#willie is so overwhelmed and confused and delighted he's just Going With It

[innytoes]

I got a little carried away for the charity toy drive and you’re the very overwhelmed but happy volunteer for Sunset Skater, please?

The day had been bad so far. Hell, the week had been bad so far. It was getting harder and harder to keep a cheerful smile on his face. They'd pulled out all the stops earlier in the day (and by that he meant some sick-ass yoyo tricks and juggling), but a lot of people had walked away once they got a better look at his table. One lady had told them he should be ashamed of himself.

He was thinking maybe he should just give up. He could get the money some other way. Maybe even crawl back to Caleb and admit they did need their trust fund after all. Not for him, but he couldn't bare the thought of any of the kids not getting presents this year.

Then, he heard it.

"Hang on guys, Alex is being drawn to a rainbow flag like a gay moth to a fabulous flame!" a guy in a leather jacket called over his shoulder, following a cute boy in a hoodie and a fanny pack.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that," the guy complained, even though he was heading right Willie's way.

"Hi!" he said in their most perky volunteer voice. "I'm here on behalf of the Ortega Home for LGBTQ Youths, for our charity toy drive!"

"Oh my god it's one of those wish trees!" the guy in the leather jacket said, bouncing up to the tree next to the table. "I've always wanted to do one of these! And now we have like, money!" He looked so excited, it was adorable. At the last second though, he pulled his hand back. Oh no. Not again.

But the guy just turned to them and said, shyly: "Can I?"

"Yeah, totally!" Willie said. "We have wishes from kids of various ages in the tree."

"There's so many of them," Fanny Pack said. "Are the ones that have already been filled still up there?"

The perky volunteer voice slipped. "I'm afraid not. A lot of people see the flag, or read the cards, and suddenly the giving spirit leaves them." Perhaps this was the wrong mall to set up in, or something. But it was the only one he'd been able to get a permit for. The blonde guy looked sad, then squared his shoulders.

"We'll take five," he said, before turning and whistling. Out of nowhere, three other people popped up. "Each."

"To start," Leather Jacket said happily, already plucking cards out of the tree. "Oooh, this one is mine." He held up a card decorated in little trans and heart stickers. "B, age seven, wants a puppy and sparkly nail polish. Same!"

"What are we doing?" A guy with very impressive biceps said. "I thought we were going to the music store?"

"Wish tree," Fanny Pack said. "Queer wish tree."

With a tiny pout, Biceps muttered how he guessed the music store could wait.

"This one is for Alex," Leather Jacket declared. "Because it's written in sparkly pink gel pen." He passed it over. Fanny Pack, or Alex, read the card.

"No, this one is for Luke," he said. "K, 17, wants a guitar, a record player, and Julie and the Phantom's new LP." Biceps pretty much vibrated out of his skin, snatching up the card and practically running over to where the music store was. Willie didn't even have a chance to explain they didn't need to purchase everything on the card.

"Aaaand we've lost Luke to the music store," the exceptionally pretty person in red suspenders said. They were wearing a pleated leather skirt and torn leggings and amazing eyeliner and Willie kind of wanted to steal their entire look.

"If we find any more music related cards, I'll take them over to him later," the girl said, joining Leather Jacket at the tree. "This one's for you, Bobby. E, 15, nonbinary, wants a pretty, flowy skirt size 8, some dark lipstick, and a cool necklace."

"Bobby knows what's cool," Leather Jacket agreed.

They picked over the tree, more and more cards being handed out among the friend group. They all introduced themselves, asking Willie about the charity. He told them about Ortega House, about the support groups they had, the art therapy program he volunteered at, and the kids who lived there permanently after being kicked out for being, well, not-cis, not-straight.

Julie grabbed her phone and started texting someone named Flynn for a 'consult on the best make-up for dark skin tones' for J, 16. She had two neat stacks of cards on the table, a few with make-up and clothing requests, and a few music related ones for Luke.

Bobby ('he, they, she, please' she said when she noticed Willie’s he/they name sticker) got all the 'cool and edgy teen' cards, according to the others, and Alex grabbed a few that requested books and art supplies. Reggie ended up picking every single card for kids under ten, before running off to the toy store and shouting at them he'd 'be right back!'

"It's because he's never grown up," Alex said fondly.

"It's because he finally has an excuse to sneak in that new Star Wars Lego Set while we're not watching," Bobby grumbled.

One by one, the people left, and he ended up sitting next to the nearly empty tree, texting Kenny, Dante, and Fuego about what had just happened.There were a lot of emojis and exclamation points.

Alex was the first to arrive back. He had several bags filled with books, along with two rolls of... sparkly unicorn wrapping paper. He looked embarrassed. "You don't have to use it," he said. "I just saw it and thought it would be nice. I still need to hit up the art store for the rest, but..."

"This is amazing," Willie said. "You guys are... I mean... I thought we wouldn't be able to do it, that I'd failed, and you and your friends totally saved the day. Thank you."

Alex flushed rather prettily, and gave a sweet smile. "I wish I'd had a place like Ortega House when I came out," he told Willie. "I think we all do, probably." He made an exasperated face. "And Luke will take any excuse to spend more time in the music store."

"Your boyfriend?" Willie asked, because he was stupid, because they couldn't not, because he'd rather know now than before he made a fool out of themselves in front of this cute guy by slipping him their number and never getting called.

"One of them," Alex said, before looking flustered and hurrying off to the art store.

Oh. Well, maybe that meant he still had a shot.

Julie was back next, along with another girl, the infamous Flynn. She started grilling him about the Ortega House social media presence almost immediately, satisfied when he gave her a little pamphlet with all their information on the back. She disappeared off to the food court, declaring she would be back later with donuts.

"I'm going to go bring Luke his other cards now, before he buys out the entire store to give to K, 17," Julie said, amused, and left.

Reggie was the next person to arrive back, carrying so many bags he was waddling slightly.

"I may have gone a little overboard," he admitted. "But there was so much cool stuff, and really, who doesn't want a colour-changing dinosaur, huh?" He showed Willie the box. "Also, can I hide this Lego set under your table so the others don’t see it?"

Willie grinned, lifting up the table cloth and miming zipping his lips when Reggie slid the Star Wars Lego set under it. Reggie happily flopped down in the chair next to him and started helping him sort out the gifts, arranging them on the table behind him by the little cards. They chatted, and Reggie told him all about the others, about how they lived together, how they were in a band.

Willie subtly tried to figure out who was dating who, and if he maybe had a shot with Alex (or honestly, any of them). Reggie just happily rattled off a bunch of names. “Sometimes Alex says we need some kind of flow chart,” he said, gently placing the floppy stuffed dog on top of a pile. “But I don’t think it’s too hard to remember.”

“That’s because you’re literally dating everyone, Reginald,” Bobby said as they came back to the table, dropping her bags on the table. Reggie beamed, leaning over to bat his eyes at her. “These are all sorted by card, the card’s in the bag with the items. Now where’s the box?”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Reggie said, trying and failing to look not look guilty.

“The Lego Star Wars Set,” Bobby said, leaning over and giving Reggie a Look. He didn’t even flinch when Reggie leaned over to kiss his forehead. “I know you have it.”

“I can neither confirm nor deny,” Reggie said. “Oh look there’s Luke and Julie!” He pointed excitedly, and when Bobby looked away, nudged the box a little further under the table.

Luke, and Julie, who were not just carrying bags, but had stolen two shopping carts from a nearby store. There was a hot pink electric guitar (he was guessing for Katie), an amp, thee acoustic guitars, a keyboard with stand, a flute, a whole stack of ‘for beginners’ books, two record players, a radio slash CD player, and more CDs and records than Willie knew what to do with.

“Oh my god,” Bobby whispered. “I knew we should have sent Alex with him to keep him in check.”

“I dunno, I think this is exactly what these kids deserve,” Alex said happily, grinning when Bobby jumped and then punched him in the shoulder. He deposited the three large bags of art supplies on the table (sketchbooks and paints and brushes and the Good coloured pencils and oh god those were so expensive, these people were insane or angels or both.)

“I got some extra stuff,” Luke said. “You know, just some music I thought the kids would like, based on what they were asking for.” Next to him, Julie rolled her eyes.

“This is amazing,” Willie whispered. He wasn’t sure if anyone heard him, though, because Luke started to accost Alex, who pushed him away and fished a bunch of markers out of his fanny back with a ‘you could just ask!’

Then, he spread out a bunch of records on the table and started... defacing each one? No, not defacing. Signing them with a blue marker. Alex handed out the other markers (red for Reggie, white for Bobby, purple for Julie, and he kept a pink one for himself) and followed suit. Willie squinted at the records.

“Oh,” he managed. “You’re Julie and the Phantoms.”

“Tell your friends!” Reggie chirped, throwing him a wink.

“If Luke got too many and not all the kids are interested, a fully signed record can net your charity about 500 bucks on eBay, last I checked,” Bobby said. “Just space them out a little.”

“Also,” Julie said, checking her phone. “Flynn posted the links to your online donation drive on our socials, and she’ll be back with donuts and to take some pictures of us all, it’ll be good publicity for you.”

Oh my god Katie was going to flip. Kenny was going to flip.

“Oooh, I want sprinkles,” Reggie said. “Tell her I want sprinkles!”

“She knows, baby.”

“I just...” Willie said. How was any of this happening? He knows he should be like, channeling his inner Caleb, glad-handing and maybe securing a yearly donation, or a charity concert, or a freaking meet-and-greet with the kids. But they were just a lowly art therapist and honestly they were about to start crying and...

“Hey, we’re sorry,” Alex said. “We should have asked first.”

“No it’s... this is perfect.” They wiped at their eyes with a sleeve furiously. “This is all so perfect, the kids are going to be so happy.”

“You know,” Reggie said. “If you give Alex your number, we could maybe keep in touch. Hear what the kids thought.”

“Maybe set up a charity concert or something!” Luke piped up.

“And a date,” Bobby said, smirking when Alex went as pink as his hoodie.

“Really?” Willie whispered, awed.

At the end of the day, he sent out several texts. One in the Volunteer group chat, of him and the piles and piles of donations, and a request to please come help him get this all back to Ortega House. One to Kenny about the whole ‘so I met a famous band and they posted the charity to their socials, you’re welcome and also call this nice lady called Flynn to discuss a charity concert’ and one to Dante and Fuego in all caps that just said I’M GOING ON A DATE WITH THREE OR MAYBE FOUR PEOPLE and seventeen different emojis.

[aghostlybao]

🏳️‍🌈 boggie

anon, thank you so much for responding to my post!! i give you bobby's first ever pride, boggie style!

multicolored steps to bravery

warnings: none. however, if you do find anything you think are triggering then pls send me a msg and tag the reblogs accordingly. thank you!

 navigating through one’s gender/sexuality is confusing and overwhelming, especially when you’re at an age where society expects you to have an established sense of self. it is absolutely okay to remain uncertain of what label, if any, suits you best. and it is also okay to change the label you’ve chosen to identify yourself as somewhere down the line or to forgo labels altogether. 

or bobby watches his friends grow && celebrate their gender/sexuality with pride while he ends up even more confused && thinks that he's running out of time to figure out where he belongs.

writing below the cut. excuse my grammar, english is difficult af but i hope you enjoy it

                           

multicolored steps to bravery

There were times Bobby felt like an outsider, an audience witnessing the growth of his friends rather than growing with them. While Alex found out about his sexuality at 12, Luke following right after, and Reggie two years later, but Bobby at 18, still didn’t know where he belonged in the gender and sexuality spectrum. And every year, as his friends went through heartbreaks, his own experience never went past an awkward peck on the lips during a spin-the-bottle game when he was 13. While they grew confident and proud, showcasing their gender and sexuality, and becoming supportive figures to the younger students at their high school since sophomore year; Bobby reeled back and firmly smiled as others labeled him as the token straight friend of the group.

But at 23, Bobby finally found the courage to join his friends at the annual pride festivities, while still being 100% unsure of his identity. Bobby lounged on the living room sofa, feet nonchalantly propped up on the coffee table, and munched on sliced green apples dipped in sriracha sauce as they put the finishing touches to their outfits.

Reggie stole the fruit out of his hand, “you okay?”

“Yeah, Reg.” He happily fed the bassist another slice, “just sleepy.” Bobby was grateful that Reggie remained quiet about the obvious lie that came out of his mouth.

Reggie did a 360-degree turn on the spot and wiggled his fingers when he came to a stop. “What do you think? Willie painted the back panel,” he turned away and showcased the very artwork he was talking about, a bass guitar in the colors of the bisexual flag. “Julie added the studs!”

His own outfit, dull and monotone, wasn’t even worth comparing against their elaborate looks.

Bobby tried, really tried not to entertain him not belonging, or that it affected him every time a stranger screamed in delight, gave them high fives, and with some going as far as giving hugs because of the colors that adorned their bodies. But it was difficult not to when they were bouncing with so much excitement that it made his head spin. Reggie’s presence didn’t even register until his hand received a comforting squeeze. “You okay, Bee?”

When had he stopped walking? Bobby mechanically smiled, forcibly making the outer corner of his eyes crinkle. “yeah dude, just got lost in my thoughts. We should catch up with them.” Neither of them moved from the spot.

Right before them were rows of pride flags varying in sizes and colors to represent the entire LGBTQIA+ community. The growing crowd turned into a blur of multicolored identities, from Alex and his partner, Willie in their rainbow splattered dungarees with the demisexual flag painted on one of Willie’s pant leg to Luke’s arms covered in swirls of pink, yellow, and cyan. And Reg, Reggie’s leather jacket customized with magenta, lavender, and royal blue studs, and the hand-painted bass guitar in the same colors was a stark contrast to his full black outfit.

“Reg?” Bobby still didn’t have the answer to the question he’s been asking himself since Alex came out to them at 12, “I don’t think I’m straight... or gay, or bi, or pan…” He continued when Reggie took hold of both his hands, a silent encouragement to keep going. “Actually, I have no clue what to identify as, not the way all of you do. I-I thought I was asexual but then I found out about its sub-identities, then people started referring to me as the token straight.”

Bobby rolled his shoulders back, lifting his head to return Reggie’s gaze. “I was hoping I’d have it all figured out by now but I’m thinking that it may never happen.” He briefly searched for any sign that he should stop talking but Reggie met uncertainty with a soft smile. “I like you.” He dropped to a squat, groaning in frustration. Talk about finesse. He swore under his breath, “I had this entire confession planned out, and I fu-And you’re laughing at me!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’ve never heard you speak for long or look so scared. Remember that rottweiler living across the school and Luke dared me to go pet it?”

“Yeah, you cried and fainted.”

“Exactly!”

“I don’t get it…”

“That’s how I feel towards you!”

“You’re... scared of me?”

Reggie crouched down in front of him, beaming, “yeah! Wait. No! I was in the beginning, you were super cool and I told the guys that it was unfair how you owned the ‘haven’t slept but still hot’ look while I looked like a turtle every morning!” Halfway through his ramblings, the two of them had changed their position and comfortably sat crossed-legged in the middle of the street. Bobby was far too entranced to care about the looks of annoyance being thrown at them.

“My point is,” he pursed his lips, “I like you too, Bobby.” To prevent Bobby from countering, Reggie pushed his cheeks together, making him look like an inverted version of a pufferfish.

“And before you ask, it’s good enough for me. We don’t even have to put a label on it!”

“I don’t know... being called your boyfriend sounds nice.”

“It does?”

“Yeah, Reg.”

“Okay, boyfriend.”

