#I could capture surprising amounts of dus
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With only 1 hour of exposure time, I could capture surprising amounts of dust in the Orion region. via /r/spaceporn https://ift.tt/3bsTcUl
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L’Appel Du Vide - Chapter 2
AO3 | First | Previous | Next | Masterpost
Description: Logan has been captured by a government agency who researches human with supernatural powers. Able to manipulate the world with his mind and tell what others are thinking, Logan finds himself in one of the most high security government prisons in the country that's run by a sinister Dr. Emile Picani. After several long months of deprivation and torture at the hands of Dr Picani, a devilish-looking man with scales on his face will break into the prison looking for Logan's less than friendly bunkmate, but will he be too late? Prompt by @LoganIsACoolTeacher on AO3
Endgame pairings: Lociet, Intruality, Prinxiety
Word Count: 3323
Chapter Warnings: Blood, Crying, Depression, Casual Suicidal ideation, Depriving someone of food, Captivity, Solitary confinement, Knife, Threats of violence, Swearing, Mentions of abuse/torture, Injuries, Panic Attack, Food (Let me know if need to add anything!)
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The first night, Logan screamed himself hoarse well into the middle of the night. His body ached with misery, as he yelled and pulled at his restraint. His wrist was bruised and he could feel a this stream of blood dripping from where the metal had cut into his skin but he kept fighting until his body collapsed with exhaustion and he was forced into a restless sleep.
Agony burned in his chest as the long hours dragged by in absolute silence. Being alone was a rare experience for Logan and one he adamantly avoided. While the sound of the constant chattering of strangers thoughts would probably sound nightmarish to the average person, he'd grown accustomed to the comforting presence of others' thoughts. He was used to the white noise, and though he knew it was irrational, the sudden silence growing nearly painful with every hour that passed.
The second night, the isolation started to dig its claws into the corners of his mind. The restraint on his wrist limited his movement to only a few feet around the bed and so far, he'd spent hours staring into the empty window on the far side of the room. Anger twisted in his stomach at the thought that he was likely being watched through the one-way reflective surface and he felt like screaming at his silent observers until his voice gave out, but the previous night’s experience had already proved that effort would be futile. Expending the energy would only make him hungrier.
All he could do was wait.
The third day, he'd woken to find the restraint on his wrist had been released while he'd slept. He blinked, unsure of what this new revelation meant for him. Rubbing his sore wrist, he sat up to scan the quiet room. The door remained closed, and likely locked, but somehow a container of water has found its way into the room. He stepped off the bed, glancing cautiously at the one-way mirror as he approached the glass jug sitting at the base of his door. He was aware of the danger. Tampering with his water supply would be a simple way to entrap him or drug him, but his thirst quickly overrode any hesitation he had. They were his only access to resources and he knew he'd have to give in eventually or risk simply dying of dehydration. Not to mention, quite frankly, if the people in this place decided to kill him, he had little recourse in stopping them. No amount of bargaining would change that fact that he was at their mercy.
Next to the water, he found a fresh change of clothes. The sight of fresh white hospital-like clothing brought a bitter taste to his mouth as memories of the night before came rushing back. He hadn't seen a hint of another person since the doctor had left him, taking with him the only people who might be even remotely sympathetic to his situation. He brushed his thumb over the stiff fabric picturing the faces of the two other prisoners who'd been dressed in the same sterile uniform as he now held in his hand. Still, he changed his clothes, feeling a new level of numb as he changed in front of the window.
Numbness had settled in fully by the fourth night. The hunger left him too weak to stay focused on anything for long. The water provided for him sustained his body in only the barest sense and he could feel his willpower draining away as he spent more time curled in his bed, mind blank as he succumbed to the silence. That night, a particularly sinister breed of depression had taken root in his mind, pushing him toward the precipice of giving up. Dark, self-destructive thoughts clouded his mind as finally drifted off to sleep, making his abrupt awakening all the more jarring as he opened his eyes to find a sharp blade pressed to his throat and a shadow with glowing purple eyes looming over him.
“Move and I'll slit your throat.”
Pure adrenaline flooded over Logan at the familiar voice. The man who'd nearly strangled him the first night straddled his chest, silhouetted against the dark room by the eerie red light. Logan swallowed, barely breathing as he as he pressed himself backward, tilted his head away from the blade.
“You will answer my questions.”
A whimper escaped Logan’s lips, but he forced a small nod, hardly daring to move under the delicate pressure of the sharp blade.
“Why's Picani interested in you?”
“I don't kn—”
“Find a better answer.” The man's hiss sent chills down his spine as the knife moved up Logan’s neck. “The other night, you blew me back into the wall like a goddamn ragdoll. What’s was that?”
Logan sucked in a shallow breath as he struggled to keep his weak body breathing. “Tele—telekinesis.”
“Do not fuck with me right n—”
“I’m not—” Logan breathed, closing his eyes. “I can move things with my mind—”
The blade pressed against his throat with a preciseness just short of drawing blood. “If that were true, why haven’t you blasted me again?”
“I—I don't control it. I never learned how.” Logan blinked, surprised as the blade released a touch of pressure. He blinked, staring up at blank expression on the man's face as he continued.
“Picani’s guard said you'd feed on me.” The man growled his disbelief as he glared down at Logan. “Explain.”
“I don’t know what he was—"
“Not good enough.” The man's deep voice growled above him as the blade returned to his throat. "If you don't start talking, I'll—"
“Please—” Logan whimpered as the sharp nicked his throat and a thin line of blood dripped down his neck. “—It's not what you think.”
“Then explain,” The man’s eyes flashed dangerously as he continued but the pressure of the blade eased slightly. “before I start to get impatient.”
Logan swallowed, feeling a wet streak trail down his face. “Others’ thoughts—I hear them.”
“Are you telling me you feed on my thoughts?”
“No—“ Logan whispered as tears flowed freely down his face. ��Please, I don’t know how it works but I can’t—It doesn’t hurt anyone. I wouldn't hurt anyone. Please—”
Logan clenched his eyes shut, stifling a terrified whimper as the blade moved up his neck. His heart pounded in his chest until the blade lifted slightly from his throat and a wet sob escaped his throat. He sucked in a breath as the man leaned back, knife still pointed in Logan's direction as he continued in a hushed tone.
“Are you listening to my thoughts right now?”
“N—no,” Logan breathed, avoiding the man's eyes. “I'm too weak. I can’t—I can’t do anything.”
The man was quiet for a long moment, eyes glinting in the red light as he stared at Logan. “What'd he do to you?”
“Who?”
“Picani,” The man's voice softened slightly. “The doctor, I mean. What's he done to you?”
“I—I’ve been kept alone and—” Logan bit his lip, uncertain about sharing the true depths of his weakness. “—and I haven’t eaten. Anything that fuels my power, he's taken it from me. I can't—I can't hurt you."
The silence hung in the air for a long, tense moment before the man spoke again, knife still inches from Logan's throat.
“Close your eyes.”
A chill crept up Logan’s spine at the seriousness in the man's voice. “Please, don't—”
“Don’t argue.”
Logan swallowed the lump in his throat as the glisten of the blade pointed at him inches from his face. Stilled trembling and tense, he let his eyes flutter closed.
“Move your hands where I can see them.”
“I'm already blind—”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
“Fine.” Logan muttered as he rested his head back on the pillow, lifting his hands in apparent surrender. After a moment, he could feel the bed shift as the man climbed off the bed in absolute silence. Logan strained his ears, but he was unable to trace the man’s careful movements after he stepped onto the flow. He slowed his breathing and forced himself to remain still, unsure of how the man would react to even the smallest twitch.
“If Picani finds out I have a knife because you rat me out, I will not hesitate to kill you with my bare hands.”
Logan bit his lip, body shaking as he gave a stiff nod. “U-understood.”
“Telling him won’t protect you.” The man continued gruffly. “It will only put me in danger.”
“I won't tell him.” Logan swallowed. “You have my word.”
“Your word doesn’t mean shit to me.”
A bitter from twitched at the corner of Logan’s lip. “The man dropped you back in here in the middle of the night, while I was weak and defenseless, knowing full well that you'd already made one attempt on my life. I'm not so much of a fool to believe him my ally.”
“Picani was hedging his bets that you'd appeal to my good will.”
Logan let out a huff, dropping his head to his chest. “Well, it appears he made a miscalculation.”
“Perhaps.” Virgil sighed quietly after a moment. “Or perhaps not. You can have this, but I want you to give me back the wrapper, so I can hide it later.”
A small object struck Logan’s chest, causing him to flinch back with a sharp breath. His muscles tensed as his eyes cautiously fluttered open to reveal the ominous sight of the stranger’s eyes glinting at him through the darkness. Slowly, he sat upright, maintaining eye contact as he turned his head down to stare at the protein bar in his lap.
“Don't make a mess.”
Glancing cautiously up at the other man’s stiff form, Logan leaned forward to tear at the wrapper. He wasn’t sure what had brought about the sudden change of heart, but he wasn’t about to waste his first chance for food in three days. His hands shook as he attempted to tear into the difficult piece of plastic, growing desperate as the man above him tensed.
“Hey, be careful!” The man held up a hand, stopping as Logan flinched at his volume. He paused, giving Logan a quick sympathetic look before edging closer. “Listen, hand it over for a second.”
Logan hesitated, gripping the bar tightly as if his life depended on it.
“Listen, dude. It's all yours, I swear.” The man whispered with a wary smile, holding up his friends as he dropped down on the side of the bed. His movements were slow, as if he was suddenly deliberately making an attempt to be non-threatening. “Just let me open it for you so you don’t make a mess. I don’t want to get backlash for helping you out. Okay?”
“Okay.” Logan whispered after a moment of tense silence, keeping his head bowed from the man's gaze as the man took the bar from his hands. “Thank y—”
“Don't thank me.” The man cut him off sternly. He made quick work of tearing the wrapper open before offering it back to Logan. “What's your name?”
“Logan.”
“Okay, Logan. Mine's Virgil.”
The man whisper filled the air as he waited patiently for Logan to take the bar from the wrapper. Logan took a quick bite, watching the man in his periphery as he chewed the small offering of food slowly. His body ached for him to finish faster, but he didn't want to be caught off guard if the man suddenly changed his mind.
“Listen, I'm sorry.” Virgil muttered as Logan took another bite. “I know I must have scared the shit out of you just now.”
Logan blinked up in mild surprise at the man's change in tone, still wary of the man's anger as he swallowed his first bite.
“You were being cautious.”
“That doesn’t suddenly make any of this shit okay,” Virgil muttered as he crumpled the wrapper into his pocket and stared at his lap. “The way I reacted is straight fucked, but you got to know that Picani only keep his most dangerous subjects this deep into the labs. You're not the first piece of fresh meat Picani’s dropped in my bunk—And when I heard the guards talking about you feeding on me, I panicked.”
“I assume the doctor has given you plenty of reason to be wary of newcomers.” Logan whispered, still slightly unnerved by the man's choice of words. “H-how long have you been here?”
“Long enough that I stopped counting the days.”
Virgil absently ran his fingers through his hair as Logan took in the sight of the man for the first time. His white attire seemed dirtier than before, especially next to the stark white color of Logan’s matching attire. Logan’s eyes tipped up to the man's face. Fresh bruises covered his face and arms and large pieces of gauze appeared to have been haphazardly applied to his head and around his elbows in a poor attempt at first aid for whatever injuries he sustained over the last few days.
"W-where did they take y—”
“Don’t ask.” Virgil interrupted abruptly, glancing at the fearful look in Logan’s eyes as he cut him off. He paused, briefly considering the harshness his words before looking up at Logan. “You'll find out soon enough and trust me, you'll wish you never found out.”
“The doctor—He hurts you because of your powers.” Logan observed, curling his knees to his chest as Virgil’s dark gaze turned back to him. “Doesn't he?”
Virgil blinked up at him. "How did you—"
"I saw you starting to turn invisible before the doctor walked in on us." Logan bit his lip, looking shyly at his lap. "Just after I blew you back into the wall."
"Huh, well, its not invisibility." Virgil huffed, dropping his shoulders as he pointed up at the red lights. "I can manipulate light. It's the reason for all of those."
"What?" Logan furrowed his brow, glancing at the strange lights.
"I can't shift red light as easily as the rest of the spectrum." Virgil muttered bitterly. "They put these in here to make sure that Picani always knows where I'm at."
"And he hurts you because of these abilities?"
"He runs tests." Virgil blinked, looking up a the fear Logan was barely concealing behind his eyes. “Picani’s a bastard and this—” Virgil muttered, looking disgusted as he stared at his bandages before glancing over at Logan. “—is nothing. He's done much worse to me when he gets worked up. He says its about figuring out how I do it, but if you ask me, he just gets off on hearing me scream.”
Logan's skin tingled with fear and he could feel tears growing in his eyes as he swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded. “I felt like that might be the case.”
“He owns us. We’re not even people to him.” Virgil’s words fel from his lips absently as he rambled. “And when Picani gets a new subject, he's miserable. He a whole new level of sadism and miser—Shit.”
Virgil paused as Logan sucked in a sharp breath, shaking from the overwhelming series of events from the last few nights.
“Hey, don't panic.” Virgil jolted upright, turning to rest his hands on Logan’s shoulders. “Wait—No, no, just breathe with me. Don't panic.”
Logan sucked in a ragged breath as Virgil rested a hand on his chest, applying a gentle pressure to help ground him. His throat ached as he tried to suppress another sob and Virgil curled an arm around his shoulder.
“You are going to get through this, Logan.” Virgil hushed him urgently. “God. I'll help you but you need to stop. You can't lose it now.”
“I—I’m sorry.” Logan felt himself tugging on his hair as he whispered between ragged breaths. " I'm s-s-sorr—"
“It's okay.” Virgil whispered insistently, tightening his grip on Logan’s shoulders. “You're going to be okay. Just get your breathing under control.”
Logan nodded, body aching as he suppressed the overwhelming panic seizing his muscles. Slowly, through Virgil’s gentle touches and kind words his breathing returned to normal and his muscles started to relax.
“There you go.” Virgil let out a sigh, leaning back. "You did okay."
“I'm sorry.” Logan whispered between pained breaths. “I'm being irrational—”
“Don’t do that to yourself. Your reaction is the only thing that makes sense in this godforsaken place,” Virgil’s eyes tipped sympathetically towards Logan in the dark, flashing with the knowledge of their grim reality. “but you can’t afford to be emotional here. You'll get hurt if you do this around the wrong people.”
Logan paused, feeling his breathing slow a bit at the kind look in Virgil’s glowing purple eyes. “Thank you for your help.”
“I mean it. You can't react like that with the doctor.” Virgil whispered, roughly wiping away the streaks of tears off his cheeks. “The doctor will exploit every fear you show him. You have to be stronger than him.”
“O-okay.” Logan whispered, still trembling as Virgil talked him through his panic.
“Find a place in your head that you can disappear to when you’re in his hands.” Virgil stated with a pitiful smile as he stared at Logan’s distant stare. “Whatever you do, don’t show him what you’re feeling.”
“I will—um, thank you for the advice.”
“It's nothing.” Virgil muttered quietly. “Consider it an apology for waking you up with a shiv to you throat. Alright?”
Logan sucked on his lip, curling his knees to his chest. “It's fine. I realize now why you acted in such a manner.”
"It's not fine, but whatever." Virgil shrugged as his lip twitched with guilt. “but either way, you look like shit and I think you should get some rest.”
“I'm not sure if I’ll be able to sleep at this point.”
“You need to try. You need whatever energy you can get to get through tomorrow.”
Logan blinked up at the serious tone in Virgil’s voice as he slid up on the bed and faced the door.
“I'll keep an eye out and wake you before Picani and his goons show up. Okay?”
“S-sure.” Logan whispered, chilled by the seriousness in Virgil’s voice.
“You can trust me on this, Logan.” Virgil paused raising an eyebrow at Logan. “There’s not much I can do to protect you, but at the very least, I won’t let Picani catch you by surprise.”
Logan let out a breath as Virgil patted the bed next to him. Stiffly, Logan slid over to him and slipped underneath the thin blanket. Uneasily, he rested down on the pillow next to where the Virgil perched, staring at the door. “Thank you, Virgl. I—I know you don't have to help me.”
“I want to.” Virgil muttered under his breath almost to himself. His voice was so quiet Logan nearly didn’t catch the end of his statement. “I never meant for anybody to get hurt.”
Logan blinked, considering Virgil’s words as a deep exhaustion crept over him. He leaned his head back on the pillow, staring up at the distant look in Virgil’s eyes as he stared at the closed door of their cell. He sighed. Falling asleep next to the stranger who'd had a knife to his throat only minutes seemed like an impossible feat but only a few short minutes had passed before the exhaustion began to outweigh his anxiety. He could feel his eyelids dropping even as his heart fluttered with fear of the man next to him. This had to be a mistake and Logan was well aware of that fact. Yet, as his mind drifted off to sleep, he found himself easing to sleep with the madman with the knife next to him anyway.
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Author’s Note: That’s it for now, but hopefully it won’t be too much longer before we get to here more about these poor boys. Thanks for reading, and again, if you want to be on the taglist, all you have to do is let me know!
