#there was one lady on the pole who nearly gave me a heart attack

[mycological-mariner]

“Nobody told me I’d be seeing UV breasts when I signed up for this shift” — sentences I didn’t think I’d be saying yet here we are

[jauneda1]

RWBY

The New War

Jaune's First solo Mission

One year after the initial attacks

War changed Remnant after the attacks one year ago. The kingdoms are all against each other Vacuo in a constant battle with Vale due to the leaders of Vacuo being taken out by the terrorist group know as the Black mask. They instilled a system in there kingdoms laws that makes it impossible for people to go against the military. Innocent men, women, and children are forced to live in poverty. While the men and women who took their nation get to live without a worry. Until the combined forces of Vale and Atlas military tried to invade and save the once beautiful kingdom. The only problem is that there are Grimm new kinds of Grimm no one has ever seen. Not to mention the White Fang are and still are a threat to both sides. They're force had grown exponentially due to their attacking and ultimate destruction of Mistral and the Huntsman Academy of Haven. Even with all this change and destruction of the peace our heros burst forward in hopes of finally ending this conflict.

Desert's of Vacuo

Jaune had just to touched down on a mountain range, from where the two where standing he could see the inner city, all the way up to around the capital. He wouldn't be able to do much just sitting here. Jaune's mission was simple sneak behind enemy lines and escort and evacuate a defecting White Fang lieutenant, her name is Ilia Amitola and she served directly under commander Adam Taurus. She is a valuable asset to say the least.

In Jaune's ear piece he can hear Raven checking in. She being his main mentor for the past year she would be kind of walking him through this mission of his.

Raven: How is it on your end?

Jaune: Clear. How everyone doing up there?

Raven: Don't worry about that you have a mission. Hop to it reminder you have a limited time window.

Raven: Not to mention this is your first solo mission so stay hidden and try not to cause a scene.

Jaune: You know your to serious about this I'll get in get out and be done. By the way what do we call this mission?

Raven: Jaune you have to be serious if your captured that's it. We can't come and save you. You'll be treated as if your acting on your own terms.

Raven: Ruby and Yang are gonna be heart broken if there best friend doesn't come back. Plus Summer will blame me for the rest of my days.

Jaune: Okay okay. Serious

Jaune took this short moment to remember everything he has learned in the past year. Then the people who are counting on him right now. Blake was the one who begged Ozpin to send someone in. He volunteered he was gonna keep his promises to his friend. It's what Arc's do, they'll never go back on there word.

Jaune: (Inhales) (Exhales)

Jaune: Commencing Virtuous mission now.

The Grimm in the surrounding area of Vacuo where a lot different from any of the ones Jaune is used to seeing. But they are still easy to sneak past especially with the gear Jaune has on.

Jaune: I gotta hand it to the tech guys this is supposed to hide my body heat and give me a near invisible camouflage.

Raven: Well not a hundred percent. It's more to give you the look of transparency but really your suit uses the surrounding area to automatically change and conceal you.

Raven: So don't thinking it'll get you out of trouble all the time.

Raven: Again try not to be seen. The target is supposed to meet you on the south west side of the city.

Jaune: Yeah and that means I need to go through the capitol. Should I plant bugs around or just stick to my main objective?

Raven: Stick to the main objective your on a 2 hour time window.

...

...

Raven: Jaune?

Everyone in the observation room back at HQ where shocked Jaune had encountered plain of some type of burial site but some of the people hung up on poles are still breathing they are just dehydrated and starved. There were soldiers, civilians, and children. What shocked everyone even Jaune as he can hear Blake shout out over the mic.

Blake: ILIA!

Jaune looked up to one of the poles to see a naked dehydrated and beaten women Jaune could tell she was alive but he wouldn't be able to fulton extract her, not in this condition. So mission complete he'll just call in a chopper and put her on it and do what needs to be done. Jaune wasn't obligated to do what he has intentions on, but if someone doesn't do something to weaken the Forces of Black Mask and White Fang here in Vacuo then the war to reclaim the kingdom will never come.

Jaune: Send in a chopper and make sure medical is on it.

Raven: You got it, Jaune I know what your thinking. Please don't do what your gonna do. Everyone saw your vitals spike.

Raven: But I've known you since you where a boy. I've been like your second mother please be on that chopper when it arrives back at HQ.

Jaune stayed silent and continue to stay silent as he climbed up the pole to cut down and carry Ilia she wasn't making the trip unless he did so. But the reason Jaune kept quiet wasn't because he was worried about what Raven said. It was because if Ilia was secretly defecting from the Fang why was she out here and for how long who knew she was a mole and was trying to defect.

But the answer was a red laser that pointed at Ilia's head. Jaune instinctively got in front of her and a loud shot rang out as it hit Jaune in the back. Jaune at this point was able to jump down and bring Ilia with him to keep her out of harm's way. This was a trap and Jaune had just been caught in it.

Raven: Jaune! Are you okay?

Jaune: Going dark until I can take out this sniper.

Raven: Jaune no your mission is complete you just need to get out of there.

Ruby: No that sniper could bring down the evac chopper.

Yang: So he's forced to deal with the sniper.

Yang: You've got this Jaune.

Jaune: Mhhm.

Two Minutes later.

The sniper was beginning to feel bored. Questions like how long is he gonna sit behind that rock, or is he still there and if so what is his angle. He's stuck and can't move. She then she had an sudden urge to check behind herself as if something that was life threatening to her was right there about to strike. When she looked there was nothing. But then her semblance hit her hard as she was nearly cut in half, she jumped back with a lot of force because she got hit but her gun took the damage.

Looking now it was the man she thinks was behind the rock. But how could that be he was more then 150 meters away he wouldn't have been able to have got this close to her this fast unless he knew where she was the second the bullet went off. It makes sense now the second the laser of the rifle tagged the traitor he glanced back eyes widen and scanning. Remembering it because it was odd he sensed danger evaluated it and reacted in under a second. Not to mention he took a bullet for her. He has aura does that mean he's a Huntsman.

The sniper had little time to think as Jaune's eyes focused and he rushed forward and was now behind her and chopped her in the back of the head knocking her out. Jaune wasn't going to let her live at first but he wants to send a message. After calling for a chopper. Jaune set the female sniper up on the same pole Ilia was left on. Jaune didn't strip her like they did Ilia but he was sure the Vacuen heat would do enough. If she doesn't return they'll come and find her later.

(Jaune's Mind)

"Make better choices next time cutie."

(Ricky)

"She is a liability, can't just let her go."

Jaune: Huh, Raven did you say something?

Raven: No all's quiet on our end.

Jaune had no idea what that was but he gave it little thought as Ilia's condition was worsening. It's a good thing to chopper 31 showed up right then and there. Jaune was gonna be honest Ilia was cute but he needed to make sure she was safe at HQ.

HQ Time 8PM

Ozpin had spoke to Jaune alone about his mission and the two of them where unreachable for an hour. All the while the rest of JNPR and all of team RWBY where bed side of where Ilia was recovering Blake had her friends hand clutched and hoping begging she would fight through this. Jaune had came into the room and seeing the mood of the room. He was sure that Ilia was fighting for her life. But the Arc had other plans he took a bullet to the back of the head for her. She wasn't gonna just die on him after all this work he put into saving her.

Jaune: Yeah no this mood is just not doing it for me.

Jaune: I didn't go through all that for you to just die infront of me.

Jaune put his hand gently against the side of her face giving her some of his kinetic energy. It was enough to boost her aura levels.

Jaune: So sorry but not sorry, your not dying today.

Everyone looked to Jaune everyone except Blake looked to him as the only thing keeping them all going. Jaune just brings light to the darkness wherever he goes. As Ilia's heart beat grew stronger everyone could hear the faint sobbing from Blake till she jumped up and wrapped her arms around Jaune's neck and cried into his shoulder.

(Yang's mind)

"He may be the reason we all keep fighting, but what is his reason. But what is your reason for fighting on Jaune, I know this all has to be effecting you. You don't even come to me anymore. Maybe Lady Killer doesn't need his Dragon anymore? Yeah no that changes tonight."

Jaune was not aware of how much trouble he is in later on tonight.😁

End of part 6

Teams and they're roles

RWBY: Alpha Team

JNPR: Bravo Team

Spies: Blake, Ren, Jaune, and Yang

Spies are top 4 who have high covert ops training, master's at close range and trained directly under Raven and Qrow Branwen. They're main objective is to be ghost in the shadows gathering info and all around espionage tactics.

Solo ops: Jaune, Yang, Blake, and Ren

Solo ops are simply the same as spies but they have been cleared for solo operation. These ops are espionage and covert only. If they are caught on solo ops they will not be given help from any outside options everything is on them.

Omega: Jaune, Yang, Pyrrha, and Ruby

This team is comprised of High-grades only of given orders to take out an entire compound this team makes sure of it. No matter the difficulty they get shit done. Not even they're friends know there mission details only Ozpin and Ironwood know.

[amayawolfe]

Bubblegum Blood Prologue Pt. 2 - A Glimpse of Darkness

My Stories Masterlist  

Word Count: 2551

Summary: During some downtime before the sides shows, Abaki receives some unwanted attention from a fellow trainee she was hoping to avoid. When Hisoka steps in to help out, she sees a side of him she had never hoped to see again.

Warnings: harassment, mild angst, drama, mild homophobia, attempted violence

Hisoka

   The sun had nearly set by the time the circus troupe had everything prepped and ready for tomorrow's departure. The entirety of the troupe was settled into an inn that was accustomed to taking in large groups of people who would come in with the ships. Located near the docks, the inn had numerous rooms ranging in sizes to suit the needs of a single person or a large group.

   The majority of the troupe were in the massive common area. Numerous tables and chairs were occupied causing the large room to become noisy with many boisterous conversations.

   Hisoka had taken up a quieter spot in an out of the way corner of the room. With his elbows set upon the table he rested his chin atop his slender hands and surveyed the crowd, a barely touched plate of food next to him. He was enjoying the relative piece when a sharp movement caught his sharp eye. It was Abaki.

   The motion had been her retching her hand away from the tall, lanky boy that was practically on top of her. The short, oily, dark brown hair combined with the outfit of a fire-breather trainee made Jasper instantly recognizable to Hisoka. A frown formed on his mouth as he watched the two carefully.

   Even though he couldn't hear what the two were saying, Hisoka could see that Abaki was clearly agitated. It seemed that Jasper was up to his antics again. He kept reaching over and touching her only to have his hands slapped away quickly. A swift glance around the room and Hisoka could see that everyone else was heavily preoccupied with their own meals and conversations. No one seemed to be aware of what was unfolding. That, or anyone that did notice didn't care enough to do or say anything about it.

   Hisoka's golden amber eyes became dark as he slowly picked up the dinner knife sitting next to his plate. He carefully held the knife out of view as he returned to his resting position and waited, watching his friend and her assailant carefully.

*        *        *         *        *         *         *         *         *         *         * 

Abaki

   "Come on, Abaki," Jasper persisted, reaching out a hand to stroke the side of her face, "there's no reason you can't join me after the sideshows tonight."    Abaki sneered at the scent of flame propellant oil lingering on Jasper's fingers and slapped the hand away again.

   "I do have a good reason. A very simple reason. I. Don't. Want. To. Besides," she huffed, "I've already told you countless times that you're not my type."

   The smile fell from Jasper's face and was replaced with a scowl.

   "Do you honestly think I am dumb enough to believe you're into girls when you hang out with that red headed weirdo all the time?" he snarled. He reached his hand towards her once more and began to step forward when a sudden object whipped passed between Jasper and Abaki, embedding into the wooden post they were standing next to with a loud thunk.

   The two of them turned and saw that it was a dinner knife. It had been thrown so hard the knife's blade was lodged nearly half way into the solid wood. Anger flickered across Jasper's face and he whipped around to see who could have possibly thrown the knife.

   "Who threw that?!" he demanded loudly. A few people looked up yet paid him little heed. His eyes scanned faces for a suspect. Jasper's hands balled into tight fists upon seeing Hisoka sitting alone in the corner eating his dinner.

   "You!" Abaki's heart jumped into her throat as he shouted at the red haired boy and stormed up to him. "Did you throw that?"

   Hisoka didn't answer or even acknowledge the hot tempered young man, he simply continued staring down at his plate as he chewed what was in his mouth. Jasper slammed his fist down on the table causing Hisoka's plate and glass to jump.

   "Leave him alone, Jasper!" Abaki shouted and attempted to pull the arm used to slam the table back. The boy ignored her, yanking his arm from her grasp he glared down at her young friend.

   "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

   "Hmmm?~ ♣" Hisoka casually looked up at Jasper.

   "Pay attention when I'm talking to you, weirdo!" he spatt then pointed over to the embedded knife. "Did you just throw that knife at me?"

   Completely unphased by Jasper's attitude, Hisoka finishes what's in his mouth at his own pace. He looks from the trainee over to the knife and back.

   "No, I did not throw that knife at you, ♠" he replied coolly.

   A snarl curled Jasper's lips and he grabbed Hisoka by the front of his shirt.

   "Liar! If you didn't throw that knife at me then where is your knife you cut your food with, huh?"

   Hisoka smirked and opened his mouth to reply only to be interrupted by another voice cutting in.

   "Vaht is going on here!" Magikana was at the scene within a few strides of her long legs. Jasper instantly released Hisoka's shirt and threw his hands up defensively, wincing at the fierce expression the magician glared down at him.

   "Hisoka tried to attack me!" Jasper quickly accused and pointed over to the dinner knife, "He threw that knife at me!"

   "He said he didn't do it!" Abaki defended, shoving Jasper aside, glaring at him angrily.

   Magikana scowled as her gaze moved from Jasper, to the knife, back to Jasper, to Abaki, then finally landed on Hisoka. She and Hisoka locked eyes for a moment as she paused in thought.

   "Vell, little one? Did you throw knife at Jasper?"

   "No mam, I did not throw a knife at Jasper, ♣" Hisoka answered calmly while retaining eye contact. An eyebrow slowly arched upwards on Magikana's forehead and the corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly. She watched Hisoka for a moment longer before turning back to Jasper.

   "There, you see? Hisoka did not throw knife at you. You can go and leave him and Abaki alone now."

   Jasper's jaw dropped in disbelief as he looked back and forth between the magician and her trainee. After a minute anger flared in his eyes and a snarl curled his lips.

   "This isn't over," he said in a low, menacing tone. Before leaving, he looked back over his shoulder at Abaki, glowered at her, then turned and stormed off.

   Abaki shuddered and released a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding. Magikana grimaced and nodded as if agreeing to some unspoken statement from Abaki.

   "Zat one is trouble," she muttered, "is best to keep eye out for him."

   "Tell me about it," Abaki shuddered again and rubbed her arms as though she were chilled. "He just doesn't stop..."    "Perhaps you should speak to Drake?" Magikana proposed, "Is Jasper's trainer, yes?"

   "It won't help," Hisoka interjected with a shake of his head, "Drake is worse. He actually encourages Jasper's behavior telling him Abaki is just playing hard to get. ♠"

   A dark look now harbored in Hisoka's eyes. He shoved his cold food aside and rested his folded arms on the table, looking in the direction Jasper had gone before he continued.

   "I almost wish I had hit him with the knife, it would have been one less thing to worry about.~♢"    "Wait!" Abaki's head whipped around to her friend, "Are you saying you did throw that knife at him?!"

   "No,~" Hisoka smirked, "I threw the knife at the very pole it's now stuck in, not at Jasper. Although, had he taken a larger step towards you when I threw it...~ ♢"    Hisoka's words trailed off, leaving the rest to Abaki and Magikana's imagination. The two ladies exchanged glances before Abaki hugged herself tightly and gave the magician's trainee a concerned look.

   "That's not funny Hisoka," she said sternly, "Jasper is an awful jerk but he doesn't deserve to die."

   "Abaki is right," Magikana scolded, "Killing is no joke. Should only do so if there is no other choice."

   Hisoka's eyes moved back and forth between his friend and trainer. There was an uncomfortable silence when he suddenly cracked a huge grin and waved a hand dismissively in the air.

   "Of course I wasn't serious,~" he laughed lightly, "I would never wish any harm on a fellow troupe member. ♣"

   "But still," he dropped his hand back down to the table and looked up at Magikana, "something about the matter should be done, wouldn't you agree? ♠"    The magician's face was still stern but she nodded in agreement.

   "I vill speak vith Tonio about this." She then pointed a long boney finger at her trainee, "In meantime, you must eat and get ready for show! Meet me by docks in vun hour."

   "As you wish, sensei,~ ♣" Hisoka said, looking up at Magikana with a friendly smile. She held his gaze for a few more seconds before she turned on her heels and went up a flight of stairs that led to the rooms.

   Abaki hugged herself a little tighter as she continued staring at her redheaded friend. The smile was still on his face, yet there was something off about it. It seemed a little too friendly, and it didn't reach the amber eyes that now seemed to smolder with a deep, seething anger.

    She had heard others whisper amongst themselves how they picked up on a darkness from Hisoka. That something just wasn't right about him. Even after Morintonio explained to her that he was simply a lonely boy that was down on his luck and that she should friend him, she hesitated. Abaki had always been one to eagerly friend new people, but with Hisoka she was cautious.

   At least at first.

   Abaki had been the one assigned to care for Hisoka after he was found severely injured and on death's doorstep. Even though he seemed so sad and lonely, there was also a darkness in his eyes and his aura. But as time went on and the more her and Hisoka became friends, the less she saw or felt this darkness. He had seemed to become more stable.

   That is, except for moments like this. Moments where Abaki was clearly reminded why she had been cautious in the first place; as well as to why people tend to stay away from him.

   "It really is rude to stare like that, Abaki. I honestly do not like it. ♠" Hisoka's voice had dropped an octave giving it a more threatening demeanor. He hadn't moved a single muscle as he spoke, minus his smile melting away into a slight scowl. Only shifting his eyes towards her, they held a hellish, predatory glow to them.    "Oh! I'm sorry, I- uh," she squeezed her eyes shut and gave her head a quick shake in attempts to straighten out her thoughts. Upon opening her eyes again she had to blink a few times in confusion. It was almost like she was looking at another person.

   The hellfire had left Hisoka's eyes and now seemed to hold a look of concern. His head was titled to the side and there was a faint smile now on his lips. He didn't seem very threatening at all now, all the darkness and anger had simply vanished from her redhead friend.

   Did- ... Did I just imagine it?

   "Eh..?" she hesitated, then flashed a warm, friendly smile to him, "Sorry about that, I was just worried. Are you okay?"

   "Of course I'm okay, silly,~ ♡" he pointed a slender finger at his friend and twirled it in the air a little, "I should be the one asking that question. After all, that creep was messing with you more so than me. ♠"

   "Yeah, I'm fine," Abaki assured Hisoka then shrugged. "As much as I hate to say this, I'm pretty much used to it now. Hopefully once Kana talks to the boss something can actually be done about it."

   "Yes, well, hopefully that something can be done before he goes too far.~ ♣"

   Abaki cringed and shivered a little at Hisoka's dark words. She hugged herself a little again.

   "Do you really think Jasper will do that?"

   "Who knows," the magician trainee replied with a shrug. "I've just noticed his attempts have been getting more and more... desperate.~ ♠"

   He was right. Abaki had noticed what Hisoka was talking about. Jasper's attempts to get her to go out with him were becoming more and more intense. She looked over to where Jasper now stood talking with his trainer, Drake, and a few other fire performers. Among them was a girl Abaki's age, Camilla.

   Camilla must have felt Abaki's eyes on her because she suddenly looked up and over at her. She gave Abaki a small smile and waved. Blushing, Abaki smiled and shyly started waving back. Jasper noticed her movements, looked to see what she was doing then followed her gaze. He snarled and shielded his sister from Abaki's view.

   She instantly stopped waving and pulled her hand to her chest. Camilla reached up and jerked her brother's arm, saying something to him in the process. A look of disgust came across Jasper's face as he turned to face his sister. It looked like they were now arguing about something.

   A pained look spread across Abaki's face. She hadn't meant to get Camilla in trouble with her brother. She felt tears start to prick her eyes and she furiously scrubbed them with the back of her hand.

   "I should get ready for tonight," she looked back at Hisoka who was still watching her. Her eyes fell to Hisoka's barely touched food and added, "You should finish your dinner. You hardly ever eat! Aren't boys your age supposed to, I don't know, be a bottomless pit or something?"

   Hisoka smirked, "So I've heard. I guess I just don't have an appetite tonight. ♣"

   "Yeah, well, you should eat, Hiso, you need the energy for the show." Abaki was aware that her voice sounded how she felt, down and emotionally strained. "And don't forget we're to practice our nen training after the show tonight."

   Hisoka simply nodded yet said nothing more. Abaki sighed, she could tell that her friend was done talking for the time being. So she gave Hisoka a wave and told him she would see him later before turning and heading up the same stairs Magikana had ascended earlier. She made sure to walk quickly and not look at anyone at the fire performers table as she hurried by.

~  ~  ~

Previous Chapter: Prologue Pt.1 - A Circus On The Move

Next Chapter: Bubblegum Blood Prologue Pt.3 - The Show Must Go On!

~  ~  ~

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if you did, please be sure to slap that heart note!

[enchanted-prose]

#18 Blackberry Night iii

the last of our fancy antics

Word count: 2,384

Characters: Roden, Nila, Merry (Original character)

Enjoy!

Blackberry Night had a grip on every building and on every person. However, Renlyn and Amarinda’s strict color rule only applied to the castle. 

Roden wondered if he’d get an earful for skipping the grand party for something calmer.

Hopefully.

The instructions were clear. They were to meet outside the city gates beside the Roving River. He was to bring every weapon known to man, a full suit of armor, and barrels of pitch. 

Unfortunately for Merry and her extreme hatred for crawfish, Roden hadn’t been able to mobilize forces.

But he did bring Nila, who didn’t really mind crawfish. She didn’t really mind anything, much to the horror of her tutors. 

Merry was standing at the river bank, mud covering her bare feet. She waved. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” Roden tilted his head in Nila’s direction. “Sadly, waging war against water bugs wasn’t able to find space in my schedule.”

“Lady Harlowe, it has been far too long,” Merry said, nearly scraping the ground with her head as she bowed.

“The pleasure-,” Nila mimicked the bow. “-is all mine.”

“Your trousers are impeccably tasteful, if I do say so myself.”

“They’re quite nice to tell the truth.”

Merry put her hands on her hips, “Did you do the braids in your hair?”

Nila shook her head, and pointed at Roden. He coughed. “I did them.”

As captain of the royal guard, Roden was responsible for ensuring that Princess Amarinda and Imogen were watched over during their travels. He rode outside their carriages and kept vigil outside their tents. During their travels, he was with them for almost every single moment.

Of course they’d taught him how to braid hair.

“That’s- bravo, Captain Harlowe, you’ve earned a little bit more respect from me,” Merry whistled. 

“They’re just braids,” said Roden.

“Very nice braids, mind you.”

“Do you like the ribbons on the ends?” Nila asked, holding up the ends of her two golden braids. A pair of blue ribbons were tied to the edges in immaculate bows.

Merry looked to the side and pointed to her own blue hair ribbon, “We match.”

Nila looked at Roden, her smile reaching her eyes. “We match!”

“Ah, yes, that you do,” he said. 

He’d have to start giving away different colors of ribbon.

“I hope you don’t mind helping me catch crawfish,” Merry scratched the back of her hand. “I slept in again and I didn’t get to pick my chore.”

“I’m good at catching crawfish, they get really big in Libeth so I’m not scared of the little ones in the Roving River,” Nila said. “The village boys like to have team contests with catching the buggers, everyone wants me on their team.”

“The crawfish here are small?!” Merry tapped her right shoulder and then her left.

Roden recognized the sign. Bymarian and outdated. Meant to expel evil spirits from entering the soul. Amarinda explained it to him several years ago.

“Sometimes they’re red,” he added. 

“With glittery black eyes!” Nila held her fingers to her face, imitating a pair of spectacles. 

“By the Saints! Do the Devils wander Libeth too?” Merry stepped back, disgusted.

Taking Nila by the hand, Roden stepped off of the main road, approaching the silty riverbank. “Haven’t seen one yet, but there’s a first for everything.”

A large bucket waited for them, supporting a series of sticks of varying length. There was a cloth inside the bucket, and upon further inspection, a sausage too. Nila sat down in the reeds and peeled off her boots. 

“I brought string,” Merry fished around in her patched apron pocket. “Do you have anything to cut it with?”

“Are you using a stick and bait like you’re fishing?” Nila scoffed. 

“Are you going to catch them with your bare hands?”

Nila tied both of her braids in a knot at the base of her neck, and slowly waded into the Roving River without a word. Roden tensed. She knew how to swim, but he still struggled with keeping a safe distance. 

It was hard to stay away knowing the various dangers that could occur at a whim.

“Right, well, ah, I don’t like holding crawfish, so I’m using a stick and string,” Merry mumbled. 

Roden motioned for the string, “Why don’t you like crayfish?”

“They’re scary and their pincers hurt. Don’t get me wrong, I like to eat them, but I don’t like looking at them.”

Completely fair. 

He cut through a length of string, handed it to Merry, and cut a length of string for himself. Nila’s fearlessness was completely different from Roden’s. The more he thought about crawfish and their spindly little legs, the less he wanted to hold one. 