“Ew.” Bobby quickly stood up, cackling as Reggie chased him through the multicolored crowd.

[anoutlandishfanfic]

Metamorphosis AU: Ch. 24, Pt. 2, Convalescence.

Huzzah! Finally an update!! Thank you all for your patience.

The Premise: What if Claire had conceived on her wedding night with Jamie?

You can find previous chapters here or over at AO3.

Its a bit of a long one, so everything is below the cut.

January 22nd, 1744.

“Jamie, this is amazing,” I sighed, trying to take in the wonder my husband had just introduced me to. Rows upon rows of books surrounded us, bookshelves housing tomes of history, poetry, and — the section I was standing in the very midst of — medicine.

My fingers reverently brushed across the spines of the books before me. English, French, and Latin titles bespoke of anatomy and physiology, the beginnings of cardiology and the cardiovascular system. They were far from what I considered the latest break in medical advancement, I was sure a good portion of the information they held within would be entirely incorrect, but the value of such a collection in my day would be priceless. 

“Aye,” he grinned proudly, professing, “I thought you might like it. Murtagh brought me several to read before I found my feet again and now I find myself coming here often… ‘tis soothing, somehow.”

I nodded, knowing the feeling well, but he continued, his focus shifting to the tomes in front of us. 

“Micrographia… Institutiones Medicae... A Directory for— Sassenach look a’ this!”

Jamie eagerly snatched the book from the shelf, rattling off its name and contents as fast as his lips could tout them. 

A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women in the Conception, Bearing, and Suckling of their Children. 

“The Anatomy of the Vessels of Generation, The Formation of the Child in the Womb, What Hinders Conception, What Hastens Conception… Christ, everythin’s in here!”

I peered at the open page before him and scanned the rest of the table of contents. 

A Guide for Women in their Labour. 

A Guide for Women in their Lying-In. 

Jesus H Roosevelt Christ

My gut clenched and nausea threatened to over take me at the antiquated phrase. 

Their bloody fucking lying-in. 

This phase of a woman’s pregnancy — the one I was now in the very midst of — often spelled her demise. What, with weeks spent confined to her bedchamber and doted on by the backward practices of an uneducated physician, mothers dropped like flies in this century and their infants soon followed, if not predeceased them. The thought of the entire book being filled with monstrous diagrams made my head spin as I pushed it against Jamie’s chest and staggered out of the row of bookcases. 

“Claire?”

My husband’s voice floated over my head as I careened towards the large fireplace at the other end of the room. I heard him follow me, but didn’t acknowledge his presence as I reached my destination and grabbed for the back of a sturdy wooden chair before the fire. My knuckles turned white as I gripped it, my chest tight as I gasped for air. 

“Are you alright, mo chridhe?” he asked from somewhere behind me. 

“No,” I bit out, my jaw clenching as my head gave a decided shake, “I’m fucking terrified.”

Jamie paused only for a moment before stepping around and coming to stand before me. His face was awash with complete understanding, his eyes alight with his own fears… for he knew first hand the dangers involved in the travail ahead of me. 

“Aye,” he murmured softly, my frantic heartbeat evening out beneath his steady gaze. 

“Forget about the book, mo nighean donn.”

I shook my head as sanity and coherent thought slowly began to creep back in, his nearness steadying me. 

“No, you should read it,” I swallowed hard, tramping down the bile rising at the back of my throat. “We should read it… go through it together.”

Jamie offered his hand over the chair and I took it gladly, continuing as he guided me into his arms. 

“I need you to know what’s going on… I need you to protect me… protect us, should the midwife try any funny business.”

“Funny business?”

“Yes,” I muttered emphatically, albeit muffled by the front of his shirt as I buried my face in his chest. 

He contemplated this foreign phrase for a moment, his whole body rumbling in good humor as he asked, “Did the midwife a’ Lallybroch try any funny business?”

“No,” I shook my head against him as I reckoned back to that fateful day at Lallybroch. 

“No, she knew what she was doing… so did Jenny.”

What I wouldn’t give to have Jenny here. 

Jamie’s sister had been confident in her midwife, in her own capabilities, and in the knowledge that should the worst happen — a very real possibly as her baby had been breach — her young family would be safe in the care of their father and secure in her ancestral home. 

I had no guarantees of any of these things. 

I was incredibly wary of anyone in this century who claimed to have any sort of medical knowledge, unsure of my own body’s limitations — say nothing of strength of those who lived within me — and entirely unwilling to let myself even think of what would happen to Jamie and our children should I die in childbirth. 

A shiver ran through me and Jamie’s embrace tightened, his head tipping forward to rest atop mine. His lips moved amid my curls and his voice brought me out of my thoughts. 

“You liked the midwife a’ Leoch, aye? Mebbe we can find one in France who isna sae bad.”

The bitter taste of dread filled my mouth as I contemplated our impending voyage and subsequent overland journey to Paris. It would take weeks and I wasn’t sure just how many of those I had to spare. 

What if my time came before we reached our destination?

I moved in Jamie’s arms, twisting until I could see his face. I needed to see the surety in his eyes, the strength that somehow still remained after all he’d been through. 

“And if she is?”

His lips hovered above mine, his blue eyes true as he promised, “I willna leave your side, mo chridhe… not for a moment.”

I kissed him soundly, taking him at his word, needing his presence and support more than any guidance a midwife could give me. 

Jenny’s labor had been almost instinctual, a dance orchestrated by the movements within her… I knew myself best while I was within my husband’s arms, intune to the inner workings of my womb and that of my heart. I could let the world and its worries fade away and focus on him… on us. 

Maybe mine could be the same.  

He kissed me again, making my heart soar and my head spin. His good hand slid down my back, settling on my hips for a moment before dipping even further to firmly grasp my bottom. He lifted me ever so slightly as he pressed himself against me and revealed a need as mighty as my own. 

Electricity ran up and down my spine and I took hold of a fistful of his hair as his tongue slipped between my lips. I moaned around his intrusion, my hips bucking against his, and I felt his lips smile around mine as he slowly retreated. 

“Jamie,” I hissed. 

“Aye,” he purred, “I ken.”

Another, foreign voice echoed my husband’s name from somewhere in the distance, completely interrupting the first truly intimate moment I’d had with him in months. 

“Jamie?”

“Go the bloody hell away,” I muttered and pulled Jamie’s lips back to mine. 

He chuckled at this and the deep vibrations of his delight sent me reeling towards the point of no return

“Jamie?” The voice tried again, “Are ye within?”

I plunged my hands between us, tugging at his shirtfront and entirely untucking as I groaned, “Not just yet, but he will be in a moment.”

Jamie’s smile spread into a full on grin as he kissed me quickly, but then — to my complete dismay — he broke away and settled me back onto the ground. I blinked up at him in confusion as he called out to our disturbance. 

“Aye, over here, lad,” he guided, tucking his shirt neatly back into its place. 

Guilt overwhelmed me as I back peddled, letting him move towards the general direction of who I assumed to be Willie. 

He isn’t ready, you bloody fool. Do you really expect him to hop right back into your pants now that he’s regained basic function of his extremities?! Give him time!

Jamie took hold of my hand before I could move away much farther and pulled me back to his side, murmuring low, “We’ll see wha’ news he has, then send him on his way, aye?

I nodded without comment and he squeezed my hand. He tipped my chin up with one finger to look at him and his eyes communicated all I needed to know and then some before he kissed me once more. 

Soon… I promise. 

I sighed as he pulled away and forced a smile for the unofficial go-between to Jamie’s uncle Dougal. I refused to speak to the bloody man and as he and my husband were at constant loggerheads over our flight from the Highlands, Willie had stepped into the position with gusto. 

“A good evenin’ to ye, Mistress Claire,” his genuine and warm greeting was soothing, even as his presence was the last thing I wished for right now.

“And to you, Willie.”

Jamie’s stance shifted, unable to stay still as he anticipated the news to come, “Did you find him, then? The captain of the Demeter?”

“Nae, I didna,” the boy’s face fell. “It sailed wi’ the tide last morn… but the innkeeper thought it’d be back in three weeks time.”

“Nothin’ before then?” Jamie sighed.

“No’ that I could find… but I’ll keep lookin’.”

“Aye,” Jamie nodded, having to accept this. “I thank ye, lad.”

Willie stood a little straighter at his, his admiration for my husband growing by the day, and insisted, “‘Twas nothin’. We’ll find one yet.”

The boy made a move to leave, but then remembered something.

“Oh, Mistress Claire, Father Anselm asked if ye’d come to the kitchens… Brother Josef has a wee burn tha’ needs a bit of tendin’, if ye’re up to it.”

His face was expectant, knowing my answer before I said it. These men of faith had done so much for me and my own that it would be incredibly rude of me to not see to the wound, say nothing of unethical.

“Of course,” I tried to smile.

Jamie saw my reticence and grinned as he fanned the flames within me, picking up the book we’d found and giving me a dismissive whack on the behind with it, “I’ll bring this back to your rooms, then, Sassenach.”

“Wait for me, mmm?” I gave him a look before moving away, telling him exactly what I thought of that.

“Oh, aye,” he grabbed my hand, bringing me hastily back to his side as he dipped his head, purring a directive for my ears alone. 

“Hurry.”

…

The act of caring for Brother Josef’s minor wound had cooled my head, but the heat of what awaited me in my chambers still burned deep within me as I bid the small gathering of monks goodnight. I assured them I could find my way on my own, not wanting their celibate presence along side me as I wrestled with what this stage in Jamie’s recovery would mean for the both of us. 

Was he really ready?

Physically, my husband was certainly healthy enough for intercourse — provided he was smart about the use of his right hand — but it was his emotional state that I was worried about. 

Jamie had remained silent over much about what had happened in that hell hole, but I knew for certain that the sadistic bastard hadn’t kept his hands to himself. The psychological scars were plain for me to see, even with my untrained eyes, and I had no idea how to proceed. 

Would my touch echo his?

I sighed, making the executive decision to let Jamie’s needs guide my own, and turned my thoughts instead to my own physical state. 

I hadn’t been with Jamie in eleven weeks and I’d be blatantly lying if I said I hadn’t kept track… or that I wasn’t self-conscious about my pregnant form. I was swollen and stretched to my breaking point, yet my hormones had me strung so high that I was ready to jump him at any and every possibility. 

It wasn’t long before I reached my destination and was forced to face quite another reality. 

Was I ready?

My hand hesitated on the knob, my lower lip tucking between my lips as I chastised myself. 

Pull yourself together, Beauchamp. 

I opened the door before I could think of a reason not to and stepped through. I found Jamie in my favorite chair before the fire, reading the book we’d found together. 

His head lifted at my entrance and I found all of my doubts disappearing into thin air at his smile. It warmed me to my toes, setting the dull throb between my legs into fine frenzy as he set the book aside and rose to his feet. 

He reached out his hand, taking mine as we met in the middle of the room and greeting me with a kiss that took the very breath from my lungs. 

“Do you ken what I just reading about, mo chridhe?” Jamie purred, his lips hovering just above mine. 

“What’s that?” I hedged, any coherent thought blissfully drowned out by his intoxicating presence. 

“Your anatomy.”

“Mine specifically?” I found myself grinning like an idiot as I settled more comfortably in his arms, “Or female genitalia in general?”

“Genitalia,” he tested out the word, rolling it around in his mouth with great satisfaction for a moment before pronouncing, “You have verra fine genitalia, Sassenach.”

His hips shifted against mine and a shiver of anticipation ran down my spine, but still I found myself hesitant. I gave a wordless response, neither agreeing or disagreeing, and he caught this, intuitive as ever. His brow furrowed as he studied my face, moving his away as his head tipped to one side in contemplation. 

“Do you think I’d find you anythin’ but beautiful, mo nighean donn?”

I shook my head slowly as one shoulder lifted in a feeble shrug, my gaze flicking away.

“Ach, mo gradhe,” he murmured, completely deflated. 

My jaw clenched as tears burned at the back of my eyes and I slid them shut as his warm hand lifted to cup my cheek. 

“You’ve taken such care of me,” his thumb gently wiped away my tears. “Will you let me care for you?”

I sighed, turning my face to place a kiss in his palm, but he stopped me, slipping his fingers beneath my chin and tipping it up. 

“Claire,” he coaxed, kissing me gently.

His right hand lowered to the obvious presence between us, his good arm siding around my hips as he pulled me closer. 

“Do you remember what I told you a’ the first?” he murmured. “When you were beginnin’ to show an’ worrit I wouldna find you attractive?”

I shook my head, but opened my eyes, unable to speak and yet needing to see my husband’s face. A warm smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, remembering back to those early days of my pregnancy. I was sicker than a dog, unable to keep much of anything down, but his care for me had been devoted and constant, never wavering. 

“I said that I loved the glow you seemed to have about you… tha’ the more our children needed of you, the more beautiful you become.”

His eyes were bright, the faint sheen of his own tears making them sparkle in the low light. 

“I thought I meant it then,” Jamie’s voice deepened into a sensual purr, his nose a breath away from mine, “but, now… a dhia, Sorcha, the very sight of them thrivin’ so within you…”

He kissed me then, long and hard, until we were both gasping for air, desperate for more of each other. His fingers clumsily tugged at the fastenings of my skirts, but effectively reached his goal, sending them into a heap at my feet. He paused for a moment, his hands trembling slightly as they lowered to frame the growing swell of our children.

I brought my own to rest atop his as I kissed him once more, moving his left hand to the place where they stirred within me, eagerly responding to their father’s greeting. 

“They’re safe,” he murmured hoarsely, burying his face in my neck. 

I nodded, slipping my arms around him, my fingers splaying wide across his back. I could feel the raised scars against my palms, stirring up memories of their infliction and the more recent injuries he’d experienced at the hand of the same sadistic madman. 

“So are you,” I echoed.

Sliding my hands between us, I deftly unbuckled the belt around his waist, sending his kilt cascading down on top of the heap of my skirts before taking hold of great bunches of his shirt. I pushed the material up and he eagerly tugged it over his head, entirely willing to be the first to bare himself and stand naked in the middle of the room. 

His eyes found mine after surfacing from the swath of fabric, deep pools of arousal echoing that of his firm stance below, and I quickly began to melt under his gaze. The warmth in my cheeks quickly began to spread as I loosened what constituted as my stays, my bodice gaping open. I moved to shrug it off, but he stopped me, his hands keeping my sleeves on my shoulders. 

Jamie’s good hand slid between my shirtfront and thin shift, his palm savoring the fullness of my breast. The other soon joined it and his thumbs began to gently caress my sensitive nipples. They stood on end in an instant, but he kept up his coaxing repetition, making me squirm as I struggled to get closer to him, the bulk between us entirely getting in my way.  He acquiesced with a smile and lowered his mouth to mine as he stripped me down to my final layer. 

This done, he took my hand and led me towards the bed. My head spun with emotion and arousal, but, still, I stopped halfway there and dropped his hand. Jamie paused with me, concern growing between his brows as he tried to gauge my thoughts. 

“Wait,” I murmured, biting my lip for a moment as I fought indecision, but then brought my hand to the drawstring at my neck. I quickly loosened it and let my shift slip off my shoulders, sliding it over my belly and decisively discarding it on the floor. 

A low rumble of delight started at my husband’s toes and rose up the length of him, morphing into a growling moan as it hit the back of his throat. He had me in his arms again before I could register his movement, swiftly guiding me to sit on the edge of the bed and then lying against the pillows a moment later. 

