#vad changed as she died

[iguessitsjustme]

Friendly reminder that Vad is San’s soulmate but Vee is San’s choice.

San may have bound his soul to Vad’s and in doing so created his own soulmate. But he has now and will always choose Vee.

[rivendellfrostfair]

You know when you realise the seeds of something you love now were sown long, long ago.

For example, I love ttrpgs, especially the rp side of it, and I started playing them a few years ago. But I was recently reminded that, between the ages of 13-15, my friends and I made up an entire role playing game (without realising that was what it was) and played it for two solid years, almost every day. It was called The Correspondence and was delightfully over dramatic, as all good teenage stories should be.

It started in what must have been a particularly boring physics class (sorry Dr Speirs) with us passing notes, when my friend Ruth decided to write to us not as herself, but Rupert, Lord Rupert to be specific. So we replied. I believe we drew pictures of socks to send him.

We kept writing replies after class had finished. And the next day. And the next. And so it grew as more and more people were invited into this network of letter writing. We swapped them at lunch and breaktimes, writing them on the bus, at the dinner table or sometimes in class. It's hard to explain just how many letters there were. Some you would never even see because they weren't to you!

We chose our names: Annapurna, Katrina, David, Rupert, Camilla, Brigitta, Helena, Margaritte, Francis - and more I can't remember!

We also chose an era and we became upper class Edwardians. Our grasp of historical accuracy was low, though Katrina became a suffragette and later, when we moved into WWI, a VAD, which fueled us all to do our own research on these amazing historical women.

We did not let reality discourage the drama though. There was a kidnapping at one point, and I still vividly remember writing my own ransom note with glee knowing I would be handing it to my friends in the morning.

Annapurna had an older sister who had been engaged to Rupert, but the sister had died of TB before they could be married. Later Rupert had married Helena but it turned out to be an unhappy marriage, and his son Francis was a disappointment to him. He had an affair with Annapurna, who was secretly living in his hunting lodge at the time. Rupert's twin David had married Brigitta and they'd had like twelve children (there was an extensive family tree so we could keep track of them all). It was all very exciting.

I loved all that world we created as teenagers, I still do. We created a wonderful game, where we could try being someone else for a bit, where we could explore ideas about what relationships were like and push the boundaries of good, and not so good, storytelling.

We kept some of the letters, but there must have been hundreds between us all, scraps of paper, backs of envelopes or pages ripped out of notebooks and many, inevitably were lost to time. Ruth was entrusted with the ones we kept. I hope she still has them somewhere, even though it's been over 14 years now.

It was never about the quality of the paper though - it was all about the words on the page - our characters only ever lived in their own words.

Which is why I think I love ttrpgs. The characters we play exist only in the words that we give them, except they also live deep in our hearts. They take up space there - and we love them.

Today I quietly added to the canon of The Correspondence and drew Annapurna and Rupert. I thought about how much things had changed since then and how much I had changed.

I think, maybe, one day, if I'm feeling bold, these drawings might find themselves in an envelope, flitting through the post, so that they might live briefly again, even if only for the length of time it takes to open a letter.

[jomiddlemarch]

Dawn was theirs

It was a glorious English autumn day when the Courcelette survivors arrived at Downton. Sybil wasn’t certain any of the men could appreciate the brilliance of the light falling across the green fields, gilding the towers, the ruddy leaves of the oaks along the winding drive. Four of the men were insensible, two had grubby bandages wrapped around their eyes, long overdue for changing, and the last, young, slender, dark-haired, gazed at something beyond any comprehension, murmuring all this is ended as if it were a nun’s litany.

Walter Blythe remained unconscious for four days.

*

Matthew had turned his face to the wall when Mary approached, wept when he thought no one would notice. He was very polite, very cold, bitter, a fallen angel. Mary stood in the hall and wrung her hands before she came into the room where he lay, her heartbreak in the shadow of her dark eyes, the trembling palm she pressed against her breast. Sybil hadn’t thought any other soldier would pose as great a challenge, for they had all known Matthew before he went off to war and he was precious to them, even to Granny, who’d never admit it but still visited and sat with him for the fifteen minutes expected of a social call.

Walter Blythe, burned, broken, his face spared, seemed unreachable. One of the other men had been in his company and spoke highly of him, describing a man uncomplaining, steady, a doctor’s son who wasn’t at all squeamish about lice or dysentery. Then he shocked them by telling them Walter was a poet, the renowned author of “The Piper,” one of Canada’s most honored sons.

Walter had been mute for a fortnight after he’d opened his eyes.

* 

Sybil tried, but she’d couldn’t conceal the fact that Walter was a favorite of hers. She lingered by his bed, eager to fetch him a book from the library, the paper, a fresh cup of tea. He was easy to be fond of him and if doting by the nursing staff were enough to heal a man, he’d have been up and sent back to the Front in a week.

“It’s because I have sisters,” he said, he told her, when she admitted to him that she was idling and he didn’t truly need his pillows plumped yet again. “You’d like them, Di especially. She’s determined to become a VAD though what she really wants is to become a doctor like Dad.”

He was like that, Walter Blythe, charming and well-spoken, sharing bits of his life before the War, always wholesome and cheerful, making it seem to the nurses that he was unchanged from the man who’d set off from the Glen. The other patients enjoyed listening. It was a respite from the pain and boredom of recoveries that would only ever be incomplete.

He fooled everyone but Thomas Barrow.

*

Thomas watched Walter when no one else was looking. 

At rest, if there was such a thing, Walter’s face had an expression of blank horror, as if he looked into an abyss seething with the most monstrous visions, agony and annihilation. He pressed his lips together to keep from calling out, screaming, though not for help, for Thomas could see Walter believed he was beyond any assistance, befouled in a way that could never be made clean.

He shied away from the touch of any of the nurses, Sybil most especially, though he forced himself to be tended.

He ate little, crumbling rolls with his barely functional left hand, the right still bandaged. It wasn’t clear if another surgery would restore even the least function there, old Clarkson preferring to wait and see how Walter did overall, putting on weight, expressing any interest in getting out of the ward they’d made of a drawing room.

He liked music, better if it came from another room. He’d finish his cup of tea if Thomas stirred in another lump of sugar but left it black. He frowned whenever anyone mentioned his famous poem and never asked for the journal and pencil Sybil brought when she discovered he was a writer. He didn’t hate the Germans, never called them Huns.

He never wanted to re-read the letters he was sent from home.

*

Thomas didn’t exactly hang about, but he knew how to be present when he was needed. It was a skill that had helped him advance in service, though Carson frequently gave him his version of a dirty look if he noticed him lurking in a manner unbecoming an under-butler. 

Thomas wore his uniform, was caring for sick men, doing the heavy work that only the oldest and toughest of the nurses undertook. 

He ignored Carson. 

He paid attention to Walter.

The man had turned Sybil away when she offered to write another letter home for him, to his younger sister or his mother. Walter had smiled and thanked her and declined, with such grace Sybil walked away glowing, as if he’d granted her dearest wish.

Thomas knew this was his time to come round. That Walter would want to talk but only to someone who could understand.

"She writes a fair hand," Walter said, his voice rough, the words picked out slowly, his grey eyes trained on the man in front of him. The letter in his hand was a distant afterthought. "But they won't be satisfied until it's me writing them, Barrow. They won't ever be satisfied."

He began to turn his face away when Thomas spoke.

“No, I don’t suppose they ever will be. But you might be, Blythe. You might.”

*

“Not much like home,” Thomas said. He’d wheeled Walter out to the gardens, the prospect of fresh air alleged to tempt the men back to health. He’d not seen it make much difference and Nichols had wept and screamed to be brought back inside, but Mrs. Crawley kept fussing about it and he’d welcomed the chance for some conversation that couldn’t be overheard by a nurse or Carson. Walter had acquiesced because he did that and because Thomas had volunteered to manage his chair.

Now they sat together in the sunshine, a blanket over Walter’s lap, the sky a perfect blue. An idyll of a sort. Their sort.

“Not very. Beautiful but not like the Glen. Nor Rainbow Valley,” he said. 

“What’s Rainbow Valley?” Thomas asked. Once he would have sounded snide or mocking but today, Walter looking across the manicured grounds, something almost like a smile on his lips, Thomas only wanted to hear more.

“The woods behind Ingleside. Where I grew up. We had the run of it. I knew every tree there,” Walter said.

“On your own, were you?”

“Sometimes. Jem and I, he’s my older brother, we’d staked out our favorite spots, but we let the others come along. Jerry and Carl, Shirley, and the girls—Nan and Di, Faith. Una. But I went alone too. That’s where I wrote, most often,” Walter said. He had a big family and a number of friends, all of them happy and hale, a cheerful father who never laid a hand on them. A mother they all worshipped, who came to them in the night when they were ill or scared. A far cry from Thomas’s childhood but he didn’t find any envy within himself when Walter spoke of them.

Walter didn’t want to go home.

“Poetry, right?” Thomas said. “What you wrote.”

“You could call it that,” Walter said, making the gesture that was now his version of a shrug. 

“You don’t?”

“What did I know of the world, Barrow? I don’t think I could ever read what I wrote then,” Walter said. “It’s all bloody fucking pretty nonsense—”

“Maybe you were just young,” Thomas said. Walter’s eyes had a frantic look of a man about to break down. Thomas reached over, touched Walter’s arm where it rested on the chair. 

“I was young,” Walter said. “I dreamed such dreams. And now I can’t remember them without  wanting to be sick.”

“That passes,” Thomas said.

“You sound so certain,” Walter replied.

“I’ve got to be,” Thomas said. A confession. 

“It’s that way, then?” Walter asked.

“Just so,” Thomas answered.

*

“She’s got a face like a flower,” Walter said as Sybil walked across the room. Thomas had come over to tell her the Earl was asking for her, but it had been an excuse. A poor one, far weaker than anything he would have allowed himself before the War. Walter kept watching Sybil. Thomas felt his gorge rise.

“Thought you said you weren’t a poet anymore,” Thomas remarked.

“That’s not poetry,” Walter said. “It’s an observation any man here would make.”

“Not the way you made it,” Thomas said flatly.

“Is it an argument you want, Barrow?” Walter said. There was something in the way he said want, the way he said Barrow, something direct and stunning. It was irresistible.

“It’s what I can get,” he said.

There was a curious expression in Walter’s grey eyes that could never have been there before the trenches. Thomas suspected it had been there when Walter led the charge at Courcelette. When he hadn’t expected to return to the world.

“So sure,” he said softly. “So wrong.”

“Seems to me you’re arguing with me right now, Blythe,” Thomas said.

“I’m not arguing. I’m observing,” Walter said.

“Safer that way, isn’t it?” Thomas replied, giving them both an out. He looked down at his feet, the uneven shine on his boots. His hands resting on his thighs, the bandage around the maimed one. His ticket home, he’d thought it, before he got back to Downton and realized there wasn’t any leaving, only trying to find someone who was caught in the same way. Who cared, who could see a flower and turn away from its loveliness.

“Nothing’s safe. Not anymore,” Walter said. “Maybe it never was and I was just pretending—”

“Maybe you think too much,” Thomas said.

“What else do I have to do?” Walter said. 

“Ask for me,” Thomas heard himself say. He was shocked by the words, uttered aloud, a secret. A wish.

“I shall keep that in mind,” Walter said. 

*

Walter wasn’t getting any better.

That was Clarkson’s diagnosis, not Thomas’s, but as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t disagree with the man. Sybil, external optimist, pointed out that Corporal Blythe was able to stay awake for longer periods and had not turned away a meal in a week, and they all nodded, because those things were true.

They didn’t signify, not when it came to Walter’s progress. They were exhausting what could be done for him at Downton. Had done, except that no one liked to disappoint Sybil and there hadn’t been an urgent need for an empty bed. It couldn’t last.

“I’m an old crock, aren’t I, Barrow?” Walter said, not bitterly.

“If you exerted yourself more—”

“I have done. It’s no use,” Walter said. He smiled, his unmarked face terribly handsome, his hair in need of a cut. He’d begun to go grey, not only at the temples but scattered throughout. “I shan’t write again and I think I must become accustomed to this chair.”

“You’d put yourself in a grave if you could,” Thomas snapped.

“Yes. I think you’re right about that,” Walter said. “But I won’t do anything…foolish. I’m not capable of it. Just of being a fool, sickening on my folly—”

“Are you quoting someone again? Remember, that’s wasted on me,” Thomas said.

