#Iron Fist: Wayward Warrior

[bookoftheironfist]

Pei is the star of this week’s Marvel Voices Infinity comic!

SHE IS, YES, THANK YOU!

I've been away and managed to completely miss this extremely exciting news. If anyone else also missed it, AHHHH! LOOK!:

Formerly the youngest person to bear the mark of the Iron Fist, Pei is struggling to find direction now that she no longer has her powers. But when an encounter with a school bully gets out of hand over a mysterious artifact gifted to her by former Iron Fist, Danny Rand, no one is prepared for the adventure it sets her off on—least of all, Pei!

This is a weekly six-part Marvel Unlimited digital exclusive; learn more about it here. I will come back with my thoughts. With Pei's future in the Marvel universe left really unclear by the previous Iron Fist run, I am thrilled beyond words to see her again, especially in a starring role!

#PEI! My child! #isabelkane #Iron Fist #Pei #Marvel Voices #Iron Fist: Wayward Warrior #Solicitations

[smolbeandrabbles]

Hail To The King -  Henry IV & Reader (The King)

There’s absolutely zero ‘X’ to be had here. & To be used for platonic relationships #AppreciateThePlatonics

Author’s Note: 🎉🎉YES. I freakin’ DID.🎉🎉 Something else will have to come along and be freakin’ SPECTACULAR to stop this from being my movie of the year. Honestly, everyone involved in this movie should be super proud of themselves. This is an absolute gem. And I’m sure I’ll be raving about it for years to come... AND. If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good song. Especially when it fits the source material! Hail To The King - Avenged Sevenfold

Disclaimer: I do not own any of this apart from the words, which I wrote with mine own hand. I will not take away from the fantastic job David and Joel did. Also, seen as Shakespeare pretty much wrote fanfiction of history... this is like... fanfiction of fanfiction (of fanfiction?) Premise: As the King’s Guard it is your duty to protect him from anything. And you’ve done that well over the number of years you have served. There’s just one problem, what happens when you come face to face with the one thing you can’t protect him from...?

Words: 5371

Warnings: swearing / If you’ve not seen the movie and know nothing of the plays then... uh... spoilers!

__________

Royal flames will carve a path in chaos Bringing daylight to the night Death is riding in to town with armor... Blood is spilled while holding keys to the throne... No mercy from the edge of the blade Dare escape and learn the price to be paid Let the water flow in shades of red now Arrows black out all the light Death is riding in to town with armor They come to grant you your rights

There's a taste of fear When the henchmen call Iron fist to tame them Iron fist to claim it all Hail to the King Hail to the one Kneel to the crown Stand in the sun Hail to the King ---

If you’d ever bothered to trace your family history back, you wouldn’t have been surprised if there was a long line of you that had ended up in the service of whatever royal family was going. You had followed your father, and his father before him, and his before him… All in an array of vastly different roles – sure – but all in direct service to the King. Only difference here was you were female – and happened to have the most physical occupation of them all. King’s Guard. It had probably made sense when he was younger and getting himself into trouble – or dragging you half way across the country onto battlefields for his father and cousin. When you were more friends than anything else… But… When he became King? Shirked was the idea that he should have a woman defend him. But, apparently his thought process was quite the opposite; what kind of woman were you if you were the one charged with defending his life at every moment? Formidable. Worthy of being at his side.  And you were glad for it. You held his confidence, his council and were damn well needed when the realm started their many rebellions – that was before you counted assassination attempts. So when distain was still noted, but had considerably died down, you though you might be owed apologies. Or at least a thank you. No such luck from most of his other advisors. But you didn’t much care for them; you were much more invested now in his children. With his daughters now married into foreign families you had little opportunity to see them. But his four sons, who still liked to practice their swordsmanship, and on occasion treat you like you were still in your twenties and they were still under ten, were fast growing into tough young men of their own. With many responsibilities. Thomas was the one who had taken to this with the most resolve, that was immediately recognisable – and now he too was council to his father. John and Humphrey were content to rest on their laurels, and that made sense – they were likely to never inherit the crown, and you knew that if ever called to such service they would jump at the chance. …Then there was Hal… “Where is that boy of mine-??!” You were snapped from your deep thought, huddled sitting on the wooden steps, by the voice of your King. “Likely in town...” you tipped your head back, eyeing him curiously, he could only be talking about his eldest with a tone like that... “Would you like me to go get him?” It was as much your duty to know the whereabouts of those boys at all times. Henry already looked weary at the notion; “Is that your job?” “Not really.” You stood, brushing yourself down; “But sometimes I do like taking a walk...” He sat back for a second to regard you; “I’ll permit it, but hurry straight back.” You gave a nod of agreement “Your Majesty.” You turned with a smile “Oh-! And Y/N?” “Yes?” You twisted once more, now backing out of the throne room; “Knock some sense into him, would you?!” You gave a laugh “Even when they were younger I always thought it was easier said than done... I’ll see what I can do!” ** You didn’t have to stroll that far and had barely made it out of the castle grounds before you ran into him, looking about as worse for wear as you expected these days. But he was in the company of a man you didn’t recognise; causing your thumb to loosen your blade from its sheath; “Eastcheap no good for tonight then?” Hal sent his eyes heavenward, usually he’d take your snark and give you attitude of his own with amusement. Now it didn’t matter what you said, or how, it would simply be taken as another bout of chiding from his father. Hal essentially saw you as an extension of him now – and he had little patience for either. “…No.” “Well then you best get back inside and cleaned up. I shouldn’t like to send you to your father straight away, but he was asking after you…” and there it was… Hal sighed as if this would be a great effort on his part; “Fine.” You turned you attention from the prince to his companion and drew your eyes up and down him for some explanation. “And you are-!?” “Y/N…” You shot Hal a look to silence him.  “Falstaff, M’Lady…” It was a name you recognised… a seasoned warrior from a previous Kings reign. Although, he didn’t exactly look like that anymore. You wondered where Hal may have dug him up from. But could already jump to obvious conclusions. You folded your arms. “Oh, so you’re the bad influence.” His eyes flicked around the castle walls but didn’t meet your face; “I... don’t know how I feel about being called that.” You turned to Hal, still standing there awkwardly; “Don’t look at me, I’m not the one you answer to, get inside...” “But-!” “Get inside!!” You jerked your thumb over your shoulder, never one for liking repeating yourself.  He sighed, eyes downcast and trudged past you into the castle.  You shook your head and turned back to his companion, who was staring at your armour;  “And who exactly are you?” You folded your arms, eyebrow raised; “That’s a joke right? And not a very funny one...” you walked down the steps to effectively get up in his face - it worked well enough for him to take a pace back “You certainly look like a bad influence.” He smirked gently; “What, and you’re the good one?” You gave a shrug “I’m not here to be either - but seen as he appears a little wayward from time to time I do like to attempt a bit of steering... God knows what would happen if I didn’t.” He surveyed you again; “You’re King’s guard.” “Correct.” “Will you be Hal’s too?”  Part of you wanted to scoff, first it would have to happen – and tension in this family was high enough; “Unless he removes me from service...” you narrowed your eyes at the notion though, “But if I was you, I would have care how I spoke.” One too many strange men appearing on castle grounds got a girl wise to these things. He bent to examine your weaponry “Why? Would you run that through me?” You rolled your shoulders in a shrug; “I can think of worse things to do with my time...” “Surely all that is heavy? Don’t you take a break?”  You raised an eyebrow “It’s... my job.” Not as heavy as the weight of the Kingdom I should think, in its current state. “I see, is that it? Stand around like that all day.” “Occasionally I train Hal and his siblings in combat - which they will obviously need if things continue the way they are. And I advise, on occasion...” you placed your hands on your hips; what it was to him however was beyond you. Still, he nodded his head to the gate that his friend had just disappeared through. “You gonna advise the kid too?” You scoffed this time; “Ha-! Well I’d certainly give him a lot better advice than you.” He gave another smirk “we’ll see about that.”