I blinked up at him in surprise — such activity usually requiring quite a bit more time and effort on my own — and let out a rather undignified giggle. 

Jamie’s prideful smile hovered above me for only a moment before his mouth got down to business, finding my own again first off, then lowering to the base of my neck as he settled himself over me. I slipped my fingers into his curls, taking hold of a fistful and inhaling sharply as he once more found my sensitive breasts. 

A low rumble of delight sounded from deep within him and I groaned, trying to pull his lips back up to mine. He only grinned, brushing a kiss across my sternum as he moved from one breast to the other.

This addressed, his hands drifted down to my belly and he took a moment to greet his children. His fingers skimmed across my skin as his lips placed a reverent kiss just above my navel, then traced a direct line to my pubic bone. He shifted then, leaving his good hand between my legs while returning his lips to mine. 

“The wee book says ‘tis the clitoris tha’ gives you pleasure,” he purred. “Delight in copulation, I believe were his words.”

A wordless moan escaped my lips as he gave the area in question exquisite attention, my hips bucking as I demanded more of him. 

“Tis true, then?” Jamie cheekily asked, knowing full well the answer. “Tha’s one thing Culpepper’s got right.”

“Damn the bloody book, Jamie!”

He kissed me once more before removing his hand and settled himself into position. I lifted my knees, gripping him tightly as my arms slipped around his neck. His brow pressed against mine and his eyes slid shut, his lips trembling slightly as he hesitated. 

“Come find me,” I crooned softly. “Come find us.”

[autodidact-adventures]

World War I (Part 9): July 29th-31st

Wednesday, July 29th, 1914

At 1am, Tsar Nicholas sent a telegram to Kaiser Wilhelm, signing it “Nicky” (they were first cousins).  It said: “In this serious moment, I appeal to you to help me.  An ignoble war has been declared to a weak country.  The indignation in Russia shared fully by me is enormous.  I foresee that very soon I shall be overwhelmed by the pressure forced upon me and be forced to take extreme measures which will lead to war.”  He asked the kaiser “in the name of our old friendship to do what you can to stop your allies from going too far.”

As the telegram was being sent to Potsdam, one from the kaiser was going to the tsar, signed “your very sincere and devoted friend and cousin, Willy.”  In it, he said that he hoped for peace, and that “I am exerting my utmost influence to induce the Austrians to deal straightly to arrive [at] a satisfactory understanding with you.”

The tsar and kaiser wrote to each other in English, which they were fluent in.  Their exchange was hopeful, but the kaiser did not believe that Austria was creating an “ignoble war”, he agreed with Austria that “Serbian promises on paper are wholly unreliable.”  In the margins, he wrote that the tsar's message was “a confession of his own weakness, and an attempt to put the responsibility on my own shoulders.”

Sazonov (Foreign Minister) was still under enormous pressure.  Later that morning, the War Minister Vladimir Sukhomlinov, and the army Chief of Staff, spoke with him, telling him that their solution to the crisis was to mobilize.  This would make Austria-Hungary see that they were completely serious.  If they didn't mobilize, then they wouldn't be able to respond if Austria invaded Serbia.  And if there was a great war, then they would be completely unprepared.  Sazonov agreed quickly.

The Chief of Staff travelled by train to the tsar's summer palace (the tsar hadn't visited the capital since the assassination).  He had two decrees for him to sign.  The first decree ordered the mobilization of 12 army corps (55 divisions) in the four military districts where the preparations were the most advanced.  This was less than half of Russia's full military force, so it wouldn't be a huge threat to Germany, but it was bigger than the whole Austro-Hungarian army.  The second decree ordered a general mobilization, for all districts (including those next to Germany), which would of course make everything worse.

The tsar signed both decrees, but he thought he was just getting the paperwork in order for possible action later.  He told the Chief of Staff that neither decree was to be carried out without specific authorization from him.

That night, the army headquarters was preparing to carry out general mobilization.  Sazonov continued to lie to the British ambassador that they were considering no action that could upset the Germans. In the middle of all this, the tsar sent his decision – they could only partially mobilize, and there must be no move against Germany. He was still communicating with Wilhelm via telegram, who was truthfully assuring him that he was still trying to slow the Austrians down.

During the day, the French President Poincaré and PM Viviani landed at Dunkirk, and took the train to Paris.  They learned, to their surprise, that Austria had declared war.  Crowds had gathered to meet them, and they were shouting, “To Berlin!”  There were also crowds eager for war in Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg, and London, where the city was in “a state of hysteria”, according to a bank clerk.

Not everyone was eager for war.  Bertrand Russell, a British political activist, was in London, and “discovered to my horror that average men and women were delighted at the prospect of war.” Socialist leaders throughout Europe were gathering their followers to oppose the conflict.

Political and military leaders were grim.  Grey, in his office, said that “the lamps are going out all over Europe.  We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.”

Poincaré was moved by the crowds' enthusiasm, and determined not to let Russia doubt France's support, but he also didn't want to escalate hostilities any further.  He and Viviani telegraphed St. Petersburg, saying that Russia shouldn't do anything to provoke a German mobilization.  However, this telegram arrived after the tsar had approved partial mobilization.

Winston Churchill was excited for the war, writing to Prime Minister Asquith's wife, “I think a curse should rest one me, because I love this war.  I know it's smashing & shattering the lives of thousands of every moment – & yet – I enjoy every second of it.”

However, things were looking better on Wednesday, and the probability of war was lessening.  The tsar and kaiser were communicating, and trying to hold back the Austrians.  There were two things necessary for the crisis to be resolved – Russia must not fully mobilize (the kaiser accepted temporary & limited measures that didn't directly threaten Germany), and Austria must agree to the Stop-in-Belgrade plan, or something like it.  The latter would probably happen, because Germany wanted it to, and Austria needed their support.

So the question was whether or not the Russians would mobilize and provoke the Germans into doing the same.  Germany's War Ministers were unsure about this.  War Minister Erich von Falkenhayn was afraid of not responding to Russia's mobilization, and wanted preliminary steps towards their own mobilization.  But Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke didn't want to do anything that might provoke Russia into full mobilization.  He wrote a memorandum to Chancellor Bethmann, saying that if war came, “the leading nations of Europe would tear one another limb from limb...in a struggle that would destroy the culture of almost all of Europe for decades to come.”

Bethmann sent a telegram to Ambassador Pourtalès in the evening, telling him to “kindly impress upon M. Sazonov very seriously that further progress of Russian mobilization measures would compel us to mobilize and that then European war could scarcely be prevented.”

Thursday, July 30th, 1914

By now, the European public were fully aware that war was likely, and many were withdrawing their money, leading to runs on banks. Austria, Germany and Russia were withdrawing their reserves from foreign banks, and the financial markets in Brussels (Belgium) and Berlin were shut down because of panic selling.

Nicholas and Wilhelm were still communicating via telegram, but things started to go wrong there as well.  Sometime in the middle of the night, the tsar tried to assure the kaiser that Russia had no hostile intent against Germany, telling him that “the military measures which have now come into force were decided on five days ago for reasons of defense on account of Austria's preparations.”  But the message the kaiser took from this was that Russia “is almost a week ahead of us” and so Germany had to mobilize, too.

On the morning, the army general staff told Sazonov that partial mobilization wasn't possible – it would have to be improvised and would throw the army into confusion, leaving them helpless if Germany attacked.  Sazonov accepted this, and the Chief of General Staff phoned the tsar, asking him yet again to approve a full mobilization. Nicholas refused, but grudgingly agreed to meet Sazonov (who was already on his way) at 3pm.

When they met, Sazonov spent a long time arguing on the general's side.  However, he was misinformed on most of what he said.  He told the tsar that Austria was refusing to talk, and was preparing to destroy Serbia (only the latter was true).  He also believed (incorrectly) that Germany was pretending to restrain the Austrians, and was far ahead with an undeclared mobilization; that Russia couldn't afford not to respond; and that only full mobilization was possible.

The tsar kept refusing, saying, “Think of the responsibility which you are asking me to take!  Think of the thousands and thousand of men who will be sent to their death!”  But eventually, he gave in – unnecessarily, as most of the reasons that persuaded him were incorrect.  Germany was the only European power that hadn't taken any military action at all yet.

Sazonov also was wrong in arguing that a general mobilization wouldn't provoke the Germans to mobilize themselves.  In fact, it would send the German generals into a panic, and they would demand their own mobilization.  And Russia didn't know yet how fast Germany would be able to mobilize, or that their mobilization plan was so inflexible that they would have to invade France (thus definitely setting off a European war).  Even the kaiser and Chancellor Bethmann didn't realize this yet.

So Russia began its general mobilization, just over 48hrs after Austria's declaration of war.  It added another 900,000 active-duty troops, and called up the reserves of 4 million.  And the possibility of negotiations, or the Stop-in-Belgrade plan, was all but ended.

Not only was there no need for Russia to mobilize, but there was no need for them to enter the war at all.  Their security wasn't threatened, and even if Austria had destroyed Serbia, it would have had little impact on Russia's strategic position within Europe.  They had the biggest army in the world, and they were still in the beginning stages of an program that would increase it by 40% within three years.

Also, it was a strategic gift to the Austrians (if Conrad had taken advantage of it).  Previously, they hadn't been sure if they were going to fight Russia, or if they could focus only on Serbia.  Now they did know.

The monk Rasputin was currently recovering in his home village from a stab wound that had nearly killed him.  Because of his health, and the fact that he was so far from the capital, he couldn't have known what was going on in the major European capitals.  But he sent a telegram to Tsarina Alexandra which said: “Let Papa [the tsar] not plan war.  With war will come the end of Russia and yourselves, and you will lose to the last man.”  It was shown to Nicholas, and when he'd read it he tore it into pieces.

Britain's Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, had previously been doing almost nothing about the crisis, because of the divisions within his cabinet.  But now he was alarmed at how serious it was getting, and he finally acted.  He said to Germany's Ambassador Lichnowsky (without the knowledge of his cabinet) that unofficially, and in his opinion, “unless Austria is willing to enter upon a discussion of the Serbian question, a world war is inevitable”, and that he expected Britain would fight on France & Russia's side.

When Wilhelm and Bethmann heard about this, they gave up hoping that if war came, it could be a “local” one, between only Austria and Serbia.  They tried harder to restrain Austria, but it was really too late.  If Grey had said this a few days earlier, then Germany would have switched their position more quickly and more firmly, and perhaps Austria would have deferred its declaration of war, and Russia wouldn't have mobilized.

And now Bethmann realized that Russia thought that Austria was refusing to talk with them.  He got Tschirschky (Germany's ambassador to Vienna) to inform Berchtold about this, but things were happening too fast for Austria-Russia negotiations to be of any use.

Bethmann was sending many telegrams to Tschirschky, getting more and more frustrated.  In one of them, he said that if Austria refused to negotiate with Serbia, it would be not only “a serious error”, but “a direct provocation of Russia's armed intervention.”  In another telegram, he said that “We are, of course, ready to fulfil the obligations of our alliance, but must decline to be drawn wantonly into a world conflagration by Vienna, without having any regard paid to our counsel.”  But by now, Berchtold was no longer listening to anything, determined to have war with Serbia.

Poincaré informed Ambassador Paléologue to inform Russia that they could depend on France, but also that Russia should proceed cautiously.  Poincaré didn't know that Russia had already mobilized, and Paléologue only told Sazonov the first part of the message.

France and Russia were still getting incorrect reports that Germany was carrying out extensive military preparations.  France was beginning to prepare themselves, but very slowly and very cautiously – they wanted Britain to see Germany as the aggressor.  They didn't call up any reserves, and no troop movement by train was allowed.  Poincaré ordered that all troops be kept six miles away from the border.  General Joseph Joffre (French commander-in-chief) asked for permission to mobilize, but he was denied it.  Poincaré wouldn't even allow limited movement of troops towards the six-mile limit, although he relented when Joffre threatened to resign later on in the day.

Poincaré summoned the British ambassador to Paris into his office, and asked for a firmer line in London.  He told him that if Britain declared its intention to support France, then Germany might be deterred, and thus they could avoid war.  But the ambassador knew how divided the London government was, and only said “how difficult it would be for His Majesty's government to make such a statement.”

General Helmuth von Moltke (chief of German general staff) checked on Austria's mobilization status, and saw that Conrad was still deploying large numbers of troops to the south, against Serbia. Moltke panicked, because the Austrian troops on the Russian border would be outnumbered two-to-one, which meant that if Germany invaded France, they would be unprotected in their rear.  Moltke telegraphed Conrad urging him to shift his main force north.

He also warned Conrad that they must not have anything to do with the Stop-in-Belgrade proposal (as a general, this was not a matter for him to be involved in).  This was the opposite of what Bethmann was saying.  When he heard Moltke's warning, Berchtold exclaimed, “What a joke!  Who's in charge in Berlin?”

At 9pm that evening, Moltke took War Minister Erich von Falkenhayn with him to Chancellor Bethmann's office.  These two generals told Bethmann that Germany had to mobilize, and that if they put it off any longer, they were putting the country at risk.  At the very least, a State of Imminent War (like Russia's Period Preparatory to War) must be declared.

Bethmann was reluctant to commit to any military action, but he also didn't want to leave Germany undefended.  He promised to decide by noon the next day.  In fact, he was beginning to see war as inevitable, and so he was beginning to think about preparing for war, rather than keeping peace.  He knew that Conrad had declared the Stop-in-Belgrade plan to be infeasible, and that Berchtold agreed. If Germany's enemies were going to go to war against them, he thought, now was better than later.

Friday, July 31st, 1914

Unofficial reports of Russia's mobilization had reached Germany almost immediately after it began, and when the German generals heard about it, they increased the pressure.  Germany was still the only European power who hadn't taken any military action, and this could not continue.  Even Britain had taken some action – First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill had ordered the Grand Fleet to take up position in the North Sea.  From there, it could respond quickly to the German High Seas Fleet if it took action, and it could also protect France's Channel ports.

The situation wasn't fitting to Germany's war plans like they'd intended.  No-one had predicted that Russia would mobilize without declaring war, or that war between Germany & Russia would break out with France waiting on the sidelines.

The generals, including Moltke, wanted action now.  Germany was in a better position to win a war on two fronts than they would be in a few years' time, after France & Russia had improved & increased their forces.  Every day they delayed would cost them.

Wilhelm refused to approve mobilization, but he did approve a State of Impending War.  Soldiers on leave were recalled and Germany's borders & railways were secured; so were their postal, telephone and telegraph systems.  Like Franz Joseph and Nicholas, he was deeply reluctant, but gave in because the military men who were now taking charge in Germany, Austria and Russia were insisting there was no alternative.

Bethmann was worried about keeping Britain out of the war, and about making sure that Italy joined in on their side.  He only agreed when the earlier reports of Russia's mobilization were confirmed, a few minutes before noon.

Germany kept asking Austria to show some willingness to negotiate about various proposals that were being offered, but Berchtold was still not listening.  Wilhelm telegraphed the Emperor directly (cutting across diplomatic channels), and asked him to intervene. The Emperor spoke with Berchtold and Conrad, and told Wilhelm that they couldn't do anything more than they'd already done.

He didn't tell Wilhelm that Austria, too, was having issues with military plans – they had no plan that would send the army into Belgrade, but no further.  Conrad believed that it would lead to chaos, and with Serbia mobilizing, and Russia assembling their forces on the border, it would lead to disaster with Austria.

But Conrad was in many ways out of touch with reality – he was still obsessed with punishing Serbia, even as war with Russia became more & more likely.  He also believed that Italy would definitely enter the war on their side.