“No. A flight of fancy, a glimpse of Walter-Before. I told you, you wouldn’t care for him.”

Thomas turned and faced Walter directly. It was a rare gesture; most often Thomas was off to the side, pushing the chair, engaged in some work. Watching Walter across a room, obliquely. Concealed.

“You’ve got to try,” he said. “Else—”

The pause was long, long enough for another conversation to fill it, one of exhortation and coaxing, reassurance and even, possibly, declaration. 

“Time has been friend to neither of us,” Walter finally said. He knew about Thomas’s father the clockmaker and Thomas’s War. He knew that men at Downton didn’t go back to the Front, but they didn’t stay longer than a few months. They went to Glenside or Allison Court. Or they were sent home. 

“If you’d only try, Blythe,” Thomas said.

“Get me a pencil then,” Walter replied. “I need to be able to write my own letters.”

*

“Dear Thomas,

I find I cannot address you here as Barrow, though it was all that I called you at Downton Abbey. I will admit it was not the only way I thought of you by the end of my time there and I hope you don’t find that presumptuous, nor this letter. You did tell me to try and look where that’s landed me.

Oxford, as you must know from the envelope, if not through some other channel. I imagine Mrs. Crawley might have mentioned what became of poor Corporal Blythe. She is a kind lady, but she very much reminds me of a family friend, a Mrs. Rachel Lynde, who is famous for her forceful opinions and her determination to keep tabs on anyone who has ever crossed her path. Mrs. Crawley is perhaps a generation younger, but made in the same mold. If she is not quite as well-informed as Mrs. Rachel, I’ll explain what happened.

I couldn’t go home. 

It was not only the risk of the ship being sunk in the crossing, nor the difficulty my limited mobility posed, nor the expense my family might incur trying to make the trip comfortable and me even more a ruined crock dependent on their management and pocket-book. (I must inform you that writing a celebrated war-poem doesn’t yield any significant financial success and you have a good idea of what’s found in a corporal’s pay-packet.) I couldn’t make the journey and then arrive at the train station in the Glen, my family and all their closest friends and half the town lined up, scrubbed and dressed as if for a wedding, flowers and Susan’s best cake waiting for me at Ingleside. I couldn’t make my way off that train and face them, knowing what I know, being who I am now. And even less could I have faced every day thereafter, the praise and reassurance and consolation, their pride and their poorly concealed pity, the guilt in my father’s eyes, the gratitude in my mother’s. Of everyone, I could only imagine Una Meredith greeting me and not making me feel like a monster and as much as I love them all, I have to live with myself.

I left university to enlist and I need the chair more than you think I ought and I can’t expect my father to put me up in a London flat to molder, but I am a well-regarded poet of no little renown, at least at this moment, when all the better poets are trying to escape being gassed or shot, so I wrote to Oxford and they agreed to let me come and finish my degree and very likely become one of those Oxford dons who is never without their gown. A gown hides a multitude of injuries, I’ve discovered, from those around you and sometimes from you yourself, and when I cannot think of how to turn the page, I can pleat the Russell cord with my good hand and pay attention only to the texture of the material. It helps a little.

Other things do as well. The town is so very beautiful and so different from the Glen and the Front. It is a place that does well with ghosts, so the relative absence of young men isn’t felt quite so much, and the smell of the stone and the old books is a tonic. It can be hard to get around, but that’s true for many of the elderly professors. The tea is not as as well-brewed as Mrs. Patmore’s but that was to be expected. My coursework occupies me, the distance of the past a balm. I believe if I could study the people here before the Druids, I’d find that even more comforting, but allegory and mysticism suit me well. I’ve begun to learn Old English and if I can’t find it within myself to write poetry, I can at least appreciate those old works and take respite there.

You must be frowning at my nonsense or wishing I’d written something more practical. I couldn’t blame you—I don’t, Thomas. I miss you, that expression in your blue eyes and the curl of your lip, your calm, your sense of shadows. I should have asked any number of questions before I left Downton Abbey, but I didn’t, so I must ask them now and hope for the best. I have no idea what leave you are entitled to and how you choose to use yours; I know you don’t have the same rapport with your sister as I had with mine, but I don’t know if you have friends you’d visit or prefer to travel to London and escape the country. I don’t know if you would want to come and see me but I would like it, very much. I could promise not to ramble on too much about old manuscripts or interrogate you about Dr. Clarkson and la belle dame Lady Mary. We might go punting on the Cherwell, though you’d have to do the work while I regaled you from a position of repose, or I could stand you a pint or three at the King’s Arms. The porter for my hall is rather a friend of mine and would find a camp-bed if I asked, so you needn’t fret about finding lodgings. It would be just as you like, for as long as you like.

You told me once to ask for you. And now, Thomas, I have. Will you come?

Walter.”

@tortoisesshells gave me "my Heart -- my Eye outweighs" as a fic I wouldn't write but then I did write it, though I renamed it.

[my-darling-boy]

hello! i really want to learn more about ww1, i saw 1917 and it sparked something in me and ww1 specifically seems so complex and interesting, but it is has a lotttt of information, do u have any advice for any specific things to read/learn about first? or should i just dive in head first and learn about random stuff?

Good question! Also, I’m REALLY happy 1917 is bringing in a lot of new people wanting to learn more about WWI!

The good news is I find WWI is a subject that naturally allows you to branch out your knowledge no matter where you start. My best tip for learning more about the history: start out with ANY area that interests you, find a fact about it, and see where it takes you! I guarantee you’ll start out just wanting to know a little more about food served in the trenches and by the end of the week, you’ll be chest deep in a million other things you got caught up in learning!

For example, one of the first things that got me interested in WWI was a memoir (which I HIGHLY recommend) by Vera Brittain: Testament of Youth. From there, I researched her brother, Captain Edward Brittain and stumbled upon the story of his death and his homosexuality. It led me to Geoffrey Thurlow, a friend he showed clear evidence of having been in love with, and then the changes in male affection during the 1900s. It led me to learn of the “Edwardian Period” and delve into the social, political, and aesthetic aspects of the era. I started watching WWI films, reading academic articles, buying books, and one piece of information led to the next!

If 1917 is what got you into this, that’s a good sign! Cos I bet you were just as hurt as I was seeing depictions of that tragedy and were moved by that heartbreak! But while you’re learning about uniforms and trench foot and so on, I think a good chunk of time should also be dedicated to understanding why it’s simultaneously important to be critical of the war, and understand more about why people were very critical of it at the time, and the lasting impact it had on soldiers all the way up to young people today because it’s a HUGE theme throughout the conflict. I do a much more eloquent job explaining it in an ask someone sent me about my interest in studying, but like I said, VERY important to understand the extent of its effects and how what happened catalysed the modern lust for violence, and why a lot of mainstream remembrance efforts today end up exploiting this tragedy for nationalist-like agendas

I will say, even though it’s not filled with as many Insufferable White Boys as the ones found lurking in WWII forums, it’s war, so you still get your fair share of nationalist, white supremacist, imperialist, pro-war, sexist/misogynist pricks, so please do research with discretion and try to avoid these people (i.e. don’t even look at the comment sections on some websites) and watch out for those boasting about how “honourable” it is for boys to have joined up and died for their country at 15 and that there is something “glorious” to be had in war (because is the biggest lie men have invented for themselves and perpetuate the bs well into the 21st century unfortunately)

Some classic things I recommend reading/watching because they got me started on bits of my own research over time and one of them might be of some interest to you:

Testament of Youth, by Vera Brittain (Book)

This true memoir details how the war affected a young British university student and how the tragedies she witnessed led her to become a VAD nurse, feminist, and pacifist. If you are a more visual learner, it was made into a beautifully shot 2014 film (obviously with some inaccuracies and omitted details) and a more in depth BBC miniseries available for free on YouTube. You may also enjoy the books “Letters From a Lost Generation”, “Because You Died”, and “Vera Brittain and the First World War” which give even more information about the Brittains and the war written by the family’s historian

The Christmas Truce commercial everyone still cries over (video)

It’s a couple minutes long, perfectly sums up what draws me to keep studying the war and my love for learning about the unique changes in human connection during the war

All Quiet in the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque (Book)

Another classic example of anti-war literature a lot of people start out by reading from a German perspective. You can also watch the 1930 film adaptation of the book if you would like a visual (even if it has American actors)

They Shall Not Grow Old (Film)

AMAZING first hand accounts and original newly remastered footage from the First World War. It’s arguably neautral in its stance on various factors on the war, but it does a tremendous job showing what life was like at the front and giving voices to the soldiers that lived through it to share their stories.

Oh What a Lovely War! (Film)

Another solid (and entertaining) example of media showing high criticism for the war. This film was revolutionary for its time after roughly 50 years of societal silence about the consequences and negative impacts of WWI. It is incredibly condescending and an absolute anti-war gem

Great War Tommy: the British Soldier 1914-18 (Book)

If you’re a visual learner like me and want information about the kit of a British soldier and drill among other kit care details with LOTS of photos, this a GREAT book

British Uniforms and Equipment of the First World War (Book)

Like the above but has a VERY extensive library of photos for uniforms and equipment, and even shows niche patches and what some uniforms look like inside-out! It’s available for download through MLRS Books online

Valiant Hearts (Game)

From the French perspective. Very heartbreaking game about a French soldier produced in a very unique art style and has a wonderful soundtrack. Great if you like causal, story rich games

11:11 Memories Retold (Game)

This very artistic, stylised game tells the story of a Canadian photographer hired to take photos during the war as well as a German soldier looking for his son at the front. Again, superb soundtrack, and excellent if you love causal, story rich games

Shepard’s War, by James Campbell (Book)

A lovely compilation of original artwork and biographical details about E. H. Shepard during his time as an officer in WWI. If you don’t know, Shepard is the illustrator for Winnie the Pooh! Very intriguing to see his depictions of WWI soldiers as someone who was responsible for a childhood classic

Journey’s End, by R. C. Sherriff (Play)

This play tells the story of a trio of British officers on the frontline and how the effects of shellshock has greatly impacted one of the main characters. It was also made into a film in 2018 staring Asa Butterfield, Sam Claflin, and Paul Bettany

Not About Heroes, by Stephen MacDonald (Play)

A play which tells about the gay friendship between wartime poets and officers Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen

Blackadder: Blackadder Goes Forth (Show)

You might have grown up watching reruns of this show already, but in case you haven’t, it’s the fourth series of the BBC historical comedy show Blackadder and is about as condescending as Oh What a Lovely War, but much less Heavy, aside from the last episode that is. I’ve learned it’s kind of a staple in references made by some reenactment groups :P

YouTube also has TONS of WWI documentaries from every subject under the sun, ranging anywhere from 2 minutes to 2 hours. Obviously it will be a little harder to tell if the information given is without bias, misinformation, or has questionable undertones, but it’s usually a good way to teach yourself how to always be critical of any information you take in, and also a low-maitence way to keep learning. I find it’s nice to keep a balance between informative non-fiction and historical fiction when doing WWI research to keep variation in my study and also to test my ability to tell apart inaccuracies, or just to take a break from the crushing reality of it all!

In conclusion, the answer is jump right in! You’ll learn the ins and outs of WWI research as you go along! The more you learn, the more you’ll get the hang of it!

Happy researching!

[evak-fic-rec-turtleanon]

Evak Fics - Christmas 2017

Christmas fics posted for 2017

*** Non-English Fics *** Under 20k fics (Smutty, Angsty, Fluffy)  *** Over 20k fics

***** NON-ENGLISH FICS ***** 

Deilig er jorden by pagnilagni (Norsk, 3k words) - Et lite bakteppe: Tida etter at Maria og Fredrik ble født høsten 2029 ble ikke som Even og Isak hadde tenkt. Ungene sov ikke, fedrene sov ikke, Even ble deprimert, Isak måtte ta seg av hele familien. Nå er det snart jul... 

det kommer att regna på fredag, den tjugoandra december by vesperthine (Svenska, 4k words) - Isak har försökt säga att det inte är något att prata om ( – att mamma är dålig och pappa är feg, att han bara vill glömma allt vad förväntad familjelycka betyder och snylta på deras – ) men varje gång har Even bara tystnat och tittat ned; sett så sorgsen ut att konversationen helt har stannat av. Vilket han vet är en dödsstöt ( – en kommunikativ härdsmälta – ) som leder till allt det som han velat undvika; skrik och bråk som påminner för mycket om allting som han vill glömma.