General Taglist:
@justanotherhumanstuff @im-an-anxious-wreck @shadowyplaidpurseegg
#sanders sides#sanders sides fic#sanders sides fanfiction#sanders sides fanfic#ts logan#logan sanders#ts virgil#virgil sanders#tw weapon#tw abuse#tw food#L'Appel Du Vide#villain writes
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sparring partner - adam du mortain x f!detective (twc)
author’s note: thank you for the request, @crackerdumortain and @kelseaaa for the brainstorm!! sorry this took foreverrrr. also, this was supposed to be mostly smut but as always, i got carried away with the leadup. this is my first time writing smut for these two so…forgive any weirdness. hope you all enjoy!
copyright: all characters, except my oc detective, are owned by mishka jenkins @seraphinitegames.
series/pairing: the wayhaven chronicles – adam du mortain x f!detective (regina bishop)
rating/warnings: 18+; explicit smut; ns*w noted between the 🔥⚡ and ❄💧 icons (minors dni)
based on/prompt: nsfw prompts // 9. for sparring to turn into sex
word count: 1.7k
summary: adam and regina spar for a bit before things get hot (deep romance).
sparring partner
regina let out a string of curses and loud grunts as she continued a series of jabs and practiced footwork against one of the punching bags in the training room. even with carefully wrapped hands and protective gloves, she knew she was being a little reckless with her punches, letting her frustration and anger from a week of failed missions and a patronizing mother fuel her movements.
she was so consumed with channeling her emotions into the punching bag that she failed to notice adam slip into the room and wrap his wrists. nor did she notice how his gaze followed her movements, eyeing how her chest heaved against the confines of her sports bra, sweat dripping down her toned stomach and disappearing underneath the band of her very tight workout shorts.
his eyes snapped up when regina let out a loud cry, spinning and landing a kick into the side of the bag, sending it swinging parallel to the ground. even he was impressed, given the weight of the bag and her being human.
“i don’t think the bag is an adequate sparring partner,” he teased, walking over to her.
regina whirled around, the last of her anger leaving her in a breathy laugh. she put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow in a way that was meant to challenge him. “oh? i guess i should see if morgan will spar with me then.”
adam’s smirk turned into an annoyed frown as he peeled off his shirt and widened his stance. he couldn’t help but glance over her body, the sweat glistening on her chest and stomach, the scent of it growing in his nose as she stepped closer to him.
regina knew she hit a sore spot and chuckled quietly to herself before shifting into an offensive stance, tossing her gloves on the floor. she moved first, attempting to land a blow to his stomach, then his side, before aiming for his unprotected chin. a normal opponent – and by normal, she meant human – wouldn’t have been able to dodge all those blows, but of course, adam was able to block and sidestep each of her moves before she could blink.
he stayed mostly on the defensive, catching and releasing her sidekicks and uppercuts before stepping away, matching her blow for block with ease. it could almost be seen as a synchronized dance, if she wasn’t actually trying to land a blow and starting to get frustrated. her fatigue was showing, and it didn’t take long before adam had her in a loose headlock, holding her shoulders firmly against his chest with one arm, while the other pinned her left arm against his side, hand hovering over her stomach.
she tilted her back against his shoulder so she could look at him, lowering her right hand to rest on his. regina pressed his hand against her stomach and nudged it down until adam’s splayed fingers reached the elastic band of her shorts. as she predicted, he froze and loosened his grip on her shoulders. regina tucked her foot between his legs, positioning her knee behind his and curling her foot around his ankle. she yanked her leg forward and swiveled out of his grip, pushing back against his chest.
he still had a hand on her hip as he fell backward, bringing her down with him and holding her against his body so that she’d land on top of him instead of awkwardly on the floor.
“you have improved significantly,” adam noted as he looked up at her, no small amount of pride in his voice and face.
regina couldn’t help but preen a little as she straddled him and sat up. “really?” she asked, letting out a breathy laugh.
“for a human,” he corrected cheekily, his dimples deepening as his smirk grew.
“when will you just admit that i got the best of you?” regina panted, her chest heaving noticeably even through her sports bra. she pinned his arms down and leaned forward so she could look him directly in the eyes.
🔥⚡🔥⚡
adam was all too aware of her chest bumping against his. she was the best of him but he couldn’t quite articulate his thoughts at the sight of her. “i, well—,” he stammered before letting out a low growl and flipping them, pinning her arms above her head and hovering over her.
“you are far too distracting for your own good,” he muttered.
regina’s eyes dropped to his lips and trailed down his muscled, shirtless body.
“i’m distracting? have you seen yourself?” she huffed.
his green eyes glittered with need as he stared at her parted lips, her chest still heaving against his. she pulled herself up despite her arms being pinned down and kissed him, swallowing his groan as he kissed her back with an intensity that quickly filled her core. she squirmed against his grip and wrapped her legs around his back, tugging him toward her.
she ground her hips against his, smirking against his lips as he growled. she let out a whine as he pulled away to kiss her jaw and work his way down her neck. she let out a soft gasp as he sucked at the sensitive center of her collarbone before continuing south.
he groaned at the feel of her bare skin against his. the smell of her sweat mixing with her already enticing scent sent his hypersenses into overdrive, filling his lungs to capacity until she consumed him from the inside out. all he could breathe was her.
“this is in the way,” adam growled, tugging at the material of her bra and ripping it quickly down the middle before his lips descended on her nipples.
“oh,” she breathed, her body jolting in surprise at the sudden feel of cold air against her hot skin before she smirked. “impatient, are we?”
adam slowed his movements for a second to gaze at her with a tenderness that made her forget where they were. “yes. i could live for another thousand years and never have enough of you.”
regina didn’t think she’d ever get used to the way he looked at her as though she was his reason for existing.
but the moment to dwell on it passed as adam made quick work of the rest of their clothing before leaning back over her to resume his ministrations down her trembling body.
he sat up on his knees and pulled her into his lap, waiting until her ankles hooked around his back and her arms went around his neck before capturing her lips hungrily. he kissed her again and again, stealing each breath from her until regina thought her lungs were going to burst.
adam stood, and before regina could even register the movement, he slammed her against the wall without breaking their kiss, cradling her head with one arm to soften the blow.
she wrapped her arms tightly around him, feeling safe and secure between him and the wall. adam moved his hips against hers, rubbing against her core and groaning at how wet she was. regina broke off their kiss and nipped at his ear, tugging it gently between her teeth.
“i need you,” she murmured, the feel of his hard cock against her but not in her wasn’t enough.
“you have me,” he muttered back, so softly that she almost missed it.
adam positioned himself at her core and slowly pushed himself in, giving her time adjust to the angle as he lowered his arms to her thighs. regina quickly squeezed her legs and locked her ankles behind him, her heels digging into his ass and pulling him forward.
he moved slowly at first, drawing himself almost all the way out before thrusting back in. it didn’t take long before he picked up speed, letting out a soft groan with every deep thrust, her walls squeezing against him in perfect sync.
“you’re not going to hurt me,” regina gasped quietly, one hand clutching the back of his head while the other scratched at his back.
that was always what held him back from being as rough as they both liked sometimes, the fear that he’d unintentionally hurt her. but she didn’t need to encourage him this time, regina’s sweat and natural smell completely overpowered his senses until he was deeply entrenched in her.
he began thrusting harder and faster, her slick walls squeezing tighter as she mouthed at his neck in an attempt to muffle her moans. he could feel her muscles begin to tense against him as she dragged her fingernails up his back. he lowered his head to her shoulder and bit gently, not enough to break skin, but to let her know he was there, and that he was close.
she lifted her head and kissed him hard as the pressure building in her stomach released, mumbling words of love into his mouth as she came. he could feel her walls clench around his cock and with a few more, hard thrusts, he followed her over the edge, whispering his love back to her.
she kissed him softly where his shoulder met his neck before slumping against him, breathing heavily in time with the sound of his rapid heartbeat.
after a few moments, he released his hold on her so she could lower her feet back onto the floor. she took a step and stumbled; her legs still weak from their tryst. adam’s arm tightened against her waist and held her up, the pleased smirk on his face dimpling his skin.
she smiled knowingly at him before grabbing his shirt and pulling it over her head, the large fabric easily reaching her thighs. she grabbed her ripped sports bra and underwear before sauntering back to adam, who had slipped back into his cargo pants.
he looked at her inquiringly, one eyebrow raised as she tucked her clothes into one of his pockets.
“i don’t think you want the rest of the team seeing my underwear, even if they’ll figure out what just happened as soon as they step into the training room,” she said with a laugh.
adam’s cheeks turned pink as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “you do have a point. i should clean up after us,” he said.
regina chuckled and grabbed his hand. “or… you could join me in the shower for round two?”
he smirked and tucked one arm under her knees to pick her up, holding his shirt firmly against her thigh as he raced to the bath.
❄💧❄💧
permatag: @kelseaaa; @kat-tia801; @anotherbeingsworld; @crackerdumortain; @gloynporslen; @sosolenoo; @alyssalauren; @wayhavenots; @gingerbreton; @takemyopenheart; @fhauvilles; @writer-ish;
#the wayhaven chronicles#twc#adam du mortain#adam x detective#twc fic#twc fanfic#twc fanfiction#my writing#my prompt fills#twc prompt fills#adam du mortain x detective regina bishop#adam x regina#my detective#detective regina bishop#nsft#ns*w#minors dni#n*fw#not choices#my twc prompt fills
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BBC Merlin Rewatch:
01x01: The Dragon’s Call
—
FIRSTLY THE FUCKING DESCRIPTION LMAO “Merlin, a young country boy” COUNTRY BOY AHAHDHSNDH IF ONLY YOU KNEW!!! ITS LIKE SETTING SOMEONE UP FOR DISASTER BUT THEN AGAIN THEY WERE SO LIKE I MEAN-
aw look at merlin all happy and smily, walking into camelot like he isnt going to witness the death of his best friend/king and basically everyone he loves
LOOK AT HIM HES SO HAPPY!!! HE DOESNT KNOW YET
“like everyone, he must live and learn” yo shut ur bitchass up lizard man u literally tried to murder everyone in camelot that one time
“his name: traumatised 😍😍”
AH YES THE OPENING!!1!1!-!-! AHHH THE AMOUNT OF HAPPINESS I FEEL HEARING THE OPENING
fuck ur bitchass uther no one likes u
“i pride myself as a fair and just king” sir didnt u like basically kill ur wife... and thousands of peo- OH MY GOD MORGANA BB ILY
oh jesus okay hes dead um chile-
“when i came to this land” wait i thought he was raised kn camelot brb i forgot im an idiot wait,,, does this mean before this it was the du bois family on the throne of camelot?? also, mired in chaos? u mean like.... before ur wife died and everyone was living peacefully? ....okay
“merlin, seeing a person who's been stated had been studying magic get beheaded: [a magical being himself] ah,, welcoming.” -my gf
“since the great dragon was captured” ....so did no one think about where they put a dragon?? a captured one at that. ud think he’d be more smart but nah he just left a random ass dragon under his castle like THAT is going to end well
YUHH MARY COLLJNS HATE HIM!!! YELL BABEY YELL!!! “you took my son!” YES MURDER HIM OMG I CAN FEEL HER PAIN
“a son for a son!” omg why couldnt u have killed uther bb ur the perfect villain i love u ur literally just a loving mother i-
OOOOO GAIUS
.....why is there a bunny mask in there
why is thERE A BUNNY MASK-
why didnt merlins eyes glow when he dragged the bed to gaius to save him
also whats this slomo magic why didnt he do this after this why did season one haveso much magic and like every other season was just everyone throwing it back
like i get instinctual magic but like.... if its instinctual wouldnt it happen more especially when his powers get stronger-
gaius: what did you just do?!
also gaius, five seconds later: i know what it was!! i just wanted to know where you learned it
merlin: 😐
merlin, about his magic: i was born like this
gaius, who knows full well warlocks exist: impossible!
(are warlocks naturally born knowing how to use magic without learning? i mean if u have to learn magic like a sorcerer then whats the difference between a warlock and a sorcerer cuz wouldnt sorcerers atleast have to have some magic in them to actually cast spells? am i dumb or do i just not get it)
wait so merlin arrived in camelot on a wednesday
merlin, walking into camelot: it is wednesday my dudes
merlin: [witnesses an execution] aaaAAAAAA-
“someone that might help him find a purpose of his gifts” oh honey he’ll get something mUCH LARGER THAN THAT-
—
oH MORGANA
SHUT UR BITCHASS UTHER SHE WILL KILL YOU-
“the more brutal you are, the more enemies you’ll create” oh the waY SHE PREDICTED THEIR FUTURE OO
ah bless u lady helen/mary collins we love them spicy villains
...why do you have a dressing table in a tent
[watches mary collins murder lady helen] i never snitch on dadd- ...someone pls delete me
merlin, about his instinctual magic: i just do it!
gaius: ...lord have mercy what did i just sign myself up to
what ever happened to sir olwen did he die from accidentally overdosing
—
oHHH THERE HE IS THERE HE IS THERES MY BOY!!! MY LIL PRAT MAN!!!!
merlin looks so offended, oh god i could watch this whole scene for HOURS
oooOOOO YES MERLIN FUCK HIM UP!!! SHOW HIM WHOS BOSS
“do i know you?” “im merlin” “so i dont know you” ugh theres already sexual tension
“i would never have a friend who could be such an ass” “or i one so stupid”
also them, ten years later: “i use my magic for you arthur, only you” “just hold me” “i cant lose him! hes my friend!” “thank you..”
“tell me merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?” OOOOH THE BOYS ARE FLIRTING
NOT THE “would you like me to help you?” SIR YOU ARE FLIRTING SO INTENSELY AND DONT EVEN REALISE IT SIR DO YOU KNOW YOURE FALLING IN LOVE
im convinced atleast half the knights with arthur were like “ayo thas kinda sus bro 😳😳 ayo 😳😳”
arthur: tell me merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees? would you like me to help you?
merlin: ....i really dont know how to answer that
imagine being paid to throw fruits at colin morgan omg id be so thrilled
OOOH HERE COMES OUR QUEEN GWEN!!! MY LOVE MY EVERYTHING YES ILY
gwen: well, arthur looks like one of those, save the world kinda men... and you dont
merlin, 1500 years later, having failed his destiny: well i mean you’re not wrong
—
gaius: uther banned magic a long time ago
merlin, flabbergasted as if he wasnt raised on tales of the death of his kind every day in the kingdom right next to his: why?!?!?
gaius: the dragon is imprisoned where nobody can free him
merlin:
(that is the face of someone knowing full well hes going to free that dragon. look at him. he’s already made up his mind.)
—
[sees merlin and arthur in the marketplace] oh heres he is again heres the lil bitxh ooo theyre about to FIGHT
god hes flirting so hard without even realising it, oh my god
“i could take you apart with one blow” “i could take you apart with less” um sirs this is a mcdonalds drive thru 😃
arthur: ahah, you’re in trouble now~ 😏😏
i had to pause cuz wHAT THE HELL WHY DOES HE SOUND LIKE THAT-
—
....yall are yelling very loudly, um, arent there guards near yall? people passing by? please relax
“im just a nobody, and i always will be” OH IF ONLY YOU KNEWWW
“if i cant use magic, i might as well die” ....well, ive got a surprise for you-
“maybe theres someone with more magic than me?” like... a whole dragon? i mean if you say so 👀
merlin about why he was born like this: if you cant tell me, no one can!
a fucking dragon, basically every magical creature and the druids: WELL-
the camelot guards are so stupid how the hell is this kingdom still standing
how does kilgharrah know merlins name? in prophecy hes known as emrys (and we see basically every magical being call him emrys and not merlin,, i think). so how does he know? did he stretch his neck long enough that he could somehow hear merlin? is it cuz theyre kin? is it cuz merlin and gaius were yelling so loudly that kilgharrah could hear them all the way in his cave? ig we’ll never know 🖐
merlin: where are you?!
kilgharrah:
kilgharrah: without you, arthur will never succeed.
merlin: ....oh look, im already paranoid
the amount of sadness i feel hearing kilgharrah say “none of us can choose our destiny, merlin. and none of us can escape it” is INSANE cuz in season one you can SEE merlin trying to escape it. hes doing his damned best trying to have some control over his life. and then in later seasons you can see the light slowly drain from his eyes as he becomes just another toy for the gods to be entertained by. he realises he cant control a single thing about his life so he does the one thing he can: protect arthur. and he loses SO MUCH because of it! its not fair, he deserved so much, and when he finally got everything he could ever ask for, it was taken away from him by his own mistakes.
arthur, seeing morgana in a beautiful dress: god have mercy 😍
uther: .....um
the way they set arthur and morgana up as if they arent gonna make them siblings i- what the fawk 😄
person A, who knows arthurian lore: oh no! arthur is going to have an affair with morgan(a) and have mordred! oh no!!
person B, whos seen merlin: oh no in this show its worse
person B, knowing full well theyre siblings: much worse....
gwen: who’d wanna marry arthur? 🙄
-
gwen, getting crowned queen of camelot: well fuck
hhhnghnh yes queen sing them to sleep yes murder his bitchass (and fail but like its the thought that counts)
on a sidenote tho this is such a fun way to murder someone, id try this
the absolutely OFFENDED “FATHER!” and the horrified look in arthurs eyss when uther announced merlin would be his manservant is PRICELESS OMG
oh the way uther unintentionally plants the first seed of his sons love story omg 😍😍
Conclusion: this episode is a 10/10 greatest episode with so many iconic scenes omg. mary collins u will forever have my heart for unintentionally kickstarting merlin and arthurs relationship destiny. i loved the whole thing and oh GOD does it already hurt knowing full well how the show ends
#this was a RIDE#eli’s merlin rewatch#yes i have to say everything that happens in the episode pls leave me alone#01x01: the dragon’s call#merlin#arthur pendragon#uther pendragon#morgana le fay#morgana pendragon#guinevere#guinevere pendragon#gwen#gaius#kilgharrah#lady helen#mary collins#bbc merlin
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Tickleboy Man's Shenanigans
Jackieboy Man goes on a playful spree and ends up eventually bringing Henrik along for the ride.