“Jolly said you frequent the chapel,” Merry dug around in her skirt pocket.

“Yes, ah, I do,” said Roden. He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering just what Merry hoped to 

accomplish by pointing that out.

She frowned, still patting at her skirts. “I swear if I lost it-”

“Lost what?”

“I made you something. But I won’t tell you what it is, and it’s not a tart this time. I didn’t know Nila was coming, otherwise I would’ve brought something for her too.”

“She’d understand.”

Merry stuck her tongue out as she searched another skirt pocket. She gasped in delight, “Found it! Here, if you don’t like it, don’t tell me.”

A string of beads, bits of polished glass, stones, and another fish coin dangled from her grip. She held it from the middle to point to another charm at the top of the string: A silver shield bearing an ‘x’.

“Are these-?” Roden asked, holding the string up to the setting sunlight.

“Prayer beads? They’re a little unconventional, but I know that’s important to you and I’ve gathered too many stones, they needed a purpose,” Merry shrugged. “I bought the charm, and the coin at the end matches the other one I gave you.”

The unorthodox beads, mostly green in color, matched the springtime season growing between his ribs. Encompassing his bones. Roden held the string in his fist, unsure of what to say. Unsure of how he could describe what they meant to him.

“Thank you,” Roden grinned. “It really-”

Merry brushed her chin, “Ah, don’t mention it. It’s just trash I’ve collected over the past few weeks.”

Except that it wasn’t trash.

He wouldn’t put pressure on her. Roden knew exactly what pressure did to a person, and it rarely worked out in the end.

What turned a heart to stone?

Turned a smile to ice?

Pressure. 

“I caught one!” Nila shrieked, yanking her prize out of the water. The crawfish in her hand pinched at the sky, trying to reach backwards to attack Nila’s hand.

“Absolutely revolting,” Merry gagged as she dumped the sausage out of the bucket. She held her skirt in her hand as she stepped into the mud, holding the bucket beneath Nila’s crawfish. 

“You really did catch that with your bare hands.”

“She’s really our best offense when it comes to a crawfish battle,” Roden said.

The bucket found a permanent place wedged in the mud not far from where Nila stood. Her knotted braids came loose, resulting in both blue bows dragging in the river water each time she dove for a crawfish. By the time Roden had both poles ready for himself and Merry, Nila had caught three more crawfish.

“By the Saints, can I give her my wages if she always comes to help,” Merry put her hands on her hips. She yelped, and leapt away from the water. “Something touched my foot!”

“It’s probably just a plant,” Roden said. 

Merry nodded, and once again stepped into the water; Roden slid out of his boots and socks as fast as he could, splashing in after Merry. The silt between his toes conjured up unpleasant images from years ago.

But he’d ignore them for now.

His battle was with crawfish, not with boys his own age at the wrong side of a war.

“I can’t, I just keep thinking about-,” Merry swallowed. “-about one crawling over my foot.”

“A reasonable fear, your ankles are too small to put up much of a fight,” countered Roden.

“My ankles are most certainly not too small.”

Roden gestured for Merry’s hand, “Step where I stepped, there’s a rock you can stand on.”

“You found the rock first, you can stand on it.”

“I have hardy ankles, you don’t.”

“I caught another one!” Nila bellowed. “How many have you caught with your pole, Merry?”

“Fifty, but sadly, they are all invisible.”

Ultimately, Merry did step on the rock. Roden took several steps to the left, and tossed the sausage into the water. The silt sliding beneath his feet reminded him too much of a familiar substance he’d tried to avoid for as long as he could.

Distraction. He needed a distraction.

“Are you doing anything once you’ve captured every crawfish in the Roving River?” He asked, pulling the string a little closer to him.

Merry laughed, “Not exactly. It’s my first time in Drylliad for Blackberry Night, and I’m one of the only girls who’ll have to pass around tankards of ale to all the young lovers at the Dragon’s Keep.”

“Somebody will try to steal you away.”

“You’re right. Jolly has grand plans and apparently I’m the only one who can help with them. Something about getting all of the Gelynian’s in Regar’s army to demonstrate their signal songs.”

“My voice teacher’s Gelynian!” Nila called. 

“Then perhaps you can join us at the Dragon’s Keep and show off your skills,” Roden said.

“Really?”

“No.”

“Roden! I’ve been to the Dragon’s Keep before!”

Merry clicked her tongue, “You got yourself into this one, Captain.”

“Friends help friends?” Roden tried, once again tugging his string to a new patch in the river.

“Nila, love, the Dragon’s Keep is going to be horrifically crowded,” Merry explained. “Besides, somebody needs to make sure Roden gets into bed on time.”

“Exactly! Ah, Merry, your string’s gone tight.”

“My string’s gone- My string’s gone tight!” Merry burst, jerking the string up. The crawfish and sausage piece shot out of the water, and landed in the grass. An odd slapping sound confirmed that the crawfish hadn’t escaped to the water yet.

Roden caught a small crawfish not long after he picked up Merry’s for her. As expected, Nila brought in several. Her trousers were completely soaked, and river water dripped from her once pristine braids.

She looked like a mess, but the giddy laugh that came with every caught crawfish excused the dirt stains.

Merry and Nila began a spying game, each one taking a turn quietly spotting an object and letting the other try to guess what it was.The game was familiar, and Roden joined in after a few rounds, but gave up after Nila chose a tree for her object three turns in a row.

The silt. That slippery, dirty grip it had on his ankles and calves. It was nowhere near those old memories. If anything, the silt was cleaner.

But it felt too much like blood soaked grass.

The makeshift rod in his hand felt too much like a sword. He-

“Roden, can you help me?” 

A crawfish was swinging in a circle, picking off pieces of sausage. Merry held the string at an arm’s length. The crawfish waved a claw in the air. Roden nodded, and pulled the crawfish free from the sausage.

Mosquitos buzzed, signalling that it was time to either go home, or face the wrath of hundreds of cursed bugs. Nila had already pulled her boots on. She held the bucket with price, and pointed out each crawfish she’d caught. 

The roar from the Dragon’s Keep echoed all the way through the streets and almost past the walls. Merry gave Nila a tight embrace.

“Really, it means the world to me that you caught that many,” she laughed. “I’ll never doubt your claims ever again.”

“Good, because you shouldn’t,” Nila clasped her hands behind her back. “I’ll think of you when I see a crawfish.”

“Saints, I hope you don’t. Now hurry along, I’m not responsible if you turn into a fish from wearing those soaking clothes for too long.”

Nila stuck out her tongue, and bounded ahead of Roden. He lingered for a moment. “I, ah, I’d rather not be trapped in a room filled with nobles.”

“I don’t blame you, though Carthyan gentry is much more favorable than any other court I’ve been t- I’ve heard of,” Merry crossed her arms. “Are you sure wild noise and Jolly’s eternal lute playing is something-?”

She didn’t need to say it. Roden knew what she was hinting at; Merry wanted to know if he needed a quiet place.

And the answer was no, he didn’t. Quiet places left him alone with his thoughts, and Roden didn’t want to be alone. Not tonight, anyways.

“I can get past the lute,” Roden promised. “Can I come see you?”

“If you don’t mind watching me clean, then yes. If you stick around till I’m finished, we’ll steal an entire cake and eat it ourselves.  Or feed it to a very lucky pigeon. And you’ll get to see Gelynians belting their hearts out. That’s a sight to see.”

Roden caught himself nodding. The roar of noise at the Dragon’s Keep was different from the porcelain chatter that would undeniably be at the great hall. Nobody cared at the Dragon’s Keep, but everyone at court was waiting to rip somebody to shreds in a moment of weakness.

He could ignore what happened at the river if he was given the right tools.

Take the matter up with his father once the situation calmed.

“I’m glad I got to help you conquer crawfish,” Roden said, the prayer beads were almost heavy in his pocket.

Merry smiled, and patted his cheek, “Thank you for putting them away because I hate them.”

There was no need for goodbyes, Roden knew he’d be back. 

“Oh! And Roden?” She added. “Bring ink and a quill, I’ll bring flowers. We’ll toss something over the bridge.”

Tossing flowers and wishes into the Roving River, turning a blazing flow of death to a place of good memories.

He couldn’t stay away if he tried.

[bellebon]

Stolen Wallet and Stolen Hearts

Ok I know that Kiyana and Roscoe have like no interaction while he’s the boss but like, come on guys. Their dynamic is so freaking good despite it. Although I suppose this is what I get for rarepair hell. Enjoy!

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It was a beautiful day to be threatened. Kiyana gasped, hands coming as if to block her attacker. 

“Come on Darling, we’re both busy people.” The furry eared man in front of her winked at her and brought his knife closer to her. Kiyana whimpered, hunching her shoulders, and took another step back. 

“Please, I don’t have anything on me.” Her eyes darted to the busy street before back to him. “I just want to get to my job, please, I'll be fired if I’m late.” She tried to step to the side but was dragged back and shoved against the wall. Kiyana froze, feeling cool metal against her throat.

“Now Darling we both know that isn’t true.” The knife drifted down, tugging against her choker. “These are expensive clothes.” He grinned, revealing his sharp animalistic teeth. 

Kiyana blinked and felt tears running down her cheeks. “Please don’t.” Her voice caught and Kiyana couldn’t stop a sob. The knife drifted lower, slicing her choker, and drawing a bead of blood. The man drew the knife back, tilting it to watch run down the blade. 

“Now, let’s-“ he was interrupted by the sound of metal on metal. The knife clattered on the ground but the sound of the man grunting drew Kiyana’s attention. He was doubled over, a blond ponytail dangling past his neck, and coughing. 

“Now now, that’s not how we treat a lady around here.” A smooth voice drew her attention. A well dressed man watched her attacker as he lowered the cane he had just used to disarm her attacker. “Miss, why don’t you come over here?” Kiyana glanced at his horns and then back at her attacker. Everyone knew what horns meant, but that didn’t mean that he had been the one who killed someone. 

She quickly stepped over, letting him guide her behind him. As Kiyana passed him she lifted a wallet, tucking it into her pocket, and covered the movement by wiping her tears. Based on the coat he wore, this should be a good grab. If she was right, those were expensive boots as well. “Thank you.” She sniffled. “I was so scared.” She trailed off, looking down at the ground and twisting one of her pale pink pigtails. 

 The stranger nodded, his lavender hair gently moving with the movement, and gave her a smile. “Run along now, wouldn’t want you to get fired.” Oh right, her excuse. Kiyana nodded and backed away, watching the furry eared man. “Don’t worry, I'll make sure that he doesn’t follow you.” His expression was pleasant but his tone was dangerous. Perhaps, she thought, it’s time to go before he realized her actions and turned that cane on her. 

——————————-

Bassem accepted the new ice pack that Kiyana offered. “Hey, next time we do this how about you threaten me for once.” She put the warmed ice pack back into the freezer. He lifted his shirt, revealing deep bruises on his stomach from where the cane had hit him. The deep blue and purple bruises strongly contrasted his tan skin.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have cut my ribbon.” It was really cute and it was ruined. “Beside, who’d expect a cute girl like me to hurt you?” Kiyana plopped down next to her friend and pulled out his ponytail. She brushed her fingers through his brown and blond hair. “Pink pigtails and eyes aren’t the most threatening.” She glazed over her webbed ears and their implications.

Bassem rolled his eyes and leaned against her. “Tell me that it was worth it, how much did we get?” He closed his yellow eyes, ears drooping. She hummed, continuing to brush his hair.

“There was some cash but not nearly what I expected from him. No credit cards either which was weird but considering that he didn’t want to call the police…” Kiyana sighed. “That sucks, I was looking forward to shopping again.” Bassem groaned.

“Glad that we have enough to cover my medical bills.” He droned, tilting his head to look at her. ”At least he didn’t go for my piercings for once.” Kiyana tutted and started to braid his hair. 

“You have to admit, he was cute.” She tied off the braid and let it drop. “I wonder what he does. That tall and handsome, I wonder if he’s a model?” 

“Oh gosh Kiyana. A suit and some long hair and you’re in love.” She shoved him away, ignoring his groan of pain. 

“Shut up, you’re no better. Or have you forgotten Mariel?” He glared at her, wincing as he stood.

“I don’t have to take this from you.” Her laughter followed him out of the family room. She stopped once his door slammed shut. 

Kiyana stood up from their couch and stretched. “Hm, maybe I should grab some dinner? Not cooking sounds great after today.” She was flush with cash and it would be a nice treat for Bassem. She pulled on her sweater and grabbed her purse. “Hey Bassem, I'm heading out.” 

————————————

That beautiful day had turned into a dusky evening. Kiyana hummed as she made her way to the Thai place that Bassem liked. She watched as people hurried to their destination. He’s probably coming home from work she idly thought as she watched a man in a grey button down shirt hurry by. He swerved to avoid getting close to the woman with a fox’s tail and nearly ran into a light pole. The woman made a face and pushed on, clearly used to this. 

Kiyana passed by the grocery store they shopped at. It was at the end of a strip of stores and family-owned. Maybe I can grab some ice cream too? We deserve it after- Her train of thought was halted by a hand grabbing her arm and dragging her down the street. 

She gasped in pain as she was slammed against the wall in pain. “What” Kiyana was once again cut off as she felt metal at her neck. She could make out what appeared to be a carved bird that must have been the knife’s handle. Her attacker cleared his throat, drawing her attention.

A white mask with protruding red horns watched her. “Oh shit.” Kiyana knew that mask. Everyone in the crime world knew that mask. Corvus, leader of the Rose family, stared down at her. He smirked at her realization.

“I’ve heard that you’ve been rather naughty today Kiyana.” Kiyana sucked in a breath. He knew her name. Corvus knew her name. 

Did he know Bassem? 

“It’s not very nice to steal from someone protecting you. Some might call it ungrateful.” He pressed the flat side of the knife harder against her neck. “Do you have anything to say for that?” 

Maybe if she pissed him off, he wouldn’t go after Bassem. “Are you talking about that wallet? I found it and whoever lost it didn’t have any id in it so I couldn’t return it.” A thought came to her. She glanced up at his hair and gave him what she hoped was a playful grin. “If you don’t want to lose your wallet, you should be more careful with it. They have a tendency to slip out of pockets.” 

He wasn’t smirking anymore. “What makes you think that was mine?” He tilted her chin up with his knife. “Wouldn’t it be an incredibly idiotic idea to steal from someone like me?” This would be incredibly attractive if Kiyana wasn’t about to die. 

“I wouldn’t have found your wallet if I knew how poor a boss you are. For how expensive you dress, you don’t carry that much.” This was it, she was going to die in an alley over a stolen wallet. She had survived the Rokken Rose turf wars only to die because of a wallet. 

She had expected pain and choking on blood, not him throwing his head back in laughter. Absently, she noted how his ponytail caught the light. Twilight suited him. Yet, through his laughter the blade never left her. 

“I don’t know if you’re brave or an idiot.” Corvus chuckled, grinning as he took her in. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing stealing wallets anyway?” 

She took a steadying breath. “What’s a handsome man like you doing threatening a cute girl like me?” Kiyana shot back. If he was going to kill her, she’d get a last word in at least. 

The knife left her chin and she heard it slide back into its sheath. Corvus still towered over her but he tilted his head, as if trying to understand her. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Kiyana hummed, shifting to lean against the wall instead of being pressed. “Well that’s a personal question, you know. At least buy me dinner first if you want to know my tragic backstory.” She twisted the end of her pigtail with her right hand. “Or I suppose I could take you out as a thank you for your rescue earlier.”

“I feel that i’ll be paying for that dinner either way. What with you using that found money.” He took her left hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles while watching her. “Unfortunately I have other obligations this evening and must pass. Besides, I doubt Bassem would want you abandoning him after he took that beating for you.” 

So he does know about Bassem there went that hope. Although it didn’t seem like Corvus felt like killing her just yet. “Another night maybe? You didn’t answer my question either.” Her hand felt so warm in his. Whether that was from his glove or that kiss, she wasn’t sure. 

“Perhaps, although Kiyana I do have one request.” He let go of her hand and stepped back.

She raised an eyebrow. “Hm? What would that be?”

“Don’t steal from any other crime lords.” 

She raised her hand to cover a smile. “I doubt that any of them would come to a lady’s aid. But I suppose I’ll try.” She acted as if the request was a burden and he shook his head. 

“Have a safe walk home Miss Kiyana, it wouldn’t do for you to get threatened while i’m not around.” With that he turned and left. She watched him go and waited a few minutes before leaving the alley herself. 

She felt her pocket out of curiosity and found his wallet missing. Kiyana laughed and wondered when he had gotten it back. It didn’t matter, she had removed the cash earlier. “I wonder how long before he realizes.” 

In the end she told Bassem that there was a long line for ice cream and that’s what took her so long.

[amplesalty]

Christmas 2019: Day 4 - A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011)

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

Four rounds of sliders!

So, turns out I had the title of this movie wrong, it’s not just A Harold & Kumar Christmas, it’s a 3D Christmas! Which also answers the question of where we go from the second movie, apparently out goes all that racism and in comes just so, so many shots of things flying at the camera.

It’s 2011 by this point, have we not left all this in the past? Hell, they were doing this in House of Wax when I watched that last year and that was back in the 50’s. To their credit, they do poke fun at the whole 3D thing at times, like near the start Harold’s assistant brings in a big ass TV meant as a present for Harold’s father in law. Harold questions if the whole 3D thing hasn’t jumped the shark by now but his assistant disagrees, exclaiming that it’s going to be ‘amazing’ as he points down the camera for emphasis. Harold just dryly asks who he’s looking at.

Harold has been moving up in the world it seems, now a very successful businessman on Wall Street. Unfortunately this comes during the whole ‘Occupy Wallstreet’ movement and the streets outside his office is lined with protesters wanting to eat the rich. Perhaps with a side of eggs which they throw at him by way of the camera lens.

Like a good soldier though, his assistant steps into the line of fire and takes a barrage of eggs to the face. RIP in peace. They have this whole musical sting whilst it’s happening, I feel like this has to be referencing something but I’m not sure what, war movies aren’t my thing.

Harold’s father in law by the way is played by non other than Danny Trejo, which is a rather scary thought. Trying to impress the father in law is bad enough without factoring that into the equation. He’s predisposed to disliking Harold as well given that his mother was killed by a bunch of Korean street thugs when she came over to America.

We learn that in his youth, Mr Perez dreamed of celebrating Christmas with a Christmas tree but would never get his wish. It was only upon reaching America that his mother promised they would have one every year, only for his life to be cut short. That’s why he holds this season and Christmas trees in particular in such high esteem. We also learn that apparently he was born with his moustache, which honestly wouldn’t surprise me with Danny Trejo. Also, someone being viciously murdered by street thugs seems a bit dark for this franchise.

Speaking of facial hair, Kumar is still a layabout bum who got kicked out of medical school for failing a drugs test. I do dig the beard though. Vanessa has left him though and he lives in filth with a neighbor who rents out his bathroom to let homeless people take a shit. So yeah, little bit of a mismatch on how our two heroes lives panned out over the last 7 years. I’m digging the beard though, but he promptly shaves it off under the pretense of trying to finally mature somewhat when he finds out Vanessa is pregnant.

Although, he is a little distracted during this revelation by the unfolding scenes of A Christmas Story and Flick getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole. Clearly an Xbox man as well, seemingly playing some Crackdown and Gears of War recently. This isn’t like that time I kept seeing It’s A Wonderful Life everywhere, is it? I’m not going to start having A Christmas Story pop up in all these movies, am I?

H&K are reuinited for the first time in two years when a package turns up at Kumar’s apartment addressed to Harold, which turns out to be a massive joint. Kumar lights up, only for Harold to play narc and throw it out of the window. Miraciously though, it curves around and flies back in a different window, lighting up Mr Perez’s Christmas tree and nearly burning down the whole house. This only reinforces what a negative influence on Harold’s life Kumar is and it looks like our duo are going their separate ways again. But, this does give us our impetuous for another hour and a half of whacky shenanigans because if Harold doesn’t fix that tree, there’s a good chance Mr Perez might kill him.

So we get the odd foursome of Harold and his new white bread bestie, Todd (and his daughter) and Kumar and his neighbor, Adrian, out on the lookout for a tree. This does lead to perhaps the most racially driven portion of the movie as they head to a tree lot run by two African-American guys trying to do this ‘good cop, bad cop’ thing, the Fat Albert looking guy playing nice and the other wondering what a pair of honkey, cracker, white ass fools are doing coming up in their turf.

Turns out Mr Perez isn’t the only one out to kill Harold though, as the tree search takes them to a party by way of Adrian who has a hookup waiting for him that he met online. She’s a virgin because apparently all the guys at school are scared to go anywhere near her. Adrian realizes that’s because her dad is notorious Ukranian mobster Sergei Katsov. At first I thought this was Chris Meloni making his third outing in the series but no, it’s actually Elias Koteas who was Casey Jones in the Ninja Turtles movies.

After Adrian goes soft upon finding out this information, Mary will settle for anyone at this point and goes to start blowing Harold right in the middle of the party. An inopportune time then for Daddy to come home and find what looks like an Eiffel Tower situation going on.

Even after they barely escape though, the nightmare is far from over as they start tripping and think they’re in the middle of a multi storey evil snowman attack. And, this all takes place in claymation. This is a really awesome scene, the design of the snowman is great and the level of destruction going on is amazing.

I could do without Kumar showing off his clay cock though, I only dread to think how much worse this is in 3D with him waving it about in your face.

Luckily, old buddies Rosenberg and Goldstein are there to shake them out of their bad trip and take them to White Castle to relax. Man, they have a much easier time getting their this time. They’ve clearly learnt from their past experiences. Along with the whole 3D into the camera gimmick, the racism angle has been replaced somewhat with religion, notably here with a whole speech about how Goldstein’s wife had him convert to Christianity and him just going in on those ‘dirty Jew bastards’.

That and the use of his son as a distraction so Harold & Kumar can go steal a tree from a church. ‘Pillow fight in the altar boys room, last one there is a rotten egg!’. Going in on the Catholics as well, I see.

And of course, the big one, the main man JC. Apparently Heaven is like a nightclub and we get the story of how NPH was ushered in the front door following his altercation at the whore house. Only, Jesus didn’t take kindly to NPH macking on his ladies so put in a word to the big man upstairs to send NPH back down to Earth. I mean, it’s not 100% to the letter but I’ll take this as I fucking called it.

The third part of the trifecta of racism replacements in this movie is metaness. There’s a good example here how they call out NPH coming out of the closet in real life, only to reveal that NPH is as big of a poon hound as he’s ever been and this is all just a trick to get the ladies. David Burtka? He’s not his husband, he’s just his dealer!

There’s a couple of other moments like someone referring to Harold as ‘Sulu’ or Adrian saying he lied to Mary and said he was Robert Pattison’s acting coach and that Kumar worked in the White House.

NPH is starring in some big festive stage show and sweet talks one of the dancers back to his dressing room, suggesting she strip down so that he can give her a massage. Hey, it’s cool, we’re all girlfriends here, right? Now just give him a minute so he can squirt some of his special lotion on your back...

He hooks up H&K with a tree from the set but before they can head home, the gangsters catch up with them take them to a secluded part of town for an execution.

But as they make their escape, Harold finds his dick has become stuck to the pole they were tied to. Okay, firstly, between this and Office Chrstimas Party, I’ve seen just about enough dicks to last me til the end of the season. Secondly, maybe this is God’s way of reminding me that I have some unfinished business with A Christmas Story. Sure there was the original and that sequel no one asked for but there is another...

And just in case you forget this is a Christmas movie, Harold inadvertently shoots Santa out of the sky and Kumar has to perform impromptu surgery, because he always does. Santa being played by Richard Riehle who was in Grounded for Life and, relevant to this blog, Chillerama and the Rob Zombie Halloween II. Turns out he was the one who sent Harold the massive joint so that the two of them could reconcile. I never knew Santa cared so much about the friendship of two potheads. I don’t know if he’s a good fit for Santa though, a little too gruff and mean. Doesn’t have the heart of say, an Edmund Gwenn. That could have been an alternate way to do this actually, have a totally sacherine by the numbers Santa that gets corrupted by H&K when they get him to smoke with them, he’s on too much of a bad trip to deliver the toys like normal so it’s up to them to save the day.

I think I would have to put this above the sequel but behind the original in terms of quality. As one note and as fleeting an appearance as he is, the Ukranian gangster somehow feels more of a threat than the entire US government in the second film. Keeping this adventure local again makes it feel much more grounded and there’s just a more light hearted atmosphere to the whole thing when you don’t have that massively racist and oppressive tone pressing down on it.

[niyes-lahiffe]

White Winter Chapter 2

Second and final part of my @mlsecretsanta gift for @lady-baguette!! I hope you’ve had a fantastic holiday and year and I’ve had a splendid time writing this story for you <3 I hope you enjoy the rest of it!

Ao3

Ladybug was more than relieved when she was able to meet up with her teammates again after their separation. Or, rather, most of her teammates.

She glanced around Rena's shoulder and gave her a raised brow.

"The...the akuma grabbed Carapace and then disappeared," Rena answered, eyes casting to the floor below.

"She WHAT?!" Chat shrieked, making Rena wince.

"I tried to save him!" the orange-clad hero retorted. "But she just-she just threw a thing down and then there was dust everywhere and Carapace was gone and-and-"

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa," Ladybug soothed, grabbing her shaking partner by the shoulders. "Don't worry, Rena. It's not your fault." Rena sniffed once and nodded.

