drink wine too? If you want?"

“Oh well…it's okay” you said a little timidly

Kenma took the bottle of red wine from the cabinet. She opened the bottle with the corkscrew and then poured it into two glasses.

Before he started to eat, he raised his glass and waited for you to clinch your glass against his.

"Cheers?"

"Cheers"

You drank after clinking a glass. In order to get to know each other better, you continued your conversation and ate dinner.

You didn't want to get drunk that night. Because you were going to walk home. But Kenma insisted you have another glass after dinner.

“Come on, just one more glass. If it affects too much, I'll make you a coffee"

“No thanks really. More than 1 glass touches me”

“It is already late. Can you find a bus to return at this hour?"

You took out your phone and checked the time. Kenma's conversation was so sweet that you couldn't tell how time passed. It was showing 23:00.

"Oh my God! When it was 23:00. The last bus was half an hour ago. It can't be off!”

“Okay, don't worry. I'll drop you off in the car"

You looked at him with puzzled eyes

"So what? Do you have a car?"

"There is. But I don't park in front of the building. It's in the parking lot. I can leave you if you want"

“But you are drunk. What will you do if the police stop it?"

“I'll get myself a coffee. Then I'll drop you home. Is it possible?"

"It's possible"

“For accompanying me tonight…”

Just then, Kenma's phone rang incongruously.

“I beg your pardon. I'll be right back"

He came out of the kitchen and picked up the phone. You could hear their conversation as he spoke loudly.

“What's wrong with you that I drink alcohol! Do you want money again? Didn't I just send you money last week? How quickly did you eat all the money?"

Kenma's voice sounded angry. Whoever called was clearly someone who pissed him off.

"So what? Do you expect me to believe? Come and tell my cone! I've heard the same story from you a lot. Look at me! If you call again, I'll make you regret it, you know? Don't bother again for money or anything else! That's it!”

You came out of the kitchen

“Kenma?”

Kenma tried to hide her trembling, but you noticed. But you were trying not to let him notice

"Ha? Y/N. sorry. Wait, let me have a coffee. Then I'll take you home"

"Alright"

After Kenma drank coffee and sobered up, you left the house together. You landed in the parking lot. There was a model sports car last year. It was a car that could handle it, even if it wasn't very big and luxurious.

Kenma started the car and you drove out of the parking lot

“Describe to me your home”

"Ok"

He turned on the radio. By chance, the radio channel you listen to often came across. They always played slow songs at this hour and you would like it.

Kenma wanted to change the channel, but you blocked it.

“Kenma, can you not change the channel? I love this channel very much. I should at least listen until I get home"

"Okay," he said reluctantly.

You described your house to him. Within minutes you were in front of the house

“Thank you very much, Kenma. For everything. Food was great”

"What does it mean. It was my pleasure to host you. I will wait again”

You said "I'll come again tomorrow anyway" and laughed

"But I won't be able to see you"

Kenma's saying that sparked a spark in him. You could hear the heartbeat. You looked at each other for a while. Your cheeks were flushed.

You shook yourself

“Well… whatever. I have to go. Thanks again. for leaving"

"It does not matter. Good night"

You got out of the car and waved to Kenma before heading home. And he waved at you through the half-open window of the car. You looked after him after you drove away

You couldn't understand what was happening to yourself. You had a good night today, but what was it like to be suddenly attracted to Kenma?

You went home, ignoring all the questions in your head. You took a hot shower, put on your clean pajamas and went to sleep as soon as you got under the covers.

From the next day, you continued your routine of cleaning Kenma's house, which was no different from the Wednesday market, and getting paid.

Kenma would thank you after every cleaning. But in the last few days, he started to send sporadic messages. You thought all was not well with Kenma. Especially after the phone conversation you overheard at dinner that night.

When you went back to Kenma's house that weekend, you were in for an unexpected surprise. Kenma looked pale when she opened the door. He was looking at you with tired eyes. He was obviously sick

“Kenma? What is this? What you got?"

"Ah! I forgot to tell you. I'm canceling your today's shift. I am so sick. Take a vacation today too”

You put your hand on her forehead and check if she has a fever

"You have fever. Stop! I'll make you a soup."

“No please y/n. Go home. I don't want to infect you either."

“At least let me do something for you. I'll go later"

“I say no y/n, will you go to house?”

Just then, Kenma's phone rang. The phone ringing was coming from the room and you had to go to his room to pick it up

You took the opportunity to enter the kitchen and started making the soup you thought he would love.

The soup took half an hour to prepare, and Kenma hadn't left his room for half an hour. What was he talking about all this time? Was this something important enough to talk on the phone for half an hour?

You put a bowl of soup, a spoon, a napkin and a glass of water on the tray. You walked towards his room. You came to the doorstep when you were startled by Kenma's shout

“DAMN YOU MOTHERFUCKER! WHY DO YOU STILL WANT MONEY FROM ME! THE MONEY I EARNED BY MY FINISH, YOU SPEND MONEY ON A GAMBLING, THEN SHAMELESSLY ASKING FOR MONEY FOR YOUR GAMING DEBT! DROP DEAD! LET ME GET SAVE FROM YOU! I'M SHARMED FOR BEING MY BROTHER! I HOPE YOU WILL DIE IN DEBT! GO TO HELL!"

You had always known Kenma as a calm person and you were startled by her anger and aggression.

Apparently it was his brother who called last time and he wanted money for his gambling debt. It was evident in every way that he had fed Kenma.

That's when you came in and left the tray on the nightstand

“Kenma. I prepared something for you. Come on, eat that soup, you're warmed up for it too"

Kenma pressed her palm to her face and yelled at you with a crimson face.

"I DON'T WANT! DID I TOLD YOU TO GO HOME! WHO WANTED YOU TO MAKE ME SOUP?”

“Oh…But. I just…"

“Get out of my house! Go away or I'll cause an accident"

Never would she have thought that Kenma would be such a terrible person when she was angry. You were frozen where you were

“Kenma, don't be like that. I am trying to help you"

“GET OUT OF MY HOME!”

He grabbed you by the shoulders and pushed you against the wall. You hit your head against the wall. You hit it so hard that when you touched the back of your head with your fingers, you saw that there was blood on your fingers. You had a headache. Maybe even stitches were needed.

Kenma was shocked to see his momentary aggression hurt you. He was staring at you inexplicably. Couldn't say a word

“I HATE YOU!”

“Y/N…”

Even though he tried to lift you, you stood up and escaped from his grasping hands.

"DON’T TOUCH ME!"

You ran to the hole. You left the house crying as you took your bag.

You were still in shock. Your heart was beating like. You were holding your bleeding head. You immediately hailed a taxi and went to the nearest hospital.

Your head was still bleeding. You barely lasted until you got to the hospital and fainted by the time you got there.

When you opened your eyes, you were sitting on a stretcher and a nurse was standing in front of you.

"Are you okay?" the nurse asked you

He then made two marks with his fingers.

"How many is this?"

“Two…” you said in a tired voice

“And this?”

This time it was showing the number five.

"Five"

“Can you say the weather is beautiful today?”

You repeated the sentence verbatim

"What is your name?"

“Y/N L/N”

"I'm not going to push you too hard, but do you remember how you got here?"

You remembered everything and told the nurse one by one. Thus, it was determined that you did not experience any memory or neurological disorders.

Before the nurse left the room, she gave some unpleasant information.

“Oh by the way Y/N. There is someone who wants to see you. While you were unconscious, your phone rang. We told the caller you were here"

"Who?"

“Kenma Kozume. She said you have a boyfriend"

How dare Kenma say such a thing? Especially after the damage it did to you

"What?"

“With your permission, I will take you to the room for him to see”

You sighed in distress and reluctantly agreed.

"Alright"

"Get well soon"

As soon as the nurse left the room, Kenma entered the room. She walked over and looked at you. You averted your eyes from him

"Why did you come?" you asked both sadly and reproachfully

“Y/N…are you okay?”

"How do you expect me to be after what he did"

“I was very worried about you. I know, it was my fault. Sorry. I'm really sorry. I can't tell you how sorry I am after seeing the damage I've done to you with my own eyes."

You got off the stretcher and reached for your bag. But Kenma stopped you. He seemed insistent on making amends.

"Please listen. You are so right to be angry with me. After what I did, I know I never deserved you. But please listen to me. Then if you want, you won't even see my face again."

Even if you didn't want to, you decided to listen to him.

"Look. I've been dealing with my stepbrother's gambling debt for the past month. My father was also a gambler. After my mother died, he got married a second time and my brother was born. I could never love him. Because I felt that in the future I would be like my father. I was very young then and could not comprehend things. My father committed suicide because he was up to his neck in gambling debt. My stepmother also sent me to the dormitory and left with my brother. I was seeing my brother from time to time. After all, our fathers were the same. Even though I hated my father, I wanted to protect the only relic left from him. But it didn't. I became a youtuber and started working. I was sending half of the money I earned to my brother. He started asking me for money a month ago. He said it was for school fees. I believed like a fool and sent money. He started asking for it every day and I got suspicious too. One day three men came to my door. It turns out that the dishonorable man who will be my brother has laid his gambling debt on me. He showed me the flat I live in as a payment for his debt. I was either going to pay this debt or they were going to kill me. That day, I hated him as much as my sin, without even saying my brother. The debt he owed me was not like that. I had to sell the house. It wasn't that easy either, she. I currently live as a tenant in the house I sold. Now he's exploiting me again to pay off his gambling debt. I have nothing left in my hand. First my father and now my brother have ruined my life together.”

Your anger at Kenma had eased a little, but when she remembered the bandage and stitch on her head, her anger at him flared up again.

“I'm really sorry for what you went through, but what made you do this to me? Why did you project your hatred for your brother on me?

“You didn't deserve this y/n. Once again, I sincerely apologize to you.”

He took your hands in his.

"Look at my face"

When he disobeyed his word, he lifted your chin with one hand and forced you to look at him.

"Look at me! Y/N. You've been my life since you started working for me. I do not want to lose you. Please don't leave me. I love you"

Kenma's startling confession softened your heart and you were just as excited as the first time you saw him.

“Say something y/n. I can understand if you don't want to be with me, but please don't be like that. I want you to be my girlfriend, no longer my employee, and live with me”

He kissed the stitched part of her head. You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head on his stomach.

“I love you too Kenma”

He was surprised when you suddenly hugged him, but then his one hand wrapped around your shoulder and the other caressed your head without hurting the stitched wound.

“Thank you y/n. For forgiving me. I will never hurt you again from now on. I wish I had broken my hand so I wouldn't have pushed you. If you hit me too, I won't make a sound."

“I wouldn't do this to you, Kenma. I just need a little hug right now. Can we stay like this for a while?"

He kissed your forehead, put his cheek on your head

"As you wish"

#haikyuu x imagines #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!!#hq x reader #hq x y/n #kenma fanfic #kenma scenario #kenma x you #kenma x y/n #kenma x reader #kenma kozume #kenma kozume x reader #cleaner #cleaner reader #kenma imagine #imagine kenma kozume

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kwkiyong · 2 years ago

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hallo hallo! so excited to be here, it's been 6 years since i've rped on tumblr... happy to be back :D

quick rundown of kiyong/axel:

competitive skater, part of the south korean national team, an active olympian. used to train overseas but decided to return to korea as he approaches his 20s

why? well, one is bc of financial costs. he can't keep making his parents fund his career when his younger sister is a budding volleyball player recently accepted in to the national setup (if anyone wants to play the sister, hmu)

another is bc he's been influenced by the hallyu wave, esp netflix (hahaha). who says olympians don't follow pop culture?

he didn't have a normal upbringing, having had to skip school a lot and spend majority of his time training

so now he wants to try living a normal life (as if he can)

but oho, at kyungwon he's able to try new sports and somehow he's keen on ice hockey (which he tried when he was younger) ... to the displeasure of his coach :p

a huge part of him is conflicted on whether he wants to continue skating - he did participate in the 2022 beijing winter olympics but didn't medal. the old chronic injuries keep coming back (and are starting to stack ..) but he still has more jumps and techniques to perfect

the older he gets, the more he hates the sinister part of the sport he loves - his athlete friends being caught doping (unwillingly), the high profile ones turning to gambling and drugs as methods to destress, and how his success in the sport has caused the korea skating union management to use him for internal political warfare

he just wants to be a normal 20 year old worrying about normal stuff, not corruption and exploitation of underaged athletes

random facts

he loves to snack and has only been able to get away with his snack breaks when he started to podium at the senior level competitions. bless his high metabolism or else he'd be crucified for eating so much chocolate bars in between trainings. you can consider him as the doraemon of snacks (ask and you shall receive)

he is super lame (as in he loves deadpan humour, puns, memes and pop culture). very gen z. makes his coach suffer through a generation gap identity crisis every 2 business days

despite his lame personality, he has a very cold ~ aura ~ so he's been called ice prince many times and comes off as unapproachable

undecided major bc he's soul searching

his family started off as lower middle income when he was born, but as he progressed in his skating career, his family gradually became okay financially. however he still worries about his parents' retirement funds + sister's volleyball training costs and has been secretly putting aside money for them

kiyong likes to go by his korean name off the rink but insists on being called axel when discussing his ice skating endeavours. it's a separation of personal vs professional lives thing. no promises that he won't throw his ice boots at you if a lame axel pun is made

oh, his parents gave him the middle name of axel bc his father got tear eyed watching a beautiful double axel jump when his mother was pregnant with kiyong :p

he has yet to do his military service, and is strategising to win gold at the asian winter games before he retires so he can go for the reduced military service option instead

very particular with money management - he's learned to budget since he was 7 years old so you can spot him at flea markets trying his best to out-haggle other ahjummas for bargain deals

likes to thrift clothes and into environmental activism (bc winter sports will die out if the planet continues to get hotter)

i'm still setting up his bio page up but can always hit me up in the DMs to plot! am open for anything :D

#kw: intro #( ' off the rink )

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charlotte-headcanons · 3 years ago

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Sorry for another ask so soon! But I really love your head cannons! Do you head cannon any of the Charlottes as having kids? Adopted or biological?

No worries friend!! Feel free to send in asks whenever! Thank you for your sweet words and enjoying our content, it means a lot 💕💕💕💕

And let's get to these headcanons, shall we? 😉

Charlotte siblings and their children: a brief list of Big Mom's grandchildren!

According to our headcanons, those listed below have children (biological or adopted). If someone's missing from the list, it means we don't hc them as being parents now or in the near future!

Compote: Triplet biological daughters! All very similar to each other.

Daifuku: 3 biological children. Decent parent, although a bit absent at times.

Oven: 5 biological children. He's a great father!

Mondee: 1 biological child.

Cadenza: 1 biological child although he had it before he was married and not with his wife.

Cabaletta: 3 biological children.

Gala: A whooping number of 8 bio children and counting! Another awesome dad on the list.

Custard: 1 biological child.

Angel: She has a bunch of wild animals she calls her children, does that count?

Zuccotto: 2 biological kids! A younger daughter and an older son.

Brulee: none for now but strongly set on adopting some in the future! For now she just calls her black cat her baby, though!

Broye: 1 biological daughter who loves to be dressed up like a princess and learns ballet

Nusstorte: Twin biological boys!

Dosmarche: 4 bio children

Noisette: That one calls his plants his babies, does that count? 🤣

Moscato: 1 daughter he adopted with his husband!

Mash: 1 biological child. She's not a great mother, though.

Cornstarch: 2 boys and 2 girls who follow her around all the time! All biological, but she'll likely adopt a few kids in the future too

Mozart: 1 bio child but only because Mama was insistent on her having one

Marnier: 2 kids, a boy and a girl. Typical nuclear family

High Fat: 3 biological children! Strong dad energy

Saint-Marc and Basans: Both have one biological child. These children are so similar to each other, though, that they often get confused

Dacquoise: His first child is on the way!

Snack: He got married off only very recently, after loosing the Sweet Commander post so only one very tiny baby for now

Bavarois: 2 bio daughters! Both are pretty fierce and fight with each other a ton

Prim: Recently adopted a clownfish fishman boy with her wife!

Praline: No kids yet but mentioning her here because she's gonna have so many in the future

Montb: 1 biological child already here, 1 more incoming!

Chiffon: We all know and love Pez 😌 absolute legend of a kid

Mobile: 1 adopted child!

Maple: 1 biological child for now, but will have more in the future

Aaaand that's all! Hope you enjoyed ✨ as always, all other headcanons are just as valid!

