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bouwrites · 11 months

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Those Warm and Halcyon Days: Chapter 46

Foreign Land and Sky

Ao3.

First, Previous, Next.

Story under read-more.

“Let’s go over the situation one more time,” Shamir says, standing imperiously over a map. “Kieran.”

Kieran sets his jaw and nods. He moves closer to point at various marked locations on the islands depicted on the map. “The Imperial army is placing strongholds on these locations,” he says. “They have control of almost all of Brigid. Though they do not openly threaten us, people who oppose their… their being here are often held captive. Many of our people are frightening to travel between the islands.”

“So, basically,” Leonie says, “we’ve got to take out these forts one by one. That’ll free up allies and the water, so that we can move more easily and eventually free the whole archipelago.”

“That’s the idea,” Shamir says. “It’d help if we do it quietly, too. If anyone escapes and informs the other strongholds, we’ll face more opposition.”

“So, you’re saying no survivors.” Dorothea sighs.

As unfortunate as it is… yes. That’s exactly what Shamir means. And Veery agrees. They might be able to take out a stronghold or two with bolstered defenses towards the end of the campaign here, but at the start? They just don’t have the resources to allow survivors. They don’t have enough allies nor enough room to maneuver. Shamir is right. It’s best to do this like a hunt.

“We will be meeting the princess here,” Kieran says, pointing to a small island closer to Dagda than Fódlan. “This island is called Scylla. This stronghold on Scylla is the first that we will destroy.”

“Right,” Lysithea says. “And Edelgard won’t use the king as leverage against us once we start this campaign?”

Kieran’s expression is pained. “More reason to be winning with quietness.”

“Even if we do stay stealthy,” Shamir says, more to their crew than Kieran himself, “the strongholds have correspondence with each other. They’ll eventually notice that something’s wrong if we don’t move quickly.”

“Even then,” Dorothea says, “with eight strongholds to get through, I doubt we’ll be able to completely free Brigid before the alarm is raised.”

Shamir nods. “The good thing is that we don’t have to. The king is on Míol Mór, the largest island, here. That means that so long as we take out the Imperials on Scylla quietly and get to Míol Mór before the Empire realizes they’re missing a stronghold we should be able to secure the king before they realize that they need to fight back. Once we have the king, the people of Brigid will be more willing to help, and stealth won’t be quite as necessary.”

“From there, we just wipe out the two strongholds on Immram, then the two on Cetus, then the last one on Dobarcu,” says Leonie. “What about the prisoners in those strongholds?”

“We must be rescuing all we can,” says Kieran. “But the people of Brigid have readiness. If the Empire is using them to stop us, we will not be letting them.”

“Yes,” Lysithea agrees. “Ultimately, if we face that situation, it will be Petra’s decision. Or the king’s. But we should be prepared to lose prisoners.”

“We can only do what we can,” Caub mutters frowning at the map. “It depends on how the Empire reacts to us.”

“We all understand what we’re getting into,” Shamir says. “We should also remember that we’re not in Fódlan anymore.”

“That’s right,” says Lysithea. “I’m the field commander for us, but we’re in Brigid and we all answer to Petra and her grandfather. I don’t foresee that being a problem, especially with this group, but it’s good to remind everyone all the same.”

She doesn’t bother eyeing Caub, Hoarvug, or Sadi, knowing full well that they’ll follow Veery’s decision, but Veery has every intention of following Petra’s lead on this, so it won’t be a problem. Veery doesn’t make those kinds of judgements. Brigid is Petra’s land and home. Veery hardly knows better how to lead Brigid than she does. He doesn’t even know how to lead three people – they just happen to like him, for some reason.

And anyway, he’s used to respecting the ways of a foreign land. He’ll gladly defer to the locals. It’s the Fódlanders who wouldn’t be used to this kind of thing. Still, with Dorothea, Leonie, and Lysithea, Veery doesn’t foresee that being a problem, either.

It’s not too much longer before they’re slipping onto bright sandy shores. Kieran is with them, but the crew take the ship and leave – it being too conspicuous for what is quite strictly a quiet mission.

Veery’s first thought on approach to Scylla is regarding the magic that permeates the place. It’s not unlike the Sealed Forest, but neither is it so oppressive. The same power lingers, which really sets Veery’s mind in gear as to why, but it isn’t as heavy. It doesn’t weigh on him the same way Sothis’ power in the Holy Tomb does, or blanket the place like it does in the Sealed Forest. Instead, it leads to a certain vibrancy that Veery doesn’t quite know how to process.

Albinea is cold and dull – not in a bad way, Veery loves Albinea, but it is undoubtedly a muted place. Brigid is so… saturated.

Especially with heat and humidity. Gross. That is the second thought that occupies Veery as he approaches Scylla. Brigid sucks. Already he feels sticky and damp and hot. It’s not like he doesn’t notice the weather change as they sail south, but if this is really how it’s going to be the whole time he’s in Brigid, then Veery isn’t sure how he’s going to survive.

This is supposed to be winter! Gods, it’s like southerners just don’t even have the concept of winter.

A glance to his companions show similar discomfort in Caub, Sadi, and Hoarvug, but the others seem to be handling it just fine. Not unexpected, but that doesn’t make this heat any easier to deal with.

It’s not like complaining will do anything, though. Instead, Veery eyes his commander. “Lysithea, do you feel that?”

Lysithea raises her brow. “Feel? Hm… Yes, now that you point it out. It’s like the Holy Tomb.”

“Is something wrong?” Kieran asks.

“No, not wrong,” Veery says, grinning to reassure Kieran. “Brigid just has a lot of lingering power is all. It’s in the air.”

Kieran nods. “The spirits, yes! You can feel them everywhere.”

Huh. Maybe so. Veery doesn’t know enough about spirits to say otherwise. He imagines that, if spirits like that truly exist, they would be drawn to places like this. But is the lingering power from the spirits, or are the spirits here because of the power?

Interesting question likely with no answer. Oh, well.

Kieran guides their cramped rowboat into an easily-missed cove in a little pocket of the island and then, once everyone is on dry land, spends the next few minutes with Shamir thoroughly hiding it, despite his own admittance that this cove is overlooked by the Empire and thus relatively safe.

No one points that out, of course. Caution keeps them alive on a regular day, and this is war.

Kieran leads the way, stealing into the dense woods that are unlike anything Veery has ever seen before. Everything is so twisted and tangled. The forests in Albinea and Fódlan are more… orderly than this. Here, it’s like everything grows so readily that it infringes on everything else’s space. Veery is accustomed to watching where he steps – the snow and rocky mountains of Albinea can be very treacherous if one doesn’t know what they’re doing – but even he has to take extra care as he dodges roots and shrubs that snag at his legs.

Veery is used to growth being vertical, but these plants and trees go every which way with seemingly no rhyme or reason. It… will be very easy to get lost here. He should keep his ears and nose open. On the bright side, that also means that it is easy to hide.

The worst part, though? Under cover of the thick greenery, it’s even hotter. This place is miserable.

They pad carefully through the jungle until Kieran brings them to a small campsite. It’s not far from the cove, but with the tangled flooring and the heat, it’s one of the worst marches of Veery’s life. What a pain.

“You made it!”

Oh, but that’s so worth it. Seeing Petra stand, beaming, and hurry to greet them makes Veery smile too. Her cheer is infectious five years ago and seeing her brighten up at the sight of them today is no different.

Petra and Dorothea practically leap into each other’s arms. Veery watches with amusement as he awaits his turn to greet his old friend and is a little surprised when he is also pulled into a hug. Surprised, but more than happy to comply.

The greetings do go quickly, though, as well as the introductions on both sides. This is the first time Petra meets Caub, Sadi, and Hoarvug, and in turn she introduces a stern-faced woman called Vanora, who Petra describes as essentially her Hubert.

Veery… hopes that Vanora has a bit more personality than Hubert, frankly, and by that he means independence, but he does get the idea. It wouldn’t be totally inaccurate to call Caub Veery’s Hubert, despite the glaring differences between the two. And Petra is a princess. Vanora is probably a lot closer to Hubert than Caub will ever be. Thank the gods for that.

Surprisingly, though, there is no more backup with them. Petra and her guard await them in this forest alone, and as Petra begins to lay out the plan, Veery begins to understand why.

“If anything goes wrong,” Petra says with the authoritarian air of finality that Veery associates with Edelgard, “I am the one to blame. We must eliminate the outpost here on Scylla, alone. And then we will free my grandfather from Imperial guard. Only once my grandfather’s safety is assured can we risk an outright revolt.”

“So, we won’t have any support if this initial attack goes belly up,” Leonie says. “You’re going to claim responsibility so that the people of Brigid aren’t complicit.”

Petra nods. “Yes. If it is only my friends and myself, Edelgard has no reason to destroy Brigid. My grandfather is still king, so as long as he does not cause more trouble, Brigid will be safe.”

“But your grandfather is going to support us once he’s out from under the Imperials,” says Lysithea. “Right?”

“Yes. We have spoken about this at great length. If we can free Scylla, and then the palace, we’ll have enough room to stage a true rebellion. However, if we fail, or draw too much attention before my grandfather is safe…” Petra shakes her head. “His orders are to free Brigid, even if he is the cost. I… will do as he asks, however… I am not sure it is possible to win if the Empire kills him. I do not know how many of us would fight after learning that our king is dead. We are already demoralized from the occupation.”

“I see,” Dorothea says sadly. “Well, it’s not like we were going to let your grandfather die, anyway. What do we have on this outpost? We’re going to want to take it down quietly, right? And we’ll need to get to Míor Mór and rescue your grandfather before the Empire notices that they don’t have Scylla anymore, so the timing will be crucial.”

“While Kieran was retrieving you, Vanora and I have been scouting the camps,” says Petra. “Vanora, will you show them what we have?”

Vanora nods stiffly and rolls out a large piece of parchment. It’s a map of Brigid, like the one in Kieran’s ship, with important locations marked, but this one also has a multitude of notes scattered about, including maps of both the palace and Imperial camp on Míor Mór and the Imperial camp on Scylla. Also attached are plans. Diagrams that map out entrance points, troop movements, the works.

“My… colleague, Acis, is currently held prisoner here, at the camp on Scylla,” Vanora says tightly. Veery notices Petra’s brow knot together and her lips pull down as she watches Vanora. “Though our priority is obviously the king, prisoners will be found at most camps throughout Brigid. They were imprisoned because they are against Imperial occupation, so if we rescue them, many will be willing to assist us in fighting back. The most notable of the captives are as follows: in the palace at Míor Mór, the king. In the camp on Scylla, Acis, the princess’ personal guard. In the eastern camp on Míor Mór, General Kaia; a veteran from the Brigid-Dagda war. In the northern camp on Immram, Ambrose; he’s no warrior, but he understands the spirits like no one else. Lastly, in the eastern camp on Cetus, Daithi; if you’re hoping for our help in your war, his ship and crew is worth a whole fleet.”

Important prisoners, huh? Well, if they’re causing enough trouble to get the Empire’s attention, Veery probably wants them on his side. But he has to admit that he’s worried about them. Depending on how the Empire reacts, none of the prisoners beyond the ones on Scylla or in the palace have much of a chance. If the Empire decides to slaughter them…

But they shouldn’t, right? At the very least, not until they’re a lot more pressured than losing only two bases. The prisoners on Cetus and Dobarcu, the easternmost islands, and thus the last ones they’ll manage to liberate… those are the ones in the most danger.

“We believe the best approach,” Vanora continues, “is to take each island as we move east, starting here on Scylla and ending on Dobarcu. We cannot risk being surrounded, so unfortunately we can’t go after these specific prisoners right away.”

“I see,” Lysithea hums, studying the map. “I have no objections. As much as we want to save everyone, overextending ourselves, especially early on, will only get us all killed. It makes more sense to completely regain control of an island before moving on to the next.”

Vanora nods, satisfied with Lysithea’s approval. “Empire camps are all designed the same way,” Vanora says, pointing to a note with a large diagram on it. “With the exception of the palace, the northern camp on Immram, and the camp on Dobarcu, which were all here before the Empire arrived, every outpost we find will look like this.”

Veery peers at the diagram, noting the structured design. It won’t be easy to sneak about on a grid like that, where the lines of sight are so open. “The center of operations is here,” Vanora says, pointing to a box in the middle of the square indicating the outline of the camp. “This is where we should expect to find the leader of the camp. The next in line in authority, as well as any other notable persons, sleep in these tents lining the main road.”

There are two main roads crossing each other, one vertical and one horizontal, but Vanora indicates the horizontal one which the main building seems to be centered on (rather than the vertical road, which the main building actually bisects). “Supplies are spread around the camp in stockpiles here, here, here, and here.” Vanora says, pointing to locations lining the outside of the camp. “And here,” she points to two spots on either side of the vertical road, just up from the main building, “are their training grounds and armory. The rest of the space is filled with barracks.”

“Luckily,” Petra interjects, “the Empire considers Brigid low-risk. These camps aren’t very large. Edelgard is only keeping enough soldiers here to ensure we stay in line. With her ‘messengers’ with my grandfather as a threat, the outposts are relatively undermanned.”

“I see,” Lysithea hums.

“What about the prisoners?” Shamir asks. “Where would they be held?”

“Typically, the Empire converts a small portion of the barrack space near the edge of the camp to hold prisoners, if necessary, so it varies,” Dorothea answers. “You all wouldn’t happen to have the precise locations for these camps, would you?”

Vanora sighs. “Only this one. And we know where prisoners would be held in the occupied strongholds, but the other Imperial camps we’ll have to scout when we get closer to them.”

Leonie hums. “Well, that shouldn’t be a problem so long as we know what we’re looking for.”

“We know very well,” Petra says. “Are there any other concerns?”

“What about the docks?” Caub asks. “These camps have to extend to the beach, right?”

“Each camp is walled,” answers Vanora. “The docks are outside the wall, so they’ll be more open to attack. I recommend we target the docks first, to prevent any stragglers from escaping to warn their allies on other islands.”

“Really?” Dorothea hums. “Normally, they’d wall off the docks, too.”

Petra shakes her head. “Normally is not this time. The people of Brigid would not let them build walls on the beach.” She giggles lightly. “I tricked Edelgard into thinking that it would offend us and whispered to our people to fight it. Edelgard does not know enough of Brigid’s culture to call me out on my deception. It was not worth the battle to her, at the time, because we were otherwise complacent. But the truth is that I was merely preparing for this moment.”

Huh. It doesn’t occur to Veery to lie about his culture to trick people. That’s clever, though.

“It’s not entirely a lie,” Petra clarifies. “Edelgard wouldn’t believe it if it was, even if she doesn’t know much about Brigid. There is an old belief that the ocean will claim anything built on its borders, so we do not build directly on beaches, but doing so would not offend us. Though… it is unsightly, and we do our best to preserve the natural beauty of Brigid.”

Huh. Veery didn’t know that about Brigid. And if Petra is the kind of person who will play such a long game using another’s ignorance as a tool, Veery is sure that everything she tells him about Brigid back at the academy is carefully curated. Or perhaps not? He isn’t the leader of a country that forces hers into vassalage, so perhaps she is just more open with him than with Edelgard.

“That’s going to help,” Lysithea says. “Getting within the walls of the camp without being seen will be difficult.”

“I can Rewarp,” offers Caub. “Veery doesn’t like to, but he does know how, too.” Traitor. Rewarp is not the same as Lysithea warping him, in all the most unpleasant ways. (And frankly, he’s not very fond of even Lysithea’s Warp spell.) It’s the reason why, though he naturally learns some Albinean magic from Caub, he exclusively uses Fódlander magic. He’ll use it if he has to, but… ugh. “And you know how to warp someone. That’s three on the inside, but it would probably be better just to take out the guards at one of the gates and all go in.”

Lysithea hums. “Hm. That’s right, we have a strangely large percentage of mages capable of some form of warp spell.”

“Rewarp?” Petra asks, tilting her head inquisitively. “What is the difference?”

Oh, right, Petra wouldn’t know. Brigid’s magic is probably different in a whole other way, just like how Albinea’s is. “I warp myself.” Caub shrugs. “Can’t warp others, though.”

“Oh! I wondered why no one in the academy could do that. I figured I just couldn’t understand, since I don’t have much talent for magic past a few curses.”

“We can and have gone over the theory for days,” Lysithea says with a small smile. “But for now, we shouldn’t get distracted. When are we going to launch the assault?”

Petra’s expression hardens again. Back to business. “The outposts are in constant communication. What is most important is that we take this one, and then rescue my grandfather on either the same day or the following morning. One or two messages missed won’t cause an alarm, but we shouldn’t assume we’ll have more than a day before word gets back that one of their outposts has fallen. With luck, it will be longer, but…”

“If we’re unlucky,” Dorothea says grimly, “we’ll have no time at all.”

“Yes,” says Petra. “Even if all else goes well, if an Imperial ship sails by at the wrong moment, we will lose. Luckily, we are on the far side of Brigid, so the Empire rarely patrols here without reason. They do not want to provoke Dagda with military ships.”

Leonie frowns. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance we’ll get Dagda’s help?”