Power was moving from the diplomats & politicians to the military leaders.  Non-military options were becoming impossible.  The military was motivated mostly by fear, and as the Austrian ambassador to France had said on Thursday in a message to Berchtold, “Fear is a bad counsellor.”

Still trying to keep Britain out of the war, Germany informed them that if they (Britain) stayed neutral, Germany would promise to restore France and Belgium's borders at the end of it (but not any overseas colonies that they seized).  But no-one had mentioned Belgium yet – it was a neutral country – and so their diplomatic attempt backfired.  Grey was furious, seeing the offer as nothing more than bribery, and he said to the British ambassador in Berlin:

“You must inform German Chancellor that his proposal that we should bind ourselves to neutrality on such terms cannot for a moment be entertained.  He asks us in effect to engage to stand by while French colonies are taken and France is beaten so long as Germany does not take French territory as distinct from the colonies.  From the material point of view such a proposal is unacceptable, for France could be so crushed as to lose her position as a Great Power, and become subordinate to German policy without further territory in Europe being taken from her.  But apart from that, for us to make this bargain with Germany at the expense of France would be a disgrace from which the good name of this country would never recover.”

He also promised that if Germany helped to avert this war, then they would be rewarded, and fundamental changes in European alliances would be made so as to prevent anything like this happening again. He also implied that until now, he had not understood Germany's fear of encirclement, and that now he did:

“If the peace of Europe can be preserved and this crisis be safely passed, my own effort would be to promote some arrangement to which Germany could be a party, by which she could be assured that no hostile or aggressive policy would be pursued against her or her allies by France, Russia and ourselves, jointly or separately.”

With the approval of his cabinet, Grey asked France & Germany to declare their intention to respect Belgian neutrality if war broke out.  France did this easily – their plans for fighting Germany were based in the Alsace-Lorraine, far south of Belgium.  Poincaré knew that British support was far more valuable to them than any use they could make of Belgian territory.  But Germany couldn't respond, because of their mobilization plan.  This was the beginning of Britain's entry into the war.

Germany sent a “double ultimatum” to France and Russia.  They warned that German mobilization “must follow in case Russia does not suspend every war measure against Austria-Hungary and ourselves within twelve hours,” and they asked France to declare themselves neutral.  The deadline was Saturday afternoon.

There were two, rather contradictory, purposes to this ultimatum. First, they were still trying to escape the need to mobilize – hence asking Russia to cooperate and suspend theirs.  But second, they were trying to create a justification for their westward expansion into France, if they did mobilize, as it is unlikely that Germany expected France to agree.

If France did agree, the German ambassador to Paris was instructed to demand the temporary surrender of the great fortresses at Toul and Verdun, with the promise that they'd be returned at the end of the war.  There was no way that France would agree to that. In his memoirs, Bethmann would say, “If France had actually declared her neutrality, we should have had to sit by while the French army, under the protection of a specious neutrality, made all its preparations to attack us while we were busy in the East.”

Wilhelm and Nicholas had another exchange of telegrams.  Wilhelm told Nicholas that he was still trying to calm Austria down, and that “the peace of Europe may still be maintained by you, if Russia will agree to stop the military measures which must threaten Germany and Austria-Hungary.”

Before he got this message, Nicholas sent one saying that it was “technically impossible” to stop their mobilization, but that Russia didn't want war and still didn't see it as unavoidable: “So long as the negotiations with Austria on Serbia's account are taking place, my troops shall not take any provocative action.  I give you my solemn word for this.  I put all my trust in God's mercy and hope in your successful mediation in Vienna for the welfare of our countries and for the peace of Europe.”

Then Wilhelm's earlier message reached him, so he sent another telegram, saying that he understood that Russia's mobilization might mean that Germany would also need to mobilize, and he accepted this, but it didn't have to mean war.  He asked the kaiser for “the same guarantee from you as I gave you, that these measures do not mean war and that we shall continue negotiating for the benefit of our countries and universal peace dear to all our hearts.  Our long proved friendship must succeed, with God's help, in avoiding bloodshed.  Anxiously, full of confidence await your answer.”

[smooth--criminal]

A New Little Bird

((Below the read more is a roleplay between @underopenskies and I with our characters Vladimir and Regina respectively. It’s... a bit long, lmao. Sorry for your thumbs if you’re on mobile!))

Poison wasn't his usual choice- but for this particular mole... Well, it was the best option, in case he couldn't get him separated from the herd. Vladimir sat at one of the bar stools of some skeevy club that Vanya would never have touched with a ten foot pole- but apparently, one of his contacts would. Which, was a problem. Because he shouldn't have been here. So, Vlad had sent the mole a drink- a lovely laced one. He wouldn't be feeling well here soon. Whether the man went to the bathroom or to the outside to relieve his sickness, Vlad would follow. But, it would take time for it to kick in. In the mean time, the well dressed man stood out like a sore thumb- not that many of the drunk patrons really noticed- as he sipped his sweetened vodka and savored the sweet berry flavor. His purple eye lights flicked over the patrons, taking them in with casual grace as he straightened the edge of his suit. He tucked his chin into his palm, fingers curling lightly over his freckles, as he watched and enjoyed his drink. The music was pleasant, he mused, even in a dive such as this.

Lips loosened by alcohol were Regina's favorite kind. When she wasn't being a nuisance at the police station, she spent her time in various pubs and clubs whether it be to get information for her boss, or for her own fun. She did make herself useful, though. As a frequent visitor she got to play waitress when she was around, taking drinks to customers as an excuse to get close to strangers. She'd had her eyes on the scarred, straight faced patron since he stepped in. Scars always came with juicy stories, so she happily bumped and actual waitress to the side when he had a drink sent to another patron. What better way to get acquainted than to start with a favor- even if she were deemed as staff and not a friendly stranger. When she returned she sat on the stool beside him rather than going behind the counter. "I haven't seen you around here before.~" she leaned against the counter, eyeing him with half lidded eyes. "Did ya know the fella ya sent the drink to, or are ya just being frisky?" She inquired with a smirk.

Vlad was more than aware of the woman as she took the tray carrying the drink to his target- but he wasn't sure of her intentions. He wasn't sure, even as she came to sit by him. His training kept him from shifting awkwardly. Instead, he swirled his straw through his drink, glancing down at the Vodka that was nearly the same color as his eyelights. It reflected lightly off his pale bones, and he took a moment of silence to reflect that it would be lovely to paint that image. But... He had other priorities. Her question mulled about in his skull for a moment, as he rolled the straw around on his tongue. Finally, he glanced to her, sharp purple eyes glinting at her over freckled cheekbones. "I'm not from around here." His voice was accented- definitely not from around the area. "He and I... are acquainted." He tilts his head slightly, an amused glimmer flittering through his eyes. "We work in the same business- though he is an... underling of an associate of mine."

This man was more and more interesting to Regina. Scars, accent, an obviously unsafe business.. this was much more promising than any trouble she could get onto with the average club attendee. "Same business, huh? I'm guessing you're high in the ranks." Regina makes a point of glancing at the other man and then looking back to her newest friend. "He doesn't have scars nearly as interesting." She needed to know the stories behind them.

Vlad nearly snorts his drink as amusement strikes him. "Higher? Yes, much higher. Business is like... a tree, yes? I am from... main trunk, the main family. He is... only a small branch. Small fry." He lifts a brow at the drunken man, and sips once more from his Vodka. Ah. Blackberry. Something truly delectable about the flavor- one would never guess it, but he, like his family, had a sweet tooth. "Mmm... Scars are from... a bad business venture." Is all he says. They ache, and it takes control not to touch them. They hurt to be touched- there was a lot of raw nerves still able to be touched on the deeper recesses of the scars.

"Main family." Regina echos, still none to subtly analyzing the interesting stranger. "What kinda business venture gets ya scars like those? I can hardly imagine the average suit gettin' that roughed up. They throw fits if they break a nail." She laughs, a silky, low sound. "All things considered, I understand if ya don't intend on tellin' me about your line of work just yet. But I do like t'have names to go with faces- a personal policy of mine." She sits up straighter, grinning. "What do ya say? I'll give you mine if you give me yours."

"Maybe, little bird, you don't know the right 'suits'." Vlad hums. He finishes his drink, and switches out for water. Getting drunk would not do him well- A sharp mind was a sharp blade. "But my kind of business gets me scars like this. Particularly when my deals go sour." He tilts his head in consideration, and then swivels slightly in his seat so he can face her. Vlad is not the biggest man out there, but he's not a small fry either. "Vladimir." He says. "Vladimir Annikov- and it would be in your best interest to not spread my name around willy nilly."

"Little bird, I like the sound of that." It made Regina think of the vague, 'a little birdy told me...' saying. Fitting. "Well, Vladimir, a deal's a deal. Regina Loreto, it's a pleasure making your acquaintance.~" She hums thoughtfully, "I don't do much of anything that's in my best interest.. which is why I wouldn't recommend having my name in your mouth either." She shrugs, "Not that I think ya couldn't handle the brutes I've upset, but because I have reason to believe that you have more important business to deal with." She flicked her gaze to the 'small fry,' noticing that he looked even worse off than before. She didn't seem at all bothered, however. She just continued to observe the poisoned man with a small smirk. "Makin' sure another deal won't go sour?"

"Regina Loreto. I will remember your name." He says. Which may, or may not, be a good thing, depending on who she told about him. "A pleasure." He gives a polite tip of his head. Sharp teeth are flashed at her in the faintest flash of a grin. "Your brutes are small fries." He informs her lightly. "I could handle them for you, but I doubt you could pay my fee." He was not a cheap assassin. Seeing his target lurching slightly in his seat made him smirk, and a cool curl of satisfaction bubbled in his belly- up until he squashed it. He couldn't be feeling delight at killing another man like this- he was not so far gone as Vanya. Her inquiry had him chuckling, the sound low and rumbling. "More than just a deal, this one. No pay for this- only work. Necessary work, i am afraid. This is... pruning a few sick branches from the tree."

Regina didn't plan on crossing Vlad, at least not yet. She had a lot more she wanted to learn before risking a tree landing on her, so to speak. "Pretty smile." She comments, winking. "And you're probably right, I doubt I could pay your fee- but I've gotten this far without using money to get my way. Besides, who says I want them gone?" She smirks, "A cat can't have fun without a few brave rats." Regina hums thoughtfully, "Sick branches indeed." She's still watching the poor, sick patron. The bartender had also noticed the man, recalling that Regina had taken the man his drink. He turned to her, "If he vomits, you bet your ass I'm not cleanin' up after ya this time," he snaps at her. Regina shrugs. "Sure you won't, sweetpea." She replied absently.

Vlad chuckled just softly at her wink, and keeps his gaze on his prey. "Mmm, no, that's very true. A cat can't have fun without a few brave rats- but even a cat can get overwhelmed if the rats come in numbers. Rats never work alone." He murmurs. Which was his problem with Vanya- his brother had moles, and his moles had moles. Usually high end moles, though. Not usually in dives like this. The irate bartender simply has him humming faintly behind his water. Vlad watches as his target staggers upright with a hasty excuse to the people he's keeping company, and makes a hasty retreat for the emergency exit. Perfect. As he staggers out, Vlad downs the last of his water, and drops more than enough cash to cover his drink. "You'll have to excuse me, miss Loreto." He dips his chin to her. "I have business to do. It was lovely talking with you." That being said, he makes his way over casually towards the exit, mingling for a moment or two among drunk patrons so as not to draw attention to himself- before following the mole outside. The door clicks shut behind him.

Regina nodded, he wasn't wrong. "It helps to keep a few rats on your side." Or, at least, confused about what side they should be on. She doubted anyone really trusted her anymore. Good for them. She expected her new friend to get up when she saw the other man rise, and she frowned a bit. She wasn't ready to go back to listening in on the other patrons, they weren't nearly as interesting. She was silent as Vlad left, but then stood to follow after waiting a few moments. "Regina, I'm not sure ya should be messin' with these guys." The bartender warned. She worked without any real pay, so he didn't want to lose her. She ignored him and went ahead towards the door. He tried pursuing, walking out of the bar to grab her. "Regina-" "Heel." Regina snaps before he can touch her, glaring at the bartender from the corner of her eyes. He stopped immediately, then blushed at his own obedience outside of the bedroom and stalked back to the bar, mumbling a few choice words. With that done with, Regina turned her attention back to the exit with a grin, slowly opening the door and peeking out.

Vlad had the man up against the wall. There was a puddle of vomit on the ground, and it was flecked with bits of blood from possibly an aggravated stomach ulcer, next to the smashed remains of a cellphone. The human dangled from Vlad's hand as he kept him pinned. The man was babbling in fast Russian, chattering in the hopes of getting Vlad to spare his life. Vlad nodded, playing along. When the man finished speaking, the broad skeleton monster gave a patient smile. It was reminiscent of a shark grinning at a guppy. "Good. Very good, Clarence. Those names will help me immensely." he purred. "Thank you for your service to our family." "You're letting me go?" The man's skin was pale- whatever was in his system was making him very sick, very fast. "No." Vladimir's smile turned sharp. "My brother made his choice when he killed Yaromir- and all of his moles have to pay for it. He will too. But, now is not the time." He drew a simple knife from inside his jacket, and brought it up- and in the darkness of the alley, he slid it up, under the man's chin, and straight into his brain. Quick, clean, relatively painless, unlike the death his brother had been given. Getting one's throat slit and left to choke on your own blood was not an easy death. Vlad drew his hand back before blood could stain his bones, and drew his knife back as well. The man dropped, dead, and Vlad stooped over to clean the blade on his coat before tucking it back into his jacket. He idly toed the corpse with his shoe as it twitched and went through the last spasms of death, cold eyes staring at him flatly, and then sighed. "More names," He murmurs, "More targets."

Regina watched the entire scene with a small grin. Bobby was probably right about this being a bad choice, but if she was going to get killed, why not go out having fun? And she'd feel much better about getting offed by someone she saw as worth her time. "What's your policy on killing women?" She asks boldly, stepping out from the doorway and letting the door click shut behind her.

Vladimir very nearly drew his knife to throw it at her. He turned to face her, stepping away from the corpse as blood began to pool on the pavement below. One of his brows lifted, and he peered down at her silently for a moment. It would appear that he'd been seen. Well then. That could pose a problem- depending on who she told. He tilts his skull, regarding her quietly. "I've killed everything under the sun." He says. "Men, women, children, elderly- if the price is right, i kill anyone. If you're asking if I'm going to kill you... that depends." She hadn't run off, like most people who witnessed murder might have. "Do you intend to tell anyone about this?"

Regina tilted her head from side to side, weighing her options. She looked down at the corpse for a moment before looking back at Vlad. ".. Nah. With anyone else I'd ask for compensation for staying quiet, but I'm pretty sure the only thing I'd get is a fresh grave." He just killed a man in an alleyway, she didn't expect him to be too upset about dropping another body there. "Rather than ask ya for something, I'd actually like to help ya out. Ya got more names, ya have more targets." She repeated, "And I doubt this guy gave ya all the names." She stepped closer to Vlad with a smirk. "No matter how good ya are at your job, walkin' around s town where strangers get noticed even without deep scars and a sinister aura, I don't think alley killing is in your best interest. Unless ya planned on single handedly moving this body and cleaning the mess before someone came out here for a smoke, you're gonna be the *first" person people describe when Jazz shows up askin' questions." She smiles, "Back to the main point though-I like ya. I don't want ya to have to deal with policemen, detectives, witnesses... so, if you'd like, I'll offer my services. I can gather names, gather people, and provide ya with a more private area to do your business."