Thank you for the ask 💕

#one piece #charlotte oven #charlotte daifuku #charlotte chiffon #charlotte praline #charlotte prim #charlotte brulee #charlotte compote #charlotte moscato #charlotte broye #and many more!#ask

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emy-loves-you · 4 years ago

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Wrong Numbers and Useless Gays (Chapter 7)

Happy Halloween!

Warning: Minor burns

Chapter 6 | Masterlist | Chapter 8

V- (8:04 AM) Happy first day of Halloween!

L- (8:05 AM) Virgil, it’s October 1st. Halloween isn’t for another 30 days.

V- (8:05 AM) We must be celebrating different holidays. Halloween lasts from October 1st to October 31st. For the entire month, you watch cheesy Halloween movies and decorate your home in black, purple, and orange. Spiders and bats become your daily esthetic. There are no exceptions to this rule.

P- (8:06 AM) I have arachnophobia and most of our decorations are green. Is that alright, Kiddo?

V- (8:06 AM) … There is one exception.

L- (8:07 AM) This is preposterous.

R- (8:07 AM) Calm down, Specs. Let our Dark and Stormy Knight have his holiday. We don’t want another incident of Pi Day, do we?

V- (8:08 AM) What happened on Pi Day?

P- (8:08 AM) Logan wanted to spend the day memorizing as many digits of Pi as possible. Roman told him that Pi day was only for baking pies. Logan decided to etch as many digits of pi as he could fit into the crust of a pie before baking it. Sadly, baking isn’t Lolo’s exPIEtise.

R- (8:09 AM) He almost burnt the house down. It was hilarious.

L- (8:09 AM) I will back down from this argument, if only to preserve my dignity. Since you decided to text us at 8 AM, I assume that you have plans to celebrate your “first day of Halloween?”

V- (8:10 AM) Yep. I’ve got my Scooby-Doo VHS tapes, an entire gallon of iced coffee, and enough decorations to cover every square inch of my house. Life is good.

R- (8:11 AM) Wait which tapes?

V- (8:11 AM) Zombie Island, Witch’s Ghost, Alien Invaders, and Cyber Chase. The 4 best Scooby-Doo movies to ever exist.

R- (8:12 AM) Now I REALLY wanna watch Scooby-Doo

V- (8:12 AM) What’s stopping you?

L- (8:12 AM) The desire to have a stable income

R- (8:13 AM) I’m starring as Van Helsing for our theatre’s production of Dracula. I’ve got rehearsals and performances almost every night.

V- (8:13 AM) Sorry. I’ll watch it in your stead.

R- (8:14 AM) Gee, how thoughtful of you

(October 8th)

L- (2:32 PM) Virgil, did you seriously buy MORE chocolates?

V- (2:32 PM) Do you like them?

L- (2:32 PM) That’s not the point.

L- (2:33 PM) This is the 7th set of sweets you’ve sent us in the past 8 weeks. First of all, this is extremely unhealthy. Second of all, how much money have you spent on these? Third of all, you tend to send chocolates specifically when you’re planning something that we disapprove of. So what, pray tell, are you planning this time?

V- (2:34 PM) Wow, I didn’t realize you were keeping track of that.

L- (2:34 PM) I keep track of everything. Quit ignoring the questions.

V- (2:35 PM) Okay. First of all, if they make you happy it doesn’t matter. Second of all, if it makes you happy it doesn’t matter. Third of all, if it makes you happy it doesn’t matter :)

L- (2:35 PM) …

V- (2:35 PM) Besides, you wouldn’t want me to STOP sending you sweets, would you?

L- (2:36 PM) … Curse you and your knowledge of my sweets addiction.

V- (2:36 PM) :)

(October 15th)

L- (5:47 PM) VIRGIL!

V- (5:48 PM) Hm?

L- (5:48 PM) DID YOU SERIOUSLY TP OUR HOUSE?!?!?

V- (5:49 PM) You have no proof

L- (5:50 PM) [*Photo Attachment*]

[The photo is of a door. There is a square of TP taped to the door, the words “VIRGIL WAS TOTALLY NOT HERE” written in sharpie]

V- (5:50 PM) See? I was totally not there.

V- (5:51 PM) And I sent you pre-apology chocolates, so you can’t get mad!

L- (5:52 PM) I CAN STILL GET MAD

V- (5:52 PM) NO YOU WON’T OR I’LL STOP GETTING YOU CHOCOLATES

L- (5:53 PM) YOU WOULDN’T

V- (5:53 PM) TRY ME BITCH

R- (5:55 PM) I don’t know WHAT you did, but Logan called me, screeched your name, and hung up. Keep up the good work, storm cloud ;)

(October 22nd)

V- (3:42 PM) Hey Pat?

P- (3:42 PM) What’s up, Kiddo?

V- (3:42 PM) You bake, right?

P- (3:43 PM) It would be very hard to run a bakery if I couldn’t, Kiddo!

V- (3:43 PM) True

V- (3:43 PM) So what do you do if your cookies catch on fire?

P- (3:43 PM) WHAT

V- (3:44 PM) [*Photo Attachment*]

[The photo is of an oven. The door is open, and inside is a tray of Pillsbury ghost sugar cookies. They are all on fire]

P- (3:44 PM) PUT IT OUT

V- (3:44 PM) HOW

P- (3:45 PM) DON’T YOU HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER?!?!

V- (3:45 PM) WON’T THAT RUIN THE COOKIES?

P- (3:45 PM) THOSE COOKIES ARE GONERS. ACCEPT YOUR LOSS

V- (3:46 PM) [*Photo attachment*]

[The photo is of the same oven. The door is still open, yet the entire inside of the oven is covered in foam]

V- (3:46 PM) Now what?

P- (3:46 PM) First of all, turn off the oven.

V- (3:47 PM) Done

P- (3:47 PM) Okay. Now answer me this: HOW THE FUDGE DID YOU MANAGE TO CATCH PREMADE SUGAR COOKIES ON FIRE???

V- (3:48 PM) I DON’T KNOW! I JUST PUT THEM IN THE OVEN AND SUDDENLY THEY WERE ON FIRE

L- (3:48 PM) Are you alright, Virgil? Did you sustain any burns or other injuries?

P- (3:48 PM) HOLY STARS I SHOULD’VE ASKED! ARE YOU OKAY VIRGIL?

V- (3:49 PM) I’m fine. I burned my wrist but it’s not that bad.

L- (3:49 PM) Will you please send a picture of your injury?

V- (3:49 PM) [*Photo attachment*]

[The photo is of a left hand. The hand is long, slender, and pale. The nails are long and painted black with cat noses and whiskers. The person’s wrist has a minor burn wound, around the size of a golf ball]

L- (3:50 PM) You are correct, Virgil. It appears to be a minor burn, no need to contact the hospital. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you tend to your burn at your earliest convenience.

P- (3:50 PM) Go wrap up that burn, kiddo! Make sure you add burn cream, too!

P- (3:51 PM) AND OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOUR NAILS! They’re PAWsitively PURRfect!

L- (3:51 PM) Please stop

P- (3:52 PM) Alright. Wouldn’t wanna have a CATastrophe, would we?

L- (3:52 PM) Please. I beg of you.

V- (3:53 PM) Okay, all patched up. What do I do about my cookies?

L- (3:53 PM) Make sure your oven has fully cooled down before attempting to clean it.

P- (3:54 PM) AND DON’T DO THAT EVER AGAIN, MISTER!

P- (3:54 PM) You nearly gave me a heart attack!

V- (3:55 PM) Sorry, won’t happen again.

L- (3:55 PM) I assume that this means you will be buying post-apology sweets? I assure you that it is unnecessary, Virgil. Your health and safety are more important than confectionaries.

L- (3:57 PM) Virgil?

L- (3:57 PM) Please refrain from buying more sweets.

L- (3:58 PM) I’ve already gained 3.4 pounds alone from these “Gifts”

V- (3:58 PM) Too late, already bought them

P- (3:58 PM) You don’t have to, Kiddo!

P- (3:59 PM) And Lolo, don’t blame V on your weight gain. I know Ro’s not the only one sneaking whole jars of jelly from the cabinets at night.

L- (3:59 PM) Virgil, how much are you spending on these sweets?

V- (4:00 PM) Would it help if I said that I get a discount since I purchase chocolates almost weekly?

L- (4:00 PM) VIRGIL

V- (4:01 PM) :)

R- (6:58 PM) Why does all the interesting stuff happen while I’m at work?

V- (6:59 PM) Get wrecked Princey

R- (6:59 PM) :(

V- (7:00 PM) Don’t worry I got you sweets too

R- (7:00 PM) :)

(October 24th)

L- (2:32 PM) VIRGIL!

V- (2:33 PM) Did you get your sweets? Send me a pick! I didn’t get to see the end result

P- (2:33 PM) [*Photo Attachment*]

[The photo is of three vases, each of different colors. The light blue vase is filled with tulips made of white chocolate. There are also chocolate-covered straberry and a giant chocolate lollipop with the words “I appreciate you a chocoLOT!” The red vase is filled with milk chocolate roses and another chocolate lollipop that says “Good luck slaying Vampires!” The navy blue vase is the most elaborate (probably just to mess with Logan). It’s filled with dark chocolate tulips AND roses, with a whole jar of crofters nestled into the middle of the bouquet. It’s lollipop reads “Weight and Cost are just #s!”]

P- (2:34 PM) These are ADORABLE, Virgil!

L- (2:34 PM) How much did you spend on this, Virgil?

V- (2:34 PM) Did you not read your lollipop?

V- (2:35 PM) Don’t worry about it, I wouldn’t buy the chocolates if I couldn’t afford them :)

L- (2:35 PM) My digestive system can’t afford them.

V- (2:36 PM) Well I couldn’t give you pre-apology chocolates so I had to give you epic post-apology chocolates.

P- (2:37 PM) Well, I cannot wait to eat these! Seriously, I’ve already eaten half a tulip. And these vases will look so pretty holding ACTUAL flowers! Thank you so much, V! But remember, you don’t have to do this. We don’t need apology sweets!

V- (2:38 PM) I know, but it’s comforting to know that there’s at least ONE way I can interact with you guys beyond texting. I’m sorry that I’m still not comfortable talking face-to-face yet.

P- (2:38 PM) That’s completely fine, Kiddo! Take all the time you need. We’ll be here when you’re ready.

L- (2:39 PM) I agree.Though I still do not see the purpose of excessive spending on our behalf.

R- (2:39 PM) Well I find it extremely thoughtful, storm cloud. I would type an entire ballad of how caring and kind you are, but I must get back to work. I shall speak with you tonight, fair raven.

V- (2:40 PM) Thanks, guys. It means a lot to me.

(October 31st)

L- (10:17 AM) How are you feeling about your “final day of Halloween,” Virgil?

V- (10:18 AM) Incredibly depressed

P- (10:18 AM) Aww. Why’s that, Kiddo?

V- (10:19 AM) You guys know how I travel around with my friends, right?

V- (10:19 AM) Well apparently we have to travel out today. We won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon.

R- (10:20 AM) I’m deeply sorry, my precious stormcloud. If I may ask, why do you have to travel tonight?

V- (10:20 AM) My friends like to go to parties out of town, and I go to make sure they don’t get themselves killed.

P- (10:21 AM) I’m sorry you have to miss Halloween, Kiddo. I know how much you were looking forward to it.

V- (10:22 AM) I’m still gonna wear my costume. Just because I can’t celebrate at home doesn’t mean I can’t celebrate at all.

L- (10:22 AM) What costume have you decided to wear?

V- (10:23 AM) [*Photo attachment*]

[Photo is the bottom half of someone’s face. They’re smiling, with black lipstick and fake Vampire teeth. There’s red liquid running down their chin.]

P- (10:23 AM) That looks FANGtastic, Virgil!

L- (10:23 AM) I hope you have an amenable experience at the party, Virgil.

R- (10:24 AM) I agree! You look amazing and I hope you enjoy the party, storm cloud. Do not worry, I will watch The Nightmare Before Christmas in your stead!

V- (10:25 AM) Wow I feel so grateful

R- (10:25 AM) :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taglist: @bisexualdisaster106 @self-taught-mess @itawalrus @arodynamic-enby @sanderssides-angst

#sanders sides fic #useless gays #LAMP fic #virgil sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders

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dragonofelder · 4 years ago

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TW:W - Grombrindal Revamp Idea

So, Total War Warhammer 3 has been announced, and while we can look forward to new races, it is also an opportunity for old races to get revamped and improved (cough cough Beastmen). And I think a potential candidate for a reworking is our favorite, shall we say, Blessed Dwarf Lord.

Background

So if you don’t know, for TW:W2 a lot of legendary lords were split off from their main factions. Balthasar got his Golden Order, Kemmler left the main VC faction to haunt the western Old World, and fellow dwarf Ungrim Ironfist was put in charge of the Karak Kadrin faction. So why not have The White Dwarf split into his own faction? I think it can help him fit more into his lore as well.

Grombrindal‘s entire thing is he has no set hold, no clan to swear allegiance to. He travels all across the world, appearing when Dwarves need him most, or summoned by certain esoteric rituals (pouring him a pint of Bugman’s Finest). He fights alongside their warriors, beats back the foe, then wanders off again. Frankly, he sounds familiar to another legendary lord...

Nakai the Wanderer, Lizardmen Legendary Lord of the Spirit of the Jungle faction; the only Lizardmen faction that acts as a horde. Nakai is not constrained by controlling and defending territory, able to swiftly move across the map and attack the enemies of the Lizardmen. Any settlements he captures is given to his automatic vassal, while other lords are dependent on his horde for units.

I firmly believe Grombrindal should be the Dwarves’ equivalent to Nakai, but the problem is, even though I have never even played Total War: Warhammer 2 (I’m getting to it!), from what it sounds like Nakai’s campaign sucks. It also doesn't mesh well with Grombrindal, so I would like to propose a different kind of horde faction for him. My ideas could even help improve Nakai’s mechanics.

Mechanics

So the my main idea for Grombrindal is how to show his penchant for arriving to save the dwarf’s in their times of need. Instead of the Book of Grudges, Grombrindal receives quests from Dwarven factions that he has met. Answering them, he will fight alongside their forces against the threat. These quests could be a mix of randomly created set battles; defending a trade caravan, perhaps; or actual problems facing an AI faction, like one of their settlements is under siege by an overwhelming force. Possibly it could even be a chain of battles, or campaign map actions that need to be completed.

Aside from receiving money and items from completing missions, Grombrindal’s second mechanic is the ability to receive troops. Normally The White Dwarf travels alone, but with how deadly the world is becoming, he would certainly accept dawi to his throng. He could either accept troops straight away; heck, maybe he had them under his control for the battle; or they are left in a pool similar to the Regiments of Renown and the Blessed Spawning, only available to be picked up in that faction’s territory.

Now this may seem a bit overpowered; what if you get some Irondrakes early on? The downside I decided on is that Grombrindal is limited by what units he can recruit from horde buildings:

Miners

Dwarf Warriors

Quarrellers

Slayers

Rangers

Bolt Throwers

Grude Throwers

That includes all the different versions of the unit, apart from Bugman’s Rangers, as he would not have Breweries anyway. I think these units are a good mix of basic while not crippling the faction. As for heroes, I think he can only get those from factions.

Now onto settlements. While Nakai has his Defenders, I think it makes more sense for Grombrindal to be giving holds back to his people. So he can awaken Dwarf factions in certain settlements, similar to the Warriors of Chaos Awakening Norscan tribes. This could create new dwarfen factions as well; Naggaroth lacks any holds after all.

Then there is a problem of Dwarven Wars. If two factions of Dwarfs declare war on each other, who does the White Dwarf fight for? Even if they have no agreements, the player would be given the choice of siding with one faction or the other, or remaining neutral. Perhaps penalties will be imposed if there are problems within the dwarf race.

Finally, I have to talk about separate armies. While I believe it should follow the example given by Nakai, having separate horde armies limited by Grombrindal’s buildings, I have an interesting idea for a new kind of lord; a Ranger Lord. Although I can’t find a lore basis for them, I think it makes sense for there to be dedicated leaders of Rangers. They would grant bonuses to ranger units, of course, but aside from that they increase campaign movement range and similar, being more tracked to being the leader of a horde than other dwarven lords, even if the skill trees are redone for this faction. In battle they would be ranged, similar to master engineers. Heck, maybe you can even unlock the famous Josef Bugman as a Unique lord... wait, he could just as easily be the faction’s leading Legendary Lord... Welp.

Victory Conditions

Moving swiftly onward, we need to next decide what the goal of Grombrindal’s faction will be. As he can only take part in the Mortal Empires campaign (or the equivalent for the third game), we don’t have to worry about the vortex ritual or similar. Instead, Grombrindal’s goals will be twofold;

Have all old holds be controlled by dwarven factions

Destroy all the enemies of the dwarfs, in particular the Greenskins and Skaven.