“Not likely,” says Shamir. “Even if we could somehow convince them to involve themselves in Fódlan’s civil war, it would take far too long.”

“I didn’t think so. Worth a shot,” Leonie says. “So, we take this camp and rescue Acis and any other prisoners today, then, in the morning, we sail to Míor Mór to kick the Empire out of the palace and rescue your grandfather.”

Petra blinks up at Leonie, smiling. “Are you prepared to begin today? If you are tired from your long journey, we can wait until tomorrow.”

Lysithea quickly checks everyone over, receiving nods from all of them. “We’re ready.”

Petra beams, but there is a sinister glint in her eye that promises great pain for the Empire. Veery shares a look with his own friends. This… will be bloody. Especially at first, for this very first camp, they cannot allow survivors. They’re walking into this planning for a slaughter, and that… doesn’t sit well with Veery.

All the same, it’s what he must do. In this situation, if he allows survivors to escape, they will certainly not be able to rescue the king, and if they cannot rescue the king, they cannot free Brigid.

Freedom comes at such a terrible cost, and Veery is not an idealist. Still, so long as that price must be paid, Veery will be the one claiming that price, not paying it. The blood, the red, that must spill to free Brigid, will drain from the Empire.

“Vanora, Kieran, Caub, can I count on you to do this?” Petra asks seriously.

The Imperial camp is visible, barely, through the last of the thick undergrowth before a clear-cut area of the island on the beach. Wood, taken from the surrounding island, makes a wall, and from what Veery can see, the main building in the center of the camp, though in such a small camp the rest of the structures are all tents despite how long they’ve been occupying Brigid. On the beach itself is a small dock, and a small collection of ships. It’s not much – hardly anything, in fact, but it is just big enough that Petra and Lysithea decide to send Caub that way rather than into the camp itself with Veery.

They need someone who knows how ships work. Vanora and Kieran know Brigid ships like the back of their hands. (Most people from Brigid do, just like most Albineans do, at least to some extent.) And Caub is the only other sailor among them, aside from Petra herself, so those three on the docks can sabotage the ships without starting a bonfire, hopefully before any Imperial soldiers get the bright idea of escaping on them, while the rest of the team breaks into the camp, rescues Acis and any other prisoners, and slaughters the Empire soldiers to a man.

Simple.

It’s hard to feel like the good guy when “leave no survivors” is one of Veery’s objectives.

That doesn’t mean he’s going to stop. “Good” and “bad” is just people’s made up way to justify “bad” in the name of “good” anyway – Veery makes no judgements on morality and justice. They just don’t matter when the only thing he’s ever had to consider is how to survive. Although, that admittedly may not be entirely true, anymore.

Even so, Veery’s new paradigm has no more place for such meaningless, subjective concepts than his old one. (Especially in war, where even by their rules he doubts anyone can be truly innocent – not to mention that he crosses that line long ago regardless.) He’s making the choice to commit to this path, and this is not the obstacle that will stop him in his tracks.

Veery, shifted now, shares a look with Caub. There is a soldier at the gate into camp, and a soldier loitering at the base of the dock, and a small stretch of land between the wall and beach. They both look to Petra and Lysithea.

As much as Petra wants to strike this first blow herself, they are in a situation such that she must do what is most practical, sparing her personal feelings. Veery and Caub are the opening number in this wave that will free Brigid from the Empire’s yoke. Veery can see in Petra’s eyes, through the five years that shape her since their time together at Garreg Mach, that same drive and initiative she has always had.

Now that Veery thinks about it, she has always been tempered, too, always keeping herself in tight rein under threat of the Empire. She is used to prioritizing her country over herself.

That kind of thinking, by and large, still disgusts Veery. Of course, kings and queens can’t be so self-important that they are blind to their people. Parents cannot neglect their children that way, either. But in the end, even kings and queens and parents (with a sharp twinge in his heart, Veery thinks of Sadi) are also surviving in this world.

He knows most think him selfish and cold to believe such, but he cannot believe that anyone is worth prioritizing over one’s own life. To risk his life? Fine. He’s doing that right now. But when blades are drawn and a choice must be made, sacrificing oneself for anyone is a stupid and foolish endeavor. And that is just as true for one’s personhood, what makes them an individual, as it does their life.

Petra gives the signal. Veery spares only enough time to double-check where his target is and share one last look with Caub to confirm their timing, and then he jumps.

He jumps, gauging distance, warps himself through the open space between the brush and the soldier at the gate, and his teeth find the soldier’s neck as if he pounces from a couple meters away rather than twenty at the exact same time that Caub warps himself that same distance to the soldier on the dock and slits the man’s throat with a dagger. Neither soldier has even the luxury of seeing their death coming.

Albinean magic, the self-warp, Rewarp, crawls under Veery’s skin. He doesn’t like using Albinean magic because it’s different from Fódlander magic. Different is fine, usually, admittedly, but Albinean magic hurts in a visceral way where Fódlander magic drains like simple tiredness. Veery protests using Albinean magic because he’s taught that magic shouldn’t hurt like this unless something is terribly wrong, but also because he has a healthy survival instinct and knows not to push anything that hurts because hurt is the body’s way of saying to not do something.

Of course, Albineans do have a strange obsession with strength, pain, and fighting. Maybe they’re all just masochists like the Death Knight.

Either way, when Veery uses the Rewarp spell, it sinks under his skin and tears a little. He’d worry he’s botching the warp if Caub doesn’t insist that’s what it’s supposed to feel like, or if he doesn’t understand the theory behind how Albinean magic is different and demonstrates it with simpler spells like Freeze (even if he’s still no good at that one), to know that Caub isn’t actually wrong.

On the bright side, Albinean magic is supremely magically efficient. That’s the trade-off. Any user is going to faint from physical injury before magical exhaustion – even newbies who haven’t developed their magic reserves.

It helps Veery suck it up and just use the Rewarp spell to remember that, practically speaking, overusing either will kill him, and either in moderation isn’t. That doesn’t mean the pain is nice, or that he’s going to fight his body telling him not to do such stupid things to it, only that, practically speaking, it isn’t actually impacting his survival.

Well, so long as he doesn’t flinch from the pain, but that’s a non-issue. Nothing his own spells put him through in any ordinary circumstances is enough for that.

Regardless, the first strike on this Imperial camp is struck. Now is the time to follow through. Kieran and Vanora rush to join Caub at the dock, and the three of them together storm the boats – only just large enough that there may be soldiers hidden within them.

Everyone else joins Veery at the gate, though he himself does not wait for them. He slinks into the camp, sticking to the edges, to carry out the next part of his mission.

Though Veery, as a cat, is not small, that is only to say that he’s no housecat. He’s easily big enough to pick up Lysithea and carry her around like a war mount. That said, compared to the other options, he’s good at sneaking and good at finding and that’s what they really need for the one who is going to rescue Acis and the other prisoners.

Vanora seems to really want to do it herself, but her nautical experience is needed with the ships. Petra likewise wants to do it but she’s the figurehead (and spearhead) of this operation, and needs to be visible leading the assault, because they cannot assume that they will manage to get through this camp completely silently, and if something does go wrong, and if someone does escape, Petra needs to be in a position to take the blame.

Contingencies on contingencies. Petra has to guide the main strike force. Veery understands that much. Anything more than that goes over Veery’s head, but he doesn’t need to know the fine details. He has his mission, and Acis at least should speak Church Common, so the only problem is finding and freeing him.

Which is quite easy. The camp is small, almost comically tiny, and Vanora has a cloth that belongs to Acis, and Acis doesn’t get captured until recently, so Veery already has the guy’s scent, not to mention he has the map memorized and knows exactly where he should be, anyway.

So, really, it’s just a matter of how competently Veery can sneak about the Imperial camp. He’s fairly certain that the leader, in that structure in the center of the camp, will be dead before any alarm is raised. Petra is easily as skilled of a hunter as he is, after all.

Sadi joins Veery, because no one, not even Veery, wants him moving around without backup, and because she is more than capable of moving silently and will not compromise the rescue of the prisoners, but the rest are fanning out to eliminate every soldier they can find.

His ears swivel on his head as he listens for sounds of Empire soldiers. One or more should definitely be guarding the prisoners. As he pauses outside of a tent, he listens, confirms the steady breathing of sleep, and flicks his tail towards it – Sadi hears the same thing he does, and slips inside to kill the soldier there. She catches up by the time he’s outside the next tent.

It’s very systematic, very cruel, and leaves a bad taste in Veery’s mouth. For some reason, death being so organized and structured feels worse than mere chaos.

(Then, Veery has always been fonder of Chaos, insofar as he is fond of any of the gods, so it is perhaps not so surprising.)

Regardless, he is soon outside the tent which houses the prisoners. From the outside, it’s not much different than any other. From the back, it’s near identical. But it is larger, and Veery hears more people inside, and he scents the very same scent that is on Vanora’s cloth, so he knows that Acis is within.

He circles around one side while Sadi goes around the other, listening intently for where the soldier, or soldiers, are in relation to the prisoners. He hears the tell-tale scrape of metal and pinpoints it on his side, then, when he meets Sadi once more in front of the tent, he brushes against her, opening his heart for her to hear, so that she will know his intent.

He does not expect her heart to be so troubled. In all the time he knows her well enough to do this with her, she has a heavy heart. Veery supposes that losing her child will do that. There is no cure to make her feel better, when something so horrific happens. Even so, the frustration and doubt is very much unexpected. He knows it is not in her resolve to fight, and he gets the feeling that it is not even this systematic slaughter that is bothering her (for all that she does legitimately want to create Arcadia, she likely will never entirely lose that part of her that simply wants humans to suffer for the world they’ve created, for taking her child from her, so of course she is not bothered by this), but he can’t begin to guess what exactly it is.

But there is no time to think about that. They understand each other for this move in the moment, and that is what matters.

They slip inside the tent. Knowing where to look for the guard, Veery jumps without a moment’s hesitation and slays him on the spot. The guard does not have time to scream.

No alarm. Good.

Strangely, the Brigid prisoners by and large don’t seem scared of him. If anything, they brighten up at the display of violence and the blood dripping from his maw. Then again, now that he looks at them, these prisoners seem to be entirely battle-ready men and women rather than regular citizens.

There are only five in total, and a few of them murmur in their language when he and Sadi turn their attention to them, but they all hold their heads high and meet Veery’s gaze.

“You are touched by a spirit…” Acis, eyes firmly on Veery, murmurs the only thing anyone here says in Church Common, and thus the only thing Veery can understand. (He’s not clueless with Brigid’s language – Petra does teach him some back at the academy, but he is nowhere near conversational with it.)

Well… sort of. If Sothis counts as a spirit, Veery knows there’s still some residual power of hers in him somewhere, just like this whole island seems to be saturated with power. Either way, it’s irrelevant to the situation at hand.

And he can’t talk to Acis without transforming back, which he’s not eager to do right now, so instead he just stalks forward and paws at Acis’ bound hands until he gets the hint and holds them out for Veery.

Now… this is a little finicky. Veery very carefully hooks a claw through what slack there is on the bindings and slices clean through them. He’s not really designed for this kind of delicate work in this form, given how massive his paws are, but it works out. Acis quickly grabs the dead soldier’s sword and frees the rest of the prisoners.

Technically speaking, all that’s left for Veery and Sadi to do is guide Acis out of the camp. The rest is the others’ job. So that is, naturally, what Veery tries to do, but they’re nearly at the gate, then they hear the sound of fighting, then Acis rushes off, saying something in his language that definitely includes Vanora’s name, and Veery huffs, gestures for Sadi to get the unarmed prisoners out of there, and follows Acis to make sure he doesn’t get himself killed.

Vanora isn’t even in this direction! She’s on the docks with Caub, in the direction Acis is supposed to be going!

Veery suppresses his sigh. This is just what they get for sending the beasts to rescue him. Fair enough – he can’t know that Vanora is the other way, because in the moment the prisoners all seem to understand when Veery tells them to stick close, despite no verbal instruction, so he doesn’t bother shifting to actually talk to them.

That doesn’t make Acis any less of a pain, though.

The good news, though? Petra and Lysithea together, not to mention adding Shamir to the mix, make for an absolutely, terrifyingly efficient combo. By the time they rush to the other side of the camp where the noise is coming from (and, again, it’s a small camp) Petra is pulling her sword out of the last of the soldiers.

Ugh, well, at least it’s over and Veery doesn’t actually have to save Acis from getting killed right after he’s freed. He takes the time to listen, and to scent the air, but all his senses say that there are no more survivors.

He sighs. Good. Now he can shift back and not have this thick coat of fur. Brigid sucks – the heat is going to kill him long before this war does.

#write #fanfiction #FE Fanfiction #Fire Emblem Three Houses #fe3h

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longgolden · 2 years

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Everweb password protect

#Everweb password protect how to

#Everweb password protect password

To be prepared, Google recommended using a defense-in-depth strategy by deploying defenses and controls at multiple layers of your environment and your infrastructure providers' network "to protect your web applications and services from targeted web attacks". The attack was stopped at the edge of Google's network, with the malicious requests blocked upstream from the customer's application.Īttack sizes will continue to grow and tactics will continue to evolve.

#Everweb password protect password

Think about the requirements for providing anything other than password security. Known for its massive attacks that have broken DDoS records, the Meris method abuses unsecured proxies to obfuscate the true origin of the attacks, said Google. However, web-based applications are also notoriously difficult to secure. The geographic distribution and types of unsecured services leveraged to generate the attack matches the Meris family of attacks. Master Pages Password protection features 404 page not found and 301.

#Everweb password protect how to

Presumably the attacker likely determined they were not having the desired impact while incurring significant expenses to execute the attack," said the company. Theres more information on blogging in EverWeb in the How to Blog in EverWeb. "Over the next few minutes, the attack started to decrease in size, ultimately ending 69 minutes later. Since Cloud Armor was already blocking the attack traffic, the target workload continued to operate normally. In the two minutes that followed, the attack began to ramp up, growing from 100,000 RPS to a peak of 46 million RPS. "Our customer's network security team deployed the Google Cloud Armor-recommended rule into their security policy, and it immediately started blocking the attack traffic," said Emil Kiner, senior product manager, Cloud Armor. "To give a sense of the scale of the attack, that is like receiving all the daily requests to Wikipedia (one of the top 10 trafficked websites in the world) in just 10 seconds," Satya Konduru, Technical Lead, Google Cloud, said in a statement late on Friday.ĭDoS cyber-attacks are increasing in frequency and growing in size exponentially. This is the largest 'Layer 7 DDoS' reported to date - at least 76 per cent larger than the previously reported record, according to the company. For those not familiar, a daemon is simply a program that more or less runs in the background on a system doing whatever it is programmed to do in this case, listening for and responding to requests for web pages that exist on the machine it is running on thus this daemon would be called a “server”.New Delhi: Google has blocked the largest-ever web distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyber attack on a customer that peaked at 46 million requests per second (RPS). The first web server was also written by Tim Berners-Lee called CERN HTTPd, the latter part standing for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol daemon”. Since this would be your first-ever web form, the best thing to do would be to pick a pre-designed, ready-to-use template from PandaDocs vast document library. It was a bare-bones inline browser (command line / text only), which didn’t have most of the features of his original browser, but at least could be used on pretty much any computer out there at the time and allowed people to access the information on the web. In order to provide a browser anyone could use, the next browser he developed was much simpler and, thus, versions of it could be quickly developed to be able to run on just about any computer, pretty much regardless of processing power or operating system. However, this browser only ran on NeXT Step’s OS, which most people didn’t have because of the high cost of these systems. and had the ability to let users edit the web pages being viewed in order to promote collaboration of information. This browser had a nice graphical user interface allowed for multiple fonts and font sizes allowed for downloading and displaying images, sounds, animations, movies, etc. The first ever web browser, called WorldWideWeb, was also created by Tim Berners-Lee. The URL for the first ever web page put up on the first ever website was The first ever website was published on Augand served up a page explaining the World Wide Web project and giving information on how users could setup a web server and how to create their own websites and web pages, as well as how they could search the web for information. Simply put, it was a website made by the World Wide Web’s creator Tim Berners-Lee, who was working for CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). Today I found out what the first website ever made was.

#Everweb password protect

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tauruslove95 · 2 years

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The 8-Minute Rule for Lawyer

If you have actually been looking for an attorney to assist you solve your particular legal problem, you have actually possibly understood there are several types of attorneys. The lawful area is large and complex, and you'll find that numerous attorneys specialize in a particular location of law. If you find yourself looking for a legal representative, make certain they have the know-how to handle your distinct scenario.

Here's a summary of one of the most typical kinds of lawyers. Individual Injury Legal Representative If you have actually experienced injuries in an accidentfor instance, an automobile accidentthe kind of legal representative you'll wish to see is a individual injury attorney. These kinds of attorneys focus on acquiring compensation in the type of damages for injuries created by various other celebrations.

Immigration Attorney When you're dealing with immigration concerns, you'll want to seek advice from a migration lawyer. This kind of lawyer ought to be well versed in dealing with immigration issues such as visas, citizenship, evacuee or asylum and also permits. Lawbreaker Attorney If you or an enjoyed one has actually been charged with a criminal activity, a criminal legal representative is the sort of lawyer you should transform to.