**

As you expected the ill-feeling continued, and eventually Hal stopped coming around all together. You weren’t exactly surprised, and neither was Henry, which you were glad of. He wasn’t all as delusional as they would call him. However, your King was getting wise to his own mortality. He’d survived a few illnesses so far – but now he was getting older they were getting harder to fight. And today as you looked over the palace gardens his musings caught your attention; “I must call him back.” You were torn between his health as a priority and the knowledge that before something really awful happened, their relationship should be allowed to mend; “Will seeing him not strain you?” “Don’t you ever get tired of telling me what to do?” “I get worried.” You slid off the stone ledge you were sat on, “Now more than ever...” “Mortal life is such...” You lowered your head; “...But I did not expect it to be so sudden... this is my duty, what do I do without you...?” “Continue on.” “If your heir allows it.” “Why should he not?” “I don’t know... children have a funny way of looking at things...” You only began to walk as he did, and slow... you had never been more alert in your entire life - not even when you used to ride the battlefield together and his very life depended on yours. When enemies and weapons surrounded you.

But this was the second time in your life you had felt powerless to stop something. And the first was with his wife. You adored her too, and essentially became her Queens guard. Retaking that oath on their wedding day. It had happened similarly... how were you supposed to protect him from something like this...  And now enemies were on all sides too, what with the addition of Henry Percy to the rebellions. You should have dispatched him yourself over that dinner. You could reprimand yourself over that one later though… Still, in honesty, who would morn beside his father-!? Would you simply be fighting a losing battle? But you couldn’t give up - not on a man that meant so much to you.

*** Similar discussion rolled around again a week later, whilst you were waiting for the servants to finish dressing him one morning. You were the only one in this castle looped into everything. What Henry didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him – what the advisors weren’t telling you, you would gain from those in Henry’s inner most circle – the 4 or 5 of you that held his closest confidence. There was something in your demeanor that made you perfect to stand by his side and defend him, as well as make the right connections to have all the information at your disposal at any one time. Anyone who needed to know it would know in due time. Kindness paid you well, but being quiet and unassuming was twice as powerful. 

“I must speak to Hal, don’t you think? Before this gets worse.” This time your answer was different, if Henry were to listen to reason, he would do it now; “I do believe that wouldn’t go amiss.” He nodded, turning to let them smooth out his cloak ready for another communal day listening to very boring stories where you would try not to roll your eyes. You used to give each other similar looks of distain back in his younger days... Now Henry seemed to make snap judgments that didn’t make him very popular; and it was your duty to stand and listen and accept it. Having said that, if he turned to anyone, it was still to you. “I will summon him, then, lay down the rules. How I expect my succession to go.” “If I may, he only needs some straight and narrow. And giving it to him as laid down should help him with that…” you gave a nod of approval to his suggestion “Firm but fair.” He was giving you that look again that meant you didn’t necessarily believe in your suggestion “…Y/N… The truth from you now.” He dipped his head but kept those piercing blue eyes on you. You breathed a heavy sigh; “…Go easy on the firm…” You gave a gentle smile “…I believe the fair will be what he needs most.” ***

As the meeting was adjourned you allowed yourself to lower your head into your hands; oh, Lord above what have you done? Clearly whatever you had said days previously had gone over his head, been forgotten, or someone else in this room had put other notions in his head. You glared at his row of ‘advisors’ – you could make a fair few guesses. If only you were just allowed to go around and take them all out without some yelling treason and getting you killed. You ground your teeth and excused yourself from your King for a moment. “Tell me this wasn’t someone else’s idea?” Thomas gave a shrug “…I… Cannot say I knew it was coming. But neither can I say it’s a surprise.” “Whether that be Hal or the battle?” “Oh. The battle was set… Why?” “Would you like me to accompany you?” He politely shook his head; “Your place is at my fathers side.” “I know that, but he’s hardly about to fight a war is he…” “You may stay, if I need you I will send for you…” Thomas was always your favourite, you didn’t like the idea that he was about to walk into this on his fathers orders “…You promise?” “I promise.” “Well then you best keep it, if you are to succeed him, then I would expect you to already be utilizing me.” He gave a smile at that, and a confident nod; “Perhaps I shall see you on the battlefield?” You reflected his warm smile with your own; “Until such a time, Thomas! I wish you luck!” It wasn’t so hard to catch Henry after talking quickly to Thomas and even less hard to get him to usher all his other bickering advisors away; “When I said talk to Hal, that isn’t exactly what I had in mind!!” “...What? Do you believe me to have lapsed in judgement...?” “He is your son! I would just expect that...” You held your tongue at the look he was giving you “That boy is no son of mine, do you think he cares? He would sooner see me dead than come to my heed - and he said it himself, he does not seek the crown of England.” You tried to not look so hurt; what had caused such a rift... you had your own ideas... Hal had always been the wayward unruly one... but the eldest. You always thought he would come back, and perhaps he would have. But both he and his father shared a similar distaste for one another’s company that had never really healed. Not even now, when Henry, like it or not was a dead man walking.

 **

  Things declined, and fast. It wasn’t like you could say one day he was fine and the next he wasn’t, he’d been ailing for a while - but you expected it to draw itself out a little longer... but when hour two of you sitting in the throne room alone rolled around you knew something was wrong. And you knew he’d long since lost the strength to wander alone; so he wouldn’t be in any of the places you would have usually found him pondering life. You decided you’d rather be in trouble for not being here when he arrived than leaving anything too late.  And you were right; although when you got to his bedchamber only his doctor was still present. You stood in the doorway patiently, and he spotted you, whispering something to your King he came over; “I fear we are at the end...” It was like getting stabbed through the heart with your own sword, and as expected you couldn’t hold the dread from your voice; “...Is there nothing...” “Y/N I have done all I can... I know this is particular hard on y-” “You have NO idea how hard this is for me!” You spat back a little more venomously than you really meant. You were angry, confused, scared, upset.  Henry had always laughed and told you your face was too emotional, and you always pushed him and told him you were his emotional support. At least you could actually roll your eyes when someone came to him with something stupid. Not that you were supposed to, but sometimes needs must. The doctor looked more than a little taken aback, so your expression softened and you lowered your eyes “Forgive me this is just... after losing her I... I thought I would lose my life before he did...” “Have you not done your job amicably well if he is dying like this?” “In agony? When I cannot do anything? Should the King’s Guard really outlive their King?”  You were met with a silence, before the doctor turned to Henry again; “He will need rest... but you may stay...” “How long...?” “Little more than a week, I wouldn’t hope to expect that...” You swallowed back your tears, and he lay a hand on your arm; “...Y/N... I am sorry...” “...Are preparations made... is no one going to...” “What are preparations now? After Thomas-” You shot him another look “So we need to debate over Hal, now?” “Y/N... until he-” “For goodnessake...” You shook your head; fine. If his other advisors won’t say it, you would. Your smile was a thin line; “Thank you Doctor... I’ll take it from here...”

Those were some of the hardest steps you’d ever had to take, which you thought was pretty pathetic on your part. He’s your King dammit! It doesn’t matter for how much longer, he is NOW! It’s YOUR job to be his strength, while he still has some of his own... But he was your whole life, your whole world, your best friend. And if there was something to go through, you’d probably been through it together. And for all the talk of you supposedly saving his life, you couldn’t count the number of times he’d saved yours. Your eyes flicked to the castle grounds visible from the window, and you were glad they hadn’t left it dark in here. Though if they had you’d have done something about it. Always the rebellious one. You sat on the edge of his bed and sighed gently... if this really was it then you’d never get to walk with him anywhere again, let alone out there. You were starting to wish you’d savoured yesterday that little more. It wasn’t long before his hand took yours, and you were forced to smile. His voice was weak but held that amusement that let you know he wasn’t truly done yet. “...Never thought you’d have to see me like this...” You shook your head, eyes still on the scenery “...this is you we’re talking about... I’ve seen much worse.” He managed a chuckle; “Oh! About to get a collective embarrassing life story, am I?” “I’ll spare you that, your Grace.” “Oh. The honour is mine...”  You laughed, despite the circumstances... “But in seriousness... we do need to talk about what happens next.” “Hal?” Your nod was barely there, unless he was about to offer up a second suggestion; “Who else?” There was a grumble and Henry withdrew his hand, which made you look back to him; “...I didn’t wish to see you lose any of them before your own life... but we can’t pretend it didn’t happen... Henry if you don’t name an heir there will be chaos... even if Hal is the more obvious choice... I don’t trust-” anyone! He sighed; “You never have.” “No. With good reason! Everyone here is here for themselves...” “And you aren’t?” “Thought it might be obvious by my title...” I’m here for you. You folded your arms “And if I have to tell you some home truths, so be it. I’m not afraid to do so.” “...Do you think he’s ready?” “I think he’ll be different.” “That wasn’t an answer to my question.” “How can anyone be ready? I’m not ready, and I’ve been preparing for what happens if I don’t do my job for 20 years-!” “You cannot shield me from this one...” “And how do you think THAT makes me feel-!?” There was sudden silence at the way you’d raised your voice and you sighed again “Forgive me, I...”