En fantastisk julaften by pagnilagni (Norsk, 4k words) - God jul fra Maria og Fredrik og resten av familien Evak anno 2035 

I midvintertid by champagneleftie (Svenska, 8k words) - En saga om en Even, en Isak, och en magisk snöglob. 

En helt vanlig enkel dag by Always_and_ever (Svenska, 18k words) - Detta skulle bli den första dag, på länge, då han skulle känna sig ok. En dag spenderad med goda vänner på julmarknad. Han hade planerat och längtat. En helt vanlig enkel dag. Ja det var vad han föreställt sig i alla fall. Eller en historia om flera enkla dagar som inte blir så enkla som Isak hade hoppats på. ELLER en historia om att finna sin väg tillbaka. 

den mørkeste tida by pagnilagni (Norsk, 45k words) - Vi er i 2025. Isak har jobbet på Svalbard det siste halvåret. Han holder på med doktorgraden sin i astrofysikk og jobber som forsker i Ny Ålesund. Even jobber med en filminnspilling og har reist mye de siste månedene. Nå skal de feire jul sammen på Svalbard. 

Isak og Even -en julekalender by evakyaki, Frieda Echte (Plommesill), pagnilagni (Norsk, 55k words) - En Evak-fanfic-julekalender, fra oss til dere! God advent! Dette er en spesialskrevet desemberfic der vi følger Isak og Even dag for dag fram til julaften, desember 2017. Hver dag fram til jul poster vi et nytt kapittel her. 

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***** UNDER 20K FICS *****

SMUTTY

O Helga Natt by u_d (3k words) - It's Christmas Day. Isak and Even are far from holy.

santa, baby by empty_venom (SERIES, 14 fics) - Most of these are smutty fics but not all. 

Mistletoe and Type O Negative by riyku (6k words) - Isak Valtersen: vampire hunter. Kinda has a nice ring to it. 

Where the Lovelight Gleams by Sabeley (8k words) - The one where Even and Isak are stuck at different Christmas parties, but they're determined to have sex anyway. 

Uncover Me by Maugurt (13k words) - Now, Isak’s had his fair share of moments that could possibly be considered kind of gay, but those moments could always be regarded as curiosity or something else not homosexual. But straight up making out with some guy at a party couldn’t. There was just no way he could no homo out of that one. It was very homo. 

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NOT ALL FLUFF / ANGSTY

Love Actually by evak1isak (684 words) - Isak is engaged to his high school boyfriend, Chris, until things change when Even, his high school friend, shows up one day at Christmas, with an important message to tell through some posters while "Silent Night" plays in the background.

Blue Nights by Evak2121 (1k words) - "Still, he missed him more than he thought he could on a Christmas Eve." 

I'm not an asshole? by rumpelsnorcack (2k words) - Not Chrismassy. Jonas takes a few moments for himself to consider his reactions to his best friend being gay. It occurs to him that he maybe hasn't been the most supportive friend in the past. 

I'll be there, baby by Wolle19 (3k words) - All Isak want is for his husband to be home for the holidays. Even works making documentaries, so being home for the important dates is not a easy task. Isak just want a miracle. 

Oltre i confini del blu by Stria (Asia117) (3k words) - Five times Isak's Christmas is completely ruined and one time it goes completely right. 

it's going to rain on friday, the twenty-second of december by vesperthine (4k words) - Isak has tried to tell him that there’s nothing to discuss ( – that mom isn’t well, that dad is a coward, that he just wants to forget everything about family and expected happiness and just leech off of theirs – ) but every time Even has gone quiet and looked down; looked so sad that the conversation has just died. 

Soul Mates by orphan_account (5k words) - A misunderstanding before Christmas leads to a bit of angst and a whole lot of hurt/comfort. Then lots and lots of Christmas fluff!!! 

The Disaster Christmas by tusktooth (6k words) - It's now Isak's turn to meet Even's extended family over the week of Christmas.

my heart held a ledger by cynical_optimist, strangetowns (8.6k words) - A hitmen AU, wherein Isak and Even hate their jobs but love each other. 

i wrote you a song, hope that you sing along, and it goes: by traumatic (10k words) - Like a lot of seven year old boys, Even dreams of catching Santa Claus. He dreams of meeting him and shaking his hand, of asking him to show him how he does it, of thanking him for all he's done. When he actually does, Santa is exactly like he'd imagined. Both fortunately and unfortunately, by the time of Even's 23rd birthday, Santa no longer looks like that. He's no longer old or jolly; he doesn't have a large round belly or half-moon spectacles. This Santa is young, lean, and as beautiful as the world itself. 

tell me it's a good start by teatrolley (12k words) - A sequel. Even's POV of It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, before during and beyond. And a New Year's Eve. 

It's a Wonderful Life by kapplebougher (13k words) - t's a Wonderful Life AU, where Even believes the world would be better off without his existence. With the help of an angel though, he comes to realize that just maybe - that may not be entirely true. 

Life is better with you by charlyflowers (16k words) - A oneshot of Isak and Even during several Christmas times together. Childhood friends. 

I Just Want You For My Own by Twinklylightseverywhere (19k words) - Even loves the holidays, really. He loves spending time with his friends and family, drinking hot chocolate by the fire, exchanging gifts, the like. He loves leaving his apartment to see snow falling from the sky, children’s eyes lit up in excitement, and the general busy bustle of downtown Oslo in December. You know what he doesn’t love about Christmas time? Working in a fucking Post Office. 

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FLUFFY 

the way your eyes sparkle by wyoheartsmusic (501 words) - Isak and Even celebrate Christmas apart and neither of them is very happy about it 

Under the Mistletoe by evak1isak (952 words) - Isak has a crush on Eva's best friend, Even, but he's too stubborn to recognize it. With Christmas coming, Eva has a plan to set the two boys up. 

dance with me by agarina (1k words) - There's always some room for anxiety. And cheesy Christmas music. And dancing. And kisses. 

all i want for christmas is you by stringsinmelody (1k words) - Isak and Even enjoy their first Christmas together with their baby. 

Slowly Starts Sinking In by bri_ness (1.4k words) - Christmas ish. After a Christmas party, Isak and Eva consider their feelings for their friends. 

all the greenery is comin' down by colazitron (1.5k words) - Evilde fic. Vilde decides to try and make a move on Eva, and the mistletoe at the Kosegruppa Christmas Party would be the perfect pretext. If only she could actually get Eva underneath it! 

Christmas Surprises by glbertblythes (1.5k words) - Isak and Even celebrate Christmas together by going to Even's house for dinner. 

You And Me Here by TotallyTinkerbell (1.7k words) - A little Christmas-themed Evak fluff 

I'm FALLing for you by Schedazzle (2k words) - Not actually a Christmas fic but it’s too cute not to include. … the little bell above the door went off and his favorite customer came in. Even couldn’t hide the smile spreading on his face as he spotted the by now familiar golden curls. 

from such great heights by lizziemcguire (2k words) - Isak finds himself scared on a Ferris Wheel, and it's all Magnus' fault. Even is there to comfort him. 

White Elephant by HazyCosmicJive (2k words) - Vilde turns the office Secret Santa into a White Elephant Secret Santa. 

everyone hates christmas music by theyellowcurtains (2k words) - The boys plan a trip to a cabin for Christmas and a group Secret Santa. 

Hope by bri_ness (2.4k words) - Isak and Even celebrate hope. 

The Beginning of Believing by MacksDramaticShenanigans (2.5k words) - “Santa’s not even real,” Aleksander shouted, his voice so loud that it echoed down the hallway.“Yes he is! He brings us presents!” Elin whined, her bottom lip pushed out into an over exaggerated pout— something she had clearly picked up from Even. Aleksander scoffed and shook his head, blonde curls bouncing. “No! Daddy and Pappa bring us presents!” Elin’s eyes grew as wide as saucers, and a thin film of moisture clouded her pretty green irises. “No, Santa!” She argued. 

i can't pretend (guess that's love) by wyoheartsmusic (2.5k words) - Even is tired of watching his friends kiss. So is Isak. The plan? Add more kissing to the mix to get them to stop kissing.Foolproof. Right? 

Not so much of a Christmas miracle by Sassy3 (2.5k words) - Isak is trying to earn some money selling Christmas trees. He isn´t doing that well but suddenly the customers only ask for him, who is helping him out? 

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by colazitron (2.5k words) - Even knows Isak's a bit nervous about visiting his mother for Christmas, so he tries to lighten the mood with a joke. 

but cause he really knows me by ourlovelybones (3k words) - Even just wants to plan a perfect surprise for Isak, one where it doesn't go quite as planned and one where he thinks he might have gotten it just right. 

But the prettiest sight to see by imminentinertia (3k words) - Even deeply regrets doing Eva a favour for Christmas, but it turns out there’s a reward for his kindness. 

You Forgot Cranberries Too? by ultimatelawrence (3k words) - "Isak was a romantic deep down in his heart. A fact he never let anyone know. But a fact that was there and seemed to be exacerbated by the festive season."4 Christmas Eve's in which Isak sees Even. 4 Christmas Eve's to get it right. 

Bundle Up Tight! Flurries Tonight by MacksDramaticShenanigans (3.4k words) - Isak obliged and snatched up the first coat of his that his eyes landed on. It was more of a windbreaker than it was a real jacket, and Even quickly pointed that out. “If you wear that you're going to freeze, Is.” “It’s not that cold out, Even. Anyways we’re just walking to the tram stop, we’re not going to be outside very long.” 

Ready to Jingle Your Bells by MacksDramaticShenanigans (3.5k words) - It was truly a testament to how drunk Isak was when rather than vehemently denying the request or furiously shaking his head and pushing everyone away, he set his glass down and determinately rose to his feet. And there was also the fact that Isak— sober or drunk— was never one to turn away from any sort of challenge, and Mikael’s wording certainly posed this as one. (Of course, there was also the fact that Even did sing him a song, and what kind of a boyfriend would he be if he didn’t serenade Even right back?) 

The best Christmas you've ever had by hannakin (3.7k words) - “I don’t hate Christmas,” Isak sighed. “I just don’t like it.” Isak doesn't really like Christmas but Even does and he wants Isak to do too. “I’m going to make this Christmas the best Christmas you have ever had.” he whispered. 

fucking finally by theyellowcurtains (4k words) - It was nearing Christmas and Isak had to do something. He really wanted Even to be in his life forever now. 

Tis’ The Season To Be Grumpy by MacksDramaticShenanigans (4k words) - “Jeez,” Even started, giving Isak a pointed look. “Are you supposed to be using that kind of language around children?” He asked, though he didn’t sound mad— more amused than anything, really. Isak scrunched up his face at that. “What would Santa have to say about this?” 

It's Lovely Weather for a Sleigh Ride Together with You by princeofnothingcharming (4k words) - It had been snowing all day in Oslo and as Christmas was drawing near they had been playing Christmas music in KB, putting Even in such a cosy and festive mood and he’d decided he didn’t want to lose this festive feeling and wanted to something fun and festive with Isak and knew exactly what he wanted to do. 

A Grump for Christmas by Schedazzle (4k words) - Apparently he wasn't as great at hiding his emotions, because as he hastily wiped the table someone behind him said, “Why do you always frown when that one comes on?” Isak looked over his shoulder to where that deep voice had come from. Even. There was a fluttering in his stomach every time his coworker unexpectedly starting talking to him.He rolled his eyes. “It means the CD starts back up again.” Even who had been smiling at him grinned at that and chuckled. “You’re a Grinch.” Fake dating au. 

Books by Aceteroid (4k words) - Even picks up a pre-ordered book for his mother and falls for the employee at the store. 

Just Kids When We Fell In Love by wyoheartsmusic (5k words) - Isak and Even go to university 3000 km away from each other. Luckily, it's Christmas break and they had the brilliant idea to go on a cabin trip together. 

Maybe what matters is being together by evakuality (5k words) - It's Isak's first ever anniversary and he can't imagine anything worse than being forced to spend it with his co-workers. Of course, when your anniversary happens to be around Christmas time, sometimes dates collide. 

He Moves Me by warlocked_mundane (5k words) - A huge smile lights up Isak’s face and there is no trace of sleep to be found anymore. He bites his lower lip to contain the giggle that wants to escape. Even talking about their future like there is no way but for them to spend the rest of their lives together and build a family of their own, makes him giddy with so much joy. He’s never felt so happy in his life before. 