”Good, glad that’s taken care of,” Queen Bee interjected carelessly. “Now let’s find that akuma.”

”Looking for someone?” The akuma suddenly appeared in a large puff of smoke, startling the other heroes before they quickly recovered and took their respective battle stances.

"Yeesh, who knew we'd be dealing with a ninja!" Chat quipped, earning a quick jab to the side by Ladybug.

"Where is Carapace?" Rena growled loudly, holding her flute out threateningly. White Winter simply rolled her eyes.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know."

Rena gawked at that. "Well, uh. YES, I would like to know!"

A set of strings suddenly wrapped around the akuma, much to her surprise. Both Ladybug and Queen Bee had made the quick decision to wrap their weapons around White Winter in order to keep her trapped. Rena Rouge's distraction certainly helped.

What threw everyone off was when White Winter's akumatized outfit suddenly faded in a cloud of black, and a lordly-looking lady stood in her place. She didn't look too different, but it was obvious she was no longer akumatized.

Everyone's eyes widened to twice their size and they all took a long moment to process what had just happened.

"Might I ask why I am tied up?" the old woman muttered, glaring at the heroes snobbishly.  Ladybug and Queen Bee quickly drew their ropes back with quick apologies.

"What just happened?" Chat asked with a worried look.

The akumatized victim turned her nose to the sky in a proud matter. "I was just about to ask the same thing."

Ladybug bit her lip in concern, glancing at Rena, who wore a similar expression. "I...I think I might have an idea."

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

"You..it..Gabe.." Nino couldn't believe what he was seeing. He didn't want to keep looking at the man in front of him yet he couldn't find the will to tear his gaze away.

"Hand me back the miraculous. Now," Gabriel said in such a commanding tone that Nino probably would've obeyed had he not been paralyzed on the spot. His eyes landed on his kwami who floated beside his best friend's father, and Wayzz quickly mimed placing a brooch on his chest as Gabe took a step forward. Taking the hint, Nino speedily pinned the brooch to his shirt.

The miraculous glowed with such brightness that caused Nino to flinch, before a small figure flew out of it.

Nino gaped at the small purple creature. A kwami!

"You...you have a kwami..."Nino murmured. He hadn't even thought about that, but he immediately felt defensive.

"Give me the miraculous before I take it from you," Gabriel commanded once more, and the kwami gasped at the sound of his voice before darting behind Nino to hide.

Feeling a sudden surge of anger flow through him, Nino seethed, "How terrible have you been treating this little dude?"

Gabriel simply sighed as an answer, lifting his arm with a stout, "I tried to warn you. Wayzz, shell on." His voice had reached a note so menacing, it gave Nino chills, yet he still stood his ground as his own kwami let out a small noise of protest as he was forcefully sucked into his miraculous.

The purple kwami zipped in front of Nino's face and, in a shrill voice, spoke in one breath, "Quickly, we don't have time to waste! My name is Nooroo, I'm the kwami of generosity. You must stop Hawkmoth! My transformation phrase is wings rise!"

Nino gaped at the creature for a moment but the sight of Gabriel currently transforming snapped him out of his daze and he nodded. "Nooroo, wings rise!"

The situation was certainly bizarre, Nino found. In one fell swoop, he and Hawkmoth had switched miraculouses.

Hawkmoth (could he even call him that now?) wore an outfit that was all too similar to his old one, with some minor adjustments, of course. He wore another suit, this time green, but he donned a shield on his back rather than a cane in his hand. Nino was the one with the cane this time, and he almost felt uncomfortable wielding it.

It felt odd to be using a miraculous he wasn't used to, but he didn't exactly have much time to think about it when the man in front of him didn't hesitate to lunge forward with outstretched arms. Nino yelped and jumped to the side, surprised to find that he was much more agile than before.

"Hey, uh, mind telling me how to use your powers?" Nino asked in a lighthearted matter, more as a way to soothe himself than anything else. Gabriel's only response was another growl and he leaped forward again. "KAY, I'll figure it out on my own, then!" the young hero squeaked, evading once more.

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

"ANOTHER akuma?" Ladybug exclaimed, exasperated.

The colorful figure standing atop the building gave them a friendly smile.

Wait, a friendly smile? That seemed uncharacteristic.

"Hey!" The akuma jumped from the building and landed before the heroes. He continued, "My name is Helper!"

"Helper...?"

Helper nodded. "I've been given a special mission by Monarch to find you guys."

"Monarch?" Chat added with a perplexed expression.

"Nino..." Rena muttered, loud enough for only Ladybug to hear.

The spotted heroine gasped quietly. "What's this special mission?"

A purple butterfly silhouette appeared around Helper's eyes and he looked up at the sky curiously as he listened. "He just wants you guys to follow me," Helper answered once the mask disappeared. "He sounds pretty desperate."

"What are we waiting for, then?!" Rena squawked, jumping from one foot to another with anticipation. Ladybug nodded and Helper leaped away, the others following without another word.

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

"GAH!" Monarch yelped when he was viciously shoved to the ground. He lifted his pole defensively as his attacker, who he had in his head nicknamed as Shell Shock (a homage to his own villain name), harshly threw his shield down. It was tough protecting himself when he didn't have his beloved shield with him, but the boy wouldn't let down.

In the short amount of time he had, Monarch had found out how to summon one of the white butterflies in the room and give a random citizen in Paris super powers. He didn't have very much time to think of a unique name or a fantastic power, but he was relieved to find a soul willing to help.

Now that he had the assignment out, Monarch could stress about the fact that he was fighting the man Ladybug and Chat Noir had been after for nearly a year and a half. To say he was already getting tired wouldn't be a lie.

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

Chat Noir and Queen Bee hadn't been told exactly why they were following this random stranger bouncing from building to building, but they figured it was important enough to not ask any questions about it.

As they neared their destination, Chat started to get suspicious. The akuma seemed to be heading towards the Agreste Mansion, and the young hero really couldn't figure out why.

The akuma stopped suddenly without warning, causing Ladybug to yelp and run face-first into his backside, which caused a collision of heroes as Rena rammed into Ladybug, Queen Bee into Rena, and Chat Noir in Queen Bee. Helper didn't seem phased in the slightest as he stood like a brick wall, turning to the heroes with a grin and saying, "We're here!"

Chat Noir gasped. He was right.

He was standing right before the very building he called his home.

The purple butterfly appeared around Helper's face once more, and he pointed to the large and beautifully designed window to the side of the building. "He says go in through there."

Ladybug nodded as Chat felt his heart begin to pick up the pace. "Thank you so much, Helper."

"Daww, it was nothing!" he replied, waving his hand.

After smiling at the akuma one last time, she told the other heroes to get their weapons ready.

Chat wasn't sure he was ready for this.

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

Both Monarch and Shell Shock gasped when the giant window suddenly exploded into a million shards.

And then Monarch gasped happily. The figures behind the broken window were none other than his comrades in battle. His plan had worked!

Shell Shock, however, gasped angrily when he noticed who had decided to join the battle. Before the other heroes could do anything, he lifted his arm and shouted, "Shellter!", entrapping both him and Monarch in a tight, green bubble.

The superhero team ran up to the bubble and started punching it, but to no avail. It didn't budge.

"Your friends are no match against this superpower," Shell Shock muttered, taking a few menacing steps forward. Monarch gulped.

"CATACLYSM!"

A sudden ooze of black surrounded the force field, soon smothering it to nothing.

Chat Noir, as well as the rest of the heroes, stepped forward with dangerous growls, holding out their weapons threateningly. Shell Shock hissed back, but Monarch took his distraction as a chance to kick the man's legs with such force to knock him back.

Shell Shock fell with a grunt but he quickly recovered, leaping to his feet again to deal a swift kick to Monarch's side.

The sudden action seemed to be confirmation that the other heroes could finally join the battle, and soon it was ultimately the enemy that was getting exhausted.

"Guys!" Monarch shouted through all the chaos. They others didn't stop fighting but, knowing they were listening, he continued, "Hawkmoth! He's-"

Before Monarch could utter another sound, Shell Shock swooped in and wrapped his arms tightly around the young hero from behind, using one of his hands to roughly cover Monarch's mouth. "You're going to regret it if you finish that sentence, boy," the villain threatened.

Obviously not caring at the moment, Monarch jabbed his persecutor's ribs with his elbow while biting his hand with all his might. Shell Shock hissed in pain, and the superhero took the moment to yell, "HE'S GABRIEL AGRESTE!"

For reasons unbeknownst to the others, Chat Noir let out a cry of pure agony and fell to his knees.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug exclaimed. She squatted and placed her hands on her partner's shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"No no no no no...it can't be...please..." he muttered back, clutching his head in his clawed hands and shaking it back and forth.

Rena kicked Shell Shock harshly in the stomach, successfully causing the villain to stumble and fall into the same chair Nino sat in a while before. Without hesitation, Queen Bee wrapped him tightly to the chair using her weapon.

"Don't listen to the idiot!" Shell Shock snarled. "Whatever he says, he's lying."

Rena Rouge gave the man a glare intimidating enough to immediately shut his mouth. "Carapace. Doesn't. Lie."

"Bee, wanna do the honors?" Ladybug asked, arms still tightly wrapped around Chat Noir, who had yet to stop groaning with shock.

Queen Bee held up her weapon with a sinister grin. "Gladly."

"NO-" Shell Shock didn't have a chance to say one more word. Queen Bee had already stung him with her venom.

All was ominously quiet, the only sound being the heroes' shared panting and Chat's murmuring mouth. Queen Bee regarded the miraculous still secure to the man's wrist before carefully sliding it off. His transformation fell, and Chat visibly flinched at the sight of Gabriel, whose face was stuck in an expression of pure rage.

"Here." Queen Bee handed the turtle miraculous to Monarch. "This is yours."

He smiled at her before sliding the bracelet back onto his wrist. Wayzz flew out of it and immediately smothered his holder's face with relieved hugs and kisses, Monarch laughing like a goof all the while.

"C'mon, Chat..."Ladybug murmured. "It'll be alright." She gave him a reassuring kiss to the forehead and steadily helped him get to his feet.

Rena Rouge had basically tackled her boyfriend in a hug so fierce, he squeaked. She did the same as his kwami had done moment earlier and planted an endless swarm of kisses to his face, beyond relieved that he was okay and in one piece.

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

"Are you alright?" Ladybug asked her partner once the others had run off. She and Chat Noir sat atop the roof of an unsuspecting building as the sun fell, turning the sky a gorgeous blend of pink and orange.

Chat Noir sighed, still shaking slightly. "Today was crazy.." he answered simply.

Ladybug nodded, deciding to take a moment to admire the beautiful view before them.

"It's...tough to explain," he continued after a moment had passed. Ladybug turned fer face in his direction once more. "He and I had a...complicated relationship. If that makes sense."

Ladybug stared at him for a long moment. And a moment more. Chat shifted uncomfortably and opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to do or say. He was just about to speak up when Ladybug suddenly whispered in a voice so quiet he was surprised he could hear her. "Alya was right, wasn't she?"

"Huh?"

"You're Adrien Agreste." Her statement sent Chat Noir into a ballistic fit of coughing.

"Wh-I, uh, I thought we weren't supposed to know our identities!" he squeaked once he finally found his voice.

Ladybug turned away with pink cheeks. "Well...that was because of the danger Hawkmoth could cause. But he's gone now."

Just the name of his father's alter-ego caused Chat to shudder. Ladybug placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "I understand how hard it must be for you..."

"So...so we don't need to keep secrets anymore?" Chat asked, bright green eyes refusing to leave Ladybug's ocean blue.

She simply sighed and smiled. "I guess not. Tikki...spots off."

Chat covered his face as she flashed a bright pink. Part of his brain wanted to be respectful, as it always had been, but the other half that had been dying for over a year to finally see her face beneath the mask took over. He peeked at her in between his fingers and gasped.

"Marinette?"

Marinette giggled. "I can't believe it," she laughed, resting her head on Chat's shoulder. "We've been pining after each other this whole time and never even knew it!"

"What?" he replied, puzzled. "You like...you like Chat Noir?"

"No, silly!" She leaned forward and poked his nose. "I've always been in love with Adrien Agreste."

Chat's tail flopped lifelessly to the floor as his eyes slowly grew. "You...no."

"Yup."

He looked forward and gave his forehead a hardy slap, mumbling mostly to himself, "How could I have been so blind?!" He then called his transformation off, surprising himself with how freely his tears flowed down his cheeks. Adrien engulfed Marinette in a hug and sobbed into her shoulder.

"Are...are you sure you're alright?" she asked as she reciprocated the hug.

"More than alright," he answered, nuzzling his nose further into her neck. "I don't think I'd be half as relieved and happy as I am now if Ladybug had been anybody but you."

And now Marinette was crying, clutching Adrien's shirt tightly in her hands as her heart continued to flutter at his words. He lifted his head and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"You're a dork, you know that?" Marinette laughed in between tears once he pulled away.

Adrien chuckled himself. "Yeah, alright."

It was Marinette who leaned forward to seal their lips together once more, to which he reciprocated happily.

Maybe they didn't know what would happen now that their main threat had finally been defeated. But that was at the back of both of their heads at the moment, and they knew that as long as they had each other, they would be alright. They were yin and yang, after all.

[ladyserendipitous]

His Type

(AO3)

The week after the Evillustrator gave Marinette something of an ego boost. Chat Noir kept singing his praises about Marinette to Ladybug. On one hand it was a little embarrassing hearing someone talk to her about her, but it was something she was somewhat use to, if in reverse. Still she tried to not let it go to her head.

She probably would have forgotten the whole thing, had the Puppeteer incident hadn't happened soon after. Once that was over Chat Noir couldn't stop talking about how talented Marinette was for the next few patrols. "Marinette made all those dolls you know, and that's not all she can make. She makes a lot of her own clothing too!"

She wanted to know how he knew that, but she couldn't ask instead she would play clueless as he would talk to her about, well, her.

The thing was Marinette was starting to realize slowly, in steps, that Chat Noir's feelings for Ladybug was perhaps a bit, just a bit mind you, more than just companionable partnership. Marinette should have suspected when she was able to break Dark Cupid's curse, but in all honesty she just didn't want to think about it, after all HER heart belonged to another.

Chat Noir, with all his antics, with his devil may care attitude, with all his cheesy grins and boundless energy and never ending puns, was also a flirt. Except, and this was important Marinette was coming to realize as he placed her down after saving her from becoming a power up point for the Gamer. As he saluted to her and then dove off the building. As she was worried about Adrien and transformed with Tikki. Except he only flirted with two people. This realization was ticking away in her brain for hours, weeks, months.

Marinette bolted up from her bed and nearly screamed. "Chat Noir only flirts with Ladybug and Marinette!"

Nino hated to admit it, but his crush on Marinette might have delayed things. Oh, he didn't regret having a crush on Marinette. He even still had a little one. Thankfully Alya did as well so she totally got it. Whatever feelings he did or didn't have for Marinette wasn't really the point. The point was what his man Adrien thought of the girl. Because the thing was Nino knew he was fond of her. Hell Nino saw how when he wasn't directly by his bro’s side, and Chloè hadn't tried to claim him like a possession, he naturally gravitated to the girl.

Not that she noticed. For all her gushing and cooing over Adrien, she didn't see what was right in front of her. Not that Nino was going to call her out on it. He knew how weird the brain could get when you were crushing on someone hard.

The problem was Adrien was always polite with Marinette. Too polite. Nino couldn't remember for sure if he was always that way with her, but Nino feared that even though he wasn't interested in pursuing Marinette, Adrien still saw her as off limits.

Maybe, just maybe Adrien needed a push! So he tried to think of ways to help. Alya and him sometimes would try to think of ways to get Adrien to notice Marinette more, but as time went by Nino realized noticing Marinette wasn't the problem. He was the first person in the school to ask her for her autograph after the new Jagged Stone cover design went public. He was more than happy to jump at the chance to go to her home to practice with her for the gaming competition, and to help when her uncle came to visit. Heck Nino almost got them to kiss!

No, Adrien noticing Marinette was not the problem. Then Nino learned what the problem was. "Alya he's got it bad. Like not fanboy bad, like Marinette at the beginning of the school year bad!"

"If Agreste actually asks out Ladybug both my ships will sink!" Alya cried out in frustration.

"Won't be just you, babe," Nino said with a sigh.

It was with great excitement to see Ladybug release her magical ladybugs, thus bring order and healing back to Paris. They watched as Chat Noir and Ladybug fistpumped and then the cat hero took out his pole and rushing off onto the rooftops of their city. Ladybug was just about swinging her yo-yo when Alya called out. "Ladybug! Can we talk?"

Ladybug paused and looked over to see where Alya and Nino had been hiding. She placed her yo-yo back on her hip and went over to the two of them. "I don't have time for an interview," she told them even as a familiar beeping filled the air.

Alya shook her head. "No interview, just a request."

This got Ladybug's attention as she tilted her head. Alya continued. "We have a friend," Alya started.

"Adrien," Nino added in a rushed tone.

Alya glanced at Nino slightly annoyed but continued. "Adrien, you might know him even." There was only one Adrien that mattered to Marinette and she wondered what her friend was trying to tell Ladybug about the love of her life. "The thing is, he's got a crush on this really sweet and adorable girl in our class."

"Marinette," Nino added once more.

Alya tried not to huff, but failed. Ladybug was staring at Nino then Alya. That couldn't be right. Adrien didn't have a crush on her!

"The thing is," Alya continued, not noticing how hyper focused Ladybug's attention on them was now. "He's got a sorta, kinda, little crush on you." Nino coughed but said nothing. "And it's sorta blinding him to what's already in front of him."

"He's got a crush on me? Adrien, Adrien Agreste has a crush on ME?!?" Ladybug exclaimed putting her hands to her cheeks as what Nino and Alya said moments before caught up to her. Her brain hadn't quite figured out that her friends thought they were talking about two people. That her excitement might seem suspicious. All she knew was her friends were telling her that Adrien had a crush on her.

She didn't see the panic look on both their faces as they both became ashen. "No!" Alya said, holding out her hand. Ladybug blinked and lowered her hands. Did she hear them wrong? "Yes, but that's not the point. The point is..."

And Ladybug's earrings beeped again.

"Sorry, I can't stay any longer. But thank you for the information." Ladybug said quickly, realizing she'd stood around too long. She pulled her yo-yo off her hip and swung it up to the nearest building across the street.

"But Ladybug...!" Alya cried as the hero flew up. "What about Marinette," she whimpered.

Nino's eyes were to the sky where Ladybug was last seen while patting his girlfriend's back.

"We fucked up!"

There were several things that Marinette knew in life. The sun would always rise in the east, you always measure twice before cutting any fabric or yarn, and finally that Chat Noir was smitten with her on both sides of the mask.

Now the questioned posed to Marinette was, was this also true about Adrien? Not that he rose from the east, though she did think of his smile like a sunrise, but rather could it be, just possibly, that Adrien, Adrien Agreste, was possibly, even just a little bit, in love with her?

It made Marinette giggle in glee for the rest of the day. When she sat down for dinner though her good humor sobered up. What if Alya and Nino were wrong? It sorta sounded like they were trying to have Ladybug do something? Like were they trying to get her to tell Adrien to ask Marinette out?

Marinette frowned at her vegetables as she poked them with her fork. What if Adrien didn't really like Marinette, but they thought that by having Ladybug tell him to give her a chance he would? It wasn't completely crazy to think a citizen would do what one of the Heroes of Paris asked them to do unless they had a good reason not to.

Marinette didn't think Adrien disliked her or anything foolish like that. They were friends. She wasn't sure when that was a thing, but it was, and she was so so glad he was her friend. Yet, that didn't mean he liked her enough to date her. She wanted him to! Oh how she wanted him to want to go on dates with her, and hold hands and maybe, oh just maybe, kiss!

Marinette finished her dinner quickly and then helped her mother with the dishes. Once finished she then rushed up to her room. There was only one thing to do. Ask Adrien if he liked her. Thing was, Marinette just didn't have the courage to ask Adrien out. If she did, she already would have. Thus she had a different plan in mind!

Despite the midday akuma attack, Adrien was having a pretty good day. It wasn't great by any stretch of the imagination, but the school day had been pleasant, the akuma was taken care of quickly, he got to see his favorite lady in action, and finished all his homework. Bonus, his father had been at the dinner table tonight!

Yes, today was a solid 7!

Adrien would have been happy enough with that, but when he saw Ladybug swinging towards his window he knew his day just jumped to 11.

"L-ladybug! Wow, um, what, I mean, yeah, what can I do for you?" He asked once he'd opened the window.

She hung right outside and he wanted to invite her in. "Hi, I was just, um, on patrol!" Adrien didn't think she'd be on patrol this early in the evening. "And I thought I'd come by because," and at this point she tugged on a pigtail. This got Adrien a little worried, because this was not the confident Ladybug he was use to seeing. This was a lot more like the girl behind the mask. "I have a question for you!"

"A question?" Adrien asked feeling a little dumbfounded even as he tried to keep his wits together because this was his lady and sure she was visiting Adrien who she barely knew and not talking to Chat Noir, but she seemed agitated and that made Adrien think there was a problem. “For me?

Ladybug nodded. "Yes, it's about a classmate of yours. Marinette."

"Marinette?" And Adrien felt the blood from his face drain away. "Is she alright? Oh no, she hasn't be akumatized has she?"

Because why else would Ladybug be here if there was a problem. Adrien wasn't sure how Ladybug thought he could help, but if another one of his friends, especially Marinette, had been targeted by Hawk Moth he'd of course help!

"What?" Ladybug shouted in surprise. She even slid a little on her yo-yo string before latching onto it with both hands once more. "No!“

Adrien sighed heavily in relief. Two akumas in one day was always a pain. Also he was glad Marinette hadn't been akumatized. She was his only friend that hadn't and Adrien really hoped it would stay that way! "Then what's wrong?"

Ladybug huffed in annoyance. Normally Adrien found it adorable but he was still keyed up because he didn't understand why Ladybug brought up Marinette. "Nothing's wrong. I just...."

Adrien waited but his lady did not continue. "Just what?"

"This was a bad idea," Ladybug muttered mostly to herself as she looked down at the grown below. Then she looked up at him. "Just... can you tell me what you think of her?"

Adrien blinked in confusion. What was going on? Why did Ladybug want his opinion on Marinette? However Adrien never turned down an invitation to talk about his friend, and so while he still wasn't sure why Ladybug asked, he motioned for her to come in.

Ladybug looked hesitant, but came in through the window and followed Adrien to the couch. "Okay, Marinette, wow, where do I start?" Adrien glanced at Ladybug who was sitting slightly hunched forward her hands between her knees. "So she's pretty incredible. She's our class president, and is always there for anyone in class who needs them. She's just really kind, and smart too. She's quick on her feet, you know?"

Adrien found himself chuckling. "Well maybe not with her actual feet sometimes," Adrien amended as he thought about some of the spills she's had over the time he's known her. "But yeah, she's one of the sweetest people I know, and so talented!"

This brought Adrien to his feet. "Hold on," he told Ladybug as he went to his desk. Absently he wondered if Ladybug looked a bit red in the face. Should he offer her water. Adrien came back a moment later and placed a CD in Ladybug's hand. "Marinette made this. The cover that is!"

Ladybug looked at the CD for a moment then looked at Adrien. He couldn't tell what expression was on her face and that troubled Adrien enough that the smile on his face, which he didn't even realize had grown so wide, fell.  "Is, is everything alright m-Ladybug?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Wow, look at the time," Ladybug said standing up. She then pressed the CD into Adrien's hands. "I should get going, but thank you."

"Uh, anytime?" Adrien watched Ladybug walk back to the window then paused. "Um, Adrien, one more question.  Do you like Marinette?"

Adrien blinked trying to understand the question. Did he like Marinette? Of course he liked her. She was his friend and one of the most amazing people he'd ever met. However he didn't say any of that. He just opened his mouth trying to think how to answer because that didn't seem to be what she was asking. Or was she?

Before Adrien could decided if he should just say what he's thinking, Ladybug shook her head. "Nevermind. Thank you Adrien."

And she flew off before he could respond. As Adrien sunk down into his couch he thought for a moment. Ladybug looked red in the face. Yet while he wanted to try to think about why Ladybug showed up and why she seemed so flustered her question came back to him. What did he think about Marinette? He hadn't gotten a chance to tell Ladybug even half of what made Marinette so great.

Then it struck him like lightning. He could have gone on and on about how amazing and wonderful Marinette was. He could have been happy talking to Ladybug, LADYBUG, all night about Marinette. In fact he'd done so in the past. Granted she didn't know it was him talking about her.

Adrien felt like a million thoughts were then trying to lay claim to his consciousness, but he couldn't really think. What in the world had just happened?

The next morning Adrien woke up thinking for just a moment, as his dreams faded, that Marinette and Ladybug were the same person. He was very unhappy with his subconscious.  Just because he had some sort of affection for Marinette didn’t mean he should think of her like Ladybug.  He liked Ladybug and just comparing the two, even if it was just a dream, was unsettling.  All morning Adrien groused through his routine.