The short campaign goal would possibly only include the Old World holds. The long campaign victory would be all dwarven holds, including possibly the new ones.

The factions he needs to kill would be the main Greenskin and Skaven ones, with short campaign being the ones located near the Old World, and the long campaign being all of them. He also needs to insure Skavenblight is destroyed

Other Notes

This is just a grouping of ideas that aren't big enough for their own section, or don’t fit into the others.

Starting Position: I’m a bit split on where Grombrindal would start. Logic dictates he would start somewhere in the Old World, especially if his campaign goals are tied to it. Maybe the Gianthome Mountains to help defend Kraka Drak. But I want to contrast the Spirit of the Jungle’s starting position, which is in the baffling Albion. So maybe the Southern World’s Edge Mountains to support Karak Zorn, or the Spine of Sotek for the dwarves that are also oddly placed there.

Current Mechanics: I have no reason to replace Grombrindal’s “Living Ancestor” mechanic, although it might need editing to be more horde friendly.

Other Dwarf Campaigns: Maybe you have the option to summon Grombrindal’s faction, maybe as a Rite? Basically the other side of missions. Grombrindal can’t awaken dwarven factions when not player controlled.

Faction Name: Uhm... The White Throng? White Dwarf Throng? It’s not a clan, and it’s not named after a hold...

Economy: Now a potential problem is that Grombrindal wouldn’t have access to the normal method of gathering income for dwarves, and dwarves in the lore aren't known for sacking and raiding. Instead, Grombrindal could draw income from other dwarvish factions, encouraging the player to keep them strong.

Karak Eight Peaks: Although I’m a bit unsure about it, I’m going to say Grombrindal can awaken dwarf faction at this settlement. They would likely only be a custodian force however, not leaving their settlement.

New Factions: I have no idea what the new dwarf faction(s) in Naggaroth would be. There is no lore possibility for them, but also there aren't supposed to be dwarfs in Lustria, so meh. The Obsidian Peaks is one Mountainous province that could be home to a new faction.

Final Word

There is a lot here that could be used in the Spirit of the Jungle campaign, but I can’t be bothered to list them.

I am not affiliated with Game Workshop, Warhammer Fantasy or Creative Assembly in anyway. This is simply my idea for the TW:W game series. I doubt it would ever be added, but it would be fun if it was, and would like some acknowledgement if that is the case thank you.

Please add comments or message me your thoughts on this, I would love to see them. If this gets popular enough, I may do another thing like it; I have some ideas on the potential Chaos rework and expansion that is coming.

#total war warhammer 2 #total war warhammer #total war warhammer iii #games workshop #warhammer #warhammer fantasy #grombrindal #grombrindal the white dwarf #creative assembly #CA #dragon's ideas #game idea #dwarfs #dawi #total war

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blackfemmecharacterdependency · 4 years ago

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30. I Consent

Word Count: 5714 Previous

Whenever they had a chance to be together, she was pretty restrictive of what he could and couldn’t do. He felt almost like he was being trained for her pleasure... which was frustrating on some of his more needy nights, but any other time pretty hot because... well... she was Grace. Others didn’t stand a chance even being able to get a whiff of her and she would put it right in his face, sometimes allowing him to do something about it, sometimes seeing if he can follow rigid directions in a position like that. It made her smile, therefore, he enjoyed it to a certain degree. He kinda liked the torture at times. It was familiar to self harm, but in this instance, he actually got a treat sometimes, and the denial that he got at other times made for his longing to intensify.

But, he had hurt her in the past and now she had to reassure herself that he respected all of her boundaries, even those that seemed unreasonable. He needed to confirm if he was capable of seeking out her affirmative consent, or if he was simply playing along with some games in order to get sweet satisfaction. If it were the latter, he was going to have to really work for it. She had already decided on at least a 3 month probation period, meaning he did not even pull his tool out for that long and she would reevaluate on Christmas Eve whether or not they were in a place of going further than her current boundaries.

Sometimes, he wondered if her boundaries were real, or if she set them up just to test him.

Either way, he was settling into his new position at work, managing a project that had been his baby for YEARS, and also able to set aside time to set up his workshop for his hobbies.

Buying a big house was something his father advised him against, considering the cost of living in New York, the fact that he was “fickle,” and probably wouldn’t want to stay in New York once Grace was “done with him,” and that he wasn’t rich. Simon could afford the house that he bought. He wasn’t Monroe rich, but he did okay for himself considering his drawbacks and he was doing better all of the time. As his skill and success grew, so did his salary. He was confident that he wouldn’t harm himself with the purchase and comfortable about the size of it, because different moods needed different spaces.

His workspace was specifically for working, with his desk with three laptops and all of the work things associated with it. He had his little home “lab” in the same room. Lab tables and equipment for projects and various prototypes were set on the workstation and there were cabinets of supplies and stock for various technological needs.

His study was a miniature library of sorts (he didn’t have a lot of physical copies of books, as most of those were available electronically), but he did have some - important ones that changed his life, ones he had written, ones he had been given as gifts, ones he had from when he was little, etc… and his reading nook was there, as well as his writing desk.

His workshop would be mostly for his crafts. He designated the closet in there for his work tools - for house work and yard work and such, and the rest of it was going to be for all of his figures, whether wood or robotics. He had been jealous of his dad’s garage for a time, the way that everything was set just like he liked it and he had that space to himself just to delve into his model building. Simon determined at an early age, he’d have a designated space for his own passions too.

All of those rooms were set in different areas of the house, near the back. In fact, one had to pass by his study to get to the back porch… which was very big, and the backyard was even bigger. Grace used to indulge him when they were younger, and jokingly say, “I’d better stop spoiling you or you’ll get used to champagne taste.” The unspoken being understood by him - that he didn’t have the income for such taste. Instead of discouraging his tastes, it inspired his drive. Grace would always credit his good traits to, “Well, you’re a Leo-Virgo cusp. Of course you’re virtually perfect.” Simon didn’t buy that. Simon’s perfectionism was because he knew that he needed to be the best at everything that he was good at to be seen as worthy in those areas and to be taken seriously and ultimately be ahead of the curve for all of them. That was why he focused just as much on writing as he did building figures. That was why he focused just as much on engineering as he did writing. That was why he focused just as much on business skills as he did engineering.

So, that despite the fact that he was not an ambassador’s kid, he could still hold his own when they were together. Course, Grace was focused on other things at the moment. He made a conscious decision to check in with her every day to see if she needed/wanted anything, if there was something aside from that he could do for her or Hazel, and just to see how she was faring.

She was generally too busy, as she was working on her upcoming album release, and also mothering. Hazel was generally very close by or with her. She had a nanny, but Grace was very adamant about the nanny just being an extra pair of hands and eyes while she was busy, and not “a stand in mommy,” which… that couldn’t happen anyways, with the way that she tended to hover. Hazel had tried to talk to her about it, but Grace just didn’t know how to ease up. For that reason, Hazel was DELIGHTED that Grace was so busy with album business.

She loved her and enjoyed their time together, but she really just wanted to breathe sometimes. She wanted an adventure sometimes that didn’t involve her mom. That didn’t much include meeting celebrities like musicians, singers, dancers and such… because as cool as that was, Hazel wasn’t that interested in those types of celebrities. However, she DID love the fact that she was on a first name basis with Shana, because she loved her shady videos and the way that she made news fun, as Shana didn’t just dish out trash… she was an actual journalist and spoke on current events and world issues. She was an activist and a public figure and more than the gossip persona the public generally associated her with. And, she let Hazel use bad words whenever she was with her.

But, Hazel really liked whenever she was able to meet authors, particularly ones that wrote sci fi and fantasy. As far as she was concerned, aside from Grace, the most impressive celebrity that she had met was Simon. He wasn’t as popular as he had been a few years ago, staying out of the limelight these days and slowly getting back into publishing work, but the first Book of Esmoroth had sentimental value to her. It got her through a lot of bad real life and let her escape to a world where harming children was punishable by death and the only adults ever mentioned either served or helped the children. That was a very nice fictional place to go whenever most of the adults in her real life had been absent or weary from her. Plus, she would have a hand in the future publications of the series and that was a great feat FOR HER. Simon had even put her name in the credits of Book 2 and told her that he was dedicating it to her.

“For Hazel, seen only as a child when she really is a beacon of wisdom and reflection. The Throne of Esmoroth shall be yours someday.” That was WONDERFUL! THAT was gonna be published soon!!

She also liked that Simon was always available. She knew that it was because he wanted to impress her mom, but it was nice to have access to the one person who understood some of her less public ways a little bit more AND wanted to be on Hazel’s good side. Most of Grace’s friends were close enough that they knew her and got her (most of them knew her better than Simon, at this point in life), but they also were Grace’s friend first and Hazel’s associate second. They might see a need to tell Grace some of the stuff that she said, out of concern or duty or whatever. Simon… often struggled with that.

Hazel could call him and tell him about kids at school and not have to worry that Grace would get a text and want to speak with the administration about things or worse - to the other kids’ parents. She could tell him when Grace was getting on her nerves and he would laugh about it and rarely ever reminded her that she was trying her best and a good mommy (she KNEW that. She didn’t need people telling her that. She needed to vent on the days that Grace was TOO much of a mommy). Turned out that while Hazel and Simon were very different types, they were similar in some ways that made them connect a little bit easier than she could with someone who was her parent.

Of course, nobody would ever be as close to her as Grace and she could never love anybody more, even if she tried. At this point in life, Grace could probably leave her under a bush, and she’d spend the rest of her life trying to get back to her. She groaned at that thought. That was another thing that she could talk to Simon about and he understood it better than anybody else that she had ever met… that fear that maybe one day she would casually lose the most important person in her life. Maybe to her career, maybe to a love interest. Maybe to being tired of playing mommy… She had a very real and sometimes paralyzing fear of losing Grace. Simon understood it and always comforted her. That was when she DID need to hear what she already knew: Grace would never turn her back on you. If she ever accidentally put anything else first, she would fix it. What would not happen is that something would make her decide to ignore you or turn you away. Nothing is more important to Grace than you. And I should know. I used to be where you are. But, I messed that up. You’re really lucky. She loves you even more than she ever loved me.

“That’s not really true, you know… I was around when she was trying to get over you. I was around when she still loved you. After you hurt her… she still loved you. She learned to heal herself after being hurt, but you hurting her didn’t make her stop loving you.”

He needed that too. He had been told so much by Grace before, but it just felt more genuine coming from a kid who hadn’t technically been affected by those events. He knew that Hazel had no reason to say anything but what actually happened/what she believed from her observations.

So, while Grace focused on her career, Simon built his life in New York, and Hazel got used to the other person who she had come to respect a lot. She and Grace stopped by for the tea parties, as the tea table and stuff were there. Lucy and Lindsey liked Simon’s house… mostly the fact that it had a yard. Lucy lived in a penthouse condominium and Lindsay lived in a brownstone with nothing more than a stoop and sidewalk outside. Simon found it a little bit funny that these rich girls didn’t have yards, but after thinking about how happy it made them (so happy that they usually forsook the tea party to play outside in the yard), it made him sad. THEY didn’t care about the brownstone or the condos… those were parental decisions that deprived them of playing out in a yard, even though their families could afford to…

“What are you thinking about?” Grace wondered, from the cushioned back porch swing that she was reading a book on while the tea party table sat next to her, abandoned by girls throwing fall leaves at each other. It was so damn cold, but Simon had an outdoor fireplace and it was in the perfect spot in proximity to this seat for her to claim it as hers for this event.

“How people try to make space in their world for kids, instead of letting their kids make space in their worlds,” he said. She made a confused face and set her book aside. He glanced at the book, shrugged his shoulders and expounded, “People will plan to have kids or maybe even not plan to, but wind up with them, nonetheless, and they cut out what they imagine to be a child sized space in their world, giving them a percentage of their physical space, a percentage of their mental space, emotional, etc… Then the kids shows up and they’re often larger than life. Some people aren’t able to accommodate it. That’s sad… but it’s sadder when they are able to accommodate it, and they… just don’t..” She frowned. Was he attacking her parenting in some way? Was he saying that she wasn’t doing something for Hazel that she needed to be? She was on the verge of insult when he started crying. “I just… If I would have been a better person… I might have a kid running around with them.” He took a deep breath, then laughed, “I’ll shut up.”

“No… it’s… fine. Do you want to talk about it?” He bit his lip. “I didn’t ask do you think you deserve to be able to talk about it, because I know how you think. You think that everything that you say to me is whining, but I don’t think that. So. Do you want to talk about it? I consent.” he smiled a little and moved closer to her, so that she sat up and they were next to each other with opposing knees pressed against each other.

“I just… Sometimes, I’m upset that you didn’t tell me, but I also know that at that time, I wouldn’t have cared. I most likely would have responded as atrociously as i did about anything else, and then again, I always wonder, what if I didn’t? What if that could have been just the thing to help me see how fucked up I was and how fucked up I was being? What if knowing about them could have changed me then? Changed us?”

Grace nodded, waiting to see if he had more to say. He seemed finished. “To that, I say this… The way that you treat other people is how they might perceive you. Even if you say that could have changed you, I don’t think for one minute that it would have changed me. My trajectory was already affected by what had already taken place. I didn’t tell you, not only because I didn’t think that it would matter, I didn’t tell you because the flipside of that - that it might matter, that it might make you change, that it might change us… that was even more terrifying. The thought that someone could do the things that you did to me, then I might be faced with signing on to a commitment via a child with them… and just have to believe that they might be okay for us? The shoulda woulda couldas are behind me, because I know that even if I had told you, i still would have had an abortion, and I still would be at peace with that decision today. Because, for who we were and what happened, it was the best decision. It was a decision that in hindsight, I would have found to be the best decision, even if you were a better person. So… if you’re gonna be upset about it, the target is me. Because I would not have had a baby at that time, no matter the circumstances. Hell, I’m 23 and I don’t know that I want to have one now. Maybe 26, but who knows? I could reach 26 and think maybe 36. The thing about it is… that’s not on you. What you did affected me and us, but it didn’t affect that pregnancy or the outcome.”

“If I have a kid, can I name them Ivory?”

She flinched but shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t own the name… But, I’m probably gonna still name my first bio that.”

He smirked. “They could be the same person…”

“Yeah right. Kids playing in leaves is giving you baby fever at 23. You’re not gonna wait for whenever I’m ready to start producing one of those.”

“You’ve always struck me as a surrogate type,” he said.

“I absolutely am! Just the thought of the whole body changing, horrific ordeal that is pregnancy, and ultimately labor… just reads like a traumatic horror scene of gore and anguish. Now… I’m willing to pay good money for somebody else to do that, but the actual me doing it myself? I’ve read far too much about the subject matter to just want to. Anyways, they let Black women drop like flies in maternity mishandling all over the country. Someone would have to pay ME to have a baby, at this point.”

Simon laughed at that thought, then stopped. “I promise, I am not laughing about black women dying in childbirth!”

Now, she chuckled a little, “I didn’t figure that you were…”

“How much would you charge for something like that?” Simon wondered.

“To have a baby? The surrogacy process generally costs 6 figures, Dude. My prestigious womb would be double the usual.”

He laughed and shook his head, “Wow. What if you fall in love? Like… what if you meet someone and you two want a family and you happen to get pregnant? It’s happened before.”

“Yeah, when I was a kid. I don’t have enough sex to facilitate that could happen to me again and if I was already in love and already with someone, they would know and I would know that me squeezing a baby out isn’t a current option, so we’d be placing preventative measures in place!”

“Preventative… So, if you’re feeling extra good with somebody you love and the mood is right and you’re both really feeling it and you have a whole hot night of being pumped full of nut, you wouldn’t be inclined to keep a pregnancy that came about from that?”

“First off, be less gross. Jesus. Secondly… There would be no pregnancy to come about from that, because that’s why scientists created the morning after pill.”

“Good to know. I’m gonna act a fool in there, since it won’t bother you either way,” he said.

She knocked his knee with hers, “You just bought yourself longer probation.”

“I was joking! Partially…”

“You’re tryin’ to have a night of nutting in my immaculate womb and I’m not gonna give you a free to skeet pass!”

“OH MY GOD!” Hazel shrieked. Lucy was red in the face and Lindsey was cackling.

Grace covered her face with both hands and Simon said, “That wasn’t what it sounded like… and you all are like… 10-11… it should have sounded like absolute gibberish to you in the first place!”

“At what age do you think people know these things?” Hazel wondered.