All The Way Home I'll Be Warm by Alene (6k words) - Eva finds her way back to Jonas, but more importantly she finds her way back to herself. Isak just happens to find Even in the process. Also, it's almost Christmas, and they're snowed in. 

(WIP) The Fools Who Dream by Janey_E (6k words) - A collection of moments from Isak and Even's family life, important and not-so-important. Kids, friends, mornings, evenings, weddings, birthdays, bad days, good days. 

18 Secret Santa Horror Stories That'll Turn Anyone Into A Grinch by GayaIsANerd (6k words) - Some secret Santa, some unfortunate google results, a whole lot of complaining and a heart full of gratitude. 

(Baby) It's Cold Outside by himmelsky (6k words) - December is approaching, but Isak isn’t feeling the Christmas spirit. Barista guy, aka Even, wants it differently. 

Cuddle Monsters by sikily (8k words) - One spoke of true love and the other a critic, But Christmas would be the day to believe in magic, A wink of his eye and a tilt of his head, And Isak became a believer instead. 

Make the Yuletide Gay by Sabeley (8.4k words) - Isak has been pining after Even for months. Jonas and Eva decide that a romantic getaway at the cabin is exactly what the two boys need to confess their feelings to each other.  

helpful magic by everythingislove (straykid), puddingandpie (9k words) - Five times Even uses his magic because of Isak, and the one time he actually tells him about it. Or: the one where Even is a Santa’s Helper with special Christmas magic abilities, and Isak is a normal human who he's quickly falling for. 

7 Places I Fell in Love With You by princeofnothingcharming, Victory4 (11k words) - Isak has a unique gift for Even this Christmas. In the form of letters 

SKAM ADVENT CALENDAR by salengedusmiler (SilverySparks) (14k words) - Watch your favourite Skam characters open their advent calendars together with their friends. 24 days of more or less Christmassy friendship and couple fluff!

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***** OVER 20K FICS ***** 

Just give me a reason, just a little bit’s enough by Amfelia (21k words) - Not sure if this is Christmas centric. Even discovers life is not always shiny and bright, sometimes it is just really hard. Angsty. 

In A Week by allyasavedtheday (23k words) - Not a Christmas fic. But this sequel is a fav. “Fine. I’ll stay at Eskild’s on Friday night. And you can add your 1000kr to our wedding present,” he sniffs. “Or,” Jonas says and Isak doesn’t trust the glint in his eye. “We could make this a little more interesting. ”Isak narrows his eyes at him. “What are your terms?” “You and Even spend the five nights up to Saturday apart. If you do, we’ll pay for your honeymoon.” 

Late December With My Heart In My Chest by LavenderWater (24k words) - In order to stop his mother's fussing since he left for college, Even tells her he's dating his roomate, Isak. They pretend to be a couple over the holiday weekend to convince his family.

The Secret Santa App by Crazyheart (25k words) - Secret Santa AU, Isak’s and Even’s altering POV. In this world, Isak and Even met at Nissen, but they were never brave enough to do anything. Isak (25) is a stressed-out salesman for playground equipment. Even (27) is a freshly educated, burned out and lonely children’s psychologist. They meet again when Sana, Eva and Vilde arrange a Secret Santa party. Without knowing it, Isak and Even end up as Secret Santas for each other and they chat with each other on the Secret Santa App. 

My Very Personal Ski Trainer by Crazyheart (28k words) - This is before Christmas 2016. Even never transferred to Nissen, so he’s doing his last year at Bakka. He has just broken up with Sonja and is recovering from a manic and depressive episode. Sana has invited Even and her other friends to a Holiday cabin trip, and Even needs to get in shape so that he can beat his buddies in Sana’s planned ski race. He tries out a personal ski trainer app and meets the hot ski trainer Isak Valtersen. Even struggles to focus only on the training. On the cabin trip, when Even arrives early, a surprise guest turns up and a snowstorm threatens to snow them both in. Who knows what happens next? 

Under the mistletoe by mazarin01 (30k words) - Isak (23) and Even (24) have been best friends since junior high. The holiday is upon them. Isak hates Christmas, having lots of bad memories attached to the holiday. Even on the other hand loves Christmas, but because of an appendix removal and a closed off mountain pass, he never gets home for Christmas. Being the best friend Isak is, he invites Even to celebrate Christmas with him. Circumstances have them kiss under a mistletoe and neither of them expected the kiss to feel that good... 

(I’ll give it to) Someone Special by nofeartina (31k words) - The one where Isak is oblivious to Even’s true feelings about him, but fortunately it only takes the Christmas holidays to change that. Childhood friends. Fake dating. 

A Thrill of Hope by mlbee (35k words) - “Yes,” Even breathed before pulling Isak in for another kiss. He pulled away and murmured, “This is so weird. I’m kissing a total stranger.” “Really?” Isak asked. “I do it all the time.” The Holiday AU 

Five Dollars by folerdetdufoler (36k words) - You know that one book that changes your life? It just landed in Isak Valtersen's inbox. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas by teatrolley (49k words) - So, here’s the thing: Isak moves out of his parent’s house when he’s sixteen and it’s fine, really, most of the time it’s fine. It’s just Decembers. Goddamn Decembers. They’re not exactly his favourite time of the year.This time, though: this time he think there’s someone who has it worse than he does.On the first of December that year, Even moves in. 

Around the Corner (My Very Personal Christmas Shopper) by Crazyheart (51k words) - Isak (22) works in a record shop for Jonas. Isak’s best colleague and friend is Eva, who works in the shop, too. Isak is still in the closet. He says things as he thinks, though. Doesn't like snowglobes. Even (24) comes and asks for a job. The two get off on the wrong foot, although Isak finds Even irritatingly attractive. To complicate things, Isak has just gotten a personal Christmas gift shopper, who turns out to be a very romantic gift shopper, and who doesn't shy away from a little flirting. Holiday movie AU. 

In this bed of snowflakes we lie by MermaidsandMermen (58k words) - Follow Isak and Even in this University Dorm life AU, full of snowflakes, fluffy pillows, and people who are nothing like they seem on the outside. Because people keep secrets. Pretend to be people they are not. And secrets will wear you down if you don't let them out to air once in a while. 

that’s all i really know by cammm (95k words) - Not exclusively a christmas fic. Even and Isak have been dating for a while now. They met at a young age and sort of grew up together. Even lives and goes to school a few hours away from Nissen, so there’s a lot of commuting for Isak to see his boyfriend. But what happens when Even says he moving? And then he shows up at Nissen a few weeks later, to start school?Only thing... Isak isn’t out, yet. And Even wasn’t ever told that his boyfriend was still in the closet. 

717 Miles by MermaidsandMermen (114k words) - The epilogue is the Christmas heavy chapter. Even Bech Naesheim should not be here. Well it was not his plan to be here. Not at all. Even Bech Naesheim, age 19, is supposed to be on a beach in Bali. He is supposed to be on the first stop on his Asian backpacking trip of a lifetime. THAT was the plan. That is where he is supposed to be. Not here. Alone in a house in fucking London. Being paid to look after some troubled 17-year-old. Isak Valtersen has 3 weeks left of school. He has to survive 3 more weeks. Make it through 21 more days of hell. Then he is going to hide out in his room for the rest of the summer until he can figure out how to get his life back on track. Find a school far far away where he can start over. Not make mistakes. He doesn't need a fucking babysitter. He just doesn't. His life is fucked up enough as it is. 

(WIP) You Are Not Alone by TotallyTinkerbell (130k words) - What happened after Isak told us that 'life is now'. 

Family Ties by sadgrlsclub (215k words) - Set between Season 3 and 4. Even gets invited to his first Valtersen family event, and discovers things about Isak's past and his relationship with his parents. The story of how Even and Isak get to know each other's families and deepen their bond along the way. 

[bookishandbossy]

Perhaps some day the sun will shine again

Part two of my decades project is here! Angsty slow-burn World War I AU Dramione.

Hermione Granger was a year and a half into her war the first time that she saw the face of someone she had known staring up at her from a hospital bed. Neville Longbottom, who had spent hours kneeling in the rich soil of his garden and gone on expeditions collecting botanical samples before the war, had lost most of his leg in the trenches.  He had smiled upon seeing her, despite the grimace that crossed his face when she changed the dressings on his leg.  Later on in his convalescence, she had taken him out for long walks in the garden when the weather was good.  They had talked determinedly of everything but the war and when he had finally left, bound for his grandmother's home in Devon, she had silently thanked whatever powers she could think of that he had come through it.  She hadn't known anyone that had died then.

A year later, Ron's brother Fred had died during the Battle of the Somme.  Little Colin Creevey too, who had taken photographs of all of them in those hazy golden days before the war, with his massive camera that had emitted alarming puffs of white smoke.  Remus Lupin, who had spent long evenings drinking brandy and telling stories at Grimmauld Place with Harry's godfather Sirius and whose wife had just given birth to their first child a few months before. And a week later Lavender Brown, who she had been at school with, caught in shelling while driving an ambulance in France. After a while, she had begun to almost hope to see a familiar face being carried on a stretcher up the steps of Hogwarts Castle and into the great stone halls that had been requisitioned and turned into an infirmary, far removed from the horrors of the Western Front.

She had never hoped to see Draco Malfoy.

It was Ginny who told her that he had been sent to Hogwarts to recuperate.  “His wounds weren't that bad,” Ginny told her, attacking her sandwich with gusto during the half hour the VADs had been set for their lunch break. “At least not according to Nurse McGonagall.  But the men under his command died at Passchendaele and he hasn't been right since.  The army wanted to send him to an asylum but his mother pulled some strings so he'd be sent here instead.”

Hermione wasn't surprised.  The Draco Malfoys of the world had always had strings pulled for them.

She managed to avoid the ward that he was on for three whole days, through a combination of pure luck, detours during the course of the day that conveniently took her to the opposite side of the castle, and a willingness to trade shifts with the other VADs.  Because Draco Malfoy had sneered at her and mocked her and declared her not good enough with every word and look he sent her way.  Because she had been furious at him for years for it and just the sound of his name was enough to set the old anger simmering up inside her again. Because she suspected that all her fury might slip away if she saw him lying there pale in a hospital bed and she wasn't sure what she would do then.

On the fourth day after Malfoy arrived in the hospital, she heard him screaming in the middle of the night.

Read the rest on AO3!

[thedcdunce]

Grifter

“Now I've got another suspect. Fuck it... I'll just kill 'em both.” - Grifter

Real Name: Cole Cash

Aliases:

Deadeye

Gender: Male

Height: 6′ 3″

Weight: 195 lbs (88 kg)

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Blonde

Powers:

Gen-Factor

Abilities:

Peak Human Condition

Indomitable Will

Deception

Espionage

Master Tactician

Survival

Military Protocol

Driving

Master Marksman

Master Combatant

Weaponry

Multilingualism

Weaknesses:

The Rush

Weak Healing Factor

Equipment:

Tunic

Trench Coat

VAD PP30

Little Magnum

Various High-Tech Munitions

Universe: Wildstorm Universe

Citizenship: American

Base of Operations:

The Carrier

Halo Building, New York City

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: 

Soldier

Mercenary

Intelligence Agent

VP of Halo Corporation

First Appearance: WildC.A.T.s #1 (August, 1992)

Powers

Gen-Factor: Exposure to the Gen-Factor had gifted as well as cursed Cash with several supernatural abilities both Mental and Physical at the same time, these powers have fluctuated in potency over the coarse of his life. Eventually burning out over the years and going into dormancy thanks to his Coda training. While it's mostly diminished the psychic abilities bestowed by his Gen-Factor retains some effectiveness in it's destructive ability, Cole can utilize his psionics by consciously reordering part of his psyche to turn them on and off again. But can normally only ever have access without the debilitating side effects while in range of another Team 7 Member. Since the universal reset where Cole had been revived, he could now utilize his full abilities without any assistance or harmful effects.

Psionics

Telepathy

Sensory Scrying

Mind Control

Mind Scans

Illusion Casting

Telepathic Assault

Telekinesis

Force Field

Energy Projection

Flight

Regeneration: Cole also has access to a helpful yet extremely unstable ability to heal and recover damaged bodily tissue structure at phenomenal rates. But it's not very reliable despite it's potency, the effectiveness of which varies wildly between uses. Able to heal broken neck almost instantly after receiving it, to waiting months on end for healing two shattered legs, albeit without so much as a scratch or any scar tissue afterward.