The next day at school Nino felt guilty, as did Alya. Did Ladybug go talk to Adrien last night? Nino couldn't ask that question without exposing too much about his involvement in Adrien’s love life.  Involvement  his friend didn't know about. If Ladybug had said something what would Adrien do? If Adrien had talked to Ladybug last night shouldn’t he be over the moon? Instead as they greeted their friends some of the couples unease melted. Adrien seemed as cool as ever, if slightly agitated. Unfortunately, Marinette must have picked up on Adrien's mood too, because she seemed absolutely spooked every time she interacted with him.

Nino tried to ask Adrien what got him in such a bad mood but he claimed he just didn't sleep well. There wasn't much Nino could do to help his buddy there other than suggesting trying to take a nap during their lunch. Adrien said he would try.

While Adrien seemed a little bit like he wanted to slink down and die, at least that’s how Nino read Adrien’s very concentrated expression, he barely even acknowledged when Chloé was clinging on him. Meanwhile, Marinette seemed to have been jacked up on five Red Bulls. Nino distinctly heard Alya ask her best friend if she'd snuck an espresso that morning, but Marinette insisted she had not.

All in all it seemed the Adrinette ship had not sunk yet, but Nino still feared a storm was coming.

Adrien knew he was staring and he cursed himself each and every time he did it, but it seemed any time his mind wandered, so did his eyes. Worse was that when Marinette caught him, he didn't feel the least bit guilty. Instead he would smile at her and would only look back away only after she would smile back.

Yet as each day passed, he cursed himself less. After all, how could Adrien berate himself over enjoying time with such a sweet, fun, courageous, and really amazing girl like Marinette?

But what about Ladybug?

That did trouble Adrien, because he did love Ladybug. Heart and soul! Yet it seemed that nothing was ever going to come of that love. Not that Adrien didn't think Ladybug didn't care for him, and sure he dreamed of how things could be different without the masks and no Hawk Moth looming in the shadows. He had no issue waiting if that's all it would take.

But what then about Marinette?

Adrien wanted someone to talk to, but he couldn't talk to Nino. Nino would want to know who this other girl was! Adrien wasn't worried about any sort of bro code. After all Nino had moved on and was happy with Alya.

Plagg knew everything that Adrien was going through, but Adrien wasn't sure he wanted to try to discuss this with the centuries old kwami. He'd been usually annoyed with Adrien's love sick attitude with Ladybug.  Adrien wasn't sure what his kwami would say or do with this newest development.

It was a risky move, but there was only one person Adrien could think to talk to. Ladybug herself.

"So, Ladybug, I have a question for you," Chat Noir said as they paused in their tour of the city. Patrols were a frequent enough thing that Marinette just mentally figured in the time between her other obligations, except it was as 'relaxation' time. While in her mind they were an important part of being a superhero duo, the patrols themselves were never stressful. In fact she thought of them as freeing.

"What is it?" Ladybug asked, turning a little to her partner.

"Well you see, there's this girl..." And like that Marinette didn't find this patrol very relaxing at all. "Actually there's two."

Ladybug made an utterance for Chat Noir to keep going, even while her brain was slowly going into panic mode.

“See there’s this girl, she’s in my class, and well, she’s amazing!” Marinette is sure she’s heard him say just that statement to her before, about herself, not that he knew.  But he must be talking about someone new, and Marinette thinks for a moment she might be able to breathe normally again.

“She’s super creative and she’s always willing to help her friends, and we’re fairly good friends,” Chat Noir continued.

Ladybug smiled gently to her partner. “Sounds like you like her more than just a friend.”

She wasn’t sure, but she thought Chat Noir blushed.  “I might.  I don’t know.  You see, there’s this other girl…” And this is where Marinette knew the other shoe was going to drop. “She’s also pretty amazing, and we’re good friends, and if things were different, maybe, I’d like to think she’d give me a chance?”

Ladybug slowly nodded.  She knew the right thing to do. “But the first girl is a sure thing?”

“Well, I don’t know about that, but doesn’t it make me fickle if there’s another girl I like?” Chat Noir asked with a pout, which admittedly was cute.

“Not necessarily. I mean unless you do this regularly? You were talking about Marinette a lot recently and now this new girl,” Ladybug reminded him. “If you do want to ask the girl out, be sure it’s for the right reasons.”

Chat Noir nodded and was strangely quiet. She hoped she gave him good advice. Advice that would have him talk to this classmate of his.

After patrol Marinette felt like she could fall asleep as soon as she hit the pillow.  As she finished her nightly routine and settled into bed her mind wandered to the conversation she had with her partner. It was good he was moving on from her. Marinette snuggled into her pillow and closed her eyes.

“No!” Marinette screeched with a start as she sat upright in bed. It was enough to cause Tikki to rise up from the pillow in alarm, hovering near Marinette’s face.  “He never agreed with me! Oh no, oh no, this is terrible!”

“Marinette,” Tikki spoke trying to get her girl’s attention. “What are you talking about?”

“Chat Noir’s classmate.  It’s Marinette!”

There was something that bothered Adrien as he went to school. It was clear that Ladybug thought he ought to try with Marinette. Also he didn’t know it was Marinette. But she was slightly obsessed with Marinette too.

Did Ladybug have a crush on Marinette?

It wasn’t a completely out there notion. It would explain why she seemed to act like his romantic overtures were not serious. It would explain why she called Marinette cute when she sent him to protect her from the Evillustrator. It would explain why she came to see him, Adrien, to talk about Marinette.

Actually it didn’t explain that unless she was worried he was competition.

Did he want to be competition with Ladybug? Not really.  He loved her.  She deserved to be happy with whoever made her happy. Yet she did seem to encourage him, even if she didn’t know it was against herself.

Adrien was more confused on what to do then before!

And then he saw her.  Marinette.  She looked nervous for some reason.  He wondered why even as he crossed the courtyard to her. “Hey Marinette.”

Marinette turned around looking startled, her blue eyes wide and then she visibly relaxed and smiled at him. “Oh, Adrien!”

“Is everything alright,” he asked with some concern.

“Fine, yeah, everything’s peachy!” Yet she still looked around nervously.

Adrien glanced around at the various students, then looked down at her. “Okay, but if you need me for anything I’m here for you, okay?”

Marinette looked up at him and smiled and did he feel like a pile of goo at the moment. “Thanks Adrien. We should probably head to class though.”

Adrien agreed and walked with her to class.  He didn’t miss how she seemed to be walking very close to him. He didn’t think, he just spoke. “Do you want to go out this Saturday? A movie? Maybe lunch?”

Marinette paused and he stopped with her, standing in front of her.  Her mouth was gaped open.  “Like… a date?”

He felt his cheeks heat up.  “Yeah,” Adrien said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”

She blinked, but she didn’t seem upset, or uninterested, at least he hoped not. “You have?”

“Well, yeah.  I mean, you’re amazing Marinette.  You’re super creative and talented.  You’re sweet and always willing to help your friends and… oh man, I’m sorry I’m embarrassing you!”

Marinette was completely red in the face now and why didn’t he think even a little bit about how he was going to come off.  She opened her mouth more than once like she wanted to say something and then finally put her hands to her cheeks and looked down.  He really hoped yes or no, she’d forgive him. He really really hoped she said yes!

“A-adrien… one, just one question,” she spoke quickly, though quietly as she looked back up at him. “Are you kitten me?”

“I’m not joking, I really li… wait,” Adrien paused in what he was saying, looking at the girl in front of him.  Yes she was blushing hard, but she was looking at him so seriously. Like she was trying to figure out a puzzle.  Like… “Ladybug!”

He had probably said that too loud with the way Marinette put her hands over his mouth.  Oh man, it was Ladybug.  He asked out Ladybug.  Ladybug came to his house to ask him if he liked her.  Ladybug heard him gushing about her over and over again.

Just, Ladybug!

Classes that day were a waste.  Adrien had no idea what any of his teachers were talking about and it didn’t help there was a small pile of amazing girl sitting behind him that would start giggling at random intervals.

Nino looked confused as ever and Alya looked smug though somewhat perplexed as well. Neither him nor Marinette were coherent enough to make up something to tell their best friends and in the end, that probably worked to their advantage. Later there might be attempts to find out ‘what really happened’ but by that time would it even matter?

As Adrien counted down to Saturday, for his first date with Marinette ‘Ladybug’ Dupain-Cheng, something she said to him in between fits of happy giggles repeated in his head.

“It seems you have a type.”

Yup, Adrien had a type and her name was Marinette.

[steampunkedseahorse]

Chapter 4 Zuko’s birthday

When he heard Katara was here he has planned to corner her and grill her with questions until she answered why she had left the palace without saying goodbye. Why she had lied to him, she had written to him saying she had family business in the south pole. He didn’t receive another letter for 10 months, letting him know that she was alive but that was about it. He’d only received a few letters after that where nothing was distinctive. He had wanted to fly to the south pole but everyone had discouraged it. All he had to keep him warm at night was the thought of her in his bed. His mind wandered back to their first night.

2 years ago

Zuko stumbled out of the warm room and onto the chilly terrace, it as is birthday and his friends were doing everything they could to get the fire lord in good spirits. As tonight was their last night there they were doing everything they could. He had told them that Mae had left him only a week earlier they decreed she wasn’t good enough for him anyway. As he placed one foot in front of the of the other a 21-year-old Zuko was thoroughly drunk. He saw Katara leaning against the wall trying to get the same fresh air he was.  She was beautiful, her long hair cascading down nearly reaching her bottom. She had turned to him and he realized she was not nearly as drunk as him.

“Zuko…” She reached out to him he took her hand and leaned against the wall. Her long blue robe slipping off her shoulder, he ached to reach out and pull it all the way down. To reveal her beautiful tan skin, he wanted to kiss it all over. She looked up at him as he straightened. “What are you doing?”

He didn’t answer her with words, instead, he descended upon her mouth and tasted the water bender that had haunted his dreams for years. She had leaned into him, her soft breasts he found weren’t bound as normal.  One hand racked through his combed hair, the other slid inside his robe. He pulled her closer to him one hand on the back of her head as he drank her in. He wasn’t thinking and every rational thought told him to back off of the beautiful woman. Instinct urged him forward. She murmured gently against his lips, “You’re drunk Zuko.” He didn’t care. He was finally touching her the way he wanted to for years. “Zuko...” He felt the conflict in her, he knew he was drunk he didn’t care.

He pulled away slightly. “Don’t take away what little courage I had to build up and drink to come do this.” Still, her hesitation made him wonder if she felt the same way. “I want to.” She whispered. “But you’re drunk.”

“Not so drunk that I cannot recognize you, that I don’t know exactly what I want.” He bent his head to kiss her again. He felt her smile against his mouth and reached toward him, her fingers deftly untied the knot of his pants and slipped into them. Her grip was soft as she stroked his member. “My room or yours?” He asked as he pulled himself from her lips.

“Yours is closer.” She stroked faster and he gave a low groan then grabbed her hand. She looked confused until he picked her up and found his way into his room, avoiding their friends. His heart pounded in his chest, she was here in his arms clinging to him.

He placed her on his massive bed. Agni, he had wanted to this, fantasized about it for years. “Are you sure Waterbender?” He asked, sobered by her touch and the smell of her need.

“Yes,” She breathed out as he pulled off his robe, exposing defined muscle. His pants still hung loosely on his hips giving her a perfect view of the V on his body. He closed what little distance they had between them and pulled down the shoulder of her robe. He kissed the exposed flesh and she sucked in a breath. Settling down on top of her he slowly began to disrobe her, thanking Agni for the hot summer as she wore no bindings or pants beneath the robe.

Finally, she lay under him exposed and naked for him to view. Her long hair fanned out from behind her.  “Have you ever done this?”

“No.” She said looking up at him with her great big blue eyes. That made him happy and kissed her again. Working his way down her body, he kissed the hollow of her throat, her breastbone then he had taken her nipple into his mouth. Her soft moan was all the encouragement he needed. He teased the dark brown bud in his mouth until it stood erect. He repeated the process on her other nipple and was rewarded with her soft whimpering. Still, he worked lower, kissing her belly, her navel, sliding off the bed he spread her thighs and kissed her on her sex. Her body writhed under his ministrations as he quickly found her woman’s bud and licked and nipped until she was panting. He stopped just short of bringing her off the edge standing.

“Zuko!” She looked at him as he slid off his pants, her eyes had gone wide as he resettled himself between her legs. “I’m not done.” He positioned the head of his member at her slick entrance but didn’t push forward. Instead, he found her woman’s bud again and with the pad of his thumb rubbed in slow circles.  He could tell she was ready for him but he wanted to savor this. Slowly he began rocking back and forth easing his member into her. His thumb circled faster the deeper he went. Katara’s back arched as she neared orgasm, finally, she screamed her release and Zuko felt the tearing of her hymen and kept pushing until he was fully seated. He waited for her to return back to this realm before he began moving again.  Her body was hot, wet and tight he gritted his teeth determined not to finish the moment too soon.

He slid in and out of her slowly at first for her to accommodate his size. Then she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. “Zuko…” and he understood the plea in her voice. Gripping a fist full of her hair Zuko quickened his pace. He controlled himself by focusing on the texture of her soft curly hair.  Her warm soft body contracting around him as he pumped in and out of her sheath. Her hands found their way to his back pulling him closer still. Zuko pulled the fist-full of hair forcing her to turn her head and give access to her neck. He bit softly between the curve of her neck and shoulder, needing more control. She returned the favor in full biting him hard on his shoulder. A spike of pleasure shot through him, could it be he had found a woman who had the same dark desires as he did? He continued his pace until she released his shoulder to cry out his name in ecstasy until her muscles around his flesh attempted to seize his movement. His pace quickened plunging his member in and out of her tight body until his lower back tightened and his own orgasm burst from him. He softly kissed her forehead, cheeks, and lips as he withdrew from her body. He rolled over on the bed and for the first time in a long time had felt truly happy. Zuko had awoken the next morning to find Katara still in his bed.  And snuggled against him.

 The memory ran through his head a thousand times as Zuko paced the length of his room not feeling the plush carpet under his feet. They had spent a month together, one very interesting and memorable month together, he still remembered the taste of her lips on his. Like a fire sweet bun, once he had tasted her everything else fell flat in comparison. He’d told her so. So why did she leave?

Zuko found his feet turning toward the adjoining door that would let him into her room. He would get answers while she was here. His mouth was in a firm line and he twisted the doorknob to let himself in, he cracked it when he heard Suki and Katara speaking.

“I don’t know but your son is over a year old now, he is starting to look just like his Dad.” Suki was saying. Katara had a child? Was it his? No certainly not, Katara would never keep something like that from him. Anger flared in him, was that why she left? So, she could be with the father of her child, who was the father. He would kill the unnamed man. Zuko would never admit it but the undercurrent of hurt and jealousy ripped through him.  He turned back to the conversation.

“I want to see him,” Katara said

“Of course! Let me rinse your hair first.” He heard the Katara get out of the water and shut the door. Her son was here. Why did Suki have him? What the bloody hell was going on. Did Sokka know the child was his sisters? Zuko turned and walked out of his suite. He needed some air after hearing that conversation. The halls were oddly quiet and Zuko walked unencumbered for the first time in years. He walked to the courtyard where the sages were examining the girl that had attacked Katara, Aang stood above them. The avatar turned and saw Zuko coming toward them. “Is this the girl?”

“Yes,” Aang answered.

“She’s just a kid.” He said looking down at the girl. Her short black hair and yellow eyes marked her as fire nation. “Do not let Katara see her. Find out who her parents are, find out if they are Ozi Loyalists. I want to know who convinced a child to stab the Lady Katara and then kill herself.” He was shouting and didn’t realize it. Only the Avatar stood unfazed by the anger, he’d been the source of it for many years.  The small fires around the courtyard blazing out of control. Soldiers and sages backed away from their Lord and quickly scurried to do his bidding. “Aang, find Toph. If they attacked Katara they could be after her as well.”

Aang nodded then, “Katara’s okay then?”

“The sages are examining the poison now. She is clean and seems to be taking it in stride.” He left out the part where she had come apart in his arms.  Aang kicked at the ground under them. “Before I take off I want to know if you’re going to do it this time.”

“Do what?” Zuko grit out, trying to get his temper under control. Trying to remember what Aang was talking about.

“Give it to her.”  Zuko knew exactly what Aang was talking about but refused to play the part. She had secrets and he needed answers, “Look I know Katara and I have a history but I promise that’s all done now. She’s like my big sister.”

“Find Toph.” He said to Aang then walked out of the courtyard.  How could he now? She had had another man’s child. Did she even love him? Did he still love her? He heard the Avatar take off on his glider. He turned and a saw a child about the height of his knee waddling at full force toward him. Katara was chasing him. “Kazza! Pants!” She was chasings after him in clean clothes and still slightly damp hair. The sunlight catching it giving it an undercurrent of red. Just like the morning after when she had smiled at him. Yes, he decided, he still loved her.

“No!” The child screamed happily. Zuko scooped him up. Was this the child in question?

“Thanks, Zuko, Suki wanted me to get him dressed.” She smiled at him and he saw the lie there. He looked at the boy, he was paler than Katara and had one blue and one yellow eye. His black hair was soft and wavy much like his mothers. Kazza reached out to his tiny hands and grabbed Zuko’s hair. The boy smiled showing his teeth. Then the distinct smell of burning hair met Zuko’s nose. “Kazza!” Katara squeaked. Zuko pulled what was left of his hair from the boy who only giggled at Zuko.  The boy playful tried to grab at Zuko’s face.

“This is Sokka and Suki’s child?”

“Adopted …but yes…” Katara said.

“A fire bender and a someone from the water tribe?”, what were the chances of that happening, then Suki adopting the child? None he realized.

“It’s not unheard of.” She snapped.

“Katara….” He needed to figure out how old the child was.

[creative-type]

Monster of the Salt Rock Hills III

First

Previous

AO3

AN: Expect a longer wait for the next chapter. I’m burning through my buffer pretty quickly, but this one is my favorite and I wanted to hit the meat and potatoes portion of the story before taking a bit of a break. As always, feedback is appreciated

Summary:  The day after stopping a drath summoning gone horribly wrong, Orrig and his team are summoned to the Salt Rock Hills to find and eliminate a monster that has been ravaging the countryside. But things quickly go awry and it soon becomes apparent that nothing about this case is as it seems. Thistle must learn to work together with her new coworkers and overcome her own insecurities to find the truth of the monster of the Salt Rock Hills before it’s too late. Set immediately after Chapter 6: The Knowing Ones

Chapter Three: A Mage Named Mum (and Other Unfortunate Events)

It was rare to meet someone who after making their opinions known did not feel the need to belabor them, but Lyra seemed to be the exception. Thistle was terrified that the elf would bring unwanted attention to her “shyness”, but she made no mention of it at breakfast. Thistle’s heart almost stopped when she noticed Lyra pull Orrig aside for a private word, but their conversation was brief and nothing came of it.

Nevertheless, the silence as they traveled was not as comfortable as it had been the day before. There was an air of cool formality between archer and mage that Thistle did not know how to overcome. It was frustrating to see what little progress she made vanish, always going two steps back for every step forward, but what else did she expect? Lyra was confident and outspoken, with no uncertainty of where she stood in the world. Thistle was none of those things, and never would be.

It did no good to dwell on her own shortcomings no matter how true they were, so Thistle focused instead on the job at hand. The post offered little insight into what they were going up against. Winged horses were notoriously difficult to catch in the wild, and there were only a few domesticated breeds in the known world. There were precious few things that could keep up with, let along kill, a fully grown winged horse.

From what little reading she’d done on the subject, Thistle knew that - like most magical beings - winged horses were smarter than their mundane counterparts, although they lacked the true sapience found in dragons, phoenixes, or unicorns. Herds were small, usually consisting of a stallion, three to four mares, and their offspring. Their feathers, hair, and blood held magical properties that were occasionally used in potions and the crafting of magical items.

Anything capable of killing a winged horse would almost certainly have to be capable of flight itself. Not many predators would take their chances against a horse’s hooves and teeth, not to mention be able to take on a team of trained mercenaries hired to hunt it down.

Perhaps there was more than one monster? Could a pack of beasts be roaming the Salt Rock Hills? Thistle worried her bottom lip, sharp teeth cutting into the tender flesh. The more she thought, the less she liked what they were up against.

The journey was uneventful, and they made it to their destination before noon. The carriages drove into a small town boxed in on two sides by the hills and guarded on a third by a small river. The Salt Rock Hills looked more like mountains to Thistle’s untrained eye, stretching thousands of feet high with peaks obscured by low-hanging clouds. The grey stone was swathed with stripes of green where trees and scrub brush were able to take root.

The Hills overshadowed a tiny settlement, which by Thistle’s estimate was less than one thousand strong. As they entered town she counted three houses that appeared to be abandoned on the high street alone, and several others that were in dire need of new thatch and a fresh coat of paint. They stopped abruptly in front of the town hall, a three story building made of pale red brick and were given a curt order to get out by the driver.

They’re staring at us, Thistle noted immediately as she stepped out of the carriage, cringing a little at the unwanted attention from the townspeople. She gave an unsure nod towards a barber who was standing in the doorway of his shop, razor still in hand. Or are they staring at me?

“Ugh, hicks,” Lyra said with disgust. “You’d think they’d never seen a woman wearing pants before.”

“Um…I don’t think…”

Thistle was cut off as she felt Orrig’s looming presence behind her. “Ve talk to mayor. He one paying, is boss.”

They were saved the trouble of looking. The words were scarcely out of Orrig’s mouth when the doors of the town hall burst open. A dignified man with a sour expression strode out into the street, trailed by a tall, lanky youth of about sixteen years of age.

“Are you the mercenaries?” the older man said, brown mustache twitching with disapproval as he gave them all an appraising glance.

“Yes. My name Orrig, dees my employees.”

“Orrig?” the man asked. “But I thought…well, never mind. I suppose it doesn’t much matter. My name is Everett Stone, mayor of the Salt Rock Hills. I’ve been expecting you.”

He stuck out his hand, and Orrig shook it. The mayor was the stiffest person Thistle had ever met, and he moved like he were carved out of a block of wood. Watery brown eyes scanned the street, taking note of each of the dozen people who were watching them.

“Let’s move inside, shall we? There’s no time to waste. Carson here was just telling me he’s found another one.”

“Another one?” Brent parroted. “How many horses has this thing killed?”

The mayor’s head swiveled, meeting Brent’s look of indignation with cold displeasure. A shiver ran down Thistle’s spine. She’d met dragons with friendlier dispositions.

“It’s impossible for us to search all of the Hills, good sir, but we’ve found three dead in the last fortnight, and five more within the last three months. The beast is escalating, and I fear that it will not content itself with horseflesh for much longer.”

“Do you have any idea what kind of monster it is?” Lyra asked. Mayor Stone paused at the doors of town hall, his back to the adventurers. For a moment Thistle thought she saw his shoulders slump. The hand that held the doorknob trembled.

He’s afraid, Thistle realized.  He’s afraid and trying to hide it.

“Why don’t you come inside,” the mayor said. “We can discuss matters in the privacy of my office.”

“I will need to verify your credentials before we get started.”

Orrig nodded and reached for his pack, while Lyra bit back a groan. Thistle shrank back as the mayor’s piercing gaze turned on the elf. “Is something the matter?”

Thistle wished that Lyra would just be quiet, but knew that wasn’t in her nature. Instead, Thistle turned her attention to the mayor’s simply decorated walls, pretending she were anywhere else but here.

“You’re the one who said there was no time to waste,” Lyra said bluntly. “If the living bean pole’s found another dead horse then we should be investigating it, not sitting here twiddling our thumbs.”

The mayor shook his head“I have to make sure you are who you say you are. It’s standard procedure.”

Carson shifted his feet. Lyra’s unflattering description fit him well, and now that they were closer Thistle could see a few tufts of dark fuzz on his upper lip trying valiantly to pass for a moustache. “The lady has a point, sir.” His voice seemed too quiet for such a big body. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “We can’t even show ‘em the rest ‘cause scavengers got to ‘em first.”

“It would help if we knew what we were fighting against,” Brent added.

“There are rules…”

“Vhy don’t you tell vhat you know,” Orrig interrupted. “Then ve decide vhat best.”

A flash of indignation flashed across the mayor’s face before he slid heavily into the chair behind his desk. “You might as well sit down,” he said irritably, gesturing to the seats on the other side of the room. There were only four, and Carson was forced to remain standing.

“As I said, this whole business started about four months ago,” Mayor Stone said. He pulled out a map and unrolled it, each movement made with automation-like rigidity. “We didn’t think much of it at first. Most folk haven’t had anything to do with the Hills since the mines closed. They’re prone to rockslides and…well, they’re dangerous. Carson is the only one stupid enough to climb them day after day.”

The boy grinned sheepishly, but didn’t argue.

“The winged horses are attracted to the underground springs found throughout the Hills, the nearest being here, where the last three killings have all occurred,” he said, pointing to the map. Thistle leaned closer and frowned. It was less than two miles away from town. “The springs bring minerals to the surface and create natural salt licks. The winged horses aren’t the only beasts that use them, but their ability to fly means that they can access certain ones more easily than even the most sure-footed goat.”

“I like t’ watch the horses,” Carson explained. “I was nearly scar’t t’ death when I saw the first one dead. Ain’t never seen anything able to catch a winged horse afore.”

