#with a very scary king flouncing in and out of their lives

[pynkhues]

☮ and ♒ for Shiv please.

Yesss, thank you, anon!

☮- friendship headcanon

It’s not that Shiv doesn’t have friends, it’s not, god, she makes them faster and easier than anyone in her family. Clicks instantly with girls at mixers and the guys in boxy slacks on the political circuit. Knows her way around them to scope the crowd and pick the ones that suit her then, there, and the ones that might be - - mm, not functional. Shiv doesn’t like to think about friendships as functional, but y’know, she’s not like Ken who’s friends pretty much amount to someone he latched onto when he was in metaphorical diapers and their dad’s best friend, or like Roman who only cares if someone’s like, shiny or whatever.

Shiv likes a crew she can call up for a good time, and she likes a crew who have something to offer. Political advantage or career inroads, it doesn’t really matter. People just the right type of - - potentially useful. She figures it’s honest, mostly, like, at least she’s not pretending she doesn’t see the advantage, and it’s not like it’s not returned. She’s been perfectly aware that people have seen her as an opportunity before anything else since she saw Jessica Martin’s dad pointing to her on the playground back in grade school.

Besides, she knows who she is, and she’s not Connor, who’s apparently happy giving the woman he pays for sex intimate details of the family, and she’s certainly not Kendall who doesn’t even realise he’s paved the way for his bff to try and take their family legacy straight from their hands until he’s laid the final brick. No, Shiv likes her friends where she can see them, and where they can be useful – either as a means to a party, a fuck, or a good deal – and hell, she can be the first to admit that the best friends she’s ever had – Nate, Lisa, Mandy Menkle – have offered her all three.

(It’s not that she’s lonely, it’s not. She just knows what people do, and she’d much rather use them before they can ever use her.)

♒- cooking/food headcanon

When Shiv was little, she used to like watching dad’s chef’s cook.

He always had them around, so much that most of the time Shiv figured they were a part of everyone’s house – came with it, so to speak, like the wallpaper and the garden. After all, they were different house-to-house – it was Jose in the Upper East Side Mansion and Sally at the Summer Palace, Roger in the Maldives holiday house, or a rotation of Ian’s, Margaret’s, Paulette’s at the Collingwood Estate just outside of London.

The faces varied, and the particular delicacies, but beyond that, it felt the same – Shiv would skip off the jet, hand clasped in her father’s, straight into the car, straight into wherever they were staying, and the smell of breakfast, lunch, dinner would be there to greet her. A perpetual reminder that all of this was hers too, no matter how long the trip had been, no matter how long she, Kendall and Roman had been left alone in the front of the jet for while Dad spoke harshly in the compartment behind them with Frank and Gerri and sometimes mom too.

Still, she knew there was something different about it even then. Before Beast’s palace, Belle did her own cooking, and moms usually cooked in all her Babysitter’s Club books, and she guesses their mom does sometimes, but it’s not like - - it’s just - -

It’s different.

So Shiv waits until dad’s on calls and Kendall’s speech therapist shows up (because recently one of those has been there when they arrive too, just like the cooks) and Roman’s holed up in the playroom with the Super Nintendo mom got him just because, and Shiv steals into the kitchen and she watches the cooks, well, cook.

Gets swept up in it a little – the flurry of activity, the smells of spices mom tells her she must remember the names of (ladies need a varied palette, you know) – paprika and cumin and star anise that curls in her nose like liquorice. She watches pots boil and knives dice and slivers of vegetable skins peel like her sunburn after too long in the pool. Feels something in the creation of it all in front of her even as the chef stumbles around her and the porter tells her to go play with her brothers.

