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ranger-report · 4 years

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Theory: No One Is Real In Silent Hill 2

At last, for October, I present a Fan Theory nearly twenty years in the making. I’ve been thinking long and hard about this presentation, and for a moment nearly broke it up into a bunch of smaller posts. But where’s the fun in that? So below I present in its thirty-page entirety (I KNOW I’M SO SORRY) the idea that James Sunderland is the only physically “real” human in Silent Hill 2, and that everyone else is a manifestation created by the town. It’s a long, long, detailed long post, so if you’re here for it you have my thanks in advance. Go pee and get something to snack on.

Welcome to Silent Hill!

***

In the world of video games, true genre-defining experiences come few and far between. Often these benchmark releases inspire waves of imitators: some capture the spark of what made these masterpieces so memorable, most end up as cash grabs on a popular genre. Few games have inspired such imitation as the Silent Hill series. Provocative, psychological, and unafraid to tackle controversial content, the series is renowned for preying on player expectations, toying with perceptions of space and time and awareness. Many lesser games have made an attempt at reproducing the same magic, including later games in the same series.

Silent Hill 2 is singled out by fans and critics to be the best of the bunch. Hailed as one of the scariest games of all time, the story tackles the subjects of abuse (both emotional and physical), grief, and punishment. It does so in a very uniquely Silent Hill manner, in which nothing is real, and every step the player takes moves them closer to an abyss of terror. Developed by Team Silent, the group that created the first four titles in the series, Silent Hill 2 is categorized as a “survival horror” game, and the primary means of gameplay is that of tense combat with heavy emphasis on exploration and puzzle solving. Combat is by no means a “run and gun” escapade – the protagonist generally has a variety of melee weapons like a wood plank or a tire iron, and relatively few guns. Ammunition is sparse and requires constant management; the game recommends avoiding as many enemies as possible. Meanwhile, puzzles are mostly logic-based, involving riddles, the combining of objects to create a key, and choosing the proper item for the proper spot. The atmosphere is oppressively claustrophobic, even in its outdoor environments. Truly, this is an experience that is designed to make the player feel alone and isolated.

Despite this, Silent Hill 2 features a memorable cast; each character has distinct motivations and reasons for their journey to the town, but each person is also shrouded in mystery. After all, their purpose is not to tell their stories, but to enhance the journey of the protagonist. While at first it seems a given that these characters are all real – and they are presented as such – it is my belief that they are, in fact, manifestations of the town in order to provide extra torment for the protagonist, and also represent one of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This is a bit of a difficult pill to swallow at first glance, but the evidence is present throughout the game.

Before we dive into the reasons for this theory, let's first examine the story and setting of the game itself, in order to make sense of what is to come.

In my restless dreams, I see that town:

Silent Hill.

You promised you'd take me there again someday, but you never did.

Well, I'm alone there, now. In our “special place.”

Waiting for you.

-- Mary Shepard-Sunderland

In the opening of Silent Hill 2, James Sunderland reads these words, the beginning of a letter sent to him by his wife Mary. This is, of course, an impossible letter, as James quietly states that Mary has been dead for years, victim of a terminal illness. And yet, despite knowing this, James has come to the town of Silent Hill in order to understand how such an impossible letter could exist, and whether or not his late wife could truly be waiting for his arrival. For both the player and for James, this is an ominous way to begin the journey. Players familiar with the series will already know that the titular town conjures scenarios and creatures based on the psyche of the individuals in the town, making them see what it wants them to see. Those with, say, guilty consciences will see monsters and demons – innocents will only see an empty town. James, meanwhile, despite knowing full well that Mary is quite dead, is far too curious to understand what's going on here.

James begins his journey at a rest stop off the highway, above the town itself. This is the clearest view of the surroundings the game will give us until near the end. Forestry, tall trees, and waves of fog between them can be seen, with a large lake in the background beyond the town. Leaving the rest stop, James – and the player – is forced to walk a long path from the rest stop to the town, a full twenty minutes in-game. On all sides, the fog grows thicker, and the sounds of mysterious wildlife roaming the woods can be heard. As James enters the outskirts of Silent Hill, he cuts through a cemetery off the main road. Here he surprises Angela Orosco, who is sitting in front of a headstone, lost in thought. Immediately presented as anxious, cautious, stuttering and shy, Angela is a nineteen-year-old who claims to be searching for her mother – someone she accidentally refers to as “Mama” before correcting her choice of words to “Mother.” James tells her that he's looking for someone also, admitting that she may or may not be there. When he asks Angela if he's headed in the right direction of the town, Angela attempts to warn him off, saying that there's something wrong with the town, that he doesn't want to go there. James cuts her off, stating that he doesn't care if it's dangerous or not.

Returning to his quest, James finally enters Silent Hill. Here the fog is at its thickest, and the streets are clearly abandoned and in disrepair. James, thinking he sees someone walking through the fog in the distance, diverts course until he comes to a small construction site. A radio, blaring odd static, lies beside a dead body. James, cautiously, goes inside to pick it up, and turns around to face a strange, warped creature that looks like a shapeless human wrapped in a straitjacket made of flesh. In self-defense, James grabs a plank of wood and is forced to beat the creature to death. As he leaves, he thinks he hears Mary's voice coming from the radio, but the words can't be made out. He continues on. Now more of these creatures are walking along the streets, shuffling, shuddering, spewing acid from their gaping mouths if he gets too close. James can fight, or he can run, but out here where the enemies are multiple and fast, running is the best course of action.

James understands that his first objective is to reach Rosewater Park, where he and Mary shared an intimate moment during their vacation. But the streets have been cut off, so he decides to cut through the Wood Side Apartments. Inside it is dark, strange, and full of noises off-camera that exists solely to set James and the player on edge. In the apartment complex, he sees a key resting on the other side of some gated bars, which looks like it might be the one he needs to cross from one building to the next. As he attempts to reach through for it, an eight-year-old little girl appears out of nowhere. She kicks the key away and stomps on James's hand, laughing as she disappears into the darkness. This is the first living person James has seen in the town proper, and she has essentially made his life more difficult.

More creatures haunt the hallways of the apartment complex, including one that James sees standing on the opposite side of what look like prison bars in the middle of a hall. Tall, wearing a red triangular helmet and a flesh butcher's smock, this creature is called “Pyramid Head.” For now it merely stands opposite James, staring at him motionlessly. Later on, James will encounter Pyramid Head again, this time as it appears to be sexually assaulting another of the monsters. Hiding, James is forced to shoot at Pyramid Head with a gun he found in the apartments until it leaves on its own.

While searching through the apartment complex, James enters a room to discover Angela lying on the floor in front of a full-length mirror, holding a kitchen knife. As she gazes at the knife longingly, James tries to talk her out of whatever it is she's thinking of doing, stating that there's “always another way.” Angela's response is to compare the two of them, noting that it's easier to run away from their problems. She speaks in slow, exhausted tones, a stark difference from the stuttering hesitance of their earlier encounter. “Besides,” she concludes, still staring at the knife, “it's what we deserve.” James denies this, startled by the implication that he would consider such a way out. They continue to talk, James calmly and confidently holding Angela's attention, before they both admit to each other that neither of them have found the people they're looking for. James lets slip that he wouldn't be able to find his wife anyway since she's dead, which causes Angela to become nervous and animated again, and she gets up to leave. James says that they should go together since her warning about the town proved to be true, but she rejects the offer, claiming she'd only slow down his progress. James asks what she's going to do with the knife. Hesitating, Angela asks if James will hold on to it for her, that she's unsure what she'll do if she takes it with her. But when James reaches forward to accept the knife Angela screams and holds it out in defense. Surprised, James backs away as Angela has a near-breakdown, claiming that she's sorry and that she's “been bad.” She quickly sets down the knife and leaves the room in a flustered rush. James takes the knife, and it is worth noting that the knife cannot be used as a weapon in game, only as an item to be examined in his inventory.

James enters one of the apartments to discover Eddie, a portly twenty-something in an ill-fitting polo shirt and backwards cap, hunched over a toilet, violently throwing up. Eddie found a corpse inside of a fridge out in the living room after being chased in by some of the monsters, and a panicked Eddie became nauseous at the sight of it. In a difficult-to-stomach cutscene, Eddie continues to vomit while James talks to him. Eddie adamantly proclaims his innocence in regards to the dead body, claiming that he “didn't do it” and that he's not from Silent Hill. James, oddly, continues to converse with Eddie calmly, as though he's ignoring the man's explosive vomit. He asks if Eddie knows Pyramid Head. Confused, Eddie says he doesn't know what that is, only that he's seen some monsters that have freaked him out thus far. James infers that something brought Eddie to Silent Hill, but that whatever it is, he should try to leave town as soon as possible. Both men tell each other to be careful before James leaves Eddie to finish his business.

After several puzzles and strange occurrences, James is confronted by Pyramid Head, who is now wielding a huge knife that it has to drag behind it. Forced into a narrow room, the player must guide James back and forth, avoiding Pyramid Head's slow attacks, while shooting round after precious round into the beast. Eventually, an air raid siren can be heard in the distance; Pyramid Head descends a set of stairs that are submerged underwater, leaving James to his fate. The water drains, James follows – and the monster is gone.

Leaving the apartments, James finds the little girl who kicked him in an alley out back, perched on a high wall. Her name is Laura. She's precocious, bratty, and stubborn. James tries to get her to come with him, since there are monsters running around that could hurt her, but it seems as though Laura doesn't see the monsters. During their chat, she tells James that he “didn't love Mary,” and refuses to answer any other questions before running away into the fog.

As very confused James continues through Silent Hill, he arrives at Rosewater Park, hoping that this is where he will find Mary. But instead, James finds Maria, a woman who resembles Mary so much that he notes that she could be her twin. Yet Maria quickly establishes her stark difference from Mary. First, with her clothing: where the game shows images of Mary wearing a conservative pink cardigan and long skirt, Maria wears a revealing purple top and leopard print miniskirt. Her walk is sultry, her demeanor flirtatious, and her gaze holds a mischievous “come hither” look. Even her hair shows the change: where Mary had a darker auburn hue, Maria clearly has bleached hair, her brown roots prominent, a tint of red at the tips. James, taken aback by how different this woman is from his wife, at first decides to leave her be. But Maria quickly requests to come along with, wondering aloud if he was going to just leave her alone in a town surrounded by monsters. Guiltily, James tries to avoid this, but surrenders to letting her tag along. She asks if there's another place that Mary could be, and he realizes that they had stayed at the Lakeview Hotel, on an island in the middle of Toluca Lake. Together, the two of them set off to find a way there.

As the player guides James through the town, Maria follows at a decently close pace. Not quite as fast as James, but not so slow that she can't keep up. The artificial intelligence designed for Maria allows the player to not worry if Maria is nearby or not when running from or fighting monsters. In other games, the mechanics would force the player to worry about their companions, but not so Maria; she always catches up, and no matter how far away she is when James goes through a door into a new environment, Maria is immediately waiting on the other side. This ties in to the theme of Maria needing James to take care of her in the story.

Discovering that the highway leading out of town towards the docks has sunken into the earth, James turns around to seek out alternate means of getting to the hotel. Searching through the town, he comes across the Bowl-O-Rama, and decides to go inside just in case he can find any supplies worth taking along. Maria, notably, refuses to go with, stating that she hates bowling and would prefer to remain outside for him.

Inside, James hears two voices talking to each other: Laura, and Eddie. The scene cuts away from James, and focuses instead on these two characters. This is significant in that this is the only time in the game where two people who are not James are having a conversation, and their topic is significant. Laura mocks Eddie's weight, calling him a “gutless fatso,” and asks why he's running away from the police, why he can't just apologize for what he's done. Somehow he's gotten hold of some pizza, which he gladly eats while Laura sits beside him. Eddie states that he would never be forgiven for his transgressions, and continues eating. Laura mocks him for being a coward. Again, this is tellingly the only conversation in the game that James is not a part of, nor does it exist for his benefit in the game. It's only for the player to see and understand.

After this cutscene, James enters the bowling alley and finds Eddie. He asks Eddie if he's alone, which Eddie cautiously admits that he isn't. Laura rolls a bowling ball their way to get their attention, which causes James to see her briefly as she leaves the building. James tries to get Eddie to follow, but he declines, stating that Laura already said she was fine on her own, and that she claimed “a fatso like me would only slow her down.” James, in disgust, says, “Forget you!” before chasing after Laura. Outside, Maria tells James that she saw Laura headed towards the hospital, and they shouldn't leave her alone with the town being the way it is.

James follows Laura to Brookhaven Hospital at Maria's behest, and after Maria stops to rest in one of the rooms he goes on alone. Maria, it should be noted, has claimed to be hungover, but has developed a nasty cough and is taking pills from a prescription bottle. James, pressing on, eventually discovers the little girl playing with teddy bears. Laura is at first shocked to see James, but he assures her he is friendly and isn't going to hurt her or be angry. He just wants to know how she knows Mary. Laura, it turns out, shared a hospital room and nurse with Mary – only the week before. Hearing this, James shouts that Laura is a liar, which she brusquely receives, but she claims that there's something for James from Mary in the hospital and leads him to another room. Once inside, James finds himself locked in with a group of monsters hanging from the ceiling, tricked by Laura. James is knocked unconscious and awakens in an alternate form of the hospital to find Maria.

Maria is less than pleased that he left her alone, demanding comfort as she runs into his arms. But their reunion is short lived: as they attempt to flee the hospital, Pyramid Head appears and pursues them down a narrow corridor that leads to an elevator. James makes it, but the doors shut before Maria can get inside too. She is able to reach her arm in and flails for help as Pyramid Head stabs her to death. Grief stricken at watching Maria die, the woman who looks exactly like his late wife, James sees Laura running away through the front window, he decides to push himself onward. It's telling that as he exits the hospital, the town has changed from day to night, enveloped now in darkness as well as fog. After leaving the hospital, James attempts to find a way to cross Toluca Lake to get to Lakeview Hotel on a nearby island and find the last potential “special place.” In doing so, he discovers a hidden entrance to a strange underground prison beneath the Silent Hill Historical Society. Before this, however, James finds a painting in the historical society of an executioner surrounded by bodies in cages – the executioner looks exactly like Pyramid Head.

After a terrifying descent through impossible spaces – vertical hallways, vast drops into abyss-like blackness – James emerges into the underground prison. Eddie, somehow, is there as well. However, his aloof demeanor has been replaced with a chilling lack of empathy. Sitting on the ground brandishing a revolver, Eddie flinches as James shines his flashlight on him. He proceeds to smile vacantly, stating, “Killing a person ain't no big deal. Just put the gun to their head – pow!” He mimes shooting himself in the head as he does this. Lying on the table beside Eddie is a dead body with a head wound; Eddie claims it wasn't his fault, that the person was looking at him funny. James tries to rationalize with Eddie, telling him he can't just kill someone because of how they look at him. Visibly confused, Eddie asks why not, before continuing to reminisce about a “stupid dog” who'd also had it coming. After this, Eddie chuckles nervously, claiming everything he said was all just a joke, and that he needs to get going. As Eddie opens a door to go deeper into the prison, James asks, “You're going out there alone?” Eddie replies enthusiastically, “Yeah.”

Questing through the prison, James is shocked to discover Maria sitting on a chair inside one of the cells. Confused, James tries to speak to her, but her demeanor is odd: she talks about things that only Mary would know, including a videotape the two of them made together while at Lakeview Hotel. Stunned, James asks if she's actually Maria, to which she brusquely responds, “I'm not your Mary.” She implies a sexual reward if James finds a way around to unlock the cell, but by the time he discovers this path, Maria's body is on the cell's bed, bloodied, dead once again. Struggling with this, James forces himself to move on.

Angela appears in the prison labyrinth as well. Walking through a hallway, James finds scattered newspapers all over the ground, and if examined, reveal a news story about a lumberjack named Thomas Orosco, found with his throat slit in his own house. Moving onward, James hears Angela's voice scream: “Daddy! Please! No!” Rushing through a nearby doorway, James comes across a terrifying sight. Before him is a room made of fleshy material, with a television and makeshift furniture. Lining the walls are mechanical pistons which pump constantly and out of sync with each other. Angela is on her back, desperately trying to get away from a monster. Unlike anything else seen up until now, the monster resembles a person lying on top of another person in a bed, covered by a topsheet of flesh, and a twisted mouth emerging from the front. It shuffles forward on two legs with insidious humping movement. According to the game, this monster is called the “Abstract Daddy.”

James protects Angela and kills the monster; once this is done, Angela leaps to her feet, kicking the creature over and over before picking up the television and crashing it down on the Abstract Daddy, finishing it off. James tells her she can relax, but she screams at him, telling him not to tell her what to do. She accuses him of only wanting “one thing,” and that if he does, he should just force her and beat her, “like he used to do.” As she says this last part, she points at the dead Abstract Daddy, and breaks down, crying and dry heaving. When James tries to comfort her, she pushes him away, saying he makes her sick. She calls him a liar for claiming that Mary died from her illness. Departing with a sneer, she implies that James probably wanted to be with someone else.

Eddie's final appearance comes just before the end of the prison. James enters a cold storage room to discover Eddie standing over yet another dead body, but his mood here has deepened into something far more morose and morbid. James asks if Eddie killed this man as well; Eddie starts to shout about how it was deserved, how the man always called him a fat piece of shit, among other instances of verbal abuse. “It doesn't matter whether you're smart, dumb, ugly, pretty, it's all the same once you're dead!” Eddie shouts, concluding that “a corpse can't laugh.” James asks if Eddie has gone nuts; Eddie decides that James is just like everyone else, laughing at him behind his back, and points his gun at James. The player takes over, forced to fight Eddie, and after a few minutes of action Eddie retreats deeper into the meat locker.

The next room where Eddie has retreated is dark, foggy with cold air, and full of large meat slabs hanging from the ceiling. The meats are all wearing pants with suspenders. James proceeds cautiously as Eddie taunts him from the shadows. Eddie asks James if he understands how it feels to be made fun of just for how he looks. Eddie continues, ranting about how he'd shot a dog because it taunted him, before shooting the owner – his personal bully – in the knee. He laughs about how difficult it would be for the man to play football after that. James tries to tell Eddie that he needs help if he thinks it's okay to kill people, to which Eddie scoffs, telling James that the two of them are the same. After all, he says, Silent Hill called to James as well.

Eddie pops out of the shadows, and the player takes over for another battle. This time, once enough hits are landed, James kills Eddie. Once Eddie has fallen, James rushes over to his dead body, and shows remorse, shameful that he's killed a human being. From here, James leaves the prison and finds a dock with a rowboat waiting outside. He uses it to cross Toluca Lake and get to the hotel.

Startled in the hotel lobby by a loud noise, James finds Laura at a grand piano, having just struck a loud chord to get James's attention. Here they finally have a conversation about their purpose: Laura is here to try and find Mary based on a letter that Mary left for the girl, in which Mary says she's sorry for leaving and is in a beautiful place now. Mistaking this to mean she is in Silent Hill, Laura has come here to find Mary. Also of note in the letter is that Mary tells Laura not to hate James for being “surly” and for not visiting the hospital much, claiming that James is very sweet deep down. Mary specifically says that she had hoped to adopt Laura. James, learning Laura's age and recent interaction with Mary, is forced to admit that Mary couldn't have been dead for three years, and in fact may still be alive.

Upstairs however, James discovers the room he and Mary shared, as well as their videotape. It's a home video of a sickly Mary saying how much she loves Silent Hill before succumbing to a coughing fit. The image changes to one of Mary lying in bed; James leans over her, kisses her forehead, and then smothers her to death. It's this point in the game where both James and the player are confronted with the truth. All around the hotel there have been various video and audio cues that imply the nature of James and Mary's relationship during her final days: a tense, abusive atmosphere in which Mary constantly lashed out at James in anger due to her own negative self-worth, only to adopt a pleading, loving tone after fighting. James, bitter from years of slow decay and sexual frustration, opted to end Mary's pain. Was it a selfish act, or an altruistic one? The story leaves that to the player to decide. James is shown to be in torment over his actions, the memory of which he either repressed on his own or was altered by the powers of the town.

Contemplating the truth of his repressed memories after viewing it, James is found by Laura. He confesses his actions to the girl. Laura screams at James that she hates him, wanting to know why he did it, demanding James bring Mary back, telling James he never really did care about Mary. Filled with sorrow, James can only tell Laura that he's sorry, and that the Mary she's looking for isn't here. Laura leaves without another word. James is spurred on to keep searching for Mary when he hears her voice come from the final, static-filled moments of the video tape, calling for him, saying she's waiting.

Angela's final appearance is in the Lakeview Hotel. James enters a hallway that is engulfed in flames – something odd as the previous area had not been. Angela is here, standing at the bottom of a staircase, staring up into the fire that is consuming the hotel above her. At first she confuses James for her mother, and Angela is excited to see him before realizing that who she's seeing isn't real. She apologizes and thanks him for saving her before, but wishes that he hadn't actually done so. She says that her mother had told her once that she deserved the things that had been done to her, and when James refutes that, Angela simply asks for him not to pity her. After all, she says, what is he going to do? Love her? Take care of her? James doesn't answer. “That's what I thought,” Angela replies. She then holds out her hand and demands her knife back. James, showing genuine care for her, says he won't. She accuses him of holding onto it so he can use it, but James states that he would never kill himself. Hanging her head in sadness, Angela turns and begins to walk up the staircase, fire burning up part of the stairs behind her, effectively cutting off James from following. “It's hot as hell in here,” James muses. Angela's final words are, “You see it, too? For me, it's always like this.” Then she turns and ascends into the inferno.

Leaving the hotel, James finds a room with not one, but two Pyramid Heads, each holding a long spear. Maria is suspended upside-down on a rack, begging for James to help her, but the Pyramid Heads execute her in front of him. Up til now, James has slowly found more and more evidence of the town having supernatural properties, of the myths and legends surrounding it. Realizing that his entire journey has been placed before him by the town, he admits to his need for punishment and faces down the Pyramid Heads. Knowing that their purpose is complete, both Pyramid Heads execute themselves. James then climbs to the top of the hotel to discover one of two outcomes: Mary or Maria, waiting for his arrival. And, depending on his actions during the game, his ultimate fate.

This is an exploration of the psyche unlike any in gaming. Each place he visits holds clues to what is happening both to the town and to his fragile psyche, in the form of strange creatures and the humans he meets. At the end of his quest, James discovers that he has been searching for punishment for his actions this entire time, which has been granted by the strange power of the town itself. Established in the previous game, the town of Silent Hill has the ability to warp reality around those who are drawn towards it, people who are usually tormented by something horrific in their past. How this can be so is never really explained, only hinted at, particularly with the information that the land used to be a sacred place to native tribes that used to inhabit it. Previously, it had manifested a scenario based on the pain and suffering of a powerful psychic girl who been horribly burned as part of a ritual of the town cult. In this scenario, the Silent Hill has taken James's need for punishment and provided it tenfold, but because James is unsure of exactly what he feels he deserves, it also provides multiple angles with which to torture him. Even the outcome of the game itself is open-ended; based on the player's actions during the story, one of four endings will commence with a finale befitting James's decisions. None of the endings are considered the “true” ending by the developers, leaving players to define for themselves what should – or should not – happen to James. These decisions are based solely on items and characters James interacts with. Each decision is subtle, never overt, and first playthroughs often end with James leaving the town in peace. But each finale is very specific, and I believe is represented by each of the four characters James meets in the town.

MARIA

If, during the course of the game, the player has James spent significant time with Maria – including returning to the rooms she's either sleeping in or being held in to check on her – and if the player is careful to ensure Maria takes no damage from the monsters of the town, James will get the “Maria” ending, which is one of two endings that directly relate to one of the other characters.

This is the only ending in which James actually finds Mary at the top of the hotel. Realizing that he'd rather be with Maria now, he confronts Mary. Angered that he's choosing a lesser woman, Mary transforms into a monster, forcing James to kill her in response. After he does, he returns to Rosewater Park where he first met Maria, to embrace her once more and leave town together. As they walk back to James's car, the rest of Mary's letter is read aloud: Mary details her sadness at her stay in hospice care, her sorrow for being so terrible and mean towards James, and assuring him that their relationship was something she'd cherished over the years. She assures James that he had made her happy, and for James to live for himself and do what he needs to do to live.

After the letter is read, James and Maria arrive at his car. She begins to cough, much in the same way the player has seen Mary coughing in flashbacks. Ominously, James has this to say: “You'd better get that looked at.”

Through the events of the game, it is heavily implied that Maria is a construct of the town's powers, an idealized version of what James had wished Mary had been. Despite sensing this, James still chooses her in this ending. After his initial quest to find Mary, James, it seems, did not hold enough devotion to his late wife to see it through to the end. Knowing now that she's dead and gone and that nothing can bring her back, he has resorted to bargaining. He spent so long during Mary's sickness frustrated at being unable to have his life, that with the attractive option of Maria he has once again taken an easier way out – a way that he feels he deserves to have. “What if,” he must think, “I can have the Mary I always wanted without having to deal with Mary's death?” Yet, with the final moments foreshadowing a similar fate for Maria as Mary had, it seems as though the town is not as merciful as it might appear.

What further fleshes out this idea is a bonus chapter for the game that initially only came with the XBOX version before being added to the PlayStation rerelease. Titled “Born From A Wish,” the player assumes the role of Maria before she meets up with James at Rosewater Park. During the short chapter, Maria comes to understand that she was created for a single purpose: to try and entice James into being with her. She wrestles with this notion, even going so far as to put a gun to her head as her only option of getting out. After all, what if he rejects her? Will she be forced to stay in this town forever if that's the case? Finally, Maria accepts her fate and her purpose, and she begins her walk towards the park to meet James.

With the confirmation that Maria was manifested by the town in accordance with James's unconscious desires – even going so far as to reveal that Maria's look was based on a dancer at the local club Heaven's Night – this now opens the door to the possibility that the other characters in the game have also been manifested by the town to aid in James's torment. What's different about Maria is that it is explicitly stated in the game that she was created by the town, where it is naturally assumed by the player that the other characters are in fact real, and have been called to the town for various reasons.

Now that we have some details of the plot and the understanding of how these manifestations work out of the way, let's focus on the individual details of the other characters in the game.

LAURA

In many ways, Laura is a metaphorical hook on the town's fishing pole, bating James into going deeper into the town to discover the truth behind Mary's letter.

After viewing the videotape in the hotel, Laura is not seen again unless the player achieves the “Leave” ending. There are a few key actions one must take in order to get this. First, the player must examine the letter from Mary that James has been carrying since the beginning of the game. This item stays in James's inventory during the whole game, and can be examined multiple times, as it should be to ensure this ending. It's worth noting the fact that, late in the game, examining the note again reveals a blank piece of paper; there never was a letter written by Mary asking James to come to Silent Hill. He made it up in his head. Or, perhaps it was the town's influence.

James must also keep his health meter high throughout the course of the game, consuming items to keep his health from going too low, demonstrating a desire to live. Also necessary for this ending is listening to a lengthy conversation between Mary and James – a memory – that plays as James walks through a long hallway towards the rooftop. It's mostly dialogue from Mary; she is heard yelling at James for bringing her flowers, claiming to be disgusting after the effects of the disease and the medication keeping her alive, shouting at him to go away, that it would be better for her if the doctors just killed her. Then, the turn: crying, Mary begs James to stay with her instead, to tell her that everything will be okay. The player can ignore this conversation if they run quickly through the hall before the dialogue is finished, but in order to get the “Leave” ending, they need to listen to the whole audio. After fulfilling these tasks, James has demonstrated his devotion to Mary and his remorse for killing her.

When he reaches the hotel rooftop, he discovers Maria dressed as Mary, and he confronts her, telling her he doesn't need her anymore. She transforms into a monster and James is forced to kill her. In the cinematic that follows, James finds himself in Mary's sick room. Mary tells him that she wanted the pain to end and James tells her that's why he killed her, to take away her suffering. But, he continues, he admits that she'd said she didn't want to die, and that his actions were selfish. Mary sees the sadness in his face, and tells him to move on with his life, to live and to be happy.

Mary's letter is read aloud again, this time over a shot of the cemetery outside Silent Hill. It should be noted that the same letter is read aloud over each of the endings, taking on a different meaning with each scenario. As the reading ends, we see Laura walk confidently through the cemetery, following by James, and together they walk into the distance until they are swallowed by the fog.

“Leave” is considered by many to be the closest to a definitive ending for the game. James has faced his actions, committed to atoning for his sins, and finds redemption in the innocent girl who also came to find Mary. Since they are leaving together, it's reasonable to assume that James intends to adopt Laura in the same way that Mary had intended to. Or had she? Considering the manifestations of the town, and the fact that Mary's “letter” turns out to be blank by the end of the game, it's very possible that Laura's letter was also blank, something for James to see what he – or maybe the town – wanted. Laura represents moving on, similarly to how Maria did. But with Laura, James sees a piece of his late wife in the little girl, the daughter that they'd never gotten the chance to have together. According to the developers, Laura is a real person who came to the town, hinting that she'd hitched a ride with Eddie. The official novelization of the game follows Laura for a brief segment, seeing the town through her eyes. But this shouldn't stop us from considering that Laura is a manifestation of the town. After all, Maria told James multiple times that she was “real” and had a personality and memories of her own. Laura is also presented as an eight-year-old girl who somehow left the hospital she was staying in and found her way to this abandoned town, and is running around happy-go-lucky without a care. Even if we accept that Eddie gave her a ride into town, it still doesn't explain how a child so young could possibly have reached this place by herself without any other means. And let us consider Laura's role, drawing James deeper and deeper into the town to uncover the truth of his sins. Where Maria is happy to distract James and take him away from Mary, Laura's actions throughout the story are the catalyst for him to continue. She kicks the key out of his reach at the apartments, forcing him to find a new way around and encounter Pyramid Head. When she leaves both the bowling alley and the hospital, James follows her. Inside the hospital, it is here where James is first forced to consider that perhaps Mary hasn't been dead for as long as he thought, and after this Laura locks him in a room with monsters that forces him again to confront Pyramid Head. This is culminates at the hotel, where her words push James towards the truth, and her letter implies that Mary would have wanted to adopt this young girl. Finally, she judges him after viewing the tape, saying she hates him, and that he never loved Mary. She wants Mary back, and if James finds the “Leave” ending, it turns out that he does, too – but he can't have her. Here is where he must find acceptance. This spark of redemption, this eight year old girl, will have to suffice. Except she is just as false as the rest of the manifestations of the town, a fake promise of hope and happiness. James might believe he has found redemption, but at what cost? Notably, in the ending cutscene, Laura is the one leading James as they leave the town, as she has been leading him the entire game.

ANGELA

Utilizing symbolism and a “show don't tell” quality, this next story is one that the game trusts the audience to infer, but with enough detail as to make what is unsaid unmistakable. So, in order to understand the true meaning behind the “In Water” ending, we look to examine the story and interactions with the first character James meets on his journey: Angela Orosco.

Angela's knife is a key item for receiving the “In Water” ending of the game. James must examine the knife in his inventory at least once in order to trigger the potential of the ending, more times to ensure it. James must also let his health meter run into the red, staying at a fairly consistent – and dangerous – level close to death. This shows James's lack of care whether he's alive or not, which falls in line with the suicidal implications of Angela's knife. Maintaining a good distance from Maria and listening to the audio cues from Mary in the hotel are important. There is also a diary on the roof of Brookhaven Hospital, detailing the suicidal thoughts of a former patient there, that must be read. If these conditions are met, “In Water” will happen.

On the hotel rooftop, James discovers Maria dressed as Mary. Just like with “Leave,” he tells Maria that he's done with her, causing her to transform into a monster and he kills her. Once this happens, James finds himself next to Mary's sick bed, just as with “Leave.” But the dialogue here is different: James again admits that he didn't kill Mary to only ease suffering but to get his life back, however this time Mary doesn't bother pointing out James's sadness. Instead, she simply tells him that he killed her and now he's suffering for it, and that's enough. Mary begins to violently cough before dying once more, and a grieving James picks her body up off of the bed and walks off with her.

The screen turns black. We can hear the sound of footsteps, and a car door open and shut. James speaks aloud, a monologue, saying that he finally understands why he came to this town, wondering why he was so afraid to face it. In the background, the engine kicks over, revving to high speed. James admits that without Mary, he has nothing. The car is heard speeding down the road, growing louder and louder with intensity – before it abruptly cuts to silence. “Mary,” James says, “now we can be together.”

Mary's letter is once more read aloud, but this time over an underwater scene. Light from the surface can be seen, air bubbles rise past. It appears as though James has taken Mary's body back to his car and driven into the lake. There is no sight of him leaving, no further words from him, only the somber silence of the water and implication that James, after all of his confidence that he would never kill himself, has finally gone and done just that. It is one of the darkest and most melancholy endings to a video game ever written.

