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absolutebl · 2 months

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This Week in BL - Taiwan has one show, but that's all they need

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

April 2024 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Two Worlds (Thurs IQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - I don’t say this often but I LOVE this love triangle. The longing gazes = chef's kiss. I like that we are finally getting flashbacks to Tai’s side of the love affaire. This show remains highly engaging. So pleased for MaxNat.

Deep Night (Thurs iQiyi) ep 5 of 8 - More lesbians! Yay! Meanwhile, when our leads make up they make out! (Yes I’m proud of myself.) I think this might be BLs first rooftop sex scene. We’ve reached new heights, BLabies. (Yes I’m proud of that too.) Anygay, basically a soap opera at this point, I'm not thrilled but I don’t mind.

"Do you apologize for being straight?"

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 10 of 12 - It was lovely. Very well done celebrity leaving the closet ep. Nice ensemble work too. Next week is doom! As expected.

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - New main couple for GMMTV in an idol romance about a boy who dances good and a food stand vendor. It’s fine but overly very pulp feeling for something from GMMTV. I'm a little concerned.

1000 Years Old (Thurs iQIYI) ep 8 of 12 - meh.

To Be Continued (Sat C3 Thailand grey) ep 7 of 8 - Never turned up on my usual sites. So will have to wait until next week.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues YouTube & Viki) ep 7 of 11 - Qian was, indeed, the one who couldn’t let go. This show is fucking fantastic. It's the best thing I'm watching right now by a mile.

Jazz for Two (Korea Gaga/grey) eps 3-8fin - The bully and the blue-haired drummer side pairing were great. I hated the father. Hated him so much. Our main tsundere seme was a bit too tsundere for me. I was v annoyed by the time he finally softened. I'm amused by all the ways they finagled boys kissin-but-not-kissing in the first half of this show. 2024's "pan around the back of the head" has now become a "dipping of the brolly." We did, however, eventually get an okay kiss.

Honestly?

This was basically what I wanted from Given and didn’t get. So I’m pleased. The music still wasn't great, but you can skip those bits. A solid enemies to lovers BL, where the sins of brothers' past haunts the present. Great optics, decent chemistry, and a tidy script even if tsundere characterization went a bit extreme in some cases. 8/10 RECOMMENDED trigger for suicide

Love is Better the Second Time Around AKA Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 5 of 6 - We got the past betrayal in detail and it was decently bad. Bitterness understood. Too soon to live together! The BL U-Haul strikes again. I do like their weird curry passive aggressive argument. This is an interesting show. Do I LOVE it? No. But I think I like it.

On a not-really-related note: adoption, including adult adoption, is actually pretty common in Japan (comparatively). It's often tied to business scionism.

My Strawberry Film (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 8fin - It all turned out to be a tragic GL in the end. Not BL = not my problem. No rating. I will forget its existence right about… now.

Love is like a Cat (Korea Mon Viki) eps 1-2 of 12 - Okay, weirdly kinky with the head scratching. Not much has happened and I’m not wild about what has.

It's done, ready to binge, but I suck

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps

It's airing but...

We Are (Weds GMMTV iQIYI) ep 1 of 16 - University ensemble BL featuring PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawinPoon - basically the good kind of messy gay friendship group (so more My Engineer and less Only Friends). Looks a bit like the Kiss series but everyone is queer. I'm IN but I need my other computer and I'm traveling as usual. So I'll get caught up next week and probably won't regularly be able to watch this one.

Graduation Countdown (Taiwan YouTube) - It's too much for me to keep up with 2 minute verticals, I don't have that kind of TikTok endurance training.

A Secretly Love (Thai Sat WeTV grey) 10 eps - Completed. Worth watching?

Lady Boy Friends (Thai WeTV grey) 16 eps - reminds me a bit too much of Diary of Tootsies only high school. Not my thing. DNF unless it turns a corner and is truly amazing.

Kiseki Chapter 2 (Sun iQIYI) 6 eps - It’s so boring DNFed at 2.

Close Friend Season 3: Soju Bomb! (Weds iQIYI) 6 - The problem with situational comedy BL is it must be situational, comedic and a BL. This show gets 1 of 3 claims correct. 33% is not a passing grade. Dropped at 3.

In the news

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari is getting the undeserved honor of Furritsubs. Follow them for details. Tip 'em if you like 'em. (Will I watch it? Oh, probably. Damn it.)

Then Next Prince turned out to be a trailer only. Word on the webs is we will be lucky if we get it this year. It’s BL Princess Diaries. Jimmy has a new pairing (that boy from Night Dream) which is... interesting. All in all, this show does not look good. Pretty but not good.

Next Week Looks Like This:

4/11 Gray Shelter AKA Gray Currents (Korea ????) 4 eps - SooHyuk is only just surviving and reunites with YoonDae, an old friend. They end up living together. One of the leads is played by Choco of Choco Milk Shake.

4/12 Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - Kindly Ryota goes off to uni only to find his new roommate is his childhood bestie, Kazuhito. Kazuhito doesn’t have a girlfriend and Ryota tries to help him figure out why, they fall in love along the way. Same director as Old Fashion Cupcake.

Still to Come in April

4/18 At 25:00, in Alaska AKA 25 Ji, Akasaka de (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - Yuki lands his first starring role in a BL drama alongside superstar Asami (previously his senior at uni). Said superstar suggests they form a sham relationship until filming concludes. As they actually begin to fall in love, the spotlight begins to burn. I think I've seen this before (joke) and also the trailer doesn't inspire confidence.

4/26 My Stand-In (Thai iQIYI) 12 eps - adaptation of Chinese novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng. Stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please) directed by the same team as KP (not a recommendation IMHO - my biggest criticism of that show was the clashing directing styles). This one looks well complicated, lemme try: Joe is a stuntman for famous actor Tong. Joe falls in love with Ming but Ming sees Joe as nothing more than a Tong-replacement. After learning this horrible truth, Joe dies. Joe then wakes up in the body of another man also named Joe. He manages to rebuild the same life as before—with the same people eventually re-meeting Ming. Ming wants Joe back but Joe doesn't understand why. But Ming seems to know what's going on and wants to give him some kind of explanation.

I'm exhausted just trying to describe the plot.

Knock-Knock Boys (Thai WeTV) - 4 college friends conspire to help their friend lose his virginity. Familiar faces like Seng (yes, Billy's previous partner) and Best, news here.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

NOTE: It looks like one of my personal favorites of last year Unintentional Love Story is getting a spin off!

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

See City of Stars & Unknown.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are too much work.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy.

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jalebi-weds-bluetooth · 8 months

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Hey Jwb, why did Arnav never initiated anything intimate during contract marriage period? Apart from that don't you think Arnav strongly suspected something still going on between shyam and khushi even after marriage? Because Post heer-ranjha when he saw khushi was missing then immediately his thoughts went out to shyam's presence and also during revealing the truth as far as I remember he said " I know there's affair going on btw you and shyam" ,Post heer ranjha when he saw shyam's sly smile for khushi while holding her hand and accidentally her hand on his he looked betrayed and felt she was doing something fishy with shyam. What are Arnav's views at that point of time?

Hi Anon,

Arnav hated her and was heartbroken - just how and where would intimacy exist?

And why in the world would Khushi want to be intimate to a man who traumatized her with that nightmare of a wedding and spits venom at every given chance?

Intimacy is a result of love/trust/attraction - not a result of marriage (unlike popular belief which unfortunately leads to vicious crimes like marital r-pe being unrecognized in our country).

Arnav and Khushi had a higher chance of making out and sleeping with each other pre elopement than post simply because of their emotional state and feelings for each other.

One pet peeve I have about the show is that they would do everything to maintain Khushi's tarnished image in front of Arnav.

They have Shyam give Khushi a bunch of flowers and her hesitantly accept it.

(In this scene it looks like Khushi is upset at Shyam trying to pacify her with flowers while being with the 'said' wife he doesn't like and couldn't be with her for)

They also had Arnav spot Shyam-Khushi have a quiet conversation with each other right after they eloped. LIKE IT LITERALLY LOOKS INCRIMINATING.

And have Arnav misunderstand another moment when Shyam is misbehaving with Khushi as them talking to each other in a closer setting. SHYAM IS LITERALLY MISHANDLING KHUSHI EXCUSE ME?

Also have Arnav spot a gift from Shyam to Khushi that Khushi has apparently preserved the wrapping? (wtf was that)

AND Have Arnav be disgusted at Shyam's open flirting to Khushi WHILE Khushi acts GUILTY???

WHAT IS KHUSHI GUILTY ABOUT?

Like it was SO weird Khushi acted guilty instead of disgusted or angry when Shyam was like "we missed you so much" to Khushi.

Arnav is conflicted. It's apparent Shyam and Khushi have something. It's also apparent that Khushi has something for Arnav. It's just confusing.

Honestly if I was Khushi I would've dragged Akash or Payal or Nani with me along with Shyam - I hate it that the show forgets Shyam is Khushi's mol-ster and the danger Khushi is in in being alone with that filth of a man. But yeah, my opinion of what happens now versus canonically what the show shows is different.

The show tries to write that regardless of the situation Arnav will keep harboring feelings for Khushi cause 'love'.

Which is partially true, but given Arnav's strong emotions against infidelity and love for his family, an important aspect of harboring those emotions would be that he chooses to punish himself for harboring those emotions and he is incredibly conflicted by the woman he lives with. Because the Khushi in front of him, 24x7, simply does not match with what he has drawn a conclusion of.

And with the show shifting breaks towards poor/stale comedy, we do not get the angsty due of Arnav actually punishing himself or being tortured for continuing to have such strong feelings for a woman like Khushi in his eyes.

Cause isn't that supposed to be the actual story? The irony of Khushi falling for a man who is conventionally not one to fall for - everything she's warned against - and Arnav having emotions for the one woman he shouldn't have anything except hatred for. That's why Khushi tried to not love him, but couldn't and Arnav tried to hate her, but couldn't.

There's a darkness to be not be able to detach from a such a person. There's a poetic tragedy in it. If we were to chop off all the outlandish bits then perhaps we'd get a clearer image of what Arnav felt.