His hand reached out again and this time he brushed away the single tear that had escaped; “Do not waste your tears on me... crying is all but useless.” Your voice was barely above a whisper as it graduated to despair; “What am I supposed to do without you..?” “I told you. You will do your duty. And you better damn well do it good - that boy will need it.” You blinked a few times, allowing for a pause worthy of the significance, and raised an eyebrow; “Is that you agreeing with me on this one-!?” He chuckled again, “Come now; I don’t often disagree with your judgement.” “This is a major judgement...” you took his hands back in yours “Henry, it needs to be your decision and they all need to hear you say it...” “And they will, even if it’s the last thing I say...” You sighed gently again with a nod, despite your frustration, even now he wasn’t willing to mend fences. Well. You don’t know why you expected it. “May I stay?” “You may...” he closed his eyes again “... That way you can tell everyone else to leave.” You couldn’t help but grin, even though he couldn’t see it; oh you’d only wanted to do THAT from the second you’d been appointed... You left his bed, and settled in a chair, relaxing; “With pleasure..!” You ended up reading, head propped up in your hand and sword braced against the wall. It wasn’t something you had much occasion to do these days, and you for once gained your enjoyment from being absorbed in books, and not parrying in the courtyard with adolescent males who still hadn’t figured out a way to beat you yet that didn’t involve foul play. You smiled absentmindedly at the memory as you read on; no prizes for guessing which member of the family you ought to be thanking for that. Your eyes flicked up as he murmured something, and everything stilled for a moment. He murmured it again – a little louder but barely enough for you to catch it; you placed a marker in the book and slid it from your knee – leaning forward and focusing on him. It sounded like a string of nonsense – and you realised that he must be lost in dreaming. That didn’t make your approach any less curious. You stopped just short as he mumbled again; “…Mary…" Oh… Henry…  You crouched beside him, lacing your fingers with his. He repeated her name a little louder now, and his fingers closed around yours tighter – as if desperate not to let go. His calling of her more urgent. You bit your lip gently, and attempted to calm him with gentle hushed tones of your own. And all at once you knew. He would have her back, he would get to see her again. You knitted your eyebrows together – was it fair to keep him here, to pray to God few more precious hours as much as you did, when all he’d wanted since she’d died was to see her again? It was like everything was being forced into perspective – and when he relaxed you dropped your hand from his and looked Heavenwards. He was your everything. But you should be thinking about his everything… ‘Forgive me…’ ** Every morning since then you’d been the first one to his room. For a start, there was no way you were letting anyone else beat you to the King’s side, and you wanted to pay damn close attention to the kinds of poison they might be whispering. On occasion you would simply make sure your sword hit something as you moved, to keep them in line. Your concern now was them leading him to something when he had very little effort to fight it off. He’d already made some rash decisions when he was completely lucid... some of the people that came to him had good points-! Even if they went about it the wrong way...  

But, people had been calling him delusional for a little while and you weren’t having that, or anything else, happen now. So you watched them all with a particular form of glower. You’d only left his side to rest. Not that you got much of that done either - pacing the halls outside your room instead. You would wait in his, but, you had to at least act like life may go on. It wouldn’t. You would be just as delusional for thinking so... This morning however, was worse than all the rest. You took the steps 3 at a time and walked that corridor as briskly as you had any other day. But as you turned into his room you knew something was badly wrong. And that made you sprint the rest of the way, to your knees.  His breathing was laboured, and even in taking his hand there was no strength left.  “Henry...” He barely opened his eyes to you; “Y/N...” His voice was just as weak. And for the first time since he’d been bed bound, you didn’t want to cry. Some kind of amicable strength overcame you. “Save your words, My King... I shall gather everyone...” you knew he knew too.  A shiver ran through him that you also didn’t like. Just stay alive... please until Hal is here... stay alive...  You stood, and were about to turn and run from the room once more, but something stopped you. You reached down gently, and tucked his dark hair away from his face. Then you bent - and pressed a short kiss to his forehead. It wasn’t enough, but it was what you needed to say.

** You didn’t know if you were supposed to be running quite this fast in mail; and your sword occasionally banging into you caused a dull pain, but you didn’t care. Everyone you could think that would need to be there you roused from sleep, or any other mundane task they might be doing, in order to be by his side. And by the time you got back they were ready to administer last rights.

You stood in the centre of that room and surveyed it, a slow smooth circle until you were facing him again. Everyone was solemn and quiet. And there wasn’t anyone missing to be doing the task, either. You were about to raise the noise level; “Where is Hal?” “...Why would...” “Are you serious?! Without putting too finer point on it - we will need a new King. An heir to the throne of England. We can’t exactly have the first choice can we - where is Hal!?” “The King has not named Hal as the success-” “Are you JOKING!” You took an intimidating step forward, “Who else, pray tell, will sit on the Throne of England??! Would you like to call the Scots? The Welsh? The French? Hal is the heir and Henry’s eldest son...” “This King has not-” “RETRIEVE HAL FROM TOWN. One of you! NOW!” There was another silence like they weren’t going to heed your words. But within it a second weaker voice; “Hal...” You all turned at the sound of your King “...He must... you must...” You turned to them all with a sharp look; “I believe that is deceleration enough - one of you GO-!”

To be honest if your look was going to do anything it would well have murdered them on the spot, but it didn’t - so William was the one to volunteer to go. And you at least gave him a glum smile of thanks, before taking a deep breath and nodding to the Archbishop. It was time. Like it or not. And you didn’t.

***

You couldn’t stay, you should have been in that room but you couldn’t bare it. Watching his heart break over Mary was one thing too many even now; having him watch yours do the same wasn’t something you could do to him as he died. Instead you stood outside, one foot up against the wall. Your thoughts both equally merciful and selfish. Let it be quick and have him suffer no more... let him linger a while I’m not ready yet... But you weren’t even there, would it matter now. There was sudden screaming from the entrance way that made you look up; “Where is the monster!?” You sighed, Oh...Hal... You were right, fences could never be mended... would they be even now? All you could really be glad of was that he came.

Hal paused as he wheeled around the corner and caught sight of you. And composed himself, solemnly, you wouldn’t trust to hope he would be doing it for any reason other than you. Hal and yourself had never had any reason to not get along, other than the man you served. His walk slowed a little but he understood the urgency. His nod to you meant a great deal more than he would realise. You smiled gently at his interactions. He was like you, maybe that’s what Henry saw that he didn’t like. You weren’t opposed to the shakeup. You and he were two sides of the same coin - Hal and you would become the same side - there would be a lack of balance there - but you had discipline and your nature suited you to your job. There was a point where Henry liked that. Maybe he just didn’t want to see it in his own son. Either way, he was never blaming you for it.