"You would not get a grave." He lifts a brow. "Not by my hand, at least." He was expecting her to demand something else- to join him, to be trained, to do have him do something for her; but he was not expecting her to offer her services. Not at all. Vladimir tilted his skull, intent eyes focusing on her thoughtfully. She was right of course. He couldn't exactly go around like his brother could. Viktor blended in better than he did. Vlad... Vlad was too far gone to blend. That was usually what his moles were for- but his moles could only do so much. They were not combative. He nods finally. "I accept your offer. You'll be paid wages of course, based on how well you do- and for the fact that you'll be on my brother's radar, and he will likely try to kill you. I pay well when I am impressed- and protect what is mine." He lifts a brow. "What sort of private area are you thinking for doing my business?" He inquired.

It was reassuring to hear that Vlad wouldn't have killed her if she made demands- but there wasn't really anything she wanted other than to watch the man work and have some fun for herself. "I figure there's nothing more private than my basement." Regina says with a wide grin. "Even got the walls soundproofed.~" She didn't need concerned neighbors calling the police every time she got someone screaming. Regina didn't expect to be paid, not without asking. And she hadn't even planned on asking. "Wages, huh? If you insist~" she coos before looking back down at Vlad's befallen target. ".. What were ya gonna do with the stiff anyway?"

Vlad tilts his head thoughtfully and nods. "I see. Hm... How do you propose we get them to your... Basement? I am noticeable when I bring my targets places." They tended to scream. Which is why he usually just killed them and left it at that. He looked down at the body and hummed, Before​ leaning down and pulling him up by the back of his coat. "I was going to leave him." He murmured. "But no doubt you would get blamed if I did. So... I suppose I can move him to my car. It is parked out back."

Regina looked almost angry for a moment. "Do ya think it's hard for me to get a man to follow me home?" She asked in a stern tone. It wasn't hard at all, especially if liquor was involved. And she planned on using her body not only to get the targets home, but to get names. Why not work with what you've got? "I wouldn't be blamed. Remember, the first thing people are going to think of if they hear about a body in an alley way is the handsome man with the gashes in his skull. So I think taking him to the car would be a good idea." Regina said with a smirk. "And, since I work for the town detective, I can keep him off your trail. I'm sure he wouldn't mind me putting in some extra hours~" he would mind, he would mind a lot.

He rolls his eyes at her almost angry tone, an almost exasperated look crossing his face. "Not what I meant. I did not want to presume to use your body for things. I might be an assassin, but I have standards. My little birds do what they wish with their bodies." He says. Vladimir nods, and tilts his head. He digs in his pocket, and then jangles his keys in her direction. "Gray sedan, white mirrors. Can you bring it closer to the alley? As for your... Detective, it is not a huge problem. If he finds me, he dies, or he works for me. Simple as that. There are no other options." He gives her a flat look and lifts a brow. "I have been doing this job since I was toddling. I am good at what I do, Regina."

"Trust me when I say ya didn't make me feel pressured to do a damned thing." Regina chuckles, "I've known for some time now that the best way to get what you want out of a guy is to make them think they're getting what they want out of you. Luckily for me, they all want the same thing." It didn't always make her feel lucky if she were honest, but it did make life easier, she supposed. Regina grabs the keys and shrugs. "I may like ya, but I like him too. And I know he'd choose death." She stated as she turned to get the car. She walked briskly- she was serious about people using the alleyway to smoke and she wasn't about to have her fun ruined over a nasty habit. It wasn't hard for her to spot the car and she had it pulled up to the alley in only a few minutes. She stayed in the car, deciding she might as well stay driving if they were going to her place.

Vladimir got the guy loaded up into the back swiftly, and climbed in after him. The corpse was still warm, and he curled his lip, sneering at him faintly. Ugh. "Not all men want the same thing, but that is a good tactic. I've employed it a few times myself to get at targets I've been after." He hums. Vladimir muses that he's glad he out down plastic on the seats of the rental, or it would be thoroughly ruined by the blood trailing from the moles stab wound. "Ah, so he is an honorable detective then. Those are rare. Most can be bought with enough money." Of which he had plenty of.

Regina rolled her eyes. "You'd be surprised at how many times I've heard that phrase shortly before getting a guy in my bed." She said in an unamused tone as she put the car back in drive, did a U-turn and headed for her place. She disappeared often enough for the bartender not to fuss, she figured, even though he'd shown worry for her. "Yeah, he's rare alright. And I'll be damned before I give up something rare from my collection." Vlad was now one of her rare commodities, and she was absolutely thrilled. Despite Regina being is filthy clubs and talking to murderers over corpses, she didn't live in a bad part of town. She had her own house with a fenced back yard on the outskirts of a pretty good neighborhood. It wasn't a big house, but it was good enough for her. As she pulled up she glanced at Vlad, "I'm fine with ya killing in my basement, but I don't wanna smell rottin' corpses in my house. I've got a big back yard and a shovel with your name on it." She shuts off the car and gets out, walking past the fence gate expecting Vlad to follow.

"Your back yard isn't going to be big enough to house them all." He tells her in a matter of fact tone, but easily hefts the corpse up. It's starting to stiffen already. He hoists it up, and follows her into the back yard, giving her prior words consideration. "So you... Collect people, is it?" He hummed faintly. "What an interesting quirk." Truly it was. But there were weirder quirks out there. He had a few of his own. Vladimir grunts faintly, and huffs. "Mmm... Might want to pick up a dead dog. Bury it on top of the body, in case anyone asks any questions."

"That depends on how deep you're willing to dig, hun." Regina giggled, going over to the tool shed at the corner of the fence and retrieving a shovel from it. "We all collect people one way or another," she starts as she walks back to him and lodges the shovel into the ground between them. "Friends, lovers, enemies, they're all people we pull in and hold on to. I just don't do it for companionship." She thinks on his suggestion, tilting her head from side to side. Who would ask questions, even? "I'll think about that one. Maybe I'll just start a garden with all this fertilizer~"

"Mmm, I suppose that's true." Vlad watches her retrieve the shovel, and then drops the corpse with a light grunt. He was getting too old to be carrying corpses like he was twenty years younger, truly. "I suppose I collect my little birds. That's about it," He muses idly. He takes a moment to strip off his suit jacket, and goes to drape it on the fence. It was an expensive suit- it was going to be ruined by digging anyways, but that didn't mean he wanted to deal with the heat of wearing it. That left him in his dark indigo shirt, which clung to him loosely. He steps back over to the shovel, and plucks it from the ground. "A garden might work. May keep nosy neighbors from wondering why you have all of this upturned soil. Though..." He hums, and begins to edge out a hole in the grass, carefully working it up so he can set the turf back down without disturbing it. "I can make it work for now."

"Oh, here I was thinking I was special when you called me a little bird. I'm insulted." Well, not really. Maybe. Regina wasn't going to dwell on it. "How many others do you have, hm?" She stood with her arms folded as she watched him work, straight faced. "I'm not a big fan of nosy neighbors. But my basement wasn't always soundproof, so I don't expect to see anyone peaking in on my property." Regina's gaze dragged from Vlad to his suit jacket. Hm. She carefully lifted it from. Te fence and looked over it, the inside and the out. She wasn't quite curious enough to reach into any of the pockets, though. Who knows what could happen to her if she tried.

"In this city? Maybe two. Three including you. Across the globe? Thousands. I do not... See them often or care for them personally. Most of them serve a means to an end. Very few want much interaction with me outside of transactions and information exchanges." Vladimir explains. He lifts the square of turf off of the dirt and sets it to the side, before glancing at her as he sets to digging with practiced ease. He would dig until it was done, no matter if he was tired. Training dictated things be done in a timely manner. "Nosy neighbors are the bane of everyone's existence." His sister had the right idea, moving out with few neighbors for hundreds of miles. Even if she didn't do jobs anymore, there was plenty of space for dead bodies to be hidden. His jacket was layered with pockets all along the insides, and it was thicker than it looked. The outside was fancy, but didn't show any hint at what it hid inside. Along the inside pockets, some knives were visible, along with various vials of what could be presumably poison or venom of some kind. Reaching in would be a bad idea indeed.

"Mm. Thousands." Regina muses, still examining the jacket and trying to memorize what was where. "So, if one dies, that just means less money out of your pocket?" She recalled him saying he protected what was his, but there was only so much one could do for thousands. "Scare the neighbors and they're less likely to be nosy. I'm sure there are some people out there that would only be more interested if scared, but thankfully those aren't my neighbors." Although.. it would be fun if they were in any other situation.

"That's the general idea." He hums, grunting as he uses the shovel to break up a clump of stubborn dirt. It's set carefully on the grass, where he can roll it back into the hole when he needs to fill it in. "It also means i have less information coming in from that specific area- and in some areas, it means i have to seek out a new little bird all together. Some areas i have... repeat clients in, and they contact me through my birds." He answers. This line of questioning wasn't all that unfamiliar- he went through similar things with every new little bird he received. Vladimir chuckled. "Fear is a powerful motivator. For some, it excites and drives them closer. For some, it drives them away. It all has it's purposes." He muses, as he digs. He eyes her as she handles his jacket, and hums. "You are welcome to look through my jacket. Just put everything back where you found it, and try not to prick yourself on any of the blades. I don't believe they're poisoned, but there may be one or two, and it would be a shame for you to die already." He didn't have anything important in his jacket, aside from extra weapons.

"Birds and trees.~ Have a fascination with nature?" She asks, raising a brow in his direction. "Bird watching between kills, maybe?" Regina muses. "It's dark, and I have no intention of dyin' doing something as mundane as looking through a jacket. I'll snoop through your things in better lighting." She smirks, done snooping so she just drapes the jacket over her arm instead of leaving it on the fence. "Speaking of your things- where are you staying? Is it a place as shitty as the club?~"

"Nope." He snorts. "I like nature just fine, but I don't watch birds. That is a waste of time. I don't have time to waste anymore, I am afraid." He watches as she drapes the coat over her arm, and then turns his focus back to digging. He makes great time all the same- he's already past his shins in depth. "Wise of you." He quirks an amused grin, hidden mostly by the dark. "Mm... I do have a place, but it is not as nice as i would like it to be." He makes a displeased noise. "Alas, the place i wished to stay had no rooms available." And even he wouldn't stoop so low as to murder someone for their hotel room.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I expected that- but if ya did have time to waste, what would a do with the time?" She had a feeling he wouldn't know how to answer that, based on her own assumptions on his upbringing, but since he led her to the question she figured she'd try. "I've got a spare bedroom." Regina offers with a shrug. "Assuming you've got people after you as well, I don't need ya bein' seen making daily trips to my place." As fun as that would be, she did take pride in her home and didn't want it damaged by unwelcome vermin. "No extra charge."

Her question didn't make him stop digging, but it did make his brow furrow, pulling at the nasty scar on his skull. "... Find something productive to do instead?" He suggested. "I don't know. I used to enjoy reading. Maybe i still do." He honestly didn't know. he'd never gotten the chance to develop hobbies. Viktor had- but part of Viktor's hobbies were maintained by his contacts. Viktor liked to watch poledancers- not for sexual pleasure, mind. It helped to take his mind off of everything they did. Vladimir didn't have an outlet like that. He probably needed one, before he became too numb. Too... too much like Vanya. He shivered with that thought, the bones on his neck rattling faintly, before he composed himself and resumed his steadfast pace. "The bedroom would be lovely. I'm afraid I will be coming and going fairly often anyways- My brother is at my sister's ranch, and I have to meet with him here soon to talk plans about our shared problem." He hums. An amused quirk tilts up his lips. "Mm... I suppose I should get you up to date on the shared problem, shouldn't I? Perhaps once we are inside i will tell you. There are some things I do not speak of out in the open, no matter how intimidated your neighbors might be."

Regina watched him carefully, rather pleased with herself for being right. He had no life outside of this and hadn't in a long, long time. Hm. "What kind of stuff did ya read?" She asked, leaning against the fence now. She was still weighing in her head whether she cared or not, but she figured the more information on her new friend the better. As if what kind of books he used to read would ever come in handy for her. "As long as you're not coming and going from a hotel, I'm fine. A ranch isn't the city." There were too many eyes in the city, and she refused to have her fun ripped away because of any attention he drew to himself. She doubted any crowds would be peeking from cornstalks. She visibly got excited at the mention of getting more relevant, more interesting information. "I'm ready for debriefing when you are." She said with a smirk before looking at the corpse. "What did you say his name was? Clarence?"

"Mostly old fairy tales." He shrugged. "Then it went to text books, and anatomy books. The like." "Indeed." He nods faintly, and tilts his head to listen to her with a soft hum. "I'll debrief you when we get inside. But yes- the mole was Clarence. The main problem is a man named Vanya."

Regina made a face. "Did ya actually enjoy reading the textbooks?" She hoped he said no. She continued to stare at the body. Clarence. She wondered what he was up to before his death. Was it anything important? It obviously wasn't anything pressing. "Vanya. With that name I'd be causing problems too." She giggles, thinking it sounded a bit too feminine. But who was she kidding, she caused problems despite her name.

"It was knowledgeable and useful. For pleasure, no." He shrugs. He snorts as she makes fun of his name. "It means 'God is gracious' in Russian." He says. "My elder brother likes his name." Once the hole is deep enough, he hops out, and stoops down to pick out the wallet from the body. He tucks it into his pants pocket, and then kicks the body into the hole, before resuming shoveling dirt onto him. "He wishes he had mine, however. 'Vlad the Impaler' is what he would have liked to have adopted as his moniker- but alas, i was Vlad and he was not. More's the pity." People expected him to be more like Vanya- but he was not. He tried very hard not to fall to that level of depravity- some days it was hard though. He was so... detached from killing now..

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Are y'all religious, or is the name for show?" She was kind of getting bored of watching him now, and was half tempted to grab a second shovel. But... she supposed she could appreciate the view awhile longer. "Vlad the Impaler. It fits with how you killed Clare here." Regina shrugged. Innuendos flew across her mind but she kept a straight face and decided against indulging in those jokes. "Do you like your name, Vladimir?" She let the name roll off her tongue in a low, almost sensual tone.

It took significantly less time to bury the body than to dig the hole- and he was shoveling dirt in faster than he could dig it out. It took maybe a few minutes to shove the dirt back in- and then carefully began to wedge the grass back down on top of it, blending it in seamlessly once more, and patting it down. "Nah. We're not religious, or we'd all be going to hell." He snorts. "My name is just a name." He arched a brow as he finished patting down the grass, and then stood up once more. He glanced at her, and lightly plucked at his shirt. He'd worked up a little bit of a sweat working like he had- not that it was a bad thing. He just didn't have a change of clothes on him. "What about you?" He had picked up on her low, almost sensual tone, and half lidded his sockets at her, dropping his tone to match hers. "Tebe nravitsya tvoye imya, Regina?" Two could play at that. He dusted his dirtied hands off, and rested the shovel on the fence, before striding forth to take his jacket. He didn't done it once more- he draped it over his arm, and left it there to wait while he waited for her to guide him inside.