And perhaps it would justify why Arnav tells Anjali that he 'fell' for Khushi after their elopement because he realized that even with the worst opinion of her, all he could muster was love/attraction under all the of hate/indifference.

Hope this answered your question!

Best,

JWB

#ask #anon #ipkknd #khushi #shyam #arnav

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littlelasagne · 1 year

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Hello beautiful human!! BMO is my favorite fic ever! Everything about the story is just perfect. Could you please share a little snippet of the next chapter? <3

Hi friend!

I'm so happy you've enjoyed the fic so far :) I'll be honest, I've been so busy at my new job and moving and everything, that I've barely had time this past month to work on BMO. The next chapter is nearly ready to go though, it's a heavy one about family so I keep umming and ahhing over it.

Thanks so much for the ask and continued interest! I feel a bit out of the loop with the fandom these days so it's nice to know you're there! Here's a chunk from the beginning of chap 31.

Squeezing a healthy dollop of suncream onto her hand, Hange began to smother it over her face.

“I wish you were here,” she said. “Everyone’s really sad, but we’re all happy to be together at the same time. It’s bittersweet in a way that Nani brought us all together in her death. Eurgh, it’s so hot though, I’m sweating all the time. I stink. You’d hate me right now. Oh yeah, I’d been in the house ten minutes and two aunties asked about my marriage prospects. I say aunties, I don’t even know who they are. Mum’s second-cousin, twice removed, three times married, carried over. Then, oh god, Mum explained to me that she told them about Zeke ages ago but she didn’t bother letting them know we split up so... that was fun explaining why we weren’t married yet. I didn’t really explain. I said I was putting my career first. Which is not exactly a lie either. I hate these stupid family games.”

Levi always considered it a blessing to not have nosy family poking their way into his life. If he had to pick between Erwin’s overprotective mother or Hange’s overcritical one, he would choose neither. But actually, as he listened to the hearty bustle beyond the door, he was struck by an odd longing. The thought of cousins to gossip with and meddling aunties to avoid seemed fun. At least they cared, right? He wondered if Uncle Kenny wanted to know his state of affairs. Judging by the constant barrage of emails from Cave, he did.

“Don’t forget your neck,” Levi said. Hange squeezed out more suncream, lifted her chin and rubbed the thick cream all over her willowy neck.

“It’s awkward, I haven’t really mentioned you yet because, y’know... it’s like I said, they’ll start asking all these questions and I’m not bothered about answering any of them yet. You understand, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“Maybe next time I’m here it’ll be different… Anyway, Levi... I really miss you.”

She’d been gone for just over forty-eight hours. Forty-eight hours since she had grieved all over him. Forty-eight hours since she was here in his bed, her leg wrapped around his and her lips all over his neck. He couldn’t wait to do that again. He imagined she was there with him now. Levi rolled over to face the window and see the night sky.

“It’s only been two days,” he said. Nineteen days to go.

“So? I’m allowed to miss you even if it’s only been ten seconds!” she pouted. “But thank you. For making me come here. As annoying as everyone is, we’re all connected to Nani and everyone’s set aside their feelings. We’re family after all.”

Family.

“That’s great, Hange.”

“I’ll pay you back as soon as I can, I promise.”

“It’s ok, Hange.”

She puckered her lips and brought them to phone camera. Levi’s screen turned black for a moment. She giggled. “Wish I could kiss you in real life.”

He wished it too. “Go. Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t cry too much.”

“Bye, Levi, sleep well. I’ll text you as soon as I can. I miss you.”

I love you, I love you, I love you.

“Bye, Four Eyes.” He hung up and flopped over in his bed, his eyes on the stars, feeling lonesome, languid, and just a little lacklustre.

#I'm not able to work on this daily anymore #which saddens me immensly #and i just chip away at it in tiny bits #SIGH #I really hate leaving big gaps in updates but I'm at max capacity so doing what I can #and also working on paint and progress chap 2 as well #you gotta go with what your heart wants to write sometimes #bmo #WIP #levihan #levihan fanfiction

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maintohthakgayibhaishaab · 1 year

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my mother often went to Nani's permanent house in the city, hometown, (por)

my dad often comes to pick us up after the holidays, or at the end of the day

he's always been kinky.

our maternal family was well reputed in that area, been living since decades, but there lived a prostitute in that gali!

and my dad went upon her or whatever

like he always have a new bahrwali everytime

and this time it was this lady(randi) nearby our house itself

khair he always had an affair with neighbour aunties chahe voh kitne hi ache Ghar ki ho.. voh sabko pata lete aur humko ittni baar ghar change karna parta

#tw // mental health #tw // negative #tw.trauma #rant #.txt

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guizh0ng · 2 months

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Remember

Chapter 3: The Visit

"Okay! Line Up! Line Up, Everybody!" Iris clasped her hands together and looked out at the group of people standing in the hall.

She scanned the line and noticed that everyone had found their positions, including Sora who had initially been unsure of where to stand.

However, upon being helped by Amara, she had eventually found her place.

Seeing that everything was in order, Iris released a small sigh of relief, hoping that everything will be as organised like this later on.

"Listen up everybody, the President's Secretary will be arriving here for a visit and I want all of you to be on your best behaviours, got it?!" Iris spoke with a noticeable strain in her voice, and her expression suggested that she was feeling a bit of stress.

Meanwhile, Viktoriya walked beside her, holding a clipboard which seemingly contained important oinformation.

Viktoriya whispered something at Iris as she immediately stepped aside "Alright, Listen up, Iris already told all of you what you need to know, is everything complete? Weapons Inspected?!" She proclaimed.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Barnaby and Adrianne's energetic voices rang out in unison, and they high fived each other in a moment of excitement.

However, as they continued to act unprofessional by goofing around, Viktoriya turned her gaze in their direction, causing them to straighten up and stop their behavior immediately.

"Right..Food and Water, all clean?!" Viktoriya continued.

"Roger, Madam!" Amara and Rafaèlla's unison voices filled the hallway, echoing throughout the silent surroundings.

"Okay look we never really call each other by codenames other than during missions but that bi– lady will judge us eitherway so codenames?!" Viktoriya crowed "Helios!" Aiden started.

"Lunear." Yamir continued.

"Stonehouse, reporting for duty!" Barnaby followed with such energy and enthusiasm.

"Okay, okay we don't say that last part just your codenames, Barn? alright continue" Viktoriya interrupted as the line followed on.

"Yellowbell!" Amara added.

"SilverMist!" Adrianne said with glee.

"Fianchettó." Espen resumed.

"Aquamarine!" Nemo jested.

Sara retrieved her phone from her pocket and displayed it to Viktoriya.

On the screen was the word "Trilence" in bold letters.

Viktoriya's expression remained unchanged as she swiftly checked the device, seemingly making sure everything was in order.

Satisfied, she nodded, signaling Sara to move on as she let the phone pass.

"La Voùglia!" Azzurra carried on.

"Blackquill!" Rafaèlla pursued.

When Sora's turn arrived, she seemed to be in a state of confusion. Still making an effort to avoid eye contact with Viktoriya, possibly feeling uncomfortable with the situation "U ̄ n..ittai nani ga okotte iru ndarou."

"Why does this sound like a scene from a Disney channel show.." Iris murmured to herself.

Observing the current state of affairs, Iris decided to take matters into her own hands "Oh right! You don't have a codename yet!"

"Viktoriy–!"

As Iris was on the verge of offering her assistance, a loud sound cut through the silence, momentarily distracting her from the current situation.

The sound, which was later revealed to be the landing of a helicopter nearby, interrupted her thought process, causing her to shift her attention toward the source of the noise.

The arrival of the helicopter, accompanied by the landing sound it emitted, served as a sign to Iris that her presence was required elsewhere.

"Viktoriya! Let's go!" With an authoritative wave of her hand, Iris signaled Viktoriya, who threw her clipboard away, to accompany her while leaving the other members to wait alone in the hallway.

__________________________________________________

A sudden gust of wind swept over Iris and Viktoriya once they went outside, causing their hair to blow in the breeze.

Iris's heart shaped sunglasses were even blown off of her face as the powerful wind forced its way between the two women.

However, Viktoriya was quick to react and managed to catch the glasses just in time, preventing them from falling to the ground and possibly breaking.

As they waited for the helicopter to land, the sound of its rotors filled the air, drowning out the other noises around them.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the helicopter touched down softly on the ground, its rotors slowly decreasing in speed.

Iris and Viktoriya approached the entrance of the helicopter as the doors opened, revealing several bodyguards awaiting the arrival of a prominent figure stepping out of the spacecraft.

The bodyguards, who had been waiting off to the sides of the entrance, quickly moved in on either side of the door as the lady inside prepared to exit.

The bodyguards reached out to offer their assistance as the woman stepped out of the helicopter.

The woman who stepped out of the helicopter was a sight to behold – she was dressed in a pristine fashion, from her head to toe, that commanded respect and admiration.

Her ginger hair, with bleached dyed bangs in a tight bun, complemented her tall stature, and her eyes, a fiery red, were like the embers of a fire, casting her features in an otherworldly light.

She appeared confident, with a strong will and an iron-clad determination.

Her outfit, although professional, was also stylish, with a black turtle-neck, a pearl necklace, reading glasses, and a blue suit jacket.

She completed her look with a pair of plain blue pants and black heels, adding a touch of class to her already sophisticated look.

The outfit she wore was quite particularly remarkable, but another person stepped out of the helicopter that came as a surprise for the two waiting for her.

The person who accompanied her had a fair complexion, with red hair that was styled in a Khaleesi-inspired twist. Her eyes were a light shade of violet, and she appeared to have a slim figure with slightly shorter stature than Viktoriya and Iris.

Her ensemble included a miniature orange peach top hat with a white rose attached to the rim. She had the hat secured sideways on her hair, and she applied light makeup, which she was using to accent her features.

In addition to the petite orange peach top hat, she wore a Georgia peach princess coat that was left unbuttoned, featuring several pink ribbons attached to the closure. What kept the coat together was a dark peach thick belt with a Clubs-shaped buckle in the center.