“I was first notified of the deaths two months ago. One dead horse is an anomaly, two is a coincidence, but three signifies a pattern.” The lines in Mayor Stone’s face deepened. “I never personally investigated any of the killings, but the reports I received suggested an unusual amount of violence, even for a wild animal. A meeting was called, and the town voted to bring in someone to take care of the problem. A price point was agreed upon, and with the monies raised a mercenary by the name of Marco Rosso was hired.”

“Never heard of him,” Brent said.

“Nor will you. After several days of investigation and two more deaths it became apparent that the attacks occurred during the night. He and his team decided to watch the salt lick where most of the horses had been found,” he pointed to a spot higher up in the hills, near the entrance to the abandoned mine. “When the sun rose again he was dead.” The mayor looked up at Orrig. “The corpse of the beast wasn’t found, but all indications were that Rosso had dealt a mortal blow before succumbing to his wounds. For more than a month things were quiet, but now, in the last fourteen days…” His voice trailed off into nothingness.

Nothing more needed to be said. Orrig’s face took on a pensive look, eyes hidden under the shadow of his horns. “If attacks only at night, ve should go and see dead horse. Sooner is better. You no know vhat kind of monster doing killing, ya?”

“Not in the slightest,” the mayor said.

Orrig nodded decisively. “Then settled. Boy vill take employees to dead horse vhile I do papervork, see vhat they can find. I join vhen finished. Vill return to town before dark vit report. Is goot plan.”

The orc’s steady confidence seemed to sooth Mayor Stone’s frazzled nerves. “If you think that’s best. So long as everything is made official I have no objections. My people don’t have much money to give, and this is the second time we’re paying for the same job.”

This seemed to take Orrig aback, though Thistle didn’t think she would have noticed his surprise if she weren’t sitting right next to him. “Hmm. Ve vill finish job, or no pay. I give my vord.” He gave Lyra, Brent, and Thistle each a look in turn. “Go vit boy. No fighting. I vill follow soon.”

“Carson, if you would,” Mayor Stone said.

“Yessir.” He waited for the rest of the group to stand before leading Thistle, Brent, and Lyra out of town hall and into the street. “Give me a minute.”

Carson jogged over to the barber shop door and called to the man Thistle had seen earlier. “Hey Horace, tell my Pa that I’m gonna be late to work tonight. Gotta show the mercs th’ horses.”

The exchange took less than a minute, but Brent and Lyra were already growing impatient. As Carson led them out of town Thistle took it upon herself to ask, “You work?”

“My Pa owns the tavern up the street,” he said, jerking his thumb behind him. “He wants me t’ take it over someday, so I gotta go in and learn the ropes.”

Lyra’s ears perked at the mention of a tavern, and her expression was suddenly much more charitable. Brent rolled his eyes and said, “Do you know anything about what’s attacking these horses?”

“No more ‘n what the mayor said. I didn’t usually stumble over em fresh, you know? Thought they’d just died natural and some scavenger got to ‘em first.” He let out a heavy sigh. “You’ll see when we git there.”

“And you were always the one who found them?” Lyra asked.

“The ones up in the Hills, yeah. Got a buddy who found the first one by th’ spring. He didn’t want t’ admit it at first, ‘cause he’d gone out to go skinny dipping.” Carson stopped abruptly in the middle of the path.

“What is it?” Lyra demanded.

The boy brought a finger to his lips for quiet. “Look out yonder.”

Thistle followed Carson’s gaze and couldn’t stop a small gasp. About a quarter mile away where the valley met the base of the Hills was a mare standing over a young foal. Their dappled grey coat and wings were almost the same color of the surrounding countryside. The mare took a step forward as she grazed contentedly, and her wings shimmered with the movement as if they were made out of graphite.

“Y’all ain’t never seen a winged horse before, have ya?”

“They’re hideous,” Lyra said.

Brent nodded in agreement. The horses were smaller and more portly than most equines, with short, bristled manes that stood straight up. In fact, they looked more like winged donkeys than horses, though Thistle never would have said so aloud. Instead of being offended by Lyra’s statement, Carson only chuckled.

“Tha’s what most people say, but I love watchin’ them, ‘specially when they’re flyin’.”

He started down the path again, and Thistle had to hurry to match his long strides. They followed the stream for nearly two miles, and by the end of it Thistle was fighting a stitch in her side. The vegetation thinned the further down the path they went. At first it was hardly noticeable, but once they were nearer their destination it was easy to see where great swaths of dirt had been scraped away, revealing the stone that lay beneath. What trees managed to take hold had their roots exposed open air after years of erosion. The path the group walked was one of many coming from all directions. Some were wide enough for two men to walk abreast while others were narrow bands of packed earth, but all were packed flat from a thousand footsteps and led to the heart of the springs.

“It’s th’ lick,” Carson said without prompting. “Just ‘bout everything that lives in th’ Hills come down for the minerals th’ springs bring to the surface. They dig up the ground t’ get it.”

“There’s nothing here now,” Brent said under his breath. “Gives me the heeby-jeebies.”

Lyra chuckled. “You scared?”

Thistle found herself agreeing with Brent. The spring was silent save for the bubbling water and their own footsteps. She noticed for the first time that there were no birds chirping insects buzzing or any other noise that she’d long learned to associate with wild places.

“An’ here we are,” Carson said quietly. “Now if you ‘scuse me, I’m gonna step back for a bit afore I get sick.”

Thistle couldn’t blame him. Before she even saw it the stench almost made her gag. Tucked behind a large boulder, just out of sight from the main path, were the remains of a winged horse. Blood pooled under the carcass, bloated and rotting in the midday sun. Thistle noticed immediately that the poor beast’s wings had been torn off and were nowhere to be seen.

Lyra paused and took a deep, steadying breath. “Well, time to earn our money.”

Brent nodded, and Thistle had to force herself to take a closer look. The horse’s throat had been slashed all the way to the bone. Another deep laceration stretched from sternum to groin, like it had been attacked by the world’s largest dissection scalpel. Either wound would have been fatal, but here were more crisscrossed along its back and hindquarters, over a dozen in total. Some were shallow, hardly more than scratches against the horse’s tough hide. Others pierced through thick belts of muscle and bone.

“Doesn’t look like it put up too much of a struggle,” Lyra said thoughtfully. She walked a slow circle around the dead horse. “I’m not seeing any sign of an attacker.”

“Where’d the wings go?” Brent asked.

“They’re gone?” Carson called from where he was standing. He sounded surprised.

“Where they here earlier?”

“I…I dunno,” Carson said. “I didn’t get a good look. When I saw him lying there earlier I bolted.”

“Her,” Thistle corrected softly. “It’s a female.” She took a few tentative steps forward, careful to avoid the worst of the blood, and pulled back the horse’s lips. They were worn and yellow. “And old,” she added, pulling her hand away as quickly as she could.

“An old horse isn’t going to be able to fight back,” Brent said. “A lot of predators go after weak prey.”

“Whatever it was, I bet they had claws,” Lyra said. “It looks like it’s been butchered.”

Thistle was examining the wounds on the horse’s back. As Lyra said, they were deep and clean. Almost too clean. Surely there should have been more blood coming from them? She was about ready to voice he observation to the others when a dark shadow passed overhead.

“What the…?” Brent’s curse was cut short as he looked up. His jaw dropped with an almost audible thud.

The dark shadow swooped over them again, closer this time, and Thistle grabbed her hood as a stiff breeze threatened to blow it off. She heard Brent draw his sword, and then the harsh cadence of Orcish.

Lyra whistled softly. “Now there’s a #^$&!@ winged horse.”

Thistle raised her head and gasped. Not fifteen feet away a large stallion stood, pawing impatiently at the ground. Its mane and coat were a dull red, and its wings glittered like copper in the sun. On its back sat a scrawny orc, who almost seemed too small to be seated on such a huge creature.

“Who the &*!! are you?” Brent demanded.

The orc slid off the horse’s back and landed nimbly on the ground. He was only a few inches taller than Thistle and extremely thin for his race, though his skin was the dark green of a pureblood. He addressed Brent in the same irate tone, again in Orcish.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Brent said. “You’re going too fast. I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“Brent speaks Orcish?” Thistle whispered to Lyra.

“A little,” she answered. She didn’t take her eyes off this new intruder, her bow ready in hand. “Hey Bean Pole, do you have any idea who this chump is?”

Thistle had almost forgotten Carson entirely. A quick glance told her that he was just as befuddled as the rest of them. “No, ma’am. Ain’t got no orcs ‘round these parts.”

The orc let out a frustrated growl that made him look strangely petulant. Thistle guessed he was younger than Brent. “You no belong here,” he said, enunciating each word carefully to compensate for his heavy accent. “Not your job.”

“Like &*!! it’s not!” Brent snapped. “I don’t know who you are, but we’ve been hired by the city to find out what’s killing these horses.”

The stallion tossed his head, his ears pinned back flat. Thistle didn’t know if the smell of blood was bothering it or Brent’s tone, but she wasn’t about to take any risks. “Maybe we should—“

She was cut off by a resounding crack and a blinding flash of light. Thistle’s skin tingled with the outpouring of magical energy. The winged horse let out a shrill whinny and reared up on its hind legs. The young orc ducked around hooves the size of dinner plates to grab the beast’s reigns, and when the dust cleared there was an elf and a human standing in the clearing.

“What the ever-loving %&#* is going on?” Lyra demanded, her bow raised. “Identify yourselves!”

“Watch your tone, girl,” the elf said. He was an attractive man, tall and broad-shouldered with hair the color of corn silk, but a sneer twisted his handsome features into something hateful and mean. He wore leather armor with a house crest stamped over the chest and metal bracers on each wrist. Twin knives hung from his belt, not yet drawn from their sheaths. “You address Rhys Taliesen of the mercenary guild. Now lower your weapons before I report you for interfering with my hunt.”

“Your hunt?” Lyra said incredulously even as she lowered her bow. “Orrig was hired for this job. We’re his subcontractors.”

Carson stepped forward, his hands raised in goodwill. “Er, the lady’s right. Their boss is with the mayor now figurin’ out paperwork.”

“And who might you be?” Rhys asked, turning piercing green eyes on Carson. “The local color?”

“For your information, he’s our guide and consultant for this case,” Lyra said. “So you can go suck an egg.”

The third member of their party laughed silently behind a hand. He was the most unassuming of them all, a human of average height and build. He had a round, pleasant face that wore an expression child-like innocence – an expression that was magnified a hundredfold by the widest, bluest eyes Thistle had ever seen.

He was also the one to cast the difficult, energy-intensive Teleportation spell. The air was so thick with residual magic that Thistle could almost taste it, with the mage at its center.

Rhys shot him an ugly glare, before forcing a look of nonchalance. “I should have known better than to expect civilized conversation with an ouvrière.”

The significance of the word was lost on Thistle, but clearly it struck a nerve. The color left Lyra’s face, and she stiffened as if she’d been slapped. Tense seconds passed, and Thistle waited for her to shout or storm off or to let the temper get the better of her. But for the first time since they’d met Lyra was speechless.

“As I was saying,” Rhys continued, his lips curling into a victorious smirk, “this is our hunt. There was an administrative error, and the request was sent to your leader instead of to me. My team works out of Crossroads, and if we had made it two days ago as we ought this would not have happened.”

The elf gestured vaguely to the mutilated horse before turning his attention to Carson. “I apologize for my tone,” he said, bowing slightly, “but correcting this error has been most vexing. I would be much obliged for your cooperation going forward.”

Carson looked from Rhys to Lyra and back again. “Uh…”

“Hold on!” Brent interrupted. He stepped in front of Lyra, as if shielding her. “You can’t just waltz out here and tell us what to do. We answer to Orrig, so why don’t you get off your high horse and wait for him to get here.”

While he spoke, Thistle inched closer to Lyra. She wanted to say something to comfort her, but she didn’t know what to say that would help.

“Poor choice of metaphor, half-breed” Rhys said. Sharp eyes assessed Brent from head to toe, his gaze lingering on his scuffed, well-worn armor. “I’ll say it once more to get it through your thick skull: You have no right to be here. Mum, the requisition please.”

Lyra was trembling, but it wasn’t with fear. Her face was contorted in barely-suppressed fury that somehow went beyond her normal outbursts of temper. Every muscle was coiled tight, like a panther waiting to strike, and she had a white-knuckled grip on her bow. A cold sweat broke on Thistle’s forehead when she realized that Brent wasn’t protecting Lyra from Rhys, but Rhys from Lyra.

She didn’t know what would happen if Lyra attacked a sanctioned member of the mercenary guild, and she got the feeling that she didn’t want to find out.

With a snap of the fingers, the mage Conjured a piece of paper that Rhys snatched out of thin air. Even at a distance Thistle could make out the guild’s insignia stamped at the bottom of the page. “Now if you would please exit the premises, my team has quite a bit of work to do before dusk.”

“Lemme see that,” Brent said, stomping over to Rhys’s group.

The air crackled with power. Thistle’s head snapped up in alarm. “Brent, wait!”

It was too late. Rhys crossed his arms in front of him as Brent approached. Runes etched in the bottom of his bracers glowed red. There was another thunderous crack, and Brent was thrown backward, nearly landing in the dead horse’s blood.

The noise spooked the crimson horse, and the young orc was once again preoccupied with keeping his stallion under control. He shouted something in Orcish that was ignored. The mage only looked amused. He stood unaffected by the force field, his hands in his pockets.

Lyra let out a string of curses so foul that Thistle was embarrassed for her. She threw her bow aside and coiled to leap at Rhys, pushing Thistle away when she tried to stop her. Thistle stumbled into Carson and nearly fell over while Brent rubbed his forehead.

“That was ^$&*@#& uncalled for!” Lyra shouted. “He wasn’t going to attack you, you *&@#*(@ but you better believe I &$^#@+& will!”

“Lyra, stop!” Thistle said desperately. She disentangled herself from Carson and planted herself in front of the enraged elf. Her heart pounded in her chest when Lyra glared at her murderously, and she wanted to melt into a puddle under the sheer intensity of her rage. It seemed like a tossup whether Lyra would bull through Thistle and attack Rhys or not, but if there was even the tiniest chance of getting her to stand down then Thistle owed it to her to try.

“Fighting isn’t going to solve anything,” Thistle said, her voice trembling only a little. “I-I know he’s a jerk, but we are on a job. Orrig told us not to fight, and I know he meant you and Brent but I think this fits under the same general principle. He’ll met us out here once he gets things figured out with the mayor. We’ll sort through everything then.”

Thistle knew she was rambling, but Lyra didn’t move so she must have been doing something right. She made herself to look Lyra in the eye. There was anger there, yes, but Thistle thought she saw hurt as well. There was something familiar in that. Lowering her voice so only Lyra could hear, she said, “Don’t let him win.”

“I would listen to the girl,” Rhys said, a dangerous note of warning in his voice. His arms were still crossed, and a pale red force field formed a protective bubble around his body. Even if she wanted to, there was no way for Lyra to land a hit.

Lyra ground her teeth even as the fight left her body. “Fine. But I &$^#@#&+ swear that I see his punk @** when I’m off the clock…”

Finally assured that Lyra wasn’t going to do anything foolish, Thistle ignored the profanity filled, anatomically impossible tirade that followed and rushed over to Brent. He was still rubbing his head, and she could already see a bump forming just below his hairline. A tremendous amount of energy had to be stored in those bracers to throw someone of Brent’s size like that. The spell was similar to the one she had used against the Greater Drath, with an added explosive component that added offense with defense.

That was a lot of spellwork for steel to hold. More likely than not there was a gemstone in the bracers to store the extra energy until it needed to be released. Even if it was only a semi-precious stone the cost of crafting alone would have been at least thirty gold. If Rhys had that much money to waste on magical bracers then there was a good chance that his daggers were enchanted as well.

“Are you okay?” Thistle asked quietly.

“Yeah, but what the &#!! is wrong with that guy?! I just wanted to look at his papers!”

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Thistle felt her blood curdle in her veins while Brent scrambled to his feet. Approaching them was Orrig, and he was as angry as Thistle had seen. But he wasn’t the one who spoke. That honor went to the one walking beside him, a human woman that Thistle guessed was in her mid-thirties, with grey streaking her black hair and a sharp, almost haggard look to her features. She walked with a pronounced limp, and leaned heavily on a dark wooden cane with each step.

Rhys lowered his arms, and the force field flickered out of existence. “I am trying to investigate what is killing the winged horses of the Salt Rock Hills. I take it you’re Orrig?” he asked, ignoring the woman entirely. “Remove your employees immediately and I won’t report you to the guild for interfering with a sanctioned hunt. Or better yet, fire them. I could find better in a gutter.”

Orrig’s expression never changed, but it was as if the temperature dropped twenty degrees. Either Rhys didn’t notice or he didn’t care. He lifted his head haughtily. “And I think an apology is in order. Your mutt as good as attacked me, and the elf would have had the hooded one not voiced sense.”

Though she wasn’t the one being insulted, Thistle couldn’t help but wince. Brent bristled indignantly, and if not for Orrig’s holding her back Thistle thought Lyra would have launched herself at Rhys, regardless of consequence. The seconds stretched out painfully as Orrig gauged the situation. Finally he nodded.

“I agree.” Orrig turned to the woman with the cane. “I very sorry. Vill leave immediately. Ve not here to stir up problem.”

“No offence taken,” the woman said faintly. Her gaze was fixated on the dead horse, and she had gone very white.

“Hmm. Brent, Lyra, Thistle, ve go now.”

There was another pause when no one seemed quite sure what they were supposed to do next. Rhys’s mage was the first to realize that the elf was not going to get his apology, and his shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. A pink blush dusted across Rhys’s cheekbones, and his fists clenched. It was through gritted teeth that he said to the woman, “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of an introduction. My name is Rhys Taliesen, licensed mercenary. These are my subcontractors, Mum and Rizaek.”

“What the ^$&# kind of name is Mum?” Lyra muttered sullenly.

She didn’t mutter quietly enough. Orrig shot her a sharp, disapproving look, and Thistle was sure only the presence of outsiders stayed his tongue. Worse yet, a smug, supercilious smile spread across Rhys’s face.

“I personally think it’s perfectly fitting for a mute, not that it’s any of your business.” He turned again to the woman who had arrived with Orrig. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I am the one who was hired to hunt the beast that’s been terrorizing your countryside.”

Through the exchange the woman’s lips had pursed into an almost invisible line, and her slate-grey eyes were as hard and cold as ice. Thistle could sense a power in her, much fainter than what radiated from Mum, and was certain that she was also a mage. “It’s not my countryside. My name is Isla Clark, and I worked under Marco Russo. I’m here to help you find the monster that killed him.”

[ohgoddard]

Storyteller.6.

The crisp winter wind nipped at the noses of Armak and Holly as they trudged through snow and ice. The world enwraps them in visages of white and light blues, obscuring all they see. Each step taken is done so with great effort, making holes in the layers of snow that are filled later by an ever coming storm atop the mountain. It was a trip Armak had been talking about for weeks now, a twinkle in his eye when he talked of the location. His words made it seem as if the place had an eternal sunbeam bestowed upon it, and the rocky slopes nothing more than soft hills. Holly was expressively mad when she arrived at the base of a mountain that stretched up for thousands of feet, rather sharply, and covered in snow. She remembers asking him , “Hey? What gives? Where’s the soft slopes and warm skies?” and Armak gave her the slyest smiled and simply said “Oh, it must have changed. Its been a while for me.” And thus began their assent. 

Holly, looking back on the fonder days of warm fields, was currently occupied in trying not to freeze to death. Clammy hands wrap around her coat, and her small cap was pulled down as far as it could go. Her elven ears are covered in earmuffs, however they were decorative earmuffs from a small town in the south. Temperatures down there never broke the “yeah its a bit chilly” threshold. However, through sheer determination and a burning hatred for the immortal that forgot something as simple as a mountain appearing , she kept walking. Maybe, she thought to herself, when we get to wherever we are going I can properly yell at him for being the forgetful old coot he is.

Armak was singing a jolly tune, his long gangly legs easily scaling the trodden mountain path. The wraps over his body tail behind him in the harsh, bitter wind. Though, he doesn’t notice it. His mind is as clouded as the mountain peaks he is climbing, but these thoughts are happy ones. Better times and good friends. The songs that say sang around the fire pits, the meals they shared, the wrestling tournaments. Even the princesses. He wishes he could see them again. 

“Armak, where are we going?! We’ve been walking for three days! And I’m running out of components to create warmth!” Her voice is muffled slightly by the roaring winds and the chattering of her teeth. Armak turns around, a puzzled look crossing his face. “Components? You have spells that can create flame?” 

“I’M TALKING ABOUT WOOD, YOU PIGEON!” Armak stood there, crossing his arms raising a feathery eyebrow.

“Resorting to names because you aren’t happy? Holly, shame on you!” 

Holly merely looked upon him, shaking, and parts of her skin turning shades of blue only rivaled by tieflings. Armak felt a burning feeling in his heart, and understood that if Holly knew how to kill with looks along, she would in this very instance.

“We are not far from where we are going. Keep your spirits up! Keep your mind off of the cold.”

“And What, pray tell oh wise and traveled one, would that be?”

“Think warm thoughts!”

A defect of being unable to feel the cold is that you do not feel when the cold has lessen your reactions. In truth, Armak was not as prepared for this journey as he thought he was. He was not dressed for it, and is nowhere near the spry… something-year-old he used to be. He forgot exactly what age he was when he last visited here. He sure as hell doesn’t remember there being a mountain here. It was a combination of all of these, his slowed reaction and ill-preparedness that resulting him not dodging the snowball shattering into his face.

“Ow.” In all his years and knowledge gained, he never learned exactly how to talk to women.

“Oh, I'm sorry, I didn’t hear you fully. Care to say again?”

The sleet still sliding down his beak, Armak got an idea. 

“I said, how about I tell you a heart-warming story?” The elf looked pleased with herself as the four snowballs she held in her hands fell to the floor. It was a hollow victory, as she was still cold and still not any closer to being warmer. If anything she was colder, having held multiple snowballs up to her chest to pelt the immortal with if he gave her lip. Still, it was a victory.

“So,” she said as her hands shakily pulled a nearly frozen notebook from her side bag, “what’re you telling me about?”

I am a deeply powerful creature, knowledgeable of kingdoms and species that have risen and fallen underneath my eyes and my eyes alone. I have seen the bravest heroes and have fought the vilest villains. Yet here I am, at the mercy of a small woman who can be no older than 12, 19 at the most. She says she's over 70, but I doubt it. His mind is full of these thoughts. “It's a story of finding family.”

He turned his back to her and began marching up the rock, her little legs barely keeping pace.

“It all began when I found out there was a rock that could grant any wish…”

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

Armak snooped around the soft, grassy rolling hills of the plains. Under the guise of night , and draped in the soft purple and blue hues, his steps and presence went undetected to the guards stationed outside the war tent he was approaching. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------”War t-t-t-t-tent?” Holly stuttered under the cold, still trudging in the snowy rocks behind him.

“Oh yeah, I was at a war camp. Some odd years ago. The significance of it will be important later but for now, yes, I was at a war camp.”

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

 The war camp was crowded and ative, nearly hundreds in this spot alone. The camp itself stretched for a few miles, as this was an army on the move. The main tent itself sat atop the tallest of these small hills, a rather swarthy yurt. The banners of a Hoof and Roses flapped gently in the cool breeze. The guards had built a small wooden fence around the war-tent Armak wanted into, and it being a tent it was not all that hard to keep a watch for people trying to sneak in. The guards themselves were beefy beings, minotaurs of  impressive height and stature, whose eyes and ears darted every which way to catch incoming spies or saboteurs. However, Armak was a sneaky man.

Reaching into his pocket, he took out a long narrow flute. Pristine condition and a gift from an elven king for saving his wife. Armak shoved a dart into its larger opening, covered all the holes with his hands, and blew. The dart made a funny chirp as it flew from the flute and into the guard’s neck. This normally would have drawn attention, if not for the guard’s immediate collapse onto the floor. 

“OH NO, JEOVITE! YOUR HEART GAVE OUT AGAIN!” The other guard screamed as he rushed over to his fallen comrade’s body, who was only asleep. Atleast , that was Armak’s intent. He did not know the effects of sleep drugs on those with heart issues, but he was probably alright. To Armak, the Minotaur called Jeovite looked to be still breathing. Nighttime and dark fur causing vision issues aside. 

Seeing the opportunity, Armak quickly hopped the wooden stakes used for fence posts and ducked underneath the tarp of the yurt, successfully sneaking inside. And what a lavish yurt it was.

On Top of the standard yurt tarp rested a huge pillow, covered in blankets and smaller pillows. A large chest was in a corner, as well as a large table and chair for its occupant. Armak assured it was a large, burly commander. Someone he was not entirely urgent to meet. Armak may not be able to die, but he sure feels pain. He snuck around the yurt, careful not to disturb any of the many clothes and armor pieces thrown about. He nearly tripped on this huge sword that rested against the main pole of the yurt, something that looked as if a goliath couldn’t swing easily. He tiptoed over a small chest of letters, some maps with dotted lines and circles, and this book with rather impeccable handwriting in it. No, the target of his theft was the small chest he spied earlier when he entered. Making his way over, he knelt to better see its lock. A simple model, he thought to himself, I can pick this easily. He drew a talon from his claw and inserted into the lock, listening for the clicks of the tumblers, when -

“Ahem.”