This fanfic prompt was suggested by Shannon the JSE Anon!
Link
I hope you enjoy!
Jackieboy Man was hiding up on the top of the roof, waiting around for his first victim to approach. He waited for a little bit, and soon came across Marvin. A smile quickly grew onto his face as he rubbed his hands evilly like a villain. He lowered himself down through his floating ability, and grabbed his shoulders. “BAH!”
Marvin shrieked and jumped about 5 feet in the air. Not only that, but he was caught on the way down by a pair of hands around his waist! Marvin looked down, touched the hands, and turned to see Jackie. “Oh...What the hell?!” Marvin pushed at Jackie’s face.
But Jackie smirked at this and faked dropping him. This led Marvin to just about have another heart attack. “WoO-AAH! DON’TDROPME!” Marvin begged.
“Wasn’t counting on it!” Jackie replied.
“Good. Now what do you want?” Marvin asked, letting his legs dangle.
“To capture you and hold you like this:” Jackie wrapped his legs around Marvin’s thighs and wrapped his arms around his chest. Marvin yelped and protested at first, not fully understanding what he was doing. But once he felt like he was in a weird spider hold, Marvin calmed down a little. “Weird execution, but surprisingly nice…” Marvin admitted.
“Oh yeah, I also wanna tickle ya.” Jackie said as he started tickling the magic man on the ribs with his fingers.
“WAAAAhahahahahaha! Jahahahackihihie nohohohoho!” Marvin protested.
“Look! I’m spinning you around like a spider would in her web!” Jackie reenacted this move by spinning Marvin and tickling his middle and back while he spun him.
Marvin squealed and wiggled around, laughing at both Jackie’s weirdness and at the ticklishness of the man’s fingers.
“And:” Jackie wrapped both his arms and legs around him again, and hugged him snugly from behind while he leaned in. “Snack time!” Jackie moved his mouth to Marvin’s neck and started ‘nibbling’ on his neck while making nomming sounds.
“AAAHAHAHAHAHA! THAHAHAT’S NAHAHAT HOHOHOHOW SPIHIHIDEHEHERS WOHOHOHORK!” Marvin shot back.
“And how would you know?!” Jackie asked, pausing before going back to tickling him with his nibbling.
“BLOOHOHOHOD! THEHEY SUHUHUCK THEHEHE BLOHOHOHOOD!” Marvin told him.
“Well we all know I’m not a vampire…” Jackie mentioned. “But I can pickpocket others pretty well.”
Jackie reached into Marvin’s shirt and grabbed onto the magic wand that was in his hand. “Now does this cap-” A bunch of large feathers came poofing out of the top of the magic wand! “!...Well there’s my answer!” Jackie fluffed up the feathers and lifted Marvin’s shirt up. With one arm wrapped around his lower ribs and holding the shirt up to expose his belly, Jackie started tickling his belly with the feathers. “Kitchy kitchy kitchy koo!” Jackie teased.
“EEEEEEK! JAHAHahahahahack! Stahahahahap thahahahat! Yohohou’re beheheheing weheheheheird!” Marvin laughed.
“And now for the ultimate boss fight!” Jackie pushed Marvin horizontally up against the roof with one forearm pushed against the thighs and the other against his chest. “3...2-” Jackie started counting.
“NOHOHO! DON’T YOU EVEN-”
“1! PPPPPPFFFFFFBBBBBBBBFFFPPPBBFF!”
“YAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Marvin was pounding his fists against the roof and laughing his whole heart out like a child. It was so weird because the roof felt exactly like the hard floor! Only, it wasn’t hardwood or carpet.
Jackie lifted his head up, breathed in and-
“PPPPPFFFFBBBBBPBBBPBPPPBBB”
“STAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHE!” Marvin shouted, pounding his fist further into the roof.
“Better not punch a hole in the roof~”
“RIHIHIGHT BAHAHACK AHAHAT YOHOHOU!” Marvin shot back, trying to remind him of who actually had the super strength here.
“But I can control it! You kinda can’t right now.” Jackie retorted.
“AHAHAHAND WHOHOHO’S FAHAHAULT IHIHIS THAHAHAT?” Marvin mentioned.
“Why, yours! You’re the one who ended up in my web of tickles!” Jackie joked.
“WHAHAT?! BUHUHUHUT-”
“Shhhhhh…” Jackie put his index finger on Marvin’s mouth. “I’m right.” He ordered softly.
Marvin rolled his eyes, but went along with it. It didn’t take much long for Jackie to stop tickling him and for the super man to place him onto the couch.
Next, Jackie flew around the house in search of his next victim. He had an idea of who it should be, but he had to find him first. He checked the office first: Nope. He checked the clinic room. That was empty too. Then, Jackie checked the kitchen:
And there he was! The doctor was reading a book, finishing up some food and working on some coffee. Jackie smirked as he rubbed his gloved hands together before using his powers on the coffee cup. Whenever Henrik would reach for his coffee, Jackie would drag it away from the hand with his powers. Henrik looked over at his coffee, and reached for it while he watched. Quickly, the coffee cup moved away from him.
Henrik hummed in confusion and reached further out. But the coffee cup moved away further! Finally, Henrik reached out really quickly and managed to get both his hands on the cup. But when he pulled on it...it didn’t move. He tried to remove his hand and found that it was stuck to the cup as well!
“Hmm...Vell scheiẞe!” Henrik reacted.
To make Henrik even more stuck, Chase grabbed out some gorilla glue and put it onto the chair, to get Henrik’s pants stuck to the chair. Since it was that fast-acting glue, it made Henrik’s pants get stuck to the chair in a matter of seconds.
With that determined and Henrik completely stuck, Jackie let his presence known with an evil giggle and squeezed the man’s hips.
“AAEEEEP! WHO ZERE?!” Henrik jumped.
“Iiiiiiit’s JACKIEBOY MAN! And you’ve better get comfortable because YOU’VE just been trapped!” Jackie teased.
“Lass mich jetzt gehen!” Henrik ordered. “I have un appointment vizh a patient at vone! And If I am late-”
Jackie squeezed the left hip. “Sorry bud.”
“aAAH GEHEZ- Uh oh! NEIN!” Henrik quickly tried to wiggle himself out of there, but found that the stool was stuck to his butt. “Zhe hell?! Did you sooper glue mein things?!” Henrik asked.
“Yyyou betcha! Even your thick booty is glued!” Jackie teased as he poked his lower back.
Henrik growled and muttered the following words through his teeth:” “Du kleiner Scheißer.” Before wiggling around and giggling.
Jackie had started squeezing both of Henrik’s hips at a speed of multiple times a second. Henrik was laughing with his head lowered, and kicking his feet to try and cope with the amount of tickles he was getting. “Jahahahahahack hahahahahaha! Du bihihist lähähächerlihihihich!” Henrik told him.
Jackie laughed. “Sorry, Schneep. I don’t speak Einstein.” Jackie told him. “If I did though, that would be cool!”
Henrik shook his head and tried to pull on his sticky hands. Then, Jackie stopped and unglued his hands from the mug. Henrik muttered a german insult to him before sipping his half-spilt coffee.
“Hey now...I would’ve let you go. But now:” Jackie picked Henrik up by the forearms. “You’re coming with me, Dr. Beleídigung.” Jackie declared.
The super boy threw Henrik up, flipped onto his back, and caught his victim. With the doctor’s back against his chest, Jackie took off flying straight upside down, and right out the door.
Out in the wide open space, Jackie flew up above the houses and opened his arms high! However, he did not let go of Henrik...for Henrik’s torso was safe in the grip of Jackie’s strong superhero legs. “WEEEEEEEHEHEHEHE!”
“JACKIE! PUT ME DOWN ON ZHE GROUND NOW-”
“No way! I didn’t jut fly up here to show you the view!” Jackie started skittering his fingers onto Henrik’s hips and lower ribs. “I came here to tickle the bejesus out of you!”
“BAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! JAHACKIHIHIHIE DU HURENSOHOHOHAHAHAHN!” Henrik shouted to him.
“Whaaaat? Whatever could have the german man have meant?! I wonder~” Jackie joked, sticking his tongue out between his teeth. “I know what it means! It means “I want more tickle tickle tickles!” Jackie joked.
Henrik tried to push Jackie’s hands off him. But this only made Jackie hold onto him further! He didn’t really blame him though...He was actually thankful Jackie was saving him from falling to his ultimate doom to head splatter.
But still...He would prefer a better way of being held.
“Hey Henrik, you doing alright up there?” Jackie asked. “Or do you need to be tickle hugged instead~” Jackie asked.
“NEHEHEIN, ZHIHIHIS IHIHIS FIHIHINE-” Jackie ignored his answer and stopped tickling him. Then, Jackie flipped Henrik around onto his chest rather than the back, and hugged him.
Henrik blinked in surprise and...hugged him back.
“Z-Zhank you.” Henrik replied.
“Hugs for the overworked doctor!” Jackie declared with a little squeeze.
Henrik giggled and took the squeeze like a champ. “Zhahahanks- Hehehehehey!” Henrik giggled as his back was squeezed and tickled.
“Good god man! You need to stretch your back out once in a while! There’s so many knots!” Jackie reacted. “I can literally count them!” Jackie poked at a knot on his shoulder blade. “One…Two...three four...five...six seven, eight…” Jackie moved to the next shoulder bone. “Nine, ten eleven twelve- Holy shit!” Jackie reacted.
Henrik was giggling and snorting into Jackie’s shoulder as the tight muscles were prodded and massaged. There’s a reason he never got massages…
“Wow...I can see why you don’t see a massage therapist...You’re way too ticklish for it! Is your spine even tickli-”
Henrik snorted and guffawed! “EEEEEeeeeehehehehehehe!” Henrik squealed as he shoved his face into Jackie’s shoulder to muffle the laughter.
“Awwwww! This is so cute! What about…” Jackie started tickling the back ribs, on the lower back where the kidneys were located, and even on the back hips. Henrik snorted and kicked his feet at the back ribs, squeaked at the squishy back sides, and cackled the moment his back hips were poked, let alone dug into.
“Wow! All this tightness is making you ticklish! I feel at least 10 knots on your back sides, a couple knots in your back rib area, and a single knot riiiiight…” Jackie poked in the spot beside the back hip divot, “-There!”
Henrik just about died the moment that knot was drilled into. He wheezed, snorted, and laughed with muffled snorts mixed in!
Why were the snorts muffled? Well that was easy! Because Henrik was covering his mouth with his hands like a little child!
“You know...for a doctor, you’re pretty childish!” Jackie reacted.
“Mahahaybe...Ihadtogrowuptoofast…” Henrik muttered.
“Wait what?” Jackie asked.
“I needed to grow up too quickly...and I needed to develop a mature look to be a doctor…” Henrik told him. “It’s a Vórurteil…” Henrik muttered.
“A...what?” Jackie asked.
“Prejudice! It’s a prejudice!” Henrik shot back.
“Come...Keep laughing. You sound less like a grump when you’re laughing.” Jackie decided.
“Ihihi -BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAND YOHOHOU SOHOHOUND NIHIHICEHEHER VHEHEHEN YOHOHOU’RE TIHICKLIHIHIHING MEHEHEHE!” Henrik yelled back.
“Oh do I? Well you just earned yourself some more tickles, my man!” Jackie declared.
Henrik winded up being tickled for 10 more minutes by Jackie before being flown back home safe and sound. Furthermore, Jackie got Henrik in on the tickle monster idea and both agreed to go for the most quietest ego of them all:
No, not literally...It’s not Jameson Jackson.
The boys chose Shawn Flynn!
Shawn had been working on a little black and white automobile based off the same car from the Bendy series. He had also been listening to some old music and was actually singing some of the lyrics off by heart! It was really nice to hear the man sing, let alone talk. And...he actually had a nice singing voice too!
The two boys waited patiently at the door for Shawn to finish the car, and then barged in the moment the artist’s hand was off the brush.
“Greetings, my creative fellow!” Henrik greeted.
Shawn jumped about 3 feet up off his chair and landed in the same wooden seat. “HOLY MOTHER OF- Guys! Honestly...Could you knock next time?!”
Not unless you want a surprise!” Jackie spoke.
“I...Ohokay. Well I like the surprise, but still…” Shawn tried to explain the situation, but was cut off by a flying beam of red picking him up. “Hey HEY HEY HEY! I didn’t fuckin’ ask for THIS!” Shawn shot at him. His voice grew wobbly the moment he was lifted a little higher. “DoOoOon’t lift me too much, sir…” He ordered softly.
“Zhat’s all he’s liftin’ you. Guarantee!” Henrik told him. “Now vhere to goooo…”
“Go? How about ‘to the door’?” Shawn suggested.
“Jahahaha, Not happening. Oh! I know!” Henrik lifted his foot up, bending Shawn’s knee upwards, and removed the man’s sock.
“Uuuuuhuhuhuh...What are you planning exactly?” Shawn asked.
“Oh! Yust some good ol’ fashioned Serotonin.” Henrik replied.
“Let me rephrase that:” Shawn cleared his throat. “Why me?” Shawn asked. “I get serotonin everyday!”
“By vorking more zhen even I have?” Henrik clarified. “I don’t believe you. Not even a leetle.” Henrik started tickling the bottom of Shawn’s foot, putting Shawn into a giggly state almost immediately. “My my my...Such a giggly Flynn ve have here!” Henrik teased.
“Cohohome ohohohon, Hehehehenryhyhyhy! Ihihis thihihis nehehehessehehessahaharyhyhy?” Shawn asked.
“Vhy YES! It is!” Henrik replied.
“Good choice on the person, Henrik! This is so much cuter than I expected!” Jackie admitted.
“See? Vhat did I tell ya?” Henrik joked.
“That Shawn would be a good choice.” Jackie replied.
“And am I right?” Henrik continued.
“HELL YEAH!” Jackie replied.
Shawn was laughing, kicking the air and hiccuping in the middle of his laughter. He was silently losing his mind and it was so cute to watch!
“Hey Shawny boy!” Jackie wrapped his one arm around Shawn and looked at his own free hand. “How would you feel about superhero fast tickles?” Jackie asked.
“Du kleiner Bösewicht!” Henrik reacted. “I couldn’t imagine!”
Jackie brought his hands to Shawn’s side and started skittering quicker, and quicker, and even more quick! The tickles were going almost 60 wiggles a minute!
“HehehehEHEHEHEHEHAHAHA! HAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! JAHAHAHAHAHA- YAHAHA GOHOHOBSHIHIHITE!” Shawn yelled.
Henrik had bursted out laughing and fell backwards while Jackie was in full confusion.
“I’m sorry, what?” Jackie asked.
“HEHEHE- AAAHAHAHA! HEHEhehe called ya a gobshite!” Henrik laughed. “Gohohobshite! Zhat’s a fuhun wohohord!” Henrik reacted, repeating the word a few times.
Jackie rolled his eyes and resumed tickling the little barker at ‘fuck you’ miles per minute. Shawn was DYING of laughter at this point. He was hiccuping in between his laughter, and wiggling around more than a flopping fish. Who knew that such a quiet soul could have so much energy to let out!
“STAHAHAP IHIHIHIT IHIHIHi’M *hiccup* GOHOHONNA PEEEEEE!” Shawn yelled to him.
“Oh shit, really?” Jackie quickly stopped tickling him and lowered the man down. “If you need to go to the toilet, then please do so!” Jackie told him.
Shawn looked up at the boys, and bit his lip. “Well...Alright.” He talked out of the room and into the bathroom just down the hall. It didn’t take long for Shawn to do his thing and come back.
“There. Now what?” Shawn asked.
“I hope you enjoyed your break! Because TIME FOR MORE TICKLES! But this time: with an empty bladder!” Jackie picked up Shawn, threw him onto the bed, and flew above the bed upside down. With the man laying there and his feet free for the taking, Jackie lowered himself to the feet and started tickling rapidly.
Shawn’s eyes practically burst out of his skull and a SCREAM left his mouth! “OHOHOHO SHIHIHIHI- BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Shawn laughed and clapped his hands.
“Ooooh! Not bad, Jackieboy! Your hands may be fast...But only a doctor fully knows zhe human body to its top tier!” Henrik started tickling up and down Shawn’s ribs and even went for the artist’s ab muscles. “Zhese muscles are not used on artists very often. Zherefore:” Henrik started tickling more. “Zhey are tickly vizh a capital T!” Henrik teased.
Shawn’s scream-like laughter filled the room almost immediately. It was so loud and all over the place! It was like he couldn’t figure out how exactly to laugh!
And boy was it worth it!
A little while later:
Henrik and Jackie were watching movies together with a bag of popcorn and pop in front of them.
Soon, Henrik looked over at the super hero and gave his upper rib a poke. Jackie jumped up onto hsi feet on the couch, and pointed at him. “Noooooo...No tickling.”
“Ound vhy not? I zhink some revenge is in order~” Henrik took off running after the quick superhero and managed to find ways to catch up to his super fast opponent. It didn’t take long before Henrik had caught Jackie’s leg in the air, and pulled him right down with a face plant into the ground. “WAHAIT! That was unfair!” Jackie yelled, his nose hurting from the face plant.
“Ja! So is zhis:” Henrik pulled his foot closer to himself and started tickling the red-socked foot really quickly. “Now face zhe fingers of a qualified surgeon!” Henrik declared.