**

You weren’t sure you had ever felt like this. Hollow emptiness, maybe, but it hurt so bad. You’d had weeks and months of this and you all knew what was coming. And yet... When it happened it was unbearable. There was sudden shuffling... and you knew everyone was dropping to Hal’s feet. You were still stood outside. They accepted because why? Because he had said so as he died? Because it was the only way? - if Hal relieved you from duty you could stick around. If he didn’t, you had a feeling he would need you more than his father did. Discord from the outside was naught like fighting something from within. Enemies on all sides once more. In a different way... You were aware of your tears this time and decided that this once you were allowed to not keep them at bay. You were conscious of Hal’s exit from the room and pulled yourself away from the wall. He paused, and turned to you. You took a breath, knowing you were duty bound to kneel to your King. And you would - but before you could even take the step he held his hand out. “You do not need to-” “It would be improper of me to not-” Hal was incredibly soft spoken, and that tone would serve him well; “Y/N - given your standing with my father, I would not have you submit in such a way before I am truly crowned...” he paused, and tilted his head, he saw those tears. And yet you should still be getting down on your knees... “...You will stay... in office?” You opened your mouth, but what to say, of course you would accept, and Henry had asked it of you. But did you risk looking too eager, everyone else would likely be forced, and yet he was giving you the choice. You countered; “If you would wish me to... and permit me to... I will stay.” He nodded in agreement “You are my Kings Guard.” “As you are my King.” There was a clear decision in that sentence that flickered across your face and Hal’s eyes at the sentiment. “...That is agreeable. You served my father well. I am of mind enough to know you shall do the same for me.”  You gave a nod, Henry V... that’s what he would be... your second, and your second term in such an office. You could only hope not to outlive this one, and that he would reign for many a year. You bowed instead, low, so low you might as well have knelt. And when you stood again you were smiling. All hail a new era - maybe one England desperately needed.

“Hail to the King.”

---

Hope you know I wasn’t resisting at least ONE GIF.

@dennismitchell @happyskywhale @wltz-bby #MendoTagSquad.

#The King #OH MY GOD CAN WE JUST... TALK ABOUT THIS MOVIE!?! #I literally thought up this idea to use this song. #and THANK GOD I loved this movie #(i might have written it anyway but I mean... holy shit this MOVIE!) #Thea #Henry IV #Ben mendelsohn #Lets get platonic! #I might end up getting less platonic #FAMILY OF LIFE RUINERS THIS ONE #87 #i'm thinking there's much more to this than I wrote #I'll get there!

[space-outlaw-jin]

THE STORY Becalmed in the backwater Phall system, the Imperial Fists' relief fleet originally headed for Isstvan III has been waiting out the warp storms that waylaid them so many months ago. Under the assumed command of Captain Alexis Polux and seemingly forgotten by the rest of the Imperium, they hope yet to complete their mission and report back to their primarch Rogal Dorn, so that they might return to the greater conflict. But destiny calls as old rivalries are rekindled, and the treacherous Iron Warriors await their moment to strike - the feud between Dorn and his wayward brother Perturabo promises now to erupt into open war.

#black library #horus heresy #warhammer 40k

[plaidstiel-wormstache]

Leather Bound Memories

Happiest Birthday to the lovely @sdavid09. I’m just in on the actual day. Here’s my submit for your What If challenge. I’m so so sorry it’s late. Do forgive, please. What if: after John died, he stayed around as a ghost, tethered to his leather jacket? (the jacket in the gif) Warning of sweet Angst Sister!Reader Thank you to the wonderful @whispersandwhiskerburn for beta-ing this for me.

I shrugged on the oversized leather jacket. It was like getting a hug from Dad. Not that there were many of those going around after my fifth birthday. I closed my eyes and let the smell bring back long buried memories. The day I shot my first gun, my father giving me a side hug and a big grin. I smiled as I remembered Dean’s look of annoyance and disgust, only cause he'd missed the mark and didn't have Dad’s attention any more.

I frowned at the telling off the three of us received when we’d stolen a car. What else was I meant to do when he wasn’t there and Sammy was choking on his cheap tv dinner, going purple in the face. I jacked a car, Dean held tight to Sammy, and I drove us to a hospital. Dad was so angry, especially as I’d gotten caught. In my defense, it was in the process of returning it that the cops sprung me. Memories kept flooding back, stirring a mix of emotions at the small scenes that played out behind my eyelids. It was an unspoken agreement that Dad’s jacket went to Dean. But I missed him too, and his oversized ring that hung from a leather strap around my neck, just wasn’t the same. It didn’t have his smell, his warmth. I could remember the ruffle of my short hair when I successfully hunted my first beast. The sting of my first drunken smack. The awkwardness that lasted a month when Dad caught me and my first boyfriend. The argument that almost tore us apart, before Sam had even started thinking of college. I opened my eyes and looked across at my sleeping brothers. Dean still had the scratches over his eye and cheek from where the glass had cut him. Sammy was still bruised, but at least they could still find some refuge in sleep. They were lucky. Losing Dad had been my nightmare since Mom had died, and now I was living it--and not just the uncertainty of the last year or so after Dad had disappeared. This was a much more permanent absence. I didn't want to know what new nightmare would haunt me from now on, but I obviously wasn't going to find out tonight. I slipped my hands into the pockets and found the keys to the truck. “Let’s go for a drive.” I whispered to the jacket.

I snuck out of the room, making myself smile with the memory of sneaking out and stealing the Impala when I was younger. I popped the collar on the jacket as my breath came out in visible puffs in front of my face. It hadn't been this cold earlier. I unlocked the door and climbed into the passenger seat, smoothing my hands over the tight leather of the wheel. The fair hairs on the backs of my hands were standing, my skin goose-pimpled. It was colder in the cab than it was outside. I stuck the keys in the ignition and turned, the engine started with ease, unlike the gleaming shit heap Dean called “Baby”. “I know you'd kill me if you were here, but I just gotta.” I said to the empty space, knowing Dad would take his belt to me if he knew I was going for a joyride in his pride and joy. “Damn straight I would.” A voice came from the seat next to me, my arm whipped out before my mind could process what was happening. My elbow point coming down into the figure's chest. But then it went straight through and painfully bounced off the seat. I looked up at the face of the wispy figure. My hunter instincts screamed ghost and my hand curled into a fist, the iron ring cold and solid around my middle finger. But my mind was holding me back--or possibly the ache in my heart as I processed the voice I had heard. “Dad?” I questioned, staring at him. “Hi kiddo.” He said easily. My jaw dropped as my eyes almost fell from their sockets and my eyebrows disappeared into my hairline. “How?” I managed to spit out. “The jacket.” He shrugged, reaching out to brush the leather then stopping himself, realizing he would go straight through it. “Shut your mouth before something flies into it,” he said. There was the drill sergeant I knew. I snapped my mouth shut and tried to get my bug eyes under control. He chuckled and I tilted my head. “What's so funny?” I asked, finally composed enough to enjoy this time with him. “I know you and Dean are twins, but you never really looked alike unless you were gawking.” He allowed himself to reach out, a momentary lapse of the strict father I loved, and attempted to caress my cheek. I gave a warm smile my best try, but all I could summon was a sad one. Why hadn't he been like this when he was around? Why did he have to wait for death to be a real Dad? There was a long silence that passed between the two of us, probably both thinking the same thing as our gaze drifted to somewhere in the distance. “Come on.” He said, breaking the tension, “Let’s take her for a spin, the boys aren't gonna drive her like you will.” I laughed and shook my head, here I was thinking I was the only one who knew I was the speed demon in this family. I revved the engine and took off out of the motel carpark. Tearing up the loose gravel as I sped along the stretch of quiet highway. “You ever drive this f…” my sentence trailed off when I looked to my left and he wasn't there. I let out a sigh and pushed the accelerator to the floor. “Love ya, Dad.” I said to the empty cab.

“I love you too, sweetheart.” John replied, yet his only daughter couldn't hear him. John thought back to the last time he said those three words to her, she would've been four and a half, just after Mary had died. She'd had a nightmare and John was soothing his warrior princess. The deceased Winchester sighed a cold breath, cooling the cab of the truck, and making YN shiver. He vowed that when he regained his strength to project he'd tell each of his kids just how proud of them he was and just how loved they truly were.