“I don’t know… 13 sounds fine.”

“WHAT? You have to know about pregnancy and insemination as soon as your body is able to produce such things! Meaning, when periods start! Which, for most girls is between the ages of 10 and 16!!”

“I’m sorry…” Simon said. “This was absolutely my fault. Do I need to call their parents and explain?” He asked Grace.

“They heard ME, not you!” She said. “And… I’m not saying anything unless someone’s mom calls me and asks.”

Lucy shook her head, “I didn’t hear anything,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lindsay stated, “My mom’s career started in porn.”

Simon was red now, “Okay, well…. None of any of this happened and enjoy the rest of your tea party.” He got up and quickly left.

Lucy and Lindsay went back to the tea table. “Still hot!” Lindsay cheered, pouring them some from the pot. Hazel folded her arms, looking at Grace.

“It was a joke… You had to be there. Simon and I aren’t…”

“You’re doing SOMETHING. I can tell…” Hazel said, eyeing her suspiciously.

“Hazel, if something serious transpired between Simon and I, I would immediately talk to you about it, just like I did whenever he wanted us to start hanging out again. Okay?”

“Okay…”

Hazel went back to her tea party and the girls were giggling. She didn’t like whatever they were saying, but she eventually got over it. Whenever their parents stopped by, Grace did explain, “I’m really sorry, my friend and I were having an inside joke and the girls overheard something rather vulgar. I am willing to do whatever needs to be done if that affects her in some way. I just feel so bad that they overheard it.”

Lucy’s mom wondered what was said, so Grace said it very low to her and she looked scandalized, but she simply sucked it up and begged Grace to try to be more careful next time. Lucy’s father didn’t seem to even know what the words meant.

Lindsay’s mom didn’t ask, but Grace did say it on the low to her, and she laughed it off and said that Lindsay had unfortunately been picked on whenever someone at her old school realised that she was the daughter of Sommar Kittyn, so they had the talk with her when she was around 6, and the rest, the Internet fills in when nobody’s paying attention. Besides, her dad’s a rockstar… she absolutely had overheard her fair share of inappropriate things from their friends. She even gave Grace a no worries hug to accentuate that it was okay.

When they were gone, Grace noticed that Hazel wasn’t with her (probably was too embarrassed to look at them at the moment), and whenever she went inside, Hazel and Simon were speaking quietly, but both shut up whenever they saw her. “Hey… so, I think it’s gonna be okay. Definitely with Lindsay’s folks… hopefully with Lucy’s too… Really sorry about that.”

“You and Simon have been seeing each other,” Hazel said. Simon lowered his head into his hands. “He accidentally told me, because he didn’t know that you’ve been lying to me.”

“I have not been lying and Simon and I are not seeing each other. That’s the thing of it, Hazel. Adults and children have differing ways of dealing with each other and maybe Simon just didn’t really understand the proper way to communicate to you what our friendship is, because there’s not really a child equivalent.”

“I’m not a baby, Grace,” Hazel said. “You two are doing stuff with each other, and that sounds serious to me, for you, somebody who is publicly an ace figure and only recently began to even consider the possibility of perhaps demi… You’re doing stuff… that means your demi is activated!”

“No. It doesn’t. It means my curiosity is activated and there is someone who I can explore that with.”

“You two were talking about babies earlier.”

“Hazel. It isn’t anything that needs to be shared, at this time. Just some musings, Baby…” Hazel got up and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her and locking it. “Did she just?”

“She locked herself in,” Simon said. “I didn’t mean to make a problem. I misspoke.”

“How do you misspeak our situation to a child?”

“I certainly didn’t tell her that you’ve been training me to be an obedient partner.”

“That is not…”

“I only said that we were discussing having babies, but we’re not there in our arrangement yet… and she started trying to ask questions to understand better and all of the answers were accidentally more serious sounding than I meant to…” They spent hours outside of the door waiting (after at least half an hour trying to speak to Hazel about coming out). Eventually, she did and Grace was leaning onto Simon’s shoulder, but jumped up whenever Hazel came out. Simon quickly said, in a very stern tone, “Hazel, don’t do that again. You had your mother worried. She didn’t do anything wrong, and that’s unfair. If you try that again, I will remove the lock, do you understand?”

“Yes, Simon,” she said.

He sighed and gave her a hug. “You’re entitled to your privacy and your feelings. But, at least let us know that you’re okay. That you haven’t jumped out of the window or passed out or something.” She nodded. Simon left them alone.

“Hazel...:”

“I don’t feel like talking to you,” Hazel said. At least she was telling her the truth. Grace nodded and they left. Hazel didn’t say anything to her on the way back and Grace didn’t reach out or respond to Simon for days, which Hazel gradually came around to not being mad at her. Things came to a head when Grace was waiting outside of Hazel at school - in the New York November cold, mind you, and she was taking much longer than ever before. Grace consulted the calendar, to see if she somehow forgot that Hazel had tutoring or something. Eventually, she began to call her friends’ moms, to see if she had taken up shelter in one of their vehicles or something and just didn’t see Grace outside. Lindsay nor Lucy claimed to have seen her since school let out. She began to call even kids that she didn’t know as well - Todd, Alex, Louis… nobody knew where that girl was. She walked through the hallways and looked into classrooms, as she called Simon.

“Thank you for gracing me…”

“Have you talked to Hazel today?”

“No. Hazel’s pissed at me. We haven’t talked since tea party night…” Grace started crying. “Grace… what happened?”

“She’s missing! Or… hiding… I don’t know, but I’ve been waiting at her school for over an hour and I don’t see her anywhere!”

“Where is it? I’ll come help you…”

Grace was crying the entire time, pacing, tearing herself down and explaining to the staff, the security and the police how their schedule usually goes. Grace always either walks or drives Hazel to school. She parks in a certain place, stands in a certain place. She gave the time range that it usually takes, and explained why she “waited so long” to reach out - because she was confirming. Because Hazel doesn’t just wander off and she had no reason to suspect that she hadn’t mixed this up with math help day or something… They were acting like she had done something wrong and nobody was helping her find her child.

Eventually, Simon sat her down and offered, “I’ll speak with them, with your consent.”

She nodded her head, “I consent,” she barely choked the words out crying.

Simon began speaking as patiently as he could through his teeth, about how Hazel was in the care of the school until she walks out of the doors and that there’s staff everywhere and even cameras that they could possibly try to check to see if during the small window of time where she might have vanished, she was caught or seen. He didn’t want to bring it to threats, but he certainly would, if they made him.

After talking for a while, they seemed much more helpful with Simon and eventually advised them to go home and wait, make more calls, consider other familiar places that Hazel might have gone to, and contact them if they still hadn’t heard from her in 24 hours. Grace was a mess. She was crying and trembling. Simon took her home. She absentmindedly told him where it was, not worried about him not knowing, either out of the panic she was in over Hazel or having actually gotten comfortable with him over the past few months.

Whenever she came inside, she rushed through, calling Hazel’s name and looking for her. Hazel didn’t respond, but she found her on the bathroom floor and she collected her in her arms, “Hazel? Hazel??” She checked her for marks or bruises, or anything else… She saw none. Hazel was a turtle. Grace sobbed and collected her to herself. Her entire body was trembling, but Hazel was safe. She didn’t know how long it might take her to calm down.

“What’s happening?” Simon wondered. Grace shook her head. She hadn’t explained this to him before, and Hazel probably hadn’t either, because she didn’t like to tell people about it, and it hadn’t happened in a little while. Grace eventually calmed down and Simon remained in the doorway, watching, waiting.

Hazel’s eyes blinked and she looked at Grace and immediately began crying, “Are you going to give me back now? Now that I’m difficult again?” Grace burst into tears and she picked Hazel up and carried her into her bedroom, set her in the bed and cried more. Simon simply watched. “That’s what happens. First they find more important things. Then, they start to find other people or focus on other people. Then, they wait for me to mess up and they send me back.”

“There’s nowhere to send you back to! THIS is your home!” Grace said. She stood up and asked, “Did… Did you do this on purpose, to scare me, Hazel? Because, that is NOT okay! That’s not how we handle being mad at people. I thought you were gone. I thought somebody took you from me or worse! Don’t you EVER do something like that to me on purpose, EVER again!” She stormed out of the room and Hazel could hear her wailing as she made her way into the bathroom to collect herself.

Hazel started crying. She wasn’t used to Grace fussing at her. To her, that was even more of a sign of what would happen. Grace was gonna give her up. They always gave her up after a while. She had tested to see if Grace cared. She dodged her, made her way back home on her own, but while waiting for her to get home, she panicked. She became a turtle. And now, Grace was mad at her. Maybe, that was an excuse. Maybe Grace was waiting for this, so she and Simon could be together without her. Why else would she have hidden that they had been secretly seeing each other ever since her birthday?

Grace came back into the room, more calm now, and she sat on the bed. Simon was still simply there.

“Hazel, I need for you to understand how serious what happened today was, okay? One reason it is important to me not to ever leave you alone is because unlike where I grew up, kids go missing here so much more, and when they do… it is usually bad. Someone takes them and makes them a prisoner or uses them for bad things. Sometimes, they die. We live in a good neighborhood, but you wandering off by yourself, I imagined that you could’ve easily wound up in the wrong place, or ran into the wrong person. I don’t ever want anything bad to happen to you and for you to try to scare me into thinking about that is very hurtful, Hazel. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about me and Simon. I thought it was easier to not say anything and get your hopes up, because I know that you really like him and I haven’t been sure that I like him enough for him to be that kind of presence in our life. So, I didn’t tell you. You can be mad at me. Tell me, give me the silent treatment, whatever makes you feel better about me hurting you. But, it is not decent to hurt me by making me scared for your life.”

“I didn’t think about it that way. I’m sorry!” Hazel said, crying. Grace bit her lip and collected her to herself. Hazel cried against her. “I thought you were getting tired of me…”

“No, no… no… never. I’m hurt and I was scared, but I could never get tired of you, Hazel. Tired of life, maybe, and if I do, guess what? I’ll give up something else. Never you. Never ever you.” Simon finally started to feel intrusive and he slid out of the room and made his way out of her front door. They were okay, now. They didn’t need him. He was getting ready to get into his car whenever he heard his name. Simon turned and Grace was running from the townhouse to him. She threw her arms tightly around him and he hesitated before sinking into the hug. “Thank you… for being here for me.”

“I’m always going to be,” he said. He pulled away and looked at her. She still looked shaken up. “You need me to stick around a little longer?”

“I’m really still pretty shaken up. I can’t explain it. I know that she’s safe, but the after effects, especially not having had one of these episodes in a while… Do you want to stick around and help me with kid and turtle meal preps?"

"You got a turtle?"

"Hazel. Her psychosis... she sometimes thinks she transforms into a life sized turtle. I like to be sure to have some people safe turtle food so that she doesn't go out and eat bugs and grass like she did at her first home."

He was in awe. She blushed and shrugged her shoulders, "Her parents couldn't handle how she was. They dropped her off at an institution, and whenever she seemed okay, she was taken to a foster home. They tried for a short time and brought her right back. That’s what she was talking about in there… Everybody she wanted to trust - They locked her up. She didn't need to be locked up, she needed to be loved."

"Are you projecting?" He asked, trying to ease her nerves a little. She was still shaken up as they headed back across the street.

"Absolutely not. I definitely needed to be locked up."

"Maybe I did too."

"Well you know you could always go ask them to hold you and they'll let you know in 72 hours if you in fact, do. I'll be here for you, either way. You’ve been really trying and I don’t think that I realized just how much until I needed you today and you came through like..." Simon leaned towards her mouth, tempted to kiss her on the lips. She hadn’t kissed him on the lips. It was something that he wanted, but never attempted, as he was generally terrified that she would shut down and go home. He knew where home was now and she was asking him to stay a while. It was as good a time to press his luck as any… and Grace leaned into it. “I consent,” she whispered, letting him fills the space after that confirmation.

"Well, that was a friendship kiss."

"Very platonic affection," and they kissed again… “We’ll tell Hazel tomorrow…”

#If They Didn't Get on the Train #AU Infinity Train #Infinity Train #Nesha Fanfiction #Infinity Train Fanfiction #fics

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capricornus-rex · 5 years ago

Text

The Haunt of Redemption (4)

Sequel to: A Path I Can’t Follow

Chapter 4: Incoming! | Cal Kestis x Reader

Summary: It has been months since your last encounter with Cal, at that time he was a fledgling Inquisitor. In an ironic twist of fate, you cross paths and blades with him once again, and he’s keen on turning you into an Inquisitor as well—unless you bring him back to the light first.

Tags: Dark Side! Cal Kestis, Inquisitor! Cal Kestis, Redemption Arc! Cal Kestis

Also posted in AO3

Chapters: 1 - 2 | Previous: Chapter 3 | Next: Chapter 5 | Masterlist

4 of ?

His holotable beeped, signaling an incoming message.

“Admiral?” he greeted when he answered the call.

“Sir, the transport containing the suspect has arrived. Shall I call an escort for you?”

“No need. I’ll be on my way.”

“Very good, sir. Transmission out.”

He strode through the hallways, Stormtroopers stiffened their backs until they’re erect at the presence of the Eleventh Brother, commanding officers curtly saluted when he passed them by, and he blatantly ignored the Fifth Brother and Eighth Sister in his periphery.

He arrived at the interrogation block and entered the cell where they’re keeping the captive.

It was Boss Lora.

Cal stood by the Stormtrooper and demanded the details.

“Lora Argul, proprietor of the Yewa Docking Bay & Inn,”

“And where is this docking bay located?”

The Stormtrooper glanced at his datapad, “In Hoga, sir. That’s in Cameegon,”

Cal repeated the planet’s name in a questioning tone.

“A temperate planet in the Daoro System, Jama Sector,”

“Daoro? Then it’s an Outer Rim planet,” the young Inquisitor pointed out, he stepped closer to the adult woman strapped to the interrogation machine. “Don’t bother struggling, it’s not like we’re going to set you free anytime soon.”

“Please, I don’t have anything to do with you! I’m just a business owner!”

“Oh, I know,” Cal cooed emotionlessly. “But I think you know something that I need. You might know somebody I’m looking for.”

“I don’t know anybody! My customers come and go, I only have my family!”

Lora tirelessly pleaded to Cal—it’s the same words in different order, but the same idea all in all. The young Inquisitor watched the prisoner wriggle in the torture machine, begging without a pause, until she succumbed to her tears.

Cal walked closer to Lora, a colorful woven bracelet stood out from the drab of her dark brown work clothes. He reaches for the bracelet and now his Force ability comes in play.

“Look what I made you, Mama!”

“Oh, how beautiful! Thank you, sweetheart!”

“Here, I’ll help you wear it. Do you like it?”

“I love it! I’ll always wear it so everyone can see.”

He saw the bright-eyed girl that is her daughter. The warmth of the child’s love radiated all over this woman’s being. His Psychometry allowed him to “borrow” such emotions, thoughts, and images for a period of time; he has done so to his multiple captives on their various campaigns ever since he was induced into the Inquisitorius.

Yes, he thought as he found her weakness.

“You have a very kind daughter. Kaleen, isn’t it?”

“How did you know her name?!” Lora roared.

She knew she never said anything, she only thought of her child when Cal started to enter her mind using his powers. It was something she has never seen or experienced before—and it terrified her. The wild, out-of-pace beating of her heart throbbed through her chest, any moment now she might feel it burst through.

“Oh, I should remember to apologize to your daughter personally. The little brawl in your cantina must have given her a big scare—with what her papa unconscious and her mother taken away right in front of her very eyes. Who knows what that little girl is thinking right now.”

Lora tugged herself from her restraints as far as she could until she’s eye-to-eye with Cal.

“You do so much as touch the tip of a hair strand from my daughter, I swear I will kill you!”

Cal smirked albeit concealed by his mask, satisfied that he had provoked the woman, he kept the bait hanging right in front of her until she tells him what they want to hear.

He consciously avoided the question, “You are going to tell me where you’ve seen the fugitives.”

“What fugitives?”

“You will tell me,” the smirk seemingly lost its amusement, Cal stepped closer and clutched the woman by the wrist as he demanded. “Where she is.”

At that exact moment, Lora suddenly felt like someone or something was tearing her brain open while fully conscious—the pain was excruciating, albeit the absence of the high-voltage shocks of the actual machine; Cal’s grip grew tighter, nearly barring the circulation to her hand, the next thing in Lora’s mind was you. She never intended to think or speak of you in front of this fearsome, young man—to her, it just happened.

There…! Cal celebrated sooner than he could wait.