Underneath the peach princess coat, she wore a candlelight peach vest, complete with a light peach bow around her neck. The rest of her ensemble consisted of a simple white short pencil skirt, chic peach socks, and rosy pink doll shoes. Her outfit may come across as slightly be considered as overdressing for the occasion, judging by the disapproving look Viktoriya gave her.

The main guest, known as the Secretary briefly thanked the bodyguards before finally turning their attention towards Iris and Viktoriya.

Upon exiting the helicopter, the lady's piercing gaze scanned Iris and Viktoriya from head to toe, analyzing every aspect of their appearances.

After taking a moment to consider her findings, the lady whispered something at her companion's ears as her companion reached for a clipboard and jotted down a few short notes on it.

The lady turned her gaze back towards Iris and Viktoriya, breaking her concentration for a brief moment.

As she did so, she broke the silence with a greeting, addressing Viktoriya first. "Kveðja, umboðsmaður Mazikeen" she said, her voice firm but respectful.

Viktoriya nodded in reply, "Kveðja til þín líka, Minsky framkvæmdastjóri" a hint of gratitude in her expression for being recognized first.

When the lady turned to Iris, her demeanor was just cold "Greetings, Agent Petronova. We've met again I see."

The change was sudden but expected, leaving Iris shuddered by the thought, still keeping a straight face "Yup..! Greetings to you too, Secretary Minsky, and I see you brought along someone with you, may i know..why?"

"Ah yes, you're finally becoming observing for once, this is Leala Quesada, she came all the way from France, I'm taking her under my wing so once I retire she'll be taking my place as the President's Secretary" Minsky said briefly and coldly.

"Bonjour Mademoiselle, It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Mikhail, I've heard so much about your wonderful work from my teacher and I'm excited to take this opportunity for the both us to get to know each other" Leala greeted Vikotrya with a well-composed yet appealing tone, presenting her with a rose that she had seemingly pulled from who knows where.

Her smile was her finest attempt to win over the other woman.

Nonetheless, Viktoriya found the gesture rather odd, given the disconnect between Leala's appearance and demeanor.

Iris watched the entire interaction, feeling a tinge of bitterness within her as she did.

"Well then since introductions are over. Mazikeen, care to show us around?" She turned to Viktoriya as she just replied instantly with, "Yes, right this way Secretary"

Viktoriya and Iris guided the lady inside the agency building, with Viktoriya taking lead and guiding the way.

Iris followed close behind, trying to keep pace with the lady as she tried to keep up with the situation.

With every step, the tension and uncertainty of the situation grew, leaving Iris feeling uneasy and unsure of what was to come.

Nevertheless, she remained professional and tried her best to present a calm and collected demeanor, ready for whatever was to come next.

__________________________________________________

The commotion in the hallway died down as the sound of footsteps rang out, causing the group to immediately snap to attention.

Each individual straightened their backs and took on a more professional demeanor as the footsteps drew closer.

"And here, we have each and every member of our agency perfectly aligned as we trained them very well" Iris, despite her efforts, had yet to master the art of professionalism with her words and tone coming across as informal, it was clear that she was still learning the ropes.

Secretary Minsky seemed to become increasingly bothered by Iris's lack of professionalism.

Her bothersome expression showed in her mannerisms, such as squinting her and telling Leala to write some things on the clipboard which she jotted down notes on it.

Viktoriya cleared her throat, "As Agent Petronova mentioned, each member of our organization possesses unique skills that are perfectly suited to their respective positions" She continued which made quite the Secretary satisfied "To further demonstrate our capabilities, I would like to invite our distinguished tour guide to lead you on a tour of our facility, Agent Aquama—!"

"No."

"Sorry?"

Without warning, Secretary Minsky interrupted Viktoriya mid-sentence, holding up her hands in a dismissive gesture.

"No, where is she?" She asked briefly.

"Who you may be talking about, Secretary?" Viktoriya queried back.

"The troublemaker that got me here in the first place." She stated which made Viktoriya and Iris turn white as they looked back at each other.

As soon as the statement was made, Sora immediately recognized that the conversation pertained directly to her.

While the others close by looked Sora at the side, they did so with concern written across their expressions.

With some hesitation, she still stepped forward, visibly anxious with fear of the unknown.

Leala eyed Sora with a fierce, attentive watch, exhibiting a combination of surprise yet astonished.

Despite her anxiety, she managed to summon the courage to take her place in front of the lady, ready to face whatever consequences she was going to receive.

"Hmm, so your the 'child' Ms. Petronova here picked up, tell me, what's your agency name?" Secretary Minsky, clearly aware of the gravity of the situation, began to speak.

Sora, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, was at a loss for words.

She stared at Minsky in disbelief, unsure of what to say. Viktoriya, sensing her friend's inner turmoil, quickly mouthed the words 'Just say anything' to her, hoping to provide some guidance in this perilous moment.

Sora, determined to do what was necessary, took a deep breath and attempted to gather her thoughts "Uh..U~intākurusu..?"

"Hmm, I see, you haven't been trained to speak English, as expected, this level of incompetence is inexcusable, even for..this" Secretary Minsky appeared to be visibly annoyed with Iris's incapability, she directed her frustration towards Iris with a look of spite.

The look was not lost on Viktoriya, who felt a surge of anger at the injustice being shown to her close friend.

Despite wanting to stand up for Iris, she knew that doing so could potentially cause more trouble for the agency and for Iris, so she swallowed her anger and kept quiet.

"Anyways, carry on, I don't want to stay in this dump for the whole day, I hope at the end of the day you'll get a proper name." Secretary Minsky delivered her words with an unnerving lack of empathy, causing Sora to pale.

Without waiting, Minsky made her exit, striding ahead with urgency, she also snapped her fingers at Leala which she obediently followed her.

Sora followed closely behind, trying to match her pace, but struggling to keep up due to her slower speed.

Iris and Viktoriya trailed behind, trying to keep up, but also not wanting to fall too far behind.

As soon as the group left the hallway, the others all instinctively relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

Their collective tension dissolved as they were no longer under the gaze of the intimidating secretary.

However, there was also a sense of remorse among them as they realized that their comrades were still stuck with the secretary, facing her judgmental glare and potentially harsh words.

__________________________________________________

The first stop of their tour brought them to the meeting area.

The Secretary immediately assigned Leala the task of inspecting the room, which she began to do dutifully.

Meanwhile, Minsky took the opportunity to observe the space, silently evaluating its appearance.

With a critical eye, Minsky assessed the layout, furnishings, and general ambiance of the room, making a mental note of any improvements that could be made.

Leala, on the other hand, was meticulously examining every nook and cranny of the space, looking for any signs of wear and tear, or potential safety hazards.

"Soshite koko ga kaigijitsude–"

"When was the last time you fixed this place? The hologram is flickering." Minsky pointed out the flaw with a critical eye, while Sora stood by silently, clearly observing her every move.

Sora didn't want to be the center of attention, so she stepped back and let Minsky take full control of the situation.

"Oh don't worry, Vikto— Agent Mazikeen always makes sure to have maintainance over our technology once a week" Iris slides in, as she saved herself with a sigh of relief.

"Hm, Does she? Well looks like you have yourself a reliable and useful agent, other than does..idiots" Minsky murmured the last part although Iris have already heard it, she'll pretend she didn't.

"This hologram was quite one of my first works, actually" Viktoriya stepped in beside Minsky as she placed her hands behind her back, Iris watched the conversation from behind.

"Oh really? Quite impressive for when you were a beginner, I can tell you have potential" Minsky's eyes darted towards her, while Viktoriya's gaze remained fixed on the holographic display, seemingly ignoring everything going on around her "I have an offer to make to you"

That immediately grabbed Viktoriya's attention as she turned to her, meeting her gaze.

"My sister has an agency in Russia, I currently have a job there as a tech-conductor, Leals was also taught there for a few years before I took her in, ypu can have a brighter future ahead for you there..so please, don't sympathise with them and join us" She said.

Viktoriya spoke up, responding to Yutaka's offer with a genuine(¿) smile "I have to refuse, I'm willingly staying here to help build this agency, thank you for the offer but I'll have to decline"

Minsky let out a deep sigh, subtly showing signs of frustration, and Sora just happened to catch a glimpse of it.

With nothing to do, Sora found herself standing against the wall.

She couldn't help but observe her surroundings in silence, watching everyone on the room going about their work.

As the conversation between Minsky and Viktoriya carried on, she noticed Iris's smile slowly dropping, revealing the hidden insults directed towards her.

Sora could understand her frustration at being left out of the conversation, and she could see how it was starting to get to her.

Sora was left questioning why she was even invited in the first place if she wasn't going to have a tour.

She was just an extra in the scenario, nothing more.

Iris was being blamed for the whole situation, which made Sora feel guilty as it was her fault for getting in this mess.

But despite the guilt, she decided to stay quiet and observe the room, saving herself from insults while staying out of the spotlight.

"Hi there, I'm Leala Quesada, it's nice to meet you" Sora found herself caught off guard by Leala's sudden arrival.

She hadn't realized that Leala had finished inspecting the room, and the sudden interruption caught her by surprise.

"Sora Hoshino." Sora stated briefly as she took a step back and bowed down infront of her.

Leala found herself quite amused by this gesture, almost like she was discovering something new "Well Ms. Hoshino, what brought you here in this agency?"

Sora just looked at her for a few seconds, then shrugged it off, almost like she was trying to brush off the awkwardness of the moment.

"Not much of a talker, are you? Don't worry, me too" After Leala's sudden appearance, she stood beside Sora.

She noticed the look that Sora had on her face, almost as if she was analyzing something.

She looked over to see what it was that Sora was looking at, trying to figure out what made Sora react in that way.

"So, I heard you lost your memories, right?" Leala queried which quite triggered the hell out of Sora as its become a sensitive topic within her "Oh don't worry, my teacher heard it from Iris and she told me" Leala reassured her but Sora wasn't even in the slightest calmed down by this.

"Anyways, have you ever wondered what you liked or did before all this?" Leala asked.

Sora had already asked that question to herself on multiple occasions, yet somehow, she never seemed to come up with an answer.

She was constantly racking her brain, trying to make sense of the situation, but she felt like she was hitting a dead end.