@ackleholic-hunter @akshi8278 @arryn-nyxx @autopistaaningunaparte @avasmommy224 @babypieandwhiskey @beckawinchester @blacktithe7 @bringmesomepie56 @chaos-and-the-calm67 @charliebradbury1104 @chvalkenberg95 @clairese1980 @dancingalone21 @dreamilyjensen @ellen-reincarnated1967 @eyes-of-a-disney-princess @fandoms-are-the-best-escape @frenchybell @gabby913 @grace-for-sale @green-love-red-fantasyhearts @hasta-impalasta @i-like-your-assbutt @ilostmyshoe-79 @impala-dreamer @impalaimagining @iwriteaboutdean @jalove-wecallhimdean @jensen-jarpad @kazchester-fanfiction @kristaparadowski @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid @lipstickandwhiskey @lucifer-in-leather @lucis-unicorn @melonberri @manawhaat @mogarukes @mrswhozeewhatsis @munlis @nichelle-my-belle @notnaturalanahi @oriona75 @percywinchester27 @purgatoan @redlipstickandplaid @ruprecht0420 @sdavid09 @sherloki-moriartea @thegreatficmaster @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @wayward-mirage @waywardjoy @whispersandwhiskerburn @wheresthekillswitch @whywhydoyouwantmetosaymyname @wi-deangirl77 @yoursmilemakesmeloveyou @wideawakeandwriting @dont-trust-humanity @you-know-whodoesthat-crazypeople @maddieburcham1 @captainemwinchester @mrsbatesmotel53 @samwinjarpad

#taleteller’s what if challenge #supernatural #sister winchester #sister reader #john winchester #ghosts #angst

[cosmic-divinity]

A Wayward Crown (5)

Chapter 5 

Seto had an iron grip on his arm that Atem couldn’t force himself out of. In the alley, they were tucked away from everyone else.

  “So, the rumors were true. You managed to escape and come out..mostly unscathed,” Seto spoke in Egyptian which would have been welcoming to hear for Atem if the situation wasn’t so tense.

  “What are you saying? This is no way to treat your pharaoh. You will take me back to Egypt to show my people that I am indeed alive,” Atem demanded, still trying to wrench himself free.

  “Quit your struggling. There’s no escape here for you. You are no longer pharaoh. The gods have deserted you,” Seto said coldly. He stopped Atem’s struggling by painfully pressing on the healing gash on his thigh. The stabbing pain was enough to almost make Atem go limp.

  “Are you saying you were part of this plot to depose me? I thought I could trust you. Why give me away to the Sea People?”

  “A peace offering of sorts I suppose. It was only one step of the plan. You see, Egypt wasn’t flourishing to its full potential under you. You always called for peace while we’re bombarded by the Hittites and terrorized by the warriors from the sea. You finished your father’s plan of getting rid of the shadow games and monsters. Now, Egypt is as weak as ever. However, now that you’re gone, we can make it strong once again. I’m here to simply figure out what should be done with you. I could just leave you here to live out this happy little life you’ve made in this village, but I don’t trust the rebellious spirit you have. I’m working with powerful allies who want to be sure you won’t cause any trouble. There are already a few rebellion attempts happening in the homeland because some believe that you are still alive. That must be snuffed out.” Seto wore a cold smile that sent a chill down Atem’s spine.

  “So, you’re going to kill me? Is that it? That would certainly be a way to get rid of me for good.” Atem didn’t like how this was going. The pain was preventing him from gathering up enough strength to escape. His only hope was someone happening to pass by the alley.

  “That would be too easy and bringing back a body might actually cause the rebellions to grow worse. No, you’re going to become a figurehead for the failure of a pharaoh you were. Our new allies want to see you deposed and broken. Perhaps I’ll bring you back to Egypt..as a slave that is or I could take the journey north and offer you to the Hittites or do what was supposed to happen and give you over to the Sea People. Either way, you will remain a symbol and for that, you will remain alive. I think that’s a fate crueler than death don’t you think?”

Atem’s eyes darted down to see what Seto was getting from his pack, and he felt sick as it was a length of thick rope.

  “What you’re suggesting truly is cruel, but I don’t break so easily. Monsters and shadow games aren’t a way to make Egypt strong. It’ll be everyone’s doom. I know you disagreed, but I wasn’t aware you’d go to such extreme measures.” He wished he had his sword with him, but he had nothing and even his strength was leaving him.

  “Hey, Aut! Where did you go?”

Atem shuddered as he recognized Yugi’s voice calling out for him and close by too. Seto quickly covered his mouth before he could shout anything. This was bad. The last thing Atem wanted was to drag Yugi into all of this. He deserved a peaceful life here with his grandpa. It was many of the reasons why he continued to lie about who he was.

  “Aut? That’s a clever fake name. You were smart to hide your identity, but that isn’t going to save the boy now. You better pray he doesn’t find us here.”

Atem glanced down to see that Seto was pulling out a dagger. He had to stop this somehow. His heart rate quickened every time Yugi drew closer. As Yugi was about to go past the alley, Atem made a split second decision, biting down on one of Seto’s fingers as hard as he could. This made him release Atem’s wrist. Atem acted quickly, gritting his teeth through the pain. His fist promptly collided with Seto’s jaw before he took off as best he could with pain still shooting up and down his leg. It was pure adrenaline that kept him going as he grabbed Yugi by his arm as he passed him.

  “Woah, where are we going??”

Atem didn’t answer, trying to stay focused on simply running. He didn’t dare look back to see if Seto was following after them. It would slow him down too much. He didn’t stop running until they reached Yugi’s house, breathing heavily and favoring his good leg. The healing wound was already starting to open up a bit with streaks of red dripping down his thigh and calf.

  “Aut..”

  “Listen, go in there. Grab whatever you need like you’re going on a trip and grab my sword. If you can, fetch a donkey or whatever animals you use here for travel. Please hurry. I’ll explain later. I promise,” he said between his labored breaths.

Yugi hesitated for a moment, unsure what was even going on. He soon nodded and ran into the house. Atem took a calming breath and turned around, heading to where the road went into town. He couldn’t let Seto see where the two of them lived. Who knew what he’d do. His right leg was shaking slightly now, and he couldn’t seem to stop it.

  “Well, well, I should’ve expected you to retaliate. You’re as strong as ever even in this weakened state,” Seto chuckled, walking towards him on the road.

Atem kept his fists up, readying himself for anything. He prayed that Yugi would come back soon. It saddened him, but they had to leave. Now that he was found he had to go. It was up to Yugi whether or not he wanted to join him, but he would understand if he didn’t.

  “Don’t you know how it pains me to do this, but I must do this for my people. On the brightside, you’ll be the most prized slave no matter where you’re sent to. So, just give up before you hurt yourself further. I’ll offer a friendly hand to you only once more.” Seto extended his hand out to him. “For the old times.”

  “Keep the old times,” Atem spat in disgust. “Our friendship obviously didn’t mean that much to you.”

  “Defiant as always,” Seto tutted. “Alright, you made your choice.”

Atem readied himself even with the overwhelming feeling that his legs were going to give out. Seto began to run at him, a fist aimed right for Atem’s jaw. It was probably in retribution for the punch Atem had dealt him. Atem began to hear hoofbeats coming towards them as they got louder and louder. Just as Seto was upon him, a hand grabbed onto his collar and yanked him up towards the back of a donkey. Atem recognized Yugi right away, but the smaller man didn’t have the strength to fully pull him onto the moving donkey. With as much strength as he could muster, Atem grabbed onto the saddle and managed to hoist himself up by momentum. He clung onto Yugi for dear life to keep from slipping off. At that point, he didn’t care where they were headed as long as it was away from here.

#yugioh #atem #fanfic #fanfiction #writing #fic #ancient egypt

[williammarshal-blog]

Lights Out

Summary: Aden is usually Lexa’s sparring partner, No matter what.

On the days his Commander's war meeting went well, she was courteously chipper in their sparring sessions. Aden would always get a greeting and a fond ruffle of his increasingly messy hair. Aden knew the other boys and girls whispered behind his back of favouritism but he found he didn't quite care. His Heda had chosen him to spar, and quite often he would be nicknamed 'The Commander's Second'—except he was clearly not.

If anything, Titus enforced that. Commanders did not take seconds—but Lexa liked to smirk at him and go against Titus' iron-strong teachings anyway.

Today, Lexa's meeting with the Southern clans had been satisfactory to say the least. They picked up their weapons in silence—lightly-carved sticks from the finest wood within the Trikru territory.

"Do you see how it falls just below your eye?" Lexa said, nearly jabbing Aden's eye out. "That is when you should get your hair cut. Sometimes it gets in the way."