The memory that played was your first time in the docking bay, her very first interaction with you, Lora still had that stingy tone when speaking to you. The image of you examining the ship she asked you to fix as an entrance trial and smiling back at her with a smug confidence played behind Cal’s eyes.

“Well now, I gotta say your work is impressive, kid!”

“When do I start, boss?”

There.

Your smile. Your laugh.

Even the faintest melody of your laugh came through for him.

For one, his heart skipped a beat—he saw the length of your hair has changed but your smile remained the same.

“Please…! Enough!” Lora sputtered out crying.

Cal jerked his hand away and turned around abruptly.

“Prepare my ship!” the boy Inquisitor commanded.

“Right away, sir!” a lower-ranking officer promptly replied and went ahead for the task.

“Bu-But, sir,” the admiral stuttered, hoping that it doesn’t offend the Eleventh Brother to stop him in his tracks. “What about the prisoner?”

“I leave it to you then, Admiral.”

The Eleventh Brother marched to the hangar, flanking him were two TIE pilots. Upon his arrival, the technicians have just finished recalibrating the TIE Fighters as well as his ship: a TIE Interceptor that he personally modified to his liking. The technician unclamped the docking boot of the Interceptor while his co-workers did the same for the two other Fighters.

“I want transports each carrying assault units and a squad of fighters deployed en route to Cameegon with me.”

“Yes sir, understood!” the attending officer’s heels clicked and marched to the hangar’s command center with an urgency.

The young Inquisitor climbed into the cockpit, the glass dome slid shut with the touch of a button. His fingers follow an invisible yet learned pattern of switches and buttons. There was an indescribable feeling that he cannot pinpoint with a single word, perhaps the closest being “elated.”

The TIEs’ engines hummed in a collective baritone, lights on the screen flickered to life, the ships hovered and then zoomed past the ray shield of the hangar.

—–

Meanwhile, back in Cameegon, you’ve been training in the forest for the rest of your day-off. You were out of breath, but the clean air from the trees refreshed your lungs as you inhaled and then exhaled. This expansive stretch of land has become your own haven—it’s where you mostly do your Jedi training and meditation, it took a long while for you to get used to doing them alone.

BD-1 may have kept you company while you spend your time in the woods, but it was different having someone actually with you, though you didn’t want to offend the little one so you always kept him close to you.

“Alright, BD, toss me another!”

The little white droid—perched upon a tree branch a few paces in front of you—trilled and threw the whole, rotten fruit in its claw—that you’ve installed yourself some time ago—and you went charging towards it; when the distance was enough, your heels sprang from the carpet of leaves and you somersaulted in the air, severing the target in half in the process and then landing back on the balls of your feet.

BD cheered for you in high-pitched whistles and song-like trills, followed by another string of conversational tones.

“Really? Should I have jumped a bit earlier?”

“Trill, chirp!”

“Hah, well, I really can’t tell if it’s by the second, little guy! Maybe I could borrow your scanners next time,” you joked.

The droid replied with a nervous trill, but you knew that he was only playing along.

“How’s the claw? You getting used to it or should I modify it some more?”

“Boo…” BD’s singular scope-like scanner examined the external appendage. “Woop!”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do later,”

You beckoned the little droid to come to you, it activated its little turbojets on its feet and then willingly clambered on your shoulder. You continued on with your training, cutting down the training dummies that you made out of logs and leaves—your own regimen consisted of combining new moves with learned ones, last-minute improvisations if the need arises, and inventing more styles which is a hybrid of both old and new. You liked the adrenaline pumping in you when using the environment against your “enemies.”

Afterwards, you’re traversing the terrain, knowing the twists and turns of the forest like the back of your hand—a result worth of seven months’ progress. The path that you followed was one of your personal favorites—it was still an obstacle course, but you cut through and traversed it effortlessly. You decided to banter with your little droid friend while you trekked uphill.

“Hanging in there, BD?”

“Woop! Bee-woop.”

“Oh, you think so? I sounded like him for a moment there?”

You gave a weak chuckle in response to your exploration droid’s comment. Next, it gave out a somewhat apologetic tone, to your surprise you asked him why he was sounding like that.

“No need to apologize, buddy. It’s okay, don’t worry.”

“Woo!”

“Heh, you sure perk up quick!”

You’re almost to the top. The end of the hill’s path wasn’t the real summit—at least for you. You scaled the rock face of the waterfall nearby, there were enough rocks sticking on the wall to serve as handholds and footholds. It was a quick climb to get to the top of the waterfalls, only then, you’ve really seen the true expanse of Cameegon. The sight of the lower jungle and the river delta connecting to the sea was breathtaking.

How I wish you’re here to see it. You muttered under your breath, dedicating it to Cal.

The entire view took off a heavy load from your chest. Simply look at it warranted a smile from you and a look of wonderment as if seeing it for the very first time.

“So pretty, isn’t it, BD?”

“Woo-boop!”

You patted the little droid’s head as the two of you gazed upon the majesty of the unspoiled part of the planet.

Over time, you’ve grown to love this planet because of the solitude that the trees have given you, it was your secondary comfort next to the company of your family, the Mantis crew.

Your sightseeing was disturbed when you heard machinery humming—the noise got louder by the second—and then three black ships come speeding past your view. Your eyebrows furrowed, something about them tells you that this is not your regular merchant convoy.

Their flight direction came from the east and they’re heading westward. Your eyes squinted in suspicion—you peered through your binoculars, zooming in by turning the knob resting by your thumb, until you got a better look of the silhouettes. Your lips parted open.

“Oh no…” you shuddered.

Without a second’s notice, you kicked the coil of rope sitting by the edge of the waterfall and rappelled down. You started bolting through the path in the forest, while running you try to reach Cere’s signal from the Mantis—but the wildlife was so dense that it interfered with the clarity of the signal.

“Cere! Can you hear me?! Cere, come in!”

A garbled radio frequency was your only response, but your feet kept running—it’s as if it was moving on its own—and made your way back to the ship.

The thought of the settlement suddenly entered your mind, but logically, the town is much farther from your training course in the forest—you’ll never make it in time even if you drive with your speeder’s top speed. In the middle of your combined panic and contemplation, you stumbled upon a detour and realized it too late.

You look around and find that there are no familiar landmarks around the area.

You’re lost and alone among the trees, accompanied by the chittering of unseen animals, and the apparent presence of the Empire… or the Inquisitors.

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vivpurple7 · 5 years ago

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Title: Bulletproof | Chapter 1

Summary: The secretary and right-hand woman for the CEO of JinHit Entertainment suddenly breaks down and everything is falling apart. Can you, a mere intern, be able to to piece things back together for Seokjin as his new right-hand woman, at work, and at home?

Pairings: Kim Seokjin x female reader

A/N: I just wanted to gauge interest and to see if I should continue writing... This is one of my first fics in a very long time, plus its about BTS, which I’ve never written before about. Please kindly provide feedback and love! I would really appreciate it! If there’s enough interest I’ll continue writing this series Also I am in no way experienced in office work, orphans or orphanages.

This first chapter is mainly background and foundation, nothing too interesting, but will lead up to more interesting things!

Part: 1 | 2 | 3 |

As the sun set behind you basking everything that it can touch in a beautiful warm glow, you jog with determination to your destination. Just another block ahead. I’m almost there, wait for me for just a little longer! The air begins to sting your face, your lungs begin to feel like they’re going to burst, and your legs begin to falter as you turn the last corner. You see the familiar old gate that you’ve come to grow up looking through from the other side, and then you see all the little chubby faces that burst into jubilant smiles as they see you approach them. Home.

Catching your breath just outside the gate, the children of the orphanage that you grew up in come gathering around you, jumping and excitedly grabbing you to try to get you to play with them. You manage to get yourself upright before you hear the comforting voice of Auntie break through the shrieks and laughter of excited children. “Welcome home, Y/N!” She gives you the warmest smile that instantly makes your heart warmer than the sunset glow could. “I’m home, Auntie! How are you? The kids? The others? Anything I can do to help?” You can’t help but run towards Auntie and wrap her into a giant bear hug.

Auntie’s real name was Lee Mi-Sa, who was the owner of the Little Miracles Orphanage and has provided a loving and warm home to all the children in need that has passed through those gates. She never liked being called Mom, because she said, “That’s a special name for that someone who will love you like no other, so make sure you save it until then”.

You were dropped off at the orphanage when you were still an infant, no recollection of what happened before. However, Auntie said that your parents had left you with a neighbor that day, and never made it back home to pick you up. They found out later that your parents were involved in a terrible accident on their way home to pick you up. Since there were no other relatives nearby, you were dropped off at the orphanage. So you spent your childhood playing in the dirt, making dresses for your dolls out of scrap fabric, and getting into scuffles with the boys when they pulled your hair. But one after the other, your friends kept leaving with new families, new beginnings. Every year, the person that slept next to you changed, until finally, you were 12 and too old to really have a chance of being adopted. Instead of moping around and waiting for someone to save you, you tried to save yourself by helping out around the orphanage with Auntie. Helping the children get ready in the morning, cleaning small cuts and wounds when they tripped and started crying, patching up hand-me-downs so that the little ones can still wear them. Time kept passing until you were 18. “Y/N-ah, I don’t know what we would have done without you. Remember that this will always be your home, and I will always be here to comfort you and listen to your worries, like always.” Tearful goodbyes as you stepped outside of the gate you grew up looking through, and you went on to continue with your independent life.

You didn’t know how you managed, but with your parent’s savings, your part-time job income, and a small token from Auntie, you graduated college. Now in your twenties, you’re ready to tackle the world head-on.

“I’m doing just fine Y/N-ah. Don’t worry about me. Come in, come in, we’re just about to start dinner. Did you know, the other day-” Auntie links arms with you as she leads you into the building, animatedly telling you about the latest shenanigans of the children.

“Now, tell me how’s it going with you.” Auntie places down a steaming cup of tea in front of you as you sit across from her in her office after dinner. You nervously brush your hair and tuck a stray strand behind your ear. “Well, you know, I found a-a job…” stuttering, you reach for your cup of tea thinking that it may help calm the nerves. Auntie sat across from you, patiently waiting for your answer, never pushing you, and waiting until you were ready. “So you know, how I really wanted to work at this big company? I don’t know how it happened, but I got the job…” you sneak your glance towards Auntie, to see how she would react. “Congrats Y/N! I always knew you could do it! When do you start?” “Tomorrow.”

JinHit Entertainment. The looming building somehow already emanates how powerful that name is right now in the entertainment industry. You gulp nervously as you walk across the crosswalk towards the building. I can do this. Whatever may be handed to me, I can do it. Fighting! The sliding doors open with a quick whoosh and suddenly, you’re standing at the line that differentiates your world and that world. You take another deep breath, strengthening your resolve before taking that first step across the threshold. You can’t help with internally gawk at the interior design. Sleek, innovative, minimalistic are all words that first come to your mind. You finally reach the front desk, where you’re met with a beautifully kept together and a rather stoic secretary. “How may I help you?”

You try to put on your best smile. “H-Hello! My name is Y/L/N, Y/F/N. I’m the new intern. The email said to report to…” before you could finish, the secretary handed you your nametag on a lanyard. “Go through these security gates by scanning your barcode on this tag, and then turn left for the elevators. Head up to the 11th floor.” She doesn’t even look at you as she’s explaining. “O-okay. Thank you!” You quickly grab the nametag, half-expecting her to take it back just as quickly as she gave it to you.

You enter the elevator and realize that JinHit has a lot of staff, as each floor loads and unloads 5 to 10 people. You stand in the corner, trying to take up as little room as possible, but can’t help sneaking a peek every now and then. Wow, they all look so professional. Woah, all the girls here are so pretty! Damn, the guys here aren’t that bad looking either! A blush starts to form on your cheeks as your thoughts linger on all the good-looking staff. I heard that the CEO was really good-looking too, I wonder if that’s true too. You realize as you reach the 9th floor, everyone exits the elevator, except you. Just before the door closes, someone steps inside the elevator with you. He goes to press the button but realizes its already been pressed. He straightens up and looks at his watch. Woah…this guy is on a totally different level than all the other staff members. You realize you’ve been staring at this beautiful stranger, taking in his ethereal beauty when he glances over at you. You lighteningly fast turn away and find the wall on your right infinitely interesting as you recall his perfectly set jawline, gentle yet stern brown eyes, his perfectly plump lips, and what must be a perfectly toned body under that expensive-looking tailored suit. And do I smell a light citrusy but clean scented cologne? You’re so caught up with your overwhelmed senses that you barely realize that you’ve reached the 11th floor. The gentleman steps out first, seemly in a hurry, and you meekly follow out of the elevator a couple seconds after him.

You watch Mr. Handsome stride towards the secretary desk, where a well put together lady dressed in a smart pink suit set sits. She stands up at attention and immediately rushes around the corner to tend to whatever Mr. Handsome just sternly told her to do. He looks down at his watch again, muttering to himself as he walks towards two wooden doors directly across from the secretary desk, opens them with ease, and walks inside. The two wooden doors thump together as they close and your jaw drops to the floor when you realize that the gold nameplate attached to the doors says Kim Seokjin, CEO. Ms. Pink Suit Lady comes around the corner and spots you. She smiles politely at you and directs a small bow towards you “Ah, you must be Y/N. Nice to meet you. My name is Misoo and you’ll be my intern starting today. I look forward to working with you!” You’re stunned for a moment longer before you gather your wits, and you scramble to bow back and reply. “Yes, hello Misoo-nim, I’m Y/N, your new intern. I look forward to working with you too!” You get back up from your bow, and you see that Misoo is directing you to go behind the desk. “So, shall we get started?”

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mythriteshah · 4 years ago

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A Spot of Revelry, Pt. 2

Beneath the Ruby Sea, the Regalia’s submersible was approaching the Dive. Everyone was prepared to carry out their task, though Lilina was anxious to commence with the fun part of becoming a Summoner, clutching her new soul crystal in hand.

“This is Head Secretary Yuanji,” she whispered over the linkpearl. “Miss Shiro and I have made off with one of their trinkets, and have commenced the diversion. We’re already leading them southward, away from the Kojin’s vault. You may begin insertion.”

“Take us up, little mammet – we’re here!” Sarielle ordered. As they made their ascent, Rhaegos landed atop the rocks looming over the isle, while Himmeya found a small landing out of view from wandering eyes. She kept her griffin there and climbed the wall, looking up to Rhaegos, who was scanning the area: the Red Kojin were growling and barking orders at each other, weapons at the ready as they took paths around the isle to pursue the intruders. The way was now clear save for a few sentries, and his first victim was an unwary swordsman. Jumping from his elevated position, Rhaegos would land on top of the Kojin sentry, knocking him out instantly. He slowly made his way to the center, where Jaanavar’s Vision was beginning to surface. Two more Red sentries armed with daggers attempted to ambush the Vizier, only to be met with a wind-imbued fist to the face of one, and a swift kick to the other, sending them both flying into a rock face and incapacitating them.

“Nice form, sir!” Himmeya grinned.

“Comes with the territory,” he coolly replied. The submersible finally reached the surface, and out from the hatch jumped Meriri, Sarielle, Lilina, and Thiji. The Jaanavar’s Vision then took back to the depths after closing the hatch to maintain stealth.

“Rhaegos, this show’s yours now,” Thiji spoke.

“Right,” the Au Ra said as he cracked his knuckles. “Miss Himmeya, you take care of anyone who gets past me. Miss Sarielle’s got the heals and the power of time, so when they start to swarm, slow ‘em down.”

“Understood,” the green-haired Elezen acknowledged.

“Miss Meriri, disarm them with your arrows. If they have any spellcasters, they’re priority targets,” he ordered.

“Aye!” Meriri stated. “These arrows are blunted, too, so a nice hit between the eyes’ll knock em on their shelled bottoms if need be!”

“Let Lord Thiji and Miss Lilina rest and conserve their strength for now; they’ll need it for the vault,” Rhaegos pointed out as he advanced. With the plan now in motion and the diversionary tactic in place, it was finally time for the mission to begin in earnest. Their push through the isle was relatively easy, occasionally taking fire from Red sentries who struck at them with volleys of water. Though they were trying to prevent the Mythrite Sultan from engaging in combat, he had no time for holdups.

The gems on his robes and turban were beginning to glow as he walked out of cover. As the sentries prepared to conjure another water spell, the aether gathering within the gems shot out from his robe in bluish-white beams, freezing their weapons, and eventually their entire bodies. The sight left everyone – including Rhaegos – utterly amazed and confused as they followed Thiji up the isle…

“How’d ye do that, My Sultan?” inquired Meriri.