They can’t move her though. She knows that already too (remembers, once, the acid on her father’s tongue the time one of the doormen had told her off for getting in the way), so she drapes her arms over the counter and pokes at the raw chicken and drags a finger through buttercream icing, and she thinks this must be what Belle feels like once she’s a proper princess. Watching Mrs. Potts and Lumiere come to life around her, eager to impress her, and it’s not that it becomes a habit, but maybe she goes down more often, and maybe some of the chefs grimace, faces pulled, every time she does, but one night Maria, the deputy chef, gestures her over, says:

“You know how to make shortcrust pastry, sweetie? The type for pumpkin pie?”

Shiv shakes her head, watches Maria's rough hands work.

“You want to learn?”

And no, Shiv realises, glancing down at her own small, delicate hands, just like Princess Belle's.

She really doesn’t.

-

Ask me about some headcanons!

[michelles-garden-of-evil]

Episode 32 Review: Sea Fever

{ Not available on YouTube }

{ Full Synopses/Recaps: Debby Graham | Bryan Gruszka }

{ Screencaps }

I apologize for the delay in posting this review. Once again, I’ve been busy in real life and didn’t have enough time to work on it last week. (And so soon after starting my Shadow Over Seventh Heaven review series!) But now I’m back and I have enough time to write about my favorite show again--and, in a week or so, hopefully enough to continue my other review series as well.

This is the first episode to differ completely from the Lost Episode summaries published in various U.S. and Canadian newspapers--and therefore probably the point at which the original outline and the final one began to diverge. Episode 30′s summary described an event that happened in the episode, but whose cause appears to have been changed during forced rewrites; last episode’s was still accurate after revisions; but this one’s summary is the first to describe a scene absent from the final, aired episode. (More on that later.)

Shall we begin this review? This episode features some of the darkest Jean Paul (yes, Jean Paul!) dialogue thus far, along with many entertaining facial expressions as multiple characters feast on the scenery. It’s a wild ride with a genuinely scary scene, and, if you like those things, I think you’ll enjoy it.

We open right where last episode left off, with Elizabeth reacting to Jacques’ little comment about Holly and how he would stake her life in a bet that Vangie couldn’t contact Erica in the planned séance. ”Jean Paul,” she shouts, “your inference that I would harm my daughter to take her fortune for my own is insulting and in bad taste: something I’d never expect of you!”

The handsome devil replies, “Your strong defense against a simple query lends credence to a simple supposition”--which is just a fancier, less archaic way of saying “the lady doth protest too much.”

She flounces and runs into Vangie at the door--figuratively, not literally, although that would be amusing. “You interrupted Mrs. Marshall’s romantic exit from which there might be no return,” Jacques comments, which sounds suspiciously like foreshadowing.

The conversation drifts to the séance and how Jacques is most definitely not going to back down because he’s not a coward, and then, suddenly,

Vangie SCREAMS!

Apparently, every time a female character other than Raxl screams, she has to try eating her hand immediately afterwards.

She’s screaming because she can sense that someone is tampering with the cryonics capsule. And, at the same time that this happens, Jacques also de-possesses Jean Paul:

I’ll let these headache faces speak for themselves.

Jean Paul who threatens to kill anyone who tampers with the capsule. Very nice (not)! Normally, I find his concern for Erica romantic, but this is going too far. He reminds me of the captain in the CBS Radio Mystery Theater episode "Sea Fever" (also by Ian Martin) who…well, I don't want to spoil the ending, but let's just say that he is even crazier in love than Jean Paul. It isn’t one of the best CBSRMT dramas, but it will likely chill your bones. It certainly chilled mine.

Love this shot of Colin Fox backacting while Paisley Maxwell and Angela Roland stare at him with wide-open eyes. This episode is full of unintentionally funny facial expressions.

Jean Paul hurries back to Maljardin with Elizabeth and Vangie, and heads to the crypt immediately to see Raxl about the capsule. She recaps to him about the capsule tank’s malfunctioning in the previous episode. He asks who discovered it; she tells him Dan, which only makes him more suspicious of him. SHe also recaps to him about how Alison and Dan are searching for the cyanide that he stole from the lab. “Everyone questions my changes of mood,” he shouts. “Now I must question changes in others!...There is danger hiding everywhere on Maljardin. It has a history that has plagued the family, that will plague all who pry into my affairs!"