A deep inhale and exhale came from Armak as he pulled his talon slowly from the lock. 

He did not move his body beyond that, which was good. He felt a cold steel pressing up against the back of his neck. 

“Now, I know this may look like I’m a spy, but I swear I’m not.”

“How exactly is that any better?”

Armak slowly turned his head to look at his now captor, and was genuinely surprised to see a woman. Less so, to see that she was a Minotaur.

“A woman? Really wasn’t expecting that.” Armak’s voice was full of confusion.

A kick in the face (or beak in his case) swiftly followed his comment, pushing the would-be thief to the floor.

“Ow…” Armak’s voice was full of pain.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------”S-So you w-were always this m-much of an asshole!”

“Holly, I am a changed bird now. I do not stand for the values of my former self.”

“S-s-s-sure..”

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

His eyes clearing up from the attack, he focused in better on exactly who he was dealing with. She was a tall lady minotaur, wearing brilliant gold and red armor with several inscriptions of roses pressed into it. She also wielded that hueg sword he saw earlier, which was impressive. Her hair was pulled behind her head into a ponytail, a hairstyle choice Armak found comical much later when he thought on this moment. She had full black eyes, a rather nice nose ring, and around her neck, was an iron chain with a huge gem in the middle.

“Oh gods-damnit. You had it the whole time!?” Armak let out a groan as he fell back onto the ground in defeat.

“Why are you here?” she said in a tone that made it clear this was not a question he could disregard.

“For the gem around your neck.”

For a fraction of a second her eyes darted down the necklace, then back to the strange wrapped man. “What of it? It carries no value to anyone but me. And no theif is stupid enough to attack me, so tell me what you’re really in here for.”

“Ma’am, I am completely serious. I didn’t even know there was a war going on.”

“That is a straight up lie, and I will stand her and be fibbed to in my own tent. Answer now or this sword goes in your throat. I am feeling merciful tonight.”

The blade tip pressed into the throat of Armak, who gulped. 

“I heard your gem could grant any wish to its wielder. That it was a gift from Djinn you bested in a game of strength. I wanted the gem so I could make a few wishes, that's all.”

The sword lowered from Armak, though he still stayed on the floor. He could hear the heavy breathing coming from the snout of the Minotaur. I wonder if honesty may truly get me out of here. Such thoughts were vanquished when the sword came right back to his neck.

“How do you know about this gem? It is an ancient artifact, handed down by chief to chief in the clan and has been for centuries. No one but heirs to the throne would know of it!” 

She leaned over Armak, pushing portions of her weight into him.

Armak paused, gasping for air. “It was the dying wish of a soldier I held in the battlefield to go find this stone so that he may see his sister again.”

All at once the force and steel lifted from his body, and Armak heard the stumbling of feet. 

He painfully forced his body to sit up, where he saw the minotaur look shocked at him.

“You..you...what did this soldier look like?” Armak wheezed as he stood up.

“He was a minotaur, just as you are. And I assume you are his sister, if logic follows.” He twisted his back, making a disgusting pop. “He was young,” Armak continued, “and could have lived much longer if not for the axe in his back. I did my best to heal him to strength but he did not let me. Said he wished to die the warrior’s death.” Armak knew he’d feel the soreness in his ribs for a while.

The minotaur sat down on her large chair,s word falling by the side of her. Her eyes looked far off into the distance. “That’s why his group never came back..not because of the terrain but...because…” her eyes turned to him. “What did you want to do with the stone?”

Armak stood there awkwardly. “I… I wished to die. I have no reason to lie to you, and have not done so yet. I have no reason for it. I wanted to die. I have been cursed with eternal life, destined to see those I love wither before me. I would find this stone and restore my death, maybe a few others I had met along my travels. I would have done it for that soldier.”

The minotaur’s eyes looked armak once over before she stood from her chair and walked towards him. There she stood a towering figure, glowering unto the poor immortal. “Even if you are right, and your intentions are noble, you are still a thief. I cannot possibly trust your word.”

That's when Armak smiled. “Then let me prove it to you. I will join your army then. I am a rather good spy, this situation not withstanding. I have knowledge in every field, and have commanded the odd army of two.” This caused the minotaur to raise her eyebrow. 

“Really? You lead an army? And why would I trust you to join my army and not ditch at the first chance you get? Or sell my secrets to Gukrag?” 

“Literally none. But some have told me I am quite humorous, so I could be a nice friend.”

“A friend? You come into my home, try to steal from me, bring me news of my brother’s death, and expect us to be friends?”

Armak blinked. “I don’t see why not. I have loads of experience with having friends. I think we could do it.”

The minotaur let out a single laugh of shock, the absolute gall of this man getting to her.

“You know what? I like you. You’re not afraid of being wrong. Because you have absolutely no experience with having friends. I can tell. So let's go on a friendship journey right now, aye buddy?”

Armak did not like where this was going. “Where would this journey be?”

“The front lines. I lead by example, thief. Friends put up with each other right? Put up with me.” With that, she grabbed him and started walking out of the tent.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------”So what happened next?” 

Holly and Armak sit inside a small cave, luckily stumbling upon it. Armak created a small fire which Holly is sitting dangerously close to, absorbing all the warmth and having the icicles hanging off her ears melt onto her journal pages.  Armak was cooking a series of mountain rodents on a stick over the fire. 

“The way all battles go. I had a sword, they had swords. Metal, flesh, blood, you know the deal. I stayed by her side the entire way to prove to her I was worth being trusted. Because honestly she was right. I had no friends. I was wandering for centuries, looking to die. That doesn’t attract friends. Atleast, any worth keeping. I wanted to be her friend, simply because she was there and didn’t try to kill me without good reason.” 

Holly looked at Armark with the same sad look she gave him when they escaped the clutches of those goblins. When he expressed his desires to be dead, only recently finding the light of life.

“Oh, I got over my reclusiveness Holly. You’re living proof of that.” A small smile ran across her face. 

“Anyways,she deemed that impressive, and even thanked me. It was the start of a long lasting, good friendship.”

“And what of the gem? And what's her name?”

Armak took a small rodent off of the spit. “You know, looking back on it this story wasn’t really heartwarming.” The elf huffed. “It had you getting deservedly punched in the face, plenty warming for me. Now answer my questions!”

Armak scratched his feathery chin. “Hm, I think I'll tell the necklace story later. It's a real adventure when I find that out. As for her name? Well i’m surprised you haven’t put two and two together already, you’re quite the smart elf.” Holly searched her mind, coming up blank for every conceivable thing she knew. “Armak, you know my knowledge of the outside world is limited. Can’t you just tell me?”

The aaracockra smiled. “Her name was Seoven.” The pencil in Holly’s hand fell tot he stone floor of the cave.

“....Seoven? The same Seoven that led the Kroven Clan in the great divide?! Who founded the southern kingdoms?!”

“One in the same.”

Holly looked at Armak with a horrified look.

“AND YOU TRIED TO STEAL FROM HER?!”

[royalfoxfics]

Art by Twin Doodles

Ao3

FF.net

In which our heroes go back, find there is no going back, and things go up from there.

“Huh?”

 Chat cocked his head as he hung upside down from the courtyard floor.  Well, technically Chloe was the one who was upside down, but she didn’t feel much like moving at the moment.  Bad things happened when she moved today.

 “The super strength, how do you turn it on?” she repeated.  

 He blinked at her and scratched his head.

 “Uh… I don’t know.  It just sort of… turns on when I need it?”

 “Well I need it and it’s not turning on,” Chloe grumbled as she righted herself and shook her head. “At least the armor thing is working,” she grumbled.  

 “Maybe you didn’t say the phrase right?” Chat offered.  

 “I didn’t say the phrase at all!”

 “…Right.”  

 They stood in awkward silence as Chat Noir thought, and Chloe became more angry with her situation. It was bad enough she didn’t know how to use any of the unique powers she was supposed to have, but now the hunk of junk miraculous wasn’t even giving her the basics!  At least some of the powers seemed to be working, since she hadn’t felt much of an impact when she had crashed into the bench.  Then again, maybe it was just the adrenaline that was rapidly fading from her veins that kept her from feeling the full impact…

 “…We’re not gonna solve anything like this,” Chat said, pulling her out of her thoughts.  

 He knelt down and motioned for her to climb onto his back.

  “Here, hop on and we’ll go find Ladybug.  Maybe she can help once we deal with the Akuma.”  

 Chloe groaned and rubbed her face.  

 “Chat, you can’t seriously still expect me to fight like this?”  

 “Well no,” Chat said, straightening up.  “But I can’t just leave you alone while you’re transformed after you nearly passed out back there.”

 Chloe groaned again.  

 “How about I just change back?”

 “Can you?”

 “…Good question.”

 They hurried back inside the nurse’s office.  

 “Okay, how do I do this?” Chloe asked.  

 Chat opened his mouth to reply, but then trailed off as if not sure how to explain it.    

 “Well, you just kind of… want it to come off?  I think Plagg once told me saying the transformation words in reverse helps beginners.”  

 Chloe cocked her head to the side in confusion.  

 “You mean… talk backwards?”

 “No, like I say ‘Claws Out’ to transform.  To change back I’d say, ‘Claws In.”

There was a beat of awkward silence.  

 “…You didn’t change back though.”

 “Well no, I didn’t want to. It’s not like transforming, the words just help focus the feeling.  That’s the important part.  Just try saying ‘Change Back”

  “…Right.”  

 Chloe nodded and went back over to the mirror and looked herself in the eye.  

 “Okay… Change Back!”

 Nothing happened.  She looked back at Chat Noir.  

 “Like I said, it’s all feeling.  You have to want to change back.”

 Chloe nodded and turned back to the mirror and closed her eyes.  She tried to imagine herself without the mask and suit.  As regular, normal, mayor’s daughter Chloe, and tried to remind herself of what she was missing if she couldn’t change back.  No more credit cards, no luxury hair products, no limousines, no look of fear in people’s eyes when she walked into a room, no hateful glares when they thought her back was turned, no having to make herself turn up her nose when a pretty girl passed by so she wouldn’t stare, no feeling of a knife being turned in her heart when she saw happy couples sharing a meal, while she sat alone in her limo on the way to another public appearance as the daughter of a corrupt mayor…  

 She opened her eyes, and saw a woman who didn’t have to be her looking back from the mirror.  

 “…I can’t.”

 She felt Chat’s hand on her shoulder, and turned to see him smiling at her.  

 “That’s okay.  I don’t think I could have done it the first time either.”  

 She smiled back, and then grimaced as pain shot through her back again.  Chat steadied her, but she held up a hand.  

 “Was it?”

 “Yeah,” she said straightening up.  “But it wasn’t as bad as last time.  Lasted a little longer though…”  

 She rubbed that same spot on her upper back as the pain quickly dissipated.  

 “Maybe you should just stop looking in mirrors?  Those eyes are enough to break any girl’s heart when they look away.”  

 “…Shut up.”  

 She playfully pushed him away, but couldn’t keep herself from smiling.  Chat chuckled back before his eyes suddenly lit up.  

 “Oh, that reminds me actually!  Come on.”

 He grabbed her by the wrist and drug her back out to the courtyard.  

 “You know, I hope nobody sees us,” Chloe commented, looking around.  “The last thing I need is Cesaire getting some video of me tripping over my own feet before I’ve even announced myself to Paris.”

 “The school’s empty, trust me,” Chat said, pointing to his magic cat ears.  He knelt down slightly with is back to her.  “Now hop on, I’ve still got one more surprise for you.”

 Chloe rolled her eyes.

 “Chat, if your next surprise is anything like your last one it would be kinder to just cataclysm me now and be done with it.”

 “You’ll love it I promise! …hopefully.”

 Chloe sighed and shook her head, but put her arms around his neck anyway.  He stood up and she tightened her grip around his collar bone.

 “Ready?”  

 “…No.”  

 “Good, here we go.”  

 He took a running leap and used his staff to propel them up to the roof of the school again.  Then he pole-vaulted them across the street, and up onto the flat roofs surrounding the park.  

 “Last stop,” Chat said as they landed.  

 Chloe let go and began brushing herself off and grumbling.  

 “Ugg, Ladybug is so much better at whisking people away then you.”

 “Yeah, yeah,” Chat said, lazily putting his staff behind his head and hanging his arms off it again. Then he shifted uncomfortably. “Uhm… look, I know I shouldn’t have to say this but… well… About Ladybug-“

 “I promise I’ll try not to steal your ‘Lady’ away from you,” Chloe said, giving him an affectionate smile. “Since you’re the one who gave me my chance that would be a pretty nasty thing to do, even for me.  I don’t think I’d have a chance with her anyway actually…  She never seemed to like me very much.”  She added, looking down at the ground.  

 “This is the new you, remember?” Chat said, lifting her chin up to look at him.  “But I’m gonna hold you to that promise.  Though I’m sure my feline charms would win out over your feminine whiles eventually.”

 “Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that, cheese breath.”  

 She patted him on the cheek with a teasing smile, and he groaned.

 The two of them went over to the edge of the roof and looked down at the chaos below.  They had seen a fair amount of the evil edibles running about the park on the TV earlier, but now the place looked nearly overrun. Several hostages were tied between posts made out of giant pretzel sticks halfway between the fountain and the statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir, which of course had been smashed to pieces as it always was whenever there was an Akuma attack in the area.  The monstrous pastries were either jeering at the hostages, or dancing around them waving more cooking implements.  Amongst the hostages were Nadja Charmack, her cameraman, and a particularly well dressed and cowardly looking gentleman Chloe felt she had seen somewhere before, but couldn’t place.  

 “Looks like Ladybug hasn’t shown up yet,” Chat Noir said.  

 “Or she’s somewhere else dealing with the Akuma. Look at how the hostages are tied up like they’re going to be an island sacrifice, like in that movie with the big monkey, remember?  None of those things look like they’re in charge, they’re just dancing around, and there is definitely more of them than there were on the news.  They’re waiting for something, probably the Akuma riding on a giant gingerbread gorilla.”

 Chat Noir looked at her, clearly impressed with her assessment.  But before he could say anything,

 “Wow!  Good eye, girl!”  

 They whipped around to see a girl in an orange and white outfit standing a few feet away.  The girl smiled and waved at them, and Chloe recognized her from her description and the blurry photos on the Ladyblog.  

 “Volpina!” she gasped.

 She grabbed at the satchel on her waist, but panicked as she realized she had no idea how she was supposed to use it to defend herself.  She looked to Chat Noir for help, but to her surprise he smiled and put away his staff to shake the newcomer’s hand.  

 “Nice to meet the real you finally.  Chat Noir, though you probably already knew that.”  

 “Volpina,” she said, shaking his hand.  Then she turned to Chloe.  “And who might this clever girl be?”

 Chloe blushed.  

 “Volpina, meet your new partner, Queen Bee!”

 “Queen Bee huh?” Volpina said walking up to Chloe. “That’s an… interesting choice of name. Anyway, it’s great to meet you, I’m sure we’ll make a great team!”

 She smiled and held out her hand to Chloe, but all Chloe could do was stand there like a deer in headlights.  She looked desperately from Chat Noir to this new(?) Volpina.  Partner?  She had her own partner?  And what was with this Queen Bee stuff Chat was suddenly spouting.  In a daze she took a step back, and her foot found only empty air.

 As the familiar sensation of falling overtook her, her back exploded in pain again, and the world went black.  

   Authors Notes

 Regarding Volpina: Yes, she’s finally here.  Chlolya fans rejoice because (spoiler alert) the next couple chapters are going to be focusing pretty heavily on the two of them.  And what chapter’s they are going to be.

 Regarding the Landscape: I freely admit I cheated a little and changed the rooftops surrounding the park from pointed to flat so I could use it as a scene location.  Then again, I’ve also seen shots in the show where some of the roofs there do look flat on top.  But then, the Eiffel Tower likes to jump around from being right behind the school, on the opposite side of the bridge from the school, on the other side of Paris, and once I believe ended up being behind Adrien’s house even though his house FACES the damn thing.  My point is, the canonical layout of Paris changes with the time of day in the show, so please do not worry if there are any topographical inconsistencies, though I will try to keep them to a minimum.  I actually work off of a screenshot from “The Bubbler” that shows off how close most of the landmarks like the school and everyone’s houses are. Most of the time.

 And again, this is an A.U.  Chloe is gay, Mrs. Agreste is dead, Pollen’s eyes are still solid blue, and the roofs around Palace De Vogses are flat.

%Z�

[stopkingobama]

VIDEO: Trump gives epic speech in Poland, Fake News freak out

President Trump gave a full-throated defense of American values in a speech in Poland yesterday, and the Fake News media are wetting their pants.

See it for yourself!

MRS. TRUMP:  Hello, Poland!  Thank you very much.  My husband and I have enjoyed visiting your beautiful country.  I want to thank President and Mrs. Duda for the warm welcome and their generous hospitality.  I had the opportunity to visit the Copernicus Science Centre today, and found it not only informative but thoughtful, its mission, which is to inspire people to observe, experiment, ask questions, and seek answers.

I can think of no better purpose for such a wonderful science center.  Thank you to all who were involved in giving us the tour, especially the children who made it such a wonderful experience.

As many of you know, a main focus of my husband’s presidency is safety and security of the American people.  I think all of us can agree people should be able to live their lives without fear, no matter what country they live in.  That is my wish for all of us around the world.  (Applause.)

Thank you again for this wonderful welcome to your very special country.  Your kindness and gracious hospitality will not be forgotten.  (Applause.)

And now it is my honor to introduce to you my husband, the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much.  That’s so nice.  The United States has many great diplomats, but there is truly no better ambassador for our country than our beautiful First Lady, Melania.  Thank you, Melania.  That was very nice.  (Applause.)

We’ve come to your nation to deliver a very important message:  America loves Poland, and America loves the Polish people.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

The Poles have not only greatly enriched this region, but Polish-Americans have also greatly enriched the United States, and I was truly proud to have their support in the 2016 election.  (Applause.)

It is a profound honor to stand in this city, by this monument to the Warsaw Uprising, and to address the Polish nation that so many generations have dreamed of:  a Poland that is safe, strong, and free.  (Applause.)

President Duda and your wonderful First Lady, Agata, have welcomed us with the tremendous warmth and kindness for which Poland is known around the world.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  My sincere — and I mean sincerely thank both of them.  And to Prime Minister Syzdlo, a very special thanks also.  (Applause.)

We are also pleased that former President Leck Walesa, so famous for leading the Solidarity Movement, has joined us today, also.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

On behalf of all Americans, let me also thank the entire Polish people for the generosity you have shown in welcoming our soldiers to your country.  These soldiers are not only brave defenders of freedom, but also symbols of America’s commitment to your security and your place in a strong and democratic Europe.

We are proudly joined on stage by American, Polish, British, and Romanian soldiers.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Great job.

President Duda and I have just come from an incredibly successful meeting with the leaders participating in the Three Seas Initiative.  To the citizens of this great region, America is eager to expand our partnership with you.  We welcome stronger ties of trade and commerce as you grow your economies. And we are committed to securing your access to alternate sources of energy, so Poland and its neighbors are never again held hostage to a single supplier of energy.  (Applause.)

Mr. President, I congratulate you, along with the President of Croatia, on your leadership of this historic Three Seas Initiative.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

This is my first visit to Central Europe as President, and I am thrilled that it could be right here at this magnificent, beautiful piece of land.  It is beautiful.  (Applause.)  Poland is the geographic heart of Europe, but more importantly, in the Polish people, we see the soul of Europe.  Your nation is great because your spirit is great and your spirit is strong.  (Applause.)

For two centuries, Poland suffered constant and brutal attacks.  But while Poland could be invaded and occupied, and its borders even erased from the map, it could never be erased from history or from your hearts.  In those dark days, you have lost your land but you never lost your pride.  (Applause.)

So it is with true admiration that I can say today, that from the farms and villages of your countryside to the cathedrals and squares of your great cities, Poland lives, Poland prospers, and Poland prevails.  (Applause.)

Despite every effort to transform you, oppress you, or destroy you, you endured and overcame.  You are the proud nation of Copernicus — think of that — (applause) — Chopin, Saint John Paul II.  Poland is a land of great heroes.  (Applause.)  And you are a people who know the true value of what you defend.

The triumph of the Polish spirit over centuries of hardship gives us all hope for a future in which good conquers evil, and peace achieves victory over war.

For Americans, Poland has been a symbol of hope since the beginning of our nation.  Polish heroes and American patriots fought side by side in our War of Independence and in many wars that followed.  Our soldiers still serve together today in Afghanistan and Iraq, combatting the enemies of all civilization.

For America’s part, we have never given up on freedom and independence as the right and destiny of the Polish people, and we never, ever will.  (Applause.)

Our two countries share a special bond forged by unique histories and national characters.  It’s a fellowship that exists only among people who have fought and bled and died for freedom.  (Applause.)

The signs of this friendship stand in our nation’s capital.  Just steps from the White House, we’ve raised statues of men with names like Pułaski and Kościuszko.  (Applause.)  The same is true in Warsaw, where street signs carry the name of George Washington, and a monument stands to one of the world’s greatest heroes, Ronald Reagan.  (Applause.)

And so I am here today not just to visit an old ally, but to hold it up as an example for others who seek freedom and who wish to summon the courage and the will to defend our civilization.  (Applause.)  The story of Poland is the story of a people who have never lost hope, who have never been broken, and who have never, ever forgotten who they are.  (Applause)

AUDIENCE:  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  Such a great honor.  This is a nation more than one thousand years old.  Your borders were erased for more than a century and only restored just one century ago.

In 1920, in the Miracle of Vistula, Poland stopped the Soviet army bent on European conquest.  (Applause.)  Then, 19 years later in 1939, you were invaded yet again, this time by Nazi Germany from the west and the Soviet Union from the east.  That’s trouble.  That’s tough.

Under a double occupation the Polish people endured evils beyond description: the Katyn forest massacre, the occupations, the Holocaust, the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the destruction of this beautiful capital city, and the deaths of nearly one in five Polish people.  A vibrant Jewish population — the largest in Europe — was reduced to almost nothing after the Nazis systematically murdered millions of Poland’s Jewish citizens, along with countless others, during that brutal occupation.

In the summer of 1944, the Nazi and Soviet armies were preparing for a terrible and bloody battle right here in Warsaw. Amid that hell on earth, the citizens of Poland rose up to defend their homeland.  I am deeply honored to be joined on stage today by veterans and heroes of the Warsaw Uprising.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  (Chanting.)

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  What great spirit.  We salute your noble sacrifice and we pledge to always remember your fight for Poland and for freedom.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

This monument reminds us that more than 150,000 Poles died during that desperate struggle to overthrow oppression. From the other side of the river, the Soviet armed forces stopped and waited.  They watched as the Nazis ruthlessly destroyed the city, viciously murdering men, women, and children.  They tried to destroy this nation forever by shattering its will to survive.

But there is a courage and a strength deep in the Polish character that no one could destroy.  The Polish martyr, Bishop Michael Kozal, said it well:  “More horrifying than a defeat of arms is a collapse of the human spirit.”

Through four decades of communist rule, Poland and the other captive nations of Europe endured a brutal campaign to demolish freedom, your faith, your laws, your history, your identity — indeed the very essence of your culture and your humanity.  Yet, through it all, you never lost that spirit.  (Applause.)  Your oppressors tried to break you, but Poland could not be broken.  (Applause.)

And when the day came on June 2nd, 1979, and one million Poles gathered around Victory Square for their very first mass with their Polish Pope, that day, every communist in Warsaw must have known that their oppressive system would soon come crashing down.  (Applause.)  They must have known it at the exact moment during Pope John Paul II’s sermon when a million Polish men, women, and children suddenly raised their voices in a single prayer.  A million Polish people did not ask for wealth.  They did not ask for privilege.  Instead, one million Poles sang three simple words:  “We Want God.”  (Applause.)

In those words, the Polish people recalled the promise of a better future.  They found new courage to face down their oppressors, and they found the words to declare that Poland would be Poland once again.

As I stand here today before this incredible crowd, this faithful nation, we can still hear those voices that echo through history.  Their message is as true today as ever.  The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out “We want God.”  (Applause.)

Together, with Pope John Paul II, the Poles reasserted their identity as a nation devoted to God.  And with that powerful declaration of who you are, you came to understand what to do and how to live.  You stood in solidarity against oppression, against a lawless secret police, against a cruel and wicked system that impoverished your cities and your souls.  And you won.  Poland prevailed.  Poland will always prevail.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you.  You were supported in that victory over communism by a strong alliance of free nations in the West that defied tyranny.  Now, among the most committed members of the NATO Alliance, Poland has resumed its place as a leading nation of a Europe that is strong, whole, and free.

A strong Poland is a blessing to the nations of Europe, and they know that.  A strong Europe is a blessing to the West and to the world.  (Applause.)  One hundred years after the entry of American forces into World War I, the transatlantic bond between the United States and Europe is as strong as ever and maybe, in many ways, even stronger.

This continent no longer confronts the specter of communism.  But today we’re in the West, and we have to say there are dire threats to our security and to our way of life.  You see what’s happening out there.  They are threats.  We will confront them.  We will win.  But they are threats.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  We are confronted by another oppressive ideology — one that seeks to export terrorism and extremism all around the globe.  America and Europe have suffered one terror attack after another.  We’re going to get it to stop.  (Applause.)