Civil Litigation Lawyer Suing someone, or reacting to somebody's lawsuit against you? A corporate lawsuits attorney ought to have the know-how to aid you with industrial lawsuits problems.

Different basic method lawyers will certainly have different locations of regulation with which they are most comfortable, so if you speak with a basic practice attorney, it's always sensible to discuss his/her experience in taking care of the kind of legal issue you're dealing with. There are various kinds of legal representatives readily available in the lawful market today.

Supreme Courta rare chance for lawyers in various other areas. Depending upon the college, law students might be able to get a constitutional regulation certification or pursue innovative studies by taking a called for number of associated programs. While not required for a job, future employers might see it as a solid commitment to the technique area.

Crook Defense Attorney A criminal defense attorney might function as a public protector or as a private attorney. In either position, their job is to leverage the legislation to the benefit of the implicated. They must shield the finest passions of their customer, within the bounds of the regulation. Crook defense attorneys may appear in court extra often than other sorts of lawyersespecially if a case mosts likely to trial.

5. Work as well as Labor Legal representative They manage concerns around office discrimination, harassment, wage and hrs policies, benefits, as well as pension safety and security. While the obligations of work lawyers as well as labor legal representatives often tend to overlap, labor attorneys focus on union-management relationships and collective bargaining, while work lawyers address issues in non-union work environments.

Some regulation institutions use certificate programs that permit trainees to specialize in migration legislation. Even institutions that do not supply a formal certification might advise suggested programs for interested pupils to take. Immigration lawyers might operate in a selection of settings, from firms that focus on migration legislation to federal government agencies or non-profit organizations.

Some tax obligation lawyers pursue a Master's in Taxes to further specialize their expertise and also stay current in their practice. Regularly Asked Inquiries regarding Different Sorts Of Lawyers With numerous sorts of legal representatives, you may locate on your own with a few questions about which course is best for you. Below are some common inquiries connected to the different specializeds.

Outside of court, trial lawyers may review data, meeting witnesses, or take depositions. Discover more might also act as trial legal representatives.

There are two major kinds of criminal attorneys: prosecuting attorneys (likewise referred to as district lawyers), and defense attorney. Prosecuting attorneys represent the federal government versus which an alleged criminal offense was committed, whether on the local, state, or government level. Protection lawyers represent the defendant charged of a criminal offense. Business attorneys handle legal matters for companies and also make certain that all service purchases remain in conformity with the law.

They provide advise to their customers, conduct lawful research, as well as create or modify contracts. No, court procedures are pricey and also lengthy, so legal matters are in some cases settled outside of court. There are lots of types of attorneys that rarely (if ever before) go right into court, as the range of their job does not need it.

#lawyer

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ray-ray-writings · 3 years

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YouTube Masterlist

Check out who I’ll write for here

Check out my other masterlists here

Want more or something shorter? Check out my drabble masterlist here

DreamSMP

Dream

Dance with Me- Y/N and Clay have a sweet moment early in the morning.

Sweet as Cyanide-The whole server thinks that Y/N is being forced to stand by Dream’s side, but they couldn’t be more wrong. They all believe they’re just a sweet innocent creature, but many times people forget that sweet things can be poisonous.

Visiting Hemlock- (Part Two of Sweet of Cyanide) Y/N is finally able to visit Dream in prison.

Tightrope- Y/N and Dream have been together for what feels like forever. But when Dream says that he cares about nothing anymore, Y/N takes a moment to evaluate the tightrope walk they call their relationship.

Teacher Teacher- Just a bunch of self indulgent teacher!dream au stuff :)

Sapnap

Goodnight Kisses- The night after a date with Sapnap ends well

Stormy Nights- Sapnap takes care of their s/o that is scared of storms.

Punz

Pretty Boy- Punz takes Y/N on a date to a new biome he found while working. Y/N’s supposed to be looking around at the pretty scenery but they can’t seem to take their eyes off their lover.

BadBoyHalo

Oh Baby-After missing their period, Y/N begins to suspect there may be something else going on in their uterus.

Oh Boy- How Darryl and Y/N tell their families, friends, and fans that they’re expecting.

Wilbur Soot

Just For You- After a long day, Wilbur show’s you something special he made just for you (dreamsmp au)

Deep Trouble- Y/N’s never been good with deep water seeing as they can’t swim. But when her friends want to go to the beach, they can’t deny them their request. Trouble ensues as Y/N doesn’t tell their boyfriend of their inability to swim.

Chat’s a Snitch- Wilbur is streaming his reactions to different covers of his song when his chat informs him his s/o is currently singing his most recent release. He of course joins their stream to bully them.

Stormy Nights-Wilbur takes care of their s/o that is scared of storms.

Fundy

Stormy Nights- Fundy takes care of their s/o that is scared of storms.

Song for you- Fundy makes something special for their best friend using his knowledge of redstone and Y/N.

Character!Schlatt

All JSchlatt imagines are about the character in the Dreamsmp or they are platonic! I will not write romance for the actual CC Schlatt!

Not Your Fault- Y/N has to clear their mind after the results of the election come in. (dreamsmp)

Quackity

Missing you- Y/N gets tired of missing their best friend (dreamsmp)

Character!Technoblade

All Techno imagines are about the character Technoblade in the Dreamsmp or they are platoniclly written with the SBI Au. I will not write romance for the actual CC Techno!!

Gift of Friendship- After Techno gives Y/N some PVP lessons, Y/N is at a loss of how to repay him. Y/N comes up with an idea but is unsure of whether or not the resident Blood God with like it. (dreamsmp au)

Stolen Goods- Techno hides something of Y/N’s. Which is fine because he’s their brother. But what happens when someone else tries something similar? (dreamsmp au)

A Hairy Situation - When Wilbur and Tommy leave on an adventure, Techno and Y/N are left alone together. Y/N “helps” Techno in his potato farm and offers to braid his hair. Tensions rise as more and more time passes. (dreamsmp au)

A Dedicated Pig-(Part One of the Dedicated series) Y/N finally meets the one that everyone has been walking on eggshells over. (dreamsmp au)

Better Than a Dedicated Chicken (Part Two in the Dedicated series)-Y/N gets to see Techno again thanks to the upcoming festival in Manberg. (dreamsmp au)

Dedicated to You- (Part Three in the Dedicated Series)Techno can’t help but get a little jealous as he and Y/N visit L’Manberg and run into old friends. It’s up to Y/N to remind him who they are dedicated to.

A Dedicated and Domesticated Pig- (Part Four in the Dedication Series) Everything comes full circle when Y/N and their family travel to L’Manberg for the annual festival.

Butchered Plans-Y/N finds out about the Butcher Army and attempts to put a stop to their plan (dreamsmp au)

Best Seat in the House- Y/N comes home from a long day of chopping wood and just wants to sit down and warm up. (dreamsmp)

No Worries- Y/N’s been missing for almost a week and the one person that should be worried about them most isn’t worried at all, which upsets some people. (dreamsmp)

Protect You- Y/N tries to warn their boyfriend about the Butcher Army. The prideful man that he ignores their attempts of getting him to flee. By the time he realizes they were right, it’s too late. (dreamsmp)

Wither or Not- Techno attempts to explain to his partner just why he betrayed L’Manberg. (dreamsmp)

Fool Me Twice- Y/N is left with only one option after Techno destroys their home and their trust. (dreamsmp)

Catch Me If I Fall- What was supposed to be a simple mining trip goes horribly wrong when Y/N doesn’t pay attention to their surroundings. (dreamsmp)

Seeing Red- When Y/N gets kidnapped by the Butcher Army to lure their boyfriend to L’Manberg, Technoblade sees red and is willing to do anything to get them back… Anything. (Dreamsmp)

Calm During the Storm- Unexpected weather strikes leaving Ranboo stranded out in the open. Techno sees him and goes to him and attempts to calm him down. (Dreamsmp. Not an x reader)

Totem Troubles-Gathering materials was supposed to be easy. It wasn’t supposed to end in an almost cannon death. (Dreamsmp)

The Next Step- Techno has a serious conversation with his father about his lover, Y/N and their future plans. (Dreamsmp)

Warming Up- Philza and Techno find something in the snow that definitely shouldn’t be there and take it back to Techno’s house to warm up (Dreamsmp)

Okay, Bet- Y/N and Dream make a bet for half a stack of golden apples. (Dreamsmp)

The Blade-Y/N is forced to face their biggest fear when it quite literally comes knocking at their front door. (Dreamsmp)

Prison Break- Techno frees you from your wrongful prison sentence.

A Part of the Collection- Y/N goes missing for a while... everyone is shocked at where they find them

Prison Break- Techno frees you from your wrongful prison sentence.

Periods suck. Here’s some content about how Techno would act on your period.

Tommyinnit

Besties- What it would be like to be best friends with Tommy and Tubbo

Bring Him Home- Tommy’s big sister visits him in exile.

Tubbo

3am conversations- Tubbo appears on Y/n’s doorstep at 3am. (dreamsmp au)

Lean on Me- Y/N forces their way into Tubbo’s home after Tommy’s exile. (dreamsmp au)

Besties- What it would be like to be best friends with Tommy and Tubbo

Awesamdude

Faking Happy- The bottle Y/N has been filling with their emotions finally tips over and overflows. (dreamsmp au)

Family Matters- After spending a lot of time with Tommy, Y/N and Sam decide its time to expand their own family

Family Fatality- Y/N believed it was a bad idea from the beginning. Call it parental instincts. But unfortunately no one believed them… until it was too late.

Honey Barbecue- Tommy plays wingman for the two people on the server that genuinely care for him

SBI AU

Actually Pretty Funny-Y/N opens up to her big brother as to why she has been avoiding her other brother and his friend.

Crash- Y/N finally crashes after ignoring their needs for too long. (SBI AU)

Defending Family- When Y/N hears the school bully talking shit about their family… Well it’s no surprise when that bully gets hit. (SBI AU)

Crossed Lines-Dream kidnaps Y/N to get some leverage on their brothers. Lucky for him, it’s not too hard as they don’t really know how to defend themselves. Unlucky for him, their brothers are extremely overprotective and will stop at nothing to make sure that their sibling is safe.

Auntie Flow- When Y/N isn’t up by their usual time, Dadza goes in to check on them. He soon realizes the problem and enlists in their brother’s help to make Auntie Flow’s visit go a little smoother.

Stream Stresses-When Y/N makes fun of their brother, chat jumps to his defense by saying some not so nice things about Y/N. The mean things cause Y/N to shut down their stream with tears in their eyes, worrying their father, Philza.

Birthday Bullies- Y/N is being bullied at school. They’re able to keep the secret from her father and brothers for a while. But every cat gets out of the bag eventually.

Ghost of You- Three cannon lives. Some argue it’s too many, some argue it’s not enough. But once Y/N loses all theirs, everyone can agree that there’s never enough

Forget Me Not- The garden. That’s where it all began with Y/N and the Minecraft family… It’s unfortunate that’s where it all ended as well.

Period Piece- Y/N starts their period at the worst time possible, the one time that Philza isn’t home… but their three brother’s are.

Momma Mia- Y/N has been Philza’s best friend for the longest time. Being Philza’s friend also comes with being there for Philza’s sons and sometimes them being there for her.

Whole SMP

Full of Surprises- Y/N is the server’s sweetheart. They’re innocent and couldn’t hurt a fly… at least that’s what everyone thinks. It isn’t until someone catches them working out does the SMP finally see just how badass this person can be.

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queen-haq · 3 years

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Fic: A Woman Scorned - Part 9

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Rating: R for language.

Words: ~2000 words.

Summary: You’ve been sleeping with Billy Russo for a few months now. Knowing his aversion to emotional commitments, you’re satisfied with your clandestine arrangement until you catch him having dinner with Dinah Madani one night. Then it finally dawns on you. It’s not that he doesn’t want to commit, he just doesn’t want to commit to *you*.

Billy may think he knows you, but he has no idea what he’s just lost...

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Part 9

The smile on your face was stiff and insincere as Marcus Boyd walked you back to your car. As much as you loathed the asshole, you needed him and that meant paying him a personal visit in his home in Connecticut. He was a very successful defense lawyer, on his way to becoming a managing partner in a prestigious New York law firm in a few years. Because of his career, he had access to many seedy characters which is what you were here to leverage. You needed an unregistered gun, and he had connections who could provide you one. If that meant putting up with him for an hour, you were willing to do it.

“Y/N,” he said with a slick smile, standing next to you as you unlocked your car door. “It was wonderful to see you again.”

“No, it wasn’t,” you replied. “It never is. But we do what we have to, right?”

His eyes narrowed, shifting to something menacing. “I forgot how tactless you can be.”

You gave him a mocking smile. “Here’s hoping you won’t have to see me again soon.”

“Next time you need something, don’t come to me,” he warned.

“Same goes for you.” You leveled him with a cold look. “When can I expect a call?”

“A few days.”

“Fine.” You got into your car and shut the door, feeling relieved at no longer being around the slimy bastard.

Marcus was someone you met at college in your first year. He was a rich entitled sophomore, about to flunk out. You were good at hacking into things, and had managed to get your hands on a few exams Marcus desperately needed to pass. That was the beginning of your partnership with him. You helped him graduate and he paid you a lot of money in return. Thanks to him and his friends, you were able to get your degree with minimal student loans. Although the two of you despised each other, the threat of mutual destruction meant you trusted him to keep your search for a registered gun to himself and he trusted you not to spill his secrets.

You started driving back into the city, your mind focused on the road ahead when your phone pinged. You glanced down. An unknown number was calling you. If it was like the other anonymous calls you received, they would call you a fucking bitch as soon as you picked up and hang up on you. You had no doubt that it was Adam calling, considering the calls started after he was released, which only proved how unhinged he was. A smarter man would have been on his best behaviour when out on bail but he was so filled with rage he didn’t even bother to temper his actions. You had already reached out to the prosecutor and informed them of the calls, but you doubted it would lead to anything. Most likely Adam was using disposable phones, which meant there was no direct proof he was the one making the calls. You were scared, of course you were, which was why you’d reached out to Marcus even though you didn’t like the prick. It’s not like you could rely on Trevor, the bodyguard Roger had assigned to keep you safe. He was lazy and not very bright, and even if he was good at what he did Valiant wouldn’t be paying for your protection indefinitely. All of that meant you had to take this matter into your own hands. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it was the only way for you to feel safe again.

Your thoughts turned to Billy, something you actively tried to avoid, but there wasn’t anything else to distract your mind away from him. It had been a week since you blocked him, and as much as you hated to admit it, you missed him. He’d been a part of your life for almost a year and you really enjoyed his company before things got messy between you two. If you hadn’t developed feelings for him and then caught him on a date with Dinah Madani, you guys would probably still be sleeping together – but you did, and seeing him with someone like her made it crystal clear his lack of feelings for you. The truth hurt like hell, but you’d get over it. You were a realist after all. You knew he was out of your league and there was nothing you could do to make Billy want you.

The speaker on your car piped up with a message notification. It was a text from Davina, reminding you of the girls night out planned for tomorrow night. It was a mutual friend’s birthday and the plan was for all of you to go to a new club that recently opened. You were looking forward to it, mostly as it would keep your mind off Adam but also because you were hoping to go out and meet someone new. No doubt Billy had already found someone else to fill your spot on his weekly rotation but you weren’t built like him and needed time to process your lingering feelings. You still weren’t over him, but you were ready to move on.

Now you just needed to get back home and come up with a reason as to how you lost your bodyguard in case Roger asked. Somehow, though, you doubted Trevor would willingly tell Roger about you disappearing for a few hours so you weren’t too worried. No one knew about your connection with Marcus and you intended to keep it that way.

***

The next evening you, Davina, and a few others were at Pravda, a new club downtown, to celebrate your friend Kiran’s birthday. You were wearing a low-cut black jumpsuit paired with silver stilettos, while your lips were painted maroon. Choosing to keep focus on the lips, you had ensured the rest of your make-up was light and dewy which went well with your straightened hair. It had taken a lot of double-sided tape to make sure your breasts were in check in your outfit but it was worth the effort. You felt like a proper goddess tonight, surrounded by your beautiful friends at a private table in the VIP lounge.

An hour later you were buzzed, giggling and laughing as you and a few others headed back to the private booth from the dance floor. After dancing up a storm, you guys were all parched and desperate for a drink. Davina was holding your hand as she led you through the crowds but you knew something was wrong when she stopped unexpectedly. You thought you heard her swear but you couldn’t be sure due to the loud music.

“What’s-” The words died in your mouth when you realized what Davina was staring at. Billy fucking Russo, sitting at your table, chatting it up with Kiran who was sitting next to him. The moment you saw them, you felt red-hot anger flood over you. While Kiran was a good friend, she wasn’t someone you confided in. She had no idea you’d been sleeping with Billy so you didn’t blame her for flirting with him. But Billy, god you hated him! There was no way his showing up at the same club as you was a co-incidence, which meant he was purposely here to flirt with your friends. To hurt you.