While Vangie questions the sincerity of Elizabeth’s devotion to Jean Paul above, Jean Paul leaves red flowers on the cryocapsule and announces his planned next moves to his love: “Erica, my dove, now [there] are some people here on our island who would destroy the process by which you will be returned to me and fill my arms again, but I promise you, no one, no one under any consequences [line flub], will live again if he or she causes you to remain forever dead!"

A beautiful shot of Jean Paul with flowers for Erica.

When Raxl next joins Jean Paul in the crypt, she tells him that “only the priestess of the Serpent knows what is really on their minds.” Jean Paul mentions that she has told him before about the human sacrifices that the priestesses used to perform on the island--which is not recap (as we have only heard her tell Matt about them so far), so she must have told him sometime before Erica’s death. She insists that, although that was true long ago, their altar has not been used for them since Jacques's time.

“But, if his evil can rise again, as you fear,” he begins, implying that he wants to start making blood sacrifices.

“No! Please, M’sieu, no!” Raxl interrupts.

“I will do what has to be done, Raxl. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Raxl draws the Sign of the Great Serpent in the air and the same Great Serpent symbol that's in the Temple appears on screen. It’s a cool effect and not something that’s ever seen in any other episode.

She leaves the crypt, looking back at Jean Paul a few times, probably in complete disbelief that he wants her, daughter of the unseen Priestess of the Serpent, to sacrifice Dan and any other troublesome guests to protect against THE DEVIL JACQUES ELOI DES MONDES. This is a shocking new low for Jean Paul Desmond, and shows the darker side of his character. This is a man who, even without a curse and even when he is not possessed, is capable of murder because of his obsession with his love interest. This is a male yandere.

She sees Matt in the Great Hall, who tells her that he’s searched all over Maljardin and that there must be many hidden rooms there. It turns out they have both searched in every room they know about and still have found neither the missing cyanide nor the conjure doll and silver pin. He demands that she tell him the legend of Maljardin and that old black magic. And so we learn from her some very important background information, some of which is never brought up again:

Where there is evil, there is magic. Where there is magic, strange things happen, but first there must be evil, and there is!...Before the time of Jacques Eloi des Mondes, when this house first stood, it was a palace of kings and there were many people here until this island became his!…Only the greedy and foolish [natives] remained, and none who left ever returned.

There is a curse here, Reverend: him, that devil!

The implication is that Jacques did not build the château, but took it from someone else, which connects to his revelation about a month earlier that he was a “free looter”--or, in other words, a pirate. Matt argues that Jacques cannot still hold control over Maljardin because he died three hundred years ago, but Raxl says that “for some of us, three hundred years is but the span of a single lifetime,” indirectly revealing her true age to him.

She smiles at him right after she reveals to him that she’s centuries old. I think this is the first time Raxl smiles on the show, and the only time in the entire Maljardin arc.

Matt asks about the natives who stayed on the island, and Raxl says of them, “They died very soon. It was the curse on Maljardin. Have you ever seen a man who has lost his soul, Reverend? Their eyes down, the fishermen no longer fish, the children cease to play. They do no more than sit and wait [for death]...Since then, no native has ever tried to settle on Maljardin.” Only Vangie, the Conjure Woman, can go back and forth to and from the island “on the wings of the Great Serpent,” but she, too, is destined to die someday on Maljardin.

At the end of this scene, Vangie enters and adds that she doesn’t know when she’ll die, because the tarot cards did not (and cannot?) give her an exact date. This would seem to make her death on the show a foregone conclusion, but that may or may not be the case. (I say that not only to avoid spoilers, but also because the show and the original scripts give the Conjure Woman radically different fates, as we shall explore in future reviews.)