Longevity: Cole has lived for three decades yet still maintains the appearance as well as vitality of a young man still in his prime.

Abilities

Peak Human Condition

Peak Human Strength

Peak Human Speed

Peak Human Agility

Peak Human Stamina

Peak Human Coordination

Peak Human Reflexes

Peak Human Durability

Peak Human Balance

Indomitable Will

Deception

Thievery

Surveillance

Acting

Espionage

Stealth

Disguise

Master Tactician

Survival

Military Protocol

Driving

Vehicle Combat

Master Marksman

Throwing

Master Combatant

Weaponry

Swordsmanship

Demolitions

Multilingualism: Shown to be fluent in Vietnamese.

Weaknesses

The Rush: The side effects of using this power however are terrible to say the least. It was nicknamed The Rush due to the effect that the use of it is likened unto a drug. Raw, telekinetic, energy twisting and wielding power that if left unchecked can ravage the mind and body of the wielder, driving him to insanity.

Uncontrolled Psionics: The downside to these powers was that they were nearly impossible to control, sometimes being largely unreliable when needed most.

Physical Strain: Using the powers also put a terrible strain on Cash; trying to keep them under control would often cause blood vessels to rupture and he would weaken.

Affect Mind: Prolonged use would threaten his sanity and outside forces. But his Coda training under former matriarch of which, Zealot; helped him repress this aspect greatly.

Weak Healing Factor: Cole's healing ability tends to fluctuate often despite it's impressive capacity. The more severe the damage done to him, the longer it takes for him to recover, more expediently lethal injury increases the likelihood of fatality.

Equipment

Tunic: Grifter's face wear was specially designed by S.H.I.E.L.D. tech specialists using their state of the art engineering. On top of being made of a Kevlar fiber linen, it's also doubles as a gas mask which filtrates airborne toxins. The featureless lenses serve duel purposes of octagonal telescopic/microscopic visual receptor and analyzer coupled with infrared night vision locator.

Trench Coat: Cole's trademark long jacket comprises of the same artillery resistant material as his face mask. Serving him well both in a fashionable and practical sense, beyond it's natural application. It also withholds a great many pocket stores and holding straps with which to house and withhold a great many munitions on his person. Armaments such as explosive charges, throwing knives, stilettos, acupressure needles and small firearms.

VAD PP30: Grifter uses a VAD PP30, a semi-automatic particle pulse handgun custom made by Vulcan Arms Division for his use only. It fires 44mm explosive pulse packs, and by adjusting the Catalytic Particle Converter, Grifter can change the range of the firepower so it may be a simple stun, or an armor-piercing blast.

Little Magnum: Hidden micro blaster concealed within his glove, single shots pack enough kick behind the chamber to blast holes though an full grown humanoid target.

Various High-Tech Munitions: In his time as a special forces operative as well as one of Jacob Marlowe's covert operatives. Grifter has stocked up on and/or engineered a great many kinds of lethal ordinance for use while in the field. Often carrying around high-caliber fusil's, combustibles and hidden utilities which are a mix of Kherubim and Earth based xenotechnological engineering.

Origins

There are various accounts of Cole's early youth: his father died while he was still young and Cole and his brother Max were raised by their mother and stepfather, with his mother dying when Cole was already an adult. However, his mother died while he was still young and he and his brother were raised by their father. It is certain though, that Cole left his family while still a teenager and turned to crime to survive. Despite being a criminal, Cole had his own code of honor and stopped one of his partners in crime from shooting at the police. Cole was arrested and offered a second chance. He was enlisted by International Operations and turned out to be a gifted marksman and an excellent soldier.

Team-7

Cole Cash's natural talent for combat landed him in black ops, taking the dirtiest jobs as part of a squad known as Team 7. Cash's codename during these operations was Deadeye. The group was deliberately exposed to an experimental chemical called the Gen Factor, which activated a variety of psi powers in them, but which also detrimentally affected their sense of morality and mental health. After the experiment the survivors were classified as Gen 12. Some of their teammates went mad or committed suicide. Cole suspects that in fact their own superiors, I.O., were behind the experiment, while their superiors claimed that it was an unknown chemical weapon. One of the many missions Team 7 performed was destroying the dictatorship of a small African country. Andrew Johnson, one of the members, goes mad and glories in his ability to make people commit suicide. Disgusted, Cole kills Johnson. Cole grew more and more disgruntled with I.O.'s manipulations and secrecy and rebelled against team-leader John Lynch. Cash took charge and united the team's mental powers against a nuclear weapon that I.O. team-leader Miles Craven fired at Team 7 as a test. Team 7 went into hiding, but was eventually forced to return to I.O. 

Coda

When the powers of many of Team 7's members started to wane, Craven became interested in their children, the Gen 13, who should have inherited their fathers' powers. Most of the team went into hiding again, while others stayed with I.O. The team finally fell apart and Cole came to work as an assassin for I.O., but he soon became disenchanted with them too. He went freelance, and it was during this period of his life he encountered the ancient Kherubim warrior Zealot. They fell in love, and she took the unprecedented measure of teaching him, a male, the ways of the Coda, the warrior order she had once belonged to. Her Coda-teachings stabilized Cole's sanity and locked away what remained of his psionic powers.

WildC.A.T.s

Some time later Cole and Zealot broke up; for Zealot it was just another relationship, but Cole had become devoted to her, being eternally grateful to her for restoring his sanity. However they remained on good terms, and both were recruited to become part of Lord Emp's Daemonite hunting team, the WildC.A.T.s. Grifter would later quit the team when they had to ally with Hightower, a Daemonite who had killed Grifter's friend Lonely. He rejoined when the team came back from Khera, even being the team's leader for some time. During this time Max Cash, his younger brother, was killed, came back as a zombie and was killed again by Grifter himself. He left the team again after Zealot's apparent death. At this point most of his teammates left as well and the WildC.A.T.s were disbanded.

Wildcats

Months later, Cole joined the Wildcats, a small group that included Lord Emp, Spartan and the French weapons dealer known as Noir. After Emp's ascension, Grifter sank into a depression; he began drinking and having one-night stands with women who reminded him of Zealot. Finally Zealot herself returned, but at the time Grifter was too drunk to recognize her. After a night of sex, Zealot left him before Grifter realized who she was. He caught up with her again while she was fighting the Coda. Zealot told him that the Coda had betrayed her teachings and she had sworn to wipe them all out. She added that she would spare Grifter, despite being Coda-trained, because of their history. After this meeting, Grifter straightened out his life and joined Jack Marlowe's Halo Corporation.

During this time Cole was mind-controlled by the villain Tao into shooting his former teammate and current I.O. director, John Lynch, leaving him in a coma. Tao then erased Cole's memories of these events.

Halo Corporation

During a mission for Jack Marlowe, Cole's legs were shattered by Agent Orange. Therefore he could no longer operate as Marlowe's field agent. He trained accountant Edwin Dolby to take his place. Dolby turned out to be unsuitable for the violent life that Grifter planned for him and resigned from Halo. After Marlowe apologized to him, he rejoined, but strictly as an accountant. Grifter remodeled the robotic body of former teammate Ladytron as a remote-controlled body for himself.

Several months later, Grifter's legs were healed, a side-effect of the dormant Gen-factor according to I.O. scientists. John Lynch, who had woken from his coma, restored Cole's memory. Cole was sent to take down Tao and working together with double-agent Holden Carver, Tao's organization was completely dismantled and Tao was imprisoned.

Since then he has joined a make-shift team of former Wildcats to take down the assassin Nemesis.

Worldstorm

When Jack Marlowe died Cole has taken control of Halo Corporation and all its assets. Being depress of Spartan's death, Cole has been in South America fighting Daemonites for a month.

He later arrived back in New York just in time to witness Captain Atom's arrival and subsequent battle with Majestic. Cash recognized an energy signature in Captain Atom that he'd previously only seen in his deceased teammates Void and Spartan. After consulting with Jeremy Stone, Cole was acknowledged that the Void's energy splinted into both of Captain Atom and Nikola Hanssen.

Cole later regrouped the former Wildcats to capture Captain Atom while he face a fearful Nikola. Cole tried to convince Nikola to accept who she is as a metahuman as she, like any other normal people, was deeply afraid of metahumans. When Captain Atom defeated the Wildcats in Washington, D.C., both Cole and Nikola arrive at the scene in which Cole convinced Nikola to use the Void's power of teleportation. From there Cole was about to combat Atom but witness him being teleported away by the Authority via a shift-door.

While regrouped with the Wildcats, they were confronted by Mister Majestic who then gravelly informed them that killing Captain Atom would caused the destruction of their universe leaving Cole all the more frustrated of the situation and focus more on Nikola's power of the Void. Cole eventually helped Captain Atom in fending off the Authority from killing the misplaced hero, who they believe that killing Atom would save their universe, and was subsequently killed by Apollo and Midnighter: Midnighter buried two throwing stars in Cash's spine, then Apollo incinerated his head.

After Nikola harnessed her powers and remade the universe, Cole and along of many past deceased people such as Deathblow came back, but with no memories of the events with Nikola, Captain Atom, and the reboot of the universe.

Post-Worldstorm

In the wake of the reboot, Cole is shown to be a man who has attempted to change himself, but keeps getting sucked back in to the hero lifestyle. He appears to be an employee of Hadrian as a core member of the new WildCats team that he is assembling.

Cole Cash briefly worked as an assassin for the US government, targeting Islamist terror networks. His latest assignment went awry when his target turned out to be an alien shape-shifter who was being hunted by others of the same race. Zee, as he/she calls itself, has now drawn Grifter and Midnighter into an interstellar conflict involving weaponized giant worms.

World's End

Grifter returned to the Wildcats after Armageddon, helping survivors in Los Angeles. He was later summoned by John Lynch and regrouped with Team-7 where he and his teammates learned of Tao's nihilistic threat. After the Halo Building in Los Angeles was destroyed, Grifter had himself and the Wildcats teamed up with Team-7 in stopping Tao. Ultimately their battle ended with Grifter shooting Tao in the head at pointblank, thus relinquishing his powers from Void, Max Faraday, and Providence.

Grifter was among the many heroes that were notified of the Authority's Carrier's leaving, in which Grifter was among the few heroes to leave Earth when he was ordering the panic refugees who were boarding the shift-ship. Grifter and along with his old comrade Deathblow officially joined the "new" Authority and together helped in establishing order among the Carrier's influx of refugees. During the journey Cole entered into a sexual relationship with Stormwatch member, Flint.

Cole's journey with the Authority led them to discovering a genocidal alien race known as the Karibna and helped in destroying them, and thereafter returning to Earth.

Fun Facts

Grifter's real name, Cole Cash, bears resemblance to the phrase "Cold Hard Cash". Cash is associated with a 'grifter'-defined as a swindler, dishonest gambler, or the like.

Cole Cash has called Michael Cray his best friend.

Grifter admitted he was agnostic when he went back in time to Rome and was thrown with the Christians to be attacked by lions in the Coliseum.

Grifter's original mask is not only used to conceal his identity but also has the ability to filter out any noxious gases he may come in contact with.

[caroline18mars]

Into the night - Chapter 133

When he didn't hear anything anymore, Shannon had to go and check and quietly opened the door on a pivotal moment, “why did aunt Jordan get a bad heart? Do you think it's because she had to look after me when Mommy and Daddy died?” Noah looked Jared straight in the eye. Jared was torn between his logic and his rage, he didn't want to betray his lover's trust that he would never tell Noah the truth about this, but on the other hand he was so damn angry at Noah's father, he was the reason they were here now..and his rage won “it's not because of you, Noah, don't you ever think that, your aunt didn't want to tell you the real reason because she wanted to protect you but I think you need to know the truth..” he took a deep breath when Noah stared back at him with those beautiful big eyes that were all shades of sad right now. “..You see, your Dad and your Aunt were really young when they lost their parents” Jared started explaining, trying to carefully choose his words so not to upset him even more, “Grandma and Grandpa London” Noah nodded. “Exactly! So your father had to take care of his little sister for a long time because they had nobody else to look after them..and right before your grandparents died, your aunt Jordan had to see a doctor because she had a problem with her heart..” he checked if Noah was still following but he listened breathlessly “and so the doctor sent a couple of letters to your Dad because the problem with Jordan's heart needed to be fixed..but your Dad..never took his sister to the doctor after that..and so the problem just get worse and worse..and that's why she needs a new heart now”. Jared combed his fingers through Noah's hair, he could see the boy's brain working overtime “so it's my Daddy's fault that aunt Jordan is so sick?” Noah said with a quivering lip, “your Dad was really young, too young probably to be able to take such a decision at that time, but he could have told your aunt about her situation when she was a little bit older, he could have tried to help her, but he never did, your aunt Jordan had to find out all by herself and that just isn't right”.