Now, we must examine the ties that Angela has to “In Water,” and what presents the notion that she is a fictional manifestation of the town rather than a real person. Firstly, it should go without saying that the theme of suicide is the most obvious tie. Angela wants to kill herself rather than face the trauma of her past, and so too does James. One of the implications hammered home over and over is that Mary was verbally abusive towards James near the end of her illness, something she addresses in her letter at the end of the game. She understands what she has done to him, and that he may hate her for it. James, for his part, admits that part of him killed her because he hated her, because he wanted his life back. Angela, too, did the same thing, only for her it was an act of survival. We can easily come to the conclusion that her father was physically and sexually abusing her based on the creature design and Angela's words. The sexual nature of the room where James fights the Abstract Daddy – with the pistons pumping in and out of the fleshy walls – brings this to a head. Killing her father, much like James killing his wife, caused a break in her. Wandering through Silent Hill to find her “Mama,” a source of matronly solace, is the opposite of James searching for his own wife, a woman who never had the chance to be a mother.

Reflections and opposites are what define the relationship between James and Angela, and I believe seals the notion that she is a manifestation. James has blonde hair, Angela has dark brown; James wears a dark grey polo under a green jacket with blue jeans, Angela wears a light grey turtleneck and red pants. When James and Angela meet in the apartments, most of their conversation takes place in a reflection. As she lies on the floor in front of a full length mirror, the camera primarily focuses on her, with James captured in the reflection. One shot in particular is telling: the camera looks down from the ceiling, Angela on the right, her reflection on the left, taking up equal sides of the screen, as she gets up off of the floor to turn to James. Before this scene, it's worth noting that Pyramid Head, James's own personal punisher, had been seen carrying no weapons whatsoever. But after Angela hands over the knife to James, when we next see Pyramid Head it is possessing a blade so large it has to drag the knife behind it. It's even referred to as the “Great Knife.” Angela provided James with more fuel for his own punishment, just as Laura led him closer to the hidden truth, just as Maria tried to pull him away from it.

For most of the game, James sees the town as water damaged from the fog. He sees wet environments, dripping water. The theme of water is present throughout the course of the game, except for one glaring instance: Angela's hallway of fire. For her, the world is always aflame, burning, the heat of her trauma a constant reminder. James, on the other hand, is always surrounded by water and drowning. At the end of their stories, when each of them decide to commit suicide, Angela does so by walking upwards into the flames, and James goes downward into the water. James has spent most of the game staunchly denying any desire or ability to commit suicide, but Angela has always known; in fact, she's embraced it. They are opposites in every capacity, down to gender identity, which is particularly of note in that Angela is the only female identifying member of the cast who has no relation to Mary. When we first meet James, he is introduced to us staring at his reflection in a dirty bathroom mirror. And when James and Angela first meet? She attempts to warn him away, to not go into the town, but James's reaction is exactly the opposite. He's going to the town to find what he wants, danger or no. Somewhere, a part of him was trying to get him to turn around, to run away, and that piece manifested in Angela's words.

It should also be noted that the game's creators have confirmed that from the opening of the game Mary's body is in the back seat of James's car. Her death is incredibly recent, within the last couple of days or hours. Perhaps James brought her here with the intention of committing suicide the entire time, having succumbed to the trauma of killing her, to the intense feeling of depression that he now carries.

But even if the previous evidence of opposites and reflections in the two characters has not been enough to convince you of their relation to each other, consider this: each of the first three Silent Hill games features a portrait of the main character on the front box art. Silent Hill 2?

The face on the cover is Angela's.

EDDIE

Up until this point it has been a relatively easy task to link the previous three characters to the endings of Silent Hill 2. Showing the relation of Eddie Dombrowski to the hidden “Rebirth” ending is a little more difficult considering both his story and the events necessary to unlock this ending. And yet, there is enough compelling evidence to demonstrate how this seemingly buffoonish man is essential to understanding the final ending to Silent Hill 2.

What's interesting about Eddie's story is how similarly it follows James's. While Mary did not bully James over his looks, she did verbally abuse him over a long period of time before he finally gave into his torment and killed her. So, too, did Eddie spend years being tortured verbally by those around him, the football player in particular, just because of his weight. Over a period of time, this harsh treatment turned the mild boy into a violent man, finally giving in to his urges and killing the bully's dog before shooting the bully in the knee. This is the event that Eddie was referring to in his conversation with Laura, saying that no one would ever forgive him for what he'd done; James no doubt felt much the same way after killing Mary. James laments his actions, aghast that he has killed a person. It turns out that Eddie is not his first murder, nor is it the only one done in “self-defense.” After all, with years of abuse stacked up, James wanted his life back and to not feel hurt anymore. In self-defense of his own emotions and life, he killed Mary, convincing himself that it was to end her pain as well.

But, unlike the other three characters we've examined, James's interactions with Eddie do not directly lead to one of the game's four endings. “Rebirth” is not an ending one can even achieve on the first playthrough of the game – it is only on starting up a new game after completing the story once can the player discover the necessary items to unlock “Rebirth.” There are four: the White Crism, the Obsidian Goblet, the Book of Lost Memories, and the Book of the Crimson Ceremony. Each of these items are found in locations scattered across Silent Hill, and without all four the Rebirth ending will not occur. If all of them are in James's possession, it will not matter what he did during the course of the game, or what ending was being led up to. “Rebirth” will take over, assuming James has been pursuing this course of action all along. As usual, James will find himself on the rooftop of the hotel, confront Maria disguised as Mary, battle her, and kill her. But then the player is treated to something unusual out of these endings: there is no scene of reconciliation with Mary on her deathbed, and Mary's letter is not read aloud. Instead, once Maria has been killed, the game fades in to James rowing his boat across Toluca Lake through the fog, with what appears to be a body in the boat with him. James narrates over the visual:

Mary. Forgive me for waking you. But without you, I just can't go on.

I can't live without you, Mary.

This town, Silent Hill...

The Old Gods haven't left this place...

And they still grant power to those who venerate them...

Power to defy even death...

As James speaks, the camera slowly pulls up and away from the row boat, which becomes more and more difficult to see in the swirling mist. But as it does, it reveals that James is rowing towards a previously unknown island in the lake. It is small, covered in trees, and has a dock for tying a boat to. As James approaches, he sighs, “Ah, Mary...” before disappearing behind the island, out of view of the player, the island the last thing we see before the credits roll.

What's chilling about this ending are the implications it delivers. First, is that the powers of the town are not simply metaphoric or metaphysical, but extend beyond the veil of the natural world. The first Silent Hill dealt with the cult who lived in the town, and their obsession with the Old Gods, but Silent Hill 2 chooses to focus more on the psychological horror of the town and the effects on the mind. While each of the monsters in the second game have horrific visuals, they can all be traced back to the trauma impacting James from his time during Mary's last days. Even Pyramid Head is explained through a painting found in the Historical Society of an executioner that bears the creature's image. But here, with this ending, Silent Hill 2 at last announces the connection to the first game in the sense of the Old Gods and the dark forces that inhabit the town. James is now crossing those lines, once a victim of them in his mind, now rising to the understanding of how to manipulate those powers to his benefit...if he venerates the Old Gods.

Secondly, this ending implies that James has been on this journey more than once. We can infer this from the simple fact that the ending can only be unlocked after any one of the previous endings have been seen. There's also the disturbing evidence left behind in the shape of the various bodies James finds along his journey. Both in the streets of Silent Hill and in the apartment complex, James finds bodies that wear clothing eerily similar to his own: black shoes, blue jeans, green jacket. Only the faces are bloodied and torn apart as to be unrecognizable. We could, of course, posit that this is just the town's way of predicting James's fate in the same way that interacting with Angela does. In fact, there are multiple ways in which the town predicts James's demise. One of them is found inside Neely's Bar (or, as it's listed in the game, Bar Neely's). A message written in what looks like blood reads “There was a HOLE here. It's gone now.” Later, when James returns to the bar after leaving the hospital, the message has changed: “If you really want to see Mary, you should just DIE. But you might be heading to a different place than Mary, James.” In multiple, subtle ways, the town is directing James towards one of multiple conclusions. It creates Maria, and pushes her in front of him as a means to have back a form of the woman he's lost. It creates Laura, who would have been Mary's adopted child with blessing, and with whom Mary implies she wants James to find reason to move on. It creates Angela, whose state of mind reflects his torment, who James sees is slowly preparing to die, and takes inspiration from. But it also creates Eddie, and Eddie's answer denies all three other routes. Once Eddie's method is chosen – the route which leads to a resurrection – then the story still unfolds, but refuses any other conclusion. Because the women in the game are there to add to James's torment, to force him to face his past and come to the conclusion of how best his punishment must be meted out. But Eddie, the only other male identifying presence in the game, represents what James has been doing before the events of the game: denial.

Eddie changes his story about his past multiple times. When we first meet him, he's vomiting, cowering, appears weak and harmless and denies doing any harm to the body in the next room. Next, he's having a pity party while confessing to Laura, however slightly, that he would be unwelcome by others after what he'd done. Again, remember that this is the only conversation in the game that doesn't involve James – Laura, the icon of moving on despite the past, and Eddie, the icon of denial. Eddie's denial deepens in the prison, when he claims that “killing a person ain't no big deal,” but then jokingly assures James that he was just kidding about causing violence. But his denial only goes so far: in our final meeting, Eddie has accepted the violence he's caused, but focuses the blame on those around him who made fun of him, who “had it coming, too.” Eddie has been hurt, his anger is justifiable, but his means cannot be so. It is extremely telling that the slabs of meat hanging from their hooks are all wearing pants and suspenders. Eddie has been pushed psychologically to the point where he sees the people around him as little more than meat. He understands what other humans are capable of, and has reached the point where he refuses to sit back and take it anymore. His gun, an oversized revolver, is symbolic of his power. James, too, has been pushed to the point of retaliation, but he still denies himself the truth, just like Eddie in the beginning. James is constantly pushed further and further into the realization that he has killed Mary, that he has done wrong, and that he must come to terms with it. In three endings, he faces this wrong. In the final ending, he simply denies the wrongdoing. He's been through this before, he's justified himself, he searched through his mind and come to the conclusion that he was justified in his actions. But how can that be? Well, James has searched through the town on his quest for redemption. He has searched high and low and discovered certain things about the history of the town that he didn't understand before. Books and information on certain items of mystical power. So perhaps when he eventually reaches his conclusion as to what he feels his actions require, a second thought forms in his mind. Perhaps he makes his way all the way back to the parking lot where he left his car – and Mary's body – behind. Maybe Laura is with him, or Maria is with him, or he goes to drive into the lake. As he goes to leave, he thinks, “This doesn't feel right. This isn't what I deserve.” Because he just wants Mary. He can't go on without her. But now he understands how to get her back.

So he turns around and heads back to town, but the town wants him to feel it all over again. He has to earn his wife back. And as the town resets all the players and the pieces, it knows it will get what it really wants: a new servant, someone willing to perform rituals to the Old Gods that have not performed in far too long. And James, calm, peaceful, finally comes to terms with himself as he rows out to the island where the ritual must take place.

Because when you can resurrect someone, killing a person ain't no big deal.

***

With video games, sometimes there are multiple endings one can achieve based on their actions during their playthrough, just like in Silent Hill 2. But oftentimes, the developers will state outright which of the endings is the “true” ending so players can have a sense of satisfaction knowing how the story truly ends. However, in Silent Hill 2 every ending is canon. Developers Team Silent have stated that it's up to the players to determine which ending out of the possible four is how James Sunderland's story actually ends. There are, of course, two joke endings that the developers wisely have ensured remain in the realm of satire, leaving us to wonder and marvel at how one game can present so much ambiguity, while still remaining a concrete experience.

This we know: if all endings are canon, if it's truly up to the player, then anything goes. This essay, after all, is a fan theory. At no point have the developers ever hinted that anyone other than Maria is not real. The official novelization shows backstory for some of the characters, and even goes into their heads. Based on this, why extrapolate information to support a theory that has obviously been shown to be quite the opposite? Because – and here's the fun part – Silent Hill has always been a series about misdirection. Illusion, hallucinations of visual and audio types, and concealed intention. Disguises abound in Silent Hill, in each game. Team Silent demonstrated that Maria is absolutely not a “real” person by any means, but still thinks and feels like one and has memories because the town created her to have them. She is presented as the only person in the game who understands who James is, what he's done, and her role in the story. It stands to reason that the town could have created these other characters, but simply not given them the awareness of their role to play. And, as I have hopefully detailed well enough, the compelling evidence linking them both to the town and to James is unmistakable and undeniable. Whether or not you, the reader, choose to support this theory yourself, well, there are many endings to this tale. Just as all of them are equally correct in their canon.

But the next time you play Silent Hill 2, perhaps you'll be invited to look a little closer, pay attention a bit harder, consider ideas that you hadn't considered before. One of the most beautiful things about this abstract masterpiece is that it opens itself to observation as well as deduction, and when a game this detailed and well-thought-out is kind enough to allow for this, it is only good of us to indulge.

Thank you all so much for your time.

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watchmegetobsessed · 4 years

Text

Enchanted - Adam Sackler (pt. 3)

OMG it feels like it took me forever to write this part and im so sorry for that but i’ve been so busy with school and just life in general, i barely get time at the end of the day to even start my computer and do anything. but i finally finished this part and im so excited for the story to continue!! as always, feedback is welcomed!

ps: im so exhausted, i didn’t have time to revise it so it probably has a bunch of mistakes, pls forgive me!

series summary: You are casted as Giselle in the Broadway adaptation of Enchanted with Adam as Robert.

word count: 3.9k

Part 1 - Part 2

masterlist

Chapter title: Princess

First rehearsal on the stage is thrilling for you, because even without an audience, the place has a special energy that hits you right at the moment you walk out. There’s no real set just yet, only a few props to signal where things will be placed once the designers are done.

Today’s walkover is about the date scene with Clyde aka prince Edward and you are excited to put your dancing shoes aside for just a little while, even though you know once this rehearsal is over you’ll have one with Matt and Adam for the ball scene, your absolute favorite. Trevor explains how he envisioned the scene to go, with the moving and changing set to make the audience feel like the two of you are walking through the city.

Working with Clyde has been the easiest so far. He is a genuinely nice and caring person, who obviously tries to put one hundred percent into everything he does, making it a real pleasure to work together with him. He definitely has the looks to play a prince, tall, tanned with a charming smile and luscious curls that bounce with every movement he makes with his head. You keep thinking about how he is basically what you would say to be your type, inside and out and you are actually surprised you haven’t fallen for him the moment his hand touched your waist. You like to think you’ve grown enough to contain your emotions.

“Have you had any costume fitting?” he asks as the two of you stand on the stage, scripts in hands while Trevor is discussing something with his assistant.

“No, but Misha has sent me a few previews. Have you?”

“Yeah, I had one yesterday. Can’t wait to step on stage in tights,” he grins making you chuckle.

“There’s no prince without tights.”

“Definitely,” he nods. “Anyway, your vocals are extremely on point.”

“How do you know?” you ask narrowing your eyes at him. You haven’t had any vocal lessons together, just solo ones.

“Cynthia showed me a recording last time, I was trying to learn the harmonizing and it helped to hear you too.”

“Oh,” you nod. “Well thank you, I’m sure you sing just as well too.”

“I’m trying, but no doubt you’ll be the star,” he smirks and you feel a blush warming your cheeks.

Rehearsing with Clyde feels like when you and Lora used to hang out in high school, just goofing around while trying to get your homework done. It’s productive, because you do what you are supposed to do, but you also keep making each other laugh with the constant joking and messing around.

After rehearsals you decide to check out the canteen for a late lunch together and it’s a suitable choice since your dance rehearsal with Adam starts in an hour so you have to stay around to be there in time.

“You can’t be serious,” you gasp, watching him dip his pickle into mayo.

“It’s a delicacy,” he chuckles before taking a bite and you actually feel yourself shiver.

“Oh my God, you are a psychopath!” you laugh shaking your head at him.

“Nah, I just have a sister who ate some really weird shit when she was pregnant, and I tried some out. This one turned out to be pretty good.”

“My statement still stands. Psycho,” you joke.

When a familiar tall figure appears you spot him right away even from just the corner of your eyes. It doesn’t take long for Adam to spot the two of you since the canteen is not big enough to make it hard for anyone to see who’s really there.

“What a coincidence!” Adam cheerfully greets you standing at the table. Clyde hops to his feet as their palms meet and they do that typical half-hug thing men always do. Then his eyes wander over to you and you let a smile take over your lips.

“Hi Adam, ready to dance?” you ask as he snatches a chair from the table next to yours and he sits down.

“I was born ready! Hope your feet don’t break easily,” he jokes and you just shake your head chuckling.

“It’s not fair you two get the pretty dance while I’ll be in the background in tights,” Clyde sighs, but you know he is just furthering the joke.

“Clyde is not too excited about wearing tights, as you can see,” you explain to Adam who understandingly nods.

“I’m just saying, that out of the three of us,” he says gesturing around the table, “I’m definitely not the right one to wear tights on stage.”

“You’re right, I have nice thighs,” Adam nods and you can’t help but start laughing loudly. Somehow the image of him wearing tights is just so absurd you’d really love to see it.

Clyde sticks around for a little longer, the three of you having a nice conversation, a normal one which is surprising given the fact that Adam is present, but maybe this is the proof that he can be normal sometimes too. Then Clyde needs to leave and once he is out of the canteen Adam turns to you.

“Clyde wants to fuck you,” he simply says and you almost choke on your apple juice.

“Excuse me?” you manage to get out between coughs.

“What? Did you not notice how hard he was trying?”

“He wasn’t trying, he was just being a nice, normal person. You could try it,” you grimace at him. So much for being normal for once.

“Oh come on! I bet he’ll nut tonight thinking about you.”

“Would you stop unloading your dirty fantasies on me? Not everyone is as kinky as you. Most people don’t make a whole film about their relationship filled with all the sexual details.”

“Holy fuck, you watched the whole film!” he gasps happily and you immediately regret opening your mouth. You really should have thought about what you say. “How did you like it?”

“Honestly, I have no idea how you got away with making it, if I was your ex I wouldn’t have let you make it.”

“She saw it.”

“I bet she loved it.”

“She loved it when it happened in real life and I didn’t lie in the film,” he shrugs and the blush is back on your cheeks as you think about everything you saw in that film. The most intimate moments of a quite passionate relationship were revealed right in front of you and if you are being honest, you felt like part of it by the end, no matter how disturbing it was to see Adam in such scenes.

“I’m actually surprised you watched it.”

“Why? You were nonstop bugging me to watch it.”

“Yeah, but I thought you wouldn’t.”

“Well, I did and the trauma can’t be undone now,” you give him a look and checking the time you see that if you don’t leave now you’ll be late and Matt will be furious at the both of you.

You manage to dodge any further questions about the film as the two of you head for rehearsal, though you can tell he is curious about what you really think. It was definitely not a good idea to bring it up right before rehearsal, because now you have to get through 90 minutes pressed up against him, dancing to an incredibly romantic song, staring dreamily into each other’s eyes. Not ideal.

The song is critical. Not because it’s that bad, but because you are a real sucker for the kind of music in movies that could make you cry because they are so perfect for the scene. You’ve seen the movie way too many times and dreamed about dancing with that one person, but you never thought you’d actually dance to this song with someone and that person is now Adam.

It’s all fun and games when you are just learning the basics, not even touching, just standing in a line with Matt in front of the mirror and dancing like you have an imaginary partner. You keep peeking at Adam in the mirror and he is not that bad, in fact, he is doing great so far, you don’t know why he said he is not a good dancer.

“Okay, ready to combine?” Matt claps his hands, wiggling his eyebrows as he takes a step back, giving the two of you space to get close.

You hesitantly turn to Adam who closes the distance with one long step, standing right in front of you. Looking up at him you remember Lora’s comment on his height when it will be like to kiss him and you quickly furrow your eyebrows trying to get rid of the thought.

“What’s the look for?” Adam smirks down at you, tilting his head to the side gently.

“Nothing,” you purse your lips.

Matt helps you find the right position, Adam’s palm feels warm on your back and you suddenly wish your shirt was a bit thicker, covering you better. You feel his defined muscles under your palm on his shoulder and your eyes linger a little longer at the way your hand gets lost in his hold.

You first try it without the music, mostly both of you staring down at your feet to make sure you are doing the steps right and Matt gives you time to adjust, but you can’t keep your head down forever.

“Alright, let’s make a try and this time try to look into each other’s eyes at least half the time,” Matt requests and you bite into your bottom lip, trying to control your nerves. This is just dancing with Adam, the weird guy who made a kinky film about his past relationship, remember? He is weird!

But he is so tall and his eyes are so dreamy and his hands are…

“Okay, five, six, seven, eight!” Matt’s clapping interrupts your thoughts as you start the choreography again.

You have to watch your feet at first so you know you’re heading in the right direction, but a few steps later you force yourself to bring your gaze up and your eyes meet his.

It just hits different. Being so close to him, feeling his touch on your back and palm, you suddenly feel a strong urge to run your fingers through his hair and you almost do it before you tell yourself to behave. There is just something in him that makes your whole mind stop working properly even though you have a pretty strong opinion about him and the kind of man that he is.

For a spare second you even forget to breathe as you are staring into his eyes and there’s a feeling in your guts that you just can’t identify and before you could get further in this sensation Matt’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts.

“Amazing, this will look fantastic!”

You force a small smile to your face as you look at the choreographer and he brought you back to reality just in time.

You try to lock this feeling up in the remaining time so you don’t embarrass yourself with something. The last thing you need is to say something that gives away the conflict you are having in you.

“You’re always so fast to leave!”

Adam’s voice stops you when you are already out in the hallways, ready to leave and stay unnoticed, but that last part apparently did not work. Wrapping your hands around the strap of your bag you turn around and see him heading in your way with long steps, his hair flowing with him.

“Why should I be here without getting paid for my time?” you tilt your head with a half-smile and your comment makes him laugh.

“Good point. Do you have to be somewhere?” he asks catching up with you and now you are walking towards the exit side by side.

“Apart from my bed? Not really.”

“Great, then let’s get a beer or something.”

“It’s not a suggestion or an invitation, he states it like you’ve agreed on it weeks ago and you find yourself being quite okay with it.

Settling in a nearby place you order yourself the beer that’s been talked about, but Adam just sticks with iced tea and you give him a puzzled look for his choice.

“You said we are getting a beer.”

“Yeah, for you. I don’t drink.”

“What?”

“I’m a recovered alcoholic, I don’t drink,” he explains and now you have another piece of information about him that you put into your little Adam Sackler file in your head.

“So you are trying to get me drunk?”

“I’m not saying I don’t hope to have you spill something juicy about yourself, but I’m not forcing you to drink either.”

There’s a boyish smile playing on his lips and you roll your eyes at him as the drinks soon land on your table.

You find it amusing how fast he can make you forget about everything you’ve been thinking about when you thought about him, and make you see him just as this funny, carefree person who is sitting right across you at the table. He really is funny and it’s not just the beer that’s telling you this, he has a great sense of humor, he is especially talented in saying the funniest things with the straightest face, just staring at you like he is meaning every single word that leaves his mouth when you both know it’s all just bullshit.

“I’m honestly having a hard time figuring you out,” you sigh leaning back in your chair, fingers fidgeting with your second beer on the table. You’re definitely not drunk, just loose in the best kind of way.

“What’s so hard about it?” he tilts his head, genuinely interested in your answer.

“I don’t know, you are just… It’s like you have these different personalities and I can never know which is the real one.”

“What personalities?” he chuckles at your theory.

“One is this funny, normal guy,” you start gesturing towards him. “Then there is the kinky bastard who spanks girls and then there is this mysterious, serious side that I always see in rehearsals.”

“Kinky bastard?” he chuckles, clearly enjoying the discussion. “You’ll never let go of the spanking, right?”

“It just doesn’t fit into the picture,” you explain.

“That’s because we never had sex and we haven’t spent that much time together outside of rehearsals. I’m working there, of course I’m being serious! That’s just how adults act in serious scenarios. But the rest is just simply me, a mixture of the things you just said.

“So you are just a funny, normal guy with a hint of kinky?”

“Probably more than a hint, but yeah,” he nods smirking.

Spending time outside of rehearsal really helps you see Adam as a whole, the mixture of the sides you’ve experienced from him and you feel like it has brought him closer to you as a person, a colleague and maybe as a friend. You find him an amazing company actually, a great partner to discuss different kind of things. He has a somehow different view of the world than you, but you also agree on many things and this creates the perfect base for an actually interesting and enjoyable conversation.

“Stop!” You gasp laughing as you try to get Adam off a pole on your way home after he decided he is strong enough to hold himself up horizontally on it, but he is just probably getting close to knocking it straight out of the ground.

“They should make these more massive!” he grunts jumping back to the ground.

“You are massive,” you snort as the two of you leave the poor pole and continue walking towards your building.

“I am. In all means,” he smirks at you and you imitate gagging. His dirty comments stopped bothering you, he kept sneaking in something inappropriate into the conversation throughout the night and you just kind of got used to it. This is how he is, a kinky bastard, but at least a funny one.

“You know, we should hang out more often,” he suggests galloping ahead of you and turning to face you he does a funny dance move that makes you laugh.

“Oh yeah? So I should spend my little free time outside of rehearsals with the same person I’m with all day?”

“We are not together all day,” he protest and you just chuckle, knowing well he is right, you just felt like exaggerating. “You didn’t have fun tonight?” he asks as he returns next to you, walking side by side.

“I did.”

“Great. Then we will spend more time together,” he nods and it’s not a suggestion anymore, he is stating it like the most certain fact ever.

You don’t protest.

Sometimes rehearsals are like one big chaos, especially when everyone is present on the stage, all dancers and actors with the production staff, but there’s no other way to rehears the big dancing scenes.

Today it’s the park scene again, you are wearing another flowy dress Misha gave you, that resembles to the one you’ll be actually wearing, Adam is dressed in dark jeans and a black shirt, nothing extra, and he seems to be enjoying that everyone around him is doing their absolute best while he has to do that one lifting and nothing else, just follow you around the stage.

Clyde is at the back, he has only a little stage time as the prince is looking for Giselle in the park, so beside Adam he is the other person who doesn’t have much to do.

“How do you know he loves you?” you sing with a bright smile and big gestures, grabbing Adam’s wrist as you pull from one place to another, dancers following around, the scene constantly changing around you to make it look like you are on the move. “How do you know he’s yours?”

You catch Adam smirking and you already know he is thinking about something dirty, as per usual. You do the lifting and you feel his hand smacking your ass when he puts you down, no one notices, but you shoot him a glare to which he just smirks again.

“Okay, amazing. Take ten, we’ll see the final part a few more times!” Trevor instructs when the music stops and people starts flowing off the stage.

“Stop touching my butt,” you tell Adam, the two of you walking towards the edge of the stage.

“I can’t, it’s just always in the way,” he holds up two hands innocently and you just roll your eyes at him.

“Hey, do you guys have any plans for tonight?” Clyde walks up with a bright smile as he joins the two of you, fingers fidgeting with the water bottle in his hands.

“I’m babysitting my niece,” Adam answers running a hand through his hair.

“You have a niece?” you turn to him surprised.

“I do,” he simply nods and it doesn’t seem like he is about to share any more details so you turn back to Clyde.

“I’m free.” “Wanna go for a drink maybe or something? I’m so done sitting at home when I’m not here.”

“Sure,” you nod and watch Clyde walk away smiling back at you.

“He is still trying hard to get into your pants,” Adam scoffs and you turn to him with a grimace.

“He is not.”

“Oh he surely is. I’m pretty sure he thinks this is a date or something like that.”

“It’s not a date.”

“Tell that to him, because the dude is keen on fucking you, princess.”

You eventually give up trying to convince Adam about your truth, and you also realize you don’t owe him a word. You know what this really is and that’s all that matters. Adam can think whatever he wants, that still doesn’t make it real.

“So you’re really going out with him, huh?” Adam comes up to you once rehearsal is over. You glance up at him nodding while you’re packing your stuff up.

“Yeah, why?”

“I’m telling you, he thinks this is more than just casual drinking.”

“So then what?” you sigh, confused about why he is so worked up by the thought of you and Clyde having a few drinks. “I’m single, he is a nice guy, maybe I also think of it as more. Is that not an option?”

He genuinely seems surprised by your answer and it tells you he clearly didn’t think of this version. Frowning a bit he tilts his head.

“So that’s your type?”

“Stop using that tone, please,” you sigh zipping your bag and heading to the door, Adam following you right behind.

“Okay, I’m sorry, but still, that’s not how I imagined your type to be.”

“You often think about what my type is?”

“I did a few times, yes.”

“Then stop,” you sigh stopping and looking at him. “It’s not like you have a word in it or something. If you hate the idea of me and Clyde going out so much, just come. He invited you as well.”

“I told you, I’m babysitting my niece. My sister would lose her shit if I cancelled.”

“Then there’s nothing I can do for you. Just stop thinking about it,” you shrug, clearly over it, but Adam is not on the same page.

“Cancel on him.”

“Why would I do that?” you ask with a puzzled chuckle.

“Because…” he is searching eagerly for the right words, his hands anxiously tapping on his thighs. This is a waste of time, you think to yourself.

“See you at the next rehearsal, Adam,” you sigh walking away.

Clyde is awesome. Clyde is exactly the person you imagined for yourself a little while ago, he is nice, funny and just overall a good person. You enjoy spending time with Clyde and you find him attractive, but…

But something is just off and you can’t tell what it is.

Sitting in a bar with him that evening you can’t stop thinking about that one thing that’s making you not fall for him even though you know you should be. Adam’s words keep repeating in your mind about how he is not what he thought your type would be.

Of course he is my type! You basically tell yourself defiantly, cursing Adam out for planting such thoughts into your mind. Stupid Adam!

By the time you and Clyde part your ways you are pretty sure this wasn’t a date which is a relief, but it still got you thinking why you are so against dating Clyde. On your way home you catch yourself pulling your phone out of your bag to text Adam and tell him you were right when you stop in your way in the middle of the street.

“Are you stupid?” some random guy growls at you who almost bumps into you. Looking up you mumble a short sorry before looking back down at your phone.

Adam was all you thought about all evening, you saw him in everything Clyde said and now he is your first thought and the person you want to talk to. He sneaked his way into all of your thoughts and this is starting to feel concerning.

Adam is not your type. He just can’t be.

Clyde should be.

Not Adam.

Right?

Right?!

general/forever taglist for Adam Driver

i do separate taglists for different people, but not for different works of mine! if you ask to be on my Adam taglist, you’ll be tagged in all of my Adam fics!

@superdriver @siren-queen03 @holacherrycola90 @spencer-is-amazing @unusual-kindred-spirits @hailthemightywoecloud @holy-kylo-stars @kowalskibro-adamdriverblog @hurricanesunset @writerandee @luxury-0pps @prncess91 @malefoygal @zaahidahhh @filternotincluded @fire-in-her-veinz @emily-strange @ktellmeastory @grouchosgirl @tapismyforte @unusual-driver-paterson @beeblisss @septicvic97 @cackleifyou @gotiashley

if you’d like to be taken off or added to the list, please let me know!

#adam #sackler #driver #adam sackler #adam driver #adam sackler imagine #adam sackler au #adam sackler fanfiction #adam sackler imagines #adam sackler fanfic #adam sackler fiction #adam sackler x you #adam sackler x reader #adam sackler x y/n #hbo girls

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jamielea81 · 5 years

Text

Just a Simple Lie

Chapter 1

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

Description: Having worked on small independent films for the better part of a decade, your friend tells you about an opening for a script supervisor with a large studio. Wanting to advance your career, you apply and get an interview. The only downside, they prefer to hire crew who are married. It’s just a simple lie, right?

A/N: This fic is simply for fun. I know nothing about the personal lives of the two actors in this series and mean no harm. I am also totally guessing regarding the studio talk. This particular chapter is Chris light as it’s mainly a getting to know the reader. Chapters going forward will be heavy on the Chris aspect. Comments, reblogs, and likes are always welcome. Tag list is open, please send me an ask.

“Do you have the ring?”

“Of course, I have the ring.” You let out a frustrated breath. “This is so silly.”

Joanna chuckles over the line. “Where did you manage to get a ring from anyway?”

“It’s my grandmother’s. I feel like I’m majorly disrespecting her by wearing it when I’m not even engaged. Not to mention I’ve been single for-ev-er.” You drawl out.

“Breathe babe. Just breathe.” She says softly.

You inhale deeply and exhale it slowly.

“Maybe don’t do that directly into the phone.” She laughs again.

“Joanna Elizabeth.” You growl. “Why am I doing this?” You ask catching a glimpse of your reflection in the review mirror. Running a hand through your hair, you see the diamond engagement ring on your left finger. It feels so foreign, even stranger seeing it.

“Because this is a great opportunity to advance your career. Stone Lite is a major studio, Y/N. You can’t keep working on those student films.”

“Hey! I worked on a couple of independent movies. One even showed at Sundance.” You defend.

“And that’s awesome. Really. But this could be your big in. You’ve been doing this, what, for ten years?”

She was right. Ten years and the majority of your income came from student funded films and slinging beers three nights a week.

“And by your silence, you know I am right.”

Smug bitch.

“Ahuh.” You sigh.