Meanwhile, down in the crypt, Jean Paul is still talking to Erica about how he is determined to kill anyone who interferes with the cryonics process when Jacques starts intruding on his mind. Like in Episode 27, the special effects team illustrates this by superimposing Jacques’ face from the portrait over that of Jean Paul when he is talking to him:

The best example from this episode.

None of Jacques’ lines in this scene are as funny as those of the old, pre-Lost Episode era Jacques, even if Fox-C still delivers the devil’s lines with the same amount of sarcasm and relish as before. His best line this time around is, in my not-so-humble opinion, “Suppose we just whisper so dear Erica may sleep.” I miss early Jacques’ jokes already--yes, even the ham-handed, cornball puns--and it hasn’t even been a week’s worth of episodes since the last.

We cut to Raxl and Vangie in the Great Hall, discussing the upcoming séance. Vangie says that she wants to find out if Erica’s spirit genuinely wants Jean Paul to continue mourning her and keeping her frozen. She insists that Raxl let her touch the cryocapsule before the séance, most likely to get a sense of Erica’s energy before they perform the ceremony.

Jean Paul: “What are you doing!”

Raxl: “Please, M’sieu. The Conjure Woman is trying to help.”

Jean Paul: “Only for a séance, Vangie. Erica must remain undisturbed.” Vangie: “And if you don’t like what you learn?” Jean Paul: “I’ll face that--when the time comes!”

The Lost Episode summary indicates that, at some point in the original draft, Raxl and Vangie had a conversation about Jacques, and Raxl would have told her how she can tell him and Jean Paul apart. As I’m sure many of you have realized, Raxl and Vangie oscillate between knowing that Jean Paul is being possessed and merely suspecting, depending on the episode. In the original Episode 32, Raxl would have known when Jacques is controlling Jean Paul’s body and Vangie would have only suspected until after Raxl explained. Ruling out all obvious non-diegetic clues such as the vanishing portrait shots and Jacques’ theme music, she could have said any number of things, including:

His energy/aura changes (although, logically, Vangie would notice that, too).

He wears the ring from the portrait (which we know is diegetic, because Elizabeth commented on it in Episode 13).

He opens his eyes really wide and makes silly faces.

He makes corny puns Never mind, we’re not doing that anymore.

He acts far too cheerful for a man who is supposedly mourning his dead wife.

He talks about kippers.

Etc.

I suppose we’ll never know which one(s) she mentioned, but I suspect #1, #2, and/or #5. Anyway, Jean Paul leaves to return upstairs and Vangie continues whatever she started doing with the capsule. He orders Jacques to “stop turning people against [him],” which he refuses to do, threatening to keep Erica dead if he doesn’t shut up about it.

“When we really get into the battle, someone has to die,” quips Jacques.

“Perhaps it will be you!” shouts Jean Paul in response.

“Or you, Jean Paul Desmond,” the handsome devil replies. “Or will you be preceded by one of our guests? Now let me see. A likely candidate could be...”

Jean Paul turns away from the roars of laughter, and the episode ends before Jacques can name the guest(s) he plans to murder.

Could it be Vangie? Or Holly? Dan? Alison? Even Elizabeth?

This episode was a fun one to watch, and probably the first review I’ve completed in only one day since sometime last winter. Jean Paul’s willingness to put everyone’s life on the proverbial line to save Erica shows a dark side to his nature that mostly vanishes at the end of this story arc--which is a shame, because I find morally ambiguous antihero Jean Paul the most interesting version of his character. I recommend this one, if you have access to it.

Coming up next: A Quito-centric episode where the detained guests learn shocking truths about Jean Paul’s manservant.

{ <- Previous: Episode 31   ||   Next: Episode 33 -> }

[beet-rootesoupevodkabanya]

Post-apocalypse military AU.