To his surprise, the boy shuffled closer to him “why did aunt Jordan never tell me about that?” he whispered as he buried his little face against his chest, “she didn't want to upset you, she knew how much you love your Dad, so she thought it was better if she kept it all to herself”. Noah wrapped his arms tightly around Jared's neck “I hate my Daddy! He left aunt Jordan alone and he left me alone..and I said some really horrible things to aunt Jordan too” he hissed all determined, “don't say that, the last thing your Dad wanted was to leave you behind, I just thought you needed to know the truth about the situation between him and her, and as far as your aunt goes, you heard her when she said how much she loves you and that you'll always be her number one, remember that, she's fought so hard for you to keep you safe,  there's nothing she wouldn't do for you, nothing or nobody can break the bond between you two, not even your Dad” Jared soothed. “Who's gonna look after me when..” Noah whispered, “Me, I'll always look after you, I'm never gonna let you go, I love you as much as your aunt does, do you understand?” he kissed the boy's hair, Shannon who had heard and seen it all happen, pushed himself away from the door and walked up to the bed “and so will I, and Grandma too, we'll all look after you, buddy!”

”Everybody concentrate, we're going to take out the defibrilator first and see how the heart will react, that's the tricky part, so I need everyone to work as efficiently and quickly as you can, we don't want her to stay on life support too long, is that clear?” the surgeon briefed the team. “Brenda, what's the ETA on the donor heart?” he didn't want to cut her open and then run the risk of having to wait for the donor heart, every minute wasted could mean the difference between life and death, “Team 2 has started removing the donor heart right now, ETA should be around 3AM” his assistant looked at the screen above her head where the surgery a few floors down had started. “So that gives us 4 hours, ok excellent! Standby for VAD-team to remove the defibrilator implant once we cut to get a clear view?”  the surgeon looked at his team as he took the large scalpel and put it on Jordan's skin, “good luck, everyone” he nodded before he pushed down for the first incision. Jordan plummeted right to the ground after what felt like falling for a lifetime, she couldn't scream, she couldn't move, she could only lay there, there was no pain, there was only a silent darkness as she opened her eyes, was she dead? Was this what it felt like? No, no, no this couldn't be it! In a panic she tried to move but she couldn't even lift a finger, she seemed to be locked up inside of herself, somewhere in the distance she did hear some strange noises though, bleeps and blurred out voices or her own deep, rattled breathing? She couldn't tell, she just wanted to give in to the suffocating darkness that overpowered her again but before she let it, the ground underneath her trembled and split open, swallowing her whole as she fell and fell again. “Food!” the nurse pushed the trolley with food inside, only to find the room empty, the muffled voices coming from the other room made her breathe a sigh of relief as she walked up to the door, opening it slowly she found them all cuddled up together. “There's plenty of food if you want” Jared's head shot up, his heart started racing the second he saw her “Jordan? Is there news about Jordan?” he breathed all nervous, quickly letting go of Noah. “The first part of the operation, where the defibrilator is being  removed has started” she said calmly “so far everything is going well”, Jared took a deep breath, they were at the foot of this mountain but he already felt exhausted “ok” was all he could say, not wanting to worry Noah, but he knew how delicate this operation was, that defibrilator was what had kept her heart going the last months and it made him realize that from here on there was no turning back. “Has aunt Jordan got her new heart already?” Noah sat up too, “Uhm no sweetheart..not yet, they've just started the operation so it might be a while before we have more news” the nurse tried to keep his excitement under control but when she saw his mood change, she quickly changed the subject “I was thinking that maybe you would like something to eat while we wait? A little birdie told me that you really like chicken”. Noah nodded but not as enthusiastically as he normally did about food, he knew his aunt would worry if he didn't eat, so he pushed himself off the bed and grabbed Jared's hand and looked at him “are you coming?”. Jared shook his head “I'm not hungry, maybe later, ok?” he smiled while he ran his hand through the boy's hair, “I'm sorry, I can't eat while..” he paused while Shannon guided Noah out of the room, “I understand..and I know you're worried but all we can do is wait, she's in the best possible hands” the nurse touched his arm “why don't you go for a walk to clear your head? I have your number and I'll call you the minute there's more news”.

”Hello again” someone said while she struggled to open her eyes, she recognized that voice from somewhere, if only her eyes would open so she could see where she was. “It's ok” there was a touch of a hand that urged her to concentrate and finally her eyes opened, “Char..Charlotte” she stammered “where am I? Am I..”. Charlotte shook her head “dead? No, you're not dead..” she gave her a tired smile and swallowed the 'yet' she wanted to add, “wanna take a walk with me?”. Suddenly Jordan didn't seem to float any longer, she just sat up into a sitting position and grabbed the hand that Charlotte stuck out to her and held onto it as they walked silently in the darkness for a few minutes.  “That's one massive black rock” Charlotte held up Jordan's hand, their fingers still intertwined, “have you thought about a weddingdress yet?” her voice didn't betray any emotion, “what..oh..uhm, no..” Jordan mumbled, feeling a little caught in the act. “I see..well, at least he finally had the guts to follow his heart this time around, something he's never done when we were a couple” Charlotte sighed, getting lost in the memory,  which was hard for Jordan to watch, being overwhelmed with guilt. “He misses you every single day, he wakes up with you and he goes to sleep with you, you know that..” she heard herself comfort Charlotte, the only woman that had been the biggest menace to her relationship all along. Charlotte nervously wiped the tear from her cheek and shook her head “Tom..you need to talk to Tom, just tell him 'velvet ice', he'll know what to do” desperately trying to get a grip on her emotions “come on, there's something I need you to see” she whispered as she squeezed Jordan's hand.

”Careful..oh my..the heart is in a much worse state than we thought..I don't know if we'll have enough time” the surgeon hissed as he watched the frantic lines on the heartmonitor while the defibrilator was taken out of her chest, two hours had passed and the donor heart still hadn't arrived “where the hell is that donorheart? Do I actually have to walk all the way down there and get it myself?” he knew how unreasonable that sounded but if they didn't start the transplant really soon, it wasn't gonna be just the donor's family in mourning but the recipient's family as well. It was only her first break at the beginning of this double shift and she already felt like she had run a marathon, maybe a bit of fresh air would do her good, so she hurried out the backdoor and into the crisp evening air where the calm of the hospitalgardens greeted her as well as Jared who stood there lost in his thoughts. “Mr. Leto?” her voice startled him and he spun on his heels “yes..what? is there news?”, the nurse shook her head “not yet..I just thought you could use some company, wanna take a walk with me?” and gave him another one of her warm smiles. “Yeah..I'd like that, and it's Jared, not Mr. Leto, alright?” he took a step back to let her lead the way, “you've got a beautiful little family there, I think Jordan is so brave to put her own life on hold so she could look after Noah” she tested the waters to start the conversation, glancing up at him. “Brave doesn't even begin to cover it, she's saved Noah..she saved me..” he dug his hands deep in the pockets of his hoodie “I'm forever in debt to her..what she did for me after Charlotte died..I just..” his emotions got the better of him, “Charlotte..she was the designer, right? She was absolutely stunning, she had such vision, I loved her work” the nurse distracted him from his grief, it was obvious that he still loved her and still loved to talk about her. “Oh she was, she was so beautiful, so pure..so intense..so..so Charlotte.., I loved that she never walked in anyone's shadow, she was so intelligent, so fascinating, so driven in everything she did, when she walked into a room, every head turned, you just had to look at her, it was like watching a goddess walk by..looking back, it's sad to say that she was the first woman I fell head over heels in love with, I was in my late thirties but my life only began the day I met her, I loved her more than life itself..I still do..” every word he spoke about his dead girlfriend was laced with a love so intense it was almost palpable.

“How does Jordan feel about that? I mean, she has to know about all those intense feelings you still have for Charlotte” her question had Jared stop in his tracks “she knows..it's difficult for her..” he whispered as he gazed at his shoes, uncomfortable with the answer he was giving, the endless stream of fights they had about Charlotte on endless repeat in his head. “Well Jared, to be brutally honest I kinda get where she's coming from..the way you talked about Charlotte just now..if I didn't know any better, I would never believe that you just got engaged to Jordan, let alone love her” she knew she was walking a fine line here, but someone needed to tell him. “What?!” Jared's head shot up like he had been stung by a bee, “what? Of course I love Jordan, how can you even suggest that I don't? She was the one that saved me when I was completely messed up, she helped me get back on my feet, she listened to me when nobody else would,  I love her and I'm gonna marry her, ok?” he suddenly exploded at the nurse. “Ok! Alright! If you say so! It's just that..I never heard you talk about her like you did about Charlotte just now, there seem to be a lot of unresolved issues for you as far as Charlotte is concerned! I'd hate to see you marry her because you feel it's the right thing to do, you know, like you owe her something after what she's done for you..she deserves better than that Jared, so much better..” she  turned to walk away again, leaving him to stew, glaring at her back for a few seconds before he decided to follow her. “So you think I'm not good enough for her, is that it?” he caught up with her, grabbing her arm so she had to stop again, “of course not! She thinks you're absolutely perfect, she adores you” she slowly pulled her arm out of his grip “listen, I think we can both agree that life hasn't exactly been kind to her, so what I'm saying is that she doesn't deserve to be in a relationship where she's gonna have to fight for her spot, she deserves your undivided attention, Jared..It's time to put Charlotte to rest, she was your past and you'll always love her, I get that, and so does Jordan, I'm sure of it, but Jordan is the future, and you can't have a future if you keep dwelling on the past..”. Jared took a deep breath, letting her words sink in but then her phone rang, “hello“ she quickly picked up recognizing the OR's phone number, Jared could barely hear what was being said but her sudden nervous behaviour didn't predict much good. “What? What is it? Is it Jordan?” his voice croaked when she ended the call, “yes..the defibrilator is out, but her heart is not doing so well..they're still waiting for the donorheart” the nurse nervously bit her lip. “Wait, what? Why? I thought the donorheart was ready, what's going on?” Jared was crumbling, “I don't know, I need to go check, let's hope there are no complications with the donorheart, because this can't go on much longer, if she doesn't get the heart in the coming hour, it's..” she  swallowed hard “it will be all over”.

[miissbiianca]

Miss Bianca Loses Her Mind (Or so it seems) || BDRPTask

NPC PERSPECTIVE REWRITE CHALLENGE: Pick an old para you wrote and this time, write about the event from an outside perspective.  ∟ based on this thread

"Vad fan," Oscar muttered, expecting no kind of response from Agent Larsson beside him. What the fuck, indeed. Miss Bianca had gone and lost her bloody mind.

Larsson paid him absolutely no mind, because as soon as Agent 81 had addressed the janitor, of all people, she had sat up so high in her chair she threatened to be standing up. Oscar couldn't blame her; up until thirty seconds ago, he had been slumped down in his seat, hoping to god that she wouldn't pick him to go on this mission. Don't get him wrong - Oscar really liked Miss Bianca. They had been in Stockholm together not so long ago, and they'd had a bloody good time (whilst also managing to take down the head of an international trading company that just-so-happened to be trading in the lives of Magicks, but y'know), but he couldn't think of anything worse than being stuck in rainy England for god knows how long.

But then Agent Gabor had picked on that janitor, the guy who was changing a fucking lightbulb or something (Oscar hadn't even noticed - that was maybe a bad thing, giving that he was a spy, but the janitor was just so... unassuming. And this was RAS HQ. If there was anywhere you could let your guard down, odds were it was there), and he had sat up in his seat, head whipping towards the man so fast he was worried he'd given himself whiplash.

In front of him, the delegate from Portugal, Agent Almeda, shook her head. "She's lost her mind."

Too damn right she had.