Regina smirks, "I know for a fact that devout sinners exist- but yeah, I guess I wouldn't be too keen on worshippin' a guy that wants me to burn for all eternity." "You can like somethin' that's only itself." It was one of the simpler joys of life, she thought. To like something just for what it was. She giggled at his retort, glad that he liked games. "Well, the name Regina means 'Queen,'" she begins, turning to lead the way into the house. "And I sure do love to make my subjects obey." She glanced back at Vlad and gave him a wink before pulling a key from her dress pocket and opening the door to let them in. The backyard was connected to a very tidy, minimalist kitchen. No stacks of papers, dirty dishes, anything in sight. Regina figured that she just because she was a filthy sinner, it didn't mean she had to live in filth. She went straight to one of the oak wood cabinets to get a glass, filled it with water from the sink and walked back to offer it to Vlad. "I promise I don't poison my drinks." She said with a smirk.

"Precisely." He tilts his head to her lightly. "I would be a fool to do so." He rolled his eye lights at her wink, an amused grin quirking at his mouth. "You'll find me hard to make obey." He says. Not that he wouldn't- not for the right person. Vladimir had the training and conditioning to be obedient to the right person- but the right person had died not long ago. His father's death heralded his true freedom- and the start of the chaos that came with his brother's leash and collar being taken away, in essence. As he was guided inside, his eyes took in everything there was to offer, and made note of escape routs, exits, and emergency weapons in case something happened. Anything could be a weapon if you used it properly. The glass bring offered prompted a sculpted brow to lift over top one of his eyes, and he gave her a contemplative look, before nodding slowly and taking it. He took a sip. "I'm not immune to all, but I have a tolerance to many. One of Vanya's favorite things to use is poison- and he used to practice on me from time to time when we were children. I built up a tolerance to some of them." He'd taken to sampling most of the food before Viktor tried it. Really, that should have been one of the hints that something was wrong with him. Vlad had just assumed that he was trying to help him build an immunity. Either way- the past was the past, and there was no changing it now.

"I know, and I do love a challenge. But it was pretty easy getting you here, so I may have overestimated you." She teased. Sure Regina offered benefits to coax him in, but as far as she could tell it was still a subtle amount of submission. "But I'm saving that adventure for another time." Regina looked surprised for a moment, but she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. "Vanya sounds like he'd be fun at parties. Spiking the punchbowl with arsenic instead of alcohol." She briefly thought about how fun it would be to work with Vanya- the guy sounded insane- but she figured she could have just as much fun working against him. "If I had any use for poisons that would be nice to know. But I only use poison if it's given to me to use." She was more of a collector than a killer, but she didn't mind killing. Everyone had their expiration date. "Would you like anything to eat? Or would you prefer to see the house first?"

He snorts, unable to help himself, and nearly chokes on his water. "If I did not wish to be here, then I would leave. Logically, this is the easier option, and makes the most sense considering what I'll be doing." He drys his mouth, and gives her a wry look, before finishing the water quickly. It helps flush the last of the Vodka from his system- honestly, they didn't have that strong of Vodka here, sadly. "He has done that before, but with one of his... cocktails. He laughed, and watched as the patrons drowned in their own blood." Vlad nods slowly. "It is gruesome, but effective. As for nice to know, it is nice to know. If you ever have the ill-fated fortune to meet him, don't accept a drink from him. It's guaranteed to be poisoned. His knives are too, but at least you can out run them." he hums. "I do not often use it- I am more... adept with knives and guns. But I know a thing or two about them." One did not live with Vanya for a brother and not learn a little something about how to brew a proper poison, either out of proper natural toxins, or proper man-made toxins. "Food would be nice, but i would not mind finding a place to set my coat. A tour first?" Getting a lay of the house would help him make a mental map and a mental map would mean a better battleground if he was tracked there.

Regina laughed a bit at the Russian's reaction, "Yeah, whatever. But obeying doesn't necessarily mean you don't want to do as expected, or that it isn't in your best interest. All obeying entails is giving me what I want. And here you are." She shrugs, turning away to a glass of water for herself. "It doesn't matter how I get my way as long as I do get it, as far as I'm concerned." She sipped from her own glass as Vlad spoke of his brother. Yup, a definite lunatic. "Don't take it personally, but I don't think I'd take a drink from anyone in your family." She said with a giggle. "Sure I got no reason to be on anyone's hit list- in your family anyway- I don't wanna take any chances."

Regina hummed thoughtfully and grabbed an apple from a fruit basket on the counter, handing it to Vlad as she led the way. If he didn't like apples, she figured she could always put it back later. She led him through a decently furnished living room- two leather couches and a coffee table angled towards a television, a rarely used fireplace on the left wall. She turned down the hallway that had two doors on each side and one at the end of the hallway. She opened the first door on the right, "Bathroom." A vanity, a toilet, a very sizable tub and shower combo- all a shiny white. "Laundry room." She opens the door opposite to the bathroom, revealing a room just big enough for a washer, dryer, a clothes rack, and enough space to comfortably fit one person, maybe two if necessary. She skipped the door to the right of the laundry room and went instead to the door on the same wall as the bathroom, opening that door. "Guest bedroom." It was rather big for a guest bedroom, housing a king sized bed with pale blue sheets, with a nightstand on either side, a large oak dresser, a decently filled bookshelf adjacent to an armchair and a tall lamp, and finally a two-door closet on the corner. She gestures to the door at the end of the hallway, "That's my bedroom," she states before walking to the previously abandoned door, folding her arms and smiling as she turned to face Vlad again, "And this door leads to the basement."

Vlad chuckled quietly but didn't respond to her words on obedience. She would see in time that he wasn't obedient unless he wanted to be. "By association with me, you'll be on my brothers hit list." He informs her promptly, and accepts the apple she chuck's at him. He takes a bite after examining it for punctures that could mean tampering, and then observed her home silently as she guided him through it. The guest room was definitely nicer than his hotel room, he noted. The basement thought caught his attention. "This is the room where I will be doing most of my business, yes?"

"Okay, yeah, I'll be on his hit list but I don't expect to personally see him over here." Regina said with a smirk. "But... given that he has a lot of birds of his own, I guess I can't accept drinks from anyone." As if she did already. She really wouldn't take drinks from anyone besides a very select few. Regina leans against the basement door after the little tour and grins. "It is! But I do use it for... other things, that I can put on hold, but I won't be moving my stuff.~" She says in a sing-song voice. "Would you like to see your work space before or after we eat?" She wasn't sure which was safer.

"You might, if you're not careful." He chuckled just faintly as he munched his apple. "Only Vanya uses poison. His moles are more likely to gut you." He chuckles. "Probably after we eat. I tend to get lost in my work otherwise, and I want to know every inch of where I will be working." He lifts a brow and snorts. "If it is your sex dungeon, I honestly don't care. It will make it all that more interesting for those we bring down there."

Regina raised an eyebrow at Vlad. "Ya chuckled at the idea of the person who is offering your home getting gutted." She wasn't mad, per se, but it certainly made he feel a tad disrespected. Regardless, she dropped it at that. "Food it is then. And ding ding, you are correct!" Her soured mood was gone in an instant. "It's my pride and joy, and I figure a few Russian ghosts will make it that much better." She giggled, gesturing for Vlad to follow as she walked back to the kitchen. "What kind of food do ya like and how long are ya willing to wait?" She could make a stew from scratch, pop a TV dinner in a microwave, or something in between. She didn't have much of a preference.

"I assumed, since you obviously seek out trouble, that you could handle yourself." He arched a brow. He hadn't meant disrespect towards his host- but sometimes he just came off like that at times. He would rather there be no bad blood between them. "Or could keep yourself from being found out for being associated with me. I was more chuckling at what you'd do to someone who tried. Was I wrong?" "Food is food." He continues lightly and followed her. "I will eat whatever you wish to provide." He was accustomed to decent meals, based on his attire, but Vlad had certainly eaten some... Questionable things in his time. He's pretty certain he had eaten human once. Vanya was... An interesting cook. Good, but interesting. "What can you cook?"

Regina grinned, "Ya weren't wrong at all." This definitely sufficed as an apology. "I've been rolling with these kinds of crowds since I was a kid. I like to think I can handle myself since I've made it this long without croakin'." Regina thought for a moment, tilting her head one way then the other. "I'm best at making pasta dishes- not to say I'm a bad cook otherwise, mind you- but I can make quite a bit. We would be here awhile if I tried thinking of everything I've successfully made at least once." She giggled some, grabbing two pots from a cabinet. "Don't have anything against spaghetti, do ya?"

"That was what i figured." He tilted his head slightly towards her. "I will eat most anything." Vladimir assured her firmly. "Spaghetti would be divine." He'd even eat it if it was super salty. He finished his apple, located the garbage, and disposed of it neatly, before moving to lean against the counter. "Would you like to be briefed over dinner, or while you cook?" Killing two birds with one stone was often most efficient. And he didn't mind talking while she cooked, if she didn't mind listening.

Regina couldn't suppress an amused smile when Vlad described spaghetti as divine, but she wasn't going to say anything about it. "Mm, now. I don't think I can handle the suspense any longer." Regina teased, glancing his way with a smirk. "I know about the tree, the birds, and the Vanya. What else ya got?"

"This all originates with Vanya." Vlad takes a post along one of the counters and keeps out of her way. "There is definitely something wrong inside of him. We are... Assassins, to put it bluntly." He says. "Our family has been for... countless generations. But we have our morals too. We don't kill our family, unless they're a risk of exposure to the rest of us." He tilts his head slightly. "Vanya killed our elder brother, Yaromir, and made to kill my niece and nephew, Yaromir's children, who by right of succession, now hold the rights to lead the family. Vanya is after them- and he will stop at nothing until he has done unspeakable things to them for the hell of it. He seeks to lead us." The Russian watches her through flat purple eyes, and lifts a brow lightly as he watches her work. "Viktor is my younger brother- and he is keeping my niece and nephew safe. I had Vanya chasing me across the world, but i lost him a while back. Viktor and I are going to meet up and figure out a plan to deal with Vanya. Vanya is... as smart as he is twisted. Now the problem is, while i might have shaken him off, i now no longer know where he is. So, Viktor and I are going to need to track him down- but we first need to remove all of his moles, before we can begin our hunt. That about sums up the gist of the situation."

Regina was silent and straight faced as she listened, not faltering or reacting in the slightest. No gasps, no awe, just deep interest as she filled a pot with water, poured pasta into it, and got to work on the sauce, adding quite a few extra ingredients to the pot. Once Vlad finished explaining she let out a contemplative hum and glanced at him. "A family business of assassins for hire. That's new." She said with a small grin. "So, dispose if the moles while gathering all information possible. And, of course, keeping the niece and nephew safe." She put a lid on the two pots and turned to face Vlad completely. "Tell me about the kids. How old are they?"

"Ten years old." Vlad answers her question easily. "They are twins- Kodiak and Liliya, a boy and a girl. Kodiak is... rough around the edges. Liliya is a sweet child. Both of them are fully combat capable." He tilts his head quietly. "All they lack is experience. They only have five years of on the job experience, compared to my own thirty seven years- and to Vanya's forty four years. They are good at what they do, however. Ah..." He shuffles a bit on his feet. "I do not know how much you wish for me to tell you about them. Likes, dislikes? I'm not sure what is relevant and what you would wish to know." He knew a fair bit about his niece and nephew. He wasn't as good with kids as Yaromir had been, or as Vera obviously was, but he was a might bit better than Viktor was. Viktor wasn't the best at laying false trails, though, so it was trail by fire for him when it came to handling children. Or 'Nearly fully trained murder babies', as his little brother liked to call them.

"On the job experience? They've been killing since they were five?" That definitely piqued Regina's interest. "Assuming that's a family tradition.. you're forty-two." It was more of a decision than a question. "Not too bad~ and knowin' their general personalities is good enough for me." Regina folded her arms at her middle. "And you said they were staying on a ranch. Viktor's ranch?" She inquired. It was hard for her to imagine someone with that name living on a ranch.

"It is tradition that any assassin worth their skill graduates our... school, of sorts, by that age. If you are older than that, then you still pass, but you are considered a less... desirable candidate for work. All of the main family are required to pass by five." Vladimir answers. "And yes. I am forty two." He snorts. "My brother owning a ranch. No- my sister owns it. She married a rancher." There was a little bit of distaste there on his tongue- for his eldest sister to have married down in life so far was not something he'd have ever thought she'd do. However, she did what she desired, and he didn't fault her for it. "She is a widow now. They are staying with my elder sister and her brood. Her children are civilian and do not, to my knowledge, know what my family is."

"What kind of killing school could ya possibly put a toddler into? I mean, obviously it works, but still!" She pouted a bit. What could someone possibly learn about killing before five? If she hadn't seen Vlad kill, she might have thought this was all a joke based on that tidbit of information alone. "Sister married out of the family?" She tilted her head from side to side in thought. She couldn't personally imagine wanting to leave such a life- but she knew she wasn't part of the average crowd of women. "Alright. And what happens after everything's dealt with? Assumin' everything goes your way. Ten year olds on the throne?"

"We teach them." Vlad informs her simply. "We teach and train and desensitize them to the... more gruesome aspects of it. I myself have never taught. Vanya was the twins teacher, back when our father still lead the family." He cants his head to the side slightly, eyeing her pout. "Yes. There is something you must understand- growing up in our life, there is no... failure. There is no do-over. There is no try again for a job. You fail, you die. Many of my siblings, older and younger, failed jobs. Vera was slated to lead the family- and there in to breed the next generation of assassins required to lead. However... She did not want to watch her children die as our mother did. So she left our lifestyle- and she hid, for many, many years." The following question has him chuckling. "For a time, until we get new clan codes written up and approved. Once they are, the throne will be abdicated- and i will take over the family in their stead. Neither of them wishes to lead."

Regina shook her head, "Desensitizing I can understand, but training..? I'll just leave that as something I'll never understand." Meaning she would ask about it later when she had more patience. She could understand not wanting to see your kids die, however. That one was a no-brainer. "... Well, for her sake I'm glad she got away. No one should be forced to watch their child die." She said flatly, turning back to the stove to stir the spaghetti noodles. "Do you 'wish to lead,' future king Vladimir?" She teased, not looking at the other anymore but instead focusing on draining the water from the noodle pot.

"Who better to train killers than other killers? Is it not other military that trains new recruits? It is much like that. We start young." It kept bad habits from forming and let them shape the children as they needed them to be. Vladimir tilted his head and nodded. "Vera did. My father did hunt her, but my sister was the best we had seen in generations. If someone found her, they never reported back. Anyways, she found her... Happiness. She has her children, though she is minus a husband." He watches her stir the noodles lightly. At the question, Vladimir makes a faint face, glad she can't see him. "Only a fool wishes to lead. No. I will lead by necessity, and to keep my little brother and my niece or nephew from the stress of it."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Yes, that part makes sense, I just can't imagine a five year old murderer. I was only stealing at five." She giggled and shook her head. "It's a shame your family lost the best, but I glad the best got better." This was probably the closest thing to compassion Regina would show. "Vladimir! Did you just call your brother a fool?" Once the water was drained she set the noodles aside to taste the tomato sauce. She tilted her head from one side to the other then decided to add a few more herbs to it and stirring them up.

"Most people can't imagine one. That's why they're the best. They go to help the poor lost child," Or do other things to them, in some people's cases, "And get their throats slit. It's a very effective system." He hums. Vlad snorts. "Yes. Even Yaromir disliked leading when he was in charge- But Vanya desires it. It is... foolish. It is even more foolish to kill your family for a silly position." He reminds idly. "At any rate, I don't wish to lead- but i will, for my family's sake."