Leala took Sora's silence as she carries on the conversation "Say, if you want, maybe one day you'll go the city, I've been there before and I'd accompany you if you'd like, y'know for old time's sake, maybe you'll remember something from the sights" She offered, although this was the first time they talked, Leala has taken the opportunity to be friendly with the local agent.

Sora had given Leala's offer some thought and was about to formulate an answer when she was suddenly interrupted by the sound of snapping fingers.

"C'mon now, let's get moving so I can get out of this place" Minsky announced as the others followed her, walking out of the room.

__________________________________________________

"Ā.., koko ga kurinikkuda to omoimasu" Sora, with a slight indication towards the room to the left, tried to point out something to the group.

However, the secretary's voice instantly cut through the air, drowning out Sora's words.

"Soshite kitchin ga arima—"

"Kitchen. Have you seriously not learned a single word on the English Language? Tch, how unreliable." Sora felt a surge of anger at the indirect insult, but she refused to let the secretary's comments get to her.

'Okay seriously, does this woman have the hobby to interrupt people?' Sora initially thought.

She tightened her fists and wanted to lash out, but she also knew she wasn't in the place to do so and couldn't let her emotions get the better of her.

With a nonchalant expression and a calm demeanor, she stood her ground, determined not to let her fury show.

"Meinu."

"Hm?"

"Nanimonai,-saki ni susumimashou ka?" Sora, although still bothered by the secretary's words, decided to take a different approach.

Instead of reacting negatively, she chose to be optimistic and lead the rest of the ladies towards the next room, unaware of what might await them.

As the lighting illuminated the room, the various electronics and technological paraphernalia within came into view, with Aiden's used, dirty cups still in plain sight. Despite the overall state of disarray, one of the computers in particular stood out, appearing entirely busted beyond repair.

They were at the Computer Lab.

A sense of panic gripped Sora as she tried to voice her concerns, but she quickly understood that the conversation was beyond her grasp.

With random hand gestures, she tried to convey her message, but the language barrier proved to be too great an obstacle.

"What the hell is this?" She asked gesturing at the mess "I can't believe you'd let this place get so disorganized, even after the time we gave you, its still like this?! This is completely unacceptable." The secretary uproared coldly.

Despite her desire to speak up, Sora knew that she was not in a position to do so.

Her words would likely fall on deaf ears, and her efforts would only serve to undermine her position further.

It was a difficult situation to be in, and she felt helpless as she watched the interaction unfold, unable to do anything to change the outcome.

She knew this was not the first time she had found herself in a situation where her opinion did not matter, and she wondered if it would ever change.

Resigning herself to her fate, Sora stood quietly, hoping that her blunder would not make too much of an impact on the tour.

"Secretary, we know but its just..we didn't have enough time, we'll clean it up right away" Iris tried to defend her case.

"Clean it up? That's not good enough. Do you have any idea how much time and effort it takes to keep this place in order? This is not the first time I've seen you let things get cluttered, yet everything stays the same, your still disappointing as ever." The secretary's gaze was cold and piercing as she fixed her sights on Iris instead, who was about to start her defense.

She did not even give Iris a chance to speak, instead immediately cutting her off and silencing her "You always say you'll be better everytime i go here, but your actions don't match your words. I can't continue to let you take control with these tasks if you're not going to take them seriously. Your getting desperate, Ms. Ailana and that makes you more of a pathetic person"

Iris was left feeling defenseless and powerless in the face of the secretary's dominance and complete disregard for her feelings or point of view.

"Secretary Minsky, I think we should continue the tour, that's what your here for aftera–"

"I'm not done" Minsky suddenly interrupted Viktoriya's movements, stopping her in her tracks with a stern look "Viktoriya, I know how it is here, so I really think you should consider joining my sisters agency in Russia. It would be a great opportunity for you to expand your skills and network, you know you could even work with Leala here" With those words, Minsky extended her hand in invitation to Viktoriya, clearly hoping to sway her to leave her current employment and join her sister's agency.

Viktoriya pulled away with a stern look "Why are you so interested in me joining your sister's agency? Are you trying to do me a favor?"

As the secretary's hand remained outstretched before her, Viktoriya eyed it warily, her expression was filling her up slowly but surely, it wasn't doubt, it wasn't fear but rather anger.

"Oh no, of course not. I just think it's the perfect place for someone like you to thrive. You can learn so much from my sister, she's a real visionary in the industry, you'll be so much better off than this failure of a place"

As Iris listened to the criticism being directed at her, she couldn't help but feel a profound sense of hurt and pain.

Despite knowing that she was not the best at everything and that she had room for improvement, hearing the words spoken directly to her still caused her emotions to stir.

She couldn't help but feel a sense of injustice, as if she had been singled out and targeted for criticism.

Despite her pain, she didn't allow herself to break down and cry, choosing instead to hold her emotions back and face the situation with a stoic resignation.

It was a difficult decision to make, but she knew that letting her emotions take control would only make the situation worse.

"And she's looking for someone to replace you?" As Viktoriya skeptically teased with spite in her voice, Minsky could feel the chill in the air.

Her words were spoken like an icy dagger, piercing through Minsky's attempt to lure her to her sister's agency.

It was clear that Viktoriya was not impressed with what Minsky had to offer, and her rejection was swift and decisive.

"Excuse me? I'm not going anywhere! I just thought...!"

"Don't think I dont know what you were trying to so, I know what this is. You're trying to manipulate me into joining your sister's agency so you can get something from me, that's low, even for you." Viktoriya's tone became more snarky, with clear insult evident in her voice.

It was clear that she was not taking her words well at all.

She glanced towards Minsky with a look of outrage on her face, her eyes narrowing as she spoke.

It was a dramatic change from her previous calm and composed demeanor.

Iris, on the other hand, seemed surprised by Viktoriya's boldness, her eyes widening as she observed the situation unfold, as she pressed a hand against her chest.

Sora was equally surprised, her eyes wide open as she watched her stand up to the secretary.

The group waited for the secretary's response, anticipation building as the seconds ticked by.

They had all anticipated her to be enraged or upset at Viktoriya's response, but instead, she simply gave her a cold, disappointed look.

"Oh, so that's how it is, is it? You think you're something special now, just because she isn't here to keep you in line? Well, if you think you can handle things on your own, then go ahead. But don't come running back here when everything falls apart without her keeping your head on straight!" Minsky's anger was clear, as she stormed off from Viktoriya and approached Iris with a fury in her eyes.

She was frustrated and felt disrespected, and that was made clear in her words and actions "Listen up, if you want this little agency of yours to survive I want that troublemaker in a mission the day after tomorrow."

"What?! But the others atleast had a month before their actual mission, she might di–!" Iris argued but was shushed up by Minsky.

"I don't care. That's your problem now, not mine. We'll see how well you do on your own with this one around. If this wasn't the only agency in this country, you all would be on the streets."

"..I expected better from you, Ms. Mikhail, looks like we're not meant to work together afterall" Leala spoken quickly as she also turned away after looking at Viktoriya, following right after Minsky.

"Hey Iris, you okay..?" Viktoriya rushed over to Iris, who was looking down at the floor, clearly defeated after her confrontation with the secretary.

With that, she walked out of the room, leaving the others to ponder her words.

Iris looked back up at Viktoriya with a bitter smile, a mix of sadness and frustration on her face "Yeah..! Hey, thank you for standing up to her, I'll be out on my office" Iris took a deep breath and said her words quickly, before darting away from the room.

Viktoriya reached out her arm towards Iris, seemingly trying to offer her support or comfort.

However, after a moment of hesitation, she decided to withdraw her arm and give Iris some space.

After her moment of hesitation, Viktoriya turned to Sora and saw that she had been watching the whole time.

Sora's eyes were filled with guilt, clearly showing her sorrow for the part she had played in the conflict.

"Gomen'nasai, koreijō meiwaku o kakete kanojo o koko ni tsurete iku tsumori wa arimasendeshita" Sora started to speak quickly, apologizing for the part she had played in the conflict.

"It's alright, you didn't know anyways.." Viktoriya said reassuringly "And hey I'm sorry, I know you were probably hurt what I told you yesterday, I just wanted you to realize your mistakes, I didn't think of how'd you feel.." Viktoriya looked guilty aswell despite that feeling a bit out of her character, she stood there.

Sora was taken aback by the sincerity of Viktoriya's apology.

She had not expected her to take some responsibility for what had happened, especially since she herself was at fault.

Despite the fact that they had only known each other for two days, Sora felt touched by Viktoriya's gesture.

"Hey, please let me make it up to you..I left some things in the library that might help you learn some English, I know I won't be personally teaching you but..I know you want some time alone." Viktoriya said with a genuine look and sincerity,

Sora was visibly moved by the gesture, but she tried to play it cool with a gentle chuckle "Anata ga ashi ga fujiyūda to wa shirimasendeshita" She faced away and tried to hide her feelings.

"Woww, okay well Excuse you, I'm not corny, thank you very much!" Viktoriya spoke in a light-hearted and slightly offended tone, punctuating her words with a gentle chuckle.

Sora laughed along with her, finally coming to a stop moments later "Wakatta, ima kara toshokan ni iku yo"

"Alright, goodluck on that, I'll go see Iris now, I'll see you later, Sora" Viktoriya turned towards Sora as she turned to leave, closing the door behind her.

Sora was left alone in the room, and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to her.

__________________________________________________

Sora wasted no time in heading to the library, the destination that Viktoriya had directed her to.

As she opened the door to the library, she was greeted by the warm glow of a fireplace on the left side of the room, which appeared to be the sole source of illumination.

The light cast long, dark shadows across the room, and her eyes quickly noticed the two Bargère sofa chairs and glass coffee table on either side of the fireplace.

The lack of a chimney made her wonder where the smoke went, but she quickly brushed the thought aside.

She strolled to one of the chairs and took a sitting position.

The chair, while soft, was not as comfortable as she expected.

Her gaze drifted down to the coffee table, where she saw a laptop and a USB drive sitting side by side.

Curious, she looked around the area, searching for any notes or instructions that might give her a clue as to what the items were for.

She did not notice any signs or notes in the vicinity of the items on the coffee table.

With caution, she opened the laptop and noticed a sticky note placed carefully in between the screen and keyboard.