“Want to leave?” Davina asked, looking at you with concern.

“No, it’s fine,” you replied in a clipped tone.

“Are you sure?”

“He’s here because he wants to piss me off.”

“I thought you said he was cool about the break-up.”

You shrugged your shoulders. “Thought he was.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

You didn’t answer, instead taking the lead to walk past her. You returned to your seat across from where he and Kiran were sitting. Davina came to sit beside you. Butterflies fluttered in your stomach as his molten eyes trailed down to your breasts, lingering on you. Dressed in a simple grey t-shirt, designer no doubt, and a pair of black trousers and open leather jacket, he looked absolutely beautiful with his perfectly styled hair and trimmed beard.

“Hey guys, this is Billy,” Kiran greeted, eyeing him appreciatively. “He ordered us more champagne. Isn’t that so nice of him?”

On the table in front of you was an expensive bottle, chilling in ice. You quirked your eyebrow. Apparently Billy was in the mood to splurge on your friends. “That’s nice of him,” you remarked noncommittally.

“Billy, this is Davina and Y/N,” Kiran said.

His eyes were locked with yours, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Oh, I know Y/N very well.”

Kiran turned to look at you. “You do?”

You shrugged your shoulders. “Through work.”

Billy leaned forward, his smoldering gaze holding you hostage. “Y/N and I are very good friends.”

“Acquaintances,” you corrected.

As if sensing the tension in the air, Kiran pulled away from Billy. Meanwhile, he picked up the bottle of champagne and started pouring the liquid in the empty glasses in front of him. “You’re giving Kiran the wrong idea about us, Y/N. She might think you don’t like me very much.”

“She’d be right,” you snarked, ignoring the glass of champagne he held out for you.

“I’ll take that,” Davina replied, snatching the glass from his hands.

Your friends were suddenly talking all at once but all you could focus on was Billy’s heated gaze on you. With every second that passed his eyes on you seemed to grow more wanton and lustful, and desire coursed through your blood at how he looked at you. You wanted him so badly you cold feel yourself getting wet, and you realized you needed to get out of there right away.

“I’m going to get a drink,” you whispered in Davina’s ear, making sure Billy didn’t hear you.

“Want me to come with you?”

“No. I’ll be fine.” You stood up quickly and made your way out of there, keenly aware of Billy’s eyes boring into your back.

Few minutes later you were sitting at one of the corner bar downstairs. This floor had a different ambience than the club upstairs, which you appreciated. The music wasn’t as loud and you found yourself enjoying the lounge vibe. It wasn’t long before someone crept up next to you at the bar and you turned to find a familiar face smiling back at you.

His name was Avi and you’d run into him a few times at the conferences you’d gone to. Broad-shouldered and husky, you’d always found him attractive in an adorable way.

“You just look…” he gave you a shy smile. “Wow.”

Seeing his reaction to you, you smiled. “Thank you.”

“I’ve always wanted to approach you but I didn’t want to come across as a creep, you know?” he explained. “You can also be very intimidating.”

That made you laugh. “I doubt that.”

As Avi and you continued to talk, you couldn’t help but enjoy how he was gawking at you. You didn’t fit society’s mould for what was considered beautiful, so all of your past flings were a result of the guys getting to know you and finding you hot because of your personality. It was rare when a guy you were attracted to was also into you right away but that seemed to be the case with Avi. You didn’t have to charm or work for him to find you hot. Instead, he was genuinely enamored with how you looked which was refreshing.

His phone rang with a text notification. Scanning through the message, he flashed you an apologetic glance. “Shit. I have to go.”

Disappointed, you pouted your lips. “That’s too bad.”

“Would you want to go out sometime?” he asked shyly.

“I’d like that.” You reached for your phone and scrolled through to the contacts app to add his name before handing the phone to him. “Add your number.”

After you said your goodbyes, you ordered your third gin and tonic and were enjoying your drink at the bar when someone grazed up against you. Seated on a high bar stool, you were expecting Davina to have come looking for you. Instead, you found Billy sidling up to you. He looked pissed off and angrier than you’d ever seen him.

“Give me your phone,” he barked.

“Go to hell.”

Unexpectedly he gripped your stool and pulled you closer, throwing you off so you were forced to hold on to him for regain your balance. He perched his foot up on the bottom ledge of the stool, closing you in fully. “Unblock me now.”

‘Go fuck yourself.”

His dark eyes seemed to suddenly grow even darker, more monster than human. “Who was that guy you were talking to?”

“My future boyfriend.”

Billy’s lips curved into a sneer. “Not if he knows what’s good for him.”

“Why don’t you go back to flirting with my friend and leave me the fuck alone?”

“She was flirting. I wasn’t.”

“I don’t care. Go sleep with whoever you want, and I’ll do the same.”

Billy simply stared at you for a beat, his jaw clenched. “You’re not fucking anyone else.”

Sitting up straight, you leveled him with a hostile look. “I just met someone who was nice, sweet, and really fucking cute. And he wasn’t an asshole like you. Trust me, I will fuck him. I might even suck him off here tonight if he plays his cards right. And there isn’t a single thing you can do to stop that.”

He dipped his head towards you, leaning in closer so you were the only one who could hear him. His voice may have been flat, but his words were laced with cold fury when he spoke next. “If he touches you, he’s dead. I’ll start with his hands. I’ll break his fingers one by one for daring to touch you. Next I’ll cut off his dick, his balls, other parts of him slowly, carefully, so he feels every inch of the excruciating pain I’ll put him through. I’ll fill him with adrenaline so he doesn’t pass out from the pain. I’ll gouge out his eyes last because he needs to see that I’m the one who turned him into a mutilated lump of flesh. And then maybe, if I’m feeling nice, I might slit his throat to end his suffering.” His eyes never leaving yours, he reached for your drink at the bar and chugged it.

“You’re a fucking psychopath,” you said, your throat suddenly parched. Your heart was beating rapidly, your stomach coiled into knots. Fear should have flooded over you - it didn’t. Instead, you were aroused.

“No one takes what’s mine.”

“I’m not your fucking possession. You don’t own me.” You closed your eyes, taking deep breaths as your emotions – and the walls – started to all swirl together. Like always, just when you thought he might have cared enough to admit he was jealous, he showed his true colours. Billy’s anger had nothing to do with his feelings for you. Rather, it was about his ego. Shit. You felt dizzy, the drinks had started to hit you. “Why don’t you go bother Dinah and her new man? Didn’t you say she was seeing someone else? Go pull your psychopath routine on them.”

He tucked his finger under your chin, lifting your face up to meet his gaze again. The emotions in his eyes played havoc with your senses as he pressed in closer, so close you could feel his warm breath on your skin.

“I don’t care who Dinah dates or fucks.”

The air was thick with tension. It felt as if there was no one else in the bar but you and Billy, his one hand under your chin, the other pressed against the small of your back. You felt heady and light-headed with anticipation and desire, but you were also angry. Angry that you still wanted him, that he wouldn’t give you space to get over him. “Why can’t you leave me alone?”

His fingers gripped the side of your face, and you exhaled a sharp breath when he grazed your forehead with his. Temples touching, his eyes held you transfixed in place. “Because you’re mine.” The possessiveness in his voice was unsettling, but it was the way he was staring at you – as if he could see right through to your core – that made your stomach flip-flop. “Mine.” His thumb swiped along your bottom lip, as if marking you as his. “And I’m yours.”

Billy was a player, an asshole, and there was comfort in that because it meant you knew where you stood with him, but now he was defying expectations, crossing the boundaries you’d carefully set for yourself, and you weren’t ready for that. None of that mattered, however, because you were suddenly feeling really, really sick. “I have to go,” you mumbled. The room was spinning as you tried to jump off the chair but your knees almost gave way. Billy was there to catch you in his arms, holding you up.

“Woah, you okay?”

You pushed him off and ran.

Part 10

A/N - As always, thank you for the support, the feedback, the likes/reblogs, and the asks. I’m stoked to keep writing this because of you guys. Please let me know your thoughts on the chapter!

If you’d like to be added/removed from the tag list, drop me a note.

Tag List.

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gif-credit: @the-darkling

#billy russo x reader #billy russo #the punisher

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raguna-blade · 3 years

Text

Persona 5, Makoto, And Cops

So, like...We can all agree that it's weird that Makoto want's to be a cop in the game right? Aside from general cop bastardry irl, there's like precisely one police officer in the entirety of P5 who's at all a clear cut good guy and even he basically just says out and out, super explicitly that the cops are like...Not great.

At BEST, at BEST, they ensure the laws are followed, but that doesn't always equate to justice being served, and it is hilariously easy for them to be made into tools of opression, and to be made into stooges of people who want to do wrong.

Like Zenkichi out and out says “You really shouldn't be a cop.”

But Makoto still want's to be, despite knowing this, despite agreeing with this, and it's a weird gap right? Of perhaps everyone in the group, she should know best how following the rules and laws can lead to people doing pretty screwed up things if her little stint stalking and then blackmailing joker and company.

And she's just a student council president you know? It's not like she has anywhere near the same authority as a police officer, and unlike Chie who (for sake of argument here) has pretty objectively Upstanding Excellent Cops in her neighborhood except for you know the one who decidedly wasn't but P4 isn't really dealing with Laws and their problems, so them not leaning into law enforcement is a problem makes sense. Dojima is a just dude trying to do his best and even here the only other cop of note is uh...A straight up monster who abused his position of authority to get away with terrible things.

But back to P5, like...The game isn't subtle about it's feelings about law enforcement. Every Single Shadow is represented in the field by varying kinds of law enforcement operative types. Guards, knights, actual cops, prison wardens, etc etc. The Ultimate Big Bad basically posits that humans can't follow the rules and for that need to be severely punished and so laws and rules more or less end up being the big bad foe here.

The motivation to be a cop is well...Painted as whole heartedly misguided at best. We never get to know anything about Makoto's dad, and he's her inspiration for that goal, but at the same time, we get to see the other daughter who I think it's safe to say ALSO had him as something of a goal and...Sae also doesn't exactly come off as a perfect avatar of justice here either.

She very clearly WANTS to be, no doubt, and the massive shock of the games events does change her trajectory, but she's been deep down in the swamp of the system and she knows intimately that well...It's a shit show at best.

So i'm circling back to it as...Why? What's the deal here with what the game is going for theme wise? The idea of internal reform I suppose is being suggested, but the game's also make it remarkably clear that that actually won't work.

I'd say even textually, not even dipping into subtext, the game is out and out saying that you cannot reform a system from the inside like that when it's that far gone. Between P5 and P5S it's made abundantly clear that even what is functionally in a metaphysical sense a hard system check of things going out of whack law wise like the phantom thieves (what with their flipping of the table) they can't actually solve the problems of the system itself being super fucked. At best they can stop it from going full on malignant, but the cancer is still there. If the people don't actually band together to overturn things that are broken, especially when it is well within their hands to do, it's not going to improve, it's not going to get better. It's a delaying action at best.

Like the Phantom Thieves can't save everyone. Akira Konoe bluntly makes it clear when he asks them and the PT can only really go...No we can't. If we knew sure, but we don't possess the ability to do that. It's outside our ability entirely to do so for everyone.

So...Back to Makoto then. It's abundantly clear, I think, that she's very much of the mold of she want's to be a cop to protect people. That's what the job description is, even if that's not what it is in reality. And I think we can at least say that she's not so naive by this point to think that if she goes in she's going to be able to reform things, not by herself. It's worth noting that her intended goal is to become a Police Commisioner, and basically form her own police branch under her rules and regulations which...Fair. Fine. There's something to be said for being an apt demonstration but it doesn't actually fix the problem at it's core does it?

Which I think pushes this into the funky grey area of things because I don't think she's precisely...Wrong to want to do this. As stated, I think the games make it abundantly clear that one person on their own can't make radical and deep changes. You need people and momentum and everyone willing to work and all that.

Certainly, I think, it would be tremendously easier to reform an organization if someone in that organization is willing to make calls against what they're doing presently. But by the same token, it's also clear if you're entering an organization to try and change that organization it's uh...Not precisely a good bet. Now there's something to be said for being willing to try it I think. While the game doesn't exactly indicate how it'll go, we can imagine that following the events of the game that Makoto wouldn't be crushed under the weight of it all and change for the worse....Though the question of if she'd be able to make her goals a reality are a different question. She has allies in that fight for sure, between Zenkichi, Sae, and (from all indications) Kaburagi, there is at least some element of reform at play, but it's also well...

The big ass conspiracy didn't exactly come out of nowhere no? And the cops at every level more or less were compromised to some level or another, and this includes these prospective allies.

But then, I guess this goes back to the Phantom Thieves themselves. They're not able to actually fundamentally fix the problems at play. They stop the worst excesses certainly, the most terminal aspects of it, although in doing so they are very nearly destroyed outright and with barely a thought. In that spirit, Of doing what you can with what you can it changes the read on the decision at least somewhat.

The Daughter of a well decorated cop, sister of a particularly well known ex prosecuter now defense lawyer, in addition to being a top honor student type, certainly gives her a bit more leverage to attack the problem, especially in the sense of getting into a position to actually change things. To say nothing of Joanna.

Taking her awakening quote into consideration

"Have you decided to tread the path of strife...? Very well. Let us proceed with our contract at once. I am thou, thou art I... You have finally found your own justice... Please... Never lose sight of it again. This memorable day marks your graduation from your false self..."

and the general story the game presents of Joanna as one who rose to the top of the organization she was in and shook it to it's core (doesn't particularly matter how true that is in reality, merely what the game says for this instance) it's clear that indeed that's her gambit, if not the specific trickster archetype she's supposed to embody (as opposed to Joker's completely outside the law rogue, Anne's Femme Fatale, or Morganna's Layabout by Day Vigilante by Night as off the cuff examples), of someone who appeared to all eyes to be a harmless simple part of the system until it was simply too late for them to do anything about it.

There is a solid arc there, and a story to be told, and I think in that light makes the continued ambition make sense especially given what we're shown of well...Uh, everything to do with law enforcement in P5.

Now if they actually communicated that idea WELL is um...probably a different story. I think it's there to see, but I can easily see this being overlooked if this was the actual intent. Though, thinking about it, the way the various trickster archetypes are shown to function isn't quite as clear as it could be, though I think there's something to say for looking into that.

Later though.

#Persona 5 #makoto nijima #theme analysis

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downwiththemutantnjnjaturtles · 3 years

Text

We Met Within This Screen (chapt. 2)

[Donnie x fem reader]

Sfw, part 1 here

Intellectually, Donnie was the best matchup for their leader as today was sparring day. He'd gone against his oldest brother many times, sometimes even coming out the victor himself, but today was just not his day.

He held his staff with that iron grip of his and waited for Leo to come at him. Donnie was more on the defensive than any of his brothers; he had to be. Out of all he was weakest physically but superior in calculations, but he was missing range in this matchup. Leo had a hard time disarming him as his katana could sometimes get lodged in the solid wood staff, giving Donnie leverage to perform the finisher in the short time it took him to dislodge his sword. He thought this time would be how that would happen.

"You're slow today, Donnie," Leo said as he lunged at his brother with a swing of his katana, forcing Donnie to step back. He was too focused on blocking Leo's rapid succession of attacks to respond.

Leo reeled back to swing his blade again but Donnie parried and struck his arm with his staff, shoving it aside. For a split second, Leo actually thought he was fixing to go down by this move if Donnie could hit him again quick enough. But his brother hesitated in thought, and without any reluctance himself, he used his other katana to put him in a compromising position. The match was over and Donnie was forced to stand down.

"Why did you hesitate?" Leo questioned him, lowering his blade. Raph watched from the sidelines with Mikey as they prepared to go up next. Since Leo was the winner, it was Raph's turn next to spar in his younger brother's place.

Donnie huffed and dropped his stance, putting his staff away. "It's just an off day," he replied. Splinter wasn't there to dictate today's training session and tournament, so Donnie was already on his way out to go to his lab by the time Raph stepped up to spar. But Leo sheathed his sword and put a hand on Donnie's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"You've been pretty eager to run back to your lab lately," Leo said matter-of-factly. He was wondering what was going on, why Donnie seemed weirdly distant the last couple of weeks. He had gone through a very withdrawn phase in earlier times upon entering his teenage years, but now, he was legitimately making everyone guess. He didn't snap at his brothers, and he wasn't any more impatient than usual. But something was different. He'd been spending a lot more time holed up in his lab, which everyone began to notice. Leo wanted to know what was wrong.

Donnie shifted and shrugged, "Like I said, I've been busy with some projects. Also, it's not like I have much to do out here beside training and patrol."

Leo opened his mouth to speak, but Mikey jumped on between them. "You missed game night last week! You never miss it," he butted in. Both Donnie and Leo gave him a look as if to say really? and he added in, "Well, uh...not usually."

Gently moving Mikey aside, Leo wanted to continue, but he saw Donnie staring at him expecting a follow-up when he didn't really have one. Whatever this was, Leo knew that coming at Donnie with questions was not the way to go about it. So he stepped back and gave his brother some space.