“The Gemweave,” he answered. “This particular robe was woven with materials conducive to aetherial manipulation; they travel through the robe like a conduit and is focused into the gems, allowing me to cast spells without somatic involvement.”

“Ye could’ve just said ‘Black Mage shenanigans’ and I’d still believe ye, milord, but I won’t question it!” Meriri commented.

Meanwhile, on the southern portion of the Kojin’s stronghold, Shiro and Yuanji were fleeing from the bulk of the Reds. With quick hand gestures, Yuanji jumped over an incoming water blast and slapped the ground with her palm, disturbing the earth beneath her and turning it into a large patch of mud, slowing down the horde.

“Get back here, thieves…!” roared a Red marine, struggling to get through the disturbed earth. “You will not get away with this!”

“But we are, as you can see!” Yuanji yelled back as she stormed ahead. With the enemy thus distracted, the main host was able to enjoy a simple push through the Air of the Opulent, taking down a few striped rays that were straggling. Yuanji and Shiro kept retreating until they reached a dead end, where they came upon a stockpile of goods and other miscellaneous trinkets. “The dead end at the southernmost area, as Lord Thiji planned. Shall we, old friend?”

Shiro nodded and handed a small glass orb to the Head Secretary before they hid themselves away from view. Before too long, the Red Kojin would swarm the area, searching high and low for the intruders.

“They’re here somewhere! The Mist Queen could not have gotten far!” spoke a Red Marine.

The preceding area now secure, it was time to begin the next phase. Thiji and Lilina entered the vault and arrived within the Blessed Treasury. They immediately noticed the large altar on the far side of the area, lined with gold, trinkets, and all sorts of curiosities. Submerged pedestals served as stepping stones leading to a platform in the center of the large pond; a faded scar could be seen, dividing the platform into two lengthwise halves.

“Welcome to the Pool of Tribute, Miss Lilina,” the Mythrite Sultan greeted. “’Twas here I and several others encountered the Lord of the Revel, albeit brief. And it is in this area full of water and lightning-aspected aether that you shall take your first steps into becoming a full-fledged Summoner.”

“I am ready to receive your teachings, my lord!” Lilina anxiously replied with a bow. “What must I do?”

“Simple: make your way to the center platform. I will then commence the Austerities of Revelry and call forth a scintilla of Lord Susanoo’s power, more commonly known as an Egi. You are to face this manifestation and conquer it. Doing so will absorb and merge its aether with yours, allowing you to call it forth and bind it to your will via the soul crystal.”

“Understood!” Lilina acknowledged. She slowly began to make her way towards the center, eager to get started.

“I will offer you guidance your battle unfolds. I would aid you in defeating the Egi, but I do not wish to run the risk of collecting its energies,” he further explained.

“Not to worry, my lord! I’ve no intention of failing you or the Regalia!” she reassured. Once she was in position, Thiji unveiled his own soul crystal, stretching out an arm as he focused inward, shifting his aetherial balance. The crashing of water and dancing thunder coursed through his body; his soul crystal would begin to glow in response. At this time, Lilina would summon her Topaz Carbuncle to aid her in the battle, giving it a gentle pat on the head as it appeared.

After a short moment, something would begin to emerge in front of Lilina. In a small flash, a bluish aetherial being wreathed in water and lightning energy appeared, brandishing a blade no longer than its form.

“The avatar of the Lord of the Revel has been drawn into the material plane, and the Austerities of Revelry is complete,” Thiji declared. “The rest is up to you now, Miss Lilina: defeat the Egi and claim its power for your own.”

“Let’s do it, Carby!” cried Lilina as she gave the order to charge. The Egi engaged her pet, and thus was battle joined. Lilina’s Carbuncle leapt into the air to strike at the avatar, but the Egi showed its speed by moving to the right, avoiding the attack. Its blade then began to crackle with electric energy… “Carby! Incoming!”

The distinct sound of laughter came from Susanoo-Egi as it rose the blade in the air, calling down a column of thunder to strike at the Carbuncle. It was able to dodge the incoming bolts by curling into a ball and rolling about the arena. With the Egi’s attention thus diverted, Lilina readied her spell, using her quill to draw aetherial shapes in the air.

The Egi managed to catch Carbuncle with a lightning strike, temporarily immobilizing it. However, enough time was bought so that Liliana could finish her spellcast, sending a large orb of unaspected aether towards her foe.

“Have some Ruinga!” she cried as her spell hit the Egi center mass. While the Egi was still reeling from the attack, she sent a wave of restorative aether to Carbuncle, curing it of its paralysis as it fell back to her side.

“So far, so good…” the Mythrite Sultan said in his mind. Meanwhile, outside the vault, Rhaegos and his crew had the perimeter secure. While they set up posts around the Air of the Opulent, Meriri noticed what appeared to be smoke rising from the south.

“Oi, what do ye think that is?” she asked.

“That’s gotta be Miss Shiro and Miss Yuanji,” Himmeya replied. “She’s called the ‘Mist Queen’ for a reason; getting out of her domain is difficult. With her on our side, we shouldn’t have to worry overmuch.”

“Should we go and assist Lord Thiji and Miss Lilina, then?” Sarielle thought aloud.

“As good of an idea that sounds,” Rhaegos started, “we can’t interfere with the ritual. All we can do now is stand watch.”

Back inside the treasure vault, the Egi had recovered from Lilina’s attack, and decided to change tactics. Raising its free hand, several dark clouds appeared along the outskirts of the arena, teeming with electricity.

“Whoa! What’s this?!” Lilina gasped. The clouds were beginning to charge up for a powerful attack, which gave the cue to get out of the way. She dove to the left just as pillars of lightning shot across the pool in a cross-shaped pattern, while Carbuncle dodged in the opposite direction. After the attack, the clouds faded, and Susanoo-Egi returned to the fray with sword raised. As Carbuncle charged their foe to draw its attention, Lilina watched the clouds part. Small trails of water and lightning-aspected energies danced in the air, which caused her soul crystal to react.

“My Sultan!” she spoke. “The crystal is glowing!”

“It’s responding to the aethertrails left behind by the Lord of the Revel,” he explained. “Attune yourself to them and you will be one step closer to mastering Susanoo’s power.”

Without hesitation, she rushed over to the far side of the arena, stretching out a hand to attune herself to the aethertrail, but was stopped short by a wayward lightning strike.

“Whoa! Carby, Glittering Topaz!” ordered Lilina. Her pet nodded, its body glowing for a brief moment before channeling its power to the ruby on its head to erect an aetheric bulwark around Lilina’s form, absorbing the lightning strikes with ease as she successfully attuned herself to the first aethertrail. “All right – two more to go!” she said to herself as she hurried to the opposite side. The Egi took notice of what Lilina was attempting to do, and was making its best efforts to stop her, but Carbuncle was putting up an exceptional defensive effort, keeping it away from its master, and with the barrier still present, its lightning attacks proved ineffective as she was able to attune to the second aethertrail with no issues. The excitement of mastering this power was beginning to get to Lilina, as she happily made her way to the final aethertrail, which laid behind the Egi on the far side of the arena, confident that the barrier would hold.

“Almost…!” Lilina uttered as she began to fuse her own aether with the final trail. Just as it seemed like she would be victorious, her concentration would be broken as rocks began to rise from around her and her Carbuncle, encasing them in a stone gaol.

“Ama-no-Iwato…” Thiji thought. Three blue chains sprouted from Susanoo-Egi’s free hand, linking themselves to the earthen prisons that housed Lilina and Carbuncle, as well as the empty third prison. It rotated them around the center of the arena in a triangle formation. Lilina and her Carbuncle were helpless, unable to do anything to break out from within, as the stones began to glow, preparing to unleash The Sealed Gate.

Thiji, sensing trouble, quickly opened his Blissful Grimoire and prepared to retaliate. He would prepare a spell powerful enough to shatter the Ama-no-Iwato in one strike. The Mythrite Sultan would not enjoy this honor, however, as he heard footsteps approaching from the entrance.

“Don’t waste your energy, My Sultan! We got this!” shouted a voice. Two Lalafell women zoomed past Lord Thiji in the blink of an eye – one with black hair, and one with strawberry-blonde hair and platinum-blonde highlights. The black-haired Lalafell sprung into the air with her Mythrite pugil stick, while the other one hopped over the pedestals to enter the arena. The strawberry-blonde blasted the center stone with a fire spell, destroying it and freeing Lilina, while the black-haired lass chucked her weapon straight through the gaol to the right, shattering it. Unfortunately, it was the dummy.

“Sisters! You came!” Lilina cheered. Her older sisters, the strawberry-blonde Lelena, and the black-haired Luluma, had come to her side.

“And you didn’t invite us?!” Lelena scolded. “We would have loved to see our baby sister become a Summoner!”

“Miss Yuanji told us about the whole thing before she set off for the isle, so we took the Vigil to get over here after suiting up,” Luluma explained. “Mamai is always watching over her Angels – may she know eternal peace in Nald’thal’s realm.”

As they spoke, the remaining stone prison exploded, and the Carbuncle was gone without a trace.

“Aww, there goes your Carbuncle…!” Lelena groaned.

“Hold on!” Lilina exclaimed. She slapped the pages of her book and stretched out her palm as a bright sigil appeared around it for a brief moment. Out from below, Lilina’s Topaz Carbuncle returned and struck at Susanoo-Egi from below! “I was able to recall Carby before the gaol exploded! Swiftcast is so handy!”

“Miss Lilina, the final aethertrail,” reminded Thiji. Lilina nodded and hurried over, her sisters covering her back while she attuned to the final aethertrail. Luluma dodging a few lightning bolts and then struck Susanoo-Egi, knocking it back towards the far end of the arena and briefly stunning it, while Carbuncle ran to the opposite end and curled into a ball, rolling across the pool to gather speed, the resulting acceleration causing aquaplaning to take effect. Lilina had finished preparing a fire spell to cast underneath the charging Carbuncle, causing a tiny explosion of steam to propel it upwards to smack the Egi with enough force to send it plummeting into the waters below. The aethertrail was thus extracted, and Lilina’s attunement was complete. The sisters cheered and began conversing among themselves as they started to leave the arena. Thiji gave a nod of approval and would begin to turn around and leave, but something caught his eye. With a double take, he looked to the far side of the arena and noticed that the aether stored in blade was beginning to stir. It began to levitate from its resting spot for a few brief moments before shooting into the heavens. Just as Lilina and her sisters would step out of the arena, a large thud was heard that shook the earth, with enough magnitude for it to be felt from beyond the vault.

“What was that…?” Sarielle questioned.

“Oh, shit…” Rhaegos murmured as he turned to the door to the vault.

“Intruders have breached our treasure vault!” cried a Red marine in the distance, taking notice of the tremors. “Alert our main force and protect Lord Susanoo!”

Before he could get too far, an arrow would find its mark on the Red Kojin’s forehead, knocking him on his shelled back.

“Welp, there goes the neighborhood…” Meriri sighed.

“They still have yalms of mist to go through!” said Yuanji as she appeared behind them. “Miss Shiro has stayed behind to maintain the ninjutsu.”

“Good, because until they leave the vault, our work here’s not done,” Rhaegos replied as he took to a combat stance.

Back at the Pool of Tribute, Lilina and her sisters turned around and immediately took notice of the large blade that had pierced the waters. The surrounding atmosphere changed as well, with overcast clouds and rain suspended in midair. The waters began to stir as the Egi had transformed into a larger variant of itself, towering over the arena by yalms.

“This one doesn’t seem as large as I remember…” Thiji pondered. “Two of the three sacred treasures are also missing…”

“How the heck are we going to stop that?!” Lelena shrieked. The enlarged Egi took the blade in its hand and began to raise it over its head. The Topaz Carbuncle ran over towards the shadow of the blade, turning back to Lilina and pointing upwards with a paw.

“Carby’s got our answer, I think!” Lilina commented. “Sis, let’s do the Cryotic Feedback!”

“You want me to use Subzero now?!” she immediately questioned.

“Trust me! We can’t let that sword touch the pool!” Lilina replied as she went over to Carbuncle’s side. With grimoire in hand, she readied herself for Lelena’s ice attack. Luluma attempted to stall for time with repeated strikes at the enhanced Egi, but it proved to give little effect as it shook off her strikes with relative ease. Lelena finished conjuring enough ice energy to blast a large ray of frost at Lilina’s grimoire, which absorbed its energies into a barrier formed around the tome. Luluma, who had did all she could to buy time, landed back onto the arena and sighed.

“Here it comes, girls,” she warned. With the spell complete, Lilina rose her grimoire high in the air, meeting Susanoo-Egi’s blade head-on. The sisters screamed in fright from the resounding clash, with Lilina’s plan actually proving to have some effect at holding back the sword.

“I am genuinely astounded and frightened right now!” Lilina informed everyone. As she continued to hold back the blade, miniature lightning orbs formed around the arena, slowly making their way towards Lilina in an effort to shake her off. Her Carbuncle took note of this, and began touching each one, which caused a small fulguration. The resulting release of electric energy would take its toll on the Carbuncle, however, as it felt its strength waning. “Come on… Come on…!” Lilina grunted with effort. Once the barrier was broken from the sheer force of the clash, the energy stored from Lelena’s attack had shot out, causing a blast of ice-aspected energy sufficient enough to force back the blade. This feedback sent Lilina skidding across the waters, her grimoire landing beside her. Her sisters hurried to her side to get her on her feet as the Egi was recovering from the attack.

“Darnit! That wasn’t enough to beat it?!” spoke Lelena.

“Lilina’s Carbuncle can’t hold out any longer, either…” Luluma spoke with concern. With no other options, Lilina approached the shadow of the blade once more, but something about her was different. Lelena pointed out the shift in aetheric balance within Lilina’s body, and her soul crystal had begun to respond to this change. Luluma watched in anticipation as the Egi begun to lower the blade back down again. Just as it would finally hit home, a flash of lightning crashed down upon Lilina’s form, and holding the Egi’s blade back was another aetherial sword identical to it. Lilina’s form had changed slightly as well, with the distinguishable helmet and plumage on her head. She laughed victoriously as she held back the blade with ease.

“Attendeth me, my sisters!” she called.

“Wait, what does she mean by that?” Lelena asked.

“She want us to do another team attack,” answered Luluma.

“Then let’s invent a new one!” Lelena cheered as she prepared the Triplecast spell. Luluma got into position as her older sister sent three thunder orbs at her, knocking them overhead as they spiraled into the side of the Egi’s sword, significantly weakening it. Lilina used this opportunity to strike back, knocking the blade out of its hands and disarming the Egi. Her own aetherial sword then touched the residual lightning energies from Lelena’s spell, wreathing the length of the blade with its power before chucking it at the reeling Egi, landing right in its torso before erupting in a pillar of bluish-violet energy.

The scintilla of Susanoo’s power had begun to lose its form, letting out a roar before finally dispersing back into the aetherial sea, the atmosphere returning to normal signifying its defeat. Lelena and Luluma heaved a sigh of relief while Lilina fell on her bottom, exhausted from the effort. She looked over to Carbuncle, who was slowly approaching its master. With a smile, Lilina petted its head and stated that it will be missed dearly. With an Egi of her own now obtained, there would be little reason to keep Carbuncle under her employ. The Carbuncle nodded and gave Liliana a hug before being called back into the aether.

“Congratulations, Lilina,” said Thiji. “You are now officially a Summoner, and a practitioner of Susanoo’s power – a Master of Revelry.”

“Thank you, My Sultan. I could not have done it without your guidance and the help of my sisters!” Lilina replied as she got back to her feet.

“A question, My Sultan,” Lelena interjected. “What was that spike in power that Lilina had during the second clash? Was that the Trance thing?”

“Correct,” Thiji confirmed. “In addition to bending eikons to their will, Summoners are also able to invoke the powers and personalities of said eikon by entering a Trance. When enough of an eikon’s aether is attuned, they are capable of assuming this form change for a brief period of time. With practice, however, they can uphold this Trance longer and more deftly – and even call forth a simulacrum of the primal itself as a result.”

“Then as the first to obtain Lord Susanoo’s power, I shall dub it… the Reveler Trance!” declared Lilina.

“Now we just need to get out of the isle…” Luluma pondered. “The Red Kojin are definitely not happy to learn that we’ve stolen into their vault, so they’ll send everything they’ve got at us.”

“No problem, Luluma!” Lelena assured. “I think we’ll be just fine!”

“Indeed we shall, ladies. Miss Lilina, pray lead the way,” said the Mythrite Sultan. With an enthusiastic nod, she hopped and skipped her way out of the arena, exiting the vault. Meanwhile, the Red Kojin’s main force had finally caught up with Rhaegos’s team.