Aaaaand that was how Henrik managed to overpower Jackieboy Man, of all people.
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Helfert, “Joachim Murat”, Chapter 4, Part 4
The battle of Tolentino
In the last days of April, Bianchi occupied the region of Tolentino, which he examined in person in all directions without delay. He had about 11,000 men at his disposal, while the king faced him with 16,000 infantry and 2,000 horsemen; for the time being, the imperial commander could only think of putting himself in a state of defence, but he decided to hold out until the end. The king had chosen his day well: General Neipperg was only at the Metauro, at four days' march from Bianchi.
At the same time, Nugent was already in the Abruzzi, marching on Antrodoco on 1 May, which General Montigny "cautiously" evacuated with 1600 men, and from there on Aquila, where Major Patrizio with the Neapolitan garrison withdrew to the fortress; but when Nugent earnestly demanded surrender, this was also carried out and the garrison departed with "all military honours". General Manhès had moved from Naples to the Liris with 5000 men and appeared before Ceprano on 2 May. It was certainly desirable for him to find the place occupied by some Roman irregulars, who fired on his invading troops, but then took to their heels; for he could now show his strength, let storm and give rein to the cruelty of his soldiers; part of the little town went up in flames. But Manhès did nothing against Nugent.
On May 1st, Murat and Bianchi faced each other without doing anything, the day passed with mutual observation and reconnaissance.
Nothing happened on the morning of the 2nd either. It was not until noon that the king, seeing that his opponent was determined to stand his ground but not to challenge, gave signal to attack, and that his columns began to move. A cavalry charge, in which Stephan Széchényi, later to become the "Great Hungarian", distinguished himself brilliantly, helped to raise the confidence of the Austrians and shake that of the Neapolitans right at the beginning of the battle. But the fortunes of war fluctuated to and fro throughout the day. An imperial detachment of chasseurs, which had been delayed, was surrounded and captured by royal cavalry. The Neapolitans made progress in detail, ours had to abandon several points to the more numerous enemy, and full of the joy of victory, Joachim sent joyful messages to Naples in the evening. Nevertheless, his army suffered a heavy loss with the wounding of Gen. Lieut. d'Ambrosio.
During the night Joachim gathered reinforcements, especially the Pignatelli-Strongoli legion; he was now almost 25,000 strong. On the 3rd in the morning, dense fog covered the area; when it lifted, the king saw the line of the imperials in a firm position like yesterday, the right wing leaning against the Chienti, the left against a steep mountain, which the Neapolitans considered useless for any gun position: however, Bianchi had used the night to have two cannons and a howitzer disassembled into their parts, brought up and then reassembled and set up again with unspeakable difficulty.
The second day of battle once again opened in the Royalists' favour. FML Mohr conceded Arancia to the enemy who was advancing with superior numbers; a fierce bayonet fight won the Neapolitans the important point of Cassone. But a miscalculated attack by General d'Aquino on La Vedove, used to his advantage by Bianchi at the right moment, inflicted the first serious defeat on the enemy; likewise, an attack by the Maio brigade on the strong position at Vomaccio on the extreme right wing of the imperial forces failed completely. After this it had become noon, a lull occurred, and the battle was at rest for more than an hour. The king decided on a main attack on the hill of Madia on the left wing of the Austrians, which he thought was defended only by small arms. His columns advanced, and the first cartridge shot fell into their ranks, which began to waver in surprise. Now Bianchi ordered the advance. His men seemed to have waited for this sign and rushed to the attack, the phalanges of the dismayed Neapolitans were blown apart; soon the right wing of the royals was struck on the head and dispersed in disorderly flight.
At this fateful moment, the King receives two almost simultaneous bad messages: one from the Minister of War, Macdonald, about the appearance of the enemy on the Liris, the alarming mood in the capital and in several provinces, especially in Calabria; the other from General Montigny about the loss of Antrodoco and Aquila to Nugent. The king is beside himself, orders a court martial against Montigny and Major Patrizio, but this does not help the matter. While he is now thinking of withdrawing his troops from the battle, Bianchi gives him no time to rally. The king's generals lose courage, the men think only of their personal safety; the soldiers, who are not helped by their nimble legs, let themselves be caught in heaps. During the night, d'Aquino and Medici appear before the king with the report that their brigades have been attacked in the darkness, that they have lost many dead and prisoners, and that the rest are scattered; Pignatelli reports that not a single company of his guard is still in order; Livron declares that he can no longer stand for the mounted guard. Not only is the day decided, the campaign is lost, the empire, the throne. Bianchi writes: "The enemy will hardly be able to withstand us in the open field."....
The loss of the Austrians in dead, wounded and prisoners amounted to 27 officers and 795 men, that of the Neapolitans in dead and wounded alone about 1700. 4 adjutants of the king, 3 staff and 35 senior officers, 2219 men were taken prisoner; captured were horses, pieces of armour, 1 cannon, 6 ammunition trolleys, etc.
In a footnote the author mentions two more sources that might be of interest but which I could not find on the spot:
In the Schels'sche Zft. 1819 III [presumably meaning: "Oestreichische militärische Zeitschrift"] there is a map of the battlefield of Tolentino. See also the biography of Bianchi p. 443-458 [I could only find entries in encyclopaedias on Vinzenz von Bianchi]. In later times, ibid. p. 473 note, the commander expressed himself: "The small number that won the victory at Tolentino deserves to be thought worthy of it and contemporaries should not withhold from it the recognition it deserves" ... Orlov-Duvall, p. 185, writes about Mack's unfortunate campaign in 1799: "L'Europe apprit avec étonnement qu'en si pen de temps la plus belle et la plus nombreuse armée qui fût jamais sortie du royaume de Naples avait été battue, dispersée, anéantie". Exactly the same could be said of Murat's campaign in 1815: the destruction did not take place "en si peu de temps", but his army was "plus belle" and "plus nombreuse" than Mack's had been.
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Covention
Post-Episode Discussion
At this point, it seems like the show is really starting to build it’s story, and I am here for it.
Firstly, as always, I went back and rewatched the episode, and ah… there was some stuff I missed.
First and foremost, I somehow managed to miss this:
So, there are nine main covens, and we see their symbols here. The light purple-pinkish is obviously the Abomination Coven. The light blue/turquoise is the Illusion Coven. The brown one is the Construction Coven. The Deep Purple (dun-dun-dun, du-du-du-duuuuun) one is the Fortune Teller/Divination Coven, and I’m assuming the green one is the Plant Coven. I’m not sure what the four last ones are, but I can guess.
•Yellow-It look like a flask, so maybe that’s the Potions Coven?
•Red-No idea whatsoever, I can’t make out what that symbol is supposed to be at all.
•Orange-The symbol kinda looks like a hatching egg, so maybe that’s the Care of Magical Creatures Coven?
•Dark Blue-I dunno, healing maybe? I’m getting some healing vibes.
I’m sure this will be explained further as we continue on.
Two other, smaller things I missed; Lilith called Eda Edalyn once before that end scene, and I just didn’t catch it that time. And Amity did react with a bit of surprise when she summoned her abomination and it was bigger than usual.
I missed opportunity on my part; I made the stormtrooper joke about the Emperor’s Coven’s guards, but I can’t believe I didn’t compare Lilith to Darth Vader! I mean, I even specifically mentioned a cooler antagonist to fight the hero’s mentor! I am seriously disappointed and ashamed of myself.
I’ve been informed that witches DON’T have to chose a coven at fourteen, like I initially thought. Although, as the informant pointed out, no one makes very good decisions at 17/18 either.
Oh, and another informant told me that witch is a gender neutral term, which I sorta figured already, but it’s good to know these things for certain.
Theory Time!
This episode continued to drip feed me information about Eda and her past. And I got a little theory here. Based on what Lilith said about how she started at the bottom and worked her way up, I’m thinking that perhaps their family wasn’t very well off, either financially or socially (or both), perhaps because of Eda’s curse. Then, at some point, Lilith saw the opportunity to get a better life and joined the Emperor’s Coven. Eda disagreed, and they had a big falling out. Fast forward and they’re getting into magic duels and flinging fire at each other. Just like all siblings do.
I got a second, stupider theory. Okay, so I noticed something. Whenever Luz draws a magic circle on something like a paper or a leaf, it crumples up and sorta becomes the spell. So, what if… what if, since she doesn’t have a magic bile sack in her heart to draw power from, she instead has to get power from somewhere else? What if she like… sacrifice the paper (or a leaf that one time) when she cast the spell, and that is what powers it? Sorta like equivalent exchange, she’s using a material object to create magical energy.
Eh? Does that make sense? Or have I just been thinking too much about Fullmetal Alchemist recently?
In conclusion
I really liked this episode. We got some world building, with a fair amount sprinkled in that might not be obvious unless you’re paying at least a little attention. We got some more info about Eda, which is just making more and more curious. The fight between Eda and Lilith was really cool, it was awesome to see just how powerful a fully realized witch could be, and Eda finally got to back up the ”most powerful witch on the boiling isles” boast a little bit. Luz and Amity are now… less hostile to each other, which is good. We also got some set-up for future, large-scale conflicts with Lilith’s promise to capture Eda, and the potential threat of the Empi-
W-wait a minute! An evil empire? This is just like Star Wars!
And with that realization, I’ll wish you a good night. See you maybe tomorrow with the next episode. Until then, take care of the planet Earth and remember that anything can happen in space!
<--Previous Episode: The Intruder
Masterlist
Next Episode: Hooty’s Moving Hassle
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Conversations
Chapter 8
Description: You accompany your friends on a day trip to Animal Kingdom Theme Park where you meet Scott Evans by chance. This one afternoon leads to a year long friendship with both Chris and Scott over text messages and phone calls.
Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader
Warning: A couple of curse words, fluff, overthinking, Scott being a little shit.
Word Count: 3,210
A/N: I know nothing about the lives of the Evans family and mean no harm. This is purely fiction and for fun. Reblogs and comments are much appreciated! The tag list is now closed. Each chapter tends to get reblogged from me a few times, so if you’re following me, you can’t miss it.
*Italics are internal thoughts
“It’s like I don’t even know you anymore,” Scott whined.
“You’re being dramatic.”
Scott was facetiming you and being his normal grumpy self. If you didn’t love him so much, you would have disconnected the call ten minutes prior.
“I thought we had no secrets,” he plainly said.
“We never agreed to that. I’m pretty sure there are a million things I don’t know about you,” you threw back at him, one eyebrow raised.
He scoffs and shakes his head with a little bit of a smile coming through.
I knew he’d break.
**
Chris had gone back to Massachusetts two days prior and you still hadn’t stopped smiling.
After sharing a few more sweet kisses that night, the two of you watched the sunrise before making the short walk back to your house. It was the first time you had experienced both the sunset and sunrise with someone all in the same day. Sleep deprivation never felt so good.
You dropped Chris off an hour later. He wanted you to come inside to say goodbye to his mom, but with half your makeup worn off and the giddy look on your face, it wasn’t the impression you wanted to give. Especially since the first one didn’t play out so well.
With the two of you parked like teenagers outside his rented home, you struggled with what to say.
“Thanks for having me over,” Chris offered with a lazy smile.
“Thanks for coming over and for lunch.”
You turned in your seat to face him head on. Chris grabbed your hand intertwining your fingers.
“I hate to be a bummer, but I don’t know what I can come back to visit. But I want to see you again. Don’t want to leave today and have you thinkin’ this is it,” he said.
You nodded your head numbly, trying to keep the last eighteen or so hours in your mind solely. No use in being sad right now. Leaning forward, you captured his lips once more. The two of you pulling away with sleepy smiles.
“Call me when you get home,” you said.
Chris lifted your linked hands, bringing them to his lips, and kissing yours softly.
“Of course,” he said.
**
“Fine…You still should have told me,” Scott insisted.
You rubbed your right eye with the palm of your hand, momentarily freaking out before you realized you didn’t have any makeup on.
“I don’t really know what it all means,” you sighed out. “Okay, that’s not completely true.” Scott chuckled at your indecision. “It was nice and I kind of wanted to keep it to myself for a while.” You shrugged a shoulder.
“Well, he can’t stop gushing about you,” Scott replied. That made you perk up.
“Really?”
“Yeah, it was like the first thing he told me when he got home. No mention of Disney, just Sassy,” he said.
“See, I didn’t have to tell you. You guys tell each other everything. Which honestly concerns me.” You gave him a smirk. “But what did he say?!”
Scott laughed, shaking his head at the same time.
“I don’t know…Think I need to start keeping my relationships with the two of you separate.”
Sticking out your bottom lip, you give him the biggest pouty face you could muster causing Scott to chuckle again.
“All I’m going to say is he said you spent the night together and it was wonderful.”
“Wait. Wait. Hold up. That sounds like our night was more than PG13!” you exclaimed.
“Oh my god! I didn’t even think of that!” Scott laughed. “He didn’t mean it that way, I swear. But that’s all you’re getting from me.”
“Fine,” you groaned.
**
A week had passed and the endless smile had finally dissipated. You weren’t upset or anything like that. No. The euphoric state you were in had just…faded. Chris and you spoke or texted over the last week, but reality set in that the night you shared would probably be no more than a night. This of course was not stated with actual words between the two of you. Saying it out loud seemed much too scary. But since it wasn’t spoken, you could only assume that Chris had come to the same conclusion. Really, what were the two of you? The calls and texts were much the same as they had always been. Teasing each other, a good amount of flirting, small talk about your days, and maybe a little Scott talk. It was really just getting your mind to wrap around the idea that Chris was your friend that you happened to have kissed. A few times. Maybe that was good enough.
**
Cirque du Soleli was premiering a new show called Drawn to Life, after being closed for some time in Disney Springs, the shopping and entertainment district at Walt Disney World resort. Jana had agreed to be your date, but since she was coming from work, she was running a bit behind. You busied yourself with a drink on the outdoor patio at House of Blues, letting the dark rum and mix of juices take your mind off the busy week. Grabbing your phone out of your purse, you decided to give Chris a call since Jana wouldn’t be arriving for at least another ten minutes.
“Well, hello there sweetheart. What are you up to?” His soothing voice answered.
“Hey there yourself. I’m just drinking alone. At a bar. Woe is me,” you replied.
“I don’t like the sound of that. Tough week?” Chris asked.
“Wasn’t too bad. Just waiting on Jana who’s running late.”
“Oh, you two. Do I need to warn the cops that you’re out together?” he teased.
“Well, we’re on Disney property, so we can’t get into too much trouble. Watchin’ the new Cirque show that’s opening tonight for the paper. They actually gave me a plus one and I couldn’t think of a better date,” you bated him.
“Really Sassy? Aiming low I see?”
“I haven’t a clue at what you’re implying Mr. Evans.”
“Mmhm, I’m sure. She gonna kiss you goodnight when the evening is over?” he asked.
“Well, she’s married. So…”
Chris chuckled at that. “So, what you’re sayin’ is she doesn’t know about that little spot right below your ear that gets you all hot and bothered?”
This man will be the death of you some day. It took a moment for you to compose yourself. Clearing your throat quickly and blowing out a breath.
“No, no. Sh-she doesn’t know that. But you barely know that, so dial it down buddy,” you giggled.
“Ah-huh. Alright, sweetheart. I’ll try to rein it in.” There was a beat of silence on both ends, the only sound was each other’s breath. “God, I miss you,” he softly spoke.
With your heart hammering in your ears, you licked your lips. “I miss you too.”
You felt a tap on your shoulder, turning your head you saw Jana who gave you a silent wave.
“Um, babe, Jana’s here now,” you said, struggling to get your voice.
“Alright. Have a good night and don’t get into any trouble,” he warned.
“I promise nothing. Talk to you tomorrow?” Why you asked it as a question, you weren’t sure.
“Always. Goodnight sweetheart.”
“Goodnight,” you replied, hitting the end call button.
Dropping your phone into your purse, you turned back to Jana, gesturing for her to take a seat.
“Who was that?”
“Chris.”
You’re sure she can see the heat in your face, but you don’t care at the moment. He said he missed you. You’re glad you aren’t the only one.
“How are you holding up?” Jana asked.
Lifting your glass to your lips, you took a sip of the mostly watered-down rum. “I’m doing good. Chris is still my friend and that’s all I can really ask for,” you said, shrugging your shoulders.
Jana gave you a pointed look, setting her bag on the tabletop, resting her arms on either side of it. “Really?” she asked.
“Of course, not!” you practically shouted. Had it been anyone else, they would have flinched at your sudden loss of composure. Taking a calming breath, you composed yourself once more. “We did just have a nice conversation, so I’m feeling better. I’m fine.”
“Yep. Sure, seems like it.” She stood up, pushing the chair back in. “Let’s go. Time to join the circus.”
You knew she probably would have given you a lecture about going with the flow and learning to discuss your feelings if you had time before the show started. And if you were an adult about the situation, you would listen to her.
**
Whenever your phone rang during the middle of the day from one of the Evans boys, you knew something was up. Seeing Chris’ name on your screen surprised you a bit. He had been filming the last couple of weeks for another Apple TV+ series, so it was a lot more texting with a few phone calls sprinkled in. Usually just as you were falling asleep.
“I’m sorry, who’s this?” you answered.
You hear a deep chuckle on the other end of the line. “Funny. Did you delete my contact or something?” Chris asked.
“Not this week. Not yet anyway,” you teased.
The newsroom was packed this afternoon being that it was Friday and mostly everyone was required to make an appearance. You pushed away from your desk, getting to your feet to find an empty conference room.
“Not this week? What did I do last week?” He sounds tired. You know he loves to work, but you really wish he’d take a little more time for himself.