As always dedicated to my forever partner-in-crime against canons- dear Feli.😘

The quote is from Brodsky poem that was inspired by Pavese poem...❤️✨

- Werewolf! Cover me! - Capitan Plisetsky rushes forward breaking into the object. He is fast. Unspeakably fast. And hates to wait. That’s the reason he’s always in vanguard. He maneuvers through black smoke with a agility of a wild animal. And grins. Grins with happiness and rage at once. Hunting tiger is a scary thing… Prey rushes to meet him. A lot of prey. A lot of stupid prey. Otabek sighs in the corner of his mind. They could survive if ran away immediately. (Maybe… Of course if they wouldn’t meet Snow King a floor lower…) But gun in hands make people unreasonably confident. They act as if armor can fight itself. But to use it U need to detect the target, work the bolt, press trigger… Ordinary people do it so slowly that Yurio always laughs he can have a smoke while they finish preparing the shot and still have time to kill them before the bullet is let out. Werewolf stops for a second to put one more explosive. Snow King’s team has one unspoken rule - never leave survivors. Wherever they were, only desert was left after them. No building, no armor, no enemies. Clear emptiness of the North Pole after burning blizzard. - It’s not here! - Shere Khan growl with a clear disappointment, changing the cartridge. His partner supportively taps his shoulder: - Snow King said he’ll find it. Let’s go. We have to put more explosives around. Yurio nods grinning. He won’t say it aloud but with ruffled hair and traces of cinder on his face Beka resembles a shaman-warrior from ancient fairytales. Next time in Safe Zone he’ll definitely buy for him an amulet imitating a monster tooth on the chain. Must be suitable. Of course if they won’t die today or soon… A couple of silent without shots seconds is shattered apart with human’s scream. Half-howling full of helpless unendurable pain. It’s from the yard. They both rush to the window leaning to walls. No matter what - the worst thing is to get under random bullet. It’s newbie outside. Surrounded with “pets”. Fizzing Shere Khan throws the riffle to shoulder and presses the trigger… Snow King’s voice from headset stops him: - We’re fine here. Finish with explosives. I found it. Muttering curses Capitan Plisetsky follows the partner according to order. It’s not time and place to argue. But in the base he’ll definitely kick arrogant Nikiforov’s ass! Because… Just because… - They will be fine. - reassures Werewolf out of nothing. - Да похуй!/ I don’t give a fuck! - roars Yurio. And they both know perfectly it’s a lie.

A bit earlier…

While Beka and Yurio cleaned up the upper floor Snow King rushed with Yuuri around the building. Why this weird choice?… Telling the truth Private Katsuki could fix it even alone… And of course General obviously doesn’t need his help at all. But. Following Commander he doesn’t regret even a little bit. Because the living Polar Storm is in front of him. The northern death pretending to be a human. It’s enough just to inhale to be murdered in one short move. Does he even look into sight while shooting? Or is it a weird KNOWLEDGE where is the aim? Knowledge from icy wind and frosted grass. And from eternal cold of outer space watching everyone endlessly from the back of the Sun. If he is the death, Yuuri would happily agree to die painfully again and again. Just to feel his cold touch for a second. He’d swear he won’t ever complain… They almost finished the circle. Snow King gives his partner a sign to be quiet. Is something behind the corner? Moves of his General are almost unnoticeable. He is fast. Very fast. Maybe not as fast as Yurio. But much more reasonable. He always chooses the shortest and easiest way. Enemy has no chance from the very beginning. Like this couple of guys packing some stuff in the car in hurry… Why didn’t U shoot, Snow King? Blade of the battle knife touches that two lightly. Maybe with a slight burning sensation like an icy wind. They stay frosted for a second. The one, who’s face Yuuri can see, stares at him without even seeing. With a childishly offended, shocked expression. General Nikiforov grabs a small thing from hand of the second victim and makes a step to his Kaiyo. And only this moment the tempest of blood bursts out of that two. Burning arterial blood. No hope to stop bleeding. “Russian rouge” - Yuuri repeats in unwillingly inside his mind. Snow King is already close to him. Wipes the blood of that soldiers (Or better to say - prowlers…) away from porcelain skin and stares at the yard. Silver locks still keep some red spots on them. Cranberry under the snow… How. Beautiful. Private Katsuki reaches to wipe the crimson drop away from silver silk. -Eh? Oh, I see… Thanks.- General whispers sloppily not taking his eyes away from the waste-land in front of them. High grass on it often moves not according to the wind… For a second Yuuri feels a burning desire to rush forward and kill or burn everything and everyone that takes so much attention of his Commander. And of course immediately feels ashamed of such thoughts. Who is he to demand of these sky splinters to be locked on him?… Long(?) time ago, in Safe Zone Yuuri read a line from an old poem. It was written by the person from Snow King’s land at times when such things as countries still existed. And it suited his General so much Yuuri sometimes whispered it to his photos begging all the existing Kami to grant him a chance to die for this man…