She gently removed the note, it said:

'Hello, hey sorry if I didn't had the chance to teach you speak some English so I'm leaving you my spare laptop, I'm guessing you already saw the USB so plug that in and go watch the show, it's something an old friend of mine used to watch and I think you'll like it, By Viktoriya'

'P.S. Look under the table'

As Sora read the note, she began to question the sincerity of its contents. While the first half was warm and comforting, the last statement of the note raised her eyebrows.

Despite her growing suspicions, Sora succumbed to her curiosity and looked under the table.

She was rewarded with the sight of a pen with a sticky note attached to it.

She reached down and picked it up, feeling her heart race with anticipation as to what the note might say.

She read the note again, it said:

'Okay when someone else told you to look under the table, don't do that but on the bright side I'm glad you did, I made this pen just for you, custom made, I noticed during training that kept pushing back the knife, you might be stressed that's why your distracted by other things that might make you calm down and when I'm stressed I push the button on my pen so here it I, I made this pen for you, if you press it it's a knife, yeah I know I doesn't look much but trust me, it's reliable, my weapons never fail me, I hope you like it:D'

Sora's grip tightened on the pen as she cautiously folded the sticky note and slipped it into the pocket of her belt.

With a small smile on her face, she tried to push in her growing suspicions and refused to let her feelings get the better of her.

Despite the sweetness of the moment, she reminded herself that she couldn't fully trust them, and she needed to keep her guard up.

After sighing heavily, she leaned back and began booting up the laptop, inserting the USB drive.

She sat back and watched the show, trying to let go of her worries and relax.

The day had been a whirlwind of activity and Sora was feeling exhausted by it all.

The secretary's sudden arrival, Leala's strange conversation, and the secretary's unexpected outburst, it was all too much for Sora to handle.

She tried her best to hang on and make sense of everything that was happening, but she was so tired that she just wanted to get some sleep and hope for a tamer day tomorrow.

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count-lero · 2 years

Text

Good morning/day/evening/night to you, dear readers, and

Welcome to my TED-talk!

An enormous TED-talk about field-marshal Schwarzenberg, his military talents, the star-illness of tsar Alexander and Metternich and many other issues.

It all started with frustration about how emperor Alexander I wanted to reclaim the glory of the Sixth coalition “commander” and ended up with gigantic self-discourse based on my current knowledge of Napoleonic era, Austrian affairs at the time and incredible figure of field-marshal Schwarzenberg whom I adore with all my heart.

So, here is the main inflammation point.

"Alexander laughs at the armaments of Austria and said in front of Wolzogen and several other Russian generals: 'We'll see if I or Schwarzenberg was the greatest leader during the past campaigns.'"

"Wolzogen, who visited me yesterday, confirmed that Alexander would not be upset at all if he had an opportunity to demonstrate his talents as a military commander. According to his personal opinion - and then he fully echoed the words of his emperor - without the opportune intervention of Alexander, who had made adjustments to the imperfect disposition chosen by prince Schwarzenberg, the battle of Leipzig would have ended badly. Schwarzenberg, according to tsar, was made not to lead armies, but to conduct ministerial campaigns and other things alike."

…And now I’m ready to start (committing a mass murder) speaking out. 🇦🇹✨

***

As a person striving for the golden means in terms of historical objectivity, I’m obliged to make a remark - the question of Schwarzenberg's military merits is really not an unambiguous one. The prince himself revered the military path as his true vocation,

[Schwarzenberg to his wife, Maria Anna von Hohenfeld]

"How annoying I am to you, my Nani - I'm sorry, but you understand that we are allowed to perk up when it comes to the matters of the craft that we’ve been doing for a long time."

…although he served more out of a sense of duty, for his family and his fatherland, because of his high position in a society and not for the sake of "vain military tinsel" that many wanted to achieve through services in the army (it should be noted: this man had absolutely everything in his life by default, everything that other people, less wealthy and noble, dreamed of and for the sake of which they tore each other's throats, climbing the career ladder on their own).

[Schwarzenberg to Marianna]

"You are familiar with my principles, my Nani, you know that it is not at all a vain military tinsel that keeps me in my place; no one knows better than you that I am, perhaps, the only person in the army who serves solely out of conviction that it’s a duty that my position imposes on me. Our happiness depends entirely on the preservation of the social order (I immensely respect those rich aristocrats from the past, who were at least aware of what exactly their personal "happiness" depended on); unfortunately, my reputation in military circles, attached to that of a decent man, already sets me apart too much, which is why my desertion in reality will affect not so much the whole picture, but the effect it will produce in a society."

Anyway, questions of military nature ignited him much more than diplomatic and court routine, for sure. The latter... bored him usually.

[Schwarzenberg to Marianna]

"Foreigners are received here very courteously, I cannot but praise them for politeness with which they shower me, but such a lifestyle repels me in particular. To rack my head all day in order not to say something completely inappropriate, to constantly turn to the right, then to the left, to pirouette like a dancer, bowing to everyone who is present - this fatigue, this boredom make me sweat a lot day after day."

What’s immensely interesting, Schwarzenberg possessed the mind of a thorough and meticulous observer at the same time: despite boredom and regular ailments, he perfectly grasped all the trends looming on the political horizon. I believe these prudence and insight were the main reason why Metternich valued Schwarzenberg so much and therefore turned to him for cooperation on a common basis (not to mention the fact that both gentlemen considered themselves entitled to actively interfere in the political life of the country that was their native (after all, Klemens is a man of the Holy Roman Empire and therefore subsequently considered himself "his own" in Austria, although the Viennese court refused him this honor with enviable regularity)).

[Here is one of Metternich’s letters]

"The best way I can summarize all of the above is with the saying which I find in the last letter addressed to me by Prince Schwarzenberg: "The fall of a great man is heavyweight!“ This expression is so apt that all the calculations of Austria and the poor middlemen should be aimed at ensuring that we are not crushed."

[And here is a fragment of my favourite Metternich’s biography in Russian]

“On December 20, 1812, Schwarzenberg's auxiliary corps was advancing towards Warsaw to prevent the Prussians from invading deep into the territory of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. Schwarzenberg's position can be judged by his own words: "The more both colossi [meaning Russia and France] mutually weaken each other, the better." With a soldier's straight-forwardness, he expressed what was now on Metternich's mind.”

However, Metternich remained a professional diplomat who did not combine this path with the military one, unlike many other employees of the imperial diplomatic corps - same Schwarzenberg, Bubna, Neyperg, etc. In fact, as Marshal Marmont later wrote, Klemens was never able to understand the "true essence" of the war, even if he had personally followed more than one major battle.

[Here is that brilliant characteristic Marmont gave him]

"Like many people, he [Metternich] had a great predilection to believe in what he wanted. Similarly, he had an exceptional claim to the honor of being born with a military genius, and - surprisingly - this is exactly what prince Metternich, who had been living during wartime for so long among the most outstanding generals of his era and had been following many armies, did not understand at all, when it came to the moral side of the war. A person, gifted with the qualities he possessed, had to unravel it immediately, as soon as he found himself on the battlefield, and had to be amazed at the mysteries that accompany it." (In other words, Klemens suffered from the same star-illness that struck poor emperor Alexander: it's hard to be a diplomat during the time of constant wars and not start wanting to snatch a piece of military glory to yourself. It’s very, very hard).

Prince Karl, on the contrary, perfectly delved into all the subtleties of war - his discretion in making decisions on which the lives of hundreds of thousands soldiers depended was worth a lot.

For Schwarzenberg, war was a "craft": he certainly knew how to kill (frenzied passion for hunting on the verge of obsession is a proof to that - it’s, of course, their house’s specialty (and a major trend for many aristocratic families at the time), but without personal inclination it wouldn’t last for long).

[Emperor Napoleon in one of his letters]

"... that if I invited Prince Schwarzenberg to hunt as a correction, it is primarily because of the wedding circumstances, and also because he is greatly amused by it as a military man."

And if we speak about prince's combat talents directly, we have to state that he, unfortunately, could not fully reveal himself as a supreme commander. The campaigns of 1813-1814 did not allow him to fully develop, even though during his military career Schwarzenberg managed to prove himself as a fairly capable field commander who won local victories with the help of those limited military forces he had at hand (Neervinden, Le Cateau-Cambrésis, Ulm, Austerlitz, Wagram).

That is, he held himself with dignity in one-on-one battles. In terms of supreme command the same Archduke Karl probably surpassed him, it’s true. He just had much more experience in that field. And who, if not the emperor with the archdukes have to rule the armies! *sounds of sarcasm*

One way or another, we wouldn’t know the true military potential of Schwarzenberg, because, I repeat, in the wars of 1813-1814 (including 1812, although the auxiliary corps meant almost nothing at the time; and then prince Karl covered the retreat of the Grand Army brilliantly, as he was ordered, until Vienna recalled him in February 1813) the Austrians had a lot at stake. Therefore, Schwarzenberg behaved himself as carefully as he could, giving way to any diplomatic endeavours, which Metternich, for his part, conducted purely in the interests of the empire.

[Schwarzenberg to Metternich]

"Don't leave me, my dear friend. You promised me in Frankfurt, while I was actively implementing military operations, to launch peace negotiations; I kept my promise, but alas, how far behind you are!"

Thus, no such full-scale… massacre was taking place as in the campaigns of the Third and Fourth (and even the Fifth) Coalitions, where all sorts of marshals and generals were shining exceptionally bright and Schwarzenberg, at his turn, could prove himself at the higher commanding post.

Despite this uncertainty, I believe that Schwarzenberg certainly possessed greater military talents and experience in combat operations than AlexanderI. In the coalition ranks tsar was assigned with a powerful consolidating function. Actually, that’s why it was decided in the first place to choose an Austrian commander-in-chief for the Allied army - simply to glue everyone to each other. However, this same Austrian commander not only ruled the armies, receiving thousands of unnecessary tips and reprimands from all sides, but also reconciled everyone much more effectively than tsar, whom the glory of great generals of his time hit strongly in the head…

But it’s a completely different story, isn’t it, historians of my fatherland and some other historiographers?)))

The same Metternich, with his usual exorbitant self-esteem, eventually began to attribute the triumph over Napoleon exclusively to himself, to his own clever political moves. Alas, there was no place under the sun for his colleague whose incredible perseverance made this triumph even possible in the first place.