You found an open room, quickly shutting the door, plopping your butt in a chair at the large round table. “Hmm. If you don’t know, that makes a bigger case for me to delete you as soon as we hang up.” The chairs in the conference rooms were always much nicer than the ones on the floor.
Wonder if I could swap mine for one of these without anyone noticing?
“Maybe I could change your mind,” Chris offered.
“I’m listening,” you said, tapping your fingernails against the polished wood table.
“Could you take off work for a couple of days? I’m going to be a New York City for a few days, and my schedule isn’t going to be packed. Thought maybe I could convince you to come see me.”
You wouldn’t say it out loud, but you most definitely would make something work. It had only been a month since your weekend together, but that month felt more like a dozen. With his filming schedule, you planned on waiting another couple of months before you would even bring up the idea of seeing him.
“When exactly? I’m sure I could get away, but if it’s a Friday, it will be a little harder to swing it.”
“You don’t think I know that Sassy? Fridays you have meetings and you can’t be late,” he said, a smirk in his voice.
“Kudos to you, Mr. Evans.”
“I’m gettin’ in Monday night, late.”
“This Monday?”
Crap. Maybe not.
“Sweetheart, I’m not calling you last minute. The week after.”
Relaxing a bit when you realized you’d have a little over a week to prepare rather than just a couple of days. You’d have to look up flights and hotels to see what you could find. Figure out what part of New York he’d be in. Knowing you probably wouldn’t be able to afford where ever he was staying, you wanted to at least be close.
“I can make that work. Maybe come in Tuesday morning and leave Thursday night?”
“Whatever you can make happen Y/N, I’ll take.”
You smiled at his words. “I’ll look at some flights and hotels. Where are you staying?”
“No, no, no, sweetheart. I’m flying you out here. My treat,” he said.
“Chris, no. I can’t have you do that. That’s too big of a gift,” you reasoned.
The two of you were friends, maybe something a bit more, but mostly just friends. It was much too much for him to paying for trips.
“Let me do this. I want to see you and it’s really not that big of a deal.”
You shook your head and then rolled your eyes at yourself remembering he couldn’t see you.
“Let me at least pay for the flight, Chris.”
“You’re frustrating, you know that?” he groaned.
“I’ve been told that,” you chuckled.
“If you’d feel more comfortable, I can get you your own room. But if I’m being honest, I’d like you to stay with me,” he said softly.
Holy shit.
“Ye-yeah. Yeah. I’d like that. To stay with you I mean.”
Chris chuckled at your response. “One room it is. Let me know you flight info and I’ll arrange a car to pick you up.”
“Okay. Yeah, I’ll do that.” You had a dopey smile on your face, but you couldn’t help it.
“Talk to you soon, sweetheart.”
“Bye babe,” you replied.
If you weren’t at work, you’d pretty much be freaking out. The freak out would need to wait.
**
Your flight was booked for seven in the morning on Tuesday, flying home at four in the afternoon on Thursday. Not a lot of time, but at least it was two full days. Two full nights as well. That was a whole other thing. You were spending two nights with Chris. Presumably in one bed. Unless he booked a room with more than one bed. Who were you kidding? He probably doesn’t even book his own rooms. He was there for work, so the room probably only had one bed.
You quickly fired off a text to Jana.
Y/N: Am I just a booty call?
You knew Chris didn’t think of you that way. He was your friend. You were close friends with his brother. But being whisked away to New York for a couple of nights sure made you feel a little bit like one. And you agreed to sleeping in the same room.
Jana: In general, or??
Bitch.
Your friends were all trouble and as soon as you get back from New York, you were going to look for new ones.
Y/N: Thanks, I’m about to call your husband instead.
Jana: He told me to type that!
Y/N: 🥺
Jana: You are not a booty call. Chris lives a different lifestyle from most people. If the two of you want to spend time together, flying to different cities is probably how it’s going to go.
She was right. You knew she was. But your dumb brain didn’t want to accept it.
**
Nine at night was entirely too early to go to bed. Usually you weren’t even in your room that early, but it was Monday and you were trying to fall asleep at an earlier hour since your alarm was set for three in the morning. Why you picked a seven AM flight was beyond you.
Y/N: I’m going to bed early. Talk to you tomorrow.
You waited a few minutes for Scott to text you back. He was in L.A. if you were remembering correctly, so it was a lot earlier than normal.
Instead of texting back, he was calling.
“Hello, Scott,” you answered.
“Hi Sassy. I’m trying to have a nice dinner with Zach and you’re interrupting what was once a beautiful evening.”
Yet I’m the sassy one?
“I’m pretty sure by you calling me, you’re interrupting dinner with Zach. Tell him hello from me by the way,” you replied.
“I hate when you’re right,” he chuckled.
“Just stating facts, sweetie. You didn’t have to call, just wanted to let you know I was turning in early.”
“Is your flight early?” he asked.
“Yeah, seven. Not sure what I was thinkin’ there.”
“Thinkin’ about gettin’ some,” he murmured.
“Scott! Dude! What the fuck?”
Rather than respond he just continued to laugh on the other end of the line.
“I’m just saying. Don’t kill the messenger here,” he continued to chuckle.
“What happened to keeping yourself separate from Chris and my relationship?”
“Uhh, yeah. You’re right. My lips are sealed,” Scott replied.
“Unanswered prayers!”
“Watch yourself, Sassy,” he said sternly. “But have a safe flight. Give Chris a hug and kiss for me.” It was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde all of a sudden. So serious one second and nice and sweet the second. Scott Evans was a man of mystery.
“Yeah, thanks, Grumpy. Goodnight.”
“Bye, love.”
**
One of the positives about taking an early flight was that security was a lot easier to get through so early in the morning. You had said for years you were going to get Pre-Check but you always just put it off. Going through a short security check was nice.
Picking up a coffee and a bagel, you made your way to the gate. Boarding wasn’t for another hour, but that gave you time to finish your food, use the restroom, and over think the trip.
Sigh.
No amount of crying babies and couples arguing about which bag had the phone charger could distract you from knowing you’d be seeing Chris in a matter of hours. Do you greet him with a hug, high five, or a kiss? I mean, really, it could be anything.
Sigh.
Y/N: Let’s say I wanted something more to happen on this getaway. I’m not saying that’s what I want. Hypothetically speaking.
You chewed on your lip waiting for Jana’s reply. You should have bought a pack of gum. Your lips would be raw before you even touched down in JFK.
Jana: Hypothetically you want to bang him
Y/N: Where is that coming from? I never said that.
Jana: It might be time you spoke to a professional.
She probably isn’t wrong.
Y/N: Let’s say the answer is yes. Too soon?
Jana: That’s entirely up to you. If that’s what you both want.
Y/N: It’s me. I have no idea what I want. I wish there was some magical way to know what the other person is thinking.
Jana: Doesn’t work that way babe
Y/N: Yeah
Brooks: Just bang him!
Jana really needed to stop telling Brooks everything.
You quickly replied to Brooks’ message.
Y/N: Not a word to Scott.
Now that two of them talked, who knows how quickly this conversation would get back to Chris.
Brooks: My lips are sealed.
Damnit! That’s what Scott said last night.
**
Because you bought your seat a week out, you ended up buying an upgraded seat in Delta Comfort which essentially gave you a few more inches of leg room and a seat just past the first-class section. The bigger benefit for you was being boarded sooner. Being able to skip most of the standing around the gate like watching a street act was nothing more than a blessing for your nerves.
Settled into your seat, you decided to send Chris a text before powering down your phone.
Y/N: Hey there, Delilah
What's it like in New York city?
I'm a thousand miles away
But, girl, tonight you look so pretty
Yes, you do
Chris: Cute. Now get your ass here so I can kiss you.
Maybe you knew what you wanted.
Chapter 9
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Gaiety - A Solavellan Oneshot
by Artemis, a Wyrd Sister of Thedas.
Posted in honor of Dragon 4ge Day.
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The memories curling at the edge of the Fade were strong in the Emprise du Lion.
Remnants of a time forgotten haunted the shadows of crumbling fortresses while the children of the villages played under the watchful eyes of relics devoted to gods whose names they did not know. Where once the lost elven nation thrived now occupied spires of crackling scarlet crystals thrumming with sinister power, taking root in the cold earth and in the hearts of men, turning them to crazed zealots mad with the song of corruption whispering promises of power.
The snow crunched beneath Solas’ feet as he followed the Inquisitor past ice-covered towers and looming, barren trees. The chill in the air turned the breath from the entourage to clouds and tinged the tips of their ears a rosy hue rivaling that of a sunburned nug. Glistening specks of crystalline latticework danced throughout the grey sky before falling silently to the ground, pulling an earlier memory of Kialla’s surprised remark of the quiet in the mountains of the Emprise to flit across Solas’ mind, and a fleeting smile crossed his features.
Despite the deceptively serene landscape of the area, it was anything but. Solas could feel the energy of dark forces at work, simmering beneath the quiet facade presented by the abandoned elven fortresses. Memories tugged at the surface of the Fade throughout the ruins of his people, while the lonely howling of wolves in the distance was rivaled only by the howling of the wind past his ears.
He would rather not linger here.
As the group trekked through the near pristine powder toward their destination, Solas’ mind wandered further. He pondered Kialla, unwittingly thrust into a position of power and influence over a magnitude of frightened and desperate people. The name of “Herald” carried significant weight in Thedas as of late, and garnered her a great amount of attention that she seemed indifferent to at best on some days.
And there was the Anchor. In his days keeping watch over her while she lay unconscious closely following the catastrophic events at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, he had contemplated the drastic turn of events. Initially, he had been perplexed, and wondered at how the seemingly ordinary Dalish woman could have possibly survived receiving the Anchor at all, accident or no.
And then she woke up, fought by his side, effectively putting the Anchor to use, and tirelessly asked him question after question plucked from an endless flood of curiosity. For a moment that dissipated rather quickly, Solas was hesitant to reveal anything about himself to her, but he saw that sparkle of wonderment in her eyes as he spoke of the Fade, and soon he was speaking of the grace with which she moved in battle before he hardly had the thought to consider the gravity of the words that tumbled from his lips.
Never before, in all his many years, had he ever felt —
A shock of startlingly cold struck him mid-thought, just behind his ear.
It was all the man could do to blink and sputter as the snow fell from his head to creep beneath his cloak and slither down his neck. Through his surprise, Solas heard a soft giggle emanate from somewhere nearby, and he scanned the trees for the source while doing his best not to squirm as he wiped the icy water picking up speed down his neck.
A pair of impishly gleaming blue eyes caught his, and Solas glimpsed a coy smirk on Kialla’s lips before the Dalish woman ducked back behind her tree trunk. She dipped down to scoop up another handful of snow, quickly shaping it in her gloved hands before sending it soaring in his direction.
This time, however, he had the mind to sidestep the attack, so that the tightly packed snowball barely grazed the tip of his ear as it flew past and landed some short distance away from his feet with a quiet Plat!
Ah.
Pieces falling together swiftly in his mind, Solas leapt into action, gathering his own projectile from the blanket of snow. He waited for just the right moment, when she popped out from behind her tree once more with a new pile of snow in hand, and then let it fly.
The problem with his plan, however, was that Kialla was a skilled rogue, and her reflexes were sharp. As soon as she saw his arm wind back to throw, she disappeared from the line of fire. Solas’s own snowball whizzed right past its intended target, flying through the trees to hit none other than the group’s resident Seeker, landing dead center on the back of her head.
Cassandra whirled around, hand already at the hilt of her blade, brown eyes darting wildly around in search of her attacker. Her dark brows creased when she found none.
“What—”
A sputter of laughter burst from Varric, just a few yards away, drawing her attention, and the woman frowned deeply. The dwarf guffawed heartily, clutching at his belly.
“You — you should have seen that, Seeker!” Varric cackled out when he finally had to stop for air, bending over his knees. “Your face!”
In the midst of his enjoyment at her expense, Varric missed the scowl Cassandra wore, and the tightly packed snowball she sent sailing toward his hunched frame until it nailed him on the crown of his head.
Oh, there was no turning back now.
In a matter of moments, the friendly snowball fight escalated into utter chaos. All manner of dignity was shed and abandoned as it rapidly became every man for himself, taking cover behind trees, snowballs flying left and right, and delighted, near-childlike laughter ringing out like bells through the frozen air.
While Cassandra and Varric were preoccupied in their own battle, Solas took the opportunity to hunt down his sly beloved. Shielding himself behind the trunk of a rather thick pine, he waited, eyes carefully scanning the area for any trace of her familiar evergreen cloak, or her pale blonde hair, or the tip of her treasured longbow.
However, the Dalish-trained hunter was, evidently, exceptionally elusive.
A small and subtle movement in his line of sight caused a light dusting of powder to stir from the snow covered branches, and Solas could feel himself tense, senses honing with anticipation. Another miniscule rustle in the tree kept his eyes glued forward, snowball ready and waiting in his hand while his arm hovered on standby to throw as soon as the time was right.
Then once more, a flash of movement in the branches that disturbed the snow, and his arm jerked back to wind up his throw...
...and a squirrel emerged from the branches, scurrying down the long tree trunk.
Brow creasing, the mage paused, and in his confusion almost missed the quiet rustling of fabric and quick footsteps approaching from close behind him. A pair of hands enclosed over his eyes and pulled him backward as he grunted in surprise, snowball dropping to the ground where his feet had been seconds before, quickly forgotten.
A few awkward and fumbling steps backward, and the hands vanished from his eyes to spin the mage around, meeting Solas with those same impishly smiling blue eyes that he so adored, dizzying him in a very real sense.
He only had time to sputter out a dazed, “Vhenan, what are—” as Kialla pinned him against the nearest tree and captured his lips with her own.
Her mouth was hot, a direct contrast to the bitterly cold nip in the air. The kiss sparked a flame to life between them, and it didn’t take long for Solas to catch up after his unfinished question, reaching up to take her jaw in his hands while simultaneously lessening the distance between them. They explored each other’s mouths for what seemed like hours, until their heads were spinning and they were forced to come up for air, locking eyes as their breaths mingled.
Not a minute later, a burst of cold quite literally smacked them in the face, effectively and abruptly pulling them back to reality as a high-pitched cackle rang out from somewhere behind the trees.
It seemed being taken by surprise was becoming the theme of the day, Solas noted in equal parts mild amusement and indignation as he, yet again, wiped his neck dry of snow with his sleeve, working to repress a scowl.
“Was that...?”
“Sera?” Kialla finished his thought.
“I wasn’t aware she was accompanying us,” Solas remarked, brow raised.
“Neither was I.”
Kialla, at least, looked just as bewildered as he did, this time. As she shook her head with a quiet laugh, Solas felt his own features soften from annoyance into an affectionate smile. His hand reached out, seemingly of its own accord, to brush back a stray blonde curl from her cheek, tucking the strand behind her long, pointed ear.
The simple gesture was so unexpected and gentle that a light tinge of pink dusted Kialla’s cheeks. She smiled, lashes fluttering as the woman looked down bashfully.
“We should... probably keep moving.”
“Yes,” Solas agreed, running his thumb along her cheek. “Of course, Vhenan.”
As their eyes returned to one another, he couldn’t help but capture her lips once more before setting out, this time in a sweet and chaste kiss that was interrupted only by the grins that neither one of them cared to smother.
#dragon age#dragon age fan fiction#dragon age inquisition#dragon 4ge day#d4 day#solavellan#solas x lavellan#Solas#Lavellan#Cassandra Pentaghast#Varric Tethras#art by artemis lavellan
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Ahhh! New chapter, I'm glad I have tomorrow off so I could stay up and read it asap! THE DRAMA! It was worth the wait, for sure. First of all, I loved that it was Su's perspective; her thoughts on her children and their spouses were interesting. Trying desperately to find that sweet little boy, her first child, in the scarred and battered man before her. Also, I love that she and Bolin had that moment, and hopefully she will appreciate him more in the future. Backing up a bit, poor Wei (cont)
He just doesn't know what to do with himself, which is very understandable for a recovering alcoholic. But Wing kinda broke my heart asking Wei to stay with them. Then you really made me cry when Bataar took off his shirt. Staying calm immediately forgotten and that's no surprise, I could not imagine seeing something like that on my brother or someone I love. What could you do? I thought you captured the feeling of helplessness from them all very well, nothing to do but cry and freak (cont)
Bataar has a long, ugly road ahead of him, but I think one of the hardest parts is gonna be accepting his parents love again. He's been so angry with them for so long. I'm glad you have Huan and Ikki there to help him. Anyways, very much loved the update, and please don't feel too bad about taking so long. It is a difficult subject to write about in the first place, then add in alcoholism and a healthy amount of Beifongs and it makes for a complicated chapter lol. Thank you for continuing it!
I completely zoned that it was the 4th of July! That’s what being an ex-pat for 19 years will do for you.
Thank you so much for your patience. You and all my other long-time readers. This past year really took it out of me but it really is getting better. Even still, 14 months is kind of a dirty trick! :D
It was a lot of drama, wasn’t it? A lot more than you usually get from me! I’m finally at a place in my life (thank fuck for therapy, is all I have to say) where I can write drama while not succumbing to my own PTSD. That’s not to say that drama is going to become my writing style du jour or anything but I know now I can write it and it won’t kill me. Which is no small thing at all for me. Hopefully it will mean good things for my writing as well as my life in general.