Regina tilted her head from side to side as she considered that. He was right, no one would suspect a kid. "I'm guessing the most successful kills happen early, then? When no one suspects you?" Suddenly she supposed it wasn't so unbelievable. She smirked to herself at Vlad's explanation, "That's quite valiant of you, dear Vladimir." It was difficult to tell if her tone was sincere or sarcastic as she poured the spaghetti noodles into the sauce and stirred. "Bowls are on the second shelf of the cabinet by the fridge."

"We're still successful as we get older. We learn and adapt new methods- I am better now than I was when I was younger. Age desensitizes you. But... yes. The easiest to do kills are when we are younger." He nods lowly. Vladimir hesitated a moment or not, as he decided if he was going to go rifling through her cupboards to be helpful or not- but ultimately, he decided to go get the bowls from where they were pointed out. "I'll get them for us then." He hums. "But, Regina dear, I am hardly valiant. I am anything but."

"Age desensitizes you." Regina echoed as she turned the stove burner off and moved the pot to a cold one. "So you don't feel anything when you kill now. What did you feel before?" She noticed the hesitation, "The bowls won't bite, I'm the only thing in this house that does." She said with a smirk, leaving the pot to grab herself a glass, figuring Vlad would just reuse the one she gave him before. "I'd call doing something you don't want to do valiant. I can't even do anything I don't want to, let alone for other people."

"When I killed the man?" He blinked quietly as he fetched the bowls. "Relief that i got more names to hunt." He answered. "But mostly... nothing. It was another life taken, another notch added to my belt- nothing new. I have killed a thousand men and women a thousand different ways and more. Over all... I feel very little for the lives I have taken- which is not necessarily good. It is only a few steps away from being... Close to what Vanya is." He snorts at her quip, and hands them over. "I do not think you would like it if i bit." His lip curled, showing sharp, sharp teeth hidden behind it. He fetched his glass again, and went to refill it from the sink. "They are family, Regina. Family is the only thing i once thought i could trust for sure. Still, i would do anything for my family. Those who would not readily kill me and mine, that is." He hummed softly. A soft inhale expanded his chest below his shirt, and amethyst eyes flickered over to the finished spaghetti. "Dinner smells lovely."

Regina listened and hummed thoughtfully as she filled the bowls with spaghetti. "But how did you feel about it when you were a kid? Were ya afraid, did ya feel guilt? Did ya feel pride?" She asked, glancing up at him. Regina studies his teeth with a grin. "I'd say I've had worse, but then I'd be lying. I'm curious- but I haven't let anyone bite me in a long, long time." She was never the submissive in bed anymore, and hadn't been for quite a number of years. "A family man. Well, I can't say I'm nearly so close to my family, but at least one of us has morals." She said with a chuckle as she moved the bowls to the dining table, then going to pour some wine into her own glass. She brought the wine bottle to the table in case Vlad wanted any- or if she wanted more- but she didn't intent on outright offering.

"I felt many things." He replied quietly. "Not all I am at liberty to discuss with you quite yet." The feelings of his youth were relatively private. She'd have to earn that right to learn that information. He quietly snaps them at her with a faint tease. "You wouldn't survive it. My teeth are as much a weapon as my hands. I can rip a throat out without issue- or bleed someone out. I've done it before. Teeth are often the weapons of choice for children." He quirks a brow at her as he follows. He stuck with water- he was not a wine drinker. Vodka and vodka mostly- though wine was alright if he had to go under cover to get to someone. "I don't look like much of one, do i." He snorts lightly. "Never can tell about people."

Regina shrugged it off. "Fair enough. You've only just met me after all." And she already knew far, far more about him than he did about her. She supposed she could be a little fair and not take anything else from him yet. Regina's grin broadens. "It would only kill me if you were trying to... But it's a good thing I'm the only one allowed to bite here then, isn't it?~" she cooed as she sat down at the table. She gave him a good look at his last comment, tilting her head as she usually did when thinking. "Mm. Nah, I can't say ya struck me for a family man when I saw you at the club." She admitted with a giggle. Scarred up man staring at a much less scarred up man. It didn't scream family.

"Indeed." He nods. He had many things he would keep to himself for the time being. She knew a fair bit- but really, how much of an iceberg did one see above the water? "You would be surprised what an accidental bite during lovemaking can cause." He comments with the driest snort he'd let out yet. "Love nibbles suddenly have much more context when every pinch and nip can and usually does break through the flesh." He wouldn't even get into attempting to do oral sex. Genitals near his mouth was usually a bad idea. He shifted and took a the seat across from her where his bowl was, and peered down at his spaghetti quietly. He sipped his water for a time as he listened to her giggle, before chuffing softly in amusement. "The sort of things you can find out about people can be a bit odd and ill-fitting, no?"

"With teeth like those, I wouldn't be too surprised. Do ya talk from experience?" Regina asked with a smirk. "Have you accidentally harmed a person or two during.. 'lovemaking,' I'd that's what we're callin' it." She most certainly wouldn't use the term in any other situation. She took a bite of her spaghetti before responding to the question, "Yeah, but that's what makes people so interesting. Everyone is a mine full of metals and gems- and I really, really like shiny things~" she stated before she continued eating. It had been awhile since she's eaten anything herself.

"Yes." He answered bluntly. "When i was much younger and experimented with sexual preferences,

I accidentally got a bit... carried away in a threesome, and bit down by reflex. I bit off his dick, to be blunt." He taps his finger lightly on the table, musing that his line of conversation was definitely not dinner talk- but whatever. She had already seen him kill someone, and she was going to let him use her sex dungeon for a murder dungeon. He sighed, and took a bite. It was quite good, and he made an appropriate noise to show this. "Information is good to have. It gives you an edge." He hums. "At the same time," he glances at her, "One should be wary of who they turn that edge against, for the other might have a sharper knife and no qualms on using it. Regardless- this is quite a good meal. Thank you for cooking it- it has been a long time since i have had something homemade. Fast food grows tiresome after a while."

Regina's eyes widened before she began laughing. "My God! I don't know what all you've done with your career but I feel like that might have been the absolute cruelest! A day that man will never forget, for sure!" Goodness, she could only imagine it. She suddenly wished she had sharper teeth.. perhaps she'll sharpen them. "Ever thought about filing those down, or do you still intend to use them?" Regina asked once her laughter calmed down. Regina grinned mischievously, "Do ya think I would have hands in so many gangs if I didn't know that?~ I've even got access to police records and the worst they could do about that is fire me- but I give them too much information to be sent off to either the unemployment line or prison." She tilts her head, looking down as she twirls her spaghetti on her fork. "Surely I'll talk myself into a corner one of these days, but until then I plan to have as much fun as possible." She looks back up at Vlad with a grin, "Well, I'm glad you like it. I don't cook for others often. Why waste the resources." She didn't often let people stay with her, either. Or use her basement. But no one else had struck her interest like Vladimir had.

Vladimir snorted, but hid a grimace that twisted his insides. It definitely was a low point in his career. He hadn't been aiming to kill them- and he'd had to kill both of them, to keep them quiet. "It's the last thing that man ever remembered. I couldn't risk going to jail over it- so I did what i had to." He chews through the spaghetti with ease, sharp teeth making short work of it. "One doesn't dull a knife just because they haven't used it in years. You never know when you'll need it again." He hums wisely. He snorts. "That's one way to go about life. A decent way to go about it, too. Better to live to your fullest than to shrink in fear, i suppose." He works through his meal with gusto and ease, sharp teeth making short work of the pasta and sauce. He pauses from time to time to take a drink of water, but mostly just focuses on eating. "Mhm." He nods lightly.

Regina did look surprised at that, not expecting Vlad to have killed over something so... embarrassing, but otherwise completely accidental and somewhat minuscule in her opinion. But she supposed death was a better end for a man than a dickless life. "Ya dull a knife if ya wanna be able to have kinky knife play without the death, though." She responds with a giggle. "Let yourself have some fun." She nodded in agreement, "Come to think of it, I don't think I have any fears. Must be why it's so easy for me to have fun~" she didn't dwell on it and started focusing on her food more as well, taking long sips of her wine every few bites. She grinned at how much Vlad seemed to enjoy her cooking. "Such an agreeable guest you are."

There was more to it than that- there was a lot more. They had panicked, and things had happened, weapons had been found- it ended up being a mess, and death was the best option. He regretted it- he did- but it was a risk with assassins taking lovers who were not in the know. "Knife play," he repeats, "Is not sometime I partake in, so I'll take your word for it. My... fun, as it is, usually is limited to a drink every now and then. I don't do anything else." "Having no fears is good and bad. It can mean you will go places others fear to tread, and learn things no one else has before- but it can also mean that you will waltz into a bears den without a second thought." He hums. He eyes her lightly. "A good host deserves a good guest."

Regina rolled her eyes, "I was just following your analogy, Mister Metaphorical. More specific to this situation- ya dull your teeth if ya wanna give oral or love bites." She didn't mind knife play but that certainly wasn't what she was talking about specifically. "And it's the bear den that are the most fun!" Regina smiled cheerfully, looking almost childish when she wore a genuine smile instead of her usual smirk. At the compliment, though, the old expression returned. "I am quite the host, aren't I. Doting, generous, hospitable- and modest. Can't forget modest." She added with a chuckle before finishing off the rest of her food.

"I suppose so." he simply nods. "Indeed." he chuckles. "Doting, generous, hospitable, yes. Modest? I do not believe so, Regina." He gives her an amused smirk as he finishes his spaghetti, and then finishes his water. A purple tongue passes over his teeth to clean them, and he leans back with a soft hum.

"Such disrespect in my own home- I am the most modest person I know, thank you very much." Regina sassed, deciding to refill her glass with more wine. She watched him lick his teeth and hummed thoughtfully. What a shame to hide such a tongue behind razors. Razors that she was trying to think of ways to work around. "'M ready to show ya the basement when you're ready to see it." She says before pressing her lips to her glass and taking a sip.

"Uhuh, and I'm an innocent nun." A rich chuckle escapes him. He found her sassing him genuinely funny. "M' ready to see it whenever you've finished your drink." He motioned for her to finish her glass of wine, and instead simply watched her, studying her thoughtfully. His face quietly shifted, teeth grinding together slightly as he hummed.

"You look the part." Regina teased with a smirk. She took another sip before shrugging, "I don't mind taking it with us- but I won't make ya deal with stairs after such a hefty 5 star meal." She said with a giggle. She sat back in her chair and crossed one of her legs over the other, studying Vlad right back, gaze trailing across his various features. His scars, his jar, his shoulders. His eyes, his nasal cavity, his lips. It was always good to memorize every aspect of your possessions, lest they get lost or further battered.

"Oh, do I?" He glanced at himself, in his dark shirt and dark pants. Vladimir lifts a brow at her lightly and quirks a slow grin as he watches her studying him. It crinkles his cheek slightly, making his freckles move. "How generous of you," he purrs. "It is good to digest a meal before working anyways. Much like eating and then swimming. It can usually be quite a hassle." He hums. There were a few hints at possible scars peeking out from under the edge of his shirt- but nothing solidly able to be seen. Not without him removing his shirt that was.

"Sure ya do.~" Regina didn't seem to mind the fact that Vlad was watching her as well- it wasn't like she was being discreet. She didn't feel the need to be. At noticing the slightest marks and dips in his bones just as his body disappeared under his shirt, she tilted her head. "... Do I get anythin' in return for the tour of my home?”

[soundcheckentertainment]

For many of us the May long weekend signifies the unofficial beginning of summer. Summer – with its warm days and long nights, gathering with family and friends to enjoy good eats, fine weather and the great outdoors.

Q the music…

CBC Music and Live Nation had a recipe for success when they teamed up at Ontario Place’s RBC Echo Beach in Toronto on Saturday May 27th, to kick off the start of summer (and Festival season) with the CBC Music Festival.

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

This 1 day festival was packed with land and water activities (SUP, kayak), food and beverage vendors, a VR tent, a scavenger hunt and showcased 20 Canadian artists performing across 4 stages for 9 solid hours.

And perform they did, for large and small crowds alike – including an impromptu gig by Scott Hellman in the commons with an intimate gathering of lucky fans. There really was something for everyone to enjoy, as was proven by the number of families in attendance. The fact that kids under 12 were admitted for free wasn’t just a brilliant marketing maneuver.

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

The Kid Zone had a wide range of activities for the little people, including a Rock N’ Roll Hair Salon and Tattoo Parlour (of the washable variety), an instrument petting zoo, as well as their own stage shows – hosted by CBC Studio K’s ‘Cottonball’. The area in front of the Kid’s stage became very crowded in the hour before Walk Off The Earth swung by to hang out for a Q&A session. Many in attendance wondering “What kind of instruments do you play?” “What’s your favourite song?” and “Who’s your favourite Super Hero?” to which each member of this down to earth group took turns answering. Before leaving the stage, they left their indelible mark on one tiny fan when they all agreed to sign her ukulele.

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

The first act to grace the Main Stage was an all-girl indie rock band called The Beaches, appropriately named for the Toronto neighbourhood they hail from. The smallish crowd that had gathered against the security fence surrounding the stage started growing from their very first electrified notes. Don’t let the idea of girl band confuse you, this wasn’t a Spice Girls performance; their sound was more Blondie meets The Runaways. Comprised of vocalist & bassist Jordan Miller, guitarist Kylie Miller, keyboardist Leandra Earl and Eliza Enman-McDaniel on the drums, these chicks know how to Rock N’ Roll and they brought it loud and hard! Performing a couple cover songs in between their own hits like “Little Pieces” and “Give it Up”, which is gaining radio play. This quartet quickly set the bar high for the rest of the day, and I’m sure gained more than a few new fans, myself included.

A wander past the food trucks and assorted market vendors was up next. It was a good thing too, because you couldn’t get near them later in the day. A sampling of pulpo, duck tacos, and curry fries filled the gap, washed down with a refreshing sudsy beverage. One nice thing about Echo Beach is that that the entire grounds are licensed, so attendees could wander from stage to stage with a can in hand, able to enjoy the music in person instead of relegated to far corner tent.

Needs sated, I detected a rhythmic hum filling the air, seeming to beckon me closer and drawing me in. It worked as I found myself standing outside the Tent Stage, catching a part of the Birds of Bellwoods set. These four young men from Toronto know how to bend the strings! Chris Blades on the electric guitar, Adrian Morningstar on the acoustic guitar, Steve Joffe on the Mandolin and Kintaro Akiyama on the upright bass (think cello). Their harmonies were smooth and I found myself wishing that I’d caught more than their last few songs. Definitely watch out for these up and coming talented musicians!

CBC Music Fest: William Prince. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Back at the Main Stage we were treated to the stylings of William Prince. A phenomenal singer, songwriter, and storyteller, there’s a reason he was nominated for Aboriginal Artist of the year and won Juno for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year in 2017. His thought provoking lyrics and soft baritone voice were hauntingly beautiful. As people lounged on blankets around the stage soaking in the folk-country musical tales that were being sung, it seemed metaphorical of the ease with which William interacted with the gathered crowd, relating history and personal stories between songs. It’s hard to understand how we’ve not heard more from this Winnipeg native, but there is no doubt that we will be treated to future performances. In fact you can catch him for free at the NAC in Ottawa on July 13th at 6pm. Head to their website to secure free tickets.