Three days of mourning after field-marshal’s death look truly indecent against all the efforts made by Prince Schwarzenberg, who absolutely ruined his own health in the name of the greater good and in the last years of his life lost all hope for a long happy old age surrounded by his beloved wife Marianna, their three sons Friedrich, Karl and Edmund, numerous relatives and friends (most of whom passed away quickly as well).

In my humble opinion, the willpower and dedication of this one-of-a-kind man should be admired to the depth of our human souls and serve as an example to us all. An example of what a long, persistent, thankless diligence in a field that does not bring you much enthusiasm where, after all the hard work you’ve done, you are denied even minor merits and recognition can lead to.

Dixi. 🏛

#karl zu schwarzenberg #karl philipp zu schwarzenberg #fürst zu schwarzenberg #karl philipp prince of schwarzenberg #tsar alexander i #alexander i of russia #klemens von metternich #napoleonic era #napoleonic wars #austrian empire #austrian nobility #19th century

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69why-am-i-doing-this69 · 1 year

Text

Someplace Quieter

Aesop Sharp x OC

Description:

An American auror transferring to the British Ministry of magic for some peace of mind. She first has to undergo supervision under oath of not meddling in the British affairs. It was only a benefit to the ministry to place her under the supervision of the former auror now potions professor.

Notes:

Screaming in so many swear jars.

Chapter 3

Chapter 4 - Burn

I pace around my bedroom, trying to find my belt. Looking through every crevasse and bag that I could find. My attention was into my bag, digging into every nook in an attempt to find it. A scratch of ceramic across the floor floods my ears. I look up to see my potted devil’s ivy using it’s leaves to push itself on the floor. I follow the line it was trailing to see my belt in front of the foot of the bed. Oolong perched by the windowsill, attentively watching the shrub as it moves.

“Thank you,” I said to the plant, grabbing it from the floor and wrapping it around my waist. I took a glance in the full-length mirror, littered with clothing around it that I still need to organize. Wearing a comfortable ivy green sweater, a white blouse worn under, and a yellow tie poking from the v-line. I fasten the belt, turning back to my shrub, looking completely withered. “Why are you always so dramatic?” I sigh, picking the plant from the floor to find a suitable spot with some ounce of light. It starts to shake like it was whimpering. I place it on the table in front of the window, trying to get it to soak in the dimming sunlight, Oolong flapping away from it. The shrub immediately reverts to a healthy look in content. I pet it’s leaves before placing Oolong in the comforts of my arms, turning to make my way down the stairs.

I was met with what looked like an explosion of greenery. Pots and plants were at a forefront in every place you looked. Still needed to be placed accordingly. I shift Oolong into my left arm to take off my broom, a silver arrow, from its mount. I took note to find the time to properly organize my new living space before continuing my path beside the dining table, a letter to Silas sitting neatly on it. I took the letter, putting it carefully in Oolongs beak as I exit into Hogsmeade.

“Make sure they both get this or it’s my head,” I lovingly say to Oolong before releasing her, watching her fly away before attempting to mount my broom. My neighbor’s door suddenly opens for an elderly lady, dressed in a simple blue gown with floral patterns, to pass through.

“Mrs. Sepony, anything I can do for you this evening?” I beam, lifting my broom from its position to stand beside me as I greet her. She looks back at me and smiles. She lives alone with her husband, though he doesn’t get out much anymore. Often coming by to talk about plants along with various sweets she makes herself, wonderfully paired with the blends of tea Silas has given me.

“Nani dear, good evening,” she says with delight. She gestures to her small garden, once barren now filled with beautiful moonflowers that I grew not long ago, “I must thank you for planting them for me.”

“No need, I needed to make room for growing new plants anyways,” I respond, “I can help manage them if you need it.”

“Oh no, I’m happy to take care of them, dear. I thought I had to part with gardening entirely with my bad back. thankfully, you moved in and did the hard part for me,” she chatters, “but enough about the moonflowers, where are you off to this evening, dear?”

“Ah, just doing some work, but I’m sure I won’t be out too late,” I respond, deciding not to explain any further for time.

“I see. Will you be working Friday evening as well?” she inquires further. I look at her questionably, wondering if there’s any important events going on at Hogsmeade. Then I wonder if she needed any help with the plants or any manual work.

“I’m not sure, what for?”

“Ever since my husband has gotten his bad knees, he hasn’t been too eager to go mingle at The Three Broomsticks anymore. We would welcome your presence if you’re free.”

“We?” I quickly ask, unsure of this third person.

“This lovely gentleman Jacob, just around your age, and he’s been just as helpful to as you are dear. We’ve known him since he was little. Now that he’s grown, we’d share a drink every so often,” she describes. I put on a kind smile at the notion of her setting me up with a guy. It's a kind gesture but one I’m not too eager to accept.

“I’ll have to look at my schedule, but I’ll let you know,” I say, trying my best to evade her offer, “I hate to cut this off short, but I do need to get going.”

“My apologies dear, don’t be out too late,” she concludes, cupping my cheeks with her hands before walking away from me, assuming whatever plan she had as she left her little home. I reassumed my position on my broom before quickly lifting off in the direction of Hogwarts.

It wasn’t hard to miss, but I wanted to familiarize myself with the landscape. Noting various things on my path, either ones that I knew or ones I’m going to have to learn. I spent some attention on the plants I could spot, thinking about whether I wanted to grow them. When crossing the waters of Hogwarts, I couldn’t help myself from lowering to the surface. I Switch my position on my broom like I was kneeling on it to get even closer. One hand gripping the stem of the broom to keep balance while the other moves to dip into the water below, creating a ripple from where it touched. I lift myself away from the water once I feel satisfied.

I land at the same entrance from the first time I came here, taking a deep breath in the hopes that I’ll remember the same path that minister Spavin and Black took. After a couple of moments and some wrong turns, I arrive at the potion’s classroom. I hesitate to open the door; a nervous pit fills in my stomach. I shake it off by the need to fulfill the wants of the ministry and slowly turn the knob. It opens with a slight creak, and I pass through, walking to him.

He sits at his desk, scrolls littered all over it. His jacket has been abandoned on his body, and the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to his forearms. Body hunched over, barely snaking a glance at me before returning to his work, “I see you’ve managed to arrive, Ms. Davis.”

“Is it that hard to call me Nani?” I raise the question. Stopping at the front of his desk, I lean over to see what he’s grading. Essays about the draught of the living dead potion.

“It’s highly unprofessional,” he starts, “It’s also a violation to be reading my students' assignments.”

My head jumps up from looking at the essays to his face, “Sorry,” I mutter. He never took an eye off the parchment. I took a moment to study his face. His brows scrunched together, trying to piece together the logic behind his student’s paper. So that’s how he has so many wrinkles. I smile slightly at it. I turn my body to lean my backside on the edge of his desk to hide my growing flush, “We’re going to be doing this for at least a couple months so might as well just forget that aspect. I’ve already been calling you Aesop.”

“I assume you’re not going to make any efforts to call me anything else,” he harshly scrapes against the paper with a fury. I slightly grimace at whoever’s parchment is being abused by his ink and quill.

“And you’d be correct with that assessment,” I grin, turning to him, which caused him to glance at me. Proudly displaying my persistence, “And I’ll continue to correct you every time you refer to me by my surname, so might as well just call me by my name.” A silent pause fell upon us. The only noise present is his scribbles and scratches on the parchment. Turning back to my original position, I tried to clear the air, “So what do you think is happening in the ministry?”

“Something serious, I presume, especially if they’re placing their new recruits under supervision of former employees,” he states, I chuckle pathetically at his answer. He doesn’t know much about it either. I start to think about the unwanted sacrifice he’s making for me, feeling guilty if I’m taking away time from anyone important.

“I’m sure the missus must be upset from this predicament,” I remark, turning to look at him again, still entranced with his work. He quickly raises his left hand, wiggling his fingers to garner my attention. No ring. My face litters with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. Thank Merlin that he’s too focused on grading. “I’m sorry,” I sputter, “I just thought that you—."

“It’s none of your concern to worry about my marital status,” he says, visibly frustrated. I assume from the essay he’s been grading. I’ve been an auror for multiple years. How could I let something that simple as looking for a ring slip from me? A small part of me is partly delighted at that fact, but it didn’t matter currently.

I got up from the desk, standing firmly on my feet, I quickly tried to change the subject out of embarrassment, “So what will I be doing for you then?”

“Professor Black didn’t have a terrible idea so I made an effort to put a short list of items I’m running low on, figured it would be best to get a grasp of our geography from it. Shouldn’t be too difficult to obtain, which would help start off on the ministry’s primary concerns with your combat skills,” he explains, lifting various rolls of parchments, looking for something.

“Does he usually have terrible ideas?” I pick up the rolls parchments he was lifting to help him look for it, holding them in the arms of my hands. He looks up at me for a moment, trying to ponder what he should say about it.

“It wouldn’t be wise to speak how I feel about my boss here,” he brushes off my question. I become pensive at his words. He lifts one final parchment to reveal the list placed below it.

“Why is that?” I neatly place all the parchments I’ve been holding on the desk.

He lifts the list for me to take, “You haven’t met Peeves yet, have you?”

“Does he normally make an appearance?” I question back, hesitantly taking the parchment from him. His face slightly turns into a small smirk. I slowly look away from him to peruse the list, slightly pacing left and right from his desk.

“You’ll know once he does, but I guess I have to warn you,” I look up from the list to him, “he likes doing tricks with fire.” I blink at him in wonder at how he is allowed to be at a school for children. He focuses his attention back on his grading. He explains, “He has as big as a mouth as he does his tricks and he’s rather known to be quite the antagonist for both the staff and the students.”

“You certainly have a variety of characters at Hogwarts, though I still haven’t seen the giant squid unfortunately,” I turn my attention to the parchment. Mostly a variety of plants to be collected, inspiring to expand my variety in my house. I hear a small chuckle behind me.

“Is that why you transferred?” He jokes, which causes me to look up and smile at him, slightly glad he remembered our brief conversation.