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My Current Top 10 Musicals
So, I thought I’d just make a little list of the musicals that I personally consider to be my absolute favourite ones at this point in time. This list will obviously change again when I find a musical that I like more than one on this list. Anyway, here’s my list, if anyone’s interested XD (Btw, I’m only talking stage musicals here, so if you see any musical that was also a movie, I am talking about the stage version).
But first...some honourable mentions that I still adore but didn’t make it into my Top 10: The Phantom of the Opera, Anastasia, Ludwig II, Mozart!, The Lion King and Jesus Christ Superstar.
PS: All of this is opinion-based. Of course, you will disagree with me at some point, that is just natural. And it’s great that everyone has different tastes!
10 - The Lord of the Rings: A LOT of people have not heard about this musical, but it actually exists. It’s nothing fan-made or anything, it’s an actual official musical adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, not the Peter Jackson movies but the actual Tolkien epic. It ran in Canada and the UK and was even supposed to make its way to Germany. Of course, it has changes in it because adapting the entire story into a three-hour stage musical is an impossible task. It’s also the only musical I know of that consists of three acts rather than two. There is actually a cast recording available with the main songs in it. Like, honestly, I personally just love this musical. For instance, take a listen to Galadriel’s big solo:
youtube
I know, I’m most likely in the minority here, but for me personally, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best musicals out there and it’s an absolute shame that it’s not performed more often.
9 - Wicked: I am an absolute fan of seeing the story from the antagonist’s point of view and understand all of their motives. Wicked is one of the best examples out there as it takes the classic tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and gives it a darker and more serious spin, mainly because the Wicked Witch of the West is now the protagonist. I know, this musical is loved by everyone and makes it into pretty much everyone’s top list, but...honestly, it really deserves it. The songs are amazing and the story is very touching, especially the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda. I love villain origin stories, and to this day, the part where Elphaba decides to embrace her role as the antagonist of the story still sends shivers down my spine. No Good Deed still counts as one of my favourite villain songs. I have seen this musical twice and would gladly go again whenever I get the chance to do so!
8 - Rudolf - Affaire Mayerling: Ok, so this is a little bit of a controversial situation for me. I LOVE historical musicals. I just love them. However, this musical is REALLY not what you would call historically accurate. However, to me, it doesn’t really matter. When I look at it from a musical theatre point of view, it’s actually really entertaining! I have never seen this musical live, only watched the DVD and listened to the cast recordings but I would LOVE to see it live once. The songs are so good! While the story is not the best, the music is phenomenal in my opinion. And it also has one of the most catchy villain songs to be ever put on stage: Die Fäden in der Hand. Yes, this musical has MANY flaws, I don’t deny that. The cheesy and historically non-existent romance between Rudolf and Mary is not really the best thing to watch (seriously, why didn’t they include Mizzi Caspar instead of Mary, that would have made MUCH more sense for the love aspect). But it also has a lot going for it, like the actual songs. It is still one of my favourite musicals.
7 - Dracula: Many people consider Frank Wildhorn’s best piece to be Jekyll and Hyde. I personally think that Dracula is that best piece. Sure, it had a very wonky start and the majority of the good and memorable songs came along when the musical came to Austria, but it’s also the Austrian version that I got to hear and see first (not live unfortunately but hooray to cast recordings). It’s an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula...but more the Francis Ford Coppola film rather than the actual book. The romance aspect between Dracula and Mina is not the strongest part of the piece by far, however, when the story isn’t about the romance, the music is actually really fantastic! Oh, and it also has my favourite ever confrontation song: Zu Ende. I REALLY want to see this musical live. Why does it never come to Austria again? It had a fantastic run in Graz! And why can’t there be one German-speaking version of this musical that actually sticks to the gothic aesthetic? Oh well, a man can dream.
6 - Artus - Excalibur: Frank Wildhorn seems to be getting on this list very often, eh? Oh well, what can I say? I just love a lot of his source material. Artus - Excalibur is by no means an accurate representation of the Arthurian legend. However, what it does good is: it gives the tale its own spin. It doesn’t even try to be a step-by-step recreation, it’s completely its own thing. And I liked it. A lot actually. I saw it two times, one time in St. Gallen and one time in Staatz. Both times I absolutely loved it. It has great music and a solid story. However, the songs are by far the best part of it. It also has one of my favourite ensemble pieces: Morgen triffst du den Tod. This is one of those musicals I could watch over and over again without getting bored at all. Whenever it gets put on again, I will try to be there!
5 - Les Misérables: Ok, of course this was going to be on here. Les Mis is just the definition of an epic and emotional megamusical that is guaranteed to touch everyone’s heart at some point. Now, the fun thing is, the first time I saw Les Mis was in the cinema...when the movie came out in 2012. I know, shame on me, but I actually really liked the movie. When I was in London, I went to see the stage musical and I was blown away! It was so amazing and powerful! Javert is my personal favourite character. But I also saw Tam Mutu as Javert in London and this guy is just having a total blast in this role. Needless to say that Stars is probably my favourite song in the musical. Also, this musical is very relevant, even in today’s world, just like Victor Hugo said himself. The melodies are great, the story is great and the characters are great. What’s not to love?
4 - Rebecca: Not everyone’s favourite musical but definitely one of mine. I think, one of the reasons why I love it so much is the whole mystery and thriller aspect it has going for it. It truly captured the spirit of Daphne du Maurier’s novel and brought it on stage. The set design is beautiful, the music is great, you can’t go wrong with Sylvester Levay, and Michael Kunze once again delivered with a great script. Plus, the title song has got to be one of the most menacing songs in german-speaking musical theatre, especially when sung by the right actress. It’s a musical I would really like to see live...and one that I would wish, the VBW would finally bring back! Come on, what’s stopping you guys? Tecklenburg had a fantastic run last summer!
3 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame: I love it when Disney decides to just go dark for once. The movie is seen as Disney’s darkest animated movie. Well, it’s nice to see that the stage musical is also the darkest stage musical Disney has put on. While the movie still had a lot of the classic Disney tropes going for it, the musical gets rid of those and adds tragedy on par with Les Mis, meaning, keeping the actual book ending in the show. Also, a surprisingly large amount of Brecht and Greek Chorus was added to the show and it works really well! However, the Disney songs stay and it works as a great combination! Making Frollo the Archdeacon again adds so much more weight to the Hellfire song, and overall all the characters are extremely well-rounded. I have listened to the cast recordings and would really like to see this show live once!
2 - Elisabeth: As I said before, I absolutely love historical musicals. And Elisabeth is my favourite of those. It isn’t exactly told as a history piece but more of a dark retelling in a Danse Macabre style. Seeing the story being told from Elisabeth’s murderer’s point of view was a very clever idea. It also gave us the characters of Death and Elisabeth, some of the best musical theatre characters ever in my opinion. Every single character in this show has great opportunities to shine. The music is phenomenal and this piece single-handedly catapulted Austria and the VBW into the top charts of musical theatre producers. Also...it REALLY makes you want to be a history student! Honestly, it did that with me! As soon as I watched Elisabeth, I wanted to find out everything about the Habsburgs XD Also, this is probably the musical I have seen the most out of any. I believe to have seen it at least 15 times when it was last running in Vienna...and the fun thing is, I didn’t even like it that much when I saw it the first time! That WOW factor hit me later when I was listening to the cast recording...it happens.
1 - Tanz der Vampire: Was that really a surprise for people who follow my blog? Tanz der Vampire is my favourite musical of all time and will always retain this position. It is the piece that got me not only into musical theatre but in theatre in general. It got me into wanting to study Drama and Creative Writing, it sparked a lot of my current interests and influenced a lot of my life decisions. Tanz der Vampire has everything going for it: a great story, fantastic music, very good moral lessons, beautiful and lush sets and probably one of the best characters to ever grace the musical theatre stage: Graf von Krolock, undoubtedly the arch-nemesis of Erik Destler in the race for the rank of best cape-swishing gothic lover. It also has a very untraditional story, breaking clichés and tropes left and right, just as Roman Polanski intended. It has the perfect mixture of being dark and serious but also utterly hilarious. And it has probably one of the longest and most powerful solos of any musical in my opinion: Die unstillbare Gier. I want to see the musical more than I already have, which is 11. It’s just THAT good. For me personally, there is no better musical than Tanz der Vampire.
Ok, I know, a lot of people will disagree with me now, but as I said: this entire list is opinion-based. I would really be interested to know your Top 10 musicals :D
#Musicals#Top 10#The Lord of the Rings#Wicked#Rudolf - Affaire Mayerling#Dracula#Artus - Excalibur#Les Misérables#Rebecca#The Hunchback of Notre Dame#Elisabeth#Tanz der Vampire
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Capture (Part 2)
England:
Howard Stark sat at his desk, uncharacteristically quiet. Across from him sat Peggy Carter, her hands folded in her lap. Neither was looking forward to the meeting they were having today. Howard had made the phone call whilst Peggy had begun the investigation into Clarisse du Volde's disappearance. Given her work during the first World War and the Civil War, how she had stuck it out to the end; they knew she wouldn't abandon her post to leave and lead a life of luxury, which she could have easily done. She had been a spy and also a nurse; she had done work with the resistance. Clarisse wanted to help people and she did so, no matter the cost to herself. Peggy knew that Elijah had lectured his good hearted daughter on her position. He hadn't broken through her thick head, but she had clearly not changed his position about offering himself up to help with the war effort. Like father, like daughter.
It was Peg who saw Elijah Mikaelson walk in and as he did so, she stood up. Howard followed suit. If Elijah was surprised, he didn’t say so. He was a man known for keeping his head and his emotions in check. However, Peggy knew that this wouldn’t go well. Not when they told him that Clarisse was a prisoner of war. They’d discussed the possibility of her death, but Peggy surmised that since Hitler was curious about the occult and the possibility of immortality, he would keep her alive. “If anyone can survive, it'd be her," Howard mused. "She's like Steve. Wily and spirited. Always thinking." He was always trying to consider the positives. He'd put his fortune on it. Still, he knew they were up against huge odds. Odds that, at this point, were not in their favor. Peggy was the realist but she wasn't about to burst Howard's high hopes. Nor did she want to face the possibility that the cheerful woman would never bother her again.
“Old friend, how are you?” Howard asked, shaking Elijah’s hand as he came into the room, taking his hat and setting it and his jacket on the coat rack.
“I’m well enough. But I suspect that since I’m here, I’m about to hear something I don’t particularly want to hear,” Elijah replied, looking at the both of them. Taking a seat, he brought his left ankle to his right knee, smiling appreciatively as Howard poured him a drink. Bourbon, Elijah nodded approvingly as he raised it to his lips. He might be a millennia old, but he did appreciate Stark's expensive and refined taste.
Howard considered how to tell him when Peggy just put the ring down in front of the Original Vampire. As he looked over at her, he was once again in awe of the strength she displayed. If Peggy was frightened, Howard would never know it for her face was a portrait of mystery. For a moment, she paused, expecting something explosive. Instead, Elijah's movement was precise and fierce; much like a predator about to pounce. His eyes darkened for a moment as he looked to the ring, lifting it up and holding it between his fingers. As he looked at the engraving inside of it, he pressed his lips together and Elijah closed his eyes. There was a lethal edge to his voice as he spoke, yet Peggy also recognized a slight hitch, the one that revealed a minuscule amount of fear. Not remarking upon it, nor assuring him that they'd have it under control, Peg let him break the silence.
“Where did you find this?”
“It was brought to us by one of the nurses that worked with Clarisse,” Howard spoke up, finally finding his voice. “She was taken after her shift was ending. We suspect she dropped it as a sign to us...and in turn, you.”
“I told her to be careful…” Elijah murmured under his breath. If his temper was flaring, he kept it under a cool exterior. Peggy admired that. There had only been one moment where she wondered if he would break. Deep down, she wished Risse would come bounding in the door, her green eyes lively with her usual joie de vivre, but there was no chance of that.
'You'll keep me apprised?'' Elijah asked, his voice still that terrifying tone of calm, as he finished his bourbon and set the glass down.
"Of course," Peggy responded. Already her mind was working in twenty different directions. Namely how to keep Elijah from marching into Germany and ripping the heart out of anyone who looked at him wrong.
Elijah Mikaelson squared his shoulders as he took his hat and coat and headed out the way he came in, though his rage was white hot. Keeping her ring close and the small photograph of her in his billfold, Elijah began to plot. To Germany he'd go. But this required thought and a great deal of precision. Not to mention, stealth. As he climbed into the back of the car, telling his driver where to go, he drew out the photograph and looked at her smiling visage whilst he gave a smirk. It had been a rare moment of playfulness where he indulged her by posing for a few pictures. On the back was her calligraphic handwriting, 'Papa, I love you more than I do Clark Gable! Always and forever, your Risse.' With a tremor to his voice, Elijah put the picture away and murmured, "I will find you, Risse. I promise."
Somewhere in Berlin.
"Oh good, you're awake."
Opening up her eyes, Clarisse looked around. She was in a cell. Slowly rising up, she braced herself on the wall, willing the world to stop spinning. Every part of her body ached and she didn't even think about what had been done to her. She had no doubt that had she been aware. She would have ripped the offenders to shreds. She rubbed her finger, missing the feeling of gold on her finger. She hoped by now someone had turned it in. She didn't dare hope for a quick rescue, but she hoped someone would be aware. Her mind went to Elijah and she knew that beneath his fury, he'd be worried sick. She liked to think she knew him well. Still, thinking of him made her sad and she had to stop thinking of him before she began to cry. Her hand went to her neck and at least her necklace was still on.
"Where am I?" She asked, eyes settling on the fellow across from her.
"Berlin. We're Die Kuriositäten des Führers."
She raised a brow. The Fuhrer's Curiosities. How...lovely. To be reduced to a sideshow act, essentially.
"They mean to figure out what makes us immortal." He continued. "They exploit our weakness, so I hope you're tougher than you look. It gets very lonely here. The girl who stayed in that cell before you died. I probably shouldn’t have told you that, but I think you should probably know."
"What are you? And who are you?"
"You can't tell? I'm a werewolf. My name is Silas. I’m a Polish Jew, so if you don’t want to talk to me, I understand," he spoke to her, explaining the accent that she hadn’t been quite able to place. Still, she granted him a smile. Why that mattered, she just didn’t understand. Christ himself had been a Jew; would Hitler have put him in a camp too? She had many questions. Perhaps in her time here, she and Silas could distract themselves by asking the unanswerable. Still, he was waiting for her reaction, and she did so.
"I’m Clarisse. I’m a Vampire and I don’t care that you’re Jewish," she replied, earning a smile back from him.
"I could tell. You tried to bite the guard when they first brought you in. They gave you a sedative and something else. That was three days ago." Silas continued, reaching through the bars to shake her hand, which she met readily. Her eyes widened at that. Three days past? She sighed, pushing her hair back out of her face and sat down, doing so in a position where they could keep talking. At least she wasn’t alone in this ordeal.
They spent more time deep in conversation, learning more about Silas and his life. He had been pulled from the Auschwitz camp and brought here. Her heart went out to him and she would have hugged him if she were able to. He chattered on and she learned about Hitler and his desire to become immortal. “He wants, quite literally, to take over the world,” Silas mused. “May that never happen!” Clarisse agreed and kept this all to her mind, trying to remember it all, so she could pass it along to Peggy. This fellow was worse than even Red Skull, she was certain of this. Or perhaps just on par. It didn’t make sense to her that men such as this could move up the ranks and become what they had. Why? And why had the world turned a blind eye to the plight of the suffering? War was a blight on humanity. It often solved nothing. For every dictator brought down, another rose up in their place. It was a vicious cycle.
As she was about to respond, two of the SS marched in, pulling her out. "I can walk on my own," Clarisse hissed at them, wrenching her arms from their grips. It made no sense to run yet--she had no idea where she was going to go. At the very least, she would have to endure a week here; learn the ins and out, get to know those working here, and to learn the layout of the building. To do so prematurely would only serve as a mistake and they would never allow her to make the same mistake twice. Walking with them to wherever, she raised a brow as they entered the laboratory, scowling as they made her sit down in the most uncomfortable chair she'd ever sat in. If they were going to torture her, they had certainly picked the right chair to do so. However, she decided quickly to not cooperate, but also not to do anything to enrage them. She ultimately had what they wanted. They couldn't kill her--rather, it would be stupid to kill her.
“We have done our research on you,” the woman spoke, looking to Clarisse. To her consternation, Clarisse simply raised a brow and remained silent. She would not give her the satisfaction of confirming whether her research was right or wrong. She was an actress. This was her moment to shine. Even if her talents were being wasted upon these tossers. These were the same people who would no longer hire Marlene Deitrich for God's sake! She wouldn't waste a bit of her talent on them. (Not that she was as good as Deitrich or Garbo or any of them.)
“Born in 1772, the youngest of four living children. Your mother was pregnant several times but only had a few live births. And you.. you're not even a true Du Volde. You are...how would they have put it? A bâtard. Your true father was Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. He was something of a libertine--just in case you didn't know. Your mother probably didn’t even know. When we took your blood, we did some testing."
Clarisse stayed silent, not saying a word in response, though the word was offensive. Hearing the news of her true parentage was surprising, but she still kept her face blank. She refused to respond to anything they told her. She would not. If they thought by insulting her mother they’d get a rise out of her, they’d be disappointed. Though, she was surprised at the mention of Louis Philippe. She had never met him but had heard of him. He had been beheaded the month after Marie Antoinette. His own relatives and he had voiced support for the family to die. Still, she was curious as to how Vivian and his paths crossed. She had always joked she was royalty. Hearing this fact only confirmed it now, that she was right. Still, it was moot now. She listened as they continued to speak of her human life. It amazed her how much they actually had right. It was finally when they were silent that she spoke.