"My mother says I look better with longer hair," Aden replied.

"Your mother is not acquainted with the ways of sparring."

They laughed at that, and then they sparred. One of the many, many things Aden admired about Lexa was her refusal to give Aden any opportunity to better her. Lexa fought fairly, and Aden suspected at not even half her capacity—but she would never just roll over on one side like some cuddly bear and allow for all the children to attack her good-naturedly. Lexa was harsh and demanding, sparring for hours and bruising and causing nosebleeds and scratches until Aden was bent over, panting and gulping in breath. If he forgot to surrender, Lexa would continually smack him down whenever he moved until he tapped out.

"Don't forget the importance of that," Lexa had scolded him, "otherwise your opponent will be well within their rights to keep attacking you. Tap out if you must. There is no shame in it."

It came as no surprise to anyone, then, that Aden continually tapped out whenever Lexa bettered him. He was aware that Lexa would not hesitate in beating the living daylights out of him if he did not. And Aden was a swift learner. He picked up in some of Lexa's defining moves, though his agility did not match hers and neither did his cunning. He got better. He tracked his progress in the seconds it took for her to knock him down—and along the weeks, when the seconds grew to minutes, he felt his heart swell in pride.

He could see it in Lexa's eyes too. "Were you trained?" Lexa asked conversationally as Aden grunted to keep up with her lightning pace, shifting so that his feet were almost trained to dance around the pits. "As a fighter, I mean?"

"No—argh—" Aden ducked from a wayward swing of the log from Lexa, retreating as they circled each other. Lexa smiled, pleased. "My mother reads fortunes in the Square. My father passed."

"I'm sorry to hear of it."

"They trust her," Aden said. Lexa made no move to attack. "I suppose it must be legend: if a boy or a girl bleeds black, then their parents must speak the truth."

Lexa dug one end of the log into the boggy marsh. "What do you think?"

Aden shrugged. "We must eat somehow."

-

"I didn't call for you."

"I know, Commander, but I thought—as I usually spar with you—"

"I specifically didn't call for you!" Lexa reprimanded him. Today was different. The sun had disappeared and instead, the clouds rewarded them with harsh, blunt rain. It soaked through Aden's tunic and he thanked the spirits he had finally cut his hair—for he would not be able to see a thing if his fringe still existed. "I asked for a warrior!"

It stung, because Aden knew Lexa was telling the truth. He was no warrior, and he knew that. He was not of Indra or Anya or even Titus' calibre, but they had been suspended with questions and diplomatic meetings. Ever since the dark happenings of the Ice Nation's declaration of war and rejection of the coalition, the sun had not dared to peek upon Polis. Aden had only heard rumours from the chef's kitchen—who had slipped him an extra ration of pork belly—that his Commander's lover had been executed by Queen Nia of the North.

Judging by the way Lexa roared at him to go away, wielding her log like she wanted to smash it against something, Aden doubted it was far from the truth.

"You are here to spar, surely," he called across, wobbling a little as the mud nearly twisted his ankle. "Why else would you be in the sparring pits, Heda?"

"There are opponents I spar with," Lexa said, "and then there are those I am unafraid to unleash upon."

"Why can't I be both?"

"Because—you—" Lexa sighed heavily, staring up at the skies as the rain smattered down on her face. Exasperation tore through her body, because this boy just would not give up. "You are my student, Aden. I will not beat you."

"You have been fair before. Remember?"

Lexa's eyes flashed with...something. Aden didn't recognise it. "I don't want to be fair."

Nobody else came to the sparring pits.

When his fellow Nightbloods assisted Nyko in patching up a near-unconscious Aden afterwards, he could only recall the angry way Lexa came after him, smacking down against the weakening grip on his log with her own, down, down, down, down—until it flew from his hand. And then she'd twirled it in her hand, smashing it upwards against his chin so he sprawled backwards from his staggered position, his intent to get to his feet.

In her ferocity he had barely moved an inch, his boots sinking into the sparring pit that became a bog. Logs cast aside, they had moved to fisticuffs—something Aden was hugely unfamiliar with. He ducked desperately, his lungs gasping for air in the unforgiving rain as Lexa swiftly jabbed at him, catching his jaw with a heavy left hook. She took no defensive position. She only advanced as he held both his fists up, feeling woefully inadequate as she decked him in the stomach, giving him milliseconds to yell in pain before her palm went up to shove at his face, sending him sprawling backwards into the dirt.

It would not stop.

"In a box," she said haggardly, advancing as Aden gingerly got to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth. His entire body ached all over. "On my bed. My bed!"

"Heda—"

Her fist connected with his cheekbone, and his body clattered to the floor, unconscious.

-

The Wanheda had been missing for months now, and in her absence, in her silence, her legend only grew. At first she had simply been the Sky girl who had brought the Mountain down with some otherworldly force—but now she was one of the most powerful beings in all of the earth, second only to his Commander.

Aden was a few years older now, and knew better than to listen to kitchen gossip. But he could not help and admire Clarke kom Skaikru for her tenacity despite his Commander's decision. He knew people of Polis spoke highly of his Commander but others within the coalition or others in outlying villages spoke differently. He disagreed with them.

Teachings of politics and geography and village chiefdoms and old earth history with Titus and Lexa had been most revealing and informing. He liked to think of himself, as he stared at his baby-faced reflection in the mirror, as standing on the precipice of being a man. He had not had his first appearance of stubble, but his shoulders had broadened with years of sparring with others—lads bigger than him, lads quicker than him, and the Commander herself, too.

He was among the hopeless and the curious in the crowd as Prince Roan of Azgeda towed a masked prisoner into Polisian walls. Whispers said it was Clarke kom Skaikru, the Wanheda, herself; Aden did not know what to think, but that kind of rumour did not sprout from nothing. He had heard Lexa and Titus converse about it once in a training session, which had ended with Titus storming from the sparring pits. Lexa had made some joke about him, and everyone had laughed, but Aden chewed on his lip and wondered if Polisian hearsay turned out to be true.

Aden was beyond relieved that afternoon when the Commander chose him to be her sparring partner yet again. It was fun, conversing with her about the day's war meetings and how the Rock Commander's joke sunk like a rock itself and how the Water Commander's mead consumption was still hideous. He enjoyed gossip when it came from the Commander's mouth itself.

Instead, she remained tight-lipped—and for the most part, unfocussed—as she parried with him. Mostly on the back-foot, Aden took advantage of his smaller size and manipulated their parries so he ended up jabbing her throat three times. Her footwork was slow, and her gaze—so often drilled into his eyes, to anticipate his every move—was everywhere. She looked over the city sometimes. She looked at the floor. She stared at some gap above Aden's head.

Quite simply, Lexa was out-of-sorts and Aden didn't have it in him to embarrass the Commander and point this out in front of the other Nightbloods and Aden. Instead, he tried to slow his moves down, each parry growing weaker and weaker as he thought of it like a game of checkers. Every carefully constructed sequence would be the same—and Lexa spotted it within seconds.

"No holding back," she said absently, tapping Aden's makeshift weapon. "Do you think you'll be able to hold back in the trials, Aden?"

"No, Commander."

"Then let's train properly."

But Lexa did not hold up her end of the promise. At the end of the day, when Aden decked her on the chin, upwards, and she reeled back in surprise—as if that had knocked some sort of responsibility back in her—the gaze she gave him was not one of danger, but one of wonderment. He could only stare back, panting heavily as she half-smiled at him, studying him closely. Titus dismissed him and he quickly gathered his items, wanting to go home to a bowl of hearty soup and a heavy lump of bread. He didn't want—whatever this was today.

"Clarke elevates herself," he heard Lexa say wistfully as he sped past, stopping in his tracks. He was behind the conversing duo. He hated eavesdropping, so he left quickly after that. But he ate keenly that night, knowing legends were true.

-

Aden moved slowly, this time with a blunt blade instead of a wooden stick. He focussed heavily on his footwork, making sure he was quiet, quick and efficient. He would be slender like the night, bold like the daylight, and most of all, he would be silent.