Maybe this was a dream - that would make more sense, and honestly, Oscar always felt like he was going to nod off in these meetings. They were a chore, for the most part, but he did enjoy listen to the missions that were on offer, like watching the trailers before the movie. Except that there was no movie, just updates on other missions, and those were what always threatened to send him snoring under his desk.

No, it had to be a dream; Miss Bianca was smiling at that man like they were old pals, the best of friends. Oscar knew Miss Bianca. She was an aristocrat - she was like, Hungarian royalty or something. Alright, perhaps not royalty, but she was certainly up there, in that kind of social stratosphere. Oscar hadn't known that she knew what a janitor was - perhaps she didn't, and that's why she had turned to him for help.

Oh, but that wasn't fair. If Larsson had said that Oscar would have told her off; Miss Bianca was wonderful and they both knew it. Most of them knew it, especially those who had worked with her.

Speaking of - Oscar glanced around the room, his eyes landing on Petrescu, who was watching the whole thing with a frown, leaning forward in his seat. He seemed to have the same itch that Oscar did - that he should step in. Save Bianca the trouble of having to work with someone unqualified, someone... well, someone who didn't look like much. Anspråkslös - unassuming, that was the word. She shouldn't have to work with him.

Oscar really, really didn't want that mission, though. He glanced at Felix again and found the other agent looking at him too. They didn't exactly know each other, had never worked together before, but apparently they knew each other enough for Petrescu to raise on eyebrow at him quizzically. Oscar shrugged. He had no idea what was going on either.

"Miss Bianca, this is quite... unconventional." The Director said. Ah, at least - the voice of reason! The Director would put a stop to it, couldn't have rogue janitors running around pretending to be agents. The Society had been going for centuries now, it would have fallen to ruin if they'd just let any old bugger in. The Director knew that. He had to.

“You asked me to choose a co-agent, Director. I’ve chosen. Shall Mr. Bernard and I head to the briefing room?”

Oh, no.

Oscar knew that tone of voice; that tone of voice usually preceded Miss Bianca getting her own way. But no, surely not; The Director should be able to withstand that, despite how blood charming she could be--

“Yes, I - I suppose you should.”

"No way," Ebba murmured beside him, the two of them (and the entire room, actually) watching as Bianca retrieved her handbag, and led the way out of the room, the janitor following along behind her.

"Somebody check outside," Agent Neeser said, sitting beside Oscar at the Swiss desk. "I think we might see a few pigs fly past."

"I think Gabor's psych eval might be overdue." Ebba muttered, sitting back down in her seat.

"Settle down, now, settle," The Director ordered. "This meeting isn't is adjourned, so settle."

The muttering continued for a few minutes longer, and even once it had died down Oscar was sure he wasn't the only one in the room not paying attention - even the Director seemed unsure of himself. When things finished up for the morning, Oscar snatched his bag and slipped away before the crowds could get him. If he just so happened to walk past the briefing room, trying to catch a glimpse at whatever the hell was going on inside, well - that was his business.

[wandering-chronicler-blog]

Draecember-Winter Veil Celebrations

This is a day late, but what the heck?  Also, the first one that I’m not actually following one of the prompts on as the original post said we could make up our own!  And what better for a day like this than some light fluffy fun and inebriation?

As always, special thanks to @mittensmcedgelord​ for letting me borrow some of their own WoW cast for this piece, even if it’s mostly just cameos.  Also, for the insane version of the carol that is sung in it.

-Previous Pieces:  Letter, Losing Someone, Memory and Dimensional Ship, Discovery, On a Mission, Feeling Left out and Facing a Fear, Working with The Horde, Family, Reunion With a Loved One, Relaxing,  Facing a Fear and Overcoming an Obstacle, Corruption and Regret  -

“I hate you so much right now,” Onyxien grumbled.

 “Well, you volunteered for this, so whose fault is that?” Vylia countered.  She carefully adjusted the strap for the single long fake horn that was now on the netherdrake’s head.  

 He reached up with a claw to tug at the horn, pulling it onto the side of his head.  Vylia quickly corrected it.  “I didn’t expect you to dress me up in a way that makes me look like the unholy offspring of a fel mutant and a talbuk.”

 “That’s for the part though!”  She smiled at him as she finished.  “Now quit clawing at the horn.”  The drake merely groaned and dug his claws into the stones of the Lower City of Shattrath. “So, what about your lines?”

 “Uhh…”

 “You did look at the script the matron gave us, did you?”

 “It may have…”

 “Onyxien…”  She folded her arms and looked down at him as he turned away slightly.

 “Hey, I can’t shift like some of my brethren,” he reminded her.  “Claws like this weren’t made for turning pages!”

 She sighed, running a hand through her hair.  “Alright, I’ll go get another copy from her then.  Maybe Ryant and the others will have finished some of the stage too.”

 “Hope the kids appreciate all the effort we went through too to get them actual snow and not just that conjured crap the Aldor and Scryers have thrown around here and there.”

 She smiled a little remembering some of the sights since they’d arrived again in Shattrath.  It’d only been a couple months since their raid on the Dragonmaw Fortress, but it had been a long few.  Everyone was looking forward to a little rest it seemed, even though everyone knew just what was on the horizon.  “They already do,” Vylia told him.  “I saw some of them having a snowball fight earlier.  And the orc boy and draenei girl made this snowman that looked like a two-headed ogre.  They called it Gol’Ragg.”

 That got a small chuckle out of Onyxien.  “Oh, good old Gol’Ragg.  He gave me and my clutchmates fresh ravager flesh whenever we dropped by.  And cookies.”

 “You know him?”

 “Yep.  He’d argue with himself over if he should give us any, but we all knew it was an act.  He’d always give us things from his shop.”  

 Vylia chuckled a little at the image in her head of several netherwing whelps pestering an ogre as he argued with himself over giving them scraps of meat.  “Alright.  Well, I’m gonna get us the script copy and see what the others are up to.”  She turned to go back into the old ruined building that was being used for the party.

 “Can I take this horn off at least?”

 She turned as she’d reached the doorway.  “Go show the kids.  They’ll love it!”

Inside, there were some locals, but she easily spotted members of The Dirty Dozen at work or taking breaks.  Guldel sat in red winter clothes that barely fit him at the bar next to the large bowl of egg nog.  Beldak, one of the orcs, was next to him.  At one of the tables the death knights Arran and Vylia’s sister, Seliira, sat playing a game of hearthstone, using coins as counters.  Chou was followed by a group of children as she walked past with a tray of cookies, stopping only to hand them out and warning them that they were still hot.  In the rafters was a massive snake, sliding about with holly behind it, carefully fixing it as he went.  For a moment, it shifted and changed with a flicker of magic into the troll Lor’raj to dangle over Guldel and Beldak with mistletoe in his hand.  The orc grabbed a fish off the bar and pressed its lips to the troll’s. Guldel laughed at the absurdity before Lor’raj fell from the ceiling into the tauren’s lap.  Beldak began to laugh in response as Vylia passed them.

 “On the twelth day of Winter Veil the Legion gave to meeeeeeeeeee!” an operatic voice sang. Vylia turned around to see the group’s warlock, Faelthos.  The former scryer took a long drink from his mug.  “Twelve heroes fleeing!  Eleven goblin cannons!  Ten orcs a-screaming!  Nine dreadlords scheming!”  Vylia had to laugh a little at the drunk blood elf as he belched far louder than she’d have thought possible.  “Eight mutant drakes!  Seven hellish portals!  Six Blackrock cultists!”  He took a deep breath and another drink.  “Fiiiiiiiiiiive tiiiiiiiime paradoxesssssssssssssss!”

 She turned away from him and headed towards the back, stopping only to glance at the game as Arran slid a box over to Seliira.  “Hey, you two seen the matron?” she asked quickly.

 “Nope,” her sister replied.

 “Think she was talking to Vad about something,” Arran replied as he dropped another minion on the board followed by a spell.  He grabbed a couple silvers from his wallet and dropped them on top of the minion to signify a buff.

 “Ugh, well played,” Seliira admitted, seeing the move.  She drew another card from her deck and grinned.

 “Uh-oh, I know that look.”

 “Alright, thanks,” Vylia said.  She turned from them as her sister played another card, eliciting a groan from Arran.

 “Four night elf hunters! Three dancing draenei!” Fael continued as Guldel pulled the bowl of egg nog away from him.  “Two trolling trolls…  And a demon lord named Saaaaaammmyyyyyyyy!”

 She pushed the door to the back rooms open, finding Vadralis talking briefly with Kagh’Gosh.  The orc gave a single grunt and hefted a massive bag before heading back into one of the other ones.  The night elf sighed as he folded his arms and reached up to rub his forehead.  He leaned back until he was against the wall.

 “Hey,” Vylia said, approaching him.  “Tired?”

 He turned his head towards her.  “Yeah, actually,” he said.  “Had some trouble sleeping recently.”

 “Mmm?”

 “Yeah.”  Vadralis looked away then, down on the floor. “Think some of it is still getting into the swing of all this.  Having trouble remembering some of the things I did.  And some trouble with hitting a target with my knives.”

 “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out.”  She moved next to him, slipping a hand on his shoulder.

 “You didn’t know.  I thought I was a goner in that blast too.”

 “Yeah…”  Vylia bowed her head a little then.  She’d still not told him of the couple days she’d spent trying to get back there to see if she could find proof he was dead or alive.    “Yeah, I know.”

 “Not the first time I’ve been captured.  Though I didn’t even know humans existed last time it happened.”

 She had to laugh slightly at it.  

 “I’ll bounce back. Just might take some time.”    He looked up at her then, eyes resting on her hand for a moment.  “Glad you didn’t forget about me though.”

 “How could I have?  I…”  She almost added to her thoughts, but kept from doing so, though it was a bit of a relief to see a small smile on his lips.  There was silence between them as they heard Fael out in the main room begin another song.  It sounded like Chou had joined him as well in singing.

  “Nice to have a Winter Veil party again,” he said finally.

 “Yeah,” Vylia agreed. “It’s Sel’s first too.  Nice to have family with me for once on one of these events.”  She almost let go of his shoulder, but noticing how he moved just a little closer made her keep her hand there.  “Any word from your sisters since we got you out?”

 “Got them a message from one of the Shattered Sun vets on his way back to Stormwind.  And just the other day I got a letter from one of them. Frankly relieved I was alive.  Kept telling her husband that I was too damn stubborn to die.”  They both laughed a little at it.  “The other one named her newborn son after me thinking I’d died in the line of duty about a month ago.  She’s probably heard the news now too.”  He smiled sadly a little, his eyes tearing slightly.  “Kinda wish I could go back and see them.  But we’ve got a lot to do here.”  He reached up then and slipped his fingers between hers.  “And I’m glad that I get to spend it free and with someone important to me.”

 “Vad…”  She bowed her head just a little as their eyes met and her lips curled into a soft smile.  “Thank you. This’ll be one to remember.  I’ll make sure of it.”

 “I’m sure it will be already.”  He smirked at her.  “Even if only because Onyxien is participating in a play of How The Greench Stole Winter Veil for the orphanage.  And Beldak spiking the egg nog because it was ‘too weak’ by his standards.”

 She snickered a bit at how the netherdrake would look with the horn she’d spent nearly twenty minutes fussing with and the ridiculous red nose they still had to put on his snout. “Yeah.  Hey, speaking of which.  Have you seen Matron Mercy?  Onyxien shredded the script she gave us with his claws.”

 Vadralis shook his head. “Last I saw she put her husband in charge of watching over the place while she went to get something from one of the Skettis Outcasts.  Think it’s for the feast that’s planned.”

 “Aaah.  Guess we’ll get it later then.”   She let go of his shoulder then and he unlaced his fingers from hers.  “So, while we wait then, wanna get a drink?  Before Fael has it all?”

 “Heh.  Yeah.”  They started back to the door, sound of singing growing louder.  Fael and Chou were standing on top of the bar now, arm in arm and singing carols in panderan while they each had drinks in their free hands. Beldak was laughing as he watched the two dance slightly even.  The goblins Kikri and Ryant were standing on a table chatting excitedly about some device they’d come up with while Seliira was unwrapping the box that Arran had given her earlier.  Neither saw what it was, but she practically jumped across the table startling the other death knight as they landed on the ground as she made a squeal of delight. And at the bar, Guldel merely grabbed the entire bowl of egg nog and put it to his lips after a long sigh.