"We all have off days," Leo said finally after an awkward moment of silence. "Just work on your speed, Don."

"Got it."

With that, Donnie turned to leave, and Raph entered the ring to go against Leo in the last match of the night.

Once Donnie was gone, Leo got ready to spar with Raph. As they got into position, he contemplated bringing this recent development up with the other two, but decided against it in the end. He didn't want to incriminate Donnie, especially with Raph's assertive approach to handling things. Donnie could be somewhat flighty at times when it came to resolving matters of emotion, at times a little too introspective, but Leo couldn't fault him—he had his own struggles with that very thing, too.

Done, finally, Donnie thought as he skirted into his lab and started up the game. He was late to the party quite literally; training lasted longer than he'd thought, and he was disappointed to see that his newest friend was online, but not responding to his invite. Did everyone get together and play without him? After a few minutes, he almost decided on giving up. The instance made him contemplate whether he even wanted to continue this. Perhaps he'd been too eager.

He sighed. And then the menu pinged, and he was there reading the message in an instant.

Hey, sorry I partied up without you, I just didn't know if you were gonna be on or not :/

Without even thinking, he licked his lips typed back, repeatedly deleting and retyping his message to make sure it was casual but not too casual, apologetic but not desperate—

It's okay, don't worry about it

Likewise sorry it took me so long to get here.

That would do. He'd be lying to say he wasn't feeling that flutter in his stomach; the excitement of something new got to him in a way that only a discovery in his research did, or how he felt when he mastered a new technique in his training.

Let's get started then :)

They started the game, and this time he kept the mic on, as she did. They talked back and forth as they fought creatures and enemies and looted things, eventually coming to learn that she herself was in New York City. He was surprised; suddenly, the world felt a lot smaller, and he couldn't concentrate on just playing after that. The time they spent became more of an opportunity to converse than to play a mundane game for hours on end.

At some point, she switched the topic to his whereabouts. Donnie's breath hitched.

"I'm...not anywhere near. So it doesn't really matter," he told her, cringing. If the guys found out—if Splinter found out—he would be in such trouble.

"Oh," she paused for a moment, trying to find something to say. "That's alright, I don't want you to feel like you have to tell me, you know?"

He'd muted his mic to release a deep breath. He got lost in thought thinking about how in that moment, he wanted to be human. If he weren't a giant mutant turtle, he could actually form a connection with someone. It was a very "Mikey" thing to think, he reckoned, but at times he wanted friends just like his brother did.

"Yeah, sorry, I just…"

"It's really no problem, dude."

He felt as though he could hear the smile in her voice. What did she look like, he wondered. He wanted to see her, but he couldn't ask for that when he could never do the same. If he could get her name, he'd be in the clear to do some preliminary lookups on this person, but so far, she'd been dodgy about sharing info about herself as well. He couldn't blame her. They were two strangers online, one with a huge secret and the other completely in the dark about who he truly was. For all she knew, he could have been a creep, looking to stalk her online and perhaps do even worse. The thought made him feel almost nauseous, how she could be considering that about him as a possibility as they spoke. But she seemed comfortable enough. Unlike him, who was still slightly skeptical of the entire thing, because after spending his whole life in practical isolation, he was at a loss as to what to say or do after a certain point. The conversation died off and both of them thought simultaneously about how weird the sudden silence between them felt.

She hummed, as if searching for something to bring up. When she spoke, he was taken aback—"Hey, I'm gonna be honest, I really like talking to you but this game is getting boring. Do you wanna chat somewhere else?"

"Uh…" he trailed off, mind shooting blanks. Oh, was it just a horrible idea. He couldn't keep the jig up forever; the truth was bound to get revealed somewhere down the line. He was fixing to reject the proposition, tell her that he didn't want to take it that far. She could be anyone. The likelihood of it being a clever ruse on account of the Foot Clan was slim, but the paranoia still worked ambiently in the background noise of his mind. But his other doubt stopped him—when would he ever have a chance at this again? He wanted to have the strength to say no and leave it at that. The loneliness that crept up on him from time to time had something else to say.

"Yeah," he answered after a terribly long pause of mumbling, fighting with himself all the way as she told him where to add her. He could have kicked himself had it not been for the fact that he knew how to encrypt data, and that as long as he didn't leak a word about his inner circle or life, it would be okay. It didn't feel okay, though.

"Nice! I'll text you, see you later, Bo. I had a lot of fun tonight," she chirped.

Before he could respond, she was gone from the party, and the mic went silent. It happened so fast. He was barely caught up with the fact that he was now receiving messages and prompts to talk, but he couldn't bring himself to answer right away. He had to refocus his logic; how could this be used by the enemy as a way to get to them? Could they have somehow anticipated he'd download this game and find this random on there? The more the thought about it, the more glaringly obvious it was that it was not the case. It was just too improbable.

"The probability of the Foot being able to simulate such a specific scenario in order to get intel on us is so slim, it is practically non-existent," he told himself as he finally pulled up the messages. He read through them. "Approximately a zero-point-zero-zero-zero..."

My name is (Y/N), by the way :)

Well, that was easier than expected. He figured that somehow, the name suited you—a fitting name for such a personality. But it also gave him a glimmer of hope. It made him want to ask why you appeared to trust him, as he could be anyone on the Earth over the screen, not his benevolent self. Which she had no way of proving, technically. But he soon came to realize the screen painted him in a whole new light that it casted on him. It hit then that he could be anyone. He didn't have to be himself; not necessarily. She'd never have to know, as he could wear a human mask and she'd be none the wiser. Problem was, the lying made him feel guilty, and slowly would develop to be the thorn in his side.

Donnie thoughtfully stared at the screen. Now that he was here, some of his anxiety began to fade. He found himself actually able to talk, someone to listen to his tangents and even build upon them. They spent hours texting back and forth about anything and everything until it was almost time for him to put the phone down to leave for patrol. He felt giddy, like a kid, all over again.

________________________________________

Had you ever been able to talk to someone this easily?

You asked yourself that question as you exchanged with the faceless and nameless stranger over your screen, chatting from afternoon to night. Time flew by in an instant, with him, and you loved every minute. He was someone intellectual, but funny and so easy to talk to that it was as though the conversation carried itself. After some time he came out about his age after you revealed yours. Oftentimes, he'd just present to you a random question when the subject tapered off and run with it, like now:

What do you think of reptiles?

Puzzled, you took a second to reply. Odd question.

Why do you ask? Do you have one?

I was just curious

What do you think of them?

The chat indicator flip-flopped between "typing" and "idle" a few times before a message finally popped up, and you smiled. You'd learned over this short time that he was a dork in a cute way.

Well...I think they're pretty cool.

They've got natural armor and you would be surprised to know just how fast a turtle can be

You laughed a little to yourself. It was such a random thing to bring up, yet you were endeared. Deciding you'd go along with it, you asked him what else he knew about turtles.

Well...

__________________________________________________

Donnie was wondering what he was talking about just as much as she probably was. Stupid, he thought, facepalming. His first time really speaking with a human as an equal and he starts talking about turtles. Of course he knew a lot about them, he was one himself—but for some reason he found himself wanting to dispel myths and misunderstandings about turtles as if they reflected on him, when as far as she knew, he was just a human guy like herself.

He groaned lightly and typed, thinking up a fact that wasn't too conspicuous.

Red eared sliders are semi-aquatic.

As he typed the next part, he caught himself writing "we" instead of "they", to his dismay. He quickly fixed the error and continued, feeling weirdly exposed as it was almost as though in sharing this information, he was putting himself under a microscope for her to inspect.

They can hold their breath for up to thirty minutes, usually

Holding his breath was something he'd tested numerous times before. He and his brothers had actually made a game out of it on a few occasions, with Leo leading at thirty-three minutes, Donnie in second at thirty-one. Raph broke at twenty-nine minutes and Mikey followed behind in last at just twenty-seven. The ability could be trained, nonetheless.

That's interesting, I wonder what it's like to be able to go underwater so long?

It's kind of cool, you should try sometime

For THIRTY MINUTES?

Shit. He promptly replied:

No—not like I can hold my breath that long, I just mean you should try to see sometime I guess

I tested it just for the fun of it.

Looking up how long humans could hold their breath on average (between thirty seconds and two minutes), he bumped the number up a little bit and added:

Personally, I'm at two minutes and forty-five seconds

He was embarrassed, partially covering his face as he waited for a response. Such a foolish slip-up; he couldn't afford to say anything cryptic. But he still was fairly sure that he had recovered that alright. He couldn't help but think about how awkward or weird he seemed to her. Who talked about this?

I don't think I could hold my breath for more than a minute, kudos to you haha

Anyway, sorry to switch gears all of a sudden but if you don't mind me asking, what's up with your family? You have any siblings?

He told her no. He would not bring his brothers into this, lest it be the slim chance of a ploy, after all. He said his family situation was unconventional and left it at that.

With that, he said to her goodnight and put his phone away, getting up to go get geared for patrol. It was only then he noticed the figure leaning against the doorway.

Chapter 3

#tmnt #donatello #tmnt donnie x reader #donatello x reader #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2014 #tmnt 2016 #tmnt bayverse #tmnt fanfiction #sfw #fanfiction #romance #writing

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girlactionfigure · 3 years

Text

Biden Brings Back Baker-Hamilton-Rhodes

News item:

The Biden administration is pulling eight Patriot missile defence batteries from countries in the Middle East, including Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

US officials told the Journal that in addition to the Patriot batteries, the Pentagon is removing another anti-missile system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system, from Saudi Arabia, and jet fighter squadrons that were assigned to the region are being reduced.

The reported withdrawal is a major realignment of Washington’s military footprint in the Middle East and comes as the country aims to focus its efforts and attention towards Russia and China.

In addition to the removal of the equipment is the redeployment of hundreds of American troops operating and supporting the missile defence systems.

At the same time, the administration is continuing with its push to finalize a return to the Iranian nuclear deal. The US has indicated a willingness to remove sanctions placed on Iran in return for a return to the pre-Trump status quo, after which it wants “follow-on” talks about issues not covered in the original deal, like ballistic missile development and support for terrorism.

As always, I am astonished by the American propensity to give up its leverage up front. The previous agreement was worse than worthless. In addition to having holes big enough to drive a massive missile transporter through, it completely legitimizes Iran as a nuclear weapons state by 2030 even if they don’t cheat (which they do). Once sanctions are gone, Iran will have no incentive to make actual concessions.

It’s been suggested that the removal of the missile defense systems from countries under threat from Iran is an effort to sweeten the deal for the Iranians. Certainly the suggestion that it will help “focus … towards Russia and China” is not persuasive, since Russia is allied with Iran in the region, and since China also favors a lifting of sanctions and a return to the deal as soon as possible. Apparently, the threatened “change of focus” doesn’t scare them.

I’m not sure what the US would do with those antimissile systems and troops that would deter China anyway. China is happily conquering the world incrementally by cyber, economic, diplomatic, and possibly biological means. I don’t think Biden is planning to go to war over Taiwan or Hong Kong.

The only way to understand this is that the US has decided that its relationship with Iran is more important than protecting the Arab states from Iranian aggression. A relaxation of sanctions will immediately pump up the Iranian proxy that has been battering Saudi Arabia. Needless to say, this will also be bad for Israel, which is contending with Iran-funded proxies as well.

It is very hard to see how switching its traditional support for the Arab states to Iran is in the long-term American interest, because the Iranian regime has made no secret of its desire to humiliate and even destroy the US. I suspect that American planners believe that the apparent religious motivation of the regime is a sham intended to cover the “true” geopolitical reasons for the conflict and to obtain popular support. The Americans seem to believe that Iranian enmity will dissolve if the US allows them to achieve their regional aims. I am not so sure. It would not be the first time that Westerners have failed to understand the power of Islamic ideology as motivation for action.

The Israeli Chief of Staff, Aviv Kochavi, is on his way to the US to discuss various matters, including Iran. Former PM Netanyahu and PM Bennett agree on their opposition to the deal, but Bennett appears to be willing to talk about the possibility of improving it, while Bibi was not. In any case, I strongly doubt that there is anything that Kochavi can say that will influence the American strategy of appeasing Iran, to which Biden is no less committed than Obama was. Kochavi might be able to extract a promise to provide Israel with additional weapons.

The American strategy was first enunciated in 2006 in the Iraq Study Report. Its main authors were James L. Baker III and Lee Hamilton, and future Obama advisor Ben Rhodes was a contributor. At that time, Iran and Syria were supporting Iraqi insurgents that were taking a heavy toll in American casualties in Iraq. The report advocated making Syria (then still a country) and Iran happy by taking the Golan Heights from Israel, and forcing the establishment of a “unified” Palestinian state in Judea/Samaria and Gaza, among other things. Precisely how weakening the main countervailing power and US ally in the region would reduce aggression from Iran and Syria was not clear (and still isn’t).

Luckily the Bush Administration did not follow the recommendations in the report – at least, not effectively – but it apparently formed the basis for the Obama Administration’s policy toward Iran and Israel. By that time, it was clear that getting Israel to give the Golan Heights to mass murderer Bashar al-Assad wouldn’t fly, but it was still possible to both appease Iran and put the screws on Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians. Although Obama did force Israel to freeze settlement construction and release hundreds of Arab terrorists, he did not succeed in creating a Palestinian state.

Donald Trump took the opposite approach, strengthening Israel and weakening Iran with economic pressure and covert action. Although his opponents like to say that his strategy “failed,” I believe it simply had to be given more time to work. When Biden took over, the Iranian regime was hanging over a cliff by its fingertips. But rather than pushing it off, he threw it a lifeline, and the coterie of anti-Israel officials he had appointed went to work trying to reactivate the Baker-Hamilton-Rhodes policy of appeasement.

America no longer depends on oil from the Gulf, something that I had long wished for. But rather than enabling a pro-Israel policy as I’d hoped, it seems to have allowed the US to abandon Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, leaving them to the tender mercies of Iran. This in turn has made it possible for Israel to establish normal relations with some of her former Arab enemies. Had the Trump policy been continued, I think we would have seen the development of a strong Israeli-Arab bloc with the power to deter Iranian aggression. Continued “extreme pressure” on Iran might have dried up Iranian support for terrorist proxy militias like Hezbollah and the Houthis. It might even have made it possible for the Iranian opposition to overthrow the very unpopular regime of the ayatollahs. Keeping Trump’s policy toward the Palestinians might have led to the elimination of UNRWA and the rise of a realistic Palestinian Arab leadership that did not believe in the chimerical fantasy of “return.”

But none of that happened. Trump was defeated and today’s Democratic Party, having internalized the views of its left wing – which today border on antisemitism (and sometimes cross over) – threw out the only productive approach to the Middle East that has been tried since Truman’s presidency, and went back to one based on fantasy at best – and Jew-hatred at worst.

Abu Yehuda

#American Politics #Iran #Middle East Politics #U.S Israel Relations

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vibing-and-writing · 3 years

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legends never die

@tsunotaromalleus asked: Hello! May I request a fic for Harbinger!Diluc if thats okay? Thank you very much!

A/N: hi hi!!! so this fic went through a lot of evolution and this is what it ended up being so I hope you enjoy it!! this was super fun to write since i’ve never written something angsty before!! hope everyone is having a happy holidays <3

Summary: After learning about Diluc being a Harbinger, you’re filled with rage and heartbreak. Not all is as it seems...

Harbinger!Diluc X Reader (Gender Neutral)

It all seems to make sense looking back on it.

When Diluc said the Fatui were able to roam free because of the Harbingers, it makes sense that he would be one of them. To give credit where credit was due, Diluc really outdid himself. Orchestrating that whole attack on Monstadt, feigning interest in helping Davalin, and going as far as to convince you he actually cared for you were all part of an intricate plan. You couldn’t help but stare at him, even while he kisses the hand of Signora, your arms wrapped around an unconscious Venti. Signora laughs at your dumb-stricken face, her hand still in Diluc’s. “You didn’t honestly think he cared about you right? You’re nothing but a fallen star, lost and naive.” Signora says, her Fatui companions laughing with her.

You can hear the Knights of Fravonius gathering behind you, having heard the commotion. Among them, you can see Kaeya, Jean, and Lisa, all with their respective weapons raised. Kaeya steps forward, his sword poised to attack. “I always thought you were the best of us, brother, but I guess I was wrong,” Kaeya calls out, and you can almost see Diluc’s brows furrow. Recovering, Diluc scoffs, his hands moving towards his claymore. “The world is changing Kaeya, now move with it or stand against it.” Diluc replies, his Pyro vision swirling around his hands and weapon.