“It would be a lie if it wasn’t a part of it,” I answered honestly. I finish reading the short list, ending off with horned slugs. I stop in my tracks, trying to rattle the usage of them. I’m unsure how often they’re used or what they’re even used for.

“Horned slugs?” I ask, looking to Aesop. His head snaps up to look at me. My attention is completely fascinated in his reaction.

He says with apprehension, “You read that correctly.”

“I don’t remember what they’re used for. Can you enlighten me?” I grin. He needs it for a particular reason, and I would like to know why.

“I thought potions weren’t favorable?” He remarks, I stare at him with a slightly offended expression.

“And this is your chance to start changing my mind about it,” I shot back, fighting a smile, “You already have my attention.”

“Horned slugs are primarily used for medicinal purposes,” he explains briefly.

I respond with a dull expression, “I had my fair share of medicinal potions,” he looks at me in question, “ones made with horned slugs were never present.”

“That’s because you’re not getting boils every other month,” he slips. So that’s what it’s for.

A smile crept up on my face at the revelation, trying to contain my laughter, “A cure for boils?”

“In my defense it’s not for me,” He withdraws from his grading, leaning back in his chair, smirking. My smile spreads onto him. He’s just as ecstatic about the situation as I am.

“Am I allowed to ask who then?” I pry.

“It would be unwise,” he simply states while I look at him, furrowing my brows for a second. It only took that second for me to understand who he’s referring to.

“Professor Black is really using his headmaster status to dry out the horned slug supply?” I laugh, bringing my hand to cover the extent of my smile.

“A surprising usage of his status, I will say,” He leans on the desk. My eyes couldn’t help but glance at his forearms as he rests them on the desk.

“I guess I better start my endeavor before Professor Black is littered with boils,” I joke, making my way to the door, I hear a distant chuckle behind me.

“I’ll see you in a few hours then,” he responds as I open the door.

I stop, “And if I don’t, will you come find me?” I ask with a playful smile, slightly caressing the door awaiting his response.

“I’ll have to,” he answers, and I exit, still grinning as I walk down the hall.

…

It didn’t take a lot to find the ingredients. The extent of my knowledge of plants certainly helped spot them along with extracting them. Before I knew it, I finally secured the last horned slug, securing the jar and placing it in a satchel along with the other things I collected. I look up from my position to see two men walking by the path, their face covered with masks with a heaping number of shining rocks in their arms. It sparks my suspicion, and I quickly move to avoid their sight inside a bush.

“Is this really not enough?” One young voice pique.

“I don’t really ask questions in regard to my clients. It’s better if you don’t either,” a hoarser voice replies.

“But I mean, there’s enough moonstone in our arms to last a lifetime. What could anyone be doing with it?” He inquires, not understanding his partner’s last statement. So, it’s moonstone. The conversation slowly lessens to a faint noise in my ear. I remove myself from my hiding spot, seeing their faint silhouettes on the path. I mount my broom before slowly trailing them to a small campsite. Landing on a tree branch slightly bordering it, if they were to look up, they might see me, but they’re too entranced at their task to check their parameters. The older man, dressed in green, points to the carriage, seemingly to instruct his inexperienced partner to load the materials on it. He then walks to the tattered table to focus his attention into a small black leather bounded book.

I try to my focus on the younger man, loading the moonstone into a carriage, but the creature drawing it catches my eye. It was like a black horse with the skin of a lizard. Its wings took a similar shape to those of a bat. It’s body frail and hollow, a nightmarish creature at first glance. I’ve never seen such a thing before, I’m sure I read about it somewhere, though. I should ask Aesop about it.

The young man finishes, securing the moonstone in a box before making his way to the other, colliding with the horse-like creature in the process. He frantically collects himself before trying to pet the mount on the creature, placing his hand on random areas before finally hitting his target. My face twists in confusion by the action, I find it hard for him to miss such a mesmerizing steed. He speaks to the other gentleman, engross in the notebook in front of him before pointing at the firepit below me.

I froze. hoping that the young man wasn’t astute enough to look up from the firepit, revealing my presence. The young man walks to the pit, placing a concerning amount of firewood in it, not even lifting his gaze a little. Is he trying to create a bonfire? Seems counterintuitive to what they’re doing.

He lights it all using confringo. I mount my broom, quickly removing myself from view. I watch from above, seeing the older man snaps from the book and to the recent explosion. He quickly makes his way to the other man in an angry fashion. My attention turns to the fire as they engage in some conversation. It burns brightly, catching onto the branch I was perched on, which quickly spreads to another. I’m sure I’m contributing to the spread from my presence.

The thought that I should leave pervades my mind, but my interest in their activities and the small book sitting on the table prevails. The fire quickly spreads throughout the plant life in the area surrounding the firepit, which catches the attention of the men. The older man quickly tries to cast a spell, water spouting out of his wand onto the expanding flames to try to calm it while the other secures all the items on the carriage. Once the fire became too overwhelming, the man quits trying to suppress the flames in favor of the products he gathered.

They both get on the carriage, hastily whipping the reigns so they can move, neglecting the little black book on the table. The horses quickly react, galloping a little before flying away, I made sure to avoid their sight during their departure. I lower myself back to the ground, ignoring the flames emitting around me as I made my way to the book. I lift it from the table. It felt like worn leather and even looked like such.

The cackle of multiple branches falling as the fire continues to consume causes my attention to break from the book. I look over to what looks like a mountain of flame, taking that as my queue to finally leave. I pocket the book in my waist, pulling my blouse and vest over it before mounting my broom. Lifting myself out of the area, making sure to cast a raincloud, that Maria begrudgingly taught me, above the area. I didn’t dally on my way back, filled with anticipation to look inside.

I immediately pace the journey to the potions classroom after I land. Taking the book out of my waist, I open to a random page. It was a list filled with random ingredients followed by a single letter and a number, assuming it’s the quantity of the product and a date. I continue to flip through, trying to find something of meaning, but it was pointless as I soon stood in front of the potion’s classroom. I stare at the door, unsure of how I managed to get to this part of the massive castle without thinking. I put the book back in my waist, adjusting to make it less noticeable. I walk through the door, small satchel in tow in one hand, while carrying my broom in the other. Aesop, not at all moved an inch from where I left him, glances up from the parchment he’s working on.

“You’re back already?” he checks the time. It should be about a couple hours since I left, beating his estimation by at least an hour.

“I’m decent with a broom,” I explain. Wiggling my broom out in front of him. “I made sure to gather extra slugs for Professor Black,” I smile.

“It certainly will save me a month or two on my part,” He remarks back, both sharing a quiet laugh. I place my broom against one of the stoves and the satchel on his desk, opening it to reveal it’s ingredients.

“Can I do anything else for you?” I ask, removing its contents.

“Wouldn’t you like to be back home?” he replies, removing himself from his work to look at me.

“I’m in no rush to leave,” I reply, grinning at him, “plus you still have a roll of parchment to scratch through.”

“If you insist, you could place the plant ingredients in their respective jars,” he suggests, pointing to the general area of where I could find it. I immediately walk over, picking them out from their color and lack in quantities. I grab the jars, making my way over to the front of his desk. Organizing the ingredients. During the process, I remembered the creature from the campsite.

“Aesop, I saw this horse,” I quip. Immediately being met with his signature unamused expression. I continue mindlessly sorting each ingredient, “Well, it was more like an abraxan but from a nightmare. It was black, and its skin was like a reptile. It looked incredibly frail, unlike an abraxans' full figure. I’ve never seen such a thing before. Do you know what it is?”

His face drops a little, “You saw a thestral.”

“Thestral?” I inquire, stopping my movements. Face contorts with weary from his expression.

“Yes, however, they are usually not seen unless you’ve witnessed death,” He speaks slowly. The fact that I’m describing it means that I’ve seen someone die, and he’s unsure how to approach the topic. My face softens with apprehension from his words. He looks at me with concern, “May I ask?”

My mind goes to debate how I wanted to phrase it. Mindlessly picking at the belladonna I’m holding for a moment. I decide not to risk it, “Someone who took care of me when I was young, he uh…got a fever that he never recovered from.”

“You haven’t considered a pepperup potion?” A question that I wish he didn’t ask, despite his well intentions.

"It was already too late,” I murmur, expressing nothing but guilt with a twinge of frustration. I wasn’t exactly wrong. It would be around five years after his death before I learned about it and what its capabilities are. Though it couldn’t be helped at that point. I continue to place the ingredients in the jars.

“My apologies,” he says quietly. Not daring to make a move with his quill.

“It was a long time ago, I made sure he’s resting peacefully,” I force a grin. I turn the conversation, not caring if he notices or not, “Is that essay being difficult?”

“That’s most essays, Nani,” he comments, making a couple of scribbles in the middle of the parchment. My grin turns genuine as my name came out of his mouth.

“See, it wasn’t that hard,” I chime, immediately reverting back to the same tone as when our conversation started.

“I’m going to revoke it,” he threatens, and my face drops to a comical pained expression. Placing my hand, holding a sage, to my chest dramatically.

“You wouldn’t. We’ve already come so far,” he subtly grins at my theatrical gesture. I place the last belladonna in its respective jar, securing them and placing them back on their original shelfs. I walk back to the desk, “Is that all I can do for you?”

“That will be all for today, thank you,” he dismisses me. I take my broom before making my way to the door, opening it.

“Oh, Aesop?” I exclaim, peering back at him, “Will you need me Friday?” I ask, hoping he’ll say yes.

He looks at me questionably, “Are you asking me to find something for you to do on Friday?” I smile at him, already reading my intentions.

“Precisely,” I nod. My smile spreads to him as he looks at me with a smirk.

“Then I’ll need you the same time Friday,” he says. I finally leave his classroom, keeping him on my sights as long as I can before the door closes. The feeling of delight spreads through me as I continue my leave.

#aesop sharp #professor sharp #aesop sharp x oc #hogwarts legacy

11 notes · View notes

hezzabeth · 6 months

Text

"You brought the baby back," Nani remarked with surprise the moment Sugafana and Jay got back. Nani then gasped with surprise when Sugafana placed the baby on the bed.

"That’s a different baby; that baby looks like Lakshmi," she remarked.

"It’s not," Jay said, and Sugafana sat down to explain exactly what had happened.