“We fear not those who trespass upon our sacred vault! Least of all you, Demon of the Steppe!” taunted the Red Kojin’s commander. Rhaegos smirked and crossed his arms, taking a step forward.

“Be thankful we’re not here to kill you, or you’d soon learn to fear me,” the Au Ra coolly retorted. “But if you’re so eager, then step on up. I can’t promise anything, though.”

The commander gave the order to charge. Everyone prepared for the Red’s onslaught as they drew closer and closer. Just as battle was about to be joined, however, the doors to the vault burst open, and hearty laughter was heard from within. The Red Kojin coasted to a stop, murmuring amongst themselves…

“The Kami of the sacred treasures…?”

“Lord Susanoo…?”

“Has He awakened once more?”

Himmeya and the others heaved a sigh of relief as Rhaegos turned his gaze toward the vault. Out from the doors came Lilina, assuming the Reveler Trance once more, brandishing her aetherial weapon in the air with a wide grin on her face, with Susanoo-Egi in tow. She was followed by her sisters and Thiji, who had approached the Red Kojin’s forces.

“What… what omen is this?” gasped the Commander. Everyone on the isle was amazed at what they beheld. With another spot of laughter, lightning danced around her being, frightening the Kojin and their pet rays.

“Behold, shelled ones!” boomed Lilina. “These children of man hath come to pay tribute! They sought not to abscond from ye who hath made us whole, but to offer respect to the banquet, and as thanks, have blessed them with a power none hath dared to hold! Thus, the test is passed, and the feast hath ended! Pray let these children of man free in the name of the divine!”

“If what you say is true, blessed one of Lord Susanoo,” began the Red Commander, “then we thank you for this test, and shall obey your words.”

Thiji beckoned the others over and fell in behind him, walking with Lilina out of the isle as the Kojin parted the way for them.

“So, does this mean that Miss Lilina’s gettin’ a promotion, milord?” Meriri thought aloud. The only response she received was laughter from everyone but Thiji, who was shaking his head.

“Wait, wasn’t Miss Shiro with us?” Sarielle said as she looked around for any sign of the shinobi.

“Don’t concern yourself, Miss Sarielle,” Yuanji replied. “We’ve already planned out for this; before this operation began, Miss Shiro went into the vault and took the Yasakani-no-Magatama and the Yata-no-Kagami, leaving the Ame-no-Murakumo alone. She volunteered to stay behind and put them back in their proper resting place after our success!”

“That explains why the Lord of the Revel himself didn’t appear, and the Egi was considerably weaker when the sword awakened!” Lelena deducted. “Wow, the Regalia’s just full of geniuses! I may have to become a Summoner myself if we can have more exciting adventures like this!”

“I am certain we can strike a deal with the Immortal Flames when the time comes,” Thiji said.

“Well, I call dibs on Shiva-Egi!” Lelena decreed. “And no one can say otherwise!”

With another bout of laughter, Thiji, Lelena, and her sisters took off on Mamai’s Vigil docked on the southern cliff face, while the remaining team boarded Jaanavar’s Vision, returning to their respective branches. An Arcanist no more, Lilina Lina was ready to serve the Regalia with her newfound powers over the reveling chaos that was Lord Susanoo, setting her apart from the numerous other Summoners within Eorzea and beyond.

“I am Lilina Lina, and in revelry do I rejoice!”

(Credit and thanks to @minstrels-ink and @tsubi-uru for the pictures!)

#thiji higuri #Higuri Regalia #short story #FFXIV #ffxiv heavensward #FFXIV A Realm Reborn #lalafell master race #Lalafell #ffxiv susano #susano ex #ffxiv summoner #Susano-Egi #trance #Checkmate #Summoners

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royallyprincesslilly · 4 years ago

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I see some people are sharing quarantine stories I gotta tell you mines smh so I working this job I deal with logistics and shipping and supply chain a lot of the stuff they received from China so I was in contact with factories in China a lot around Jan I was notified that they couldn’t ship anything because everything was shutdown and it was a total lockdown so I was like wow this is serious I let the VP of the company know that we needed to start preparing now for a possible lockdown

Pt 2: He literally laughed at me, so time progress it’s feb Italy is being overwhelmed with covid I’m telling him we need to prepare he laughs at me again then March comes and nyc is on fire with cases and I’m like can we at least make people wear mask and make people not eat lunch at the same table on top of each other it’s a small company so these changes are hard, he laughed at me again so I’m talking to my doctor I have asthma I freaking out on the inside because

Pt 3: I just saw that an nyc nurse died from covid and they had asthma so at this point it’s the end of March and these people clearly don’t care so I ask can I work after hours or at home and they say no so I’m like I just don’t feel safe and they tell me I can take a 30 day leave of absence so I’m like ok I didn’t want to stop working but need to wrap my head around what’s going and develop a game plan to stay safe. So 2 weeks into my leave of absence I get a recording from someone at work

Pt 4: Management is having a meeting accusing me of calling the police on them and they just lying on me saying I did this and that I was spreading fear and negativity when they only thing I had ever said to my team was to stay 6ft away from me because people would always come and ask me questions and get in my personal space and I’m like wooooow so they really had a problem with me saying we should do something to keep everyone safe. So I’m pissed because I had an idea of who called the police

Pt 5: So I call a lawyer tell them what’s going on they advise me to just continue my leave of absence then apply for unemployment and if I go back to work after the 30 days they will more than likely try to push me out, so I’m like I’m not going back because of I do I’m catching a charge like I’m fighting someone because I hate liars and bullies and people who gossip to the point of harming someone’s livelihood long story short I don’t go back after my 30 days I end up get it extended

Pt 6: Because the governor extended the lockdown and then they fired me and I just continued to apply for unemployment and then 23 weeks of applying to unemployment I finally get it and I’m like man I want to call them and say take that bitches they don’t understand how close they came to me setting that place on fire because they didn’t know I knew what I knew so I still have access codes passwords and the warehouse/office was in the hood I could have giving some random homeless person access

Pt 7: And I started a business selling my artwork and I’ve made a great amount of money surprisingly because I just started like I can replace my income from that raggedy job in a few months I’m thankful it happened because it pushed me to do something I’ve wanted to do for years I’m discovering new skill sets like it’s been such a blessing to be fired for that job because before all of this I was planning on leaving because it was just a toxic environment of gossip and stabbing people in the back

Pt 8: And I just didn’t want to be part of that the final straw was when the owner who is psycho said I was replaceable because something happened in my department that wasn’t even my fault and she didn’t even understand what happened she just went off and I was ok I’m done and I started being super frugal because I was like you don’t have another time to disrespect me but I’ve landed so well on my feet definitely not as angry as I was these are truly sad individuals