Glancing between Diluc and the knights, Signora smirks. “Well if it’s a fight you’re looking for I’d be happy to oblige. A fight for all the Mora.” Signora saunters closer to you, her manicured hand roughly grabbing your face. “If you win, the Fatui vow to leave Mondstat and end all talk of diplomacy and policy. If we win, Mondstat’s economic and political assets are under our control, no holds barred.” Signora looks between her compatriots, which are all nodding along to her offer except Diluc. “You have five days for your answer, Traveller. Blessed be.” The air is tense as the lackeys summon a portal, Signora and Diluc walking through.

~~~~~

The days following are full of long talks in Jean’s office and emotional whiplash. From anger due to Diluc’s betrayal, to motivation to take him down, to sadness at losing someone you deeply care about. The first day is spent setting down the base of a plan. One thing becomes certain: Diluc and Signora are the major targets, not only because of their power, but also the affect it would have on other nations. If Mondstat was able to take down not one but two Harbingers, not only would that show immense political power, but it also means that the Fatui have less leverage in all of Tyvet. Additionally, it’s decided very early that the footmen of the Knights are in charge of protecting Mondstat in case of a potential ambush. Since the only ones tasked with fighting the Harbingers are Kaeya, Jean, Lisa, and you, a lot of intense training had to be done. By the third day, Jean sends the letter with the affirmation of the fight. The date is set for next week, at the peak of Cape Oath. All that was left was to make preparations and let the chips fall where they may.

~~~~~~

On the day of the fight, you don’t even bother with feeling nervous. All you can feel is unbridled rage and sadness. Truth be told, as all of you walk up to the peak, the energy only seems to grow. Kaeya, for the loss of a friend and brother, Jean, for the betrayal of someone she fought alongside for many battles, and Lisa, for the people of Mondstat affected by all the atrocities done. All of you can feel palpable energy as you meet with Signora and Diluc. You force your eyes to not meet Diluc’s, saving all the unbridled rage for the real fight. Signora struts closer to your party, her expression bored. “I’m surprised you decided to show up.” The air in the area is tense, but Signora remains unbothered. “Fighting two powerful Harbingers all for your silly little freedom. How low Venti has stooped to ask you for help.” Signora snickers at the silence, the air in the area changing in pressure. Diluc glances at you, his face impassive as he raises his claymore, his hands glowing. Both parties stand at a standstill, weapons drawn.

You feel yourself moving before you realize, your sword poised to strike, and the fight begins. For the amount of rage that had filled your party, you dare say you were winning. With Jean and Lisa with Signora, and you and Kaeya with Diluc, it seems to be in your favor.

Sadly, right as you start to grow in confidence, Diluc lands a solid hit Kaeya, his Cryo melting under Diluc’s heat. Throwing him off balance, Diluc throws Kaeya a few feet away from him. Chancing a glance at Jean and Lisa, who seem to be handling themselves, you charge at Diluc full force, your swords clashing loudly. All that can be heard are your breaths, all of your strength pushing against his as everything else seems to quiet. Diluc locks your gaze with his, his eyes so determined it almost makes you pause. “I’m on your side,” Diluc says, your swords still interlocked. At his words you push even further, gaining momentum advantage. You let out a feral battle cry, releasing all of your anger into one charge as you land a good hit right near his eye. Seeing Diluc wince in pain, you continue to push the advantage before answering, your voice eerily low. “Don’t you dare lie. I trusted you and you betrayed me.”

All Diluc can do is go on the defensive, matching you blow for blow. Finding an opening, he hits you right near your heel, making you yelp in pain as your foot buckles and you fall to one knee. Taking his weapon to your neck he holds you there, completely at his mercy. “I guess I’ll have to prove it to you then.” Using your shoulders as a platform, pushing you to the floor, he jumps over you. Stunned in shock, you watch Diluc maneuver around, dodging a recovered Kaeya and a very confused Jean and Lisa as his Pyro meets Signora’s Cryo.

Having been distracted with Diluc, you failed to notice how much damage the acting Grandmaster and Lisa had done to Signora. Her hair is not only in disarray from Jean’s Anemo but also she is also crackling with purple energy, her once composed figure now in near shambles. Defenses crumbling, she tries to hold back Diluc, who is quickly melting the ice surrounding her. Signora lets out a confused sound before her ice shield completely dissipates, Diluc’s weapon making the finishing blow.

#genshin impact #genshin diluc #diluc x reader #diluc x traveler #harbinger!diluc #gender neutral reader #x reader #diluc genshin impact #genshin kaeya #genshin lisa #genshin imagines #genshin au #genshin #diluc #genshin imagine #request tingz

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whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst · 3 years

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Ultimate Note thoughts, part 3

As promised: analysis of the iron triangle’s different side combinations. This is also me thinking out loud about characters in planning my Leverage AU (which is a go, I decided) so any additional insights/corrections/clarifications would be greatly appreciated!!

Discussing the Iron Triangle’s Different Dynamics: “and they were tomb raiders. Oh my god, they were tomb raiders.”

Wu Xie and Pangzi: Tianzhen and Fatty

This bond is one of the sweetest and most well-developed bonds I’ve ever seen. I had mixed feelings about parts of Sound of the Providence, but one thing they got right was that Wu Xie and Pangzi have been platonically married for decades at that point and the love is still strong. These are two people who can banter about nothing and enjoy each other’s company. In Ultimate Note, Pangzi is given more emotional range and we get to see his thoughts on Wu Xie multiple times when puppy is unconscious/missing and in peril/yikes there should be a Wu family discount for therapy. What’s really beautiful between the two of them is that they see each other for their real selves and think those real selves are awesome and worthwhile people, warts and all. Pangzi knows Wu Xie is at once obsessively driven in his goals and fundamentally naive about those same goals; “Tianzhen” is probably a mild curse as often as it is a loving pet name. But he still shows up to help and support him in those goals. The scene where Wu Xie insists on waiting for Xiao Ge under the jade meteor thingy is a good indicator of this dynamic; despite being the one to make a rule that they will leave once the bottle under a slowly dripping rock is full, Pangzi silently pours out the filled bottle multiple times as Wu Xie sleeps. It’s also such a lovely and quiet moment to show how much they both worry over Xiao Ge together, although Pangzi, true to form, covers up a lot of his negative feelings in order to soothe and distract Wu Xie.

Pangzi and Xiao Ge: the official “Wu Xie Adoration/Defense/Commiseration/Smack Some Sense into Him” squad leaders

It’s a good touch that at the start of this adventure, both Pangzi and Xiao Ge have things going on that exist outside of Wu Xie: they both take on jobs for the same raid and deliberately do not involve Wu Xie (now that I think about it, it does kind of make sense that Wu Xie is upset at first that he is always playing catch-up with their plans, he gets enough of that with his own family. Like, *we* know there’s a good reason for their actions, but professor puppy does not).

The show does make it clear that their squad has Wu Xie at its core, and these two definitely have nights after bad raids where they (mostly Pangzi) sit with a drink and discuss management of their mutual disasterbebe. A perfect example of their system is the scene where Wu Xie cuts his hand and stubbornly ignores Pangzi; our guy takes an immediate shortcut by loudly telling Xiao Ge that Wu Xie is “being stubborn again” at which point the Man in Black gently but firmly manhandles Wu Xie into getting a bandaid over the cut (the frustrated tenderness in Xiao Ge’s face as he gazes at Wu Xie for a half second cut is just beautiful). And it’s clear that this is a regular situation: if one of them can’t get through with usual tactics, they reassess and get the other one involved. However, we do get to see that Pangzi’s protectiveness extends now to Xiao Ge, and the sweetness of those cuddles when emokitty is sick on their way out of the desert are just cute as hell and show it’s not just Wu Xie that Xiao Ge trusts with his vulnerability. It’s a far cry from their early dynamic in the Lost Tomb of “wanna fight bitch I can take you.” Pangzi is Xiao Ge’s caretaker post-amnesia (the little name tag with if-found-please-return is both cute and heartbreaking) and juggles his different roles like a pro. I really want to return to an analysis of Pangzi as caretaker in another post sometime.

Xiao Ge and Wu Xie: *cue epic music of the “Prioritize and Rescue the Damsel” Theme*

This relationship…look.

Like I said before on (checks notes) that one post or whatever, it’s a beautiful romance. And I don’t particularly care (lying through my teeth) that it’s not ever openly acknowledged throughout the series (except in asides by Pangzi and Hei Yangjing, trolls extraordinaire who ran out of fucks to give three tombs ago), because as with most things for these two, words are less important than actions. Even in other series, like Wu Xie’s ten-year devoted widow period where we find out he can access something only accessible by Zhang family members, he constantly drops hints as to a great loss that has defined his life—his single-minded devotion to Xiao Ge is Wu Xie’s double-edged sword. Every series does a great job with the long gazes at each other—somehow for that time, it seems like it is just the two of them in that moment, even if we know their third-twentieth wheels are waiting awkwardly nearby. An important part of their dynamic is that Xiao Ge always, always protects Wu Xie when he is able to, even if it’s just to stop him from tripping a little on some rocks (I think this might also be why their relationship is so revered? Like, who doesn’t want the assurance of an unconditionally loving sexy swordsman in black who has been known to disappear but who will come to your aid in moments of need—WAIT IS THEIR ROMANCE JUST CONSTANT REITERATIONS OF THE PRINCESS BRIDE???). But we also see how Wu Xie protects Xiao Ge, consistently checking in with him and making sure he is treated as a person and not a tool; it must be confusing to outsiders to see the well-known “Tomb-Raiding Train-wreck Twink” (no I don’t accept constructive criticism on this) fussing over what appears to be a stoic superhuman warrior’s physical and emotional needs. Any period of separation or sight of the other in pain brings out Wu Xie’s best sad puppy eyes and Xiao Ge’s most prominent micro-expressions (I think we can all agree Xiao Ge’s face had the most dialogue during that weird-snake-egg saga), and I just love how their relationship develops over the series, from suspicious puppy with abandonment issues to a calmer sense of “he’s gonna do what he’s gonna do, but he will come back.”

#dmbj #the lost tomb #ultimate note #wu xie #iron triangle #whomst

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theyre-just-blocks · 3 years

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Let’s talk about Big Q, shall we?

As always, I’ve got stuff to say about Quackity (the character). And after today’s streams, I’ve got a few things to say/point out. I did not stay up to write this 2,343 word character analysis, no I did not.

Right off the bat I noticed how uncharastically quiet Big Q was during the whole thing. He wasn’t streaming it today either (yeah, he streamed later, but still) and I just thought that it was interesting. He had his moments where he was himself (cursing, being loud, taking off his clothes) but there were moments where he was just,, uncharastically quiet.

On top of that, these quiet moments were spent staring at Ranboo. At least, his character was positioned so that it was looking directly at him and it’s rather unnerving, especially with that smiley face skin. Then when Dream reveals Ranboo to be a “traitor” Quackity even said, “I fucking knew it”, so something tells me that he’s been suspecting Ranboo for sometime now.

When they were at the festival too, he was acting odd. On top of staring at Ranboo from time to time, he approached Ranboo about him wearing armor in L’Manburg. Of course, wearing armor in L’Manburg isn’t permitted, but it was raining and Ranboo is half enderman. Quackity seemed to really be angry with Ranboo for breaking that law, albeit he was hiding most of his anger, but I’m sure that Ranboo has worn armor before within the walls of L’Manburg. So why all of a sudden? Why call it out? Then when he asked Tubbo about it and Tubbo said that they could make the exception, Quackity responded with “Alright, whatever you say Mr. President '' in the most passive aggressive voice that even I felt attacked.

On top of that little moment, Quackity excused himself from a Festival game to “go get something”. Granted he didn’t seem to take that long (I didn’t really get a number) but while he was gone he was whispering to Tubbo about when Dream was coming. But I just thought it was weird that he just disappeared like that. When he came back, of course, he didn’t have anything. Not even Tubbo knew what he was doing. But no one seemed to question it at all afterwards.

Let’s also talk about how nervous Big Q seemed about the Dream confrontation. He was clearly worried that Dream might not show. He was nervous, he admitted that he was. When he went up against Techno, someone he’s feared for a while now, he wasn’t nervous. He was confident. He even PVPed him, but all of a sudden with Dream he’s nervous? We’ve seen him stand up to Dream before (Mexican L’Manburg) so why would he be worried about whether Dream shows or not?

And of course, we can’t forget to mention his skin changes. I thought I was seeing things when Quackity’s profile in the list of members on the smp showed up as a frowny face. I thought that was just some kind of glitch or something because it would go back to normal a few seconds later. And I noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with his face. When he would turn, it seemed like his face wasn’t connected. And wouldn’t you know, I wasn’t seeing things. Several times today in the ruined Community House, Quackity had the unnerving frown (and a bald head) and when he was talking to Tubbo about Ranboo, he kept turning and it was very clear that the smiley face is a mask and the true face of Quackity is a frown.

Speaking of his discussion with Tubbo about Ranboo, let’s talk about that whole ordeal, yeah? When I thought they had dropped it, moved past the need to talk about Ranboo’s book and involvement with Techno and Tommy, Big Q drops the bomb by demanding that they execute them. Thank god Tubbo was able to talk some sense into him (PTSD will do that to you), but it was still yet another account of Big Q wanting to see some bloodshed. And he was awfully persistent about it, to the point where it was concerning.

And going back on what I said in a previous post about Big Q always wanting power, right from the elections, I got my confirmation about it in Tubbo’s stream today at an hour and thirty three minutes.

“Tubbo, listen to me. What you need is order, Tubbo. The fucking issue is that there’s no order in L’Manburg. Nothing that’s been happening up to this point has been order... I want what’s best for the country. That’s what I’ve wanted since the very beginning, Tubbo. If not then I wouldn’t have ran! I want to be President Tubbo, I want to do something good”

Whether it’s an obsession with power, a need to maintain order, following governmental ideals, or an actual want to do some good, you can’t deny that Quackity’s character has always wanted power, an opportunity to prove himself. And maybe because L’Manburg keeps failing him, keeps failing to give him those right opportunities to do so, that’s why he leaves. He’s frustrated with the country, so he just...leaves.

And if Quackity’s Greek parallel is indeed Icarus (I think Techno mentioned it once in a stream) then power would be his hubris, his downfall. His want for power and need for order are going to be the sun that’s going to melt his wings. If he is working with Dream to get power, isn’t that the LITERAL definition of “flying too close to the sun”?

Also, this is a little unrelated. But in Bastille’s song “Icarus” there’s a line that goes, “You put up your defenses when you leave. You leave because you’re certain of who you want to be,” and I just think that’s very fitting for Quackity in terms of what just happened.

There was a lot that happened with Big Q’s character today, and seeing as he’s my favorite on the SMP (aside from Sam of course) I was thrilled with today’s streams. But in terms of where these new developments might lead, I’m a little worried. So yeah, I’ve got theories.

We discussed this in the Awesamdude discord, but the possibility of Quackity being a suspect for the destruction of the Community House came up. Here are a few reasons why he is one of the prime suspects (the other being Dream):

Quackity left during the Festival to “go get something” and this could’ve been the perfect chance for him to go and grief the Community House.

Though we know that Dream hates Quackity and Quackity hates Dream, it’s possible that they’ve made a deal. Dream could’ve promised Quackity the power he’s wanted since day one. Whether that be in guaranteeing that El Rapids can remain a country, or after Dream destroys L’Manburg, Quackity can come out on the top. He can have what remains. It would be an easy way out for Quackity after being dismissed time after time again and denied the chance to prove himself and build the ideal government.

That could explain why he was worried about Dream showing up or not. He wasn’t worried about the deal Dream made to Tubbo (showing up without armor), it was more so the deal Dream made with Quackity and getting the power that Dream promised.

Not to mention, it also benefits Dream as well. By getting Quackity on his side by using power as leverage, he’s able to eliminate one of the few threats to him on the SMP. True, I’m sure he’ll betray him in the end/use him, but right now he needs to focus on Tommy and the discs. He needs to get Quackity out of the way, so by siding with him and making a deal, it makes things easier for Dream.

And if Quackity is possessed by Schlatt, Dream was an old ally to Schlatt, so if Schlatt took control during the deal, then it would make sense why it was made.

It’s possible and very likely that this isn’t the case though. They really do seem to hate each other and Quackity is very adamant about killing Dream. But maybe it’s all just an act? Maybe it’s just all a plot to ease sus off of Quackity.

But why and how could Quackity leave his friends like that so easily? Oh boy, lemme tell you..

I will never let go of possession Quackity/Reviving Schlatt AU.

If Quackity is possessed then it would make sense why he’s able to let go of his friends so easily. Schlatt might be manipulating him behind the scenes and thus cause Quackity to lose trust in his friends. Schlatt felt betrayed by everyone (as he should) and might be telling Quackity that the same will happen to him. Quackity even admitted to not trusting Ranboo from the start, and that could be a result of eating Schlatt’s heart and having his influence on him.

Let’s also not forget how ready Quackity was to kill Ranboo. He wanted an execution. He kept repeating “traitor” like a broken record. Tubbo even pointed out the parallel to Quackity that he was doing EXACTLY what Schlatt did to Tubbo at the festival. Quackity himself even said that he was LIVID about Ranboo being a traitor. And even after Tubbo tried to talk sense into him how Ranboo wasn’t a traitor, he just has short term memory, Quackity still referred to himself as such.