It all is drivel, lies - Scull, scythe and bones. When Death will come, eyes It’d have exactly yours.

- Listen, Kaiyo. - cold fingers embrace Yuuri’s wrist, bringing him closer. Blue eyes of his Snow King still watch the yard intensively: - “Pets” are here. In the grass. A lot of them. I’m sure our item is in that thing pretending to be an old ventilation under the wall. Right in the middle of their nest. The key is here. Can you make me an opening? And… It’s better not to shoot. We still don’t know about traps here… General Nikiforov finally turns to Katsuki: - Can U? He slightly nods suppressing an embarrassing wish to stroke this beautiful face. To make sure Snow King is real: - Aye, sir. The task itself is clear: to get out of their hideout, rush to the nest and kill as many of them as possible while running. Shere Khan already reported they cleaned up the inner object. It means they won’t be attacked from above.

Kaiyo steps in the waste-land… And it all comes to life. How many human figures appear he can’t say for sure. They are up from the high grass. Of different ages. And genders. All more or less damaged, dirty and obviously degraded. At least they don’t react at machine gun at all. No reasonable person would ever attack someone armored like they are now with bare hands. But these “pets” rush forward without hesitating. With decently fast moves by the way… Much faster and purposeful than zombie in stupid movies. Somehow thought about zombies makes Kaiyo almost laugh. With a pair of battle knives he reaches the closest one. Steel easily goes through soft flash and digs into the next enemy. Again. And again. Others slow down their moves and stay on the distance. Not really thinking. More like simply waiting what will happen and when it’ll be possible to attack. Like stray dogs do when they hunt humans. With one long jump Private Katsuki covers the distance appearing right between them. Minus one. Minus two. Minus three. Minus… Silver shadow darts past, shamelessly stepping on one of “pets” while jumping. Snow King slides past corpses and wounded ones and finally reaches that very ventilation. Yes. The key is exactly from the grating. But there’s a hatch behind. Plain piece of metal welded instead of being locked. Such difficulties… What for? The item is seeing through holes. But is still out of reach. Of course they can just shoot down all the pets and spend some time to unlocking this shit. Everyone would do so. But… Something is wrong here… No slow down. Hurry! Snow King is breaking the weak barrier with knife. It must work! Enemies were going to take out the poisonous shit absolutely like him now. There’s no other way. What did they know?… Or is it better to ask - how much time do they have before the trap will work? Scream from behind. “Pets” finally paid attention on the activity in the center of their nest. How clever to put it here - the only service line intentionally left outside. Warmth and regular left-overs of meal attracted all the “pets” perfectly. Of course they will fight for the nest until the death. The first one who rushed to the Snow King’s side is met with Kaiyo’s knife. Blade reaches the backbone through dirty rugs, making the body fall down helplessly with limp legs. Scream of the victim is too loud. Others even rush back for a couple of seconds. But than flounce forward. Snow King doesn’t ever look around. He’s desperately breaking through barrier. In one almost unnoticeable jump Kaiyo stands between him and enemies. Man or women. Child or adult. Human or not. Who ever they are if they’d try to touch his General, it’s simply a suicide… Knives are short. Mittens and sleeves are soaked with blood till the elbows already. But at least armor can’t become slippery, thanks to it’s conformation… Now Yuuri bitterly regrets he didn’t take his katana here. Honestly he thought it won’t ever be useful. Middle-aged weapon in modern world… Where could it be needed?… Actually… Exactly here and now. But ok… He’ll do it like that. “Pets” are more cautious already. They step back a bit, trying to make a circle to attack from all sides. Naive creatures. As if Kaiyo would let them… - Shere Khan, Werewolf! Get out of here and detonate it from the outside. Move according the plan. - somethings in Commander’s voice in a headset makes Yuuri shiver. What’s wrong, Snow King?… - Kaiyo, retreat for now. Meet Shere Khan and follow him to the van. I’ll keep up with U later. General. Pushes. Me. Away… For a second Yuuri looses his breath. One more stab to the attacker is almost automatic. …Why?… …What for?… And on the top of that how the fuck is General Nikiforov going to finish his task and fight against “pets” at the same time??!! As if reading his thoughts Snow King lays his left hand on the gun. He definitely will have time to shoot some of them even blindly. But what’s then?.. - Kaiyo, go! It’s an order! Private Katsuki steps closer to his Commander and grips fingers on handles in more comfortable position: - I refuse to obey. U can kill me later on the base. - Дебил блядь… - exhales Snow King almost inaudible. …May be he’d try to talk some sense into subordinate’s stubborn brain. May be…