“Look, I know it’s not right, but if this increases your chances of getting hired, just wear the damn ring.” Joanna huffs out.

“Easy for you to say, oh, wise married one.”

Joanna previously worked for Stone Lite Studios before moving on to Sony. It was a well-known amongst the employees that if you wanted to get hired for any position that put you in direct contact with any of the actors, you needed to be married. The studio was concerned with fan girls and fan boys. As if adults couldn’t control their urges and not make unwanted advances. Not to mention, married or not, some people still have affairs. Now granted, not every person there was married, but you had a greater advantage to get the job if you were. Right or wrong.

You drew the line at saying you were actually married and settled on being engaged. Not wanting to worry about details like how you kept your last name and lying on the tax forms you’d have to fill out. Even though you’ve only worked on small projects, Hollywood was surprisingly small when it came to the industry. It would be a lot harder to explain a sudden husband versus a fiancé. With Joanna’s agreement, you took your grandmother’s engagement ring from your jewelry box and slipped it on your finger.

“I’m just saying, give it a shot and see where this goes.” She reasoned.

“You’re right. You’re right. I better go in anyway. There’s a golf cart that keeps circling around the lot. They’re probably getting suspicious as to why I’m still in my car.”

She let out a chuckle. “They’re going to give you a ride to the offices. Welcome to the big leagues baby.”

“Ms. Y/L/N, may I call you Y/N? Barbara Floyd, the interviewer and also the production manager asked.

The two of you had already gone over your previous crew history where you held a variety of positions including editor, grip, writer, and even wardrobe. On a whim, you took a script supervisor position on an independent short and really enjoyed it. The next job you took was on full length film in the same position, that’s when you decided that’s where your passion lied. Despite the copious amount of responsibility and that often brought on your anxiety, you loved the challenge.

“Of course, Mrs. Floyd.”

Her eyes went directly to your left hand. “That’s a beautiful ring.” She says.

Here we go.

“Thank you.” You stick your hand out for added affect.

“When’s the wedding?” She asks.

“Next year. We have a lot of out of town family. We just want to make sure they have time to arrange travel.”

Look at me lie. Maybe I should have tried acting.

“I’m sure it will be lovely.” She replies with a wide smile. “I’d like to introduce you to a few people. Please come with me.”

You received a contract via e-mail later that evening. They were bringing you on for one film with the option of three additional films after production. Granted, that’s if you didn’t mess up. Joanna was right, this is the big leagues. If you could make it through the next three to four months, you’d have a long term contract with a major studio.

The next day you received the script. Winter’s Sin was the working title. Whether or not the title would stick was anyone’s guess. You had worked with a few well-known actors, but more of the B list variety. Wonderfully talented actors, but they just didn’t get the parts or the recognition they often deserved. This film had a couple of big names, Keanu Reeves and Chris Evans to be exact. Maggie Jessup was this year’s it girl and rumor had it, this movie was going to launch her into stardom. Generally, you didn’t get star struck, but this was Keanu Reeves! You first fell in love with him when you saw Speed. And again, when you watched The Lake House. Too bad you were technically “engaged”.

Pre-production was set to start next week. This week would be spent going over the script a few times and creating notes. Some wouldn’t consider it the fun part of the job, but you loved diving into a script before it was brought to life. It was also a bonus that you generally liked the script. It was sort of a weepy drama with a love story tied in. But the main plot was between two friends, Milo played by Keanu and William played by Chris. You stayed up half the night and made it almost all the way through. To say you were invested was an understatement.

You read through the script twice more over the next few days and felt ready. Next week you would meet with wardrobe and the writers. The cast would be fitted and you would take photos for your own personal files to make sure styles remain the same for the shoot. Of course, this could all change the day shooting begins which is why you needed to be on your A game and get all the drinking out of the way tonight. You’d have Sunday to recover before starting at the studio on Monday.

Laurel Tavern wasn’t necessarily your favorite bar, but it had become the place to get a bite to eat and a few drinks. It was also the most centrally located place for you and your friends to meet. Joanna and her husband Ian picked you up on the way, knowing you wanted to drink to excess. The three of you along with Travis and Jemma were celebrating your new job tonight. The five of you often found reasons to celebrate whether it was finding a twenty dollar bill on the side of the road, not getting fired from a particular job you’ve been slacking at, for the record, that was Travis, or getting a full eight hours of sleep. Tonight, was really worth celebrating.

“What do you want girl?” Joanna asked, getting up from your usual booth. “First rounds on me. If you’re nice, I might even buy you a second.” She throws you a wink.

“Ummm. I’d like a margarita, hold the margarita.” You say in all seriousness.

“Tequila. Got it.” She says before turning away and heading to the bar.

“Extra limes.” You shout.

She waves her hand behind her head, not bothering to spare your table a look.

Travis joins your booth, a couple of pints of beer in hand. “Here, I brought you one.” Setting a pint of golden goodness in front of you.

You lean over kissing his cheek. “I feel so special.” You coo.

Travis wormed his way into your life seven years ago. He was a senior in college at the time, tall and lanky with hair that stuck out from under his hat. He was filming his final project before graduation. The two of you had a mutual friend in common, Jemma, who was an ex-girlfriend of Travis, how they stayed friends, was beyond you. You helped with directing, a little bit of script management, and even filled in for makeup on a few days. Anything to help a friend of a friend. Travis became your pseudo little brother, well, a brother that you kissed once. You had just broken up with Chad, never date a guy name Chad. Anyway, you had just broken up with Chad and were feeling down in the dumps about yourself. He fed you some bullshit about never being there for him when he needed you. You got angry, he got angry, and then he told you that you weren’t hot enough for him. Yep, Chad was a douche. Travis invited you over, feed you pizza and a ton of beers, then you kissed. He wasn’t a bad kisser, but it felt weird. He was five years younger than you, but it wasn’t just that, he was too much like a brother. The two of you agreed that it was a mistake and never brought it up again. Not even Jemma knew.

The five of you munched on burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. Jemma bought you a margarita, even after you told her you just wanted the tequila. Her motive was to mooch some of the beverage off of you.

“I don’t want all of the calories. I just want to try it.” She grins. Big rosy cheeks and wild blonde hair. Her British accent on full affect after already consuming a few shots herself. She had lived in the United States most of her life, but when she drank, the accent became heavier.

She grabs your drink, taking a hold of the straw and consumes half of it in one go. If you didn’t love her, you would have ditched her years ago.

Pushing Ian out of the booth, you get up on wobbly feet and make the long twenty foot journey to the bar. “I’ll get my tequila myself. Thank you very much.” You tell the table.

It’s after midnight by the time you’re dropped off. Running a makeup remover cloth over your face and stripping down to a cami, you call it good enough and crawl into your cozy bed.

After a pit stop at Starbucks, you make it to the studio an hour earlier than you need to be. After parking in Timbuctoo, you graciously accept the golf cart ride from security.

One of the admins directs you to a small office down a long hallway with similar offices. There’s a laptop computer, various pens and notepads on the desk. You unpack a small plant you picked up yesterday after you dragged your hungover self out of bed and to the grocery store for food. There was no window in your office which you figured; a little greenery would liven the place up, literally.

An hour later, one of the producers, David, came by to introduce himself and walk you around the grounds and through the soundstage you’d be shooting on. Filming would take place on the soundstage for a little more than a month. Then everyone would move the whole operation to Vancouver. The movie was called Winter’s Sin after all and there wasn’t a whole lot of winter in Los Angeles.

Before stopping back in your office, David popped into the office across from yours. He knocked while walking in, apparently already comfortable with the occupant.

“Hey Monica. I want you to meet Y/N. She’s the assistant script supervisor I was telling you about.”

Assistant? What?

Monica got up from her chair to greet you. You plastered on a smile and stuck out your hand. She was around your age and seriously gorgeous. Beautiful thick brown hair with a touch of caramel highlights that hung just above her chest.

“Hi, Y/N. I’m looking forward to working with you. Would love to hear some of your ideas.”

“Same.”

What could you say? You weren’t told that you were an assistant script supervisor, you thought you had the position. Apparently, it was a shared position.

“Y/N will be working primarily with Chris and Keanu.”

Whoa. Well, at least there’s that.

Monica scoffs. “Really?”

Your eyes automatically go to her left hand. No ring. Of course.

“Yes, really. You’ve got Maggie. I think she can really flourish under your direction. Not to mention you have Hector, Tim, Daisy and Joe.

After the awkward exchange, you traded cellphone numbers with her and made plans to meet after the first read through with the cast.

Walking across the way into the safety of your office, you figured you might as well ask.

“I wasn’t aware that I was being hired on as an assistant script supervisor.”

David ran a hand down his face. “Y/N, listen. This is your first big film; you need to walk before you can run. Alright? If this goes well, you’ll probably get hired on as the lead.”

“Okay.” You sighed out

“Alright, I’ll see you later. Meeting at three on the soundstage.”

“Got it.” You replied, plopping yourself down in the desk chair.

David peeks his head back into your office. “You’ve got some visitors.”

“Thanks.” You call out, standing back up and pulling your door open wider.

Your heart stopped. At least you were pretty sure it did. Keanu and Chris were both in front of you. Yes, you were there to film a movie, but this felt like a freaking movie. The two of them, side by side, grins on their faces. Keanu’s hand outstretched while Chris’ hands were snugly in the front pockets of his jeans.

“Y/N, pleasure to meet you. I’m Keanu.”

You accept his hand but your pretty much speechless. You may have muttered “hi” but you can’t be sure. Sensing your nervousness, he gives you a smile and releases your hand. He looks to Chris and they exchange a silent conversation. Chris steps forward offering you his hand and once again you can’t breathe.

Has he always been this attractive? Apparently, I haven’t watched enough Avengers movies.

His hair’s a bit longer than what you remember from the one or two movies you’ve seen. He’s also sporting a full beard. Definitely something he can pull off.

You mentally slap yourself and pull your hand from his after you realize you hadn’t said anything.

“Um. Sorry. Haven’t had enough caffeine today. It’s nice to meet you both. I look forward to working with you on this shoot.”

“Nice plant.” Keanu says, pointing at the fern taking up the front corner of your desk.

You giggle. Like actually let out a giggle and you’re pretty sure your cheeks are flushed.

You’re a professional. Get your shit together.

“Well, you know?” Shrugging your shoulders. “Need to green the space up a bit.’

Chris nods his head and offers a closed mouth smile.

“Well, we won’t take up all your time. Just wanted to say hello.”

“Hello.” You reply with a wave.

Why am I so awkward?!

They both chuckle and Chris waves back at you.

Tomorrow you wouldn’t be so starstruck. These are just two men that you work with. Who cares that they both seem nice and are dangerously attractive? You’re an “engaged” woman who is also a professional. You can do this.

Yeah. I can do this.

If you are crossed out, I can’t tag you.

Tag list: @southerngracela @chrisevansforever @chrisevansfanfic @zsuzstyina @peach-acid @tanelle83 @pinknerdpanda @allaboutthebooz @estillion14 @panicfob@patzammit @heartislubbingdubbing @collinsstanharbour @twittytelly @thefandomzoneisdangerous @linki-locks11 @jennmurawski13

#Chris Evans #chris evans fanfic #keanu reeves #actor fic #Chris Evans Fan Fiction #just a simple lie #Chris Evans x Reader #chris evans x you #chris evans x y/n

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zanecosh · 4 years

Photo

’ ･ﾟ : 👽 : ･. INTRODUCTION — Zane Wancosh .･: 👽 :･ﾟ ’

⌠ CHANCE PERDOMO, TWENTY-ONE, CISMALE, HE/HIM ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, ZANE WANCOSH! according to their records, they’re a FIRST year, specializing in MEDICAL TRAINING; and they DID NOT go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (sunglasses in every imaginable color, serenading ‘ my heart will go on ‘ loudly at 4 am, finger guns to the pals and the gals). when it’s the (aries)’s birthday on 04/18/1999, they always request their FRENCH FRIES WITH GRAVY from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation.

tw; drugs, jail/prison ??, alcohol

PAST but not rlly since i always had to mention what it did to him

- Zane was raised in Ottawa, Canada .. something he is very proud of and will mention a billion times as soon as he gets to know someone -- he will also deliberately say ‘ eh ? ‘ to let people know b ut we all know he ain’t sleek !!

- His parents had always been a loving bunch so he grew up receiving so much affection and attention that he now is a little FULL of himself but only because he seeks love and won’t stop until someone provides it for him im srry i didn’t make the law

.- So given his upbringing he’s always been the completely affectionate type, having his hands everywhere all the time and achING for hugs and small things like hand holding or just a pat on the shoulder like he is seriously convinced that if he doesn’t get at least four hugs a day he will die a painful, lonely death

- So in addition to that, he had always been a very active, youthful and energetic kid which was pretty much something he got from his dad since he sort of kept things playful and always did the best that he could while his mom was on the stricter side but instead knew how to teach him things that were important !!

- So growing up he always made friends very easily because of how open he was ( except that time when he brought this girl home at the age of 7 because he thought she’d make a cool pet ) and because he was always vERY friendly, even if he had a tendency to be too nice at times and just got upset when people didn’t like him ?? which is honestly still the case

- Of course he loved being popular which is kind of his aspiration in most things nowadays?? he seeks to be liked so much it’s sometimes a lil sad but he will legitamately try anything to make you his friend and he wont care if ur bothered because at least then he’ll get a reaction out of you !! but yeah it’s something he never really learned bc he’s used to getting validated from his parents so he genuinely doesn’t COMPREHEND meanness ://

- It was when he was around ten ( 10 ) years old when his dad randomly moved to New York ?? which was honestly super scary to him but his mother assured him that it was for a special job which was definitely weird for him because that was the only thing she ever said when he asked her about his father and ofc zane wasn’t dumb just a little idiotic !!

- They still visited his father often where Zane was able to get to know America and New York a little better, which he definitely enjoyed even though he sort of preferred Canada always because he likes snow a lot and the fact that it kind of melts when you pee on it but anyway he was getting a bit more suspicious as he grew older

- Then on his sixteenth birthday he was able to visit his dad once more to which he then was revealed that his dad was the ring leader of a spy business !! WOW to which Zane was baffled of course bc his dad ??? who tripped over his 7th birthday cake because Zane saw a squirrel and started to chase it ?? exactly !!

- So of course, Zane wanted to start working there !! Not only because of curiosity but school was kind of boring ( ngl ) and he missed his dad a lot so while his mother was not happy about his choice at all she always believed in people doing whatever they wanted so without much time passing the male moved to New York and started working for his father !!

- it was quickly noticiable that Zane wasn’t great at spy work, considering he was incredibly clumsy and was always distracted by everything and almost shot off his left toe ONCE okay it was only onCE !! Anyway his father got a little frustrated with his chaotic energy so he gave him the jobs were he was usually with someone else so they could babysit him which was honestly better for him too bc he could make friends !!

- So when he was around 19 that’s when he got to know his boy Landon, his main squeeze, one could even say the love of his life ( only he would say that ) but they immediately vibed with Landon being his driver even though they lowkey ended up doing stuff that completely wasn’t what his dad wanted but Zane was honestly just loving life and just doing a bit of shady stuff with his buddies was bonding ??

- HOWEVER NOT ALL THINGS CAN BE SUNSHINE AND CAKE; so they often kind of got into trouble ?? they were good at hiding and sort of running from the cops a couple of times but honestly not that much of a big deal as Zane would say but once upon a time, these assholes rlly got caught ahead of their time to which Landon then got away in time with someone from Gallagher helping while Zane honestly didn’t know what was happening n got caught ??

- To which he then ended up in jail for a year !! love carrying contraband while being high as fuck !! anyway, it was a very self reflecting time . even though he sort of learned nothing ?? anyway not even his dad could bail him out, only shorten the time if he in return joined Gallagher, a school where he would learn how to behave and use his spy knowledge to some good instead of just causing trouble !!

- Which he honestly didn’t vibe with so much because he was kind of scared of these spy kids ?? legit all of them could kill them w a look he wasn’t sure was his dad was thinking but that’s also why he chose medicial training, in order to not get hurt and if he did, he would be able to take care of himself which honestly wasn’t that much of a help when he was about to bonk this girl but ended up hitting his dick against the ground as they rolled around ?? he doesn’t wanna talk about it

- Anyway, he sort of grew into Gallagher for the most part, since he is a very adaptable person in general and was looking forward to making friends with people who were way cooler than him which was honestly a plus !! he just vibing y’all there ain’t no problem at all at all

PERSONALITY & LITTLE QUIRKS

- He’s super chaotic and all over the place, loves talking about anything and everything and sort of philophises over the most mundane things because its fun to talk about life y’all

- He has a super colorful taste in clothing and decoration and is pretty extraordinary in most things in life, whether its sunglasses or flowers on his backpack and shirts and stuff that’s way too big

- Is a slow talker and also doesn’t understand people who talk fast

- Has a habit of interrupting people mid-conversation and doesn’t realize that it could appear rude

- Loves everyone, is also super affectionate and always has an arm around his friends or will at least ask for conSENT bc that matters to him but he will most likely touch u some type of way im sorry

- Probably because he is super fidgety too, he legit has his hands everywhere all the time because he doesn’t like to stay still

- Somewhat of a class clown and certainly does not enjoy studying or any school related work so he’s kind probably always on the verge of failing ?? idk how he does it you guys

- will fist bump you but will also grab your ass

- Just wants to chill most of the time but somehow still always stressed

- Is a party ANIMAL like if there is a party, he’s there and probably drunk and high before the party even starts ?? in general i don’t think he’s been sober a day since he turned 18 who the fuck knows

- Will probably trip and fall everywhere as a drunk but he just laughs about it the second day, like he says if he doesn’t get hurt it won’t be a good party and i honestly worry about him and i’m not sure how he’s still alive

- does the peace sign way too often

- could be considered a sunny boy but since he’s from cold ass Canada he loves snow way much more and the cold for some reason

- has the biggest potty mouth like he doesn’t even realize he’s swearing

- is extremely honest like he will just stand there listening to someone complain and be like well that’s a bitch

- also huge flirt and also catches feelings fast and will mostly say it outright when he falls for someone like boy has seriously no shame ?? he will feel the heartbreak but he believes he can deal with it better than questioning it all the time and if they feel the same he will just loVE

- he also might be polyamerous he doesn’t know it yet bc he’s never had that many chances but he just likes to love whatever

- his head is everywhere and nowhere at the same time so it’s possible that he doesn’t make sense 80% of the time

- has tattoos that don’t make sense at all, i like to refer pewdiepie or uhhhh what’s his name uhhhh kURTIS CONNER ?? im too lazy to fact check i been writing this for an hour let me be

- knows how to juggle and thinks that’s that probably the coolest skill he’s ever learned

- has two earthworms that he got during a biology project back in high school who have been in his possession for six years now ?? ( i checked they live for four to eight ) he loves them to death ok their names are Niall and Liam ....... ( yes he was an 1D stan don’t confront him about them he’ll cry )

- is very superficial, loves the horoscope and believes in like bad luck and stuff like that, will scold u if u don’t listen to him rant about unlucky things !!

/ @gallagherintro

#gallagher:intro #not putting any wcs bc he legit fits everything ok #this got loooong #but i could meme for 4 hours w this dude

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jadekitty777 · 4 years

Text

Forget-Me-Not

Alright, and for my final entry for the Shipwreckedfanzine (Read it here!), is my Taiqrow entry. Because you better believe I gave my boys some love.

(P.S. This showed up nowhere in the tags - I actually posted up a new Taiqrow fic yesterday as well - I would suggest checking out some of my newest works on Ao3!)

Rating: K

Pairing: Qrow/Taiyang

Word Count: 2.1k

Ao3 Link: Forget-Me-Not

Summary: Tai’s not surprised to discover Qrow’s forgotten their anniversary… again.

❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀

Tai hummed a jolly little tune as he shook the can of whipped cream, doing his best to keep his hand steady as he pointed the nozzle down and drew a heart shape on top of the stack of pancakes. Once he’d completed the point, he set the can aside and picked up the bowl of strawberry sauce, filling the inside of the heart generously. Next came the chocolate chips – he was just placing the first few down when his twelve-year-old warned:

“Dad, Uncle Qrow’s coming!”

He nodded, trying not to hurry too much and ruin all his hard work. “Thank you, Yang. Would you girls get him seated please?”

“I got it!” Ruby shouted a mite too shrilly for this time of the morning.

In the corner of his eye, he watched her grab the butter knife and napkin before going to stand at the threshold. She quickly laid the napkin out along her arm to mimic a towel only the poshest of restaurant waiters had and rose the knife under her nose, clearing her throat a few times. As her uncle made it to the door, she said as classily as possible, “Mr. Branwen, we’ve been expecting you.”

“Is that so?” Qrow’s voice was still a bit gravelly from sleep but it didn’t quite hide his confused amusement.

“Indeed. We have a special reserved spot just for you.” She twirled on her heels. “Follow me please!” She marched with purpose the three single steps it took to get to his chair, having to lower her fake mustache so she could pull it out for him.

He sat, eyeing the mug already there. “Wow, coffee’s already made? Now that’s some express service.”

“Sir, we only provide the best for our customers.” Ruby told him, knife mustache back in place. “Your meal is also on the way, made by our finest chef in the business.”

More like the only chef, Tai thought as he placed the finishing touches on the arrow he’d been designing. He surveyed his work with an appraising eye, before lifting the plate and carrying it over with care. “Your meal, sir.” He told him grandly, placing it down before him.

Qrow took one look at it, then his head shot up, eyes wide. “What occasion is it?”

He smiled as forgivingly as he could. “Anniversary.” Their third, in fact – which Qrow had systematically forgotten each year. Having grown up on the outskirts of nowhere, he’d always been terrible with dates. Before his husband could speak, the guilty look already telling him exactly what he was going to say, Tai placed two fingers on his lips. “No apologies. Just enjoy.”

He heaved a sigh through his nose, before kissing his fingertips and murmuring against them, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He replied, all too happy to trade his hand in for his lips – much to his daughters’ very verbal noises of disgust.

“Dad, please. I’d like to finish my breakfast.” Yang’s nose was wrinkled up like a little piglet’s.

Tai couldn’t help but pinch it as he walked on by. “I’m sure you’ll survive.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, before turning her attention to the other adult in the room, looking almost gleefully predatory. “Soooo, Uncle Qrow.”

“Yeah firecracker?” Qrow had his cutlery poised in the air, uncertain on where to start.

“If you want to make it up to dad, I know the perfect gift you can get him.”

As he placed the dirty mixing bowl in the sink, Tai snorted softly. Oh, this oughta be good.

“Yeah?” His husband arched a skeptic eyebrow. “What’s that?”

She cleared her throat and straightened up her shoulders like a businesswoman about to give a rousing proposal. “Well, I heard, and this is just you know from the people in the know, you know? But I heard the Battle Expansion pack for Grimm Raider’s 2 hit the shelves this week.”

“Uh-huh.” Qrow was trying to keep a straight face. “And Tai would want that?”

“Yes!” Ruby jumped in with certainty. “Because what better gift for a dad than the joy on his children’s faces?”

In perfect sync, both girls placed their fingers on the ends of their mouths and pulled them upwards into big smiles.

Tai was full-blown laughing now. Little weasels!

“Been planning that one awhile now, haven’t you?” Qrow said, not fooled in the slightest.

Yang gasped in mock-offense, placing her hand to her chest. “Uncle are you accusing me of taking advantage of your forgetfulness for my own gain? Can you believe this Ruby?”

“But, didn’t we plan it?” She stage-whispered.

“Sssh, he’s not supposed to know that!”

Before this clown show could go on any further, Tai decided to interject, “Alright, alright, that’s enough you two.” He dropped the rest of the dishes in to be soaked before rounding back to the table. “You know what would bring me great joy today? You two finishing your breakfast and getting ready for school.” He reached out to messily ruffle their hair, enjoying their cries of annoyance and futile swats. “And anyways, you uncle gives me the greatest gift every day.”

“What’s that?” Ruby asked.

Tai met rusty red eyes across the table. “His love.”

Qrow flushed a rosy pink, looking away with a smile. It was adorable, the way simple little things like that could still make him so bashful.

Yang looked between them. “Well, you could have that and the battle expansion pack.”

“Nice try.”

The rest of breakfast went without preamble, Tai shooing the girls off to get ready while he took care of the dishes. It really could have been just like any other morning. The fact it wasn’t supposed to be lingered like a thorn in the back of his head that he did his best to ignore.

Another plate was placed on the counter, and he reached for it without thought, only to have his hand caught by a paler one. Fingers threaded through his own as Qrow’s arm came around his waist, his body melding against his side.

“Dinner? My treat?” He offered, gentle like the mouse that tried to pull the thorn from the lion’s paw.

Tai pressed their foreheads together, murmuring, “I’d like that.”

❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀~❀

Signal’s campus was pretty barren so early in the morning. While the faculty members were slowly making their way to their classrooms to get ready for the day, the halls wouldn’t be filled with the bustle and yells of the students for another half hour or so. Qrow had come to appreciate the quiet and calm, because he knew once the bell rang, it would be eight solid hours of chaos.

As they headed through the front doors, Yang sped ahead, waving as she did. “I’m heading to the training gym! Bye!”

“Ah, Yang-” Tai started to object, but she was already cutting around the corner. “Annnd there she goes.” His attention turned downward when his other daughter yanked at his wrist. “Yes Ruby?”

“Can I go to the library today?” She asked hopefully.

“You don’t want to help your old man set up?”

Qrow casually stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Ah, let her go. Kiddo’s got a big brain that needs feeding, ain’t that right?” He winked her way, making her giggle.

“Alright, go on then.” Tai nudged her forward. “And stay in the kids’ section, okay?”

“I will!” Ruby promised before scurrying off.

They headed in the opposite direction, towards their classrooms. Qrow side-eyed the man he’d had the pleasure of calling his husband for three years now. “So, where do you want to go tonight?”

“You even have to ask?” Tai teased.

“Well, maybe you were feeling creative for once.” He jabbed back, dodging away when the other tried to push him.

“Don’t make it sound like you don’t love Sarubia’s.”

Of course he did. While they’d both settled readily in Patch’s more remote, country-like society, and there was much Qrow especially hadn’t minded leaving behind, there were still occasions in which they missed Anima. So, Sarubia’s more eastern inspired menu was like a little taste of home for both of them.

“Guess I can’t argue.” He shrugged, their pace slowing as they approached Tai’s classroom. His heart rate started to pick up. “You know, it’s funny. I was thinking about Anima just the other day.”

“Oh?” Tai’s keys jangled as he tried to unlock the door.

He rocked on his heels. “Yeah. I was thinking how nice it would be to bring a piece of it back home.”

“Heh, like what?” The door opened and Tai flipped on the lights. He took one step inside.

Then froze.

He swallowed down his nerves. “Perhaps, maybe, some Firelight Sunflowers?”

In the space between Tai’s body and where his arm was extended, hand not having left the doorknob yet, Qrow was proud to see the three sunflower saplings hadn’t wilted entirely overnight. Despite their droopiness, they were still thriving enough to see the curling, yellow petal tips that transitioned into a vibrant display of red that took up the majority of the bloom and gave them their name.

“Oh, Qrow.” Tai breathed. “You…” He trailed off, too overcome to find the words.

A relieved sigh left him as the tension Qrow’d felt the entire morning leading up to this moment flowed off of himself all at once. Between the knowledge that pretending to forget yet again could go horrendously wrong and the uncertainty whether the gift was even meaningful enough to warrant it, he’d barely been able to hold it together. Saying nothing of the weeks he’d spent nurturing the plants in secrecy or the bribery he had to give his nieces to ensure they’d be alone this morning.

Yet, any doubts he may have had were washed away by his husband’s response. The way Tai said his name was with such love, that Qrow felt it in his own heart and it burst back out of him in soft words: “Happy anniversary, sunshine.”

He finally moved, turning to face him. “I-I can’t believe - How did you find them?”

“That last mission I went on took me through lower Anima. I uh, may have detoured a bit.”

It hadn’t been any small challenge to find the specific species. They were an extremely rare variety which only grew in the southern meadows of Anima. He’d never actually seen them before, as the tribe never migrated that far down, but he knew they could be found only miles away from a little, obscure settlement known as Shén-Guāng. The community there was founded on extremely strict and religious practices, whose citizens’ bowed to the teachings of the God of Light and gripped so tightly onto every inch of its populace’s way of life, that even just hearing about it left Qrow feeling stir crazy.

The only reason he even knew of the little town at all was because when Tai was feeling particularly nostalgic, he’d sometimes share outlandish tales about his childhood. The one he never quite forgot was the story he’d told him during their second year at Beacon.

(“For my last test, Master Jinsei put a blindfold around my eyes. His semblance was the ability to tie an undoable knot – so there was no getting it off. He told me to use all the skills I had learned to go out and bring back a Firelight Sunflower.”

“A flower? You’re kidding right?”

“Don’t make it sound so easy. It was December. They weren’t even in bloom yet.”

“Oh, come off it. Now you really are making things up.”

“I’m not! The lesson isn’t just to find a flower blind. It’s about staying aware of your surroundings. Listening to the wildlife that will tell you of predators and Grimm. Having patience and fortitude through the winter. Most people give up a few days in.”

“So why didn’t you?”

“Because only those who pass that test are allowed to leave the village. You know, they say sunflowers mean all sorts of things. Like happiness or loyalty. But to me, I’ve always seen them as a symbol of freedom. So, when I finally brought one back, that’s what I felt I held in my hand.”

“… Yeah. Okay. I get that. Still, why put yourself through all that? Why not just go out on your own?”

“Hah! Maybe I would have, if I knew someone like you back then.”

“Well, you know me now. Was it worth it?”

Tai’s smile-)

-was bright and warm, and left Qrow’s knees feeling weak. His hand was calloused from training and work in the garden, yet the touch remained tender as it cupped his cheek. As they lent in towards one another, Tai whispered against his lips, “I love you.”

“Me too.” He whispered back.

Their eyes slipped shut as they kissed, and as an arm encircled his waist, Qrow rose his own to wind around Tai’s shoulders, one hand leafing through the short blond hairs along the back of his head. For a moment, that’s all they were: A soft and gentle caress of lips contrasting the strength in the way they held each other, neither ever intending to let go.

Even when they pulled back, they didn’t fully loosen their grip. Tai dropped a smaller, affectionate peck on the tip of his nose. “Thank you.”

“Glad you like them.” He peered over his husband’s shoulder, seeing a petal falling onto the desk. “Though, sorry they look kinda pathetic. Don’t exactly have your green thumb.”

With unshakeable certainty, he replied, “No. They’re perfect. Like you.”

“Uh.” Qrow spared the dying flowers a judgmental eye. “You know, you’re not usually this bad at compliments.”

“Ut-! Haha, sorry, sorry. Not what I meant!” He could feel the rumble of Tai’s laughter where their chests still touched. “It’s just, do you know what love and flowers have in common?”

“…Lovers’ Day?”

Tai shook his head. “They both regrow.” He reached up, cupping his hand around the one Qrow had rested on his collar, brushing a thumb over his wedding ring. “And though it takes a lot of work, with the right nurturing and care, eventually something strong and beautiful will blossom.”

Shock left his eyes widening and his jaw slackening.

When he’d chosen to plant three of the sunflowers, it was only because it was the same number of years as their anniversary. Now though, the other third he was in Tai’s life danced briefly through his head. On his worst days, the ones where he felt his most insecure, it was a fact that tormented him like a plague left to fester in his mind and was only treatable with a heavy dose of reassurance and comfort from his husband. But today, Tai’s words acted like a vaccine, abolishing the thoughts before they even could be.

Instead, Qrow was content and so light, he swore he could fly without wings. But more than that, he felt like he was falling in love all over again.

He buried his face into Tai’s neck, hiding the smile that he just knew was ridiculously large and goofy. “You know what? You’re right. But I’ll do you one better. We’re perfect.”

Tai’s fingers threaded through his own. “Yeah. We really are.”

#taiyang xiao long #qrow branwen #Taiqrow #ruby rose #yang xiao long #rwby #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

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everysongineverykey · 5 years

Text

*claps hands* alright motherfuckers i havent made a natm post in literally a year so heres one:

I’ve just got a nice idea for a post-natm 3 au where ahk and his parents get transferred back to brooklyn permanently by some amazing museum executive, bringing the tablet with them, of course.

You can guess what happens: People reconcile, friends are made, and parties are had. Big parties, just like the one at the end of natm 3, but about once a month, just for fun. Jed and Oct are dj’s (and Jed has a field day with the “disc jockey” puns, obviously) and everyone else just dances and has a great time.

But one person’s still missing, of course: Larry Daley himself. He’s a teacher now, and enjoys his job, and maybe he’s even got a pretty high position, who knows? Anyway, sometimes, after sundown, Larry’ll walk down to the museum and see the lights erupting from the stained-glass-wall, and smile, but never go in, because he knows it’s no longer his place to be.

But then one day, he makes friends with the current night guard at the brooklyn museum, and they’ll beg him to come see the museum one night after sundown, because he’ll never believe what happens there every night. And he tries to hide his excitement, and at first refuses, but consents to a short visit after his friend insists.