It would make sense that Quackity would hate traitors. In terms of his character, he was betrayed by Schlatt. Someone who he thought would love him and help him rule Manburg in a way that would help everyone, his ideal government. But of course, Schlatt was shit and didn’t fulfill those expectations. And then when things did get better, his country betrayed him. Tubbo betrayed him. When Quackity agreed to stand up against Dream and not exile Tommy, Tubbo agreed with him. Then he went against that plan. And L’Manburg didn’t meet up to his expectations. It never did and he never got the power he wanted.

And if Quackity is possessed by Schlatt, that could also explain his whole bit about going on and on about killing the traitor. When Schlatt found Tubbo to be the traitor, we know what happened. He had him executed. That whole scene leading up to his death, he kept saying how everyone left him. When he needed them most, everyone left. He felt betrayed by them, so it makes sense that after finding out that there’s ANOTHER traitor in the cabinet, he’s going to get angry about it. He doesn’t want it happening again.

And with Wilbur’s comment about Schlatt being a lawful evil. He’s going to keep order no matter what it takes. If you’re a traitor, you’re going to get what’s coming to you, so it would make sense that he’d want Ranboo dead as well. And even if that’s not the case, the description of wanting order no matter what fits Quackity’s current character right now.

Now let me add in Dad Schlatt because I have daddy issues.

I like to think that if Quackity is possessed by Schlatt or something, his whole speech to Tubbo before saying he was out and leaving was just Schlatt trying to communicate to his son. He was angry that Ranboo would betray his cabinet and maybe because he wants to be a better dad or something, he wants to make sure the thing that happened to him doesn’t happen to Tubbo. He tells him not to trust anyone, even Quackity (it could be him warning that Quackity and Dream are working together) and that he can’t let people walk all over him. He’s trying to give him advice, trying to guide him to be a better president.

If he wasn’t able to help Tubbo at all when he was alive, maybe this was the one chance that he got to do so.

But more likely, that was just Quackity trying to give Tubbo some last advice before leaving.

Now, maybe he left only to return with a revived Schlatt? Only to watch Doomsday from the sidelines? What is he planning?

And what was up with the frown? I don’t think I’ve seen him keep it on for as long as he did in the past. I had thought that it might’ve been a result of eating Schlatt’s heart, but that wasn’t the case. I went back to look at old videos and sure enough, the frown was underneath the smile. I don’t know if this is something that’s always been there, or if it appeared after a certain event (election maybe?) but I want to know WHY he has it.

Is it just for memes? Is it supposed to symbolize the fact that he puts on this literal mask to appear to be the “funny guy” when that’s not the case?

Or, or, if we’re going off shape-shifter Quackity, what if that’s one of the traits? That magical part of him (being a shapeshifter) could also maybe allude to his personality. He’s going to change to make sure he fits in. If he’s got to act a certain way to get where he needs to be, he’s going to do it. He’s going to change in order to ensure that happens. If Dream says to join him and get power in return, then maybe he’s going to say yes.

And let’s not even talk about the fact how he basically has the same smiley mask as Dream and his real one is the opposite.

Whatever it is though, it caught me off guard today, but it makes for some killer fanart and headcanons, so I loved it (though I was uncomfortable when it happened).

I was going to wait and see how the events played out tomorrow and then talk, but this obviously was already a lot, so it be easier to make predictions now and whatnot and then see what happens tomorrow.

With that being said, I am, scared.

#dream smp #dsmp #dream smp spoilers #dsmp spoilers #quackity #big q #character analysis #oh man i'm so tired #this is all i thought about today #that might be concerning #but whatever #i put more effort into this than homework haha

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thehofw · 2 years

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One of the most young prominent footballers in the World

The How of the Wow exhibits stand out athletes well known individuals whose skills and attributes are out of the ordinary separating themselves from other professional athletes around different leagues. These stand out athletes have a knack that excels them in their sport which radiates attention from fans of all levels. Throughout the years, we have seen dominant talents from Michael Jordan, Usain Bolt, Cristiano Ronaldo to recently Lamar Jackson and many other young phenoms. A young athlete that has been compared as the next Cristiano Ronaldo, and has continued to play at the superstar level is Erling Haaland.

Erling Haaland is 6’4, weighs 194, and is 21 years old. He has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo just by his intangibles but expresses superb talent potential. Haaland is known for his goal scoring, pace, and athletic ability. Currently playing for Dortmund, he has been given the nickname “Terminator” and has been recognized as one of the best strikers in the world. At 21, the young phenom's intangibles make him one of the most dangerous strikers as he is hard to contain. Through his 3 seasons with multiple teams, he has recorded 117 goals in professional career which is unheard of. The only other young player with similar stats as Haaland is Kylian Mbappe, both encapsulating hall of fame potential.

The three ways that separates him from all other professional strikers and soccer players is through his pace, athletic ability, and scoring ability.

Getting into Erling Haaland’s pace, he is the fastest player on the Bundesliga team and one of the fastest soccer players in the world. Being a striker you must be able to distance and separate yourself for the defense or to have a good shot on goal. As seen in reports, Erling Haaland has broken the speed record for the Bundesliga team as he ran 20/21 miles per hour on a counter-attack at the Mercedes- Benz Area. This was not the first occasion that the world noticed Haaland’s pace. He also ran 60 meters in 6.64 seconds vs. PSG earlier this year in February. After seeing this stat, most soccer analysts believe that Erling Haaland is not the world’s fastest striker.

Going against the world's fastest striker is already a difficult task, but another attribute that separates him from other professional soccer players is his athletic ability. Erling Haaland’s intangibles are already hard to come by standing at 6’4 and weighing almost 200 pounds, but also being able to move like a smaller striker makes him that much harder to guard or play on-ball defense. Being taller than most defensive backs makes it easier for Erling Haaland to go against on-ball defense and body his defender. This also makes it very hard to steal the ball from Erling Haaland because he is so big and with his athletic ability he has impeccable ball control.

The last and most important skill that Erling Haaland possesses is his striking ability. Erling Haaland is a great striker as he has recorded 117 goals in professional career. With his big frame he is able to position and leverage defenders into the position he wants them when playing on the ball and as well as being able to maneuver around them to set himself up for a goal. Most of Erling Haaland’s goals can be seen as breakaway runs and being able to get past the defender as most of his goals are one defender and the goalie or just one on one, being just Haaland and the goalie. This sets up Erling Haaland for success because being able to sprint past the center mid defenders and some of the back line with his pace, makes it much harder on the goalie to predict where Erling Haaland will put the ball when it's just him and the goalie. Erling Haaland was also able to read the defense well. This allows him to go to the back line with ease and makes a lot of movements off the ball that opens space for him to attack.

All of these attributes talked about Erling Haaland have placed him as one of the most young talent of this decade. Because of his skills and amazing stats, performance with Norway and Borussia Dortmund has brought the attention of the most important teams in Europe to try to sign him. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea are some of the team interested in the talents of Haaland and it is making Dortmund think twice if they should sell his best player in the team.

Citations:

Nil, O. (2020, October 30). Erling Braut håland: A complete analytical breakdown of why he is so special. Medium. Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://onenil.medium.com/erling-braut-h%C3%A5land-a-complete-analytical-breakdown-of-why-he-is-so-special-c068ae0b7539.

Swan, R. (2021, April 11). Erling Haaland might be world's fastest footballer after breaking Bundesliga speed record. GiveMeSport. Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://www.givemesport.com/1673648-erling-haaland-is-borussia-dortmund-star-the-worlds-fastest-footballer.

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august-anon · 3 years

Text

We Like It

Y’all voted Geraskier for today so here is some Geraskier lol

This was prompted by an ask from like a YEAR ago, now, and I finally finished the fic a month or two ago, and I’ve finally remembered to post it. I hope it’s worth the wait lol, and also I am Unbelievably sorry for making you wait so long to see this come to fruition lol. Thank you for your patience, I hope you’re still hanging around my blog to see this, anon!

pt1 of this series

pt2 of this series

[ao3 link to this series]

----

Fandom: The Witcher

Ship(s): Geraskier

Characters (lee/ler): Ler!Geralt/Lee!Jaskier

Word Count: 1973 words

Summary: Geralt wants to test out a few things that Jaskier showed him the other day, and it just so happens that he's decided to make Jaskier his test subject.

[ao3 link]

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

They were staying with Yennefer for a few days as Geralt handled a particularly tricky contract, which of course meant living in the lap of luxury. Steaming baths that never cooled, rich and hearty meals, soundproofed rooms, fluffy beds that you just melted into, it was everything Jaskier was missing; and while Geralt pretended he couldn’t care less, Jaskier knew he was enjoying the brief stint of luxury as well.

The contract for the curse finally handled, they had one more night in their wonderfully soft bed before Geralt wanted to head out on the road again, so they took advantage of it while they could.

They took one of those steaming baths, smelling sweet and fresh, and returned to their bed, smooth, fresh sheets awaiting them, changed on the daily. They stripped down to only their smallclothes to head to bed. Yennefer’s wards meant they would be kept safe enough that they needn’t worry about monsters or ambushes, so they could experience the full cuddling experience, all that warm skin soothing the touch-starved itch they both carried.

But even as Jaskier climbed into bed, prepared to hold his witcher close and relax, Geralt did not follow. Instead, he stared at their packs in the corner, humming thoughtfully.

“Geralt,” Jaskier whined. “I’m cold, come here.”

Geralt hummed again, walking over to their packs and rummaging through them briefly as Jaskier continued to whine and moan about the lack of cuddles currently happening. He immediately brightened when Geralt finally made his way toward the bed, sliding onto it and pulling Jaskier close.

“What did you need that could possibly be more important than me?” Jaskier teased, burrowing into Geralt’s side.

“A weapon.”

Jaskier sat up, bewildered. “A weapon? You’ve brought a weapon into our bed? Geralt, why could you possibly need--”

Jaskier cut himself off with a yelp as Geralt rolled over and on top of him, straddling his hips. His hands were quickly gathered up in one of Geralt’s and pinned above his head. In the moments it took Jaskier’s brain to process this, Geralt pulled his “weapon” out from behind his back and brandished it at Jaskier.

Jaskier’s own feather quill.

Jaskier sucked in a breath, already feeling his cheeks beginning to burn. “Now, Geralt,” he tried, squirming under him, “let’s talk about this.”

“You taught me some valuable information the other day,” Geralt said. “I’m just trying to see it in practice.”

Jaskier started giggling prematurely as the feather started looming ever-closer, butterflies swarming in his stomach. “You saw it in practice when I used it on you!”

“And now I’m going to see it in practice on you.”

Geralt started easy, thankfully, touching the feather down on one of Jaskier’s exposed shoulders and slowly brushing it towards his neck. Jaskier was able to keep his composure until the feather started trailing up the side of his neck, and his face crumpled and scrunched up trying to hold his laughter at bay.

He’d never been very good at that.

All it took was a particularly deliberate wiggle of the tip of the feather behind his ear and Jaskier cracked, tumbling into bubbly giggles. He didn’t bother trying to defend himself by scrunching up or trapping the feather, Geralt always found a way around his meager defenses, so he simply squirmed around on the bed to satisfy the urge to do so.

Geralt twisted the feather in his ear, much like Jaskier had done to him barely a week ago, and he went from cracked to shattered. That tickled more than Jaskier ever in his life imagined it could, and he wouldn’t even call his neck and ears bad spots! Jaskier shrieked at the soft tickling and jerked away, finally trying to escape for real.

“Geralt,” he cried through his giggles, becoming ever more high-pitched. “Geralt. No!”

Geralt simply hummed above him and moved to give his neck and ears the same treatment on the other side. It was pure torture in the best of ways, Jaskier both loving it and wanting it to stop immediately. Geralt was unfairly good at this for someone who tickled someone for the first time ever barely a month ago.

“I love your laugh,” Geralt said quietly, probably hoping Jaskier wouldn’t hear him over his squeaks and wild giggles.

“I love yours more!” Jaskier squealed as he jerked away from a brush of the feather against the shell of his ear.

“Well,” Geralt said, voice light and teasing, “I never said you had good taste.”

Jaskier let out an affronted noise that turned into an odd keening-giggle as Geralt began dragging the feather down the delicate skin of his upper arm, aiming for his armpit. He foolishly tugged at his arm, but Jaskier should’ve known better. He was no match for a witcher’s strength.

“Geralt, come on!”

“Why?” And oh, Jaskier loved to hate that wicked grin. “You like this.”

And by this point, it was no longer a question. It was a simple statement. Jaskier wasn’t sure which was worse, but he definitely felt his cheeks flush under Geralt’s gaze. They flushed even further -- though this time with laughter -- as the feather touched down in Jaskier’s armpit.

“Seeing this in practice is truly quite interesting.”

“Shut up--shit!”

Jaskier tossed his head back in loud laughter as Geralt dropped the feather and dug his fingers into Jaskier’s highest rib. Using that distraction, Geralt grabbed Jaskier’s wrists from where he had them trapped and pulled them down, pinning them under his knees. Jaskier’s stomach filled with butterflies as he realized Geralt now had two hands free to torment him with.

“You enjoy testing things on me, I should return the favor. Tell me, bard: which is worse?”

And then Geralt picked up the feather with one hand and readied his fingers on the other, sending both careening for his stomach. Jaskier tried to suck his stomach in, as if that would save him, but the second Geralt touched down, it was a lost cause as he started laughing again.

Geralt scratched to the side of his belly button with his free hand, his blunt fingernail making Jaskier’s nerves light up an unfair amount. On the other side of Jaskier’s belly button, he fluttered the feather in the mirrored spot, making Jaskier wish he had more room to thrash for his freedom. Each sensation was completely maddening and unbearable in it’s own way, and Jaskier didn’t know if he wanted to escape or let it go on forever.

“Well?”

“The feather!” Jaskier cried after a few more moments. “The feather!”

Geralt hummed thoughtfully and Jaskier squealed as the feather took a brief trip inside Jaskier’s belly button before Geralt found his next target: Jaskier’s hipbones. He scooted down to sit on Jaskier’s thighs to reach them, but his legs were unfortunately still long enough to keep Jaskier’s hands pinned easily. On one side, fingertips vibrated deeply into the skin and muscle, making Jaskier near-howl. On the other, the feather danced across the sharp bone with its maddeningly-light touch.

Jaskier was thankful that Yennefer had the foresight to soundproof her rooms. Tomorrow would be quite the embarrassing morning, otherwise.

“And here?” Geralt asked, emphasizing his question by intensifying the tickling on both sides.

“Fingers!” Jaskier shrieked.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?) that made Geralt drop the feather and start vibrating his now-freed fingers into the other hip. Then Jaskier was really howling, trying to buck his hips but being unable to get the leverage needed to do so. He could try and sit up to curl in on himself for protection, but Jaskier had the feeling that his ab muscles weren’t really looking to cooperate with how hard he was currently laughing.

After some minutes of that playful torture, Geralt picked up the feather quill once more. He danced and fluttered it along Jaskier’s pantline, making his eyes bulge out of his skull at the gentle touch. He choked out a mix of a squeal and a giggle, making Geralt let out a rumbling chuckle above him.

Then, as Geralt was searching for his next spot, the impossible happened: Jaskier finally managed to wiggle his hands free. They launched out from under Geralt’s knees, shooting directly for Geralt’s hands. Geralt tried to fight them off, but Jaskier managed to capture Geralt’s hands and interlace their fingers, the feather fluttering uselessly to the bed next to them.

“What now, tough guy?” Jaskier teased, though the effect was likely diminished by the fact that he was panting for breath.

Geralt furrowed his brow in thought and Jaskier’s heart fluttered. He sent an appraising look to Jaskier’s stomach before starting to lean down, and Jaskier started squealing before he even got close.

“Wait--wait, wait, no! Geralt, please, anything but that!”

Geralt chuckled. “I thought you liked fruit,” he said.

And then Jaskier was lost to wheezing cackles as Geralt took a deep breath, lowered his mouth to Jaskier’s stomach (right on his sensitive belly button) and blew. It tickled like all hell. In fact, it tickled worse than any raspberry had any right to, thanks to Geralt’s stubble.

“You need to shave!” Jaskier shouted through his laughter.

Geralt let out a little “oh” of realization before diving back in for another raspberry, but this time shaking his head as he blew. The result was a screaming Jaskier, tears of mirth being squeezing from his eyes, as his stomach vibrated with ticklish sensations, got scraped by stubble, and even got tickled by feather-light brushes of hair that had fallen from Geralt’s half-hearted styling.

After a few more of those wonderfully hellish raspberries, Geralt pulled back.

“I want to try something,” he said.

Jaskier let out an incredulous laugh, having nothing to do with his residual giggles. “Let me catch my breath first, darling. Shit.”

“Did I go too far?”

Jaskier shook his head. “No, no. You were wonderful, dear heart, I just need a moment. Not sure how much I have left in me, either.”

Geralt hummed.

After a few moments, his breath having returned, Jaskier nodded. “What is it you wanted to try?”

Geralt climbed off Jaskier’s legs, lifting one up into the air. Jaskier furrowed his brow, but his eyes then went wide as Geralt brushed a hand over his inner thigh before leaning in slightly and looking to Jaskier for permission.

“Oh fuck,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “Alright, but stop when I tell you.”