“What a fascinating biography you’ve concocted,” she told them using some of the German she knew.
“And you were turned in 1791.” The woman folded her arms over her chest. Clarisse couldn’t help but think she might have been attractive save for the black uniform and swastika emblazoned on it. If this was the master race, count her out. She was quite content to be an enemy of the Reich.
For this, she went silent again. She did not want to speak of it, nor confirm it. Still, in those three days of unconsciousness, she supposed they’d confirmed what she wasn’t speaking of. The male gripped her chin suddenly, forcing her to look up at him and despite it not being ladylike, she spat in his eye. When he backhanded her, she laughed. If they wanted her to be the monster that they thought she was? Very well. “Was that meant to hurt?” she asked, smirking as he rubbed at his hand, cursing under his breath in German. “I’ve had children hit harder.” Clarisse leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs and looking around her surroundings more fully. It was a laboratory, one where instead of animal testing, they tested on herself and other immortal beings. She looked around for a telephone but didn’t find one, much to her chagrin.
Their frustration was all too apparent as they strapped her into the chair, making it damn near impossible to break out. “We will find out how you became immortal,” The woman snarled. Clarisse bit on her bottom lip, feeling her fang make her bleed slightly. She was hungry. The scent of the woman before her was singing to the vampire, who could feel her eyes darkening and she closed her eyes once more, quashing her hunger for now. It was a mistake she wouldn't make again, because in the moments of her keeping her eyes shut, curtains were thrown back and the heat of the sun touched her unprotected skin for the first time in over a century.
As they let the sunlight fill the room, despite the utter agony of her flesh burning, Clarisse refused to scream. The scent of her own charred flesh filled the place and howls could be heard all throughout. For a moment she wondered why, when she realized, she smelled like cooked meat. The wolves were likely starving. Cringing at the idea that she might be their meal, she surmised it to be a better fate than being a Nazi plaything. Still, the pain was agonizing and she couldn’t even think straight. Seeing the two officials standing and taking notes enraged her to no end. They truly were monsters. How anyone could mistake her for a monster, she had no idea. But she was not that. No. She refused to accept that. She never could tolerate seeing someone suffer. But they thrived on it. If this was what being one of the Fuhrer’s ‘curiosities’ entailed, she would have no problem telling him to fuck right off. (She issued a silent apology to Elijah, who told her such coarse language should never leave her.)
When the sun began to sink low in the sky once more, the window was once again covered and blessed darkness surrounded Clarisse. They left her in the chair, going off to eat or to do whatever it was they were meant to. Her body was throbbing from the burns and she momentarily ached for the true death to come and claim her but that would be a betrayal to those who loved her and those she loved. She would endure. It was as simple as that. Besides, there were people out there who needed her help. Sitting idly would never do.
When someone came and carried her back to her cell, she was amused to find that he had garlic on him and a silver crucifix at his throat. As if those things would stop her if she really meant to attack him. He lay her down gently and Clarisse was surprised, but she remained silent. The young man marched out and left a light on, that didn't cast much in the way but a lone yellow beam.
"I am glad you're back," Silas spoke softly. "I am sorry you're in pain. I'd offer you my blood, but I think it would hurt you."
"It would," she finally spoke after hours of silence. "But the thought is kind. However, I never leave home unprepared." Drawing off her necklace, pleased to find it still hanging around her neck, she paused before raising the vial of blood up.
"That's handy!" Silas whispered to her and Risse chuckled for the first time in days. "My father told me to keep it in case of emergencies," she whispered back, opening it and downing the contents. It was one of a few vials she always kept on her person. She was simply grateful that they had not stripped her. Though they'd gone out of fashion some four decades prior, Clarisse was fond of her whalebone corsets. She'd gotten in the habit of wearing them again whenever she was on the field. Bullets ricocheted off the bone and the corset made it easy to hide things. In this case, several vials of blood. She would have to preserve them, using them only when she was desperate. But tonight, she would use this one.
Downing the contents, she gasped feeling strength course through her frame, her burned flesh healing. She was as ever, appreciative. Even though he wasn't here, Elijah was taking care of her. Looking over at Silas, her emerald eyes shining in the dim light. "I know there are people probably out looking for me. But I'm determined to break loose before they get here. You in?" She asked, her smile widening when Silas agreed. "Then, let's get to plotting. Tell me everything you know."
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The top things to do in on a day trip.
It was the final day of my Athos barge cruise on the Canal du Midi in the South of . We slowly sailed between tiny medieval towns, exploring each one along the way. These included Marseillan, Pézenas, Narbonne, Minerve, Capestang, and . Even if you only have a day, I’m going to outline all of the best things to do in during your stay.
Out of all the villages we visited, was the most famous, arguably the most noteworthy, and it was the busiest with tourists. After all, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its preserved and restored fortifications. My sister also let me know that is the name of a fun and popular board game that she’s played.
Visiting La Cite de
is actually quite large, consisting of the medieval village, the rest of the city down below the hill, some outlying areas, and even its own airport. I only visited La Cité de for the day, which is the old, medieval town up on the hill. If you’re going to visit for more than a day, I am sure you will have time to see the town down below, too. This travel guide will only go into detail about visiting La Cite de .
Even though La Cité de isn’t very big, there’s a surprising amount of things to do in . If you’re looking for precisely what to see in , you’ve come to the right place. I have five fantastic ideas of must see spots around the medieval old town. is one of the most special medieval towns in . Even though it’s going to be busier and more crowded than other lesser known spots, it’s definitely worth the trip. This is one of the South of destinations you’ll surely want to add to your bucket list.
Things to Do in : The Fortified Walls
If you’re looking for what to do in , you really can’t miss checking out its fortifications. After all, you must walk through the fortified walls to enter the old town center. However, I suggest that before you venture right into town, you take some time to walk along the fortified walls themselves.
A Brief History
Since the days of the Roman Empire, a fortified settlement has existed up on the hill where you’ll find present day . There’s 2500 years of history here. Over time, the city was occupied by Romans, Visigoths, Crusaders and Saracens, and it was once the largest fortress in . The citadel is encircled by double fortified walls about 3 kilometers in length. During the Crusade against the Albigenses in the 13th century, was captured by Simon de Montfort. He decided to construct the outer wall to strengthen its position.
After the town lost its military significance in the 1600s, ’s fortifications were abandoned. In 1849, the French government wanted to demolish the fortified walls, but there was a great opposition to this decision by the locals. Thankfully, the government changed their minds and decided to restore the walls.
Restorations of ’s Fortifications
The architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc started to renovate the ramparts around La Cite de . His work was met with some criticism as the restorations might not be that similar to the original structures. The pointed caps of the towers evoke architecture from northern and not those from the south of . Viollet-le-Duc wanted to completely restore each building for a feeling of completeness, although some believe that looks a little too “Disney-fied”.
Defenders of Viollet-le-Duc believe that he was only working with the knowledge he had at the time, and otherwise the buildings could have been lost completely. All in all, Viollet-le-Duc’s restorations only affect less than 20% of the monument. What do you think? I can personally see how the restorations look a little too “new” or not original, but I am certainly glad that we didn’t lose one of the most important medieval towns in .
Wandering the Walls
My first suggestion for what to see in ? Naturally, take a stroll between the ramparts. Don’t rush right into the old town. Take the time to admire the walls themselves. When you visit , enter through the Narbonne Gate and take a turn to your left rather than walking straight into town. There’s a large space where you can walk between the double fortifications. It’s different from other fortified walls that I’ve checked out in the past.
For example, Quebec City’s fortifications surround the old town and you can walk on top of the walls themselves. While the walls of aren’t designed for tourists to walk on, you can wander right between the walls, admiring the towers and stone walls themselves on either side of you. Wandering the walls is one of the top things to do in and shouldn’t be missed.
Explore Château Comtal, ’s Castle
If you’re wondering what to do in , don’t miss Chateau Comtal, the castle of . A trip to the castle is one of the top things to do in . There’s so much fascinating history to explore at the count’s castle. As a symbol of feudal and then royal power, the castle dominated the city and its surroundings.
The castle was constructed in the 1100s and improvements continued through to the 14th century. Additional buildings were added, stories were added to existing buildings, and the castle gained multiple functions. It was defensive (with its fortified walls), residential, housed the military, and was also a political center.
At the entrance of the castle, there’s a wide stone bridge, ending with a wooden drawbridge. There are also several towers lining the front entrance where guards could easily attack any foreign soldiers with bows and arrows or crossbows.
As you walk through the castle, you’ll notice courtyards, walkways, and incredible views of ’s lower town. There’s also an archaeological museum in the west wing of the castle for historic and beautiful objects from and the area.
No matter when you visit , the castle is going to be one of the busiest spots in town. A trip to the magnificent castle of the Counts of is one of the most important things to do in . I highly recommend that you buy a skip the line ticket in advance. It is not very expensive and it will save you lots of time. That way, you’ll be able to make the most of your day trips even if you have a limited amount of time in the village.
Visit the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus
Another main attraction is the St. Nazaire Basilica. The Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus is a national monument, constructed in the Gothic-Romanesque architectural styles. The original Visigothic church at the same site most likely dates to the 6th century, but no traces of it remain. Back in 1096, Pope Urban II visited the site and blessed the building materials for the construction of a new church. This cathedral was built between the 12th century and the late 13th century.
Don’t stop at the outside of the church without going inside. The most impressive features of the basilica are the glorious stained glass windows and the intricate carved decorations. The central stained glass window of the choir is one of the oldest in , from 1280.
Aside from several brilliant stained glass windows and sculptures, you can view the Siege Stone inside the church. It’s a 13th century relief that most likely illustrates a scene from the Albigensian Crusade. There are a couple of other artifacts in this same area: a large bell and an etched image of Simon de Montfort from his tomb.
Admire the Scenery from Various Vantage Points
As you take in the wondrous scenery from , you might feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Though some of the best views are from the castle, you can catch glimpses of lower town and beyond from various spot around town. You’ll see some great views as you wander around the ramparts at the edge of town. The cobblestone streets of are also rather postcard perfect, if you can manage to see them without too many crowds. Viewing the scenery of the medieval village and its surroundings was one of my favorite things to do in .
Stroll through Cobblestone Streets
As you wander through town, you might feel a little bit like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. The buildings are primarily from medieval times with Renaissance ornamentation. The best preserved building from the 13th and 14th centuries is the Inquisiton House at the corner of Rue du Four-Saint-Nazaire and Rue de la Porte-d’Aude.
Walking through town, you’ll also see houses with corbelled facades from the 16th and 17th centuries. These stand alongside facades from the late 19th and early 20th century. The restoration of the town impacted some of its inhabitants, as they wished to take part in the town’s revival. If you’d like to know more about the history, I recommend taking a walking tour with a knowledgeable guide.
Naturally, there are lots of little shops and cafes dotted through the old town of . You can find lots of interesting gifts and goodies to bring home with you. I even managed to find a candy shop in town that had a whole shelf of vegan candies!
Where to Stay
Inside the Cite de , there are only a few hotels where you can spend the night. There are hotels that vary in price according to their amenities and overall fanciness. Here are a couple to check out:
Hotel de la Cité : This is a very luxurious hotel with spectacular views. It’s an upscale, five star hotel right in the heart of old town. There’s even an outdoor pool, a spa with a hot tub, and sophisticated rooms. This is my top choice for best hotel in , budget allowing, of course! Book your stay at the Hotel de la Cite or view additional reviews by fellow travelers.
Best Western Hotel Le Donjon: This is a middle of the road, three star hotel in the middle of Old Town. The hotel is located within three medieval buildings inside the old town walls. Book your stay at the Best Western or view more reviews by travelers who have spent the night.
La Demeure De La Cite: For a bed and breakfast experience inside the fortifications of , check out La Demeure De La Cite. It’s a cozy and welcoming place to spend the night. Plus, you’ll have the town to yourself when all the tourists leave from their day trips. Book your stay at La Demeure or read more reviews by fellow travelers.
Most other hotels are outside of the city walls, near the airport, or you can find them in lower town. Here is a full listing of hotels so you can compare. You can also find Airbnb rental listings in (sign up with my link if you haven’t used Airbnb before and you can receive $60 off your stay!)
Getting There
It’s easy to reach , even if you’re not sailing aboard a barge cruise. There are direct trains from to from many French towns, including Arles, Beziers, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Marseille, Narbonne, Toulouse, and others. Book your high speed train trip to quickly and easily online.
You can also fly to from many cities in . Once you reach , you can rent a car to get around the South of or compare car rental prices online. There are parking lots outside the wall city (no cars are allowed inside the old town).
.kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap {background:rgba(206, 249, 248, 1);padding:20px 20px 20px 20px;border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover {border-color:rgba(238, 238, 238, 1);background:rgba(206, 249, 248, 1);} .kt-blocks-info-box-media {color: 0px 0px 0px;padding:10px 10px 10px 10px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-media-container {margin:0px 15px 0px 15px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-media {color:#444;background:transparent;border-color:#444444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-title {color: 0px 0px 0px;margin:5px 0px 10px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-title {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-text {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-text {color:#444;} .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore {color: 0px 0px 0px;padding:4px 8px 4px 8px;margin:10px 0px 10px 0px;} .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore {color: <div id="" class="wp-block-kadence-infobox"><div class="kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-top kt-info-halign-center"><div class="kt-blocks-info-box-media-container"><div class="kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none"><div class="kadence-info-box-icon-container kt-info-icon-animate-none"><div class="kadence-info-box-icon-inner-container"><span style="display:block;justify-content:center;align-items:center" class="kt-info-svg-icon kt-info-svg-icon-fas_camera"><svg style="display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle" viewbox="0 0 512 512" height="80" width="80" fill="currentColor" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M512 144v288c0 26.5-21.5 48-48 48H48c-26.5 0-48-21.5-48-48V144c0-26.5 21.5-48 48-48h88l12.3-32.9c7-18.7 24.9-31.1 44.9-31.1h125.5c20 0 37.9 12.4 44.9 31.1L376 96h88c26.5 0 48 21.5 48 48zM376 288c0-66.2-53.8-120-120-120s-120 53.8-120 120 53.8 120 120 120 120-53.8 120-120zm-32 0c0 48.5-39.5 88-88 88s-88-39.5-88-88 39.5-88 88-88 88 39.5 88 88z"><div class="kt-infobox-textcontent"><h4 class="kt-blocks-info-box-title"> Want to see more photos of ? <p class="kt-blocks-info-box-text"> Check out my whole collection of pictures from . You can buy prints, canvas art, housewares, and more of my photos. Click the “buy” button by any pic! <div class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore-wrap"><a class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2F-2019%2F&sref=rss">Learn More <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><a href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2F-2019%2Fi-2pDFSFT%2Fbuy&sref=rss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com//-2019/i-2pDFSFT/0/0364b959/XL/P1380658-XL.jpg" alt="Things to do in - Day trips to "/> <p>Even though it can get a little crowded during shoulder and peak seasons, you definitely need to visit . Whether you’re booking day trips, spending the night, or visiting from a Canal du Midi barge cruise like I did, it’s worth the trip. There are so many things to do in , including the five activities that I listed above. Expand your trip to La Cite de by venturing to the lower town, the Canal du Midi, and beyond. <ul class="wp-block-gallery columns-3"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img src="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest3-683x1024.jpg" alt="5 Perfect Things to Do in : Explore the Spectacular La Cite de in a Day data-id="18607" data-link="https://justinpluslauren.com/?attachment_id=18607" class="wp-image-18607" srcset="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest3-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest3.jpg 735w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img src="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest2-683x1024.jpg" alt="5 Perfect Things to Do in : Explore the Spectacular La Cite de in a Day data-id="18606" data-link="https://justinpluslauren.com/?attachment_id=18606" class="wp-image-18606" srcset="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest2-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest2.jpg 735w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img src="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest1-683x1024.jpg" alt="5 Perfect Things to Do in : Explore the Spectacular La Cite de in a Day data-id="18605" data-link="https://justinpluslauren.com/?attachment_id=18605" class="wp-image-18605" srcset="https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://justinpluslauren.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/-Pinterest1.jpg 735w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /> <p style="text-align:center"> PIN one of the above images to Pinterest for future reference. 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R E V I E W - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Working as a lady’s companion, the heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Her future looks bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Max de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. She accepts, but whisked away from glamorous Monte Carlo to the ominous and brooding Manderley, the new Mrs de Winters finds Max a changed man. And the memory of his dead wife Rebecca is forever kept alive by the forbidding housekeeper, Mrs Danvers...
Another day, another attempt to articulate my thoughts about another book I’ve recently read. This time, it’s Daphne du Maurier’s thriller Rebecca. This book I was introduced to during my A levels, when our teacher recommended it as a potential book we could write our coursework on. Whilst the book did not appeal to me as a coursework text, I knew I wanted to read it. Fast forward four years and I eventually get down to doing just that.
Now I am a complete sucker for anything that falls under the Gothic; I just always ending up loving it so much. And my mum, she is a sucker for the film version of Rebecca. In fact, she has seen multiple film and television adaptations of it and though I cannot say which one is the ultimate favourite, I can say she continues to be shocked that I have yet to watch any film version myself. It’s on the to do list so one it will happen, but until then mum will just have to be content with me seeking her out to discuss the book as opposed to the film, though going by all our conversations there is very little difference. Adaptations seem to stay pretty loyal to the book and her response was always “wait until you see what happens next”, she was quite a significant driving factor in my need to finish this novel.