What he doesn’t know, however, is that his new friend knows that he’s worked at the museum before.

They know he knows what happens after dark.

But they’re bringing him along because they like him, and because their good friend ahkmenrah simply insisted.

Ahk, you see, has been missing his old friend quite a bit. The new guard is sweet and all, but it’s just not the same without Larry’s bittersweet greetings and polite sarcasm. His parents, of course, can’t understand their son’s fixation on this strange “Guardian of Brooklyn”. They’ve met him, and he just doesn’t appear to be anything special.

Oh, if they could see the world through ahk’s eyes.

So one night, Larry and his friend walk into the noisy museum lobby, decked out with everything bright and colorful. It seems like the party will never stop-

Except once it does.

As soon as the exhibits spy Larry’s face in front of the door, the entire building falls dead silent. No breathing is heard, no footsteps, not even the sound of the cds turning gently, even though Jed and Oct have stopped moving them.

The first sound that is heard is Attila, screaming in surprise and delight and running to wrap Larry up in a hug.

The second sound is a confused, yet enthusiastic “Lawrence, my good boy, I thought you had left us!” from Teddy.

The third sound is Ahk’s soft “Larry. Guardian of Brooklyn” just as he starts to move closer.

Larry doesn’t waste any time in running around the lobby desperately trying to hug each and every one of them, including the animals.

As soon as everyone’s finished with their tearful hellos, they start the party right up again, and Larry, being the awkward, serious guy he is, refuses to dance, saying he’s fine just watching and talking.

Well, you all know where this is going. Ahk grabs Larry by the arm and whirls him onto the direct center of the floor so that he has no choice but to dance. So he does. He dances to the very best of his ability, which of course isn’t very good, but Ahk just smiles adorably and eventually grabs him by the arm again, and of course they start to dance.

It’s not a wrap-your-arms-around-each-other-and-sway-slowly-to-the-music kind of dance, but it’s not completely impersonal, either. It’s a quick, lively one with the partners touching hands, twirling and dipping each other occasionally. Larry once swore he’d never be caught dead dancing with someone like this. Ahk and Larry both know this, but neither of them care all that much at the moment. It’s fun. And fast. And personal.

And…

And all of a sudden, they’re kissing, and the dance becomes a lot more personal.

And soon enough, it’s not even a dance anymore, and they’re up on the roof together, talking.

And the conversation they have goes something like this…

“But why can’t you stay here? We’ve missed you! I’ve missed you! Whatever you’re doing right now can’t be as important as-”

“You heard me, Ahk. I love all of you. But I’ve built up a life for myself. I’ve got a new job. I can’t just give that all away.”

“Not even for me?”

“Don’t give me that. Look.” Their fingers are intertwined by now. “I do love you. But-”

“But you’re not willing to throw your life away for me.”

A silence.

“No, I’m not. And I’d never be willing to do that. I’m sorry, but-”

“It’s okay. I understand. If I were forced to choose between my kingdom and my lover… I’d probably do the same thing.”

“You mean that?”

“Of course. Just… make sure you come back and visit every month.”

“Of course I’ll visit you. I love you, Ahk.”

“I love you too.”

If either of them have anything more to say, the opportunity to say it is closed, along with the gap between their lips. They stay up on the roof until sundown, and when they return to the lobby to help clean up, no one asks where they’ve been. They don’t need to.

After all, the way they look at each other tells them everything they need to know.

So, Larry keeps his word, and visits the museum at the same time every month for the next couple years. His affair with Ahk becomes somewhat of an unspoken agreement around the place, something that everyone is aware of, but feels no great urge to address. His visits are always welcomed, and each time the news he brings with him gets better and better- it’s always some kind of promotion he’s received. Last month, he told them he’d been accepted into a “new line of business,” although he won’t tell them exactly what it is.

Then, one night, the current guard pulls them aside and tells them that he’s actually become a congressman.

No one believes it, of course- until they show them several articles about it on their phone.

Then they do.

And when Larry comes to visit the next month, Ahk pulls him onto the roof again, but there is no romance in this conversation.

“Well, Larry Daley? I’m waiting for an explanation.”

“…Who told you?”

“Our good friend the night guard. Everyone knows. And I’d like to know why we had to wait so long.”

“If you’d been given an opportunity to rule a new kingdom overseas, wouldn’t you have hesitated before-”

“This is more than hesitation! You lied to us for several months. I don’t know why you’d-”

“Ahk, this doesn’t change anything between us.”

“No?”

There is a lengthy pause.

“No. I’ll always have time for you. It’s not like I’m moving out of the state or anything.”

Ahk is a little reassured, but their later conversation that night is strained, less personal.

Later, though, he relaxes a bit, thinks, Well, he’s perfectly capable, what could go wrong?

Poor Ahkmenrah.

To jinx himself like that.

Larry goes on to do great things, though. He’s a huge asset to the state of New York. Congress loves him. The people love him. Everyone loves him.

At least, that’s the general impression until one fateful night in mid-May.

Everything happens so very fast. The poor guard ambles in one evening, slumped and depressed, and when everyone asks what’s wrong, they look the exhibits right in the eyes and tell them that Larry Daley, congressman of the State of New York, has been killed in a hate crime.

An unidentified gunman shot him twelve times in the chest before taking off, apparently.

Larry Daley, Guardian of Brooklyn, is dead.

He’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead. That’s all that runs through Ahk’s head for the next few hours. He’s dead.

And he excuses himself quietly, walks up to the rooftop, and sits down and looks at the night sky.

And for the first time in nearly three thousand years, Ahkmenrah, Fourth King of the Fourth King, ruler of the land of his fathers, closes his eyes and starts to cry.

Not too loudly, of course. To let anyone hear him would be embarrassing. But he sobs quietly, covering his face with one arm and hugging himself with the other. His sorrow disappears into the night just as quickly as it is announced, heard by nothing but the stars.

And Ahk stares up at the sky, his vision blurred with tears that, when he wipes them away, reveal a seemingly infinite expanse of darkness, the air too polluted with artificial light to see more than a few stars.

But he doesn’t have to see the Milky Way to feel incredibly small at that moment.

And that’s how it goes for a long time.

Every night, on the anniversary of Larry’s death, Ahk climbs to the rooftop and sits there, alone, and wonders why.

Why he had to get stuck with poor, stubborn Larry.

Every time, some of the exhibits- his parents, or Teddy, or Jed and Oct- follow him up and tell him they’re there if he needs them.

The first few times, he refuses, insisting he’s fine.

But about five months later, he starts accepting their presence.

And a year later, he stops going up to the roof, deciding it’s not healthy to hold onto your past forever.

Every month, the date comes and goes. But it’s not an unfortunate reminder anymore. It’s not a rude awakening. It simply is.

And life goes on.

Until, one day in the year 2099, Ahk is transferred again, this time to a museum in Vermont. He’s been in and out of Brooklyn and Britain a couple times by now, and he’s seen his fair share of Japan, and even Egypt, for a couple years. He can handle a quiet museum in a quiet state.

What he doesn’t anticipate is that the Vermont museum is currently unveiling several new wax sculptures, depicting some of America’s most famous members of government, including senators and congressmen.

So, on his first few nights in Vermont, Ahk walks around a bit, makes friends with the mummified cats in the Egyptology section, talks to a couple of Greek Gods, nothing extravagant.

And then, two weeks in, just while he’s heading to the busts, he passes a room with about twelve empty human-sized glass cases, and decides it’s worth checking out. So he varies his route a bit, and by 3:AM, he’s met eight different members of congress, the senate, and the House of Representatives. So he’s walking slowly on back to his exhibit to talk to the cats a bit more, rather happy with his new acquaintances.

He’s just about to pick one up when he hears footsteps outside, coming gradually closer.

And then a voice.

“Get off me, you stupid cat, I don’t care if you were a god in ancient Egypt, you’re dead now, I don’t need this…”

Oh.

Ahk knows that voice- But it can’t be…

Can it?

The pharaoh races out of the room. He looks to the left. The footsteps stop short, but there is no one to be seen. He looks to the right.

And.

And it’s Larry.

Larry Daley. Guardian of Brooklyn. His Larry.

Larry stares at Ahk. Ahk stares back. Then the congressman breaks the silence by slowly moving closer. Ahk can’t resist reaching out to touch his cheek.

And Larry smiles. “Ahk.” And Ahk can’t resist pulling his mouth into a giddy grin.

All he can say is, “I never thought I’d see you again.”

There’s a brief pause, and then they lock in a gentle kiss.

And then they both laugh, and laugh, and laugh. And Ahk grabs his arm and leads him to the roof, where they’re too busy looking at each other to look at the stars, but it’s the thought that counts.

“Looks like now, you’ve got no choice but to stay with me,” Ahk says, still grinning.

Larry smirks, but it soon turns into a warm smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

If a stranger were to look out their bedroom window at the museum roof that night, all they would have seen was two people tangled together as one.

anyway just a suggestion :)

#NATM #natm ships #Night at the Museum #tablet guardians

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sinsiriuslyemo · 5 years

Text

The Rabstian relationship continues to develop, and the sexual tension finally boils over. Merry Christmas if that’s what you celebrate! Happy Holidays is Christmas isn’t your bag! Thank you to those of you who read this story so so much for reading this couple’s journey!

tagged: @bullet-prooflove, @delia26, @ghostofachancewithyou, @whiterose2664, @blown-transistor, @esparza-army, @mikeydodds, @southern-magnolia, @majahight, @katmstanton, @letty-o

9. Merry Christmas

FIVE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2013

The aftermath of Thanksgiving in New York city had always been a whirlwind of holiday shoppers, trying to balance everyday life with the impending deadline of Christmas Day that loomed ahead. Sebastian had never quite understood it; for him holiday shopping had always been easy enough for the three people he typically shopped for. But what exactly did one get for a man they’d been seeing for only three months? Casper had suggested a simple card or giftcard and the pianist couldn’t help but cringe at the thought. Giftcards, while practical, seemed void of any sort of thought, and a simple card was thoughtful, but didn’t exactly show very much effort on his part either.

“You gotta keep it simple, you can’t get him something you would get for me, for example,” Casper said as he followed his friend down an aisle of the store they were in.

“What makes you think that I would get you something similar to what I would get for Rafael?” Sebastian answered with a smirk. Coming upon a rack of shirts, he examined his options as Casper played with a snow globe behind him.

“You know what I mean, dipshit, you always get me amazing gifts because you know me inside and out. Not to mention that it wouldn’t creep me out if you got me something expensive because we’ve known each other since puberty--”

“--When have I ever gotten anyone anything expensive? Do you even know me?” Sebastian replied, turning to knit his brows at Casper.

“I meant rich not as in rich rich, just...thoughtful. Heartfelt.”

“What are you getting Katie this year?” Sebastian asked, turning his attention back to the shirts.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Look, I know a lot about stuff he likes, but you’re right. We haven’t been seeing each other that long, plus he’s got a demanding job, so the gift not only has to be appropriate for the amount of time we’ve been dating, but also practical given his schedule. It’s just taking me a while to decide what that gift is going to be,” the musician said. Letting out a heavy sigh, he abandoned his search for a t shirt and continued down the aisle.

“You’re thinking way too much about it,” Casper said, setting the snowglobe on the rack with all the others before following the pianist. “What about a case of beer?”

“You’re a neanderthal,” Sebastian mumbled. “It’s Christmas, not a damn barbeque. What the hell is the matter with you?”

“Alright, so a seasonal brew.”

“No, I wanna get him something nice, but not too...big...you know? Casual but...thoughtful,” Sebastian replied.

“Okay, what do you know about him?”

Sebastian sighed again as he stopped in the middle of the aisle and turned to face his friend. “He likes coffee. And theatre...and music, all kinds of music...he really likes crossword puzzles--”

“There you go, get him one of those uh, book-puzzle-thingys,” Casper suggested.

“A book-puzzle-thingy.”

“A book-puzzle-thingy,” Casper repeated. “He’ll like that.”

“Yeah, but he can get those anywhere. No, I want it to still be special, something he can’t find just anywhere.”

“Coffee mug.”

“Animal,” Sebastian replied, pointing to Casper.

“At least I’m coming up with ideas, all you came up with was ‘something special’ which by the way can mean literally anything,” the lanky brunette replied as the two wandered down the next aisle.

“I could make him a book of crosswords?”

“No,” Casper answered, shaking his head. “That’s way too much effort for only having been dating three months, get outta here.”

“Well, what about you?” Sebastian replied, again trying to steer the conversation away from him and Rafael.

“Katie? Figured I’d get her another one of those action figures she likes,” Casper answered with a shrug.

“You got her that for her birthday and let me tell you something else, pretty soon it’s gonna be coming up on a year that you guys have been hooking up and you still won’t give her the girlfriend label. If I were you, I’d shit or get off the pot.”

“Shit or get off the pot,” Casper repeated.

“Shit or get off the pot.”

“Where’s all this pressure coming from all of a sudden? What, are you my relationship counselor now?” Casper asked.

“No, I’m just saying, I know what it feels like to be really into somebody that refused to pull the trigger on making it official,” Sebastian answered as he bobbed his shoulders. “All I’m saying is, she deserves to know whether or not she’s wasting her time after seven months. That’s all.”

“Okay, cupid, so what should I get her then?”

Again Sebastian turned to face his friend, a smile forming on his face. “That depends.”

“On?”

“On whether you want to be her boyfriend or just keep being roommates.”

“Whose friend are you again?” Casper asked.

“Come on, I just think she’s a great girl and to put up with your shit as much as she does, I gotta give her credit for that,” Sebastian replied. “But I’m your friend. Animal. Always.”

“So...what, like a bracelet?” Casper suggested.

“No, that’s generic and she doesn’t wear jewelry. Think outside the box a little,” Sebastian replied, watching as Casper’s brows furrowed in thought.

“She told me once that she’s always wanted a bathrobe.”

“There you go,” Sebastian said with a grin. “Okay, now you just gotta find a bathrobe that fits her personality and you’re good to go.”

Casper arched a brow. “You’re serious? You think I should get her a bathrobe for Christmas?”

“Yes. It’s a relatively small gesture that shows you’ve been paying attention to her and something you know she’ll use,” Sebastian answered. “She’ll love it.”

The brunette remained silent for a moment, eyes lowering as he considered his friend’s words. “Okay but if she hates it, I’m gonna tell her it was your idea.”

“Fine,” Sebastian replied, turning to resume his search for the perfect gift to give to Rafael.

TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2013

A lull in the legal system had never been more welcomed and with the William Lewis trial looming--and his lawyer filing seemingly every pretrial motion under the sun--Rafael was all too happy to have the reprieve from other cases. As it was, Lewis’ lawyer had filed three separate motions just that morning, all of which had left him at the office prepping until late.

Walking into the piano bar, his eyes subconsciously went to the man onstage, who was just finishing a cover of Piano Man. Rafael made his way to the bar and smiled at the lanky brunette who was rinsing a glass.

“What can I get you?”

“Hi. Casper, right?” Rafael asked.

“That’s my name,” Casper answered, casually hanging the white towel in his hand over his shoulder. “What’ll it be?”

“Um...scotch, rocks please,” Rafael answered as Sebastian came up beside him and the prosecutor turned towards him. “Hi.”

“Hey,” Sebastian replied, leaning in to drop a kiss on the other man’s lips. “Good day?”

“The courthouse is officially closed for the holidays and now I get to see you, so yes. Amazing day,” Rafael answered.

“Scotch rocks,” he heard Casper say as he placed a drink on the bar. Reaching into the cooler in front of him, he took out a beer for Sebastian, opened it and set that on the bar as well.

“Thank you,” Rafael replied.

“Yup!” Casper said with a nod, walking to attend to another patron on the other side of the bar.

“Don’t mind him, he’s a neanderthal,” Sebastian said, rubbing a hand over Rafael’s back as the attorney chuckled. “Long day?”

“Yeah, I had two pretrial motions earlier and then the same lawyer filed three more for after the holiday,” Rafael answered, taking a sip from his drink.

“That sounds like fun,” Sebastian teased.

“Oh yeah, absolutely. I’m sorry I missed your last set.”

“No, it’s okay, I understand. You’ve been to every one for the last three months, I can’t exactly complain,” Sebastian answered as they walked to Rafael’s usual table, where Katie was sitting, watching something on her phone with earphones. Sebastian leaned towards Rafael and mumbled in his ear, “Somebody tried to sit there earlier so she decided to park it to save you the table.”

“She fended off another customer for me?” Rafael asked with a smirk.

“Mhm, she likes you,” Sebastian answered, smiling back at the prosecutor as they approached the table.

“You didn’t watch the show?” the lawyer asked the brunette, who pulled the ear buds out of her ears when she saw the two men.

“What?”

“What are you watching?” Rafael asked in a chuckle.

“America’s Dumbest Criminals on Youtube. Some people are so stupid,” she replied, setting her phone down. “You’re a lawyer, how many dumb asses do you come across? Like, on average.”

“A few,” Rafael answered, bobbing his shoulders. “Thanks for saving the table for me.”

“Oh, no sweat, I like a corner table anyway,” Katie said, waving a hand. “I’m gonna go grab another beer, you guys want anything?”

“We’re good,” Sebastian answered, holding up his beer and resting his free arm over the back of Rafael’s chair.

“Alright,” Katie replied before she walked to the bar.

“And how was your day?” Rafael asked as he took another sip from his drink.

“Good,” Sebastian answered. “I found your present today.”

“Oh?”

“Yup, I just have to wrap it and it’s good to go,” Sebastian said with a grin. “You going to your mom’s for Christmas?”

“Yes, dinner at eight and then midnight mass. What about you? I assume you’re going to be spending it with Mrs. Fitzgerald?”

“Yeah, I think I’m gonna bring her some food. The Thanksgiving spread wasn’t exactly up to her standards,” Sebastian answered.

Rafael arched a brow in interest. “You cook?”

“Do I cook,” Sebastian replied in a chuckle. “Maybe I can cook for you sometime if you bring me another piece of that flan your grandmother makes.”

“You got yourself a deal,” Rafael said, smirking. “How’s your writing going?”

“Finished another song this morning,” Sebastian replied. “This next one is real bitch, though. I’m struggling.”

“You’ll finish it. I have faith in you,” Rafael said as one hand fell to stroke the musician’s thigh as Katie came back and reclaimed her seat across from them.

“Thanks, babe,” Sebastian mumbled around a smirk.

“Hey, do you know if Casper is getting me a present for Christmas?” Katie asked, looking at Sebastian.

“Maybe.”

“Bastian, come on. You don’t have to tell me what it is, but if he’s not getting me anything, tell me. I don’t wanna get him something and then have him go all weird if he didn’t get me anything,” she replied, her eyes pleading with him.

The pianist sighed heavily. “Okay, yes. He got you something, but that’s it. That’s all you’re getting out of me.”

“That’s fine. Really, it’s fine, don’t tell me,” she said, taking a pull from her beer. “No, tell me what it is--”

“--Nope. Hard line there, I’m not gonna tell you anything else,” Sebastian answered as he shook his head. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it.”

“Did you at least help?” she asked. The only response she got, however, was a quirked brow and a smirk. “Come on,” she groaned, turning her attention to Rafael and giving him a sweet smile. “Rafaeeel--”

“--No!” Sebastian interjected, moving his hand from the back of the prosecutor’s chair to his shoulder. “You get no more information.”

“Yeah, don’t pull me into this,” Rafael agreed with a chuckle. “I’m sure that whatever he got you, you will love.”

“Ugh, you both suck,” Katie groaned playfully, taking another sip from her beer. “Hey, you guys should come to trivia with us some night.”

“Trivia?” Rafael inquired.

“Yeah, it’ll be, like, a fun double date,” Katie answered.

“Yeah, I think that sounds fun,” he said, looking over at Sebastian, who winked at him.

“Yay! It’s on Tuesday nights over at the bar on 23rd and 6th.”

“I work Tuesday nights,” Sebastian replied.

“So get Anna to cover you, I’m sure she’d be stoked to work more than one night a week,” Katie said.

Rafael knitted his brows as he took another sip from his drink. “Who’s Anna?”

“She sings here on Monday nights,” Sebastian answered.

“Maybe you should consider it,” Rafael said, bobbing his shoulders. “It would give you more time to work on your musical anyway.”

“Yeah, and besides she’s gonna be finishing school soon. If she doesn’t get more hours, she’ll have to start looking for another job,” Katie chimed.

“Maybe after the holidays,” Sebastian suggested.

“Speaking of which, Katie, what are you doing for Christmas?” Rafael asked.

“Going to my parents’ for dinner and then timing my exit before they try to guilt me into spending the night. I’ve got younger siblings that wake the entire house up at six in the morning to open presents and I am not about that. There is literally no reason to get up that early on any day, including Christmas Day.”

“Um, to see what Santa brought,” Sebastian said with conviction, earning a chuckle from Rafael.

“Fuck Santa,” Katie replied with a gentle smile.

Rafael and Sebastian both gasped and Katie chuckled as she brought her beer to her lips again.

“Fuck Santa?” Sebastian repeated.

“I mean, I don’t believe in Santa anymore than the next person, but I have to admit he represents cheer and warmth,” Rafael said.

“Yeah, come on, kids love Santa and it’s great to see them so excited about some chunky, red-suited guy bringing them presents,” the pianist added.

“Even if it is technically breaking and entering,” Rafael said.

Sebastian nodded in chuckle. “And despite the fact that eventually the dream of Santa will die when someone inevitably tells them he’s not real.”

“You guys are too much,” Katie said with a giggle.

“Last call!” they heard Casper announce from behind the bar.

“You wanna get outta here?” Sebastian asked, looking over at Rafael, who nodded before taking a final sip from his drink.

“Oh sure, leave me with Mr. Grinch,” Katie teased.

“Good night, Katie,” the pianist replied with a grin before he turned to Rafael.

“It was good to see you again, Katie,” Rafael said, smiling at the brunette.

“You too. Goodnight,” she replied.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE 2013

The chill outside was barely noticeable to Sebastian as he and Rafael walled to Rockefeller Center to admire the huge Christmas tree. It was something the musician had done every Christmas, sometimes with Edna, other times--most times, due to the freezing weather--alone but he was ecstatic to be continuing the tradition with Rafael.

As they came upon the 94-foot tree, their fingers intertwined at their sides, Sebastian leaned against the railing that framed the ice rink and let his eyes roam the majestic, multi-colored Norway Spruce. They stared in a comfortable silence as below them, people skated in pairs on the ice rink. As was typical during the holiday season, the air was dense with laughter and love, things that Sebastian thrived on.

“I never get tired of seeing this tree,” Rafael said as he took a side-step closer towards Sebastian and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“I know, it’s the most beautiful part of the city this time of year,” the musician answered. “I’ve never gone skating here though, fuck that line.”

Rafael laughed, nodding. “I’m not much for ice skating either. Honestly, I’d probably fall flat on my face.”

“Yeah, same here. Skating is young man’s game,” Sebastian teased in a chuckle. Tearing his eyes away from the tree, he looked over at Rafael. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“Of course,” the ADA replied as he met Sebastian’s gaze. “I wouldn’t pass up a chance to spend time with you.”

“Me neither.”

The corner of Rafael’s lips curled as he rocked forward, catching the pianist’s pout with his own in a firm kiss before they each turned their eyes back to the massive tree before them.

“Barba?” he heard from behind them and Sebastian turned to see a tall, bundled up brunette with the most striking eyebrows he’d ever seen. Her mouth curled into a gentle smirk as she glanced at him before turning her chestnut eyes back to Rafael. “I didn’t think ADA’s appreciated the tree at Rockefeller center.”

“I do have a life, Olivia,” Rafael answered with a matching smirk.

“I guess so,” she said, looking to the pianist again. “You must be Sebastian.”

The pianist blinked, turning to face her as he held a hand out. “Yeah, that’d be me...I’m guessing you’re Olivia?”

“I am. Barba...talks a lot about you,” she replied.

He grinned, feeling his heart swell in his chest as he shifted his gaze to the man beside him. He could see Rafael’s cheeks grow red and placed a hand on the small of the prosecutor’s back.

“You here with Cassidy?” Rafael asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.

“No, actually, I uh…” Olivia turned her face away for a moment as if to collect herself, but Sebastian could feel the tense energy radiating from her. “I just thought I’d go for a walk and…” She paused again, looking back at them with a forced smile. “...ended up here.”

The pianist gave a sideways glance to Rafael and his face fell slowly when he saw the ADA’s somber expression. Turning his attention back to Olivia, he gave her a warm smile. “I was just gonna suggest we get out of the cold and get something hot to drink. Would you wanna join us?”

She looked surprised as her mouth fell open as if to respond, though no sound escaped until she glanced at Rafael. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Sebastian bobbed his shoulders, setting his eyes on the ADA. “I don’t mind.”

“Me neither,” Rafael echoed, trying to smile. “Come with us. Really.”

“I appreciate the invitation, but I should really get home,” Olivia replied. “It was very nice to meet you, Sebastian.”

The pianist smiled and nodded once. “Yeah, you too. Hope we see each other again.”

“I hope so too.” She shifted her eyes to Rafael. “I’ll see you around, Barba.”

“Take care, Liv,” Rafael replied, watching her turn and walk away. The ADA sighed before looking at Sebastian.

“Liv...is that the same Liv that you were upset with not too long ago?”

“Yes,” Rafael answered.

“You never talked to her about the whole dinner party thing, did you?” Sebastian wondered as the corner of his lips curled upward. He had sensed an unspoken tension between the prosecutor and his coworker from the moment she’d walked up and could only imagine there being one reason for that.

“No,” Rafael in another sigh. “She’s been through a lot the last few months, I didn’t want to add on to that by making her feel guilty.”

The pianist frowned and gently squeezed Rafael’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that. She okay?”

The prosecutor bobbed his shoulders slowly. “I’m not sure. She says she is, but...I wonder sometimes.”

Pulling the ADA closer, Sebastian kissed his cheek. “You’re a good friend.”

Turning his head to brush his nose against that of the musician’s, Rafael smiled. “Wanna get out of the cold?”

Sebastian nodded and kissed the ADA’s pout, humming when a trickle of warmth fell over his frame.

“So you talk about me?’ he asked playfully, lacing his fingers with Rafael’s.

The ADA grinned, cheeks growing rosy again. “Yes. I have.”

Sebastian smiled and gently squeezed the other man’s hand. He could hear Casper’s words in his mind to reel in his emotions, but his heart ignored the reasoning of his brain as it swelled with love for the prosecutor. He just had to keep himself from saying it out loud any time soon.

CHRISTMAS EVE 2013

“What time are you supposed to be going to Edna’s?” Casper asked from his place on the couch in Sebastian's apartment. Every years since they were in college, he and the pianist had spent Christmas Eve day together before going to their respective families homes for the evening. It had become a tradition without very much effort on either of their parts.

“Five thirty,” Sebastian called out from the kitchen as he put his enchiladas into the oven and set the timer. “You should’ve invited Katie over with you.”

“Why? It’s always been just us,” Casper answered. “Besides, I don’t see Rafael here either.”

“Hey, speaking of which, what was up with you the other night?” Sebastian asked, going into the fridge for a couple of beers.

“What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about? A few weeks ago you were hounding me for a formal introduction, then last night, you barely even looked at him,” Sebastian replied, handing his friend one of the beers as he sat down on the other end of the couch.

“Yeah, I thought about it more and I figured maybe it’s better to wait until you guys are actually dating, like together, like boyfriends before he starts meeting your friends,” Casper answered.

“Katie met him.”

“Yeah, but Katie’s different. I’m your friend since forever, Katie’s known you about as long as she’s known me,” Casper said. “Meeting acquaintances is no big deal, but meeting your best friend, that’s right up there with meeting your brother.”

Sebastian grinned, nodding his head. “So, I guess you and Katie are actually dating then.”

“Whoa--”

“--You just said…” He smirked as Casper sighed heavily. “...that meeting a best friend is like meeting a brother--which, by the way, I agree--and that you shouldn’t meet Rafael until he’s actually my boyfriend. So, since Katie and I have not only met but been friends since you two have been sleeping together, that must mean you’re dating.”

“Fuck you and your deductive reasoning,” Casper groaned.

“Why are you so damn afraid of calling her your girlfriend? She’s a great girl and she likes you, despite the fact that you’re a neanderthal,” Sebastian said. “It’s time.”

“Shit or get off the pot.”

“Exactly,” the pianist replied with a slow nod.

Casper groaned again, letting his head fall back against the cushions of the couch. “I just don’t want things to get weird, you know? I mean, we already live together. What if after I give her the girlfriend title, she starts talking about getting married, having kids? I mean, shit, man, I’m not ready for that.”

“Maybe she’s not either,” Sebastian replied.

“Women are always ready for that,” Casper said with a pointed look.

Sebastian held up his finger as he took a sip from his beer with the opposite hand. “That’s sexist.”

“Maybe, but it’s true. I’m telling you, man, as soon as you’re living together, their ovaries fucking explode.”

“Come on,” Sebastian replied with a chuckle. “You’re thirty-fucking-six years old.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means, if you don’t get over being such a damn commitment-phobe, you’re gonna end up alone,” the musician answered.

“I am not. A commitment-phobe,” Casper said.

“I call bullshit,” Sebastian mumbled. “You are a commitment-phobe.”

The bartender sighed heavily, taking a drink as he tried to focus on the confrontation on the TV screen. “Okay...maybe.”

“Maybe,” Sebastian replied, taking a sip from his own beer. “What the hell are we watching?”

Casper smirked softly, looking over at his best friend and inhaling slowly as he let his eyes back to the TV. “Jersey Shore, the...second season, I think?”

Sebastian furrowed his brows as he looked over at Casper. “You watch Jersey Shore?”

“Yeah, Katie got me into it...it’s actually a pretty interesting social experiment about what happens when you mix vacation brain with alcohol and the younger generation.”

Sebastian couldn’t help the wheeze-like laugh that swelled in his throat and turned into a staccato sort of cackle. “Social experiment.”

“Laugh it up, asshole. So, what’d you end up getting for Rafael?”

Groaning under his breath, Sebastian sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “A shirt...a tshirt, it’s a tshirt.”

“You got him a tshirt?” Casper asked, knitting his brows. “What happened to the thoughtful gift you wanted to get him? Wow, I mean this has got to be a first. You’re usually the king of gift-giving.”

“I mean, it says Coffee is my spirit animal,” Sebastian replied. “It’s stupid, isn’t it? God, what the hell was I thinking? He doesn’t even wear tshirts.”

Casper caught his bottom lip between his teeth, eyes lowering for a moment. “How much time does the enchilada have?”

“I dunno, probably five or ten minutes,” the musician replied in a sigh.

“Okay, when you get it out, we’re gonna go out and get Rafael another gift.”

“It’s Christmas Eve, where the hell are we gonna find another gift? Most places close early--”

“--Don’t worry about that, I got a guy,” Casper replied.

“You got a guy,” Sebastian repeated.

“I got a guy. Just get your damn enchilada out of the oven and trust me,” Casper answered. “You trust me?”

“Always.”

“Alright, then shut your mouth and get your dish outta the oven,” Casper replied as he stood up and shut the TV off.

CHRISTMAS DAY NIGHT 2013

After a day at his mother’s brownstone, Rafael took a cab home to pick up Sebastian’s gift, which he had spent more than a day picking out and walked down the street towards the musician’s apartment. He could hear the crunch of every step as snowflakes continued to fall from the sky and wondered whether his grandmother had been right when once again at dinner, his relationship status had been brought into conversation. He wasn’t old by any stretch, but he certainly wasn’t getting any younger and it made him consider how long he and Sebastian had been in such close proximity. He felt thankful for having met the musician and yet couldn’t help but wonder how much time they had lost that they could’ve spent together.

As he reached the top of the narrow staircase just outside the pianist’s apartment, he let out a breath and knocked on the door, butterflies forming in the pit of his stomach when he heard movement from inside the apartment. The door opened and the fluttering in his belly grew more pronounced at the sight of the fitted thermal shirt that hugged Sebastian’s muscles and jeans that hung loosely over his hips.

Rafael felt a stir in his belly as he step forward and smiled, lips touching lips in silent greeting. A gentle shock from the kiss pulled a moan from deep within him and it wasn’t long before his head tilted, tongue requesting entrance with a soft flick against Sebastian’s pout. Strong hands slid across his ribs and the pianist pulled him flush against a solid wall of muscle. Trembling arms wrapped around the musician, his fingers slipped through Sebastian’s soft, blonde hair as the two stumbled into the apartment.

He heard the door shut behind him and forced himself to pull away, breathless. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Sebastian replied as he smiled at the ADA. “How was dinner?”

“It was fine,” he said. “I missed you yesterday.”

Blue eyes lit up with the grin that the pianist aimed his way. “I missed you too but I have to admit that kiss was definitely worth it.” His hands came up and loosely took hold of Rafael’s coat, pulling him closer. “You want a drink?”

“Yes, please,” Rafael replied in a sigh. As Sebastian went into the kitchen, Rafael took off his jacket and hung it up on the coat rack before he went to sit on the couch.