[Less then a millimeter left. Please, boy from the Safe Zone. Run.]

But the first explosion on the distant part of this waste-land interrupts the conflict. The chain reaction begins. Bursts of fire. One by one. Closer. And closer. “Pets” are in panic. Some of them rush to the nest where Snow King finally finished to open the hatch. Now not to fight. Just in desperate attempt to hide somewhere. Rush only to meet their death as Kaiyo’s knives. Time seems to be so slow and sticky… In fact it takes seconds but for Private Katsuki it feels like an hour. The land around coughs with flame. Closer and closer. Now it’s clear why Snow King prohibited to shoot here - not to detonate it accidentally. To avoid the explosion was impossible. Opening the first barrier would provoke it no matter what. But time between the furthest and closest explosions must be exactly enough to grab the thing and run out of here. “Pets” wouldn’t attack owners after all. But for intruders they would be a huge problem… Snow King… He finished the task. Now he jumps up from the ground with an item in his pocket. Explosion too close. Over-sharpen by tension Yuuri’s senses perceive it all like a slow-motion. Every detail is so clear. Flame cloud grows up slowly. Silver silk of General’s hair slide his beautiful face lazily like under water. Slowly he turns to Yuuri and fire reflects into icy splinters. How could he be this gorgeous even a step from death?… Moves are felt like in thick liquid. Not fast enough… Still not fast enough. Is it possible at all to outrun the time itself?… Private Katsuki throws himself on Commander in one short move. Although it feels like an endless falling. Covering him from explosion. Loud. Too loud. Something hot and heavy on the back. The world is blurry.

It’s finally quiet.

A high-pitch ringing in ears is slightly annoying.

[Eyes are tired. It won’t hurt - to close them for a second, right?…]

Kaiyo only blinks. (At least it feels so) And finds out the burning object is pretty far from them. But it doesn’t really bother through thick, sleeping mist. Face of his General appears in front of him. Silver locks stained with blood and cinder, pale face, tightly shut lips and wide icy-blue eyes with absolutely terrified expression.

[What’s wrong, Snow King?..]

Yuuri tries to touch this beautiful despite of everything face. Of course it’s impossible.