"A lot of the time, it's in the footwork—in fact, I'd say it's most of the time," Lexa said in front of him. "It depends on how deeply you study your opponent. If I took my fight with King Roan in Nia's vote of no confidence, it was easy to note that his foot stepped forward every time he was to lunge—which was usually his move."

"Then one must anticipate," Aden said.

"Yes. The fight is usually won in here—" Lexa tapped the side of his head, and Aden closed his eyes, smiling, "—first. It is rarely won out of physicality."

"What use are muscles if you cannot wield them properly?" Aden recited, and he thought he could hear Lexa laugh. Making his Commander laugh, properly, was no mean feat—and he'd achieved it, proudly, multiple times. Maybe that was just his overactive imagination. "I saw you against Roan. I watched you every step of the way. I have never seen a recovery so magnificent. I have never seen sword-work...two of them!...so quick, so...so elegant. So beautiful."

"And yet there were points I had to work on, then," Lexa said. "I left my defence exposed in the hope that I would overpower him. But Roan was a powerful opponent with a much more advantageous weapon than mine."

"I remember the way my heart sunk when he kicked you."

"Me too."

"I remember seeing Clarke kom Skaikru in the crowd. I thought she was going to run to you."

"That would've been illegal, Aden."

"I wish she had run to you. You needed nothing to spur you into killing the Ice Queen. But in that moment, when you were alone on the ground, I wished she had to run to you to tell you that she loved you."

"How do you--?"

"Because she loves you. She loves you, she loves you, she loves you."

Lexa smiled softly at him and ordered him to take a defensive stance again, jerking her head so he cast his weapon aside. Instead, he raised both fists defensively, as Lexa circled him. He kept light on his toes, knowing he would have to duck and sway as Lexa swung for him.

She swung right; he ducked down. She swung left; he ducked down.

The art of a fight did not always lie with weapons—bows and arrows, spears, swords, maces—they mattered not when neither of you had a weapon to go for. When it came down to your fists, your mind and your feet mattered, as did your ability to react quickly. Once you were smacked down with a bloody nose, it was hard to stagger upright without being hit back down yet again.

Aden stared in front of him, determined eyes jabbing forwards in a serious of drills. It would coordinate his footwork with his punches; and then he'd advance to a left hook, meant for cheeks. The uppercut was meant for the chin, a blast only to be used lastly when he was surely guaranteed victory. He wasn't convinced this style of fighting was the best for him—he was slim, and excelled at archery as well as swordwork—but Indra had insisted he had to be capable in all areas.

It was raining, much like that day Lexa had taken him out in the rain only to beat him within an inch of his life. She'd apologised the day after, staying by his bedside for three days, applying some of Nyko's potion to his swollen eye. Aden swallowed the lump in his throat and jabbed forwards harder, sighing when Lexa jerked her head to one side and his wayward punch had missed her completely.

"Aden?" Clarke leant against the palisade, worry etched over her features. "What the hell are you doing? It's freezing!"

"Sparring," he called back, shouting above the pitter-patter of the rain. Lexa nodded silently in agreement, grinning at Clarke. "It's fine!"

"Get back inside!"

"I'm fine, Clarke!"

Clarke surveyed the sight in front of him. The boy was jabbing at thin air, two sets of towels neatly folded by the edge of the pits. There were two flagons of water there too, neatly arranged side-by-side. Two blunted swords had also been discarded, and Clarke, feeling the lump rise to bile in her throat, understood.

"Tend to your Commander," Clarke ordered. Aden had his back to her, but as soon as she'd said it, his shoulders deflated. It was hard to tell if the boy was crying when the drizzle became a downpour, and he trudged over towards where she was stood. "Keep her warm. You'd do well with warming yourself up, too."

"How long will it take?" Aden asked impatiently, closing his eyes.

Clarke leant over the palisade. Fuck the barriers; fuck custom. "As long as it takes," she reassured him, just like Lexa had reassured her once. She cupped Aden's cheek. "Go."

He left without another word, and Clarke tided up after him. She picked up the remnants of the stuff Aden had left behind, including his training sword, which he'd carved a clumsy "ADEN" into the wooden blade. The other was unmarked, but its hilt was wrapped in the Commander's signature red sash. Clarke stood for a moment in the rain, seeing only black liquid seeping into her hands as she desperately hoped for the rain to wash it away, but it stayed, persistent like treacle. Reshop, Heda, she'd told Lexa one night, and now she could not wait for Lexa to wake up.

#clarke x lexa #clexa fanfic #clexa fic #clexa #lexa x aden #aden x clarke #royal bloods song man!!!

[swipestream]

New Release Roundup, 5 January 2019: Fantasy

This week’s roundup of the newest releases in fantasy feature a wayward Roman legion, a demon horde rampage through India, and the Sword of Truth.

The Darkest Revenge (The Elder Stones Saga #1) – D.K. Holmberg

Ages ago, powerful beings known only as the Elders left their mark on the world, gifting powerful stones to their followers. Through these stones, some have been gifted by birth with great abilities, while others search for them as a way to access that power. Scattered around the known lands, wars have been fought for them, and won by them.

On the outskirts of the city, living within an ancient stronghold, Haern longs for a life beyond what he knows—and away from the long shadow cast by his father. When an attack on the city renews a decades old battle, Haern volunteers to leave the city and find the one person who can lead their people to victory. His inexperience might kill him, but his instincts might be the reason they succeed.

For Daniel, a member of the ruling family, life in the palace is easy and his path is clear. Eventually, he will rise up to sit on the council and lead the people of the city. An injury to someone he cares for changes everything for him, and he must go to the one person he despises most for help. If he fails, he’ll learn what it means to lose everything he cares about.

Though born to power, Lucy longs for an understanding she can’t find in books. When a horrible attack leaves her forever changed, her quest for understanding leads her to those responsible—and a means of stopping them.

All paths lead toward the Elder Stones, for the one who controls the stones controls power.

Demon Days (The Valens Legacy #12) – Jan Stryvant

The war has finally begun and the duty of fighting it has fallen to Sean. Now if only he could convince the rest of the world that there really is a war on and it isn’t just another ‘art installation’ at Burning Man. Maybe then he could get some help. Fronting the costs of a war isn’t cheap, and while Sean may be making money hand over fist, he’s spending it twice as fast. If he doesn’t get help soon, the lack of money, food, and supplies will kill him faster than any demon.

Then there’s the demons themselves. What comes out of the gates at times seems almost as random as the gates themselves. Some of the groups are obviously coordinated and very well trained making Sean’s job of stopping them a hard one. As the gates are getting larger with time until the main one opens, Sean will find his resources and his people being stretched farther and thinner as the immortal demon lords bring their massive armies to bear.

Because humans are food to the demons and the larder is now very full, and they don’t intend to leave this time until they’ve eaten every last one.

Fortress of Radiance (The Karus Saga #2) – Marc Alan Edelheit

Surrounded by an army of Celts and facing certain destruction, the Ninth Imperial Legion, one of Rome’s most powerful military formations, has been unexpectedly transported to the world of Tannis. The legion, now under the command of Camp Prefect Karus, finds itself lost in a strange land. Cut off from everything they have known, they find temporary shelter in the abandoned city of Carthum.

They quickly learn an unholy army of orcs, goblins, trolls, and humans known as the Horde is on the march, sweeping across the face of Tannis like a dark tide, conquering one land at a time. No force upon this world has been able to withstand the armies of the enemy. Yet the Horde has never met the might of Rome, and Karus means to fight.

In the dungeons under the palace, Amarra, last of the faithful, is found. Together they are visited by Jupiter himself and given a series of dangerous tasks that sets them on the path of destiny. The first is to recover the dread sword Rarokan the Soul Breaker from the Fortress of Radiance. But the sword has a will of its own, and the enemy will stop at nothing to get the dangerous relic.

The Iron Trishula (The Iron Soul #8) – J.M. Briggs

A call from an ancient ally takes the mages to India. A Demon horde has found a way around the defense of the Iron Gates and is building an army to take over the Iron Realm. The Desai family, descendants of one of the past Iron Souls, welcome the mages with open arms, but how can Alex reconcile with an old family when she’s lost her modern one?