Admittedly, I had a slight reading slump when I started this, it took me a while to invest in the story. This book got to spend a ridiculous amount of time sat on the bedside table. But once the story got me I finished it within a day. The slowness wasn’t a fault of the book, more my brain needing a slight break after three years of intense reading at university. If anything, the fact that I still managed to get so immersed in the novel probably highlights even more just how good this book is.
The story is written in flashback mode. You travel back with the narrator to Monte Carlo and watch her fast-paced romance blossom with Max de Winter, which accumulates in a quick marriage and a return to the family mansion, Manderley. I personally liked the use of a giant flashback because it enabled the novel to start on a strikingly ominous note, which really helped to retain my attention at the start. However, there were points where I found it to be more frustrating and ever so slightly pointless. Despite the story being written in hindsight, this does not seem to be fully utilised in the story. We’re no more informed than if the narrator was telling the events at the moment of occurrence. I expected to see two different versions of the narrator; the one telling the story and the one living it, yet in Rebecca I did not find this distinction to be clearly established. I’ll admit this isn’t really a major issue, it’s just a disruption of my expectations, but in my mind this form of narration indicates the lack of character progression in the novel.
Now, I love this story, but I really do dislike all the characters. Except Frank. Frank, I love. The story is compelling, but all the characters (minus Frank) irritate me. Fortunately, it’s pretty clear we are not meant to concern ourselves with liking them. Loving the story and hating all but one character seems to be a requirement for me loving a book, as I have the same opinion of The Great Gatsby, which has come through to be one of my all-time faves. The characters are all extremely flawed, and it is through these flaws the narrative is constructed. Mrs Danvers’ obsession, Rebecca’s dominance, Mrs de Winters’ passivity and Max’s striving for perfection all combined to create some of the most unappealing individuals, and the most appealing story. Mrs Danver’s is one of the creepiest characters I have ever encountered. Her infatuation is reminiscent of Gatsby’s unfulfilled nostalgic yearning in The Great Gatsby; she never lets the new Mrs de Winter forget the romanticised glamour of Manderley when Rebecca was in charge. Right from the start she sets up Mrs de Winter to fall.
In fact, it is the ghostly aspect of the novel that largely appealed to me. And not in the typical ghost apparition way, but the design of the characters. This story has a very bleak outlook on humanity, and this is very much visible in the discouragement of individuality, especially in the line of duty. Tradition is key, and the toxic nature of it is definitely explored. The new Mrs de Winter can largely be defined as being everything Rebecca is not; she is defined by her absence. This use of polarisation in the novel is probably what helped me relate to it so much, our roles in society hold so much influence over our growth as individuals, it can be really hard to not compare to those who, publicly at least, seem to have it all together. Even though Mrs de Winter resents Rebecca, there is always a part of her that will envy her. And it is that capture of the contradictory nature of humanity that, for me, makes this novel one that deserves to be read.
#Rebecca#Daphne du Maurier#book review#escapethroughthepages#thriller#recommended read#modern classic
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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/notre-dame-fire-has-too-much-money-been-given-to-rebuild-it/
Notre-Dame fire: Has too much money been given to rebuild it?
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EPA
Since the fire that tore through Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris last week, donations have been pouring in from across the world to restore the structure to its former glory.
Ordinary people and billionaires have pledged at least €750m (£650m; $835m) in the 10 days after the main spire and roof of the building collapsed in a huge fire on 15 April.
One early estimate by French construction economists suggests that the donations may far surpass the cost of repairs.
Amid the wave of goodwill and generosity, critics have argued that the money could have been better spent elsewhere.
But those collecting money for the repairs are urging people to keep donating, saying a price cannot yet be put on the work.
“We should not tell people to stop donating as we still don’t know how much it is going to cost,” said Laurence Lévy of French heritage group Fondation du Patrimoine.
What will it cost?
Untec, the national union representing construction economists in France, has estimated that the repair and restoration work on the Notre-Dame will cost a maximum of €600 million, excluding VAT.
“The cost is [a minimum of] around €300 million and the high level is around €600 million but we need to have two or three months to have the right cost,” Untec president Pascal Asselin told the BBC.
The figures reached by the group included the cost of securing the structure; replacing the roof and framework; employing expert stonemasons and completing intricate restoration works, according to French news channel BFM TV.
An official estimate is yet to be put on the cost of the extensive work.
Because the cathedral is owned by the state, insurance money will not fund the work as the state is its own insurer. Some of the relics and artworks inside Notre-Dame were insured, as were contractors working on the building before the fire broke out.
Global call to design new Notre-Dame spire
How will Notre-Dame cathedral be restored?
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Getty Images
Could it be higher?
Experts contacted by the BBC were reluctant to speculate on how much the repairs may be.
“How do you price the unpriceable?” said Richard Woolf, an architect and expert in historic building conservation.
Alan Davies, another architect specialising in the conservation of historic buildings, said that while there were not many projects that would come close to the figure raised by donors, the complex restoration work would require the highest level of expertise.
“It costs whatever it costs… there can’t be any cutting corners,” he said.
Robert Read, head of art at London insurer Hiscox, has predicted the cost might go “north of €1bn”, although insists it is far too early to give an accurate estimate without knowing what complications might arise.
Ms Lévy of Fondation du Patrimoine said people “should not rely on estimates made by people who haven’t been inside the cathedral and haven’t seen the damage.”
“We haven’t collected too much money as we don’t know how much money will be needed,” she said. “No figure has been confirmed yet. We are talking about art and handcraft.”
Who raised the money?
Notre-Dame de Paris was built 850 years ago and has played a role in key moments of French history as well as capturing the imagination of millions around the world.
France’s mega-rich have trumped up huge sums to restore the gothic architecture, with billionaires Bernard Arnault and Francois-Henri Pinault among the biggest donors.
“The amount of money that people have pledged is a reflection of the way people feel about historic buildings as fixed points in the landscape,” said Alan Davies. “Notre-Dame is of national and international standing.”
Others have donated more modest amounts.
“I heard about the Notre-Dame fire and wanted to help. I know it’s not much but every bit helps,” a nine-year-old British girl called Caitlyn wrote in a letter accompanying her donation of a few euros.
Image copyright
Fondation du Patrimoine
There are four French groups raising the money: Catholic charity Fondation Notre-Dame, Fondation du Patrimoine, Fondation de France and the National monuments centre.
Some estimates suggest as much as €1bn has been raised but a French official said late on Wednesday that €750m had been confirmed.
Better spent elsewhere?
The level of donations has sparked criticism that the money could have been better spent elsewhere.
Actress Pamela Anderson said she had attended a gala raising money for “children suffering in Marseille” this week when a “big surprise auction item” came up raising funds to rebuild the Notre-Dame.
Skip Twitter post by @pamfoundation
Surely the children suffering in Marseille
could have used the 100,000 €
more than the church
that has already received
over a billion in donations
by billionaires.
— Pamela Anderson (@pamfoundation) April 24, 2019
End of Twitter post by @pamfoundation
“I hope they will reconsider and give to where it is needed,” she added.
At the weekend, yellow-vest demonstrators complained at the ease with which corporations and wealthy individuals had raised money for a building but had ignored months of protests against the high cost of living.
Others have complained that the billionaire donors benefit from a 60% tax deduction in France.
Markus Renner, a Swiss-based marketing and brand reputation expert, said that companies had pledged too much too soon.
Image copyright
Getty Images
Image caption
Gilets jaunes protesters on Saturday complained that they too could burn, just like Notre-Dame
“I would not say that there is not a good intention behind it, but maybe they should have thought twice. How do they know how much is needed?” he said.
“I used to work within companies and my advice would always be to send a message that you’re willing to donate, but depending on how much money is needed, not overreacting the way they did.
“It is a building, nobody died.”
For others, however, the generosity shown towards the Notre-Dame was befitting of its history and status within French society.
“What happened to Notre-Dame was horrific but seeing the generosity that poured in from all over the world and from people of all religions was overwhelming,” said Ms Lévy.
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The thing we do for friendship: A Yu-gi-oh 5Ds fanfiction
I posted this on my Ao3, too, but I thought it would be easier for people to read if I pasted it here instead.
This fic is meant to be sort of a missing scene of what happens to Saiga between the time he saves Yusei at the end of episode 12 and when he reappears in episode 13. It contains description of torture/police brutality, and implied self-harm, you’ve been warned.
The last thing he remembered was telling Yusei to leave him behind, before blacking out. The ground was cold beneath him, but this wasn’t where he had passed out; he could tell that much without even opening his eyes. As he attempted to sit up, only to fall back when the room spun and his head pounded more than it did just a few seconds ago, Saiga was almost certain of one thing; he had a concussion.
Eventually the pain and dizziness subsided enough for him to take in his surroundings. He was in a jail cell; Sector Security had finally got him, and frankly, he wasn’t sure what they planned on doing to him.
A guard passed by his cell, he looked a bit surprised to see that Saiga was awake, but he still passed by without much interaction.
“He’s awake!” Saiga heard somebody-likely the guard-shout. “Should we mark him and let him go? He still looks pretty dazed; I doubt he’ll put up much of a fight if we do it now.”
“No, this one’s a special case.” A very familiar voice replied. “He has something I want; information on the whereabouts of Yusei Fudo. Bring him to the room.”
The way he said the last part made Saiga tense up a bit. The room was likely the place he’d heard about before; it was where Sector Security would get whatever information they needed out of you, one way or another. Basically, it was a torture chamber.
The guard from before came back, along with another man. Instead of the traditional handcuffs, they snapped an odd-looking collar around his neck. Saiga really wanted take these idiots down, but his strength hadn’t returned yet, and even if he hadn’t been injured, he didn’t think he could fight even one of those guys. He was average height, and relatively thin, while the two guards were both tall and built like grizzly bears.
“This collar is to make sure you don’t try anything.” One of the men explained. “If you try to run away, or put up a fight, I’ll zap you with this switch, understand?”
“Because handcuffs are sooo three years ago.” Saiga replied sarcastically.
The guard didn’t appreciate his smugness, and pressed the switch with a smirk.
To say having electricity administered directly to his throat was painful would an understatement. The collar burned Saiga like it was on fire. He fell to the ground, unable to breathe as he clawed at his neck, desperately trying to free himself. After what felt like hours, but was probably only seconds, the guard took his finger off the switch.
“They never seem so tough after that.” The guard said with a laugh, kicking Saiga’s gasping form. “Get up, before I have to zap you again.”
“I’d be careful with that thing, if I were you.” The second guard said. “If you kill him, he can’t tell as what he knows. Another zap like that before he’s recovered and you might just fry him alive.”
“Even for Sector Security… this is low.” Saiga rasped, pulling himself off the ground. It hurt to talk, much less argue, with the guards.
The led him down the hall way, to a small room with a glass viewing window on one wall. A few countertops stood along part of the wall, all covered by black sheets. The only two uncovered pieces of furniture were a metal chair and what appeared to be an examination table; both either rusted or stained with dried blood.
“Wait in that chair until Officer Ushio gets here.” The guard instructed him. “I’ll be on the other side of the glass, waiting to zap you, if you even think about trying anything.”
The two guards left. A few seconds later the door opened once again, revealing Tetsu Ushio, the man Yusei was in a duel with before Saiga had gotten captured. He’d managed to avoid any real injuries when he crashed into Saiga, safe for a few bumps and bruises.
“Now, one way or another, you are going to tell me where Yusei is.” Officer Ushio told him. “We can do this the easy way, where you just tell me what you know right now, and I let you go without at fight. Or, we can to this the hard way.”
“I don’t know where he is.” Saiga replied in a monotone.
“I know you’ve at least got something.”
“I don’t know anything about him; we just met.” He replied. “You’re wasting your time with me.”
That wasn’t really true, he knew a lot about Yusei; probably enough to track down the younger man. But he wasn’t about to give any of that information up; Yusei was his friend, probably the last one he had.
Ushio turned on a bright light over the chair Saiga sat in. “Where is he?”
Due to the pain in his head flaring back up from the sudden blinding light, Saiga didn’t really hear the question, and only gave a groan as he attempted to keep the light out of his eyes.
Ushio turned the light down a significant amount with a sigh. “Yuso was right; you’ve probably got some kind of head injury. This is going to make things even harder.”
He tied a blindfold over Saiga’s eyes, and half-led half-dragged him out of the chair and over to another part of the room.
“You won’t like what I’m about to do to you, so I suggest you just tell me what you know already.”
“I told you before, I don’t know anything. If you want to find Yusei so bad, I suggest you put your efforts into searching, unless you’re just torturing me for the hell of it.”
Without another moments rest, Saiga’s head was forced into a large sink filled with water. Ushio held him down for a minute as he struggled, but he eventually let him breathe again.
“Are you ready to tell me where Yusei is now?” Ushio asked him.
“I don’t know.” He coughed, still struggling for breath. “And if you keep this up, you’re going to kill me.”
“You’re hiding something, I know it!” He shoved Saiga’s head underwater once more, this time it took almost two minutes for him to let up. “So, are you finally ready to talk?”
Saiga didn’t reply this time, focusing his energy on gasping for breath. Ushio didn’t like this response, and slapped Saiga across the face, sending the shorter man to the ground.
“You will respond to me when I speak to you!” He shouted, pressing a foot to Saiga’s chest. “Don’t make me repeat myself again; what do you know about Yusei?”
“Nothing you haven’t already figured out.” He rasped. “His full name is Yusei Fudo, he’s a duelist from Satellite. I’m a criminal for hire; my clients usually don’t tell me too much about themselves.”
But not Yusei. He thought. That guy’s like an open book sometimes; it’s a wonder they haven’t found him yet.
Ushio kicked him in the ribs, smirking when Saiga let out a poorly-suppressed cry of pain. The officer had likely bruised, if not broken, one of his ribs.
“A couple more of those, and you’ll be coughing up blood.” Ushio laughed. “You probably want me to stop now, and all you have to do to make that happen is talk.”
“Even if I did know where Yusei was, I’d rather die than tell you.” He muttered through clenched teeth. “I’m a professional; keeping my client’s information private is part of the job.”
Ushio kicked him a few more times, taking care to get both sides, before growing impatient with Saiga’s lack of a response. Usually he had the information he needed at this point. He knew Saiga had at least something he was still hiding, and if Yusei was only a client, as he claimed, then why hadn’t he just given up already?
Ushio picked Saiga’s injured body, and roughly shoved him on to the metal table. He walked off to one of the counters, and fished around in a drawer full of various metal instruments, before coming back when he found just the right one.
“You can’t see it with that blindfold on, but I’ve got a large scalpel here, and you can take a guess of what I plan on doing with it.” Ushio told him. “This is your last chance to tell me what you know, before I add your blood to the stains on this table.”
So they were bloodstains after all. That would unnerve most people into finally speaking, but Saiga had already gotten this far, and wasn’t about to let his efforts go to waste.
“I’ve told you this at least five times so far; I know nothing about Yusei.” He replied. “Get it through your thick skull already.”
Ushio growled at the insult, and shoved the scalpel into Saiga’s ankle. On instinct, he kicked the officer right in the face, earning himself another shock. The two guards can back in and tied his arms and legs to the table after that.
Ushio dragged the scalpel along Saiga’s wrists and ankles a few times, leaving behind long, bleeding lines, before asking again if he was ready to talk. Saiga didn’t even bother replying.
After a few more slashes Ushio gave up. Either Saiga was being honest and really didn’t know anything, or he was unbreakable, and Ushio was worried he might kill the man if he didn’t quit soon. He called for the two guards to come back.
“He doesn’t have what we need; I guess we should let him go.” He told them, motioning to Saiga. “Drop him off about a mile from here. Make sure you sedate him so he doesn’t find his way back here; I think he knows where the regular prisoners are sent, but he doesn’t know where this place is. Bring his duel runner, too; it probably has a tracking device.”
“Should we mark him first?” One of the guards asked.
“Don’t bother; I don’t know how he does it, but he deactivates them somehow.” Ushio replied. “It would just be a waste of resources.”
That was the last thing Saiga heard before he felt the jab of a needle in his arm, and everything went black once again.
He woke up in an empty alleyway, next to his overturned duel runner. The pain of the whole ordeal was excruciating, but at least he could take solace in the fact that Yusei was safe-for now.
Saiga knew where he was; his apartment was only a few blocks away. He stashed his duel runner behind a stack of rubble where nobody would find it; he knew he wasn’t up to riding it back. Besides; he could just come back for it when he needed it.
About half way back to his apartment, he suddenly fell to his knees and vomited on the sidewalk; confirming his earlier suspicions of having a concussion. He didn’t give himself too long to recover, before getting up and dragging himself the rest of the way home.
When Saiga finally got back to his apartment, he felt like dying. His white shirt was soaked in blood around the sleeves (Although, it wasn’t like he didn’t have other, almost identical shirts), an at this point, it was probably easier to name what parts of his body didn’t hurt like a bitch. For once, he was thankful he had left the first aid kit he usually kept in his workshop upstairs in his apartment again.
The only positive thing about Yuji being gone is that I don’t have to explain the new cuts on my wrists to him. He thought, as he bandaged the bloody wounds. He’d never believe me if I told him Sector Security did it.
He swallowed two Ibuprofen with a swig of the vodka he kept in freezer (thanks to the miracles of science, vodka doesn’t freeze), before stripping down to his boxers and heading to bed.
Saiga couldn’t remember if you were supposed to sleep or not with a concussion, and he didn’t feel like looking it up. He hoped Yusei wouldn’t need him in the next day or so, as he was in no condition to save him.
Here’s a link to the fic on Ao3, if you want to read it there: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11502243
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