[How to reach the star?…]

Perfect lips move but don’t make a sound. Nothing makes a sound around. Only that very annoying ringing. General’s brows are narrowed. But despite of stiff expression, panic leaves his features.

[Seriously. What happened?]

Snow King throws mittens to the pocket and begins to tear Yuuri’s clothes off. His icy-cold fingers touch bare skin almost painfully, contrasting with hot, sticky something. Oh… It’s clear. It’s just a dream. Stupid products of exhausted after training mind and body. Yuuri happily closes eyes. Everything is ok…

[Hey, Snow King! Don’t turn me around! I NEED to see your face, whatever U’re going to do! Even in a dream…]

Of course dream doesn’t listen. In a second Private Katsuki happens to be laid on General’s arm as a support. Cold fingers aimlessly touch his face, leaving crimson trails. Oh… U damaged your hands this much while opening that hatch?… Half-conscious Yuuri leans to cold skin, leaving a sloppy kiss on it. Taste of iron shadows his lips.

[Why red? It must be white. White roses… Or even better - frosted flowers…]

Strong arms slide under his back and knees, holding him like a child. - Task completed. Territory is clean. Object eliminated. - familiar voice in the distance. Sounds returned?…

But the room is dark already. Parents are watching tv. The voice is from there. Why did they switch off the light?…

[Why doesn’t General Nikiforov return to my dream? Sleep. I just need to sleep to see him again…]

************************** Waking up is horrible as always. All the body aches. Head feels shitty heavy. And it’s painful to open eyes.

[Of course it is. How long did I stay up chatting with Phichit?.. Despite of all the trainings…]

And why didn’t alarm clock… Alarm clock??!!!

Yuuri shivers returning to reality. - Woke up finally, pig! - growls Capitan Plisetsky glancing at teammate. He sits rather close in their van. Beka is shoulder to shoulder to him. And they both look unwounded but…perplexed? And where’s General? Yuuri tries to get up and look around but soft embrace holds him in half-laying position. Without any word. And Kaiyo realizes he’s literally laying on his Commander. Back on his chest, head on the shoulder… And Snow King’s legs lean to Yuuri’s from both sides… WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?????!!!!

His attempt to jump to the furthest corner (and bury himself there being all red) is stopped by General’s arms holding him tight and his unusually cracked, hoarse voice: - There, there… Calm down, Yuuri, it’s safe now… [As if it matters…]

- U were just stunned with the explosion. And covered General. - finally Beka made at least something clear - Honestly, at first we thought we lost both of U… Then Commander appeared with U on his arms. Unconscious and coughing with blood… And then we found out U just hit your nose and it was bleeding badly. U played a good prank on us, U know… Lieutenant Altyin tries to laugh to ease the atmosphere but it looks more like a wry grin. Shere Khan sniffs angrily for a couple of minutes. And desperately kicks both Victor’s and Yuuri’s legs: - I thought U, fuckers, both dropped dead there!!!! Honestly kick isn’t painful… Otabek pulls partner into a hug, making him to hide face into his shoulder. Muffed sobs are still generously spiced with curses…

*******************

The world is more and more blurry… Why?.. Kaiyo tries to shake his head but General’s fingers goes softly through his hair, holding him tighter: - Try to have a rest, Yuuri. We injected U a painkiller. U’ll be completely fine soon. Painkiller… That’s why the world is a kind of fogged. And the body is dizzy…

[Is it still a dream?… It explains s lot…]

Private Katsuki leans more to his Commander, nuzzling his chest with a cheek: - General Snow King… V-victor… - he smiles with half-lidded eyes, obviously falling asleep again - Kiss me, Victor… Soft lips gently touch dark, silky hair.

[Too good even for a dream… But no. Not only here…]

Yuuri strokes bruised, partly bandaged hand, and falls asleep again.

- Disgusting…- fizzes Yurio and turns away from teammates unsuccessfully hiding a smile of relief.