Pt 9: And to this day they are still not wearing masks or social distancing at work and posting videos of them doing so eventually someone if they haven’t already will pop up positive for covid and I hope it scares the crap of of them because they are so greedy they can’t even think to protect employees during a freaking pandemic. Ok my ted talk is over lol

~~~~~~~~~~

Wooooow. First of all fuck that VP. His ass really was not caring one bit about your health and safety or any of his employees and their families. WTH is that!? These companies really do show what is important to them while showing us who doesn’t matter.

Damn, this is all so fucked up. I’m so sorry you went through that and that people like that operate and run businesses and are in charge of others. It’s a damn shame.

However, Hell to the yesssss for turning a negative into a positive and making lemonade with those lemons that asshole gave you. We call that winning and a little real-life exhibit of “no weapon formed against me shall prosper”. We love to see it. God truly does open a window when he closes a door.

Don’t worry, karma is my most favorite thing in the world and it comes for each and every one of us.

I’m so happy things worked out well in the end. Thank you for sharing this with us. 😊

#ask lee #lee answers #covid talk

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keyenuta · 4 years ago

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TW Prologue: So enters The Wizard: part 2

(I'm gonna change up how i write dialogue to test stuff out, of you prefer this style please let me know) pt1, pt3

Mirror of Darkness: Your soul's shape is...Ramshackle!

Despite no echo being made, all throughout the room the word reverberated in everyone's minds. How could that be it's just an abandoned dorm?! For what felt like hours suddenly the silence was filled with a loud,

Everyone: Eeeeh?!

As each dorm head and student each shouted out in confusion, even Zoroaster, the boy in question looked at the mirror in shock, his golden eyes widening as his smirk became waver, beginning to crack into one confusion.

Grim: Ffnah?! Wait were getting a new member?!

Grim's sapphire eyes widened in confusion as he looked to You, now without their carpet of hair covering their face, Yuu looked just as dumbfounded as Grim, all they could really do was shrug.

Riddle: H-Headmaster, can they really enter Ramshackle, it was abandoned for some time after all.

Crowley: Mr.Rosehearts, I am just as confused as you are.

Leona: geez, this is too troublesome, I should've just went to sleep.

Kalim: ooh! Jamil, were getting another dorm isn't that exciting! Haha

Jamil: Hmmm, I agree Kalim, it is certainly interesting to say the least.

And all the while, despite all the murmurs and talking in the background, Zoroaster, the boy that spawned this uproar walked back to the mirror and now spoke plainly.

Zoroaster: uhh, you sure about that mirror? I ain't ever heard anything about a dorm named ramshackle ever, we need to clean your glass or something?

His chuckle died on his tongue from the expression of the mirror, it's stone cold face still glowering down on the boy as if nothing was amiss, or was a laughing matter.

Mirror: If you would prefer I look once more I shall, but your soul still reads ramshackle

Zoroaster: wait wha-

The boy was cut off by Crowley's outstretched hand. Resting in front of the boy's mouth as he rushed over to the mirror. While in the background whispers and murmurs slithered even more.

Crowley: Wait, wait, oh great Mirror of Darkness, there must be a mistake, Ramshackle is not a dorm I dont under-

Mirror: Headmaster Crowley, have I stuttered?

Crowley: well no, but why, please at least explain why no other dorm is suitable.

The mirror cutting him off gave the headmaster pause, but still he pleased the mirror for answers.

Mirror: Ramshackle is the shape of his soul headmaster. The reason why is because no other dorm fits his soul. The trait I saw within him was innovation. Now that is all. Please whoever is next come forward and give me your name.

Zoroaster seeing as he wasn't going to get anything more, went over to where Yuu and Grim stood and introduced himself to his new dorm mates. He strolled over to them and gave a playful bow

Zoroaster: Thanks for havin' me here, if ya want you can call me Zoro, no need to say all of it, oh and why's there a flaming racoon here?

Grim: Grrr, i am not a raccoon! Hmph, I am the great grim, and you are my new minion! Heheh

The monster laughed as he grinned from ear to ear imagining all the new stuff he could do with a new minion around. Zoroaster on the other hand looked to yuu who gave him a smile and shrugged, welcoming him in while the ceremony continued.

Up next there was the green skinned boy from earlier, as he walked over to the mirror, you could've sworn his brown eyes were staring at Grim with stars in his eyes. And thankfully when they stopped at the mirror, it broke him out of his trance.

Mirror: Give me your name

Jolting out of his trance, the boy whirled his head to answer the question, his hood flapping with every movement before he stopped on the mirror once more.

???: Oh-oh! Right, I'm Theodore, Theodore Elphaba!

He spoke brightly with a highish voice as he bounced and wobbled on his heeled slippers, while his hands clasped behind his back.

Mirror: Your soul reads, Ramshackle

Theodore: gaaaasp! Yay! I got in the kitty dorm!

Theodore cheered happily as he raced across to Grim, despite the monster's protests he still found himself glomped in a massive hug from Theodore as ge began to pet the monster while in the background Zoroaster trued and failed to hold in his laughter

Grim: hey! Let go im not a cat! I-i'm prrr the great grim!

Zoroaster: awww, nice to meet ya Theodore, seems like you met the great and adorable grim already he teased to the monster. Who hissed between his purrs.

And next up, the Lion from before shuddered up to the mirror, his long mane of dreadlocks bouncing with each step as he shimmied forward. Gulping, while gripping his tail he stuttered while his orange ears dipped down

???:I-i-i am R-Regis Anakh, t-thank you

All through his stuttering introduction, the Lion listened for the mirror to give his statement as his eyes were bound shut, as he muttered in a scared whisper

Regis: please don't pur me in the dark gremlins dorm, please no scary dorm, please-please-please

Mirror: Ramshackle

Regis: That's even worse, oh no oh no, um uh, your great and knowledgeableness, d-do I have to be in this dorm? I mean I would be fine being in his-no I mean uh

Zoroaster walked up to Regis with a smirk on his face, but he did feel a bit sorry for the guy, so he placed a hand on his shoulder abd tried to calm him down

Zoroaster: Heheheh, don't worry man, you're gonna be fine, no worries, ain't...nobody...gonna hurt you.

His word's tapered off as Regis scurried away from him in a rush

Zoroaster: man stop being an actual scary cat it's gonna be fine, no ones gonna hurt you I promise

Regis nodded fiercely but made no intention to move whatsoever. In the end Zoroaster shrugged and walked back to his spot there wasn't much he could do.

As the ceremony reached its end, and the uproars continued, you could see the look on Crowley's face. It seemed as if he saw a ghost as in a clean sweep, each and every member of the late arrivals all had been inducted into ramshackle. Dorothy and the tin man, Simon both went in there as well to his shock.

Crowley: a-ahem! I thank you all for joining us today for our late arrivals, as well as the apparent reopening of Ramshackle into an official dorm. It is truly another day of miracles I must say.

The headmaster gave a smile to the students around him as he paced in place, and continued his speech.

Crowley: but with a new dorm, there must be a dorm leader. And for I am so gracious, I will allow one dorm head battle. For whoever wants to be dorm leader, please step forward now!

And out of the seven dorm members, two students stepped out. Though one had to tear himself away from Theodore's iron grip. In the middle of the room, the two students who chose to be dorm leader, was Zoroaster and Grim.

Crowley: i see, very well, Students please follow me onto the field, if you would prefer.

Leona: feh, what do I care about a few herbivores fighting, Ruggie let's go, this was a waste of time

Ruggie: Shishishi, alright Leona bye bye!~

Waved the hyena as Savanaclaw made their exit. For the rest of the dorm leaders, vice and otherwise, for their own reasons they stuck around. Whether it's simple interest, such as with riddle, entertainment(Kalim) or if its for more unsavory means, as with Azul, they each waited for Crowley to give his mark. On one side of the Ceremony room, Zoroaster smirked a wicked grin, bouncing on his feet as he shook his right arm, as soon an item tumbled from its dark abyss to reveal a black hooked handle. Zoroaster's eyes closed for a moment as he twirled the hook, feeling a familiar groove he snapped his eyes open as a metallic click sounded from the hook, as a long shaft rocketed from the collapsed cane.

Now instead of gold, his eyes have turned an emerald color as with one last twirl, he launched the cane to his left hand and snapped the cane to his side like a showman on set getting ready to perform. Green eyes met sapphire as Zoro smiled at the monster before him.

Zoroaster: So grim, how 'bout we put on a good show, i think the audience deserves a good one after all this

Grim: heheh! Yeah I'll show the great magician grim in action! They'll be like "ooh, look how cool Grim is!" Or "wow! I wonder when I could get that good"

Zoroaster: Heheheheh, a magician vs a wizard, wonder who'll win? Though I will say, my money's on the wiz.

Crowley: The rules are simple, when this mirror leaves my hand, please only use magic attacks only, good luck you two.

Theodore: GET HIM GRIM!

Yuu: Heheh, good luck you two

Regis: please don't hurt me but, y-yes, best of luck

A ear bursting shatter fills the room, it's trickle being closely followed by the roar of flames and a low mutter. Rapidly as an ocean of blue flames stampeded towards Zoro, he made no movement so move, no action to defend, all he did was mutter.

Zoroaster: Walk down a road of yellow bricks and come to see the wizard, of the Emerald city

After the flames enveloped the tall boy, in mere moments a fierce howl echoed all around. As from where the flamed had hit, a thick emerald mist billowed out. Surrounding everyone on its haze as from behind Grim a figure made of that mist drifted out, and with a swing of a cane, Grim was launched back by a emerald bolt of lightning.

Grim: Arrrgh, what the-why didn't you get roasted?!

Grim demanded annoyed, but without answering his question, Zoroaster snapped his fingers, as the very ground beneath them cracked and heaved up, thinning into a long winding road of amethyst stone that Zoro hopped on, sliding on the thin pavement as he rocketed towards grim

Azul: oooh, that's quite the impressive unique magic, very powerful indeed.~

Azul cooed, eyeing the display before him, but in the background, you see Regis cowering once more in the corner, trying to stay very far away from this fight. Meanwhile Theodore was calling grim to shoot a left, and right at the monster. Rooting for him with all his might.

All the while Grim on all his paws charged forward to meet the incoming boy head on, but as he went to launch fire onto the boy, he suddenly found himself shrink more and more, and for those outside, in a poof, they found grim transformed into a small lizard, landing square in the wizard's hand.

Zoroaster: if ya wanted to meet the wizard ya came to the right place, would ya rather be a lizard or frog

At those words, seconds after the words left Zoro's lips Grim turnt from a lizard to a black frog. Eyes bugging out frog grim leaped out of Zoroaster's hand and yelled angrily at him

Grim: nyaah! No-i wanna be normal now

Zoroaster: Pffft if that's your request I'll grant it, don't worry

Snapping his fingers, Grim in a second turned back to normal as the ground returned to normal as the wizard tried and failed to hold his laughter in

Zoroaster: Heheheheh, sorry about comin' off like that, guess I'm feelin' playful today

Grim: phew, hey, don't do that again?! What kinda magic is that?!

The monster demanded as the flames in his ears blazed from agitation while Zoro leant on his cane

Zoroaster: it's my unique magic, emerald city whatever's in this ring, whatever pops into my head i can do. Zero gravity? Got it, want a soldier of stone i got that. Guess ya could call it magic incarnate i guess.

To further emphasize that, he floated on the air and soon a soldier of purple stone was erected in moments. And in the back, you could see Azul's smile widening as he flicked up his glasses, chuckling lowly as he listened to what this magic was. Now he was sure he had to have it.

Trey: my, that seems like a complete opposite to your own unique magic Riddle.

Riddle: yes, that seems to be the case, Trey

Grim: well i don't care how strong that is, ill still show yiu who's boss minion!

Zoroaster: Wonderful, let's keep goin' then!

The Wizard smirked wildly as he and the soldier charged forward, to respond Grim decided to run while sending out pot shots of flames, immediately, the soldier's rocky frame bounded together and took the flames head on, as Zoroaster hopped on its back, launching him to the cat, skidding to meet him, as in a second, water and fire magic collided into steam, surrounding the two in a blanket if thick fog, but despite this, the wizard still smirking, snapped his hand one last time, as now, a hiss was heard.

As soon, unbeknownst to Grim, from the steam the two had just made, two snakes formed and wrapped the monster up, binding him as the snaked coiled around him.

Crowley: Seeing as Grim can no longer continue the fight, Zoroaster Ozma wins, please release grim Mr.ozma.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Zoroaster gave one last snap as the fog receded, and any and all damage from it disappeared like smoke. Now unfurling grim groaned as he saw Zoro crouch to pick him up.

Zoro: We put on a great show I gotta say, how ya feelin' Grim?

He asked outstretching his hand, which soon met a paw

Grim: mmm, in fine, heh, i guess i can let you become dorm leader minion

Snickering with the monster Zoro shrugged it off

Zoroaster: ya ain't allow nothin' but alright

Crowley: Mr Ozma, congratulations on being dorm leader of Ramshackle, perfect, could you be so gracious and guide the dorm to their home.

Yuu: Sure why not, everyone follow me haha

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positivlyfocused · 5 years ago

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Ten Great Things About COVID-19

Editor's note: Visited this blog before? If so, you’re probably more curious than upset about the headline. If you’re new here and triggered by that headline, reading other posts in this blog might be a good idea. They'll give context.

I know everything works out. Even while the pandemic sweeps the globe, people are afraid, suffering, dying, worried about their loved ones and themselves, things still will work out.

I know those emotions— fear and worry — mean one thing and one thing only. I also know if a person doesn’t know what I know, such emotions feel real, scary and connected to what’s happening. There are things to fear, worry and suffer over if I don’t know what emotions are about. Thankfully, I do know.

Others may not so they suffer.

Another thing I know: COVID-19 presents great positive opportunity. Here are ten great ways COVID-19 benefits us all.

^^Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

1. We’re all in this together

COVID-19 reveals something we know, but ignore: we're all on the same planet and we create our individual AND our collectively reality. One person's actions affect the entire planet. That's always happening. This pandemic clarifies our connectedness. On the plus side, that means one person's act can change the world for the better as it can do the opposite. That's good news!

^^Photo by Branimir Balogović on Unsplash

2. It’s bringing out the best of us

I've seen police serenading neighborhoods from empty streets in Italy, medical personnel acting heroically in hospitals, storeowners setting aside special elderly shopping hours. We've gotten back in touch with each other and our communities. We're greeting each other more (from six feet away). It's a good thing.

^^ Photo by David Veksler on Unsplash

3. We’re rethinking priorities

Loved ones, family members, friends, community…all these things took second fiddle in our earn-a-living-society. Not any more. Amidst COVID-19, loved ones, family members, friends and community hold center stage. It could remain that way going forward. If we want.

Research shows people on deathbeds rarely say "I wish I would have worked harder!" Instead, they regret spending so much time at work. No better time to restructure priorities than now. COVID-19 gives us that time.

^^ Photo by Amin Moshrefi on Unsplash

4. It’s clarifying real value

Forced home, isolation demands we get comfortable with ourselves. Isolation frightens some. Prolonged isolation from COVID-19 can bring introspection and renewed self-value and self discovery. Taking quiet time, focusing more on one’s own company brings many rewards. COVID-19 could resurface our lasting and inestimable individual and collective value.

5. We’re rethinking jobs

COVID-19 strongly affects some people. Sheltering in place confronts beliefs about working jobs we hate. These people LOVE LOVE LOVE not working right now, but also feel shame and embarrassment about that. Society makes us think we’re worthless if we don’t work, pull our weight or “get a job”. Some realize under COVID-19 that those shibboleths are be false. That’s great awareness!

And, there are others who get how much they LOVE LOVE LOVE their work. They’re refreshed in their isolation, but also antsy. They find great value doing something they believe important. Even if it’s not. That’s great too!

^^ Photo by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash

6. Some are rethinking “earning a living”

On a bigger scale, people see now the terrific tie between them and this economy. Like hamsters on a wheel, if people don’t work, the whole shebang stops. This realization could awaken whole new ideas about running societies and economies. Are we brave enough to leap into the (seeming) unknown?

^^Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash

7. It’s changing what’s politically possible

Never in a thousand years would I predict REPUBLICANS would send federal checks directly to individuals. And yet that’s what’s happening. Our bailouts here in the US may not be as grand as a Universal Basic Income, but amazingly, the bedeviled idea “socialism” is what is keeping us from total economic ruin. Paradigms could change from all this. If we want.

^^ Photo by Alex Gindin on Unsplash

8. Air pollution? What air pollution?

With so many not working and businesses not running, already we see changes happening with less pollution coming from cities and industry. If humanity acts decisively on climate change, big environmental reversals can happen fast. COVID-19 allows a glimpse at a possible future.

^^Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

9. Some now think different

Radical ideas may not be as radical as we thought. COVID-19 offers contemplating new ideas economic ideas that don’t tie humanity to economic output. Emerging from COVID-19, can we create a new economy not demanding human effort as its fuel? Anything’s possible now. Thanks COVID-19!

^^Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash

10. It’s part of the great shift

With every major historical, negative event, humanity, on the other side of them, came out better. Every major war, every great plague, and every natural disaster launched more and better human ideas. No matter what humans face, on the other side we get better. I know this pandemic complements a spiritual shift urging us towards the future. Perhaps we will heed that call. That would be great!

So what shall we do with these ten great things? I suspect people will react differently. One thing’s for sure: life on the planet won’t go back to the way it was. That’s a great thing…and maybe an 11th great thing about COVID-19.

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13reasonsinourstars · 4 years ago

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*♡*ﾟ゜ﾟ*♡*ﾟ゜ﾟ*♡*ﾟ゜ﾟ*♡*ﾟ

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Sims 4 Cocktail Challenge

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Hello Again Tumblr!

I am back with another Sims 4 Challenge that I hope you will all enjoy. First off I can't believe how many challenges are already out there and how creative you all are, honestly I was shocked. Everything I thought of doing had already been done... Zodiacs, Flowers, Seven Deadly Sins, Planets... So I was left stumped trying to think of a new idea which hasn't already been done before. At least I don't think it has been done before. It may seem a bit unusual but I hope some of you guys give it a go and let me know if you had fun playing it or if it was a good idea. I tried really hard to create this so please don't be too harsh with me, I'm still new to all this 😅🤭

That being said, I would still love to create my ideas of the above challenges I mentioned, but I don't know if is an okay thing to do since they already exist. I would of course credit the original creators but I would love to release my versions into the world as well 😊

Anyway that is enough talking so let's just get on with the challenge.

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This has the same set up as the 'Not So Berry Challenge' by 'lilsimsie' but other than that everything else is mine 😊

So let's begin shall we!

How the challenge works:

So there will be 10 generations and each one represents and is inspired by the ten most popular cocktails (according to Google 😂)

1. This is entirely optional but for extra fun you can add the colour of the cocktails into your sims - Either a full Berry Sim. Hair, Clothes, or Makeup containing the colours or even decorating the house in the inspired colours. It is completely up to you but I will include the colours next to each generation in case you guys want to do that.

2. Also optional but I will also include the country each cocktail was invented in if you guys also wanted to inspire your sims life/looks from that too.

3. You can live wherever you like unless stated.

4. Every generation must have at least level 5 skill in mixology, unless stated otherwise.

5. Every generation should complete all of their rules before moving on to the next one.

6. Some generations may include certain expansion packs but I will list them and you can tweak things however you like.

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Generation One: Aperol Spritz

(Orange/Red Colour) (Originated in Italy)

You're a self-assured individual that has a job in the critic career. You really love the colour orange and you find a way to work the colour into every outfit you have. You are very ambitious but come across as a bit of a snob as well, enjoying only the finer things in life. You love luxury and you won't quit until you have reached your goal as an Art/Food Critic.

Traits: Self-Assured, Ambitious, Snob

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Career: Critic (City Living Pack)

Rules:

. Master the Critic career and complete Fabulously Wealthy aspiration

. Master cooking and painting skills

. Have at least level 5 in Mixology skill

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Generation Two: Mojito

(Green colour) (Originated in Cuba)

Growing up in a rich family and only having the best of things in life, you naturally became materialistic. Although you had everything you wanted as a child, you started to grow jealous of those around you who could do what they wanted and not have to worry about their reputation. After having everything and taking so much from the world, you decided to start giving back, joining the conservationist career and becoming vegetarian.

Traits: Materialistic, Jealous, Vegetarian (City Living Pack)

Aspiration: Freelance Botanist

Career: Conservationist (Island Living Pack)

Rules:

. Master the Conservationist career and complete Freelance Botanist aspiration

. Master gardening and logic skills

. Gain a good reputation

. Live by the sea or in green area

. Have at least level 5 in Mixology skill

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Generation Three: Manhattan

(Auburn Colour) (Originated in New York)

After growing up by the sea and green nature, all your life you have wanted to escape to the city. Tall buildings, busy streets, loud venues... where do you sign up!? You are friendly to anyone you meet having growing up in a loving household, and outgoing in any situation. You love spending time with your friends and love to socialize and party. However, you stand up for what you believe in and always protest on the street and donate to charities. Like your parents, you want to help and make a difference too, just away from the seaside!

Traits: Good, Outgoing, Bro

Aspiration: City Native (City Living Pack)

Career: Politician (City Living Pack)

Rules:

. Master the Politician career and complete City Native aspiration

. Max out Charisma skill

. Always say yes to an invite from someone on the phone

. Have at least level 5 in Mixology skill

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Generation Four: Margarita

(White Colour) (Originated in Mexico)

Moving to Mexico was all you ever dreamed of growing up. Leaving the city behind and experiencing a whole new culture was your life long dream. So first things first, you need to get away from the city life. You are outgoing like your Mother/Father, but wanted to work in the athlete career having been active since young. Being popular, you are happiest around your friends and in club gatherings.

Traits: Outgoing, Active, Insider (Get Together Pack)

Aspiration: Bodybuilder

Career: Athlete Career

Rules:

. Master the Athlete career and complete Bodybuilder aspiration

. Master the active and charisma skills

. Be in at least one club

. Have at least level 5 in Mixology skill

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Generation Five: Espresso Martini

(Brown/Black Colours) (Originated in London)

Work hard, play hard is pretty much your mantra for life. You may be a mid-week workaholic, but as soon as night falls, you are a person gone wild. Your constant caffeine fix more than helps you keep up with the pack and by the end of the night you'll no doubt be the last one left on the dance floor. And hey! There's nothing wrong with an all black wardrobe.

Traits: Ambitious, Dance Machine, Insider (Get Together Pack)

Aspiration: Party Animal

Career: Culinary Career - Mixologist

Rules:

. Master the Mixologist career and complete Party Animal aspiration

. Must own a coffee machine

. Work in a coffee shop as a barista as a teenager

. Be in at least one club

. Max our Mixology skill

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Generation Six: Whiskey Sour

(Peach/Orange Colours) (Orginated in Peru)

You inherited more of your Mothers/Fathers wild side and don't take life too seriously. Your young at heart and you live life spontaneously, wanting to enjoy the little things in life day by day. You have no idea what you want to do for a living but you are very adventurous and up for anything.

Traits: Outgoing, Non-Committal, Goofball

Aspiration: Beach Life (Island Living Pack)

Career: Freelancer

Rules:

. Master the Beach Life aspiration

. Have had three different jobs before settling in Freelancer career

. Discover 'The Forgotten Grotto' in Oasis Springs and 'Sylvian Glade' in Willow Creek.

. Have at least level 5 in Mixology skill

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Generation Seven: Dry Martini

(White/Yellow) (Originated in New York)

Everyone has always said that you live in the past. As a kid you fell in love with old black-and-white movies and always dreamed or a classic love story like on screen. You are smart, mysterious, and have a way of catching people's attention, but you are looking for your one true love.

Traits: Genius, Romantic, Perfectionist

Aspiration: Soulmate

Career: Actor or Actress (Get Famous Pack)

Rules:

. Master Soulmate aspiration and Actor/Actress career

.Become a Global Superstar (Get Famous Pack)

. Watch a movie or an hour of TV everyday

. Must have full friendship with someone before starting a romantic relationship

. Have at least level 5 Mixology skill

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Generation Eight: Daiquiri

(Yellow/Lime Colours) (Originated in Cuba)

You are a very introverted person so you love to spend your time alone or with a small group of close friends. However, that doesn't stop you from being strong and determined. You have a unique way of thinking and you won't stop until you have reached the top and have gained a position if authority and power.

Traits: Loner, Ambitious, Bookworm

Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Career: Law (Discover University Pack)

Rules:

. Master the Law career and Nerd Brain aspiration

. Only have a maximum of three friends (not including family)

. Read a book a day

. Have at least level 5 in Mixology skill

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Generation Nine: Negroni

(Red Colour) (Originated in Italy)

You struggle to get along with a lot of people but you have a few close friends who share your interests. For some reason your mind is filled with random facts and knowledge on obscure topics, earning you the nickname 'human thesaurus'. You're witty, well-travelled and willing to spend big money on a good meal.

Traits: Glutton, Genius, Foodie

Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

Career: Culinary Career - Chef

Rules:

. Complete Culinary career and Renaissance aspiration

. Only befriend people you share at least one trait with.

. Discover all the foods from the food stalls (City Living Pack)

. Have at least level 5 Mixology skill

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Generation Ten: Old Fashioned

(Brown Colour) (Originated in Kentucky)

You are just your average-joe, blending into the crowd and living life peacefully and quietly. You have an average 9-5 job and don't want much from life apart from a steady income and loving family. To be honest, there's nothing really special about you, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Like I said, just your average-joe. Although, some say your fashion sense is a little stuck in the past, but others just call it 'Hipster.'

Traits: Neat, Family-Oriented, Good

Aspiration: Big Happy Family

Career: Business

Rules:

. Master Business career and big happy family aspiration

. Attend university (Discover University Pack)

. Try to complete every whim

. Have at least level 5 Mixology skill

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Okay so that's it for this challenge! You can tweak what you need to and I would really appreciate some feedback as I know it's slightly unusual but I worked really hard on it, so whatever you guys have to say, I would love to hear it.

Also I know there are many more cocktails out there, but this was just listed as the top ten most popular.

Please let me know if you try the challenge and also if you think it would be okay to create my own version of existing challenges as I really want to...its hard coming up with new ideas 😂

See you next time Tumblr! 👋

#sims 4 #sims 4 challenge #sims 4 legacy #gameplay #sims #challenge #legacy #tengen #generations #cocktails #13reasonsinourstars #mod #forum

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