  “I know I’ve only been here a few months,” Vadralis started, “but is this kind of…  Insanity normal?”

 “Oh, this is actually kinda tame,” Vylia admitted.  Something then dangled right in front of her face.  She waved a hand away and it was pulled out of reach.  Looking up was Lor’raj, in his snake shape in the rafters, dropping the mistletoe out of his mouth before slithering away.

 “And I see Lor is still pestering people with the mistletoe…”  He sighed. “No wonder Guldel is drinking like a naga.”

 Vylia laughed a little, biting her lower lip as he looked back at her.  She thought briefly about it, but ultimately decided there’d be no harm. Besides, the troll had been dangling it all night over people.  “Eh, what the hell?”  Her hands slipped onto Vadralis’ face and she gave him a soft kiss on the lips.  To her joy, he returned her affection before a loud crash grabbed their attention and they both turned back to the holiday mayhem.

[melodynolan-blog]

Practice Challenge 2

           I didn’t even watch the Report when the names were announced. At the time I’d already been ushered into a limo on the way to the set of a talk show where they would discuss my entry in the Selection. Diana had it all pre-planned, since she already knew I would be Selected.

           “So how did you feel when you first saw that you were Selected?” The talk show host had asked, even though she knew I hadn’t found out in the same way as the other girls. But we both knew how I was supposed to respond.

           A wide grin graced my face. “Oh, I was so excited. To be able to live in the palace and compete for Prince Dom’s hand in marriage is like a dream come true.” I remember hoping the sarcasm was only evident to my ears.

           The host had then continued asking me questions about the Selection and what I thought of the other girls. She ended by noting how much my popularity had increased in nationwide polls since the announcement of the Selection only an hour before. I knew Diana would be ecstatic with that news.

           Immediately following the talk show, Diana hustled me back into the limo and back to the beach house. There she began discussing the game plan for the Selection.

           “Here’s what you need to do,” Diana began. “First of all, as we already talked about, you need to do whatever you can to convince Dominic to keep you until the Elite. How far past the Elite you go doesn’t matter, but you must reach at least top ten. How you do that is up to you; put on the charm, tell him your plan, whatever. Just do it. Secondly, you need to surround yourself with other power players. The Twos, the celebrities, the girls who already have a name for themselves, or will soon enough. Whether you want to call it a friendship or alliance doesn’t matter, just make sure you have a strong enough support system that you never look weak or alone during the Selection. You’ve been acquainted with Evadne Leventhorpe and Annelise Newstone in the past, maybe you could start with them.”

           I sighed at her dictation. She really just wouldn’t let me be. She never lets me make decisions on my own. Maybe I don’t even want to go to the palace. Maybe I don’t want to date anyone so soon after Trey.

           Diana left after giving me my orders, and I immediately started calling up Vad and Anne. I told them I was forming a group… a squad… of powerful girls who aren’t afraid to make a statement. I decided to coin us as the Bitch Squad. After searching through the list of other girls in the Selection, I decided to also call on Isabella Faulkner, whose modeling career made her enough of a celebrity to catch my eye, Seraphine Chamberlaine, whose ambition and fire seemed a good fit for the squad, and Kat Dempsey, who wasn’t a Two anymore, but who had the attitude of one, and whose scandal would certainly be enough of an attention-getter to make her a hot commodity. I figured I might need someone like her on my team. After getting responses from each of them agreeing to join me, the Bitch Squad was born.

           It’s been almost a week since Diana’s so-called “pep talk” and the send-off is today. I have to go to yet another stupid event that the province of Angeles is throwing for me. It’s supposed to be a way for the people of Angeles to show their support for me and get to know me before I’m overcome by the fame of the Selection. Like the Selection is actually going to change me. I’m already famous, these people already know who I am. All this send-off is really doing is letting the people think that I’m just like them. I’m not. I’m not just “one of the people” I’m not an average “daughter of Illéa.” I’ve made a name for myself and earned the fame I have. Everyone knows my name and my face already, so I don’t even really know what the point is. But it’s tradition, so who am I to ruin that?

           The send-off that Angeles decides to throw is an elegant dinner gala. At least they have some class. Some provinces just have the girls stand on a stage where people can stare at them or throw roses. I do my best to play nice at the gala, shaking hands with people, taking pictures with young girls who want to be me when they grow up, blowing kisses at all the boys heartbroken that I’m the Prince’s property now.

           After the gala, I’m ushered directly to a limo to take me to an airport. Of course, I don’t really need to fly on a plane to get to the palace, since it’s only about an hour drive from my house, but again, it’s “tradition” for the ladies to fly in together. I meet the other girls at the airport and see that they’re all wearing the traditional white blouse and black trousers. At least for this tradition Diana got me out of it. As soon as the gala was ending, she had me change into a dress with a black lacy top and a white skirt. Opposite coloring to the other girls. Already she was making changes to help me stand out and to show the world that I’m not just one of the Selected; I am so much more than that.

           Luckily, Kat is one of the other girls on the plane with me, and I am so grateful that at least one of my fellow Bitch Squad members is with me. It allows me to establish myself right off the bat as someone with friends and allies everywhere. The other girls on the plane, while all Twos, seem fairly insignificant to me. A few of them try to start conversations a couple times, but it dies off when I turn to Kat to talk instead.

           When the plane lands, we’re immediately surrounded by adoring fans holding posters with our names on them. Some of the other girls are caught up by the attention, but it’s something I’m very used to, so I quickly make my way down the red carpet, signing a few autographs and talking some selfies along the way.

           Maids and servants immediately rush over to us as we enter the palace and lead us to the Women’s Room for the makeovers. The stylists fawn over me for a few minutes, saying how much they love my hair, my eyes, my everything. They know they can’t change anything about me, since I have an image to uphold for my career, and I know they wouldn’t want to anyway. They give my hair a little extra curl and apply some more makeup before sending me off to find a dress. They take a few pictures of us and then we’re set free to mingle with each other. I quickly find the rest of my bitches and we form a circle to officially introduce ourselves and discuss our plans for the Selection.

           I noticed out of the corner of my eye one of the other Selected approaching us hesitantly. I turn to appraise her. I don’t remember her name; she was probably someone I skipped right over when I was first looking for girls to invite to my squad, but at least after the makeover she looked fairly decent. Not like some of the girls who were definitely trying too hard. I squint my eyes at her. “Excuse me, who are you?” I ask.

           The girl clears her throat and strengthens her back. Suddenly she seems more courageous and empowered, and I admire that. “I’m Charlotte. And I have a proposition for you.”

           She tells me that even though she’s a Six, she recognizes that there will be groups, cliques, forming in this Selection. She doesn’t want to be part of a weak group, or left in the dust entirely. She says she can see the Bitch Squad for what it is: a group of powerful girls working together to strengthen our positions for during the Selection and after. And she wants in.

           So we come to an agreement that she will do her best to support the members of the Bitch Squad when we need someone at our backs—or our feet—and in turn, we will help raise her societal status by association. I can certainly admire her ambition and her ability to recognize the Bitch Squad as the top dogs of the Selection.

           That night, Vad and one of the others decide to plan a sleepover for all the girls. Personally, I find it idiotic to try to plan such a small scale party for thirty-five girls, but I know this is what Vad loves to do, so I must support her.

           When I reach the party rooms—fashionably late, of course—I see the party is in full swing. And by swing I mean half the girls are literally swaying on their feet. They’re all completely drunk off their asses. I honestly can’t believe these girls are stupid enough to get drunk the night before they first meet the prince. Do they honestly believe a hangover is sexy or attractive? Trust me; been there, done that. Don’t need to do that again.

           I stay as long as I can, just to show my support to Vad, but I honestly can’t stand the insane drunkenness of the girls. I assume it’s because most of them haven’t had the freedom or wealth to have much experience with alcoholic beverages, and went a little overboard with their first times. But that’s still no excuse. Everyone knows everything is better in moderation.

           Eventually I can’t handle being bumped into by the girls who can’t even stand still on their own two feet, so I apologize to Vad and leave the “party” if you could even call it that. It felt more like a seedy bar at two in the morning, if you ask me.

           As I leave the cacophony of the party behind, I try to think. There must be something more productive I could be doing with my time. My feet are already walking to my destination before my mind has fully processed the idea.

           Once I reach the hall where the royals’ bedrooms are, I find myself a comfortable alcove and lie down in it with a faux casualty. I pull up my dress a little so my legs are slightly more accentuated, and I wait.

           I don’t have to wait long, as Dom emerges from his room within a few minutes.

           I pretend to not notice him and play with the hem of my dress.

           “Uh, hello?” Dom asks.

           I lift my eyes and feign a look of surprise. “Oh, hello. I didn’t see you there.”

           “Did you come to find me?” He asks with a sly grin on his face as he takes a step closer to me.

           I gasp and pretend to look insulted. “Of course not! That’s against the rules, isn’t it? I was simply looking for a place to rest. Walking around this huge palace can get so exhausting.”

           Dom had been walking towards me even more as I spoke, and I began to sit up in the seat as well while he approached so that when I finished talking, our noses almost touched and we were at eye level.

           “Well, if you really need a place to rest, my bedroom is right there. And my… bed,” Dom suggested.

           I gulp. How far am I really willing to go with this? I really don’t want to sleep with him on the first night, but I don’t want it to seem that way. “I don’t think that would be very proper. After all, we haven’t even had our official introductions yet.”

           “But I certainly know who you are already, Melody Nolan.”

           I give him a smirk. “You don’t know everything about me. There’s so much more to learn.”

           Dom smirks back. “I look forward to it.”

           I quickly hop down from the alcove and turn my back on him. Once I’ve taken a few steps, I turn my head back to look at him. “See you soon, princeling.” I give him a smirk and a wink, then turn back and make my way back to my room.

           Once back in my room, I shut the door quietly behind me and then sit down on the floor, pulling my knees to my chest. That wasn’t so bad, right? A little minor flirtation is something I can handle. Before the introductions tomorrow, I’ll have to make a decision, though. Do I tell Dom about my plan or not? If I tell him, he may think I’m not here for him and eliminate me immediately. Or he may agree to it and I won’t have to worry about seriously trying to seduce him. If I don’t tell him, then he’ll think I’m actually here to win his heart, and will likely keep me a long time, but I may have to resort to doing things I may not actually want to do.

           Decisions, decisions.

[westernmanews]

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A new life saving option is now available to heart failure patients right here in western Massachusetts.

“All those things that people take for granted in life, you know, they mean a lot,” said Ernie Scruse, Junior. He smiled, so grateful of how his life has changed in the past four months. You see, Scruse, 55, was told he had a 50-50 chance of living another 6 months to a year. He had been living with heart failure for 8 years – no heart attack, but a slow deterioration that prevented him from even climbing two flights of stairs.

“We said the medications are definitely not working. We need to make a decision,” said Baystate Medical Center Nurse Practitioner Tanya Dwyer. She introduced Scruse to VAD: Ventricular Assist Device. The valves and tubes are essentially an artificial heart.

Scruse said he was hesitant at first, but his heart beat for the moments spent at games with his sons, and fishing with his father. He couldn’t let those moments slip away so soon. He was running out of options. Waiting on a long list for a heart transplant may not have saved his life in time, so he chose VAD.

The device certainly gives a new appreciation for what our human hearts can do on their own. Through open-heart surgery, doctors insert a valve into the heart. Another device then spins the blood at 9,000 RPMs, pumping it out through a tube to the aortic arch which then transfers it through the body.

“His heart probably does a small portion of it, maybe less than 25 percent of it, and that does the support,” Dr. Greg Valania, a cardiologist and the VAD program coordinator at Baystate Medical Center, told 22News.

Scruse showed us his lifeline: a tube connecting the device through his belly button to a battery pack. The batteries must always be running, or Scruse dies. At night, he can recharge them and plug into an outlet. Each morning, he must carefully monitor and record his blood pressure and weight, checking in frequently with Baystate doctors.

Scruse is the first patient to get the device here in western Massachusetts. About five candidates could soon get one, without having to travel to Boston for the surgery. VAD has been an available option at some 150 centers across the country since 2010.

“This has been the best thing that ever happened to me. I wouldn’t change this for anything in the world. Besides all the equipment that I carry around with me, that’s a small price to pay for a second chance of life,” Scruse told 22News. He’s most looking forward to having many more summers spent at games with his sons and fishing with his father.