During a historic gathering in Saudi Arabia, I called on the leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations to join together to drive out this menace which threatens all of humanity.  We must stand united against these shared enemies to strip them of their territory and their funding, and their networks, and any form of ideological support that they may have.  While we will always welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  We are fighting hard against radical Islamic terrorism, and we will prevail.  We cannot accept those who reject our values and who use hatred to justify violence against the innocent.

Today, the West is also confronted by the powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence, and challenge our interests.  To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes, and cyberwarfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields.

We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes — including Syria and Iran — and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself.  (Applause.)

Finally, on both sides of the Atlantic, our citizens are confronted by yet another danger — one firmly within our control.  This danger is invisible to some but familiar to the Poles:  the steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people.  The West became great not because of paperwork and regulations but because people were allowed to chase their dreams and pursue their destinies.

Americans, Poles, and the nations of Europe value individual freedom and sovereignty.  We must work together to confront forces, whether they come from inside or out, from the South or the East, that threaten over time to undermine these values and to erase the bonds of culture, faith and tradition that make us who we are.  (Applause.)  If left unchecked, these forces will undermine our courage, sap our spirit, and weaken our will to defend ourselves and our societies.

But just as our adversaries and enemies of the past learned here in Poland, we know that these forces, too, are doomed to fail if we want them to fail.  And we do, indeed, want them to fail.  (Applause.)  They are doomed not only because our alliance is strong, our countries are resilient, and our power is unmatched.  Through all of that, you have to say everything is true.  Our adversaries, however, are doomed because we will never forget who we are.  And if we don’t forget who are, we just can’t be beaten.  Americans will never forget.  The nations of Europe will never forget.  We are the fastest and the greatest community.  There is nothing like our community of nations.  The world has never known anything like our community of nations.

We write symphonies.  We pursue innovation.  We celebrate our ancient heroes, embrace our timeless traditions and customs, and always seek to explore and discover brand-new frontiers.

We reward brilliance.  We strive for excellence, and cherish inspiring works of art that honor God.  We treasure the rule of law and protect the right to free speech and free expression.  (Applause.)

We empower women as pillars of our society and of our success.  We put faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, at the center of our lives.  And we debate everything.  We challenge everything.  We seek to know everything so that we can better know ourselves.  (Applause.)

And above all, we value the dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person, and share the hope of every soul to live in freedom.  That is who we are.  Those are the priceless ties that bind us together as nations, as allies, and as a civilization.

What we have, what we inherited from our — and you know this better than anybody, and you see it today with this incredible group of people — what we’ve inherited from our ancestors has never existed to this extent before.  And if we fail to preserve it, it will never, ever exist again.  So we cannot fail.

This great community of nations has something else in common:  In every one of them, it is the people, not the powerful, who have always formed the foundation of freedom and the cornerstone of our defense.  The people have been that foundation here in Poland — as they were right here in Warsaw — and they were the foundation from the very, very beginning in America.

Our citizens did not win freedom together, did not survive horrors together, did not face down evil together, only to lose our freedom to a lack of pride and confidence in our values.  We did not and we will not.  We will never back down.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  As long as we know our history, we will know how to build our future.  Americans know that a strong alliance of free, sovereign and independent nations is the best defense for our freedoms and for our interests.  That is why my administration has demanded that all members of NATO finally meet their full and fair financial obligation.

As a result of this insistence, billions of dollars more have begun to pour into NATO.  In fact, people are shocked.  But billions and billions of dollars more are coming in from countries that, in my opinion, would not have been paying so quickly.

To those who would criticize our tough stance, I would point out that the United States has demonstrated not merely with words but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment.  (Applause.)

Words are easy, but actions are what matters.  And for its own protection — and you know this, everybody knows this, everybody has to know this — Europe must do more.  Europe must demonstrate that it believes in its future by investing its money to secure that future.

That is why we applaud Poland for its decision to move forward this week on acquiring from the United States the battle-tested Patriot air and missile defense system — the best anywhere in the world.  (Applause.)  That is also why we salute the Polish people for being one of the NATO countries that has actually achieved the benchmark for investment in our common defense.  Thank you.  Thank you, Poland.  I must tell you, the example you set is truly magnificent, and we applaud Poland.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

We have to remember that our defense is not just a commitment of money, it is a commitment of will.  Because as the Polish experience reminds us, the defense of the West ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail and be successful and get what you have to have.  The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive.  Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost?  Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders?  Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?  (Applause.)

We can have the largest economies and the most lethal weapons anywhere on Earth, but if we do not have strong families and strong values, then we will be weak and we will not survive.  (Applause.)  If anyone forgets the critical importance of these things, let them come to one country that never has.  Let them come to Poland.  (Applause.)  And let them come here, to Warsaw, and learn the story of the Warsaw Uprising.

When they do, they should learn about Jerusalem Avenue.  In August of 1944, Jerusalem Avenue was one of the main roads running east and west through this city, just as it is today. Control of that road was crucially important to both sides in the battle for Warsaw.  The German military wanted it as their most direct route to move troops and to form a very strong front.  And for the Polish Home Army, the ability to pass north and south across that street was critical to keep the center of the city, and the Uprising itself, from being split apart and destroyed.

Every night, the Poles put up sandbags amid machine gun fire — and it was horrendous fire — to protect a narrow passage across Jerusalem Avenue.  Every day, the enemy forces knocked them down again and again and again.  Then the Poles dug a trench.  Finally, they built a barricade.  And the brave Polish fighters began to flow across Jerusalem Avenue.  That narrow passageway, just a few feet wide, was the fragile link that kept the Uprising alive.

Between its walls, a constant stream of citizens and freedom fighters made their perilous, just perilous, sprints.  They ran across that street, they ran through that street, they ran under that street — all to defend this city.  “The far side was several yards away,” recalled one young Polish woman named Greta.  That mortality and that life was so important to her.  In fact, she said, “The mortally dangerous sector of the street was soaked in the blood.  It was the blood of messengers, liaison girls, and couriers.”

Nazi snipers shot at anybody who crossed.  Anybody who crossed, they were being shot at.  Their soldiers burned every building on the street, and they used the Poles as human shields for their tanks in their effort to capture Jerusalem Avenue.  The enemy never ceased its relentless assault on that small outpost of civilization.  And the Poles never ceased its defense.

The Jerusalem Avenue passage required constant protection, repair, and reinforcement, but the will of its defenders did not waver, even in the face of death.  And to the last days of the Uprising, the fragile crossing never, ever failed.  It was never, ever forgotten.  It was kept open by the Polish people.

The memories of those who perished in the Warsaw Uprising cry out across the decades, and few are clearer than the memories of those who died to build and defend the Jerusalem Avenue crossing.  Those heroes remind us that the West was saved with the blood of patriots; that each generation must rise up and play their part in its defense — (applause) — and that every foot of ground, and every last inch of civilization, is worth defending with your life.

Our own fight for the West does not begin on the battlefield — it begins with our minds, our wills, and our souls.  Today, the ties that unite our civilization are no less vital, and demand no less defense, than that bare shred of land on which the hope of Poland once totally rested.  Our freedom, our civilization, and our survival depend on these bonds of history, culture, and memory.

And today as ever, Poland is in our heart, and its people are in that fight.  (Applause.)  Just as Poland could not be broken, I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken.  Our values will prevail.  Our people will thrive.  And our civilization will triumph.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you.  So, together, let us all fight like the Poles — for family, for freedom, for country, and for God.

Thank you.  God Bless You.  God bless the Polish people.  God bless our allies.  And God bless the United States of America.

Thank you.  God bless you.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

[caterinawrites]

A Mile in my Shoes Chapter 3 (End)

I finally finished this! I think the last time I posted an update for it was November, but I finally finished this one! As I explain in my notes, I lost motivation for it for a while, and got side tracked by Colors of the Soul, and this one has been holding me back from starting another multi-chapter fic cause I felt bad. Also, I didn’t really proof read it, so if there are mistakes, I’m sorry. I wanted to finish it, and it’s finally done, so if you’ve been waiting on it, I’m sorry, but now it has an ending, so you can go and read it:

FF | AO3

           When morning came, Adrien sat up in his bed, rubbing sleep from his eyes. It was eerily quiet, he noticed, and he remembered that Plagg wasn’t there to fill the room with his snores. Speaking of…where was Tikki?

           “Good morning,” A cheerful voice called from above. “I was just admiring your book collection.”

           “It’s fine,” He yawned. “Did you sleep okay?”

           “Not a wink, but sometimes I like to stay up and read,” She waved it away.

           “You miss her?” Adrien cocked a brow, and Tikki shrank slightly. “It’s alright. I miss her too.”

           “She really detests your flirting, you know. As Chat Noir anyway,” She giggled.

           “What does that mean?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

           “Nothing,” She grinned smugly.

           “Adrien? Are you up?” Nathalie called from the other side of his door.

           “Y-Yeah,” He answered.

           “Breakfast will be ready shortly,” She said, and Adrien listened as the clicks of her heels grew softer.

           “So, what are we going to do, Tikki? Am I just supposed to wait for another akuma to attack?” He turned to her and ran a hand through his hair.

           “I don’t suppose there’s much else we can do. Not without revealing who you are,” Tikki tapped her chin. “Akumas pop up all the time, so hopefully you can swap back soon.”

           “Yeah,” Adrien nodded. “Hopefully.”

Marinette

           “I’m so late!” She yelped, racing up the front steps into the school.

           Plagg hadn’t woken her up like Tikki usually did when she slept through her alarm. In fact, the lazy bones was still asleep in her purse at the moment. She hoped Chat Noir was more prompt than she was.

           Ugh! Chat Noir.

           What had she been thinking yesterday? Why did she let him talk her into this? And why were his eyes so…dreamy? No! She wasn’t going to think of him that way! She’d never betray Adrien! Still, he did look kind of handsome in her suit…

           She was losing it. Had to be. No way she just so happened to be attracted to Chat Noir after all this time just because she saw his eyes. It wasn’t happening. It couldn’t happen. They were a team and needed to focus on saving Paris. Yeah. That’s why she couldn’t like him.

           “Did you get picked to be Ladybug because your face is all red and spotted?”

           “Plagg! Shh!” She clamped her hand over her bag. “And do you have a problem with my face?”

           “Yeah, it’s red and spotty,” He repeated, and she pursed her lips sourly.

           “They’re freckles. Lots of people have them, and I was just thinking about someone…” She shook her head to clear it. “Doesn’t matter.”

           “Thinking about the boy on your wall?” He batted his eyelashes mockingly. “Or about Chat Noir in your Ladybug suit?”

           “How did you-”

           “I can hear what goes on in your head when you’re transformed,” He pointed out.

           “Then that’s another secret that’s gonna stay between us,” She ordered, snapping her purse shut as she walked into class. “Oof!”

           “Whoa, careful!” Adrien gasped, catching her smoothly after she oh-so-rudley bumped into him. Again.

           Dummy! She mentally kicked herself as she straightened up.

           “You okay?” He asked sweetly, training those gorgeous eyes on her.

           “Uh, y-yeah, fine! Sorry! I should pay more attention,” She rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish smile.

           “Don’t sweat it,” He chuckled, gesturing her ahead to her seat. Chloe was seething when she passed, and Marinette couldn’t help the small smirk that crept across her lips.

           “Aww, no way! An akuma is attacking the Grand Palais, and I’m stuck here!” Alya hissed, pounding her fist on the desk.

           “A what?” She gasped, leaning over her friend to see the screen.

           Well, they needed an akuma to swap back anyways. May as well do it sooner rather than later.

           “I, uh, I’m not feeling well. I’m gonna go see the nurse!” She cupped a hand over her mouth.

           “I…need to use the restroom!” Adrien stood up and rushed out behind her. He seemed to ditch class a lot too. Maybe he had a sensitive stomach.

           Once she was in the safety of the girl’s bathroom, she opened her purse quickly, but the small cat had curled up again.

           “Plagg!” She growled. “Seriously? Wake up! Paris is in trouble!”

           “Five more minutes…” He mumbled sleepily.

           “No time!” She sighed. “Claws out!”

           “Ugh, you’re just as bad as Adrie-” He groaned as the ring sucked him inside.

           “Okay, Marinette, it’s a pole. How hard can it be to master?” She coached herself, tapping the staff in her free hand before extending it and sprinting forward, picturing how Chat Noir usually vaults himself forward.

           Ugh! Thinking about his body was the last thing she should be doing, and her traitor of a heart took off in her chest. Maybe she’d been hallucinating before, and he wasn’t even as good looking as she thought. Eyes couldn’t change someone’s face that much, could they?

           “You’re getting pretty good at that,” His overly-confident and flirtatious lilt startled her.

           She turned and made direct eye contact with him, and her heart went into overdrive.

           Okay, he looked good in her suit. Like, really good, but now wasn’t the time to be standing slack-jawed on a roof, ogling over his gorgeous eyes or crooked smile. She shook herself and refocused on the task at hand.

           “Uh, yeah, so we need to not get separated this time so we can switch back,” She instructed. The sooner he got out of her suit the better. Maybe if he went back to being his normal self, she could forget that she ever thought about him as anything more than a partner.

           “And what happens if we do?” His mask raised to one side.

           “Then we meet back at the Eiffel Tower an hour later,” She decided. “I was nearly late to class because Plagg didn’t wake me up.”

           “Aww, is my lady a little bedbug?” He cooed.

           “Can we focus on the task at hand?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’d like to switch back soon.”

           “Sorry. I just think it’s amewsing that you’re a late sleeper,” He snickered, but a loud crash across town snapped them both back to reality.

           “Come on, let’s hurry up and beat this thing,” She ordered, leaping from the roof and twirling the staff above her head like she’d seen him do so many times.

           “Ladybug and – Wait…” The akumatized villain stopped in confusion. She seemed to be some sort of ballerina.

           “Yeah, yeah, we’re backwards, so what?” She didn’t give them a chance to adjust before striking, sending her flying across the street. “Doesn’t mean we’re any less dangerous.”

           “Well, I’m not going to let you take away my dream! I’ll be taking both of your Miraculouses for Hawkmoth!” She stomped her foot in anger, but the two heroes gave her no time before springing into action.

           Their battle eventually led them to the dance studio where the instructor she sought revenge on was working with the prima on her solo. Eventually, their fun caught up to them as they both struggled to use the other’s powers effectively. When Chat Noir summoned a lucky charm and received a spool of ribbon, he eyed it with utter confusion.

           “Any ideas?” He glanced at her with a furrowed mask, hooding those beautiful emerald eyes.

           “Isn’t that your job right now?” She sighed, dodging a mannequin head that got launched her way.

           “Well, how do you normally do it?” He asked, glancing around. “I’m not getting anything.”

           “I don’t know! I just think of something,” She groaned.

           “Well, here goes nothing,” He shrugged, tossing the ribbon across the room where it collided with Prima’s face.

           “That was your plan?” She face palmed.

           “You make it look so easy!” He rubbed the back of his neck with a chagrined frown.

           “Fine, I’ll figure something out,” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Prima recovered from the shock. She eyed the ribbon on the floor, an idea forming in her mind. “Get ready to capture the akuma.”

           “Uh, right,” He nodded as she charged forward, engaging Prima in hand-to-hand combat.

           It didn’t take long for Prima to knock her onto her back in just the right position.

           “Looks like you’re a little out of your element, kitty cat,” She smirked, pacing forward. “I’ll take that ring of yours.”

           “I don’t think so,” Ladybug smirked, tugging the ribbon out from under Prima’s feet, forcing her to fall backward.

           Ladybug sprang to her feet, readying her cataclysm, and kart-wheeled passed Prima catching her tiara and turning it to ash before she tossed it to Chat Noir. He caught it and crushed it in his hand, revealing the black butterfly hiding inside. He captured it in the yoyo, and she smiled to herself. They’d actually managed to beat two akumas while swapped around. They really were an amazing team.

“Great work, m’lady,” He smiled, approaching her as the magic from lucky charm fixed all the damage.

           “Thanks,” She winked. “Now, let’s get things swapped back.”

           The earrings beeped frantically as she dragged him to the storage closet, and soon she saw the flash of light and felt his bare skin against her suit. She blushed a little, wondering what he looked like without the mask, but she quickly shoved the feeling away as they entered the large closet together. It occurred to her in that moment that she was now alone in a closet with Chat Noir. Not that she expected anything to happen, but still, the principle of the idea made her face burn.

           “Um, so, back-to-back like before?” She asked nervously, swallowing hard when he remained silent for a moment.

           “You could turn around if you wanted,” He murmured, stepping closer to her and taking her hand. “I don’t mind if you see who I am.”

           Her heart erupted in her chest, and for half a second, she was sorely tempted to turn around. To see the face that went with those alluring green eyes. But she shouldn’t, couldn’t, and despite how badly she wanted to in that moment, she knew that it would only complicate things more if they knew. So, reluctantly, she shook her head.

           “It’s better if we don’t know, kitty,” She said quietly, feeling her heart sink when he dropped her hand and turned to press his back to hers.

           “Alright,” He replied despondently, and she heard him unfastening the earrings from his shirt.

           “Plagg,” She commanded, and in a flash of green light, she was back to normal. Chat Noir passed her earrings back, and she traded him for his ring. “It was interesting, that’s for sure.”

           “Yeah,” He chuckled. “Maybe we can do it again sometime.”

           “I think not,” She grunted, leaning her head back to rest against him with a sigh. “But it was fun while it lasted.”

           “Definitely,” He reached for her hand once more and gave it a gentle squeeze that made her heart skip. His hands were soft.

           “I should go,” She cleared her throat after a minute, unlacing her fingers from his, but he squeezed tighter.

           “Wait,” He pleaded. “Ladybug…please turn around.”

           She bit her lip, mind racing with all of the reasons why she really wanted to, and all the reasons why she really shouldn’t. If she looked into his eyes again, saw his face, it would be over, and she wouldn’t be able to resist falling for him. And given their responsibilities to the city, they couldn’t afford to be distracted by each other.

           “We can’t, Chat,” She sighed, removing her hand from his and heading for the door straight ahead. “See you next time.”

           “Yeah. See you, Bug,” He sighed dejectedly, and she slipped out the door before the guilt could weigh her down anymore.

           She shouldn’t feel guilty about it; she’d said from the beginning that they should keep their identities a secret, even from each other, so why all of a sudden did she want to so badly? When she’d made it safely around the corner, she leaned against the wall and let out a flustered sigh. Her face felt hot, and the pounding of her heart made it hard to breathe. She listened as the door creaked, and his footsteps exited the closet.

           “The love of your life was standing in her own skin behind you, and you let her walk away?” Plagg scolded in disbelief.

           “It’s what she wanted,” He said as if it couldn’t be helped.

           “I don’t get you,” His grumpy companion responded sourly.

           “Sometimes I don’t understand it either, but even though it hurts, I’d never make her do anything she didn’t want to,” He explained softly.

           “Human love is so strange,” Plagg commented, and Marinette listened as his footsteps headed in the other direction.

           “Yeah, I guess it is,” He chuckled sadly, and before she could stop herself, she rounded the corner once more.

           “Chat Noir!” She called, covering her mouth as soon as she said it. He froze in place and turned around, and Marinette felt her heart jump up to her throat. All along…

           “Ladybug?” He gasped, eyes wide with shock.

           “Um, y-yeah,” She whimpered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. He eyed her for a moment before taking a few steps toward her, but she didn’t know how to think or feel. “Bye…” She said quickly, rounding the corner once more and pacing swiftly for the door at the end of the hall. When she heard him in pursuit, she walked faster.

           “Wait!” He called, reaching the corner and picking up the pace to catch up. She was almost at the door, and beyond it were the busy streets of Paris which she could easily lose him in. “Marinette!” At the sound of her own name, she stopped, hand frozen on the bar.

           It was all over now. He knew, and she knew. And all along, the boy she loved, the boy she spent every hour thinking about, had been right by her side the whole time. She’d never realized. She’d never paid attention. All of those flirtatious jokes and bad puns were all from him. Adrien. He’d reached her by that point, and he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

           “Please, look at me,” He whispered, and she slowly loosened her grip on the door and turned around, eyes burning as she fought back tears. “Well, hi.”

           “H-H,” She covered her mouth and glanced away.

           “Are you disappointed that it’s me, Marinette?” He winced, letting his hand fall back to his side.

           “No!” She said quickly, head snapping up once more.

           “But you’re upset,” He pointed out softly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

           “I just…I don’t know what I was thinking,” She covered her face with her hands. “I shouldn’t have…”

           “I promise not to bother you if you don’t want me to. I’ll never bring it up if that’s what you want-”

           “It’s not that,” She shook her head. “I wanted to this time, but I shouldn’t have. I wasn’t thinking, I was just-”

           “Following your heart?” He cocked his head to the side a little, and she lowered her gaze once more. “It’s okay, Bug. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

           “I want…” She considered it for a moment and continued, “a hug.”

           “Well, I think I can muster one of those,” He smirked, extending his arms and wrapping them around her when she stepped forward. She leaned against his chest, and he held her tightly, nuzzling into her hair.

           “Are you disappointed that it’s me? I-I overheard Plagg saying you loved Ladybug, sorry…” She grimaced apologetically as he rubbed her back. “But I’m not Ladybug all the time.”

           “I’m not Chat Noir all the time,” He shrugged then smiled warmly. “I’m a little disappointed. Disappointed that I didn’t see it sooner. I mean, you’re just as brave as Ladybug, just as kind and sweet and caring, sophisticated, talented, smart, hot headed,” He tugged one of her pigtails teasingly. “Beautiful.”

           “You think all of that about Ladybug?” She blushed.

           “I think all of that about you, Marinette,” He laughed. “I always said ever since you captured all of those akumas on the Eiffel Tower that it didn’t matter who was under that mask. I love you.” Hearing those words made her mouth go dry, and a lump form in her throat.

           “I…” She started, voice cracking, so she swallowed a little to clear her throat. “I’ve always loved you, Adrien. Ever since you gave me that umbrella.” At that he laughed.

           “Looks like we’ve been chasing each other in circles,” He chuckled, pressing his forehead to hers.

           “Yeah,” She smiled. “I guess we have.”

           “So, where does that leave us?” He cocked a brow. “I mean, where do we go from here?”

           “Where do you want to go?” She bit her lip and shifted her weight slightly.

           “Hmmm,” He pursed his lips. “Well, I think first and foremost, we should get some coffee. I have a feeling you and I have a lot to tell each other.”

           “Okay,” She nodded, letting him lace his fingers through hers once more and lead her out into the street. They walked hand-in-hand to a nearby café where they picked up cookies for Tikki, and two coffees to-go. From there they spent hours in the rooftops of Paris exchanging stories of how much they’d admired each other, and how silly it all was. Seeing Adrien as Chat helped ease a lot of her previous nerves, and it felt nice to talk to someone about all of her superhero drama. Someone she loved and trusted.

           “It’s getting late. We should probably go home. Our parents will start to wonder what happened to us,” She said, watching the sun setting on the distant horizon.

           “Yeah, you’re probably right,” He sighed, standing up and helping her to her feet. He held her hands in his for a moment, biting his lip. “Can I do one more thing?”

           “Sure, what is it?” She tilted her head to the side slightly, arching a brow.

           “Close your eyes,” He breathed, wrapping his arms around her waist, and no sooner had she done so when his lips touched hers softly.

It felt weird knowing this was her second kiss with Adrien, but the circumstances surrounding it were, admittedly, much better than the first. Of all the ways this could have happened, she had never expected that a silly decision to switch Miraculouses would have lead them to this, but his lips were warm and showed no signs of pulling away anytime soon. Which was fine by her because she wasn’t letting go either. All along Adrien had been by her side, and she’d never even realized. Yet there they stood in a tight embrace, the taste of his breath on her tongue, as she laced her fingers through his messy hair.

When they finally pulled away, their eyes locked as they both panted slightly. He loosened his tight grip slightly and touched his nose to hers.

“See you tomorrow, m’ladybug?” He smiled widely, and she pushed his nose away, casting him a smile of her own.

“See you in class, chaton,” She giggled before turning and leaping from the roof, her yoyo carrying her across the city in a single swing.

Adrien and Chat Noir were the same person. If she didn’t know any better, she wouldn’t have believed it, but in a way, she was glad that she found out who he was. She would have driven herself crazy thinking about Chat and Adrien, but now she didn’t have to. It was hard to believe that it all started with one of his crazy ideas, and she had to wonder what crazy scheme he’d cook up next.  

[misunderstood-shadows]

The Returned: Chapter 13

      I screamed as the fire grew, flames licking at my skin. The witches mixed in with the crowd and begun to sing around me, coaxing the flames to rise higher, to become hotter. The pole I was tied to toppled over as the base burnt away. I fell with it, landing on the bed of coals. I blacked out as the pain became unbearable.

     When I woke, the coals were cool and the last of my burns had disappeared. My bindings had long since disintegrated. A man’s face appeared above me and I screamed.

     ‘‘Alessandra, calm down. It’s me.’’ Elijah’s face appeared above me. ‘’Here.’’ He draped his cloak over my naked body, my clothes having burnt off in the fire.

     ‘’Elijah.’’ I grabbed his lapels, pulling him close. ‘’They stole me from my bed, while I was asleep. They-they tried to burn me.’’

     ‘’It’s ok, I’ve got you. Niklaus had the carriage ready. We’re leaving this wretched place immediately.’’