“I got some eggnog yesterday and some hot chocolate,” Sebastian said from the kitchen. “Which do you want?”

“Eggnog sounds good,” Rafael replied.

His mind was going a mile a minute, hand that wasn’t holding his gift for Sebastian fidgeting with the hem of his sweater, then the legs of his fitted jeans. On one hand, he’d been happy with their decision to take things slowly with regard to physical intimacy. But on the other hand, he had been finding it extremely difficult to stop thinking about wanting to feel Sebastian’s hard, naked body against his. He would find himself laying awake a night with images of the pianist’s narrow hips rocking against his backside, groaning against his pulse point as Rafael’s fingers kneaded the muscles in the musician’s back. He itched to feel Sebastian’s cock pushing inside him, reaching the place that hadn’t been touched by another man in so long.

Clearing his throat gently, Rafael shifted in his seat as the pianist came to sit beside him, handing his a glass of eggnog.

“You okay?” Sebastian asked, scooting back o the cushions.

“Yeah,” Rafael answered as he offered a smile, gesturing to the eggnog. “Thank you.” He took a sip from the glass.

“Sure,” the pianist answered, turning to reach beneath the tiny tree that sat on the end table beside the couch. “I, uh, I got you something.” He took up the small, narrow, neatly wrapped box.

“I got you something too,” Rafael replied with a smirk, holding up the envelope he’d brought with him and handing it to Sebastian as the musician gave him the box.

Placing their eggnogs on the coffee table, they shared a glance before they each began to open their respective gifts. Sebastian pulled out two tickets to an off-Broadway musical and grinned.

“I’ve been wanting to see this,” he said with a chuckle.

“I know, Katie told me,” Rafael answered as his cheeks grew hot. “I thought we could go together.”

“What a little sneak.” Sebastian looked up at Rafael with a smirk and nodded. “Thank you. I’d love to go with you.” His eyes fell to the half-opened gift in Rafael’s hands and he passed a hand over the hair on the back of his head when the ADA continued to open it. “You can return them if you want--”

“--Don’t be ridiculous,” Rafael answered as he looked down at the black box with Bombas written across it. Opening the box, he took out three pairs of dress socks, each with different patterns and colors. “I love them.”

“Shit, really?” Sebastian replied in a surprised chuckle.

“Yes. Thank you,” Rafael said, leaning forward to press his lips against Sebastian’s. A jolt went through his chest, traveling to his stomach and resting in his hips.

A shiver fell over his shoulders, forming into a tingle that settled below his belt when the tip of a wet tongue licked against his lips. Tilting his head, he granted the pianist entrance and moaned when he felt a strong hand lay against his chest over his pounding heart. He felt his shaft stir in his pants as Sebastian hand slid up to his neck, then back down over his heart. Unable to keep his hands still, Rafael set the socks aside and pulled the musician closer with a sweaty palm on the back of his head, fingers sliding through the pianist’s soft curls. He could practically hear the the thumping of his heart in his ears, drowning out the sounds of the city coming from just outside the window by the piano and his skin grew hot as his hips arched as if to find contact.

The hand not occupied by Sebastian’s hair wedged between the musician’s side and the couch, wrapping around his lower back to bring their chests together. A gentle vibration from Sebastian’s hum buzzed against his lips, sending another tingle to his shaft. Rafael could feel a pool of wetness forming on his underwear as his cock slowly began to fill with arousal. Just as he had when he’d first arrived, the ADA pried himself away from the other man’s pout, breath heavy through his lips. He could smell both his own and Sebastian’s arousal in the stuffy room and feel drops of sweat running down the center of his chest beneath his sweater.

Still, when the musician rocked forward to begin their kiss anew, he placed a hand on Sebastian’s chest, applying the slightest bit of pressure. “If I start kissing you again, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop.”

“What if I don’t want you to?” Sebastian asked in a low voice as the hand on the ADA’s chest dropped to his mid-thigh.

Rafael’s eyes were fixed on Sebastian’s pout as he licked his own lips, catching the bottom petal between his teeth. He wanted it. It was fairly clear that the blonde also wanted it, but still he couldn’t bring himself to answer.

“Should we talk about the hard on in the room?” Sebastian teased, earning a chuckle from Rafael.

“Trust me, there’s not just one in the room,” Rafael replied. “But yes, let’s talk.”

He watched Sebastian’s adam’s apple travel up and back down as the musician swallowed and nodded, moving back to put some space between them. Rafael’s arms trembled as cold air hit him and he shifted in his seat again in attempts to discreetly rearrange the partially-erect appendage in his pants.

“Last time I was tested was four months ago, full panel,” Rafael said between heavy breaths. “And I’m clean.”

“Three months ago. Full panel, also clean,” Sebastian answered as the hand draped on the back of the couch fell to allow his fingers to make contact with the other man’s neck . “And I’m on PrEP.”

“So am I,” Rafael replied as he moved closer to the pianist and placed a hand on his knee. His next question would be the deciding factor as to whether they would be sexually compatible and he could feel his heart in his throat as he took a deep breath. “My diet generally consists of high fiber. How about you?”

“No, but I like to bottom every once in a while so I usually keep an enema kit handy just in case the mood hits,” Sebastian answered. “I can dig light kink, but none of the hardcore stuff.”

“Me too,” Rafael replied with a smile. “It’s been a while for me so…”

“For me too,” Sebastian replied as one of fingers stroked the lobe of Rafael’s ear. “Slow...ish?”

“Ish,” Rafael whispered, smirking.

His eyes held those of the musician’s for a heavily silent beat before Rafael rocked forward to close the space between them again. Driven by the wanton hunger in the pit of his stomach, he moved his hand to the back of Sebastian’s head and gripped a fistful of hair as the musician pushed him onto his back on the couch. As the pianist’s lips made a hot path over his jaw and down to his neck, Rafael moaned and slipped his free hand under Sebastian’s thermal, bucking his hips upward as his frame buzzed with the feel of hard muscle pressed against him.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Sebastian purred against his pulse point, sending another jolt to his shaft. His ass tensed as a hand gripped the side of one cheek and the ADA instinctively wrapped his leg around the other man’s hip, using the leverage to pull Sebastian’s body harder against him.

“Take this off, I wanna feel you,” Rafael whispered, bunching the other man’s thermal over his back. He whimpered as Sebastian lifted his upper body enough to whip his shirt off and exposing his chiseled torso. The ADA groaned as his fingers toyed with the thick tufts of hair that splayed the majority of the pianist’s chest and stomach. “God, you’re so sexy.”

Moaning beneath a half-smile, Sebastian pushed up to his knees as he reached for Rafael’s sweater and pulled it off. Sitting up to allow for his undershirt to be pulled off as well, Rafael leaned forward to kiss over the blonde’s stomach. He made a wet path to one nipple and earned a moan from the musician as he tugged on the ADA’s undershirt, pulling it off and cupping his face as he bent for another hungry kiss.

Rafael’s hands fumbled with the other man’s belt, one paw moving to stroke over the outline of Sebastian’s erection.

“Fuck, Raf,” the musician hissed as he reached down to return the favor, rubbing over the wet spot on the ADA’s jeans as their lips and tongues tangled.

Bringing his hand to join the other, Rafael unfastened the pianist’s jean, carefully pulling the zipper down. He felt the button of his own pants being unfastened and let out a hum of relief, furrowing his brows when he felt Sebastian stand.

“Come here,” the pianist whispered, eyes half-mast as he pulled Rafael to stand in front of him and pressed their lips together again. Unzipping his jeans, Sebastian slid his hand beneath the denim to grab the ADA’s ass.

“Fuck! Don’t, that makes me too hot,” Rafael moaned against the musician's lips.

Sebastian chuckled as his hand retreated. “Okay.”

The prosecutor pushed the other man’s jeans down, watching as he stepped of out each leg before pressing their lips together again. Toeing out of his shoes, Rafael moaned as the pianist tugged at his pants until they were in a pool on the floor behind him. Without warning, Sebastian wrapped one arm around his waist while the opposite hand curled under his knee and picked him up as though the ADA were made of air. Reflexively, Rafael wrapped his other leg around the pianist's hip and looked down with surprise.

“Oh my God,” Rafael groaned as Sebastian carefully laid him back on the couch, settling on top of him. He could feel the urge to have the other man inside of him intensify as his hole clenched in desire. “You’re really making me wanna get fucked right now,” he purred. His legs tightened around the other man’s hips, arching his own in attempts to gain stimulation where he most wanted it.

“Sh, sh,” Sebastian sounded against his lips, taking Rafael’s wrists and bringing them over his head. “Just hold onto that for a second,” he whispered, bringing his own hand to gently nudge the ADA’s legs off his hips before he reached between them and pulled the front of the prosecutor’s boxer briefs down, exposing the stiff muscle beneath.

Rafael’s hands gripped the arm of the couch behind him as a strong, calloused hand wrapped around his cock and stroked, smearing his precum over his shaft. His back arched, hips bucking upward as his teeth dug into his bottom lip and his eyes closed. He felt the pianist’s warm breath over his pout and lifted his head for a slow, passion-fueled kiss as the hand moved away. Rafael whimpered at the loss of stimulation, arching his hips to find it again only to be met with something smoother, harder, much slicker than the hand had been.

Growling against Sebastian’s lips, Rafael ground against the other man’s body, his carnal lust finding the perfect satisfaction in their movements, one against the other. Sweat now in abundance, the amount of friction became just enough to sate his hunger yet leave him wanting--no, needing--more. He ground faster against the pianist, who responded by grinding harder and Rafael’s arms wrapped around the other man. The fingers of one hand slid through damp blonde hair as their kisses became increasingly wanton and wet, a hurricane of lips and tongues fueling a perfect storm between their bodies.

A sting in the corner of his eye made him fully aware of the heat sparking from their movements and the only sounds he could hear were their heavy breaths and wetness between their hips. The wordlessness of their coupling made him dizzy with lust as he was brought closer and closer to oblivion, head tilting to taste the salty skin of Sebastian’s neck. Despite being pinned down by the weight of the man above him, Rafael had never felt stronger as their thrusts became frenzied, his focus being narrowed to Sebastian’s cock, hot, wet and throbbing against his.

“Fuck, Sebastian,” he let out in a trembling whisper, earning an animal-like moan from the man above him.

Their arms wrapped tightly around the other, containing the fire between their thrusting hips as Rafael lost control, moaning louder and digging his short nails into the musician’s slippery back as his cock pulsed and fluid burst from it’s tip. Not long after, Sebastian’s voice joined in the deafening bellows of their orgasms as more hot essence shot between them, coating their stomachs and chests in the evidence of their climax. Rafael trembled as his body experienced jolt after jolt of pleasure, releasing the knot of desire that had been built in him when they’d begun their dance.

Their foreheads pressed together, eyes closed to keep the sweat out, their hips gradually slowed, wanting to prolong their bliss as long as possible. And when Sebastian tilted his chin forward to kiss him, a whirlwind of emotions fell over him as if reconnecting with a lover from a previous life. His heart swelled with warmth as the musician collapsed on top of him.

Turning his head, Rafael pressed a kiss to the pianist’s forehead, unable to remember when he’d ever felt more content than he did in that moment and he lost track of how long they stayed that way, limp, unable and unwilling to move.

Slowly, Sebastian pushed himself up to meet the ADA’s eyes and brushed the man’s nose with his own before meeting his lips again in a gentle kiss.

“Merry Christmas,” Sebastian teased with a smirk, gaining a chuckle from the man beneath him.

“Merry Christmas.”

#rafael barba #rafael barba x male #the prosecutor and the piano bar #rabastian

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cordytriestowrite · 6 years

Text

Battle of the Bars

Bucky x Reader

Summary: When you finally achieved your dream of opening a bar on Stark Street you had no idea you'd have competition or that the owner of the bar across the street would be so cute. (Business Owner Bucky AU)

"Holy shit this place is awesome!" Your best friend Wanda exclaimed, her voice echoing through the empty space. You nodded in agreement with a satisfied smile. You folded your arms as you watched Wanda maneuver around the tables, exploring every inch of your new place of business.

It had been hard work snagging a piece of real estate on the most popular party street in the city, but somehow you managed to be in the right place at the right time with just enough money in your savings account. So now you were broke, happy, and ready to open tomorrow. That is if Wanda was willing to help. You watched her make her way behind the bar, her delicate hands trailing along the polished wood.

"You look good behind the bar, Maximoff." You smirked when Wanda rolled her eyes.

"I haven't been behind a bar since college and I swore I would never work one again once I graduated." She scoffed.

You approached the bar and leaned against it, your smirk still firmly affixed. "But you didnt graduate did you Wanda?"

She bit her lip, trying to keep her smile from showing itself to you, but you knew you had caught her in a loophole to her own promise since she never finished her last semester. Her eyes fell closed as she let her head fall back with a groan.

"When do I start?" She asked with a smack of her small hands on the polished bar.

"I want to open tomorrow. A Friday night will bring good traffic." You explained, walking along the bar to join Wanda behind it. She nodded in agreement and accepted your grateful hug.

"Pietro could help too. My brother would do anything for you." Wanda offered. You made a noncommittal noise in your throat. Pietro was a harmless flirt and she knew that, but it didn't stop her from teasing you for occasionally indulging in his flirtatious compliments.

"I'll take all the help I can get." You concluded, looking around the room. Imagining all the people who would fill the space tomorrow, talking and laughing and enjoying your hard work.

Music blasted through the room sounding loud in the mostly empty bar. You felt helpless as you watched droves of small and large groups pass right by your open door.

"Why aren't they coming in?" You asked no one in particular, a slight whine in your tone.

"It's still early." Wanda said checking her watch.

"Its eight o'clock," Pietro countered, leaning against the bar gnawing on a toothpick, "people want to drink, just not here."

"Not helping." Wanda shot at her brother through clenched teeth, Pietro straightened and strode over to you, placing his hands on your shoulders.

"Want me to go out there, huh? Get some of the ladies in here with my charm and good looks" He mumbled into your ear. You shook your head and pulled away from his touch. You leaned in the open doorway, not bothering now to hide how you watched the people pass your bar with not even a second glance.

What were you missing? Your bar was modern, clean, had good music, and a good looking staff. Why did no one want to come in and have a drink?

"You open?" A voice rang out over the chatter on the street.

When you had pictured your bar patrons as you fell asleep last night you imagined cute instagram-worthy guys and gals who couldn't wait to tag your bar in their photos that always get a thousand likes. When you lay in bed at night feeling lonely you imagined this kind of man doing anything he wanted with you until your spent body fell into dreamland. He was, in a word, hot. His broad shoulders were covered by a worn leather jacket, his strong thighs clad in dark wash jeans, his hair was long and his strong jaw stubbled with a five o'clock shadow. He was gorgeous and dark and obviously waiting for an answer.

You cleared your throat and straighted up, "Yes we are. Come on in." You moved out of the doorway so he could move past you.

"Could've fooled me." He smirked as his shoulder brushed yours. You had almost missed his jab as you caught a whiff of worn leather and gasoline, a surprisingly comforting smell. You followed him in with a slight frown.

Wanda took care of him quickly, flashing her lovely smile and leaning forward on the bar as she took his order. You could tell she was checking him out just as you had. You felt no ounce of jealousy at her appreciating gaze, knowing Wanda was more in to preppy nerds than biker boys. He must have ordered a drink because Wanda was now turned around, staring at the wall of liquor holding an empty glass.

You didn't want to seem like a creep but you couldn't keep your eyes off your only patron as he sipped the whiskey Wanda poured for him. Your eyes only left him when his eyes met yours, so stunningly blue and filled with mirth they were hard to look at for more than a moment.

"Join me for a drink, doll?" He lifted his glass in your direction and you found yourself feeling suddenly coy at the pet name. Still, you put up a confident front, allowing your hips to sway with swagger as you strode over to join him.

He offered you his hand and his name, James; you did the same cordially. Wanda placed an amaretto sour in front of you with a subtle wink. It was your favorite drink when you were in a flirty mood and as your best friend she knew that, the tramp. You turned, intending to ask him how he was enjoying his drink.

"Wanna know why no one is coming in to your bar?" James interrupted as he brought the whiskey to his lips draining the glass and declining another drink when Wanda came along with the bottle.

You felt your mood shift from friendly flirtation to full on defensive stubbornness. You had a feeling his criticism would not be constructive. "If you are so inclined to tell me without prompting."

He smirked and turned fully to face you, his knees hitting the side of your thigh as you kept your body and stare straight ahead, prepared to secure yourself emotionally.

"No sign, no flyers, no hype men or plants to make your place seem like a happening spot, you don't have any drink specials and if I were to guess you dont even have a target audience. You'll be out of business in a month if you don't get your head out of your ass."

"Fuck you." You seethed before you could admit to yourself that he was right. You hadn't even though to do any of those things before he mentioned them, too worried about meeting an imaginary deadline to really think about the small details that would make your business successful.

"Just trying to help, doll face." James pulled his wallet from his back pocket and threw down a generous stack of bills next to his empty glass.

"If you want to see a real bar come to Bucky's," he whispered into your ear as he stood up to leave, his body leaning over yours and encompassing you in the smell of whiskey and leather, a smell you were forcing yourself to detest. "Its where all your potential customers are headed anyway."

You pulled your head back and glared at him, making sure he saw the hard line of your lips when he glanced down to them briefly.

"Get out."

He let out a small chuckle and pushed himself away from you.

"Not a problem, doll."

You watched him stroll leisurely out the door and kept your eyes trained on his retreating form until losing him on the crowded street just outside. You turned away at the sound of a low whistle behind you.

"That was kind of hot. All that tension." Pietro said lowly, earning a smack on the arm from his sister.

"That was insulting." She countered angrily, "I can't believe he said that. Who does he think he is?"

You turned back to the entrance, you eyes scanning the street once more expecting to see James' smirking face in each passerby. Your eyes lifted a little higher than the crowd, seeing a neon red sign across the road, the word Bucky's lighting up the crowded street in a red glow.

"I don't know," your eyebrows furrowed in determination, "but I'm sure as hell never going to Bucky's to find out."

Tag list is open and feedback is welcome! @starfisharchives @depressedcoffeebean @lilypalmer1987 @bambamwolf87 @sleeplessnights06 @suckmyrichardx @soldierplum @kali-mav @illegalportkey @just-some-stuff-in-life @oursickestsecrets @sammbubble @leftmewaitinginthecold13 @love-pinknblue @sky-the-squirrel @lauxxury @bedtimeserenades @waywarddemigod221b @fanfictionrecommendations-com @sawdustandsugar @chickenandrea @elwenia

#bucky barnes #james bucky barnes #bucky fic #bucky fanfic #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky au #wanda maximoff #pietro maximoff #marvel fandom #marvel fanfiction #marvel #avengers fic #avengers fanfiction

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girlwsoftsound · 7 years

Text

It’s All In A Gaze || Ross MacDonald Oneshot

Word Count: 2,282 Summary: “I really really really want a part two to that ross imagine you did about meeting each other in the bar and him inviting you to a show!” (Read the prequel to this, Beautiful Eyes, HERE!) Author’s Note: I really enjoyed coming back to this little story! I hope you like how it turned out <3 Also shout out to Irma for delaying my release of this, that bitch :P Be sure to throw in a like or comment if you liked it! I love seeing feedback from you all. Please feel free to read my other work here! Enjoy!

He was just a pair of beautiful eyes, and you were a sucker for anyone who treated you like a queen from day one.

You were not one to normally take off with men you had only recently met at bars, and yet you accepted Ross MacDonald’s offer the moment he texted it to you. ‘Come to the local theater a few blocks down from the pub around eight. Text me when you get there and I’ll let you in!’ You knew the place; you had been there before loads of times to see bands. However, you had never gone backstage, or gone to the place alone to meet a guy. It was all rather tantalizing, though incredibly terrifying at the same time. You longed to have your friend Blake sneak in along with you merely for the comfort of a familiar face. Of course, that could not happen, and Blake being Blake, she refused to be a third wheel. This was your time, she declared. Who was she to meddle in that?

You arrived to the familiar venue wearing a rather regular concert outfit for yourself. A black tank top, denim shorts, and black boots was hardly anything to write home about. As you approached the venue, you realized it definitely was not anything special. Almost all of the fans you saw were wearing some variation of the getup, and even if they were not, some form of black was involved. You felt a bit awkward, but you pushed forward anyway. You did not need to impress them. All you needed to impress was Ross. He was the target man in all of this.

‘I’m out back!’ you texted as you approached the backside of the venue. It was pretty dark back there, and you were not too keen on the odd looks the security personnel gave you. As time ticked on and Ross did not show, you grew scared you would have to speak to them and explain yourself. How could you really explain this? You met one of their beloved band members at a bar and he begged you to come to a gig so he could get to know you more and see your eyes again. It was not exactly a specific or true-sounding story. But then, right when it appeared you would not have much chance of avoiding the bigger men any longer, the back door opened and revealed him. Dressed in a black shirt, jeans, and a white cap, Ross stood and told the guys to let you by. Their confused expressions softened, and you were allowed to step right by them. You waited until you were inside to acknowledge Ross.

“I was wondering if I was going to have to convince them somehow that I’m not some crazed fan.”

Ross blushed a bit. “Sorry about that. Matty caught me in a conversation, and I couldn’t quite leave it.”

“He do that a lot?”

“You have no idea.”

“Well,” you spoke, your mouth turning up in a smile, “I’m glad you’re here now. It’s nice to see you again.”

Ross smiled. He brought you in for a hug, and your smiled widened at the smell of his cologne. It had a lovely, cinnamon smell. “It’s nice to see you again, too. You look wonderful, by the way.”

“Thank you,” you replied with a blush, “and you look good yourself. I’m digging the more casual look you have going for you tonight. Do you save your suits for pubs only, or was I lucky seeing you in one?”

“Lucky.” Ross readjusted his hat. You could get lost in how soft his hair looked to be beneath it. “We were pre-gaming for a really big party courtesy of our label. It was fun, but we had to dress up for it. I’m usually more of a fan of casual clothing like this.”

“Good to know.”

He took you from the doors through various spaces until you reached a room distinctly branded as ‘Dressing Room’, with the name ‘The 1975’ printed on a paper taped below. You let him go first, following him into a room smelling very much like weed with 80s rock playing from a speaker. If you had not have been to multiple concerts before, the sight and smell would have startled you. With your experience, it was merely expected.

“Everyone, meet {Y/N}!”

Four pairs of eyes set their sights on you, save for a fifth pair that was stuck on some papers as their owner chatted quickly on the phone. Each pair had their own way of greeting you. One belonging to a man with long brown hair and a saxophone draped across his body waved at you, welcoming you with a grand hello and a smile. Another coming from a slightly more shy voice merely said welcome. He looked sweet, and you smiled back at him. The third pair belonged to a large guy, whose height rivaled Ross’ and hair rivaled the saxophone guy’s in length. He jumped up and hugged you, saying hello in a deep voice that would sound incredibly commanding if not altered by weed and the general happy nature of the man. The last pair was familiar. Matty. He was dressed still in the familiar ostentatious women’s clothing, though he was sans a proper shirt. You still recognized the floral getup on him as a button up from Forever 21, and the jeans he wore surely could not have been made for men given how tight they were. He did not seem to mind, though. He moved about in them over to you just fine.

“I was wondering when Ross would finally let us meet you,” he spoke, a fag hanging from his mouth. He took it out so that he could properly hug you. “You look fantastic, love.”

Blushing, you looked at your feet. He wasn’t your type at all, but something about Matty made you feel giddy as a schoolgirl when he complimented you. That frontman charisma, you supposed. You kindly thanked him.

“She staying for the show?”

Nodding, Ross walked over to the man who was on the phone and took his bag. From it, he pulled out a backstage VIP pass. You smiled proudly as he put them over your head. Years of concert-going had made you dream about the moment you were allowed backstage officially. Having the dream realized while surrounded by handsome men, one of which fancied you? Well, you could hardly complain.

“Hope you don’t mind, we couldn’t get you a ticket to sit in the crowd so you’ll have to sit on the side of the stage to watch.”

“Can’t really squeeze in someone in a sold-out crowd,” Matty added on with a wink.

“I don’t mind,” you replied, smiling to assure Ross it truly was fine by you. “So long as I get to stand by the side Ross is on.”

“I like this one,” the tall one spoke, earning a chuckle from Matty. Ross glared.

“Would you like anything to drink, {Y/N}?”

Turning, you met eyes with the shy boy. He seemed nice enough, so you nodded. “What do you have that’s good?”

“You can always share some wine with me,” Matty called from his new spot beside the tall boy, holding up a bottle of what looked to be expensive red wine. He took a large swig from it, gulping down the liquid with an almost comical expression. The tall boy shook his head, giggling. “I don’t mind, so long as you save some for me.”

Though tempting, you shook your head. “Nah Matty, save it for yourself. Um..Ross?”

Ross jolted himself out of whatever daydream he was having, turning his full attention to you. You smiled as his beautiful eyes met yours. “Yeah?”

“What do you think I’ll like best? You were pretty good at choosing for me at the bar.”

Matty and the tall boy let out a chorus of ‘oooo’s, making Ross blush. Your eyes followed him as he went to check the various drinks they did have. He ended up choosing one and pouring it in with a mixer. The shy boy gave a nod of approval as he walked by. Taking the drink from Ross, you nodded in thanks and then took a sip. It tasted absolutely heavenly. Like hot chocolate, only it was not hot and it pricked the back of your throat as it went down.

“So,” Matty asked, raising his brow at you, “did Ross over here pick you out something good?”

You could not deny it. “He did. This is delicious. Thank you, Ross.”

“Aw, he’s blushing,” the tall boy pointed out. Ross’ blush was undeniable. You laughed behind your drink. The poor boy was under fire.

“Not to interrupt lads,” the fifth pair of eyes said, standing up and shoving away his phone into his jeans pocket, “but I do believe that you all are about to be needed on stage. {Y/N}?” You blinked, semi-shocked he even knew your name. “You will follow me when they all go. Unfortunately we were unable to find any crowd tickets for you, but I do trust you would not mind to stand just offstage of Ross, am I right?”

You could hardly contain your excitement. “That’s plenty fine by me, um-”

“Jamie,” the man, Jamie, said with a smile. “Now, go on you lot!”

And thus, the little world you had only just came to know went scattering. The boys all got up and began their way out the door, one by one, each doing something to prep themselves. Matty ruffled up his hair and grabbed a glass of wine, the tall boy grabbed a towel and wrapped it over his shoulders, the shy boy stretched, the sax player adjusted his sax, and Ross...well, Ross knew it was the perfect time to steal a good-luck kiss. You happily granted it.

“I don’t know if you guys are shit or not, but either way, I hope you have fun out there,” you told him, grinning into his dark brown eyes. Your grin became contagious.

“With a beautiful girl like you watching me from the sidelines? I’m sure I will.”

He left then, and you were now in the hands of Jamie. He guided you a few minutes later out down what you assumed to be the same path the boys had taken moments before. After a few doors and equipment to pass by, you popped out in the backstage area. A few more steps, and you were side-stage, right alongside where the boys were standing. You watched them one by one move forward onto the stage to the screams of all of those girls you had seen waiting outside the venue. It was loud, piercing even. It sent a thrill down your spine. Matty was quick to grab the mic and welcome the crowd to the chorus of even more cheers. Ross turned to his left where you stood and winked. It was your turn to blush.

The night ended up being a lot of that. Little winks here and there, Ross bouncing around and showing off to you the best he could. Matty seemed electric. Admittedly, the band was pretty good. Ross’ presence did not influence you to try and claim they were better than they seemed - they had good music and you enjoyed it a lot more than you thought you would have. Ross’ presence was merely a plus, a bonus that sent your stomach in knots and made you blush near constantly. You also found yourself a bit ruffled up when Ross could not stop gazing at you during one of the love songs Matty sang. That alone was enough to end you. Had the concert gone on any longer than it did, you surely would have died of something, be it your heart beating out your chest or excitement.

It ended though wonderfully, with the crowd screaming and the boys coming one-by-one off the stage. Ross, after tossing his pick out to the fans, dove straight into your arms as he left the stage. The boys gave more sweet noises towards you both, but this time, he hardly looked to care. His lips met yours.

“How was the concert?”

“Magical,” you told him, your eyes still lost in his gaze and mind still dazed from the kiss. “You were wonderful.”

“Yeah?” You nodded. “Well, I did it all for you. Look...this might be really sudden and far too fast, but I’ve not been able to get my mind off of you and I adore you so much. Will you...will you be my girlfriend, {Y/N}?”

Your heart fluttered. “Of course, Ross! I would love to be.”

As you went in for a kiss, you heard Matty cheer nearby. After completing the kiss, you turned to see him. His hand was stretched out towards the tall fellow, who was handing him money. The shy boy rolled his eyes.

“You...you all had a bet on us?”

“Matty was sure you would ask her to be your girlfriend after the concert,” the shy boy replied, nudging the tall one. “George here thought it would be the third date.”

“What can I say,” the tall boy, George, said with a sigh, “I don’t usually hurry into things myself.”

“You can see it in their eyes though,” Matty spoke, pocketing his money. “They’ve been hot for each other since the moment they met.”

Gazing into Ross’ eyes, you nodded. He was right, after all. The moment you saw his eyes on yours, you felt something for him. Judging by the way Ross gazed back at you, you figured he thought and felt the same.

#ross macdonald #Ross MacDonald fanfiction #Ross MacDonald fanfic #Ross MacDonald preference #Ross MacDonald imagine #the 1975 fanfiction #The 1975 fic #The 1975 imagine #The 1975 #oneshot #The 1975 writing #The 1975 Oneshot #rossxreader #ross x reader #ross macdonald x reader #Ross MacDonald writing #Ross MacDonald one shot #ross macdonald oneshot #It's All In A Gaze

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ex-empire-adventures · 7 years

Text

visiting

RP with @hetaliaindie under cut.