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

I didn’t want to miss BROS over on the Q Stage, and arrived just in time to catch their introduction. You may know them from a little group called The Sheepdogs, however if that’s what you were hoping to hear, then you might have been disappointed…. but not really. Ewan and Shamus Currie added a brass ensemble to their keyboard and guitar and turned the funk WAY UP. An initial gathering of mainly classic rock fans exploded into an all ages dance-athon. From the tiny toddler wigglin’ his way into inadvertent splits, to the would-be Willie Nelson, and every type of stripe in-between, BROS got the crowd moving, grooving and loving what they were offering up. And when they broke news of the passing of Gregg Allman and dedicated a song, it only put pause on the festive spirit out of reverential respect.

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Heading back to the Main Stage where I would ultimately end up the rest of the evening; the upcoming entertainers being part of the draw, the massive growing crowd being the other. Staking out a spot close to the stage would have required a lawn chair, a bottomless bladder and an unwillingness to enjoy any other artist since The Beaches took the stage hours before. Scott Helman was up next, and the squeals of teen and tween girls rose as he began his set with a little ‘PDA’. Relegated to standing on a small strip of pavement leaning against the VIP area, we were entertained by many of Scott’s familiar radio tunes, including: ‘That Sweater’, ‘Kinda Komplicated’ and ‘21 days’ – my personal fave, but that’s likely more a result of it being a song about zombies, and love, or maybe zombie love… but I digress. Whether he’s of the school of thought that “no press is bad press”, or he was experiencing overwhelming excitement, the crowd responded with amusement when he strangely exclaimed “Keep stealing my music!” Then realization set in, and he recovered with …. “or pay for it, if you want!” Scott’s genuine love and appreciation of his family was particularly evident when he enthusiastically exclaimed “That’s my Grandpa!” as one of many video cameras covering the event panned to a shot of a very proud looking patriarch grinning ear to ear, projected upon the side stage big screens. Scott ended his set with the catchy tune ‘Bungalow’ which brought more than half of the attendees to their feet, dancing and applauding.

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

I made the unfortunate decision to get food before Ruth B took the stage. However as mentioned previously this would become a futile exercise which resulted in missing most of her set. Hungry and dejected I gave up my quest and returned just in time to catch her original song ‘Lost Boy’ which was thoroughly enjoyable.

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Up next was the day’s first headliner, Walk Off The Earth. By this point the sun had started its descent in the western sky and Echo Beach lived up to its name. The crowd’s thunderous greeting of the band’s arrival on stage was only the beginning of one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. Gathered with Whirley Tubes, and bells (and a back-up band) they opened the set with a recognizable YouTube cover of Adele’s ‘Hello’. They had the entire park on their feet from the moment they stepped on stage. Gianni, Sarah, Marshall, Joel and Mike Taylor aka Beard Guy, brought high energy and familiar tunes, of both original songs and covers, and were flawless in harmony and execution. Covering Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of you’ and Pharrell Williams ‘Happy’, the audience certainly was as we moved and danced along. They also delighted with a number of originals such as ‘Gang of Rhythm’, ‘Fire in my Soul’ and ‘Home we’ll go’ – a song written while on the road about missing Canada.

When the band asked for a song suggestion someone in the crowd yelled out ‘Queen’, to which Beard Guy agreed to play Bohemian Rhapsody on the piano as long as the audience sang along. It’s a good minute and a half into the song before I realized the other band members have disappeared from the stage, as myself and the other karaoke Kings and Queens in attendance belt out the lyrics. The rest of the band returned in time for the head banging guitar solo, and we all continued to jam out like it was one big backyard party. The night wouldn’t have been complete without a 5 peeps 1 (modified) guitar setup, and again the group delivered, playing Goyte’s ‘Someone that I used to know’, and morphing into snippets of a variety of familiar covers, including ‘Twist & Shout’. With beach balls flying through the air, the palpable feeling of inclusion, the pyro and glitter, the on stage Ninja fight during the ‘Tae kwon do’ song, the entire show was brilliant from beginning to end. As fireworks exploded overhead signifying the end of the set, WOTE walked off the stage and into the hearts of all in attendance.

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Most of the families with young children headed out before the final act, but a couple of young girls camped out next to me told me they had waited all day to see their idol. Six time Juno award winner Serena Ryder took the stage and owned it for the remainder of the night. Opening with Stompa and like an implanted suggestion, the crowd got moving. The stage filled with lights and smoke, three guitarists including herself, drums, keyboard and two backup singers, she engaged the audience with her jazzy pop hit Electric Love. We were also treated to a song from her brand new Album ‘Utopia’ released just the day before. She returned to more familiar tunes such as ‘What I wouldn’t do’ before slowing the pace a little with a few songs like ‘Baby Come Back’ and ‘All for love’, which had the crowd swaying in unison. An intimate acoustic setting was created on a portion of the Main stage, complete with side table and night lamp, for which she asks the audience’s permission to continue. (Yes please! Do we mind?!) Serena’s song writing prowess speaks for itself, but to combine her powerful voice which conveys such emotion with gut wrenching lyrics can actually make one ‘Weak in the knees’; the performance of which had the crowd serenading her. Every phone in park swaying high overhead in her honour.

All in all the end of the night came too soon. So many Juno and various other award winners, many new up and coming acts, what an amazing way to showcase Canadian talent in a setting that is family friendly and that invites inclusion and participation. There were many other artists I didn’t get a chance to check out, but that gives me an excuse to return next year. I was blown away by the whole experience and would urge anyone that has any interest in music to check out the show. In fact you can catch highlights from the day, in a 1 hour special broadcast on CBC on Canada Day. For more information visit CBC Music Festival online

#gallery-0-3 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-3 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-3 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-3 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: William Prince. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: William Prince. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Long War. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: The Beaches. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Ruth B. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Sarah Slean. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Iskwe. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Bobby Bazini. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Walk Off The Earth. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: BROS. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Scott Helman. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: Serena Ryder. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

CBC Music Fest: William Prince. May 2017. Photo by Dale Sinclair

Reviewed and Written by: Leann Kennedy Photos by: Dale Sinclair | @dalesinclairphoto

CBC Music Fest: A Tale of Four Stages For many of us the May long weekend signifies the unofficial beginning of summer. Summer – with its warm days and long nights, gathering with family and friends to enjoy good eats, fine weather and the great outdoors.

[comic-watch]

THOR heads to outer space with Guest Stars galore along for the ride!

  THOR: RAGNAROK US Release Date: November 3, 2017 Runtime: 130 minutes Writers: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, & Christopher Yost Director: Taika Waititi Production Company: Marvel Studios Cast: Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Cate Blanchett as Hela, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Karl Urban as Skurge, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk, and Anthony Hopkins as Odin.

What You Should Know: If you haven’t seen Avengers: Age of Ultron or Captain America: Civil War, this story explains where Thor and the Hulk were, after and during, those films. You don’t NEED to see them to understand Thor: Ragnarok, but it certainly helps tighten one’s focus.

What You’ll Find Out (SPOILERS): While searching for the Infinity Stones for 2 years after the events of Age of Ultron, Thor becomes imprisoned by Surtur, the fire demon of Asgard. Thor learns from Surtur that Odin has disappeared from Asgard and that once he unites his crown with the Eternal Flame in the Hall of Treasures, the prophecy of the end of Asgard will be upon them: Ragnorok. Thor relies on his trusty hammer to free him and help him defeat Surtur, taking the crown and believing he has thus prevented Ragnorok from taking place. Thor returns to Asgard to find Heimdall also missing, and Loki impersonating their father. Forcing Loki to take him to Odin, they head to NYC, where Loki left him in a nursing home, which is now being demolished. Suddenly, a portal appears, swallowing Loki. In his place is left a business card with an address: 177A Bleecker Street.

At the home of Stephen “Doctor” Strange, its revealed he sensed their presence and wanted to offer assistance. See, he also monitors the dimensional highway into the earth and sensed a foreboding with Loki, who he allows to keep falling for 30 minutes while Thor and the Master of the Mystic arts chat.

  Doctor Strange sends them to Norway, where Odin stands alone on a cliffside overlooking the sea. He tells them he is dying. He warns them of Hela, his first child, former leader of his army. She was a bit too ambitious, after helping Odin conquer the Nine Realms. She wanted more. So she was banished from Asgard until the day Odin passes. He dematerializes into gold dust and drifts out over the sea and into the skies, which quickly grow dark and rumble. Enter Hela, their sister. After some bravado, Thor attacks by throwing Mjolnir at her, only to have her grab the hammer and destroy it with her bare hand. Calling Skurge for help, they begin to ride up into the cosmic transport only to have Hela in their wake. The three siblings clash in the funnel until Loki and Thor are cast out separately, allowing Hela alone to arrive in Asgard.

Thor lands it what appears to be a junkyard. With no weapon, he is overwhelmed by a group of local scavenger aliens, who in turn are taken out by a female warrior in a flying ship. She is taking Thor with her, whether he wants to go or not. She subdues Thor with an electric stun device attached to his neck and drags off with him.

Meanwhile, Hela is setting up her “birthright” in Asgard, and making Skurge her Executioner. She kills the Warriors Three and many Asgardian soldiers that stand against her. When she hears of defectors, she decides to raise her army and her Fenris wolf from the dead with the Eternal Flame.

We see someone steal Heimdall’s sword from the Bifrost gate. Later its revealed to be Heimdall, with the “defectors”, the citizens of Asgard, hidden inside a mountain.

Thor is brought to a strange planet where a being called the Grand Master reigns supreme. He governs over his Contest of Champions, pulling the most powerful from all over the cosmos, to battle each other, gladiator style, to the death. He will not be allowed to leave planet Sakaar unless he can defeat his current Champion, or die. While restrained, Thor sees Loki amongst the denizens of Sakaar. He asks him for help to escape but the ever-diabolical Loki has other plans. He also learns that the woman who captured him is an Asgardian Valkyrie, they are calling Scrapper 142. She explains that Hela killed the Valkyrior ages ago.

In the arena, the Grandmaster introduces the “Lord” of Thunder, to Thor’s chagrin. His opponent is revealed to be the Hulk.

Instantly recognizing his “work friend” Thor thinks all is done, but the Hulk isn’t having it. He fights Thor, even mimicking the same move he used on Loki in the first Avengers film, much to Loki’s delight. It’s a raging battle that’s almost a standstill until Thor summons lightning to gain the upper hand. Just as he is about to be victorious, the Grandmaster intervenes by “buzzing” Thor’s neck device, shocking him, and allowing the Hulk to win the battle.

In their quarters, Thor learns that the Hulk was brought there via the Quinjet he was last seen in, at the end of Age of Ultron. Sending for 142, he tries to convince her and the Hulk to help him escape and save Asgard.

With neither budging, Thor breaks free of the quarters and makes it to the Quinjet, where the Hulk has followed. He sets off a recording of Natasha, the last he saw of her when he left Sokovia, and it triggers his transformation back to Bruce Banner. Severely confused, since he has been the Hulk for 2 years straight, and assuming the Battle of Sokovia just finished, Thor explains their situation to the frazzled scientist.

The Grandmaster sends Loki and 142 to find the Hulk and Thor but when they meet, a struggle ensues between Loki and 142, causing him to make her relive the final battle of the Valkyrior against Hela. She decides to help Thor, as does a calmed and still slightly frazzled Banner.

  Discovering a wormhole to lead them to Agard, they make their escape from Sakaar, only to have Loki attempt to double-cross Thor again, by delivering him to the Grandmaster. Anticipating Loki’s betrayal, Thor strands him on the planet with the battle slaves they recently met and befriended.

Arriving in Asgard, the heroes begin battling Hela, army, and Fenris. Banner becomes the Hulk to destroy the giant wolf, while Thor and Valkyrie battle Hela. Loki and the slave gladiators arrive in a giant barge and join the battle. Heimdall rescues the citizens of Asgard by bringing them to the large barge after Thor decides there’s only one way to end this battle. Skurge has a change of heart and allows his people to escape in the barge by sacrificing himself.

Battling Hela, Thor loses his right eye, but visions of his father Odin have helped him realize Ragnarok must happen in order to defeat Hela. With the Asgardians and his friends aboard the ship, Loki finds Surtur’s crown and places it on the eternal flame.

Surtur is reborn, more powerful than ever, and begins destroying Asgard, and everything in it, including Hela.

With his people saved and now being declared King, Thor commands the vessel to fly to Earth.

MID-CREDITS SCENE: Thor’s sail barge suddenly comes face to face with a spacecraft that dwarfs their own. POST-CREDITS SCENE: The Grandmaster falls into a heap in the cosmic junkyard, right at the feet of some of his rebellious former subjects.

What Does This Mean for the Future? That big ship at the end seems like bad news. But we won’t have to wait long to find out with Avengers: Infinity War hitting theaters in 6 months, May 4th, 2018. The 17th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they continue to test waters and explore new palettes with a grandeur that can only be described as comic-books-come-to-life. Scenes I never thought I’d see on film are right there, in front of my eyes on the big screen. Now let’s be clear. I’ve learned how to go into a film without any expectations. I don’t allow my inner fanboy to blow a gasket over differences between the comics and films. Marvel has their brand CLEAR for all to see: Marvel CINEMATIC Universe. An alternate telling of the source material through a different artistic medium. I feel the reason Marvel Studios has been so successful is that they have stayed so true to the spirit of the source material. They have become the juggernaut of the film genre.

That being said, let me get the negative out of the way. Some of the pacing of this film could have been better. There were times I felt a beat was either missed or skipped ahead, some scenes seemed too long while others seemed too short.

I found the humor to be quite organic from the characters. Thor and The Hulk’s rivalry, so well received in the first Avengers film, with just one scene, is played great here. There’s been just as much humor in Avengers comics over the years. Again, it’s a different medium, an alternate universe. I can enjoy both!

The vivid colors, reminiscent of what we saw in Guardians of the Galaxy, continues to play a prominent role in our perception of this shared universe. Yeah, its a dirty universe out there but color is not lost on blue tint filters.

The soundtrack is ignited with Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin. GoTG director James Gunn hit the jackpot by adding classic hits to his franchise, and I’m glad to see other MCU films utilize classic pop/rock hits, even sparingly, in this fashion. (I especially loved the nod to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!)

Chris Hemsworth is as charming as ever as Thor. Tom Hiddleston takes a back seat in villainy this go-round, but his moments on screen are always fun. Idris Elba is given much more to do this time, and I’m glad because I think he is one of the more underused characters in the MCU, but I think it’s just because his character, by nature, plays a more static role. But with the fall of Asgard, his role has now changed. Karl Urban and Sir Anthony Hopkins both personify their roles as Skurge and Odin respectively. I really enjoyed Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and look forward to seeing more of her. Jeff Goldblum is perfect as the hedonistic Grandmaster. Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner plays so well in a team-up film. I wouldn’t mind seeing him and She-Hulk in a film! And finally, Cate Blanchett, as the deliciously evil villain we’ve yearned for in a Marvel Film. She eats up and spits out every scene she is in. So thrilling to see a character, whose visual design has always been one of my favorites, so well interpreted on screen.

This film places our hero in an assumed predicament at the end. Even though we will find out what happens next in Avengers: Infinity War, I wouldn’t mind seeing another Thor Team-Up film sometime in the future.

Rating: 8.5/10 Final Thought: The most entertaining of the series, Thor: Ragnarok is quite different due to the big risks Director Taika Waititi takes. They pay off well. Go see this roller-coaster ride! There are plenty of easter eggs for comic fans to drool over as well. Relax and enjoy this fun and action-packed film.

What did you think of Thor:Ragnarok? Tell us in the comments! #iamawatcher #comicwatch THOR heads to outer space with Guest Stars galore along for the ride! THOR: RAGNAROK US Release Date: November 3, 2017…