Geralt nodded, and then his lips were swiftly attached to Jaskier’s inner thigh as he blew a raspberry. Jaskier’s laughter went silent almost immediately, the sensations so overwhelming that he couldn’t even make a sound. He howled and screamed, but no sound left his lips to indicate his tortured state. After a few small raspberries dotted across his thigh, Geralt shifted himself for a better angle and gave a repeat performance on his untouched leg.

Jaskier was able to stand it until Geralt began digging tickling fingers into whatever thigh wasn’t currently being targeted by his lips. As much fun as it all was, it was too much for him to take. He slapped his hand against the bed a few times, and Geralt immediately stopped. Jaskier panted desperately for breath as Geralt firmly rubbed away the remaining tingles from his mouth and fingers.

“Alright?”

Jaskier laughed. “Alright?” He asked. “Alright?! I’m fucking incredible, dear. Now, come down here and cuddle me. I’m going to fall asleep at any moment now.”

Geralt did as he was told, shuffling back up the bed and laying next to Jaskier, pulling the furs and bedsheets over the top of them. They exchanged a few chaste goodnight kisses until Jaskier was too drowsy to even move his lips in response anymore, and settled down against the expensive pillows to finally rest.

Jaskier’s revenge could easily wait until the morning.

#tickle fic #My writing #the witcher tickling #lee!jaskier #ler!geralt #ticklish!jaskier #the witcher #jaskier | dandelion #geralt of rivia #geraskier

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canyouhearthelight · 3 years

Text

The Miys, Ch. 135

I think y’all are in for a treat with this one. I won’t spoil it, though, other than to say that @baelpenrose and @charlylimph-blog thought this chapter was hilarious.

Think about that, please. Charly and Arthur think this chapter is hilarious.

Eyeah. That’s all I’ve got to say about that. I do not take responsibility for any injuries sustained.

As always, please don’t forget to check out the podcast! I will plug it shamelessly, so you may as well.

“Where are they?” Alistair murmured while he searched our shared office thoroughly. Had it been anyone else, I would say he was being calm, but the fact that he was searching for anything, at all, tagged it in my head as a downright frantic pace.

“Where are what?”

“Nothing,” he dismissed, despite continuing his search.

I furrowed my brows. “You haven’t even had your tea yet. Or your breakfast?”

A pale hand waved me off. “I am aware.”

Shrugging, I gave it up as a lost cause and went back to the list of evacuees that Tyche and I had drafted up. After whipping up a preliminary list of who was assigned where, we were doing a more thorough second pass to ensure no conflicts of personality. Deep in thought, I paid Alistair no attention until Parvati and Hannah arrived fifteen minutes later.

“Alistair, they aren’t here, so you can stop looking,” Hannah grinned as she took her accustomed seat.

“I am sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Surrrrre you don’t. Just like I’m sure you don’t know why several of the paint pens ran out of pigment,” Parvati assured him in the most sincere tone I had ever heard. My former therapist would have been proud.

I fought back a smile as he straightened and finally stopped his search, even going so far as to tug his shirt to get any wrinkles out. “I know no such thing.” With that, he turned his back to all three of our snickering faces, requesting his usual tea and scone from the food console.

Composing my face, I tried to be serious for a minute. “You should eat fast, because our appointment with Arthur Farro is in about fi - “

My door whooshed open. Speak of the devil.

“ - ve minutes early, apparently,” I finished.

Unperturbed as usual, the subject of my previous suggestion strolled in with his usual air of confidence. Just as he was going to take a seat beside Parvati, he leaned across the table. “Aww, no kiwi or pomegranate on your clotted cream this morning? Poor fing,” he said with a mocking pout.

“I am baffled why everyone believes such things of me,” Alistair grumbled into his tea with a scowl.

I sputtered. “You were using the pens on your breakfast?”

He didn’t even bother denying the chorus of confirmations from those around him, taking the higher road of sudden deafness. “Farro, I am still not entirely sure why a former warlord is necessary for discussions of an evacuation plan.”

“Warlords are generally just berserkers if they don’t have anyone to be ‘lord’ of.” Farro shot a dazzling smile as I supressed a groan. “But then again, being British, I’m sure you got confused, what with all the lords that were there in the last century without even land to their names.”

It really was easier sometimes to do things without either of them. Time to step in. “Gentlemen,” I purred in my most annoyingly ‘motivational’ tone possible, “the bathroom is right through that door, if you would like to continue your pissing contest. However, some of us have actual work to do, so whether you fuck it out or fight it out, please do so on your own time.”

Both mouths shut with an audible click, and both men looked away from me. But at least they were quiet. Sophia: 1, Whatever-the-hell-this-was: 0.

I forged ahead while I had the chance. “Arthur, thank you for taking time to meet with us regarding the plans for fortifying the safety points. I’m sorry that Tyche couldn’t be here, however she scheduled her stay-cation several months ago and frankly deserves it.” By which I meant I had bribed Derek with a nauseating amount of bao to disable any communications to or from this office from going to her data pad until the start of her first shift post-vacation, and threatened my entire family within an inch of their lives to keep them from bringing up work around her for the next week. “However, I do have her concerns and suggestions ready, I assure you.”

With a scowl, he glanced at me and stood, calling up the emitter-map of the Ark. Quickly, he sketch circles around each of the ‘bunkers’ we had designated. “Xiomara had very sound judgement in the locations she chose for safe-zones, and I honestly expected it. Between her and Evania, there is a frankly terrifying amount of strategic prowess in what is theoretically our Health and Safety office.”

“You can’t be healthy or safe if you’re dead,” Hannah pointed out.

He tossed her a wink and grin. “Touche. However, none of them are perfect. This location,” he leaned to tap and zoom on a mess hall, “is fortified, has access to food and drink, even if you have to furiously call up non-perishables and potable water, and only has one entrance/egress. A huge entry/egress, unfortunately: the door is ten meters wide.”

Parvati tapped a couple times on her datapad before chiming in. “It does close, however. And it locks.”

Arthur shook his head. “In two panels, each five meters wide. If even one is blown, the gap is indefensible. Both, everyone in there is free for the taking.”

“You are suggesting we ask Miys to narrow the aperture of the door?” I groaned when I heard Alistair leverage his overly-formal language.

It didn’t get any better when Arthur nodded. “Worst they can say is no, but the size of the door is simply for ease of access and to assuage anyone with proximity issues. Now that we all have these handy alerts - “ he tapped his temple for emphasis “ - it isn’t nearly as necessary. Noah? Bud? What do you think?”

The buzz from the ceiling was clearly amused. “I am amenable if this is a solution. As Arthur pointed out, the width of that door is no longer necessary.”

“Annnd there we go,” Arthur shrugged. “The boatwright said yes, if that’s what we want.”

My jaw nearly hit the floor when Alistair nodded firmly and stood. Swiftly, he highlighted three more areas. “These have the same potential concern. We should include those in the proposal.”

‘We’? ‘We’ whomst??? Since when were they on the same side?

“I agree,” Arthur continued enthusiastically, causing my head to start twinging in pain. “According to the engineers and the chemisists on board, the material of the Ark is remarkably fire-retardant despite it’s organic nature - let’s hear it for advanced civilizations - so there is no additional need for fire doors. There is however a possibility of concussive damage to the actual doors in any area, despite how thick the actual walls are.”

“Tyche recommended shock-absorbent material on the exteriors of each door, dropped via internal trigger and held taught by wires rather than any sort of scaffolding,” I suggested, recovering my focus. I flicked the concept at the emitter, where it was displayed alongside the schematic of the Ark. “Using wires would allow us to also store it in a roll at the top of the door, and allow pulleys to draw the wires embedded in the bulkhead down to cover the entire door.”

Hannah nodded thoughtfully. “The materials she suggests are a good idea - definitely maximizes shock absorption as much as possible. My only concern is that we can probably double the flame resistance of the materials for only a ten-percent loss of effectiveness.”

Calling up my datapad, I smiled as I quoted. “ ‘However, Hannah is a professional weaver and seamstress, and therefore I defer to her on any suggestions regarding materials used, provided there is no more than twenty-percent loss of efficacy’. Apparently she did the calculations and had Charly and Conor both check behind her - anything below twenty percent loss, and the blast would blow the doors.”

“And when did the more sensible Miss Reid learn engineering?” Alistair asked in what sounded like genuine curiosity.

“Tuesdays - I think?” I scrunched my face and searched my memory. “It was something very important when we were cosplaying.”

Arthur snorted, but gestured an apology when Alistair affixed him with a downright lethal glare.

Hannah ignored them both. “Wool… We should be able to synthesize raw wool, instead of the plant based materials here. Best of both worlds - fluffy, incredibly flame resistant, and disperses concussive force like nothing else. Line it with silk for shrapnel? We should be good.”

“Fortress defense via quilts. I like it,” Arthur grinned savagely.

“There is a reason tapestries were so important in the Middle Ages,” Alistair snarked at him. “Both flame resistant and insulating, both very good qualities when you see by torches and candles in a drafty residence that echoes like a cathedral.”

Arthur held his hands up in surrender. “Not arguing, no worries… Genuine respect, swear.”

“Better…”

“Annnnd forging on from whatever-the-fuck-that-was,” I interjected, trying to focus on the topic at hand rather than… well, whatever the fuck that was, “That’s overlarge entries and concussive force taken care of. What other concerns did you have, Arthur?”

“Frankly? Camouflage,” he told us sternly. “The best way to protect against an invading enemy is to make it so hard to find you that it isn’t worth the effort. All these defenses are good an all, but… they’ll stick out like a sore thumb and practically scream ‘Hey! We’re in HERE!’ “ I stifled a laugh when he hopped and waved his arms furiously.

“Very dignified, Farro,” Alistair sniffed as he stood to get more tea.

“I know, right? I’m so classy…”

Rolling my eyes and still regretting having them both in my office at the same time, “We actually have the camouflage solved for.” You could have heard a pin drop, all four of them frozen, mouths open. “It came through this morning from Zach.” I swiped the fortress-quilt specs down, and popped up the plans for the camouflage. “We’re thinking on the visible spectrum, since humans are sight animals. Zach went with a ‘most common denominator’ approach - scent, infrared, acoustic, everything but electromagnetic vision. The quilts cover the infrared and the majority of the acoustic issues: if any body-heat shows through fifteen inches of fluffed wool and a bulkhead door, we’re doomed no matter what.” I highlighted a line of data. “Scent, likewise: Zach is suggesting aeresolized, low concentration sulfur throughout the majority of the Ark, excluding the safe-zones. The safe-zones will also have one of Miys stationed in each one, acting essentially as an air scrubber. This will minimize acoustics from active air filtration, while also adhering to Miys being a non-participant: they will be present to ensure our comfort due to minimizing body odor, nothing more. This was already planned, the fact that it will protect us from being detected by scent is just a lagniappe.”

I waited for the thoughtful nods to pass and decided I did not see the glance that Arthur and Alistair exchanged. As long as they didn’t draw blood during the meeting, I would let it slide. “Where it gets sticky is neuroelectric. Zach, it seems, took a page out of Charly’s manual-of-mischief.” I zoomed in on the specific line of the prospectus and waited.

“He wants to what?” Hannah asked, incredulous. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh I like this,” came the ‘devil’ in ‘devil’s advocate’.

“How would it even work?” Parvati asked, genuinely curious.

I chose that one to respond to. “Just like the microfilament wires that will support the quilts, he wants to cover the walls inside several false locations with a mesh and electrify it to mimic human synaptic energy. Needle in a haystack theory.”

“Wait,” Alistair held up a hand to interrupt. “Are you also proposing that the doors to these false locations will be covered in the quilts?”

“Absolutely,” I confirmed. “Given how far from prospective entry points all of the safe-zones are located, they would run into several false locations before they encounter a real one.”

“And if they decide to tear into all the locations, even the false-positives?” Arthur poked, trying to find a hole in the idea. Which, I had to concede, was why he was even here instead of sending me messages for this.

“What if they decide to tear into every mess hall? Or every door? We can’t plan for everything.” I shook my head. “However, we can factor in a few things that seem pretty consistent despite species - Beings who don’t have legitimate work and take slaves are generally prone to laziness, despite somehow working harder to avoid work than I have ever actually worked a day in my life. Point being, give them enough false positives on the way, they won’t actually search everything no matter what they say.”

“Speculation and hearsay, not admissible in court.”

“Au contraire, mon frère. Charly did the sociological analysis on all the species most likely to be pirates in the region of the galaxy where we will exit relativistic space, and her estimates are that the plan has a sixty-to-eighty-percent chance of success in the event that all human combatants fail. And I, personally, agree.”

He conceded a low whistle. “Damn. If I didn’t like Evan so much, I would say Charly is being wasted with Huynh. Objection withdrawn.”

“Quite,” Alistair agreed smugly. “Miss Harper’s plan is a sound one. The Archives, however - “

I interrupted, still irritated about the topic. “You will be stationed immediately inside the doors to defend against any intruders who make it that far, while Tyche will be defending the y-junction between the speculative fiction and historical fiction categories to prevent intruders from reaching the actual people.”

“But the religious studies section - “

“Has already been scanned down to a molecular level to preserve the information, even if we can’t restore any actual artifacts,” Parvati advised in a profoundly bored tone. “You do realize that anyone who reaches that section will not be able to reach the actual people from there without doubling back, right?”

“Miss Fletcher, there is a Gutenberg Bible on this Ark, potentially the last one in existence.” The tone was icy enough to send a shiver down my spine.

“Phee,” Arthur threw out, guaranteeing my irate attention, “Is there any issue with moving the Gutenberg to the Speculative Fiction section until we meet with the Ekomari fleet?”

“Are you seri - “

“Not to placate the Monarchist, I swear. Just - that is a profoundly important historical artifact, even if I agree with nearly none of the contents. The start of the Information age! Literature in the hands of the vulgar masses! Your field of study would have never existed in the form it was without that achievement. Who cares if the first use was to print the frickin’ Bible?”

Before I could object, Parvati added her prodigious two cents. “I do not have to be Christian to appreciate the illuminations in a manuscript, any more than I have to be a Muslim to be brought to my knees by the beauty of a mosque. We can appreciate the significance of something regardless of whether we agree with it or not.”

“This is probably where Charly or Tyche would point out that I am a huge fan of laws against animal abuse, despite firmly believing that Hitler was evil incarnate,” I sighed. “Yeah, we can move the Gutenberg Bible, provided - hang on, stop cheering - PROVIDED - “ I paused to make sure they were all paying attention, “that any other works of significant cultural or historical significance are moved as well. Any first additions, significant religious texts - or in lack of ‘significant’ religious texts, just a copy of each that is agreed to be acceptable by all who follow that religion. A copy of Frankenstein, The Tale of Genji, et cetera.”

I knew my request brooked exactly zero argument from Alistair, as his eyes visibly shone when I added more books to the list. What I waited for were any objections from the other three.

Sure enough, Hannah tentatively raised her hand. When I nodded, she spoke up. “I think we should do a kind of Voyager-plate: a copy, even just digital, of all our texts around music, crafts, technology, mathematics… Art, fermentation, food preparation and the history of it. Not just for this scenario!” she insisted urgently, “For any worst-case scenario. Keep a copy, or several. And put those copies, along with all the relevant artifacts that we have on board, and keep them with the people in the Archives, in the safest part of the ship.”

“Where it would take a black hole to destroy it,” Parvati whispered.

Just as the tears were threatening my eyes, Arthur flopped back in his seat and kicked his boots up onto the table. “Jesus fuck, you guys are depressing. Right, but depressing. It’s doable, though. We just transcribe it into the most common language for each version of ‘language’ in the Galaxy…”

Alistair snorted. “You warlords and your short-sightedness. Clearly, the resolution is to transcribe it into the most common language in the Galaxy with instructions on how to translate it further down.”

“No, you limey-ass bastard,” Arthur growled. “Too much is lost in translation - there is a reason the Qur’an and the Sefer Torah should never be translated to be considered valid.”

Nope. I wasn’t dealing with it. We had covered all the necessary topics, I could message the rest. I twitch my head at both Vati and Hannah, at which point they both rose from their seats. Neither was noticed by the arguing men.

Arthur was mid-sentence when a quick strike from Vati to the top of his spinal cord rendered all his words gibberish. Rather than realizing this, he glanced down at his suddenly-tingling fingertips in confusion. Hannah simply hauled Alistair out of his seat and ignored his squawked objections, her shorter but sturdier frame more than a match for his tall, slender frame and brain that was very much against violence towards women but undecided about how to stop them from chauffeuring you out of a room.

With exactly zero ceremony, both men were deposited in the corridor, to the satisfaction of all three of us. I waggled my fingers in a farewell. “Fuck it out or fight it out, I don’t care. But not in my office. Ta!”

I could not hold back the smile anymore when both started pounding on the door for entry, not realizing I had disabled their permissions right after the first volley had been thrown. It was almost habit, at this point, to disable their permissions to my office when they started bickering, only to restore them when they decided to act like adults.

Clearly that wasn’t the case this time. Oh well, maybe in a couple hours. I would need to ask Xiomara to do a ‘sensor test’ of the gym and med bays to be sure.

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