Shiv stood in the airport by the arrivals gate, holding a garland of flowers, with a group of dancers all in traditional garb; they wore beautiful silk saris, shiny jewellery and hair neatly tied up in buns or braids. When he spotted the ex-empire, he smiled and clapped, the dancers assumed their positions, music played and they all smiled as they began telling a story older than most modern nations with their craft. He smiled and placed the garland on the great traveler. "Welcome! I trust that the flight was comfortable?" -------- Rome was a little nervous on how they would be finding each other in this busy crowded place. He sure was glad he picked up speaking English, which seemed to be the international language now. He didn’t have a translator anymore, or an army, or people taking care of his clothes, or feeding him,... He was very aware he was pretty much useless just being by himself. Rome had adjusted as well as could be expected in such a short time. New stylish shirt, shoes and trousers even. It made him feel a little uncomfortable but at least he didn’t look like the middle-aged (*cough cough*) homeless person he was now. Indie had said he’d pick him from the airport himself, but Rome didn’t expect him to put so much effort in it. He was really touched. “Seriously Indie, I don’t know if I should cry or laugh. It took me just 14 hours to get here.” He shook his head “Bless you, I haven’t had a welcome like this in... well... you didn’t have to do all this.” -------- He smiled and withdrew his hands after placing the garland on him, the hands were folded and he bowed slightly. "I had bigger plans, but logistics is Hell these days. Though I promise that it gets better still." He waved a hand, and the dancers stopped, all bowing before they walked off in a line. The clinking of jewellery could be heard as they made their way to rented rooms. He grinned, "Wait till you see your carriage." Of course, he had gotten for him a stunningly elegant limousine. Only the best for such an esteemed guest, especially since it was his first time there. The early morning air was surprisingly chilly, complete with light breezes. He opened the door for the Roman, "Mind your head, please." -------- Rome's eyes shined brightly by amazement. "You should have told me, silly, I feel akward and way underdressed." he spoke under his breath to the nation as he felt the whole world was watching. -------- He laughed, "I have escorted men who dressed humbler than you, now don't feel awkward." He added, "There's an old fable that's popular here, people should be wiser than to actually judge a man by his clothing in my nation. -------- Rome kissed the other lightly on the lips as he was accustomed to greet, then smirked "My sheep clothing seem to fool most ladies anyway, or perhaps people just want to believe..." He looked away as if in thought "Where is it we're heading?" -------- He froze for a moment before sensibly taking it a sign of brotherly affection. He smiled with a resigned sigh. "Well women can be catty creatures. We're heading out of the city, I figured you'd like a change of pace, a villa for your relaxation." He sat next to him and the driver happily welcomed him in an accent much too thick to be English. -------- "That would be welcomed, yes. It seems everything runs fast these times. Looking back I think the only thing that went fast was the replacement of my bosses" he sighed "How do you and the others cope with it?" -------- He was silent for a moment and leaned back on his seat. "I can't speak for others, but I suppose spirituality helps. Everything in this universe is constantly expanding and shrinking, in motion but constant. When someone dies..." He spoke softly, "well regardless of the many religions in my land, I personally believe that they all return and contribute to the essense of life. In that sense, I accept their deaths and free myself of the past. That was always my biggest problem with the speed at how fast new leaders stepped up." -------- "Interesting, still you look happy to see me. I'm not so sure what I believe any more. But I do know it's all more complex than I once thought. Not sure about the contributing part, to be honest. I think I've lived long enough for others. It may come off selfish but I am because I want to be. Only when my empire fell I realised I've always lived to others expectations now I only wish for some days just for me. " He looked outside the window "It's nice to see your beautifull country flashing by. I always enjoyed travelling." -------- "Of course I'm happy to see you." He looked outside the window and smiled proudly. Not every place of his was beautiful, but as they were driving to a more peaceful area, far from violence and far from decadence, the scenery certainly was delightfully grand. "I don't know if it's selfish, I'm not of the belief that I can understand your situation. But I don't see anything wrong with your wish at all, let me help make it come true however I can." It almost seemed like what the other desired was closure, and he thought that respecting that was the best thing to do as a host. "Have you anything that you specially want to see here?" -------- "you" Rome answered straight away and turned to look him in the eyes. "Im just here to see you, not to talk business or planning a possible invasion for a change. I was hoping you'd just have me too, no strings attached." -------- He smiled, leaning on the headrest and looking at the other through the corners of his eyes. He sat up straighter and looked to him, "I have faith in you, though I do think we won't be seeing Jaipur." He laughed and shook his head, "And I did hope for an answer more like 'A white Bengal tiger' or 'the Taj Mahal', but I suppose I'll have to catch you up to the famous sights here. Hmm. Perhaps you'd like to bicker with monkeys or eat from a banana leaf." -------- He laughed "Sorry for not beeing very specific how Id like you then. Ha HA I haven't really thought it threw to be honest. But Id love to try different food and maybe see the dyes at a market? All the colorfull fabrics just blow me away, it's so pretty! I'm sure there are cute looking birds here that are as wonderfull to me as the Taj Mahal. I'm easily distracted, caused me quite some trouble back in the days." he thought for a moment "Is there anything I should know up front, to save you for shame. Our cultures differ so, you know...?" -------- He nodded, "There's plenty to see, but something tells me you don't know that the Taj Mahal is a pretty looking tomb when you compare it to pretty looking birds." He wondered if the other did know, and was just pleasantly strange. "Ah, but we shall definitely visit the markets, and I will point out to you which fruits are only native to this land! Surely, I'll take you to the sandy beaches and monuments. Hmm, I hope you do not get overwhelmed here, culture-shock is very common with the tourists who come here for the first time." "No public displays of affection, walk away from beggars- especially if they're children asking for money. Depending on where we go, there may be different requirements. In holy spaces, there are steps or fields you must not place your foot on- I think that's a pretty good set of general rules." -------- "no touching?... You could have just stabbed me at the airport." Rome joked about it but it felt like being said he was unworthy like a slave. Then again, what was his position really as a retired empire. He tried not to show it. "Is it alright for me to pet animals?" -------- He chuckled, "Well, displays of romantic affection in public are what I meant. Those behaviours are generally reserved for closed quarters. Though most of the cities are westernised and you'll be allowed to do most taboo things as you're a foreigner! Worry not, you can certainly pet animals!" -------- "well roman taboos differ quite from modern western ones, I've learned. But I'm pleased to hear that. Are there dangerous wild animals here or venomous ones, snakes and such? Oi... Look what's that tree, that's beautifull, look!!!" he was excited like an eight year old. -------- He was about to ask him to elaborate before his attention was taken to the trees and he grinned. "A common tree, but if you'd look over there," he pointed with all five fingers, "that there is a banyan tree, the one with roots hanging down from the crown. It's my national tree! There are a lot of different plants and trees near the villa, I would recommend lying under its shade during harsh weather." -------- "That's so weird, I love it!" "I wish i could show you my home but most of it is gone. And what's not should have been" -------- He stared for a moment before bursting out into quiet and well-meaning laughter at the others remark on the tree. "Well then, may I ask about your tastes when it comes to food? Sometimes my cuisine may be overwhelming to the modern European, but you have had far more experiences in other lands, than the modern European. Is there anything you can't stand, or that doesn't sit well with you?" He nodded sympathetically, "History is not forgiving in what it chooses to remember and what it doesn't." -------- He laughed "Seriously, Romans are known to eat nearly anything. And I've been send to the most decadent banques so my boss could stay in bed reading poems to his boytoy. I'm not sure about eating things that are still crawling on a plate." He sighed relieved "At least you understand." -------- "Don't worry, unlike some Asian nations, I've never found insect eating to be tasteful. Though you must beware the flies, and the ants, and in your own body's case, the mosquitoes." -------- "Waah Indie I'm so EXCITED! When can we get out of this thing?!" airplanes and automobiles were great because it made travelling so much faster, but you had to sit still and that wasnt one of Rome's fortes. He got a fidget spinner out of his pocket to calm himself down. It seemed to work pretty well for him. -------- "Excited for mosquitoes?" The corners of his lips lifted, and he asked the driver. "Not long, ten minutes or so! The road is clear, so maybe it'll take a shorter time." -------- Rome faked a frown and watched the other from the corners of his eyes whispering "Jaipur surely has potential..." -------- "You're not burning down any cities, that would be very undiplomatic." He grinned and leaned his head on his palm. "And getting to Jaipur would mean hours of commuting, ten minutes is a much shorter time!" -------- Rome started snickering burrying his face in his hands. Then took a deep breath before turning to India again. "This is going to be the longest ten minutes in world history. It better be worth the wait" -------- He smiled and was silent for a moment. "It's just nine, now." He leaned forwards and moved the divider between them and the driver up. In easy-going and casual Hindi, they discussed the possibility of traffic cutting them off from their destination, and then he pulled it back down. He sat back and the limo went faster, "For both our sakes, we're hoping to make it in 5 minutes rather than 9." -------- Rome laughed so hard tears were running down his cheek. -------- He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, he passed him a handkerchief from his breastpocket and grinned. "Come now, if we get caught up in a traffic jam, the time it'd take us.... Well we would have been better off going to Jaipur." -------- "this is priceless. Your driver will dive us down a cliff because we're acting like eight year olds" -------- He gasped, and mirthfully pulled up the divider to tell the driver, "I won't pay you if you drive us down a cliff!" He closed the divider, "There we go, problem solved." The poor driver was confused. -------- "By all the Gods, you're killing me Indie." he took the handkerchief and wiped away his tears. "Im holding on to this for a while if you don't mind. Your words strike me and something tells me you're not done with me yet" He took a deep breath again "thank you" -------- He chuckled, "Keep it, I've learnt to keep all sorts of things on me when I leave the house. I have a spare." He also had a packet of roasted peanuts and other mysterious and arguably useless items that he fitted into his clothes. "Oh look! We're entering your temporary grounds. I think we're in them now. Hmm- oh yes, for as long as you stay here, that coconut tree over there is yours." Trust him to recognize the coconut tree and nothing else. -------- "Yes! I got my own tree, that's a great start." He already was trying to pick a new name for it. How did they get the coconuts out when they were all the way up there? Wait..."You don't got elephants at the villa, do you?" he looked concerned now. -------- "This whole ground is yours now silly, you have a lot more than one tree." He had the grounds, the villa, the well and the servants that maintained it now. He laughed, "No, I'm aware that if I want you to get used to them I should not force them onto you until you're ready. Though there are a few in a nearby temple." He smiled, "I was battling the idea of welcoming you with a domesticated tiger though." -------- Rome fell silent and gave him a puzzled look "I'm sorry... I might have given mixed signals... I can't except this gift. I'm really flattered..." Rome combed his hair nervously. "Im not ready" -------- He looked at him for a moment and helplessly laughed, "For as long as you stay here. When you're gone someone else will live here. Honestly, what goes on in that mind of yours?" -------- "I don't know, you confuse me greatly." he looked down blushing. "I don't know what it means here. But in the empire it would be considerd something like I'm going to wreck your career, by putting my dick up your ass, but don't worry about it because I promiss to take care of you. And Im not ready for such a commitment... Id like the big cat though" -------- He frowned, "Well here it's called hospitality and it's done with no such ulterior motives." He folded his arms and while he was slightly offended, he contemplated how their cultures were truly very different. In India, the guest was to be treated like a God. He was always extravagant with his gifts, and while that led to him being taken advantage of, he still adhered to his beliefs. He sighed and looked at the other, "Then you get the big cat." -------- Rome nodded "... I know, we are a vulgair bunch I get that a lot... Well,... thanks for clearing that up. Sorry if I have offended you." -------- He looked at him and shook his head, "No, you still took your great baths, that is something that your descendants had forgotten when I first met them." He smiled, clearly he was not meant to have been offended, it was a waste of energy to brood over it. The limo had paused in front of the Villa's gate, a servant opened it. "Well then, I promise you that all that I give you while you stay here are gifts of hospitable nature and goodwill, so you needn't worry at all." The vehicle moved again till it stopped outside the veranda. -------- "Thank you" Rome seemed relieved. The idea of being publicity degrated to a womens degree was very real and frightening to him. It was expected of him to be orderly, dominant and agressive to serve his people. Neighter the republic or empire had given him much space to keep lasting friendships or any other relationship. And now he made a fool of himself, just great. -------- He stepped out the vehicle excitedly and hurriedly moved around the car, just as the chauffeur opened the door for Romulus. He extended his hands and grinned as he presented the home. "Welcome!" Theatrics were sometimes, quite irresistible to the Indian. -------- Rome started snickering again and got out off the car. "Beautifull! And so is the villa. I'd be honoured if you would show me around" -------- He laughed, "But of course! Follow me." He waved at the chauffeur who without much difficulty would begin to reverse the car and move out. He opened the door, and then a second netted door to keep out insects, and gestured to the inside. "Hurry in before the mosquitoes spot you!" -------- "Is it really that bad with the mosquito's here?" He took a firm step inside, lingering in a doorstep he considered bringing bad luck. -------- He nodded, "Not unless you're wearing some sort of repellent, but I'm not sure that you are." He closed the door and smiled. The hall was large, and there were many divans, sofas and a large table fashioned in a native style that was only slightly influenced by an Islamic one. He removed his shoes and placed them near the exit. "The building surrounds an outdoor private bath (or pool), there's a slightly smaller one in the left wing if the weather's bad." He didn't expect the other to remove his shoes, though he'd be glad if he followed suit. -------- Rome almost directly took off his shoes too and glad so. "I like it. It has a really warm and welcoming atmosphere." finally he could wiggle his toes again. He placed his hands on Indies shoulders and pinched softly, then let go and did a little happy dance. "You will be dining with me too, right? I don't want to keep you from working ofcourse but I really enjoy your company" -------- He would have joined Rome in his happy dance if it weren't over so fast. The disappointment was almost visible, complete with a pout. But at the thought of food, he was very happy to say, "Of course I will be, I'm starving. Sorry for the intrusion, though." The floor was wooden and slightly slippery because of his cotton socks, but instead of falling he glided across the floor (of course he hadn't originally meant to). "Follow me, I had a meal prepared for you." And he had! In the dining room room of the complex was the entire package, he thought that it may have been too showy, but when did he let a chance to boast his magnificent cuisine ever slip past him? -------- Rome smiled broadly when he saw the other gliding on his socks. He himself wasn't wearing any and that was probably a good thing. "Ohh yo... I'm glad you're hungry cause I'm going to need help with all that" he laughed "I couldn't bake an egg by myself, this is amazing. What should I try first?" -------- "Who bakes eggs?" He raised a brow before passing him an ornate bowl of water and a napkin, "To wash your hands." He smiled and turned to a seat next to him where a similar bowl lay for him. -------- He washed his hands and dried them, looking at India. "Do you pray before eating and use cutlery?" -------- He paused, "Sometimes out of habit, but not really. And I don't use cutlery, though I suppose I don't refuse to either." He was a mess of cultures and European colonialism made it worse. "Do you pray before eating, I will join you if you do." -------- "I do not pray. Traditionally that's a girls job. I will take this moment to wish you all that is good and your enemies to ashes" -------- He smiled, "Then I wish you the same, though I pray that we do not become enemies." Sometimes it is hard to tell whether he's arrogant or respectful. He's both. He took the other's plate and served him a piece of each dish generously while giving an explanation of each. "This is a dish that's native to the north, it has cottage cheese, the green comes from spinach," he then revealed containers, "we don't typically have rice for breakfast, these idlis and appams are made out of rice-flour though." -------- "Ah, if it ever comes to that I wouldn't sell you for the world don't worry. I'd keep you close like a priceless jewel." Rome was delighted it all looked so wonderfull. "I think I might make me a ambassy at this very table for now! Ha ha. How do you say 'enjoy your food' in your speech?" -------- He may have flinched at the word 'jewel', or it may have been a reaction that never escaped his mind. "That's happened before, though I hadn't foreseen it at all." How condescendingly sweet was the title... The Jewel of the British Empire. He smiled, "I've over a hundred languages, but I'll teach you the Sanskrit phrase. Bhojanam svaadishtamastu." -------- Rome gazed at him in wonder. Only to snap out off it to try the phrase, he was sure he didn't say it quite right "I do hope I didn't accidentely say something innapropriate about your mother" he joked "Sometimes I just forget that you're older than me" he meant to say more experienced but that would have given the other to much to pester him with, he presumed. "So... hmn,... what's it like to be somebody's love then, if I may ask?" -------- He clapped his hands gamely, "It was a fair attempt! And thankfully you didn't." He gave the other a pleased look, for when he looked like he did, most of his own people had him bowing down to them despite his seniority. It was perfectly enough to pester him with, especially since the elders were always meant to be respected and forgiven. He considered the question for a moment, "Each experience was different. They were always more...honest in the old days, but in the last few hundred years, I've been lusted after more than I've been loved." He was always more capable of complaints than compliments, but he shifted away from that topic, back to the one that had been brought up. "It's really quite magnificent to be loved. Especially when the feelings are reciprocated. It's as if the planets aligned, the diseases cured, the world shifted into the light and the doom conquered." -------- "It sounds like a dream dipped in honey. You have a way with words. Do you like poetry? I used to write, with Greece and China mostly, I was thinking maybe pick it up again... It might be a little rusty, though." -------- He laughed, "Perhaps it ended because it was too dreamlike." He nodded at the question before the other had finished it. "Is that so? You must! Poetry, dance, music, painting, all the arts, we love them to a fault here! There have been many reknown poets from my land, it was something that earned the attention of the other Europeans during the 19th and 20th centuries. Truly, Tamil and Sanskrit are among the most poetic of languages." -------- "Oh, I'd love to read! Can you get me a copy. I'm reading some fantasy novel now and the story is entertaining but it's, meh.. It will help me to understand some of your languages better too. I Really like epic tales, love stories and witty jokes! You like art?! I'm gonna make you something!!!" Indie seemed to have pushed some right buttons there. Rome was overexited, he totally forgot to eat. (that's it, right there, you did it) -------- He smiled, "Epic tales? Well have the longest epic in the world, called the Mahabharata, it has 200,000 lines, featuring one of the greatest and oldest adventures in the world, complete with tales of wit and romance of course. You are?" He was not used to receiving gifts that were so significant -which is a little sad, really- "I'd be honoured to receive a piece of art from you." (Oh my-) "But first, you must accept my gifts, please have some food before it gets cold." He smiled and gestured to the table. "If there is anything you are fond of, the servants will prepare more immediately." -------- Rome ever had a great appetite because he never sat still in his life. Only when he was very focused drawing his mind and body was at peace. He had a bit of a sweet tooth but he seemed to like all flavors. He did however had a shocked reaction at a more spicy dish. He looked at Indie with a both thrilled as pained expression and a mouth half full with food. -------- Knowing what to do, he poured the other some cool milk, and separated the spicier dishes from the plainer ones. "Curd... Or yoghurt will rid you of the spiciness." He called a maid to bring some to them and gave it to him. "Are you not familiar with spicy dishes?" He was always confused by those who couldn't handle spice- what did they cook with?? -------- He coughed "I didn't expect it to be like this..." the yoghurt sure helped "This is not spicey, this is fire on a plate..." He didn't want to come off as weakminded though "Ok, Im ready, let me try that again" he still had tears in his eyes from the first try. -------- He laughed, "It's not that bad, I wouldn't serve you obscenely spicy food on purpose." He did admire the other's attitude though, "Why don't you mix it with the yoghurt, that way you could ease yourself into eating it instead of shocking your palate again." -------- "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger..." he took another bite "... this actually might be the death of me..." he just started waving his hands (not sure how that helps though he's a dork) -------- He sighed and started eating as well. Midway through his meal he made an off-hand comment like, "I would suggest that you don't continue forcing yourself to eat something that burns your tongue- unless you want your death to take place on the toilet." Which to him, didn't seem like quite a glorious way to die at all. -------- Rome hadnt thought about that really and decided he could always try again some later time. He smiled "this is so much better than that swedish crap i've been eating" -------- He chuckled, "Food from the north is made to keep one's stomach full and one's body warm. It's like that in my land as well, the south has more fish and coconut in their cuisine while the north have breads and potatoes." -------- "I used to eat lots of fish. Ah and I love fruits. My grandson likes it too I always brought him new ones to try. He's a good eater, strong boy. My youngest though is all bones, always been like that. When he was a still kneehigh people always thought he was a girl. Good boy, very talented in many things... Mmm... This is a nice dish..." He looked really happy "What do you drink around here; wine or beer?" -------- He nodded and identified the Italy twins by the other's description- he should remember to invite them both for food eventually. "Hah, I was confused for a girl at times when I was young- If I had to blame anything for making me so restless and eager to prove myself, I'd blame that-" He shrugged, "Both? Beer is fairly more common, though we have other alcohol that's native to this land as well. But many of my states have started prohibiting- I hope my tourism industry stays afloat despite it." -------- "Ofcourse it will! Ah, if a boy is quiet or fair looking or if he has long hair it's always like that. I think it's nice when people look a bit androgyn, like a angel so to speak. That, and skin smooth as marble, so pretty. My hair is so thick it's a curse. When I shave, according to Egypt, by the end of the day my cheeks are worse than sanding paper. And these messy curls are the worst! Total disaster." he said as he twirled his finger round his hair. -------- He shook his head politely, "What are you saying? That rough, half bearded look is popular enough here, and your curly hair is very charming. With some coconut oil, you can make it as shiny as silk." He smiled, "An angel, you say? Well the androgynous look is quite adhered to the idea of transvestism or the third gender here." -------- "You are the second person who said i should try the oil this week... what's that, third gender?" -------- "But of course, if it's about cosmetics, China and I are still ahead of the game. I'll have the servants bring you some later." He blinked, "We have a minority group called Hijras, who are considered 'neither fully male, nor fully female', they're born male but take on the female identity. They are ostracised, but have always been believed to have the power to bless you with fertility or curse you by taking it away." -------- "Really now,... we don't have those. not really anyway. Ah but when one of my bosses married he dressed as a bride and I was so moved i nearly cried. -------- He laughed, "Strange things move you, but I'm sure it must have been a lovely wedding." -------- "It truly was amazing. Lot's of dancing, drinking... I got SO drunk.. Pfffft. There were plenty of cute girls but i was way too drunk" -------- How nostalgic, he smiled and took a sip of some juice- not before offering it of course. "Did you regret it in the next morning?" -------- "A wise man once told me; regret is for the brainless. If you make a decision you should never question it again because you made it with the knowledge you had that day and no other... Yess I really regretted it." ha HA HA -------- He was in the middle of creating a sound argument against 'regret is for the brainless', tensing up and everything only to have his shoulders sink, and a sigh escape. "You.... Was this wise man, you?" -------- "Nah, I just made that up. It was really dumb to drink like there was no tomorrow" -------- He nodded, "If anything you should eat like there's no tomorrow." No bad advice. "Then excercise like there is a tomorrow." -------- "Well... that's excactly what we are doing now, aint it?" he said as he took one last snack on his plate "So what's the exercise? Want to eat some dirt for desert? we can wrestle and I'll let you eat some, tehee!" -------- He grinned, "Wrestling? That's fine with me, but I'm sure that I could make you eat your words instead." -------- Rome started laughing at him "You are ALL talk. Maybe we should just have a nice calm walk, far more fitting for an old man like you" -------- He chuckled, "Now, if you think it's that easy to provoke me, you're wrong. I wouldn't mind a nice calm walk, I could show you around the garden. But my sweet Roman friend, you must learn not to take your elders so lightly. For I would still definitely win against you in wrestling." -------- His eyes shone brilliantly and his smile was all mischief "Did I tell you about that one time that China kicked me in the nuts?!" -------- He shook his head with a silly grin, "Oh if pecan do it, so could I." -------- "You call him, what?!" -------- "A nut." He coughed into a fist and tried to keep a straight face. China is a rival, though they had once been close. -------- "nuts... ha ha, have you got nicknames for others too? What about me?" -------- "You? Well, I haven't gotten one for you yet. And I really don't give nicknames out that often. Though I do have a wealth of passionately created nicknames for England." -------- "Well then, I'm going to do my very best to make sure mine will be worth a tale when you do..." he thought a moment "... ah but you wouldn't kick me that would be cheating... But I'm going to take your word for it, like the responsible man I am and leave it..." the other had won him over by mere talking and won his respect, so there really was no need to fight him now "I will show you I am a man of many qualities and outgame you in some different field, just you wait!!!" -------- He smiled, "You did seem excited when I mentioned the arts, perhaps you could out-dance me?" No that would be slaughter. "Or perhaps you have an interest in archery? It's a sport that's very close to my heart! I assure you that many things are, I may truly be passionate about every field you could imagine." Likewise, his respect for his guest rose through their exchanges, but seeing him back up his words would be quite entertaining. -------- Rome leaned in a bit and just looked at the other with piercing eyes like he was scanning him. Then sat back with closed eyes as if he was processing it. Hmn, this was going to be tough. He needed to find something he could slaughter him with, without looking like a complete dick. "I need to think about it. Let's start with that walk, maybe then we come up with something." -------- Oh? He watched the other and smiled, it was nice to see that he was being judged and considered seriously. The only worrisome part was that he didn't know how good the other was at it. "Oh but of course." They were presented with refilled containers to wash their hands. Once he dried his hands with a napkin, he gestured to a direction that went into the house, towards a second exit/entrance out to a garden. -------- Roma didn't bother to pick up his shoes. He was glad to have them off. He did bring a small bag however that couldn't have hold more than a few books or clothing. That bag was all that he seemed to have brought on his trip. -------- He paused before a door on their way, "Ah my sincerest apologies! Would you like some time to settle in, this is a bedroom, the opposite room's a bedroom- you can take your pick!" -------- He pointed at the door without bothering to look inside "That one, I'm sure they are both lovely, let's just get some air for now, I'm fine really! I've been sitting still too much and I can sleep when I'm dead" he smirked and pulled the other along "come on, come on, come on..." -------- He shrugged, "That one it is, though you can always change your mind." Soon enough, he took the lead and pulled the other along. "Here you can see a spice much revered and loved these days, they used to call it black gold! Behold, the mighty peppercorn plant in all its glory!" Pepper, is grown on vines. -------- "It's piper, I didn't know it looked like this! They look like grapes but the size of berries. Ha Ha, that's cute. No wonder your food is so spicy!" -------- "We have more spices than these in our food of course." He laughed and looked around the garden, "There are many flowers here, but there used to be more." -------- "Do you have a favourite?" -------- "My national flower, you can't see any here though they may grow nearby. The lotus, it's been sacred to Hindus for a very long time. Do you have a favourite?" -------- "I like rosmarinus. I used to have them in my garden. The little flowers come in nice colors and they look so sweet. I used to draw them, it relaxes me. I can draw them from my mind, anything really. If I have seen it once I can draw it." -------- He smiled, "They suit you, somehow." How exactly did he mean it? "Oh? Do you have a photographic memory?" -------- "Is that what they call it these days? It is really handy when you need to invade a city too, say jaipur... Ah, but the girls loved the roses, ofcourse! Modern roses are rubbish, they don't smell as a sweet promise... They smell of nothing. The paper wrap is best" -------- "Hahah, it is handy but I'd rather live without it." But do you have it yourself or not, you mysterious hermit. "Oh, but how do you find the smell of the jasmines on your garland? They are used for temple worship as well because their smell is so sweet." -------- "Well, actually I like them best but ofcourse I wanted to pick something native. As much as I love my home, being away is very liberating. And it's scent always reminds me of it. " -------- Hmmm, "Do they remind you of a particular place?" A certain northerner came to mind. -------- "Egypt had some, but she's a lapcat that likes to stay inside most times. And well China's, but I only met him twice in person." -------- "And one of those meetings was a fight?" He smiled, but back then there were no troubles between the two. Life was quite different in terms of international relations, though he supposed he had his internal affairs to attend to. -------- "Ah well, I was VERY young and ready to prove my worth. So when I was sent off to 'make friends' as my boss would put it I had little patience for formalities. I was rude and got the fight I asked for because he was fed up with my piss teen attitude." -------- "Sounds like it was a short-lived fight. I taught him well." He's kidding, right? He grinned and shook his head, "Though perhaps patience is something we both lacked back then." -------- "yeah pretty much. I tried to hit him trice and he kicked me out. My men had a good laugh. I suppose they were just as annoyed with me after the long way getting there. But after that I was real polite. My boss even wrote him a thankyou note. We wrote for many years!" -------- "Really? He only gave you three shots?" Perhaps the old Chinese fellow was particularly irritated that day, even he'd have allowed at least five strikes. "Ah I am glad that you grew close despite that rocky start! Did you get the chance to learn a little of his language?" -------- Rome nodded, just three shots indeed, suposedly that was all that China had needed to know how to bring him on his knees. "Ah I know a little!!!" He took a stick and started drawing characters in the sand. His writing was quick and messy like a docters note, not elegant in the slightest, but it came from the heart. -------- *****Life that's scarse a hundreds years holds a millennium of fears, brief it's noon and long it's night, best then mingle dark with light. Merry-making while you may, wait not for another day. Fools that treasure up their sock after generations mock. Him that hold a bond with fate, none may seek to emulate.