     He picked me up in his arms and sped us back to the house. Inside, Rebekah and Klaus were speeding around, both blurs of action as they gathered our belongings. In my room, an elegant blue dress had been laid out on my bed and two handmaidens stood at attention, ready to help me.

     ‘’Get dressed. We leave when you are ready.’’ Elijah set me gently on my feet, pressing his forehead to mine. The maidens remained silent as Elijah and I shared breath. A second later he was gone.

     It didn’t take long to dress. As the last tie on my dress was tightened, Rebekah burst in.

     ‘’They are coming; we must leave this instant.’’ I nodded and we both sped out the door.

     I was the last into the carriage, so I was the first one shot. A wooden bullet ripped through my beautiful dress, piercing my heart. I screamed as it splintered and my heart healed over the wooden shards. I was dragged into the carriage, unable to move in fear of lodging a splinter further into my body. I know it wouldn’t kill me, but it hurt like a bitch. I could feel the splinters worming their way deeper into the muscle.

Rebekah held me steady while Elijah ripped open my bodice, revealing my undergarments. Had I been a proper lady, and not in utter agony, I would’ve been ashamed of being in such a state of undress in front of men. Looking at me apologetically, Elijah plunged a hand into my heart, pulling out the splinters and bullet. Though I tried to remain quiet, when Elijah pulled the bullet from me I couldn’t help but cry out in pain. As soon as it was gone though, my heart and Elijah’s hole in my chest healed. I breathed deeply as the pain disappeared, before sitting up again. I pulled what was left of my blood soaked dress to cover my body. I panted, trying to reassure myself that we were going to be safe very soon.

‘’See what happens when you are careless, Niklaus!’’ Elijah roared, turning to Klaus. ‘’Alessandra was burned alive because the town thought she killed those people!’’

‘’I am sorry. I did not mean for you to be hurt.’’ Klaus turned to me, pleading.

Still trying to regain my breath, I simply nodded, accepting his apology. As much as I adored Klaus, he was consumed by his demons and that usually ended up in one of us hurt. Klaus nodded, relieved.

There was a shudder, then the carriage slowed to a halt. Curious, we looked out the curtained windows just in time to see our coachman flung from his perch. The horses screamed. There was a bang and the window closest to Rebekah shattered. The sound of chanting witches filled the small space. Instantly, pain exploded in my head as every blood vessel burst.

     ‘Alessandra!’’ Somebody shouted. I sat up, nearly banging heads with whoever it was. The veins under my eyes turn black and my canines elongated, ready to attack. After realizing I was in the Mikaelson compound, not being attacked in the carriage, I let my fangs shrink back. Elijah sat on the edge of my bed, worry etched into his face. Hayley was by the door, in a black dress, one hand caressing her belly.

     ‘’Are you ok?’’ asked Elijah, searching my face.

I ran a hand through my hair, drawing my knees up to my chest. ‘’I- I don’t know.’’ I stuttered.

     ‘’You were screaming; it must’ve been a nightmare.’’ Hayley said.

     ‘’It wasn’t a dream… a memory. 1721. The attack on our carriage. I was burned at the stake, then shot, then cursed by witches.’’ I whimpered.

     ‘’Geez.’’ Hayley muttered.

     ‘’That was a very… eventful day for you.’’ Elijah gave a small smile. ‘’Are you alright now? The funeral is on but you don’t have to go.’’

     ‘’I’m fine; I’ll come. Just give me a moment to gather myself and get dressed.’’ I sighed. I was all sweaty from the nightmare and needed a quick shower. After scanning my face one last time he nodded, then left the room, taking Hayley with him.

     ‘’She was burned at the stake?’’ I heard Hayley ask.

     ‘‘Niklaus lost control and killed some important people in the village we were living in. The towns people believed it was Alessandra, so they burnt her at the stake. She burnt alive then healed. I heard of the incident and went to get her as soon as I could. We managed to escape, but barely. We all have had dreadful things done to us, but none have suffered physically as much as Alessandra. It is a miracle that she kept both her sanity and humanity.’’

     I turned on the water, the sound drowning out the rest of their conversation. Only when I was sure that they couldn’t hear me, did I let myself cry.

     The procession was winding its way through the town, down the main street. I walked silently next to Elijah, Hayley and Klaus, silently sweltering in the black dress I wore. Hayley had been giving little coughs for most of the way and I could see Elijah and Klaus glancing at her every so often.

     ‘’Are you alright?’’ Elijah asked after a particularly hard cough. ‘’You look- ‘’

     ‘’100 months pregnant and pissed off at the world?’’ She guessed.

     I snorted in a very unladylike manner, Elijah and Klaus grinned.

     ‘’I was going to say you look lovely.’’ Elijah watched the onlookers as we passed another group standing on the footpath. Up ahead, I could see the new leader of the human faction, Francesca Guerrera dabbing at obviously fake tears with a handkerchief.

     ‘’Do you think that I was the target of those bombings?’’ Hayley mused.

     ‘’Of course you were the target,’’ answered Klaus. ‘’Were I to wage a war on the wolves, you’d be my first kill. I’d string you up, for all your worshippers to see.’’

     ‘’Delightful, that.’’ I said scornfully.

     ‘’I believe that was my brothers way of asking you to return home with us.’’ Said Elijah. ‘’Perhaps try a different approach, Niklaus; fewer references to murder?’’

     ‘’As much as I would hate to throw you over my shoulder and drag you kicking and screaming to the compound, we both know I will, for the sake of my child.’’ Klaus hissed.

     ‘’One bad dream and suddenly you want to be a responsible daddy.’’ Hayley drawled.

     Klaus threw one arm around her, drawing her in close. ‘’Let me put this in perspective; my father lived to torment me. It is not my intention to become him. This cycle of misery ends with my child.’’

     ‘’Mm.’ Hayley said, pushing Klaus’s arm off her shoulder. ‘’You forgot a minor detail in an attempt to plead your case; she’s not your child. She ours.’’ She strode off ahead, to the side of Camille, who had been walking by herself most of the way.

     ‘’Ooh! Burn.’’ I whispered to Elijah. He grinned and watched Hayley stalk off.

     ‘’Very heart felt, Niklaus.’’ said Elijah.

     ‘’I hate funerals.’’ He muttered.

     A few minutes later I saw Hayley walk off to the side, fist raised to her mouth in an attempt to cover her coughs. I saw her sway, then lean over to grab a streetlight. I ran over to her, pushing through the masses of people. She coughed, then spluttered as a spray of blood came from her mouth. She gasped for breath as more dripped from her lips. I put a hand on her back, both comforting and supporting her as I looked frantically for the brothers, panic rising in my throat. This was not, by any standard, normal. Especially this late in her pregnancy.

     I saw Genevieve call Klaus over and both he and Elijah strode to our sides. Behind me, Hayley collapsed onto the concrete. Elijah sped over and picked her up with ease. We sped to the compound where I pushed two tables together for her to lie on.

     ‘’I can help.’’ Genevieve strode over to her side.

     ‘’Don’t you touch her,’’ growled Elijah, using one arm to block her from getting any closer to the wolf.

     ‘’Let her be, Elijah. She was a nurse.’’ Klaus said.

     ‘’There’s a spell I can do. Klaus, get chamomile from your pantry.’’ She ordered. Klaus sped off towards the kitchen. ‘’She’s trembling. Your jacket, Elijah.’’

     Swiftly, Elijah removed his jacket, placing it gently over Hayley. I stood off nervously to the side, biting my nail.

     ‘’She’s not breathing. I can hear the baby’s heartbeat but not hers.’’ Elijah murmured.

     At Genevieve’s request, I grabbed a washcloth and a bowl of cool water for Hayley. When I returned, the witch took the wet cloth and placed in on the wolf’s forehead, muttering incantations. Obviously not happy with the progress, Klaus bit into his wrist, pressing the wound against Hayley’s lips. She didn’t move and Klaus’s blood ran down her lips.

     ‘’It’s not working.’’ snarled Elijah. I jumped when he picked up the nearest chair, smashing it against a wall. A chunk of plaster fell to the floor, revealing the brick beneath.

     ‘’I’m taking her to a real doctor,’’ decided Elijah. He moved to pick her but Genevieve reached out a hand to stop him.

     ‘’If you move her from here, my spell will break. There won’t be enough time to get her to a hospital.’’

     ‘’Will the baby survive if delivered now?’’ Klaus said, moving towards Hayley’s prone body. ‘’I’ll rip it out of her myself.’’

     I sped in front of him, protecting Hayley while Elijah grabbed Klaus, preventing him from coming any further.

     ‘’Don’t do that, Klaus. You’ll lose Hayley and your child will grow up without a mother. You don’t want that for it.’’ I pleaded.

     ‘’If you do that, Hayley will bleed to death.’’ Genevieve said.

     ‘’I won’t lose that baby,’’ promised Klaus.

     ‘’I won’t lose either of them,’’ Elijah said.

     ‘’I know what to do,’’ said Genevieve suddenly. ‘’Get my gri-gri pouch from my bag. Now!’’

     Klaus sped off while Elijah and I looked on. When he returned, Genevieve dumped the white contents onto the table, drawing lines in the powder. After a moment Hayley woke, gasping for breath.

     ‘’Hayley!’’ Elijah lunged forwards, helping her sit up.

     ‘’You’re all right, love.’’ Klaus reassured.

     ‘’I saw him; he tried to kill me.’’ She panted, one hand flying to her stomach. ‘’I saw Mikael.’’

[walkerbaby-blog]

The Oxford Incident -- First Chapter Teaser (Original Fic)

I can’t believe I’m doing this... Anyway, here it goes the first chapter of the steampunk ya  I’m working on at this retreat: 

“This may be the dumbest thing we’ve ever done,” Jessa said as she stared at the imposing white stone facade of Majors and Sons, Mayfair’s finest jewelers and the Queen’s favorite place to acquire her shine. 

She tugged on the bottom of her brown braid, making sure it was secure. The last thing she needed was for her hair to come lose in the middle of cracking a safe and getting in her way. She could see it play out in her mind. There she is, crouched in front of the safe, ear trumpet pressed against the door, clicking through the dials and her hair gets in her eyes. And that’s when the Metropolitan Peelers crash in and catch her in act of pinching the store’s newest acquisition of diamonds and sapphires.

They’d hang her before breakfast sure as Queen Vicky had a perfumed chamber pot.

“This is a brilliant plan,” her partner — Archie— said and then rolled his eyes at her. “The best plan I’ve ever come up with.”

“That’s not saying much,” Jessa said and fought the urge to roll her eyes.

They were going to get caught. She knew it.

“You just follow my lead across the street,” Archie said, giving her his sternest stare, “and then shimmy yourself up that drain pipe and come back down with the goods and then Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt and in under ten minutes we’ll have the haul that Nell Planker’s been dying to get her thieving red fingers on. And then? It’s easy street for us. One way tickets to Australia and you’ll be wrangling those giant rabbits by dinner time.” 

“And if anyone suspicious comes by? Anyone who suddenly thinks they need to be in that shop for some reason?”

Archie twitched his shabby brown coat backwards and Jessa could see the club he always carried. The length of her arm from wrist to the tip of her middle finger, as thick as her wrist, it was made of solid wood, polished to a gleam. It wasn’t a big weapon but she knew from experience that when Archie put his considerable enthusiasm for mayhem behind it he could make the weapon an effective deterrent for anyone who thought to keep the two of them from their target.

“Right.” Jessa pulled on the dirty gray cap that she’d stolen off a drunk lamp lighter and tucker her braid up underneath it before glancing over at Archie.

He’d donned his own cap and had opened a glass bottle. Archie took a quick nip off the bottle and then splashed another dose onto his own coat. “Here.” He passed her the bottle. “If we’re playing at being drunken sots, we’re going to have to smell like it.”

The acrid smell of aether laced gin assaulted her nostrils and Jessa fought the urge to gag. Aether gin had taken over as the ruin of choice in Whitechapel and she’d seen plenty of dead in the early morning, unfortunates who’d thought the new drink would keep them warmer than a roof and walls would and froze to death in the biting London winters instead, their lips blue and their chest rattling from the particles that had turned their lungs to metal as they lay passed out in the gutters. “Right.” She spilled some of the clear liquid onto her own, soot covered, coat then took a small sip, wrinkling her nose at the way the alcohol burned on its way down her gullet.

Archie picked up the long torch they were supposed to be using to light the lamps, and rubbed a hand along the ashes collected in the thick wick. He rubbed some on his own face and then brought his hand up to Jessa’s cheeks, brushing them gently.

“There now,” His voice sounded rough. “We’ll make you a bit less of a pretty boy. Otherwise you might stick out in somebody’s mind. The too pretty lamp boy hanging around in Mayfair.” He fit the snuffer — the small cap that the real lamp boys would use to douse the lamps at dawn— onto the torch and then leaned on his left foot, resting his weight against the long length of the pole.

Jessa glanced over and fought the urge to rub at the cheek he’d brushed his fingers down. “Shut up Archie,” she muttered, trying to ignore the fact that a simple touch that she wouldn’t have noticed three months ago suddenly made her heart beat a little faster. Then again, it seemed to her that three months ago, Archie was much less likely to find excuses to run his fingers gently down her cheek. Or mention more about her appearance than whether or not she’d gotten a tear or a smear somewhere that she hadn’t already noticed.

Now though, it seemed Archie was always mentioning her hair or her eyes. Telling her he thought she looked too noticable in green. Throwing glares at the other young men around Whitechapel when they suggested she partner with them for some mayhem or a bit of burglary. Last week he’d threatened to break Edgar Whitman’s jaw if he didn’t leave off buying Jessa gins that she kept refusing to drink.

It was almost like Archie was trying to act like he was her man, courting her in his own street rat sort of way. And if the way her pulse raced every time he did something foolish and charming was any indication then Jessa was afraid that perhaps she’d grown a little too fond of the other thief. Maybe her brother-in-mischief was becoming…

She pulled away from that thought and shook her head violently from side to side, hard enough that she thought she could make the thought slosh completely free of her brain. The last thing she needed was to start mooning after some boy like a silly society twit with fluffy skirts and too tight corsets and more money than sense. She had no time to worry about dresses and curls and sweet smelling perfume. She had three sisters at home, each of them with a belly to fill and a doctor who demanded payment up front to give her sister Philodendron the medicine that allowed her to breathe.

Plus, Archie was her partner. They’d been working London’s streets as a team since she’d been eleven years old, newly orphaned with three younger sisters to care for, determined not to let the charity people pull them into one of their homes to be sold out as labor for the factories that had killed their parents. But Archie was more than just her partner. He’d been her first friend in Whitechapel. The one who’d brought her into the gang of street urchins and pick pockets that had given her and her sisters a home. She wasn’t about to complicate that with sweet words and kisses in dark alleys.

“Let’s get this done,” she said, glancing first left and then right, before linking her arm through Archie’s much more muscled one and lurched against him.

“Oh pretty Peggy,” Archie began to sing, slurring the words in his fine Irish tenor. “She was my queen. I’d spend all my coppers just to listen to her sing.” They stumbled across the street, lurching one way and then the next. “Oh pretty Peggy, she’d dance and sing. When the punters would throw their coins, then she’d show her knees.” Archie took a loud breath as they reached the other side of the road. “Oh pretty Peggy, my pretty pretty Queen. But I’m a poor man, with a skin full of gin, and my pretty Peggy she won’t let me in.” 

Jessa waited until he was in position, his body blocking the entrance to the alley, singing loudly about all the things Peggy the barmaid wouldn’t let her suitors do, and then hurried further into the alley. There, just above a set of metal bins, was her way in. One window with nothing much to look out at besides the sooty bricks of the building next to it. She reached into her jacket for the coiled up length of rope she kept there, a claw hammer’s head tied to the end. It was one of her sister Delphinium’s gadgets, something she’d gotten the idea for out of one of the adventure magazines she sometimes read between bowing and scraping to customers in the automata store where she worked the counter.

Jessa uncoiled the rope enough to swing it in a circle, the weighted hammer head causing it to pick up speed. Then, just as the air started to whistle from the rope’s speed, she released, throwing the iron head towards the window ledge. The glass shattered and Archie raised his voice to cover the tinkle of glass as it rained down on the alley. She was getting better at hitting the glass and breaking it but she wasn’t nearly as good as Delphi expected her to be. Then again, her sister didn’t actually have to use the gadgets she created.

She pulled on a pair of thick gloves and then gave a sharp tug on the rope. The head had caught fast on the other side of the window and she was certain it would hold her weight.

Well pretty certain. Possibly a little bit better than half a chance that it would hold her weight.

She tugged on the rope again, harder this time. She hoped it would hold her weight.

She put her right foot against the brick wall and prepared to—

Gaslights flared to life along the roof of Major’s and Sons, bathing the alley in gaslight. Loud ringing, the sound of a thousand angry bees woken to find that their honey was under attack, began to pour from the broken window and echoed against the brick walls of the alley.

Well there went that plan

She dropped the rope like it was a scalding tea kettle and bolted toward Archie at the mouth of the alley. “I thought you said you checked to make sure that Major’s didn’t have an alarm,” she screamed as they sprinted out of the alley and turned down the street. Major’s and Sons store was on a road that was a busy shopping plaza during the day but in the wee hours before dawn not many fine ladies were out and about looking for jewels and the whole street was empty. If they were lucky, perhaps no one would hear the alarm and they could make it to freedom. She kept her hands over her head, waiting for the instant when the security bees reached them and she felt the sharp prick of a stinger loaded with a paralyzing concoction to keep her in place until the Peelers arrived.

“Stop! Ruffians! Thieves!” A hoarse male voice bellowed.

Jessa didn’t stop. Even if she was inclined to find herself  in the gaol for a bit of burglary— which she wasn’t-- she wasn’t about to stick around and let one of those buzzers get their stingers in her skin. Been there. Done that. The three days of fever and hallucinations made her certain it was an experience she did not want to repeat.

“Come on,” Archie panted beside her, keeping pace but not running ahead like she knew he’d easily be able to do. “There’s an alley down here we can duck into and the buzzers won’t follow.”

“What about the Peelers?”

“It’s out of this sector’s footpath. They won’t chase us if we haven’t actually got the goods on us. Not worth their time.”

“Right.” She tried to run faster, her lungs on fire. Behind them she could hear the whistles and the crank crank of the police clackers, waking anyone who might be in Mayfair to let them know that thieves were afoot and that the chase was on. Then the clack clack of the rattles grew louder.

“Bloody bollocks!” Archie cursed, his breathing easy even as she struggled to keep up her pace. “Majors must have paid off two sets of police. Sly old fox.”

“What do we do?” She panted as he grabbed her arm and pulled her right at the next street, circling them back towards the blaring alarm.

“We find somewhere to wait them out,” Archie retorted. “Unless you think we can outrace—”

Just then an arm shot out of nowhere, slamming across Archie’s throat and he jerked away from Jessa’s hand.

She turned as the heavyset man who the arm had belonged to stared down at Archie and then back at her. “You’ve done a naughty thing my boys,” the man grinned.

She saw the shadow behind him a brief second before something thick came down on the man’s head and his eyes rolled backwards in his head, while his knees collapsed beneath him.

“Aye, and they’re still a better prospect than you, you worthless tub of knuckles and blubber.” A thick Welsh accent announced and Jessa stared, open mouthed at the slight man who had sneaked up behind their attacker and coshed him over the head with a club.

“Come on,” the still hidden Welshman prompted. “I can’t carry your friend all on my own. Help me give him a heave. Unless you feel like spending the last of your short days in one of Queen Vicky’s cells.”

She grabbed Archie’s right arm, while the Welshman grabbed his left, and helped him to his feet.

“Can you stand?” the Welshman asked.

Archie coughed thickly and then nodded.

“Can you run?” Jessa looked around, the street was still empty besides the three of them and the now unconscious man that their savior had smashed in the head but she could hear the clackers of the police rattles getting louder as their whistles echoed off the nearby buildings.

“Come on then, we’ll have to find out how steady you are as we move.” The Welshman looped one of Archie’s arms over his shoulders and hustled them toward a shop on the corner. The lamp at the corner illuminated the sign above the door. Flincher’s Fine Books.

“You’re a bookseller?” she asked as they started helping Archie up the three shorts steps into the store, dragging him most of the way.

“Among other things,” the man replied hurriedly as he closed the door behind them. “Come on you two. Best if we’re out of the window before those half-wits come racing by. It’s not likely they’ll have a thought to search the stores but you never know when one of them might suddenly get smarts to go along with his whistle and his hat.”

Archie coughed once, wetly, and then pulled away from Jessa’s hands. “I’m fine.”

“Are you—”

“I’m fine. He just took me by surprise is all. I’ve had worse.”

“Yeah?” Jessa muttered as she followed Archie and the other man deeper into the shop. “I’d hate to see what the other guy looked like after that.”

“About the same as he looked when he started in on me,” Archie answered. “Not much fight in a six year old, no matter how brawny he might be.”

“Here now.” The Welshman led them into a back room and turned up the gaslights that ringed the room. “This is a bit better. You can wait here until dawn, leave while they’re changing the guard.”

“Right.” Jessa stared at her surroundings. The room was shabby. Nothing more than a storage space. If a bookstore were in need of a storage space filled with boxes and barrels. A collection of fine pocket watches scattered across one of the tables. Two automatons in the corner. Typical shop drones. Most likely for shelving books or washing windows.

“Charles Flincher.” The Welshman stuck his hand out toward Archie. “Purveyor of fine literature for the educated London public. Or what passes for educated in London these days.”

Archie took the man’s hand and gave it a brief jerk up and then down. Just barely a handshake instead of an attack. “Archie Parker.”

“Erstwhile jewel thief.” Flincher added helpfully before he glanced at Jessa. “And you?”

“Curious.” She looked pointedly around the room. “Why does a bookseller got a storage room full of unlabeled gin?”

“A clever one aren’t you?” Flincher looked at her appraisingly. “I wonder why it is that Mr. Archie Parker and his clever girl companion — “

Flincher narrowed his eyes at her and cocked his head to the side like a dog waiting outside the horse butcher’s stall. “You are a girl under all that soot and cap aren’t you?”

Jessa pulled her cap off and her braid fell free as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Yes, I thought so.” Flincher nodded before he turned to Archie. “You’ll want to quit using trousers as a ruse for this one, otherwise you’re going to attract more attention than you deflect. And none of it the kind you’ll like I imagine.”

Jessa gaped. “I’ll thank you to keep your thoughts about my trousers to yourself!”

“It’s not just my thoughts love,” Flincher said, letting his eyes graze over her in a slow up and down. “It’s any man in London. Including this one here I expect. A bit of an ogle is fine boy but not if it’s going to make your thieving go pear shaped. But that would be something a smart thief would think of and you two don’t impress me as having an overabundance of brains, considering you didn’t make sure Majors didn’t have an alarm in place before you went a burgalling.”

“I did check it though. Last week.” Archie protested. “Bashed the glass in the main door and then ran for it before anyone could catch me. There was no alarm.”

“Aye, and then Majors, who’s not as dumb as you two,” Flincher said, his voice easy, “had his glass replaced and an alarm added in the last two days. Seems he was worried about thieves since it became public that he had some fancy royal shine coming into the shop and then someone bashed his glass. Got him to thinking that maybe a little extra security might not be such a bad idea. And he was right too.”

Jessa glared at Archie. “I thought you were keeping an eye on the store so we’d know if that happened?”

“I was.” Archie protested. “But people started to notice I was hanging around too much. So I thought it would be smarter to avoid attention and spend most of my time in the pub instead. But I walked by Majors at least twice a day.”

“A not so sound bit of logic there,” Flincher pointed out. “But clever thinking for those of us who always appreciate themselves a bit of drink.” He motioned toward another door on the far side of the room. “That’ll lead you out to the alley. Streets should be clear of Peelers between five and six. That would be the best time to slip out of the neighborhood unnoticed. And if I were you? I’d forget about trying to steal in this area for the next few weeks. I don’t think your odds are good. Especially now that Tesla’s introduced his newest automata alarm systems. All the same security, no worries about the clockwork buggers being bribed or falling asleep like you’d worry about with a human guard. Not to mention they’re a bit more sensitive about the ears.”

“We won’t.” Jessa agreed before glaring at Archie, who looked sheepishly at his feet.

Mayfair was where they’d scored all their biggest hauls. There were plenty of rich nobles with creaky windows and poorly locked safes that liked to leave their wealth laying about. But now that they were on the London Metropolitan Police’s radar all those rich treasure troves had just slammed shut. After their failure in Kensington, robbing the Viscount Townshend and his American wife, if they weren’t careful they’d be back to picking pockets in Covent Garden and Nell wouldn’t be pleased to see a drop in their profits. Not that she’d take any less than when they were earning regular. Instead they’d be forced to live on less and there wasn’t much less they could take and still keep themselves alive.

“And if you ever happen to pick up anything of interest,” Flincher said as he opened the door he’d led them through. “Do remember that one good turn deserves another and I always like to pay a fair price for my steals.”

“We’ll keep that in mind Mr. Flincher,” Jessa said as he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

She slumped heavily to the floor and stared at the ticking clock hanging from the wall across from her. Archie slumped down beside her. “Rough nigh huh?”

“If you’re not careful it could get rougher because I’ve half a mind to bash your brains in myself.” She brought her right hand up and slapped the back of his head.