"Oh Bhagwan! You only went and adopted the lost princess's baby," hissed Nani.

"I did?" Sugafana asked, shooting Jay a questioning look, who merely shrugged.

"The news is all over the camp; her husband accused her of having an affair with another man. She’s dead, and the maternity droid she owned vanished," Nani cried as she grabbed a bag from the pile of laundry and began to dramatically pack everything.

"This could all be a big coincidence," Sugafana protested weakly as she sat down next to baby Dityaa.

Baby Dityaa began to cry, and suddenly Sugafana felt a peculiar painful sensation in her chest.

"Coincidence? You said the baby's parents are classified! She had green hair! An assassin came after you," Nani hissed as she wrapped the creature up in two old shirts.

Baby Dityaa began to nuzzle Sugafana’s shirt.

"Your Nani is probably right; there have been far too many strange occurrences," Jay replied, and Sugafana gasped.

"There’s milk coming out of me," she said, gesturing to her chest.

"Of course there is! You changed the baby's DNA, and now you’re her mother! Feed her," Nani said gently as she tugged down Sugafana's shirt, much to her embarrassment.

Baby Dityaa latched furiously onto Sugafana, sucking away.

"I didn’t know it worked that way," Sugafana muttered as she grabbed a blanket, trying to cover herself up.

"You don’t need to be embarrassed; I’ve been breastfeeding hundreds of times," Jay assured her.

"I’m going to start packing; when you’re done, I’ll arrange for us to go to BritinduSarvadharma," Nani said.

"Brigindusarvadharma is on the other side of the planet!" Jay gasped.

"It is also big and easy to get lost in; the population is almost a billion people," Sugafana mused.

"How would we get in? They’ll turn us away at the border," Jay said, and Nani shook her head.

"I know people," Nani said with a small shrug.

"Your friends' grandchildren, who are all smugglers! They’ll make us teleport hidden in empty oil drums! We could end up with mixed-up DNA," Sugafana pointed out.

"And do you have a better use? This place is filled with gossips! People here know that you and Jay are not romantic partners who created a baby," Nani pointed out, and Sugafana sighed.

"I guess you’re right," she admitted.

Baby Dityaa finally finished eating, and with a small sigh, she fell into a deep sleep.

Day six

Suddenly, there was the distant sound of someone screaming, and Sugafana sighed with frustration.

"Oh, what now?" Sugafana grumbled.

"Probably someone fighting over what play the camp actors will put on tomorrow," Jay said knowingly.

"I don’t know why they bother fighting about it; they always end up performing that ancient folktale about Mister Burns," Nani said as she pulled down the tapestry, shoving it into the bag.

Another scream, the pounding of footsteps.

"I need to pack," Jay said.

"You do?" Sugafana asked, faintly confused.

"I’m coming with you! I’m Dityaa’s fake father, and I can’t leave you," Jay said firmly.

"You can’t leave me?" Sugafana asked nervously.

"Oh, for goodness' sake, girl, the boy is clearly in love with you," Nani cried with frustration, and Sugafana glanced at Jay, who was now staring at the floor.

"Nani, can you take the baby out for a minute and give us some privacy?" Sugafana asked, and Nani nodded.

"No kissing unless he asks you to marry him," Nani said firmly.

For a second, everything was quiet and fragile. Sugafana felt like she was watching a piece of fine china flying through the air, and if she moved the wrong way, it would crash into a million pieces.

"You can sit next to me, Jay," she said, and he smiled, a tiny relieved smile.

Sugafana had caught the plate.

"So, you're in love with me then?" Sugafana asked.

"You're intelligent, funny in a very dry way, and kind! Who wouldn't love that?" Jay asked with a small smile, and Sugafana reached towards Jay, her hand hovering above his hand.

"I am fond of you, Jay... it's just, well," Sugafana began.

"Well, what?"

"I had a girlfriend during the beginning of the war; we only dated for a few weeks, but she exploded," Sugafana admitted, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Exploded?" Jay stammered.

"Then when I first arrived at the camps, I was with a man named Paul; he was fun, but then he ran off to join the northern resistance," Sugafana added, and then she glanced up at Jay. It was easy not to grow romantically attached when all she saw was a sliver of eyes. Now, however, she found herself taking in the elegant slope of his long nose, his surprisingly full lips, and the way his short beard surprisingly framed his jawline. Charismatic, Jay looked charismatic. Of course, he did.

"Nani thinks I'm cursed," Sugafana added.

"I thought you didn't believe in anything," Jay reminded her.

"True," she admitted before pulling his face towards hers. The kiss felt like a shock of static electricity against her lips. Jay's lips moved against hers, and the shock turned into a vibrating purr, traveling right down her knees. Jay's lips felt so very warm and soft, aching in a way Sugafana didn't even know she was missing. Sugafana pulled away slightly dazed and then nodded.

"Your Nani said no kissing before a wedding," Jay stammered, sounding incredibly flustered.

"I had to make sure we had chemistry before making a decision," Sugafana pointed out logically.

"I think we do," Jay replied.

"Yes, surprisingly I agree," Sugafana admitted with a firm nod.

"Does this mean I can come?" He asked, and Sugafana nodded.

"And can I kiss you again?" He asked, and Sugafana nodded again.

"What were you two doing in there for so long? I've been waiting for almost an hour," grumbled Nani.

"An hour? Really?" Sugafana asked dubiously as she patted her hair back into place.

"Alright, half an hour," Nani conceded before nodding down the cave's dark corridor.

"Six people have already run past! I'm guessing a fight has broken out in the soup kitchen again," Nani said as Sugafana took back Dityaa.

"Sometimes I think we need an elected official to run this place; every time there's a fight, we end up having to scrub blood off the walls," Sugafana whispered as they walked through the dark.

"What, like a warlord?" Jay asked.

"No! More like a group of sensible, practical people who make good decisions based on everyone's needs," Sugafana said, and Nani snorted.

"Sounds like a silly fairytale to me," Nani said, and Jay suddenly squawked as he tripped in the dark.

"Nani, did you pack the torch?" Sugafana asked.

"Of course! But we don't want to waste the battery," Nani pointed out.

"We also don't want Jay to trip over and break his neck before we even get to his dorm," Sugafana pointed out.

Grumbling to herself, Nani rummaged about in her sack, and with a flash, the tunnel filled with a faint warm light. Jay gasped, the baby whimpered, and Nani swore.

A dead body was lying on the stone floor. An actual bloody dead body.

Sugafana merely choked a little before composing herself. It wasn't the first dead body she'd seen, and it probably wouldn't be her last.

"Appliances?" Nani whispered, and Sugafana shook her head, still feeling sick.

"Appliances vaporize humans; they don't leave a mess," Sugafana whispered.

The body was dressed in torn black pants, no shoes, and a loose grey shirt. Its hands were missing, blood trickling from the wrists.

"What the… " Jay gagged, and Sugafana stepped over the body, trying to avoid getting blood on her pants.

"We need to keep moving," Sugafana whispered as she rubbed baby Dityaa's head.

Silence didn't exist in the camp. Even in the dead of the night, the corridors and caves were filled with the constant thrum of people. Snow farmers getting ready to meet the Martian sunrise. Small children running around the corridors while their parents slept on the ground. Baba's thieves and traders drinking long into the night. Sugafana would often fall asleep to the distant sound of their cave neighbor two doors down singing.

Silence didn't exist.

Until now.

"Raiders?" Jay whispered as they approached the camp's nursery. Many people arrived at the camp either pregnant or carrying tiny babies. A couple of years ago, an enterprising flash named Pooja noticed this and created the nursery. It was really no more than a medium-sized enclave with a dozen cardboard boxes turned into cribs. The nursery's curtain had been ripped aside.

"Do you think we should look?" Jay whispered.

"Normally there's at least one baby crying in here," Sugafana replied, and Nani held the torch up. All the baby boxes were empty, and the attending nurse was lying dead on the floor.

"That's Arya's girl Priya; she's only seventeen," Nani cried, leaning down towards the girl.

"Her hands are also missing," Sugafana realized, her voice catching in her throat.

Jay leaned down, placing his hands gently on Nani's shoulder.

"This has to be something new, something new and terrible," Nani choked.

"My sleeping pod has a lock on it; we should all be able to squeeze inside," Jay said gently, helping Nani to her feet.

"And then what?" Hissed Sugafana.

"This thing is probably like a monsoon; it will storm past, and we can leave when it's gone," Jay whispered, and Sugafana shivered. Other people, braver people, would have insisted on finding the monster in the dark. They would have fought it to the death, saving those who remained. Other people, however, were not balancing a baby in their arms while standing next to a sixty-three-year-old lady with weak legs.

"Ok, we'll hide," Sugafana whispered.

Sugafana and Nani had only spent a week in the dorms before the claustrophobia made them flee. The sleeping pods were no more than two by two feet dingy gray boxes with locks on the inside. Sugafana had ended up trading her late mother's pearl earrings to secure their cave.

"Chi chi! I can smell them from here," Nani grumbled.

"Be polite," hissed Sugafana, although Nani was right. Even in the dark, it was easy to follow the stench of old cooking, human sweat, and volcanic sulfur.

"I keep my pod very clean," Jay said defensively.

"Of course you do," whispered Sugafana.

There was an edge to the smell this time.

Sugafana had caught the plate.

"So, you're in love with me then?" Sugafana asked.

"You're intelligent, funny in a very dry way, and kind! Who wouldn't love that?" Jay asked with a small smile, and Sugafana reached towards Jay, her hand hovering above his.

"I am fond of you, Jay... it's just, well," Sugafana began.

"Well, what?"

"I had a girlfriend during the beginning of the war; we only dated for a few weeks, but she exploded," Sugafana admitted, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Exploded?" Jay stammered.

"Then when I first arrived at the camps, I was with a man named Paul; he was fun, but then he ran off to join the northern resistance," Sugafana added, and then she glanced up at Jay. It was easy not to grow romantically attached when all she saw was a sliver of his eyes. Now, however, she found herself taking in the elegant slope of his long nose, his surprisingly full lips, and the way his short beard framed his jawline. Charismatic; Jay looked charismatic. Of course, he did.