***** It was a poem he memorised. -------- He looked at it, and smiled. "What an interesting poem, it reminds me of an old Sanskrit one, though that one is far simpler in narrative." He moved to the left of the Chinese characters, and drew several lines of sharp and neat Sanskrit. "Look to this day: for it is life, the very life of life. In its brief course, lie all the truths and realities of your existence. The bliss of growth, the glory of action, the splendour of achievement- Are but experiences of time. For yesterday is but a dream And tomorrow is only a vision; And today well-lived, makes yesterday a dream of joy, And every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day; Such is the salutation to the new dawn." Long poem, it was more of spiritual advice than a pretty picture, but he felt that the meaning was the same. -------- "You have a pretty handwriting even with a stick!" -------- "Thank you, I'm sure we both could do better on paper." He translated the poem as best as he could, though certain words had a lot more essense to them than their English counterparts. When he was done, he erased the markings, leaving only the Chinese. -------- Rome had listened to Indies brief explanation on the Sanskrit and it didn't make much sense to him just yet. After Indie had cleared the ground Rome took the stick and wrote, or rather drew, it back again in a strange order like it was a patern instead of words. In the end it was all there, albeith a messy reflection of it. -------- He looked at it delightedly and back to the Roman, "And now you have proved your words with actions. Though if the curl on that 'tha' is not prominent, it may be read as a 'ya'." In Sanskrit words were not only separated by spaces, but also it the fact that they would have one line connecting them together at the top. He didn't have to edit much, though for the sake of clarity he poured sand over gaps that were too close to each other and marvelled at it. It was always wonderful to see. -------- Rome erased it all again together with the Chinese. "Let's take all that away. A garden like this doesn't need words to do what comes so naturally." and he tossed away the stick as well "neither will you be needing this. I promiss to be a exemplary student" he winked. No need to beat him XD -------- He laughed and stood up, patting away the sand from his clothes, "You are right, though the wind would have taken it all away naturally." Call him sentimental. "Oh? If you weren't, I don't think I'd need the stick." Whatever that was meant to imply. With a wave to his side, he began walking. "These days it is rather important to take care of your skin, the sun's rays can be unforgiving in the afternoons." -------- Romulus quickly followed giggling "Ah, you are more off the open hand method then? A true classic, totally you" -------- "A true classic? Far from it!! Back in my day there was a 'treading over hot coals' method, which I of course went through." Gurus could be very strict! -------- Rome looked as him with a expression that screamed 'bitch please' "You don't have to try so hard. I'm not buying this nonsense nor piper today" -------- He grinned, "What, you don't believe it? But you're right, it wasn't a punishment. It's a test of courage and faith. It's not painful when done right." -------- "Let's get you in the shade, your brain is melting" -------- He blinked, "No I really am not joking about it, burning coals look kind of like beautiful flowers so it's a temple tradition in the south that is quite a few hundred years older than you." He thought it was well known as a feat, if not for its reasons. -------- He laid a hand on your shoulder "You should take a rest" he smiled -------- He smiled and moved the hand away, "I'll show it to you later today." -------- "Ha Ha Ha, ofcourse you will! So, what's next?" -------- "Perhaps we shall move to the pond, I could show you the lotus flowers, and then we can meet the animals here." -------- "I'd love that! If it's not too much trouble. I don't know if you have other things to do?" -------- "I've cleared my schedule for the next few days, I'm a free man." -------- "AHH YEAH!!! Then we can drink together maybe like there's no tomorrow, hahahaha! I'm so happy, I haven't had so much fun in ages." -------- He smiled, "Hah! Then we'll drink all evening and adventure all day long. I do hope you could keep up with that." He playfully teased. -------- "I was born ready! Let's check out the animals first" -------- "Alright! Well this isn't a a zoo, but all sorts of creatures find their way here. I'm partly to blame as I tend to lose myself and feed strays- they keep coming back. But I should say, happy strays are better than starving strays." -------- "Im like that. Feeding others is a token of love. And when you've known hunger yourself and you see somebody gulping it down with such force you can only relate and help out..." He fell silent for a while, lost in thought. "... That's how I found my grandson, poor thing." -------- He nodded, "Poor thing. No one should have to starve, especially not the young." And yet they did, and yet he had so much poverty in his land. As he predicted, a stray forest cat strutted in. With a smile, he presented her, "Aha! Beware the beautiful jungle cat, she's wild." -------- He slowly bent down not to startle the creature. Rome just watched threw his eyelids producing some kind of nasal puppy growls. -------- "Try not to get scratched in the face, she's not too friendly and rather territorial." HE STILL LOVED HER! He himself found small pets to be unusual and quite strange, he loved the wild and majestic animals in his land more than he'd ever be able to love a squeaky Chihuahua or hamster. -------- Rome did his best to control his excitement, he was moving his toes (and would probably wiggle his tail if he had one) he stook out his hand so the cat could smell it and approach him instead. "What are you feeding her?" -------- "Fish remains." He tilted his head, and was about to warn him when the cat approached his hand and lightly bit it. Not food- It circled him once and walked to the house, mewing outside the kitchen. "Don't be disheartened! I got a lot worse than that the first time- does it hurt?" -------- "..no it doesn't, it's just a warning. If she had wanted to hurt me she would have locked her jaw and claw me. My brother had a mean bite" -------- Your brother? He stopped himself from asking. "Ah cats are interesting creatures! Though they aren't really popular here- they never had much husbandry value." -------- "I LOVE cats! Dogs have been domesticated so much is takes out all character. A cat doesn't have a boss, it has servants to control. They don't take crap from anyone, hahaha! And certainly not from some silly roman" -------- He laughed, "Oh please, the average house cat scarcely has character. The wild cats here on the other hand- oh how majestic they are! The leopard, the cheetah- the tiger!! I am painfully biased towards the 'big cats'!" -------- "i don't think I've ever seen a cheetah before. They are slimmer than leopards right? I don't suppose you have wolves here, do you?" -------- "They look different as well, cheetahs have clear well defined spots while leopards have rosettes. And of course we have wolves! Everyone has wolves- Well until they started killing them, sadly wolves are endangered here." -------- "Ahh that's sad. They scare people sometimes expecially when they come in large groups. But they wont kill your crops like deer, or boars. Let's give her something before she gets into the kitchen to take it herself" -------- He nodded, "Ah but alas I have nothing to offer her. The maids will probably take care of it, I bet they're gutting fish right now." Sure enough the cat didn't return, she was probably eating. "But the fellows I'm going to show you are quite something, hold your belongings close to you." -------- What was all the mystery about? "alright, show me" what could it possible be, birds? -------- He narrowed his eyes and looked around as they walked. There were more trees around the area, not coconut trees...decent...midsized trees. He heard one! He turned swiftly and it was gone. "Oh it might have been my imagination... Those tricky things..." He turned to the Roman and was startled for a second before pointing behind him. "Monkeys-" he whispered. -------- Rome gasped "you got monkeys?!" he looked around if he could spot one. "what do they eat?" -------- They were right in front of him, curious and mischievous. He looked at them discerningly, as if one was missing and "Appu!" One of them ran over to him from behind the crowd and climbed over to his shoulder, he laughed, "Ah, my excellent kleptomaniac friend." He handed him a small fruit, "All of you, meet my excellent Roman friend." They had their eyes on him as he moved closer to Rome. Appu wooted. India had a way with animals and while he still suffered their moods, he was generally on their good side! -------- "what they pick pockets is that what you're saying. They are funny, look at the tails, ha ha! I like them!!!" -------- "Pockets, bags, noses, ugh they pick everything. But they are an entertaining bunch! And they're so soft." He gave Appu to him. "Cuddly babies." -------- Rome petted him but it soon excaped his hold to climb on top of him. He looked up "salve appu" -------- He laughed and the other monkeys climbed upon him, he kept walking with the added weight of a few more bodies. "Well then, the lake is near." -------- "hold on appu, don't fall off" he said as he hurriedly followed. "can they swim?" -------- "These can, the lake is part of their habitat. Though most monkeys don't swim bwchumnnggff-" He picked up a monkey that had taken to exploring his face and let it cling to his hand instead. "Ah there it is!" Green lotus pads gracefully floated across the river and baby pink flowers were in full bloom. There were a few insects flying over the water as usual, "It's not safe to drink, but here we are!" -------- "HAHAHA,... Oh my... that's so pretty... I can understand they are dear to you... They are really energic the monkeys i bet they are smart too!" -------- "Yes, the Hindus believe that the gods themselves sit upon these beautiful flowers as their thrones. Oh yes, if only their intelligence didn't go into their little thievery rings." -------- Rome giggled "have you ever tried yourself?" -------- He paused and his face was clearly flustered by the question. "Of course not." He had, many times, and many unholy words had slipped out of his mouth every time he fell into the water, though of course that was a very long time ago. -------- "You don't believe to be a descendant? You haven't even tried once? As gracious as you are if any God can do that, so can you." was he joking or not it was hard to tell -------- He was about to say something but the man made an intelligent argument that had his mind working a little backwardly. Snap out of that man! "Unfortunately our Gods seem to have no mass, but I do." -------- The Roman laughed. "and now with a bunch of monkeys and a full stomic it's even more. A well, my people sure believed so. According to the tales, I was left to drown in the river as a baby. But I have no memory of it" -------- "Are you not afraid of the water?" He never really feared the sea as most early nations had. -------- "no, not at all. Im a good swimmer actually. You know, baby's know how to float, it's supercute!" -------- He laughed, "Are you trying to convince me that you're a good /and/ cute swimmer?" -------- "YES!" he laughed "Nah, I was pushed off in a basket back then. And then the Gods were like; this one is too cute to die let's save him!" he grinned "But they got more than they bargained for!!!" -------- "They definitely did, ah but you're not quite so cute anymore~" He was on the handsome side now, which was a compliment he kept to himself. "The lotus is very hard to grow out of the wild, would you like one?" -------- "..." he didn't know what to say. Ofcourse somebody like Indie would not think he was cute. He smiled but his eyes didn't "No, please save it for a pretty looking girl, someone special" -------- He kicked off his shoes, "Alright then, I'll still get them for your room." He ignored the last part, he'd already decided to give them to him when he asked. He removed the socks and pulled up his trousers before wading into the lake. Just a little further.... And that's the story of how he ended up completely drenched from head to toe, scolding similarly drenched lemurs and holding up a large lotus flower for his guest. -------- Rome took the flower with slightly shaking hands before he started crying "I told you not to" the monkey had already ran off with his fidget spinner. "You are all wet, how am I supposed to keep my eyes off you now?! " -------- He would have patted him. But he was all wet so he had to courtesy to resist it. He pressed his palms together, "It's alright, I will dry up soon, life is as it should be. Om." Or in English, 'Pls calm down.' -------- Rome's crying redused to a silent snottering. He nodded to Indies words but avoided meeting his eyes "... It truly is majestic... this flower is" -------- What a pity, his spare handkerchief had gotten wet. He stared at the lemurs as they sped away indignantly- They'd caused him to lose his balance, those scoundrels! Ah but it was alright, the water was cold and refreshing. He wondered what made the Roman so sad. "Indeed, the gods sit upon them, but it's not just their throne. The lotus flower is the universe itself, the symbol of morality, goodness, beauty... We strive to be like this perfect bloom, to be flawless despite our murky surroundings, to work without attachment and to rise above the mud." He squeezed out water from his shirt. "Keep it." -------- "Then I quess Id better visualise this lotus than Jaipur in ruins when I try meditating again" he opened his bag "I've got a spair tee, if you like" -------- He snorted, "Another technique is to visualise a lotus where your heart is, a light emerging from it as your conscious mind grows aware and enlightened. The lotus is as much a symbol of the universe as it is, a symbol of you." He smiled and accepted the T-shirt, "You're very kind." He removed his own shirt and quickly, a flash of wheat brown skin showing before he covered up again. "Ah, perhaps I'll still change out of these trousers in the house. Will you stay here while I change or would you like to come back into the shade?" -------- "I'll ehh go back to the villa. Than we can take care of the lotus after you're done" he gave him a quick glance "...maybe a shower is a good idea to wash the green off your hair..." he looked like a mermaid. -------- He felt his hair and moved out a string of green. Aiye- "Sounds like a plan, let's go!" -------- Rome followed with a easy tred carrying Indies shoes. "You are a idiot you know that" a sooking wet idiot with a cute tush -------- He laughed, "It's been a long time since I've heard that. I almost miss it." He grinned, "No, I don't really miss it. Though I'm still walking on burning coals today to prove a point, and you can't stop me." He opened the door with a merry swing and gestured for the other to step inside first. -------- "Make it a cold shower too cool off that melting brains of yours" he's not the one who needs one. "I'll be in my room, reading. Don't forget to wash behind your ears" -------- "Hah, just you wait!" He winked and gave one of the servants a little fright. Some sort of handsome swamp monster had returned in place of their nation- oh? Or not, it was still the same old strange man. "I did just cool down you know, maybe I should have made you join me." He smiled and turned, "Alright then, I'll be back soon." -------- Rome got in the guestroom and filled the sink with water, carefully placing the lotus in it. Then with a sigh he grawled up the bed, took a cushion and curled up around it. His eyelids felt heavy of a sudden and he drifted away in chaotic dreams that didn't make much sense. -------- He had taken a quick shower, getting the gooplike substance out of his hair. And he remembered to wash behind his ears though he did make a face at it. He really could walk on burning coals! He'd practiced it in the past... Ah but actions would speak louder than words anyways. When he was out, he wore a traditional piece of clothing that was much like a large fabric wrapped around his waist and tucked in, a lungi. Many men still wore it in the south. He dried his hair out with a towel and reapplied the tilaka on his forehead. He slowly opened the guest room, only to see that the other had fallen asleep! He must have been very tired from his travels. India closed the door gently and made his way to the living room where he'd lounge on a divan and read the newspaper. -------- Damnit, there were just too many of them. Fight, fight harder! "Forma - Duo finis!" Why did they have assault rifles, this was madness. He took a quick look to the right to see his brother already burried beneath a pile of bleeding auxiliar soldiers, trying to get up. "PILA IACE" a cloud of pilae flew towards their opponents but the tank just ploughed threw like it was nothing. Man was he pissed off right now. "Gladium stringe - Celeriter" this was going to be a massacre "Parati - OPPUGNARE - Ad Victoria!" They charged, finally somebody had taken down that stupid machine gun, it was starting to get on his nerves. The iron wagon wasn't going to stop anytime soon but they had put stones and pilae down the barrel and if a pig could be lit in fire than so could the pigs inside that thing. And man did they squeel hard when it finally started to be a pretty bonfire. He giggled. suit you right, stupid, think you can destroy me I got more tricks up my sleeve. But loo, over the hills there they came in, eight, with towers as high as houses, angry looking elephants to trample them. His men fled in terror. One bumped into him and he was trown down the ground - and off the bed. He looked around breathing heavily. -------- He laid down the newspaper, he had finished with it- and looked out the window. Mere minutes has passed since he left the Roman to his nap. The man sighed morosely and slid down the furniture, onto the floor. He sat up and leaned his head on the cushioned divan. Another sigh. The newspaper was depressing and his boredom guilt-inducing. Alright then! He was going to meditate and clear his mind so that he wasn't such a wet blanket when the other did wake. He placed his hands on his thighs, palms facing upwards and his thumbs and index fingers loosely touching. He closed his eyes and hoped that he would find the answers to the day's moments of confusion. He could stay in that position for hours if no one interrupted him. -------- Rome got up grumbling and arched his back then marched out the room to find the other. "Indie?!" now where was that fool. -------- Why did the other cry? He was still rather worried about that, though he had brushed it off earlier. In the midst of heavy self-reflection, he hadn't heard him. There was a saying, that the ones who laugh the loudest, cry the hardest. And that just unsettled him. -------- He flung open the doors of the living "Ah, there you are" he tossed his shoes at his side "come put those on, we need to go... now" -------- He opened an eye, what was all the noise about? -------- "please? I don't want to go by myself" -------- He closed his eyes, brought folded hands to his chest and exhaled. "Where are we going?" He stood up and put on the shoes, "You were asleep when I had finished bathing, thought I'd let you rest." -------- "I can't sleep. I need to face those beasts of yours and I don't want to d... do it alone." he looked determined yet anxious "They hurt me... they scare me and I want to forget" -------- "Beasts?" He figured he wasn't talking about those monkeys. "What, the elephants?" Would it be more expensive to hire a man who'd bring it to them or to hire a taxi- no, of course, they could walk through the markets and go to the temple! "Hum, perhaps you should know that they're a different type of elephant from the ones you have encountered." Indian elephants were just so much sweeter than their African brothers- Or they were at least, tamer. -------- "they look the same to me. I suppose they are nice to the hand that feeds them. I only know them as means for war... You have them to protect the temple right?" -------- "They aren't exactly watchdogs," he grinned, "but I'll take this as an opportunity to show you around the markets as we travel there." He felt refreshed, the newspaper was left on the divan like a forgotten thought. "Perhaps apply some sunscreen, you don't want to get sunburnt.' -------- "i don't have any, should i really?... You smell nice, way less like a wet monkey now" -------- "You should, I think there's some in each bedroom. I've had to treat many burns, and I only have so much Aloe." He laughed and pulled the other along, as they found a room he joked, "People tell me my natural scent is that of petrichor and spices." -------- Rome smiled and shook his head "I guess I just smell like what one would expect from a sexgod, like uhm a sauna" he licked his finger and rested it on it's cheek "Tssss...." really now why did they need to make a competition out of everything? He poured water on his face from the sink and freshed up a bit before putting on the sunscreen. He run his fingers threw his hair. With a little water his messy locks became pretty stylish. -------- "A sauna?" These Europeans and their unusual tastes, "Believe me when I say that's not what I associate the smell of saunas with." He found his new style rather lovely, but he didn't say anything about it. "Alright, the markets await!" -------- He was glad they were finally going now and that they would do some sightseeing too. "Ah yes, I hope it's not too crowded." -------- "It's never not too crowded!" He said cheerfully and led him out the main exit this time. "Prepare to hear a lot of shouting and bargaining!" -------- "Oh, Im lousy at setting a good price. Either i pay far too much or they give it away for free because i terrify them greatly" -------- He grinned, "Not to worry, you'll have an expert with you." He gestured towards himself and bowed as if he were in front of an audience and not just the one companion. He looked at the other and gasped, "I'll have them do a puja for you since you're here!" A ritualistic prayer for favour from the gods, but he really wasn't giving him a choice. Better safe than sorry! "And we'll get you a new garland of jasmines outside the temple!" -------- "You are so sweet to me, thank you!" he sighed. Why hadn't he visited him back in the days or vise versa? Perhaps his brother had but well. He didn't want to bring that up really. "I am aware I kinda abruptly ended your meditation, if you like I can try and join you later today." -------- It wasn't so much an abrupt end as it was a perfect one, it was like his thoughts manifested onto reality and brought forth his guest. "Alright, perhaps you'll indulge me further and join me in some hatha yoga. If you're flexible enough, that is." -------- he coughed "flexible enough? What do I have to do? I can touch my toes standing" Anything else? "Ah yes, and I can touch my nose with my tongue, see?" -------- "I'll show you then, touching your toes standing is a great start. Some stances are just harder than others, it's a nice way to test your limits. However I'm limitless-" he grinned. "Don't talk to me about touching your nose with your tongue if you can't move your ears." One of his many natural talents, he illustrated it and laughed. -------- Rome laughed too. "That's so funny! Yes show me when we get back! I'm sure I will pick it up quickly with such a good teacher" -------- It was far too easy to appeal to his pride. He beamed, "You're right, you'll reach an advanced level very fast under my wing, you already have strength, with some stretching and discipline, you'll have everything. -------- "I'm happy you want to teach this old dog some new tricks. Is it far to the market?" -------- "Are you old?" He didn't know the answer to that- but then that would make him ancient... He shook his head, he was still young at heart. "Not by too long, a few minutes? Is walking as boring to you as riding a car?" Oh that gave him a very, very good idea. -------- "Ahh, according to some... but I ripe like a good wine :) Others just turn sour. Ahh and then there are those lucky few that aren't touched by time at all." he smiled " oh no, i like walking! and maybe its different if you drive a car yourself. The kids seem to enjoy it." -------- He smiled at the analogy, confidence was always attractive to him, "Ah but if you were my student earlier then time would not have touched you, our cosmetic and health knowledge are supreme." -------- "Maybe so. I was found beautifull and promising enough to turn heads in Greece but I was not courted over. There was a time where Id get drunk at any word China would spare me, but he did not want me." and it still hurt "and seasons and years passed, because I was to stubborn to let go... So, that's my story. Im practically raised by the army, all I know of other fields is by reading" -------- He was craving... affection? Yes, his earlier question about what it was like to be loved did fit the speculation. He put a hand on his back, though he wouldn't offer comfort to the private matters he mentioned. "Well then, I'm glad you're here, you can learn of many new fields by trying them out yourself. Maybe you'll outdo me in more than a couple." He smiled, nope not a chance. -------- "YES I can do that!" he was really motivated to crush the other and he wasnt scared to work hard for it "...huh?!..." he checked his pockets "the monkeys really did mug me. Im glad they didn't take my wallet... Or did they?" he checked his bag "pfffft, it's still here. By Jupiter if they snatch that from me, no more mister nice guy. It got the pictures of the kids and everything in it!" -------- "No, no, put that thing away!" He shook his head, "You're my guest, there's no reason for you to bring out any money. Though you should keep it safe, especially if there're pictures in it." -------- He nodded "you wont believe the trouble i went threw to get them. I even tied up God in his office... And I still don't have one of my Romano" -------- "You tied him up?" He sighed unsurprised, "Did diplomacy fail?" Tying up people was not very nice, he'd have at least bribed the deity with something. "Ah, I'm sure you'll be able to get one eventually, worry not." -------- "I sure hope so. He's angry with me, as are the women in my life,..." and his brother and who not really?! "... even my best friend stabbed me. Fitting for a roman, no?!" -------- He considered his response, and sighed. "People can be complicated, it's how it's always been." The streets were starting to get more lively, with people travelling to work, a few cars moved past them. Since they weren't in the middle of the city, they were spared the noise and honking. "Though I do hope you make peace with all of them if you can." -------- "Well, that's why I'm back, my main reason, to say Im sorry" -------- "Oh?" He smiled, "Apologies from the great Roman empire himself- somehow when it comes to you, I feel that people would rather have explanations than apologies. Especially those who admire you." -------- "I would be happy to provide both. Although Im not that well a speaker like say Greece" -------- "That is true indeed, well if you can get a price down for anything by 40% in any one of the stalls in the marketplace, you'll have made great progress in that area." -------- "Pfff... Ok I'll try..." he better pay attention to see how other people handled this. -------- "Watch and learn." He had centuries of experience in bargaining- he nearly got things for free when he was in the need. Though there was a time when he was completely unable to do so- The marketplace was colourful! There were many many carts selling foods and trinkets, people were dressed traditionally except for the odd shopkeepers daughter who was daring enough to wear jeans and a t-shirt rather than a chudidar. India stirred them towards the direction of the fabrics which the other mentioned wanting to see. -------- "See this dark blue fabric, and that purple, how do they do it? How do they make the purpura, Indie? Does the color hold in tempera, for paintings? " -------- "From flowers in the past- Oh you should have been here during Holi, it's a festival where traditionally we throw colourful powders or vibrant paints on each other- They tend to be naturally made so that they don't harm anyone! Yes it holds in tempera. But nowadays they use ugly synthetic dye for clothes. It's quite nostalgic to see handmade fabrics, back in the days I was at the pinnacle of fabric dyeing!" Ah the key was to make sure the cotton would permanently hold its colour- after that was figured.. hah! Well then he was the greatest fabric dyer in the world!! -------- "Really?! Id love to come next time to see. They don't mind foreigners attending?" he tried to picture it "Think we can buy colors here? I'd like to make something pretty just for you" -------- "Of course we don't mind! In fact it's been adopted by some other countries, it's nice to have fun once in a while! Though there is, of course, a great story behind it." He was still quite touched by the other's offer to paint him something. "I... You really don't have to... But ehm, you can buy them here." He suddenly found a really cute elephant figurine to admire. -------- "You really like elephants, don't you? It must seem silly to you that they scare me." -------- He looked at him and shook his head earnestly. "Not at all." He was able to meet his eyes, "I've known elephants that destroyed villages. They're well worth one's respect, be it through love or through fear. I hope that you can see their gentler nature too before you decide on fearing them once and for all." -------- He nodded "One hit me with his snout and nearly trampled me... And when Hannibal led them over the alps I totally lost my shit. You know you can be sleeping and suddenly there is one in your house. Im not afraid much. My youngest is afraid of spiders. He can't sleep if there is one in his room." Rome laughed "I shouldnt laugh but it's so silly. You are not afraid of bugs are you?" -------- He nodded, "Yes they can be terrifying, I'm sorry you had poor experiences with them." He hoped that he would get over them, they weren't so much beasts as they were gentle spirits... Plus they were so cute! The ones that were native to his land, at least. And even when upset, he could tame them fairly quickly. "No, but I can understand being squeamish about them. I know someone who's honestly a terrible person who has done terrible things, but the sight of a cockroach alone is enough for him to turn into a mess. Did you know that elephants are terrified of mice? It must be like how some of us are terrified of bugs." -------- "Really, ah but if he annoys you you can drop a chart of cockroaches in his living to bug him that's fairly easy! Ahh, i didn't know they don't like mice. We used to scare them with pigs we covered in tar and set alight. The sound they made, brrr. Kinda horrible when you think of it, hmn?" -------- He looked like he was picturing it and made a heartbroken face, "The poor pigs..." He shook his head, "Believe me, I'm not above it to use that if I must with him. Do you want an elephant figurine?" -------- "yes! But a small one so I can keep it with me for good luck." India was spoiling him. "Are you going to demonstrate it now?" Rome felt a little sorry for the shopkeeper already. "I do hope you enjoy my time spend, cause it's the only thing you'll take from me now. Please accept a few good memories to stay with you." -------- Hmm, a small one. He looked at the other, "There are so many to choose from, I'll demonstrate after you take your pick." There were so many intricate little carvings in the various figurines, elephants with their trunks raised, made out of wood, stone- and just about any material. No matter how many times he saw it, he always found them so cute. But he kept a discerning eye and a neutral expression. Rule #1 of the trade, don't get overexcited. -------- "maybe one of those made from malachite, that's a pretty stone. You should take one to match for yourself." that would be super cute! -------- He looked over to them and nodded, "Chic." They were quite adorable though, "Another one for my collection then." He called for the shopkeeper and of course the price for the two figurines were higher than that of say, the wooden ones. (As mun is not nearly as good as the great Shivaramakrishnan at bargaining, she shall now skip a scene.) "Ah thank you, I'm glad that you won't be doing this to your next customers." Honestly! It was actually far too expensive for something so small. He handed his Roman friend one of the elephants, wrapped securely in brown paper. "45% off~" -------- Rome was highly impressed. The other made it look so easy so he wanted to try as well. To get an idea of the progress he picked an item he could find at different shops. This way he would pick up quickly what the set price was. He choose to go for a nice fountain pen. If he was going to write again he needed one anyway. But the shopkeepers weren't so easy on him. It was a dead giveaway he was a tourist which meant easy money. Also he was a open book to read, so not one was going to lower the price much. He was visible frustrated by it and people enjoyed messing with him. When he walked away after a fifth try he looked like he was going to give up and sighed. He looked at Indie and when he caught his smile suddenly got an idea. He strolled around just making some silly jokes until he found what he was looking for. There was one stand he was looking at from across the street and he took his sweet time to unfold his magic. There, she spotted him. The woman blushed, turned away and looked again. He came closer now and asked if she could help him. He said he needed a present for a friend. He asked her name, complimented on her dress, asked about what places were nice to eat around here... and all the while flirting shamelessly. At some point he took his wallet and folded a bill wonderfully in the shape of a heart. He then took the pen he liked best wrote down something on the heart and left it in her hands. She smiled, he walked off with a even wider one back to Indie "40% off, The shopkeepers here all want to trick me, but their women sure seem to like me!" he laughed -------- He was trying so hard, it was hard not to smile. But five tries, and not a smidge of success... To be fair, some others had done much worse. Bargaining was not just a skill, it was a culture one simply grew up immersed in. It was the familiar memory of holding a parent's hand as they shake their heads and complain about the quality of an item, it was the memory of the shopkeeper's eyes lighting up at the challenge. Maybe it wasn't very easy to pick up from just one observation- He almost lost track of the other as he stood there contemplating the nature of bargaining and vaguely reacting to a series of jokes, but he soon found him and watched him try his luck with that woman who had laughed at his joke. Several moments later he had returned with a pen. "Is that so?" He chuckled and shook his head, "The poor darling may never be cured of her broken heart, but you did succeed." Bargaining was unfair by nature, he looked at the other and nodded. "You've led me to believe that if you are persistent, you will definitely get your thoughts and feelings across to those you want to speak to. Though I'm not sure if charming them will be as effective." He smiled and turned, "Let's get you your dyes." -------- "ah yeah!" he was happy they were about to see the colours. "I'm not a heartbreaker. I now have a pen so I can write my new beloved friend and it will last me what ten years maybe before I need to buy another. While I gave her sweet dreams that may very well last a lifetime." he smiled "Ah but you are quite right. Flirting with the ladies, that's easy enough. The men, they wont buy crap from me" -------- "Ten years? Well, if you want to buy yourself refills, I suppose. Though I'd rather buy a new pen at that stage." He laughed, "Oh yes, I'm sure she'll have sweet dreams over your charming encounter." He doubted it, but who knew how the minds of people worked. He grinned, "Yes, you're going to have to work harder with the men. Assert your dominance without endangering their pride, and that's often your best bet." -------- Rome nodded " I still have a lot to learn, I suppose. Some of the young ones look up to me because they picture a big structured empire built from scratch in a couple of years. HaHa! I couldnt have done it on my own. Also we missed out a lot, being on campaign all the while as a Republic. I think the best thing was we adopted other cultures into our own." he starts laughing "Germania's boy freaking fetishises me. It's SO weird! I feel like I'm the opposite of what he thinks I am" -------- He laughed, "If I haven't had my own share of experience with invincible empires, I think I'd have /fetishized/ your empire as well. You're seen as the pinnacle of discipline and military prowess, aren't you?" -------- "Discipline just means being pushed in a position that's convenient. Some are easily disciplined with rewards, but most by fear. I'm not sure if that's something to be proud of. And then there is me as a person too. I very much doubt that's what you see when you look in my eyes. No, I don't think I'm that disciplined. What reward was there waiting for me? What was there to fear, really? I might very well be the least disciplined person you'll ever meet." he played a little with his guirlande, smelling the flowers " I don't think I'll ever grow up. I'm not saying I can't be motivated, nor am I lazy, I think. I'm just a very passionate man, you need to rub me the right way" he giggled "But yes, compared to the others, our military was most skilled!" -------- He laughed, "Is that what discipline means to you? To me it means being able to separate one's individual concerns and suppress them for the efficiency and quality of a larger machine." He didn't think there was a right definition to it, but conveniency and efficiency were two separate matters. "When I look at you, I see a miracle, honestly. I don't know whether you are disciplined or childish, unmotivated or lethargic, but you are most certainly a miracle. As such, I think you're unpredictable and worthy of being a great friend or a great foe." -------- "I'm not a saint. Maybe If you surpress all you are for the greater good for too long, say a couple of thousand years, you too would start to hate the machine you are feeding. Of course it's efficient when everybody does what they are supposed to do. But may I question what I am supposed to do? Everything that exists is in a matter the seed of that what will be, as my boss put it. I have no taste for blood nor do I enjoy breaking things. I like to built things. I build a great empire out of sand only to give my boys a handfull. After all I endured I wanted them to have a good life. Therefore I am very content their military is a complete mess" he laughed "But now India... you DO rub me the right way... will you stop it?" -------- "Did you hate the machine you were feeding?" He understood that the other was immensely lonely. He wasn't quite a part of that machine as he actually was the machine. In that sense were nations solitary by nature? India may have been lonely once, but he was trained to see the world with different eyes. He did think he was a God among men, but that made him ambitious, to raise the standards of humankind, to elevate them by being with them. He was never lonely, he had a purpose given to him by himself! He didn't remember it, but he was terribly lonely and whiny as well, in the past. It was grossly egotistical on his part. He blinked, and from behind his roman friend, he put both hands on his shoulders. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, but I don't think I will. I'm curious to know what type of motivation I'm sparking." -------- "In a way yes I hated it. Because it drove me and my brother apart see? I was always trying to stress how much we are alike, he on the other hand pointed out our differences. He was my best friend and my greatest enemy. And I miss him greatly. I find it hard to except the credit for his efforts, cause truly he's the better half." Twins really are the worst. He was still angry for what he did. On the other hand he wanted to except his new chosen path. It was complicated on so many levels, Rome thought. Surely East crossed the line by fucking Greece though. And she knew, oh the bitch knew. He was startled when India touched him. "... Hmn see, you make me want to be a better man... I think I might just started to have a little crush on you. But no need to worry about it. " -------- "Is he now?" He smiled, the other clearly seemed to be a deep thinker, to be capable of critiquing himself in such a way. Or was it baseless gloom? He hoped for the former, because clouds of self-depreciation could easily ruin his otherwise golden radiance. What an expression, it didn't fully convince him that he only missed his brother. But brotherhoods so old were rightfully complicated. He sighed and ignored the thoughts that tried to depress him, of his neighbour and brother. He blinked and removed his hands, "Is that what it was?" He smiled, "Perhaps if you become a better man and impress me, I'll have a crush right back on you." He was downright cocky and he knew it, ...he didn't think the crush would last. He didn't treat it with much surprise at all, it may have even been a touch underwhelming. He wondered whether that was enough to extinguish the flame. -------- "HA! I sure hope not! Can you imagen all the gossiping ancients at the crossroads?! Greece would make your life a LIVING HELL." He put his thumbs in his jeanspockets and started walking "But make no mistake, I will better myself and impress you... better yet, I'll CRUSH you... Think of it as a warming up. After that I'll make Constantinople great again... I can't stay at Ikea forever, Swedish food makes me sick." he halted suddenly and beamed a most happy smile "wowww,... It's more beautifull than I imagined" he had found the dyes. -------- He laughed, "You'll crush me?" He was glad that he was in high spirits but honestly, "I'd rather that you don't try. Learn more about these times, you have far too much studying to do before you go around invading or building up cities." He really didn't care for gossip, "I had decent relations with Greece." He remarked before he looked over at the fabrics. "Isn't it? I was the very best with them. How many would you like?" -------- "But mummmm...." he said in a winey voice "seriously it's only fair I got at least half of Constantinople. And just think, I get to sent you lot's of nice food..." He sighed and put it to rest, India was probably right. Even though he had learned so much about the modern world. He didn't have his legions to actually invade anything. He was all talk now. But he could still bragg about his past accompliches. he snickered "Well MY relations with Greece were ANYTHING BUT decent." even that was a lie. His country was highly influenced be her and he loved her lot's. Ofcourse they had made out, but Greece could and would play him like a fool. "Hmn... just some basic earth colours, okers, black and white and maybe a bit of two brighter ones. I haven't got a clue what it costs and I don't want you to spend too much." -------- "You could send me nice food anywaayyyys." Why was he mimicking the whiny voice- he chuckled and watched the other sigh. Oh no, was that the sound of crushed dreams? It was...for the best, he decided. "Oh? I couldn't believe that, she seemed like such an amiable lady." "Basic earth colours?" He nodded and picked a few greens, yellows and reds. White and black, and then of course he picked a lot of indigo. Indigo was his most famous! "Choose as much as you like, what use is there in excess money if it cannot sate the desires of the esteemed guest?" -------- "Thank you Im so happy! I will learn to make food myself so I can send you! J.just you wait! " he was never going to repay this he thought "I will make you proud of me, your time will not be a idle investment I swear" -------- "You'll make the food?" What is this, he's being so spoilt, to be promised homemade food and an artwork? It was a little overwhelming and he was so grateful that he couldn't really say anything for a moment. Finally he smiled and nodded, "I'm sure it won't be, though rather than an investment, my time is a gift. I don't expect anything in return, and you needn't hold yourself to your words should they feel like weights." -------- "Weights? Never. You lift me up to rise above what I thought was possible. I am very thankfull" he put his hands together and bowed his head "That smile of yours was the only gift I truly needed. I'll keep it save and cherish it for a thousand years...and a day" -------- "And a day?" He thought he might have felt his heart skip a beat at the last addition, surely his standards were not high. What made him difficult was his negligence towards himself. He returned the gesture, bowing lower, "Your words are too kind, and the sincerity behind them, kinder still. My smile is a permanent matter of course, you may get tired of it." -------- Rome shook his head "I will grow tired of it the day easter and christmas fall on the same day, just as people grow tired watching dancing flames, the sun rising and waves washing ashore... you must show me the temple and tell me what it's for... -------- Well that put a silly grin on him immediately, "You are too generous." He nodded at the last bit, "I will show you the temple, it'll be easier to explain it when we're there. And I assume you are asking about my tilak and the Bindi on our foreheads. It is a Hindu custom," he touched the spot on Rome's forehead with his thumb, "this is where the soul enters and exits the body, the Ajna Chakra. By applying sandalwood paste on it, you are respecting the mind and soul. It's also said to improve your attention and intuition." The thumb moved upwards, "The different type of tilak can also help one understand which God the person worships, during religious instances. Women wear it in the form of a simple dot, married women wear it as a larger red dot." He withdrew his hand, "Like kohl, it also has cooling properties." -------- Romulus listened and seemed intrigued. "Do you have priests or virgins to look after the temple and do they also wear tilak or bindu?" -------- He laughed, "Temples tend to be owned by people who used to be from the Brahmin caste. They have families to take care of them- And yes, you will see it." -------- "This caste, is a familyline or house, or an institute of some sort? I am sorry Im trying to understand" -------- "The caste system (I've tried to dissolve it in these times) is a social hierarchy, the brahmins were at the top as people who are the closest to the gods. Then the warriors, the merchants and at the very bottom were the Untouchables, who are said to have been sinners in their previous life." -------- "That seems like a pretty fixed system that suits it's purpose but none can possibly escape from. Not like ours was much better I suppose. Both the free born and slaves were bound, in different ways -------- "We believed in the cycle of rebirth, and in that sense it was more than fair. You escape it by living righteously and being reborn into a better caste. But it's ultimately cruel and so nothing more than its legacy should continue." -------- "hmn,... Then you should know everything about how to be a good man with your experience. And your people have written down knowledge for those who want to make an effort to better their lives, no?... One of my bosses was really into that. He is known as one of the worlds greatest filosofers. " -------- "The more I think I know, the less I know, so I tend to just do my best and hope for good results." He sighed, "But of course, my people have written many rules and guides down, though I think it's most important to have a strong sense of dharma, and the rest fall into place." He paused, "Duty." He seemed rather curious when the other mentioned an old boss, he got the attention of the shopkeeper and looked back at him. "Which of them was he?" -------- Rome nodded, yes the more you know. "Ah... he's known as Marcus Aurelius. We ehh, change names at times. He was really kind to me. Even let me go travel and see Seres... we did make a short stop in Pandyan... It's a long time ago I don't remember the name of the city." -------- "You seem to remember him fondly," he took out his card and the lady shook her head. Only cash. But of course, he fiddled in his wallet for the price and kept it in her hand. -------- "Yes! And history has been kind to him luckely." some would claim the pax romana died with him. "We did we not meet back then, why didn't we?..." he was digging his mind. "I remember we had to keep a good pace even though I was feeling sick... we cut part of the main route, for some reason... " he shook his head his memory was too clouded. "Did you have leaders you were fond of, more than the others?" -------- He watched as the woman packed the dyes and he could feel the other's lapse in memory with just hearing his voice. "I did. Ashoka the Buddhist king was a force to be reckoned with, Akbar the Great from the Mughal empire was such a curious and wonderful man. There are many more, some dipped in mist within my memories as I fail to recall whether they were real or myth." -------- Rome laughed to that "And I thought MY mind was a mess" he sighed. "But I do think I've heard of this Ashoka before... But hey, let's put that in my bag, then we have our hands free." -------- He smiled, "Oh I'm sure that one was real. We use his chakra on my flag, saffron, white and green, with a navy blue wheel at the middle. It has twenty-four spokes and symbolises the twenty-four hours of a day, rotating, rotating without tire, to continue for an eternity." He took the dyes and thanked the woman. "The elephants (and coals) await us! Is there anything else that you would like to buy?" -------- Rome started grinning, whatever he was thinking he wasn't saying it out loud. "You're feeding me and everything. And since you won't let me invade nothing, what more do I need?" -------- He smiled and tilted his head, "What are you grinning about? Hm perhaps I am ideal company for swashbuckling young empires." -------- "I'm not telling" his grin widened. "but you may guess, HA HA" -------- "Is this about you still being sceptical about my hot coal walk? I will impress you nonetheless." -------- "You serious?! I don't want you to burn yourself please" -------- "Oh," he laughed, "since you said please, I won't burn. Though I had no intention of burning and I will still do as I wish." -------- Rome combed his fingers throw his hair and shook his head "You are a grown free man, by all means do as you wish. I'm still not certain what you are trying to proof though. Of all the ways you could pick to try to - impress - me, you had to choose walking on coals" he flung his hands in the air in a dramatic matter "You could have just got naked" -------- He laughed, "I don't tend to get naked for my guests (and its not the first time I've heard this...sadly), but walking on coals is no problem." He took his hand and held it firmly with his other, "Where's your spirit gone?" He was not going to be kept from it. It was that or snake charming. -------- "Very well... It clearly means a lot to you, show me. though I'm not sure what I think is scarier this moment. You doing just that or me getting trampled." he pouted "but it's not my fault if you get hurt in the process. Unlike popular belief I do not enjoy people suffering" -------- "I'm honoured that my safety is as important as yours." He let go of his hands and looked at him with a carefree grin, "Don't worry, your name will not be tied down to any mistake on my part." -------- "My name has left a much hated mark on far to many people, quite literaly. Let us go to the temple" -------- "Now do not go being depressed," he eyed him and held his hands behind himself, "the Mandir is a place of light. Put a smile on your face and let your heart be free of the past." He led the way. -------- Rome faked a smile and followed. Let your heart be free of the past? The past was basically all he was. Both good and bad. "What do elephants eat?" -------- He smiled at the question, "Bananas! Whole bunches of them. Though they'll like you more if you peel them and put in the extra effort." -------- "Should we bring some? Then maybe they wont smell my fear and peel me instead?!" -------- "They'll have some at the temple, don't worry. They really are gentle, you'll like them!" Very gentle and very smart. -------- Romulus wasnt so sure. "We will drink to celebrate after, right? If I do pet one, that is" -------- "If you take one for a walk with me, I'll even make sure to get the finest brew from my place." That was a little tricky these days, but if the other put in extra effort, so would he. -------- "Ww..." his voice cracked "Walk with.. you mean walk beside it? Ohh... I don't know India. What if I can't control it then the whole town is in ruin." -------- "I'll be with you, so of course that won't happen." He pressed his hands together, "They're not going to rampage with me around, and you don't need to control them, they're my friends." Because why wouldn't you have an elephant pal. -------- "You speak of them like they are big dogs. Like you can just let them lie down and roll over. Aah, I really am nervous, omg" he pinched India's arm "I can feel my heart beating in my chest" -------- He patted his shoulder, "I'll help you face them, you won't be in any danger and they are a different species from what you remember, maybe you'll notice their physical differences." -------- "I'll trust your judgement. This temple is it dedicated to one God or several?" he asked "Do you have a favorite?" -------- "I'm glad you will." He was honoured. "Oh, it's dedicated to one of Vishnu's most beloved avatars, Krishna." He grinned at the question, "Are you looking to get me in trouble?" -------- "Get you in trouble? They are a jealous bunch, is that what you are saying? Or is my company troublesome already?" -------- "They can be a jealous bunch, and your company is far from troublesome! You've been wonderful company." He nodded, "In seriousness, I used to favour Shiva the most, though now I think my admiration has shifted to Vishnu. Each God does play an important role though." -------- Romulus smiled shyly "What is Vishnu known for that you pick him?... Or is it a Goddess? See how little I know. I don't want to anger Vishnu... Sorry God, if you are listening, Im a silly tourist I mean no harm." -------- "Don't worry, he's one of the gods who never gets jealous or petty, he would not be offended." And as for why he picked him, how does one put Vishnu into words? He is like life itself! "I suppose it is only natural for me to appreciate him the most, he is associated with heroism and with protection. In Hinduism, we have the Vedic triad, three gods who are the most important from the entire pantheon. Brahma, he who creates, Shiva, he who destroys evil to make space for more creation, and Vishnu, he who protects what is good. In times of great evil, he is born to the earth and will become a saviour. According to the stories, he has done this 9 times already. He's like a guardian angel- That...And he's just really really admirable in each tale he plays a part in. He's collected and calm, within him lie the secrets of the cosmos." Only in India do you have such persistent fanboys for Gods or goddesses. Don't even get him started on Hanuman, the monkey God. -------- "He sounds like a great guy! You should tell me some of his stories when we have time to spare" -------- "Wonderful! Actually there's a perfect tale to pass the time with as we walk to the temple, it's about Vishnu and an elephant devotee of his." -------- "YEAH let's hear it!" Rome smiled -------- He laughed, "During the times of Akbar the Great, was a man so witty and intelligent in his court that his stories are well remembered. He was called Birbal, and unlike the Muslim emperor, he was a Hindu. Akbar sought for peace between the two groups and wished to understand this story. Once, there was a leader of a herd of elephants called Gajendra, he was a great leader and one who cared for his fellow elephants. He led them to the river so that they could bathe themselves, but suddenly, he was attacked! The jaws of a crocodile snapped shut on his leg and he cried out for help. But his herd backed away and began to turn away, as they had realised that death had come for Gajendra. Poor Gajendra struggled and struggled, to no avail. They say he held out for a thousand years, trapped by the crocodile, clinging onto dear life. But even his strength had its limits. With the last of it, he picked up a lotus flower with his trunk and held it up high," he extended an arm above him, as an offerring to the Lord Vishnu, as a prayer for help." There were almost by the temple, he could make out the shape. They say if you can view your destination, you're halfway there. "That's the temple, see?" -------- "I see,... then what happend? Did it got dragged down the water?" he was caught by the story already -------- He shook his head, "Upon hearing his devotee's prayer, Lord Vishnu himself rushed to the scene, looking for the one who surrendered control of their life to him. As Gajendra saw him, he exerted the last of his strength in raising the lotus even higher. At seeing this, Vishnu was moved and with his Sudarshana Chakra, a weapon that's much like a discus with jagged edges- he beheaded the crocodile and saved Gajendra. Akbar was rather shocked by the fact that Vishnu himself came down to help Gajendra when he could have sent any of his strong and loyal subjects to take care of it in his stead. Birbal took to explaining it later by telling the Emperor that his grandson was drowning in the pool. This was, of course, not the case, but Akbar jumped in himself to rescue his supposed grandson. The moral of that being that Vishnu treats his devotees with such personal care, it is as if he is family." -------- Romulus nodded "He is a good God. The elephants do know how to touch peoples hearts. We had some at the circus once, I did not go because I don't enjoy it. But a friend did and he said all left feeling sad because they wailed so bitterly and casts their trunks up to heaven. This friend never returned there ever again and became stoic. Seneca and Pliny also wrote about their greatness. The organiser of the event was cursed by both elephant and man it's said and he got stabbed." -------- He nodded, "It depresses me that we cannot take care of these animals and make proper use of them. For entertainment we have each other, why must tigers be chained and bears made to balance on balls?" He smiled without much humour, "There's a bit of poaching in my land, people kill elephants for the ivory. How pointless it is, the ruin a life so large and great, for a small bit of material." -------- "The Gods made many foolish people. But they may grow to do what is right. They should not anger you. Do not question why is it that these things happen and fill you with sorrow. Nobody is helped with such thoughts and you the last of all people." -------- "They don't anger me." He sighed but he was cheered by the other's words, "And it is impossible for me to be filled with sorrow when with it comes motivation to work against the nature of all things poor." Things will get better! "Thank you for your advice." -------- "We are all connected in a way, I believe. Only take the words that are of use to you that come from my mouth. Because I loose myself quite often, which is not very wise. I have still need to learn to shut my mouth and pick my words with more care. But you are making a great difference for my world this day. So that is progress, right?" -------- He smiled, "I don't know, maybe you were a better man before you met me. However, I can never know, so I'll believe that I made a positive difference." They were almost there! A cool breeze blew past them, shaking trees and letting flower petals and leaves fall onto the ground. "There's art in honesty and straightforwardness, there's science behind picking words with more care. Both are neutral choices, only you decide whether they harm or support. You're already very wise in the ways of art." -------- Rome smiled proudly at that. "Maybe" he looked at the leaves dancing in the wind then back at India "will there be paintings or statues of Vishnu in the temple of Krisna as well? Im curious to how he looks like" -------- "There will be statues, but honestly he looks different in every temple- ah but since it's a temple they'll sell paintings for worship outside! Imagine a dark man with beautiful eyes, like lotus petals, and a constant smile. He's normally lying on a large cobra with several heads, with his wife, the goddess of fortune and prosperity massaging his feet, floating on the cosmic waters that represent the universe." He was heavily romanticized, but which gods weren't? "Krishna is a form of Lord Vishnu so technically speaking, even the flautist with a peacock feather in his hair and doe-like eyes is him." -------- Rome giggled "He most be very charming indeed if the women lay at his feet like that. HA HA The temple looks really cool, are they all built likewise?" -------- "Oh yes, and his wife is madly in love with him. Everytime he is born to the earth, she comes with him, they always find each other and fall in love all over again." He was a romantic, and there was such beauty and aesthetic in the stories of Vishnu. "And Krishna had 16008 (or 16108, the stories are inconsistent) wives, each of whom he loved dearly and spent equal time with." "No, they vary from region to region, and they look different depending on which deity or which deities they are dedicated to." -------- "oh?" he froze and his mouth hanged open in amazement "seriously, that's the cutest thing ever!" ------ He grinned, "It gets cuter than that, he originally only had 8 wives, but 16000 (16100) of them were slaves of the demon Narakasura. After Krishna slew him, the women would not have a place in society as old servants of the late demon, so he married them out of kindness to protect their dignity. And they lived happily with him in his kingdom. One of the stories say that the mischievous God, Narada, asked him if he could take one of his wives -he had so many, after all- for himself. And Krishna agreed, provided that Narada would marry the one who he finds alone." He smiled, he loved telling stories, his eyes were still full of wonder and admiration, hands naturally moving to gesture and illustrate the nature of his words. "Narada went to the home of each of the 16008 wives, and in each home, his prospective bride was accompanied by Krishna who was very close with her, laughed and was intimate with her or even raised children with her. He finally realised that Krishna splits himself into a being for each wife and spends the night with them all simultaneously while in the daytime his selves combine as he performs the duties of a Prince." He actually learned to play the flute because of the stories of Krishna. -------- Romulus listened carefully and smiled all the while "I wish my Gods were as generous. Jupiter had quite some trouble with his jealous wife. Not as much as the Greek ones though. Personally I try to keep my relations with women open, it's not ideal but it's manageble that way. I could not handle more than two loves at the same time, Id go crazy I think. I was really blessed Greece and Egypt liked eachother." -------- "Haha," he had a sudden mini-film of flashbacks, one after the other, building up his spirits and crushing them, devastating him and consoling him all at the same time. He walked into a corner. Rubbing his head and torn out of his five seconds of silence he looked at the other, "You were blessed, catfights can turn ugly." -------- Rome nodded. It looked to him India had not been so fortunate with girls. "Well, girls are strange anyway" -------- He didn't have time to wonder what the other had thought to himself after watching his host walk into a wall, because when the stars faded from his view, he realised that they were by the temple. "We're here! Alright, now first we must remove our shoes and secure them." -------- Romulus tried not to laugh when the other hit his head "...ehh, you ok?" He opened his bag and took out a package of wipes offering them to India before he took a few to clean his face, hands and feet. Then took his spare sandals out. "secure them, you said?" -------- "I just showered," he said as he declined the wipes. He regarded the other fondly, "You know your temple etiquette, I'm impressed." It was very important to go into the temple with a clean body, but foreigners weren't required to observe each custom. "Yes, sadly they may get stolen by the time we return if we don't tie them to the pole." -------- "That would be a something, these.." he hold up his sandals "... Are the only thing that they truly 'respect', my boys" he smiled "I could put it al in the bag, although Id like to have the full experience, ha ha. Or uhm should I leave my bag here as well? I can take my pictures out, I have pockets in my jeans" having pockets was new to the roman. "If they take it then that's that. I try to live minimalistic now. It works rather well for me." -------- "They only truly respect your shoes?" He cocked his head to a side, "Your boys have strange tastes." He smiled and shook his head, "Carrying it in your bag is alright, just so long as your footsteps are pure on temple grounds, you needn't do anything else!" "Take your bag, you can carry all your items with you, though I wish you'd left some more in the house." -------- "Yes well, I'm not sure if they fear my fashion sense or the beating" he laughed. "Next time I'll leave it all at the villa. I'm just so used to carrying my stuff when I travel I didn't even think about it, silly heh?. This..." he shook his bag "...is everything I own, apart from my armor, which I left at a friends place in Reykjavic." He looked excited at the temple then back at India "It's just stuff. All that is important is stored up here" he said as he lay his hand on his brow. -------- "You sound just like an Indian aunty." He laughed, but in all his youthfulness, he still got the odd threat of being whacked by a slipper or rolling pin. "It's good to be detached from material things, but I don't know if you really are. I'll make sure that you do not part with your things if it can be helped." Unbeknownst to him, the monkeys had already taken his fidget spinner. -------- Rome put the sandals in the backpack and followed his friend to the temple silently. It sounded and smelled like a another world than the market they just visited. Temples were different yet the same in other countries. He felt truly at peace now. -------- "Now should we go to the elephants or the coals first?" He said with an excited smile, clapping his hands together as his hardened feet lightly kicked at the scorching temple grounds. The coals weren't a problem but he was trying quite hard not to hop around in front of the other. Of course he couldn't hide his relief when they came to a shaded path. -------- Rome shook his head, his new friend was an idiot. "Ok, show me your wonders first." they were quite alike, he thought. -------- Where was the lie though? Perhaps it was just a matter of eccentricity, all the ancients were excessively eccentric, India just happened to be worse than most. "Yes! Alright then, where was it again- that way? That way!" He dragged the other along, they could see children running along and playing, parents scolding them, those of marriageable age praying for luck- the atmosphere was bustling the way the market had been, yet it also felt different. As though there was a sense of lightheartedness in the air, everyone was smiling. It was a stark difference from temples dedicated to other deities. -------- Rome grinned as the other pulled him along. India's enthusiasm sure was contagious. Young countries more than often were so... serious. "You really are excited aren't you?" Rome still wasnt sure this was such a great idea but "you smile like an idiot" It was super cute to see him like this. -------- "Of course it's been years since I've done it!" That was cause for worry but clearly the thought hadn't reached him, he was immensely confident in his abilities. He found the coal pit, it probably hadn't been used in forever- there weren't so many young people who'd do it- burning one's feet off to prove their courage clearly didn't appeal to them in the way it appealed to more religious generations. "It's alright if I'm a cute idiot." He said as his eyes scanned for a handler, aha! He got one, he might have given the old man a fright for he must have only met him 20 years ago or so. "Shankar!" He called out in a similar tone and quickly got the man to light up the coals. He turned to his guest and whispered, "I think he thinks that I'm a form of the God... What do I do?" Would it be even more confusing to explain the whole nation thing or should the old man be humoured? It wasn't a simple and obvious moral choice. -------- Rome had to admit "fit for the asylum but equally cute" Rome thought for a moment "Let the old man think what he will. He'll be honoured..." he started laughing "When I was young I used to prank the poor souls. I would put on sandals and rub my feet madly at this wool carpet and then go around and electric shock people, HA HA! Some really believed I was the grandson of our King of Heaven. It was just a cheap trick but the faces they'd make... Ha HA" -------- He raised an eyebrow and laughed, "What a mischievous young boy you were!" The man looked old, perhaps he wouldn't live long- ah but somehow he may just live forever, one could never tell. In the end he went with his guest's suggestion, it wasn't a matter of personal pride, he just wanted him to have a good day. And he wouldn't do anything to purposely feed the idea! "Fit for the asylum?" He pouted, "Thats not very fair on me. My mind /is/ sharp." -------- "Hmn,... That is yet to be proven. But it only takes one look to see you're cuter than me. Maybe I get to outsmart you then. That's a honourable field to beat you in." he grinned "though I bet there are people who'd say Im just as wacko" -------- "Oh don't try to outsmart me," he spoke with such light-heartedness that even while he was facing the coals with as they were being lit, his tone was carried without the other seeing his smile. He turned to him, "Though of course you are handsome and there is no contest between our looks." Personally he was a better judge of the feminine beauty, for men it was hard to explain- there were too many different types of handsomeness that had never been given the same attention. Whether it was rugged or smooth, muscular or slender, there were too many handsome men to compare them all. It was during thought processes like this, that the Indian was filled with vexation as he couldn't understand why his country was yet to allow two men or women to be together. /Everyone/ is attractive and appealing. "The fire's been lit!" -------- Rome was about to challenge the other when India's reply left him speechless. He knew he should surpress his emotions because they would become overwelming. But he didn't. He accepted the compliment and felt so strong and beautifull he could move mountains now. He was all warm and fuzzy inside and it showed. "So it's on, this is it. I think you are really brave. I will cheer for you! " He bowed his head a little and gave him all the space to get ready. Please Gods watch over my friend, he's so precious. -------- He was dazzling- when he was so happy. India blinked at the sudden change, he hadn't thought it possible for the Roman to get even brighter and happier than he had at many moments throughout the day. Somehow, a part of him was worried that he'd made him feel too much, but he was also pleased that he left some sort of memory on the other. Though the latter was quite immature of him so he chided himself for it. "This is it!" He winked when the other made way for him. But beyond the coals was an idol of his beloved god, he folded his palms together, pressed them to his chest and bowed. The man gave him a garland of flowers and he took them carefully. "And now you'll see the walk." He murmured, before doing just as he promised. Now there was science to it, temperatures cancelled out and the time the coal made contact with his feet, whether they stick to the feet, how dry they are- it all mattered. But while watching him, it looked effortless and practiced. It was in equal parts fascinating and unnerving. He deliberately walked as slowly as the embers would allow, not rushing, but getting through the walk with grace, and back onto the sand at the other end. He hung the garland on the Krishna. A turn and a thumbs up, "See! It wasn't as bad as you expected, was it?" -------- Rome was blown away "That's incredible! How do you... Are you sure you're not hurt?" he turned to the old man "that's my friend, look at him" Rome run up to India and hugged him "sorry i doubted you, I saw you do this just now and I still not believe it!" Rome was blown away "That's incredible! How do you... Are you sure you're not hurt?" he turned to the old man "that's my friend, look at him" Rome run up to India and hugged him "sorry i doubted you, I saw you do this just now and I still not believe it!" -------- The old man looked just as stunned and India welcomed the embrace with a grin. "I'm sure, I'm sure." He lifted his legs and while they were covered in ash, there were no burns. He dusted them off easily, somehow even on one foot he looked as stable as an oak tree. "You must believe it, I will teach you how it works but I will not encourage you to try this /feat/ today." -------- "Oh, I'm so relieved you're ok." Pffffftttt HA HA HA "Ah indeed that would be a bad idea. The sand is warm enough for my feet!" the roman grinned -------- He smiled at the other's laughter, there were two types of reactions he was used to at this stage, groans and complaining or laughter. He genuinely thought he was funny so of course Rome's encouragement was confirmation of that notion. "Oh yes, the sand's scorching isn't it? Let's walk in the shade." He thanked the old man and bowed in front of the idol, before dragging the guest to a completely different part of the temple. "Now that I've done the impossible, it's time for you to bond with elephants." -------- Rome took a deep breath "Yes, I can do this!" he would make India proud. It was a totally irrational fear and he would face it. As simple as that. What could possibly go wrong? -------- India smiled encouraging but he was actually already running various scenarios in his head, how close to the elephant would he be able to bring the other, how would he keep the elephant calm- Should he let the Roman do this himself or should he lead by example? Elephants were brilliant creatures with much patience, but would something go wrong? He stopped the other and took some bananas from the tree, there weren't many ripe ones left but he got those on the brink. "Here, take half of these." He was going to do his best to make this as easy as possible. -------- Bananas perfect, he thought to himself. But felt tensing up already. Just because Rome was used to do whatever, whenever he was ordered to didn't mean he felt less. His mouth felt dry. He knew this would make him feel miserable, but that wasn't important. The fear was real, the treat wasn't. -------- He looked so tense, it made him feel a little bad, India pulled him into a tight hug. "Hey," he whispered, "calm yourself, loosen your muscles, breathe, breathe in as deep as you can, breathe out as much as possible, just focus on your breathing and you'll feel a lot more prepared." -------- He hold his breath with the sudden hug. Then slowly breath out again. He really was pumped up, ready for a fight. His nostrils wide, jaw clenched and soldiers stare picking up every essential detail of his surroundings. His arms hung unmoveble at his side when India wrapped his around him, like they were cut out marble. He did however lay his head against him. "yes sir, please let me go to feed it -------- How the Roman managed to get more stiff, went beyond him. He patted his head and looked downwards in thought, still hugging the other there. "Easy now, you're not about to wage war on Jaipur, are you? Hehe, I'm a little nervous, you /must/ comfort me from the thought before you go befriending elephants." He let go of the other and held his hands out wide, "I felt like I was hugging a tree!" What a bossy host he was, but he still felt that the had nervous energy threatening to spill out, call it a gut feeling. -------- There was a carefull grin on his face. He bit his lip and tried to order all the different thoughts plaging him. He dropped his backpack and bananas and duck back into a hug. The fingers of his rough hands, meant to wield a blade, running delicately over his back. He leaned into him with a whisper so close you could feel it "I could never harm you. -------- He laughed, finding the whispers ticklish and mirrored the way he felt the other stroke his back, "Is that so?" Perhaps there was a difference in 'could' and 'would' which the other ignored, but maybe there wasn't. "I won't give you a reason to, and neither will the elephants. Are you relaxed yet, or shall we walk around for a bit longer?" -------- Rome wouldn't let go just yet. "I'm glad we've came to an understanding. I will not tax Jaipur since you are so kind to part with it. It just needs a more fitting name" hmnn "I don't know, do I still feel like a tree to you?" apart from the broad chest haha "... I like your cuddles, they are better than Germanic ones. And you're not even drunk." -------- "Oi, who said anything about me parting with it?" He laughed, trust the other to take his opportunities when he saw them. "No, you're not much like a tree anymore, I'm glad too- Even I would feel like a fool for having seen a man in a tree." He smiled, "I'm the embodiment of therapy, of course my cuddles are the best." -------- "Ah you could carve a fine man out of it, mr tree hugger, but marble is finer." he let go reluctantly. "I don't need therapy. I have no sisters to grow a crush on, haha. Though id like it if you'd show me how to improve my cuddling." feeling lucky are we, Romulus? -------- "I could, but I prefer metal to stone and wood for such pursuits." He laughed, "You could get therapy for less than that these days." With a grin he winked, "It's not easy to teach, if you'd prefer, I could give you an ayurvedic massage instead." -------- "Really now?! Id love that, you spoil me greatly!!! But I still need to feed the elephants, because you showed your bravery too!" he indeed felt much better now "I promise to be a good boy and nice to them. They are your friends after all!" -------- Now those words certainly served their purpose in relaxing him. His lips curled to a smile and he nodded, "Then follow me, we'll head to their stables." What bravery, he had only done a small performance for the other, but if it inspired courage in him, then he had nothing to say. -------- Rome quickly slung his back over one shoulder and followed. As they got closer he heard one trumpeting and this startled him so much he grabbed the others arm rambling something in his native speech. -------- "Relax, they won't hurt you. They're not even out in the open- I think." He placed his banana-holding hand, as reassuringly as he could, on top of the hand that grabbed him. "And you will soon get used to their beautiful strange sounds!" -------- "I'm ok,.." he laughed nervously. He peeked around the corner if he could see them. "omg... They are huge!" Rome pointed his banana at India like a pistol "you, go first. If you do anything funny I WILL use this" he smirked -------- He stepped back, "Oh no! I suppose I have no chance now-" He took a banana from his own bunch and tossed it up, catching it as if it were a gun as well. "No funny business, you can't run away while I'm not watching." -------- "Not so fast!..." he aimed for the kill CLICK CLICK CLICK "why you little cheat, mine is unloaded!" he stuck his between his belt "Romans never run, dying in battle is prefered above decimation. Well,... there goes nothing, it was nice knowing you" Carefully but determent he approached the stables. He stopped only a few meters away facing one, breathing in his hands for a moment to calm himself. -------- "Unloaded? Hahah! That was not any action of mine." He returned the banana to his side gamely and nodded, "But of course, it was not my intention to insult your honour." He watched him from a distance as he walked to the elephants, still debating on his role in this matter. Finally he stepped up when Rome had paused, moving past him to the elephants and cooing soft greetings in the local tongue. He placed a hand on the trunk of one. "Gently, come forward and hold out a banana." -------- He stepped forward and peeled the banana. "On behalve of my people I ask p.please forgive us. We are really sorry." He looked at the big creature and tried to read it's eyes but it was hard cause his were tearing up. He kneeled and presented the peeled banana. "please accept" he was terrified. -------- Of course the elephant didn't quite speak, but the brownish grey trunk rolled around the banana and it opened its mouth wide, revealing rows of sparkly white teeth and in went the banana. And back down came the trunk. Shiv leaned in expectantly, and watched as the elephant expressed its gratitude by resting it's trunk on the Roman's head for a moment before removing it with a soft toot. "I think you've been blessed!" -------- Romulus almost didn't dare to look when the elephant brought the fruit to his mouth to happily munch it away. He looks a bit like a big cow he thought. His heart skipped a beat when the trunk returned. But instead of a smack in the face he got petted softly. India's comment brought a smile to his face. He stood up tall again. "This one is really kind" still scary though "Did you see how carefull he hold the banana? If he had more trunks he could play piano..." Rome joked. When turning to India he suddenly felt really lightheaded and his vision turned black -------- "They usually are, we pamper them so much here too, it's a lesson taught to them by example." He wouldn't go as far as to say that they are always like such. He was glad that Rome was keeping it together, he felt proud! "I saw, I saw! He really likes bananas, and you're a wonderful banana feeder. Hahaha, maybe one is enough to play the xylophone-" Time seemed to stop, he watched the other's legs, first seeing knees buckle, dropping the bananas, he moved quickly to catch him. "Ah well then, this is enough of a victory for today." He pressed his forehead against the other's and smiled, "You did really well, I hope you are still proud of it when you wake up." He got the others arm around him and walked a few steps away, bowing to the elephants before they left the area. Soon they ended up in the shade and India rested besides him, leaned on a tree. -------- When Rome opened his eyes again it took a moment to realise where he was. "1-0 for the elephant, Im seeing angels." He felt pretty stupid as he carefully got up again "...well... At least I did better than last time. I think this one likes me" -------- "He definitely likes you!" He helped him get up and lent him his shoulder, "I think it's a fair 1-1, you got something out of it by managing to feed him. Be proud of yourself." He looked at him for a moment, "Is this enough for today, or do you want to try again?" -------- It was a succesfull deed even though the end was a slight bitter. He was tired of all the emotions really. "You won't tell anyone, right?" he had a reputation to think of or whatever was left of it "I will do what you think is best. You are my guide and teacher, are you not?" -------- He had a twinkle in his eye as he smiled, "You mean I cannot speak of how you conquered the mighty elephant's heart and got a blessing from the icons of Lord Ganesh?" He patted him on the back, "Then my verdict is simple, you try again. I'm not one to encourage leaving work half-finished, you've come so far, you can only get further than this." He linked their arms together and held the bunch of bananas over his shoulder, "But this time we take him for a walk." -------- India was kind to him but would make him give everything and a little more. Then again Romulus was quick to do about anything for his new friend. In a way he just liked to show off his strenght and bravery to be the brightest pupil of the class. "Only if the elephant is okay with that." Romulus really was a puppy that took touching of any kind for a friendly pet. -------- He looked at the bananas through the corners of his eyes, "I think that the elephant can be convinced." Nodding in thought, he smiled. "We can spend some time with the youngster elephants, you might even find them cute." It was all part of his plan to ease the other into relieving himself of the unease. Of course it was a plan that he would not take credit for, any result at the end would be a result of Romulus' hard work alone. -------- "You mean they are brought here when they are young... Or do they breed them?" Rome could not picture it, it simply had never occured to him that they too had offspring like other animals "Do they have nests?" Imagen stumbling upon a nest full of angry little trunks?! -------- "Probably neither." The thought hadn't really struck him, "Well as they're temple elephants we really aren't keeping them captive, we are living with them." He chuckled quietly, "They're freerange Elephants, I suppose. Though carrying idols is all we really ask of them." The poachers however, would shoot them down for their ivory and the thought crossed his mind like a cloud dimming the light. But that was a separate matter. "Nests?" A shocking mental image, "They don't have nests, they tend to travel around the jungle in herds. Here they stay under the care of their mothers and caretakers." He removed his hand from the other's when he spotted an aforementioned caretaker, after convincing him, the man joined them to lead the way to the small elephants. India was clearly in awe of the little ones, he rested a hand on the Roman's shoulder and pointed, "Look at how cute they are!! They're like puppies- but cuter." Honestly, it was taking him Herculean efforts to keep from unlatching from his guest and hugging the rather big, little ones. -------- Rome was still processing what he was seeing. The smaller elephants were more moving about. "herds?" vague memories of sheep past his mind. These did not move like sheep. More like cows. "They don't lay eggs... they are nursed like cubs and calfs. They have mothers" He turned to India and seeing him cracked him up "Won't the mother eat us if we get too close?" -------- "Well not if you win her over," he winked. "These elephants are communal, they don't see you as a threat. They're quite intelligent, Ganesha the elephant-headed God is also known for being the God of wit." He rubbed the head of a small elephant that wandered near them and it squeaked. Elephants...squeak. "Isn't she adorable." He grinned and waved his hands, the elephant child waved its trunk. -------- "Hold on... You've got a God with a elephant head?" wow. Rome hid behind India when the little one came close. It was different now they were all loose. He laughed at the sound though, more like a relieved giggle. this was all crazy. He gasped and hold it's hart as the animal waved at them "oh my gods, it's waving at us like a human being. Tell me I'm not imagining things" -------- "Oh yes, I'll tell you about him later, if you're still curious. He's also the God of overcoming obstacles, maybe his story will inspire you too!" Poor Ganesha, though he was very very witty and India enjoyed his stories. He grinned and laughed, "You're not imagining things, they're very smart. Though this one is just copying me." He moved his away grandly and then towards Rome's shoulder grandly. The elephant followed and it lightly smacked him as its trunk slid down his side. India stifled a laugh and pulled the other along to the others. "You can pet them if you like, that which you felt is about the worst that they can do to you now." -------- He let out a panicked yelp but when the little elephant pulled back it's trunk and playfully hopped along he just stared at India in disbelief. He made it whack him. Romulus walked up to the little ones and tried to pet one. pulled his hand back. tried again. When he finally did it didn't feel like a snake like he thought it would. -------- What a sweet sight it was!! Well since Rome went his own way, India was free to dramatically fall to his knees and trap a little elephant in his loving embrace. "Aren't they sweet?" He rubbed its little head and sighed contently, elephants are the best. Animals are wonderful. Life is great. They were all so squeaky and cute, he could say he lived the perfect life and pass with no regrets if his death were to be in an 'elephant nest'. Ah, now this was why he found them dangerous. He gave too much of his heart to them, he gave the elephant one last hug and looked up at Rome, "How are you holding up?" -------- While India was enjoying his moment of pure bliss the poor roman ex-empire was attacked by a playfull bunch of elephants. He walked away, they followed, he walked faster... in the end he was defending himself with a folding chair as an improvised shield over his head and a broom against the nest of trunks patting him "save yourself" he said. -------- He blinked and tried not to laugh at the sight, "Are they troubling you? They must really like you, I'm sure they're only playing." He stood up and patted the dust off his clothes before ushering the elephants away from Rome, "Po da! Odi po°." He patted them away and got a trunk to the arm but didn't really find himself hurting over it. "You did wonderful- please don't hit me with your broom." Where did he even get that from? He set down the folding chair though. "I think they're ready with the bigger elephant. Are you ready?" °"Go on, run and go." -------- Rome played some chords on his broom then smiled tossing the broom back where he had found it. "you wont let it hurt me, right? I'm not as tough as I used to be... If he breaks my spine, this time, I'm not so sure I'll be able to walk again. I haven't really put myself to test it fully yet... "

#aph india #aph rome #Hetalia RP

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