Lokpal was a warrior, trained from childhood to protect his home from the Demons who wander the land. Nothing prepared him for a god slipping into madness. When two strangers with magic arrive, he must navigate between his culture, his family, his beliefs, and the long-standing traditions upheld by the Grand Mages if they have any chance of stopping the Demons.

The Opal Throne (The Black Moon Chronicles #18) – François Froideval and Fabrice Angleraud

At the center of the empire was the Oracle… The Oracle announced the coming of the one who would change the world. This is his story. One day, when Heads-or-Tails was out roaming the forest, he comes across a nameless man. He christens him Wismerhill, and from that day forth, the pair are inseparable. They start out on the road of adventure, and sooner or later end up joining a gang of amiable war dogs, feared throughout the land. Wismerhill soon proves his worth, and begins to demonstrate some surprising powers. But just as everything is going well, the light comes, bringing darkness in its wake…

After transforming into a titan and vanquishing his enemies, Wismerhill has fallen, brought down by a power too great for him to control. This vast power has made an ephemeral God of him. Still, he is but a man, and he must return to mortality in order to continue his reign as emperor of the Opal Throne.

A Sellsword’s Will (Seven Virtues #5) – Jacob Peppers

Aaron and his companions return from Baresh with the truth of what the alliance faces, yet such knowledge is little comfort. Throughout the city, men and women whisper of demons, of monsters. But though they might disagree on the nature of Kevlane’s twisted creations, there is one thing they have in common. Fear.

For the creatures they face are not men–not any longer. They are death given form and function. They are, it seems in the darkest hours–and there are many such now–Telrear’s doom.

Crippled by indecision, the alliance leaders argue; they argue, they bicker, and they hesitate. A hesitation which, Aaron could tell them–if only they would listen–will kill them swifter than any blade or bow.

For shadows move in the night. Shadows which feel no pain or mercy, that have long since forgotten the meaning of compassion.

Meanwhile, confident of victory, Kevlane bends his dark desire to creating even more terrible horrors. Yet there is one thing he has not accounted for, one which the coming days and weeks will teach him–the strength of a sellsword’s will.

Siege of Stone (Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles #3) – Terry Goodkind

The Sorceress Nicci, the Wizard Nathan Rahl, and the young swordsman Bannon remain in the legendary city of Ildakar after a great internal revolt has freed the slaves and brought down the powerful wizards council. But as he fled the city, capricious Wizard Commander Maxim dissolved the petrification spell that had turned to stone the invading army of General Utros fifteen centuries earlier. Now, hundreds of thousands of half-stone soldiers from the ancient past have awakened, led by one of the greatest enemy commanders in history.

Nicci, Nathan, and Bannon have to help Ildakar survive this unbreakable siege, using all the magical defenses of the legendary city. Even as General Utros holds Ildakar hostage and also unleashes his incredible army on the unsuspecting Old World, an equally powerful threat arises out in the sea.

Nicci knows the battle won’t remain in the city; if she can’t stop this threat, two invincible armies can sweep across the Old World and destroy D’Hara itself.

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: The Wayward Journey #3 – Yoshinobu Akita

Orphen is a Sorcerer drop-out from the prestigious Tower of Fangs. His journey to save Azalie, a girl he looked up to like a sister, has brought him to the bustling city of Totokanta. Here they are reunited for the first time in five years. But what is the truth behind her monstrous transformation?

Orphen’s journey takes a sour turn as a loan shark starts sending a deluge of hired assassins after him! But one of these assassins, Philietta the Fools’ Hound, notorious Sorcerer hunter, has her own plans for Orphen. Just what sort of mind-boggling mystery awaits our haphazard party in the remote village of Kinkhole…?

The Storm (Time of Heroes #2) – David Drake

The universe has shattered into chaos and monsters. Jon, the Leader, is dedicating his life to reuniting the scattered hamlets into a Commonwealth where all humans can live protected against the darkness and the things that live in that darkness.

But no man can reshape the universe by himself. Jon has Makers to build weapons and clerks to handle the business of government–but he also needs Champions to face the powers of chaos which will not listen to any argument but force.

Lord Pal of Beune is one of those Champions. He has fought monsters and evil on behalf of Mankind, and he will fight them again. But now Guntram, the man who transformed Pal from an ignorant rube into a bulwark of the Commonwealth, has disappeared. Pal must locate his friend and mentor–and then he must battle an entity which may be at the core of the splintered universe!

New Release Roundup, 5 January 2019: Fantasy published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

[b-sidemusic]

EAST ANGLIAN GIG LISTINGS: 14TH-28TH DECEMBER 2017

Every Thursday, you bring your faces and we bring the noise.  To submit your own news and listings, click here! Thursday 14th Burston, Crown Catflap Dilemma Free entry - 8.30pm - Event page Cambridge, Blue Moon Dean McPhee, Sam McLoughlin and David Chatton Baker & Rachel Watkins £6 - 8pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys Craig Garrod, Jakob Deist, Mark Halls, Sam Ryder & Carousel Free entry - 6pm - Event page Norwich, Open Wooden Arms £8 - 7pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary 24 Robbers, Blood Like Honey & Metanoia PWYC - 7pm - Tickets Friday 15th Cambridge, Junction J1 The Fiver: The Extons, Tom Lumley, Deep City & Anthony Rubery £6 - 6.45pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms Moth Conspiracy, The Seven Twenty & The Pawn Hearts £5 - 8pm - Tickets Colchester, Arts Centre Eliza Carthy and the Wayward Band & Duotone £20 - 7.30pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Grounds For Divorce Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys SuperGlu, Impala, Piers James, Dilute to Taste, Shiners & Shooty and the Bang Bang £5 - 6pm - Event page Ipswich, Smokehouse Pessimist, Counties, Prey Drive, In and Out of Sleep & Excuses £3 - 7.30pm - Tickets Ipswich, Steamboat Open Mic Free entry - 8.30pm - Event page Norwich, Arts Centre Father Funk, DJ Yes, Gypsy Swing & Daniel Tuffs £10 - 9pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary King Kiwanda Free entry - 7pm - Event page Norwich, Waterfront Studio UK Subs £17.60 - 6.30pm - Tickets Woodbridge, Angel Aartwork Free entry - 9pm - Event page Saturday 16th Cambridge, Blue Moon Shake Your Turkey Feather Free entry - 8pm - Event page Cambridge, Corn Exchange Glenn Miller Orchestra £17.25-£34.75 - 2.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Corn Exchange White Christmas £26.75-£40.75 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Junction J1 Ezio £15.50 - 7pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms Iron Fist £10 - 8pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Stone Shuffle Jones Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys Ghosts of Men, Rad Pitt, Surge, Mandeville, Stealing Signs, Mystery Act & The Baskervilles £5 - 6pm - Event page Ipswich, Smokehouse Radio Orwell, Sun Scream, Hillmisters & Jack Rundell £5 - 7.30pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary Dub Conductor & Dub, Sweat and Beers £5 - 9.30pm - Tickets Sunday 17th Bury St Edmunds, Oakes Barn Chris Mass: Beast With a Gun, Thy Last Drop,  Bury Boy All Stars & Santa’s One Man Band £5 - 7pm - Event page Cambridge, Portland Arms The Archive £5 - 7pm - Tickets Colchester, Arts Centre Jason Frederick Cinematic Trio £14 - 7pm - Tickets Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys The Gavin Bowern Band, Laura Wyatt & Lianne Kaye Free entry - 6pm - Event page Norwich, Owl Sanctuary Ducking Punches, March & Chapter Of Wolves £6 - 7pm - Tickets Norwich, Waterfront Studio Santa Cruz & Skarlett Riot £13.20 - 7pm - Tickets Monday 18th Bury St Edmunds, Apex Jazz at the Movies £16 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Corn Exchange UB40 & Maxi Jazz and the E-Type Boys £40.25-£75 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms The Treatment £15 - 8pm - Tickets Colchester, Arts Centre The Churchfitters £11 - 7.45pm - Tickets Norwich, Arts Centre Richard Dawson £15 - 8pm - Tickets Tuesday 19th Bury St Edmunds, Apex Roy Wood Rock and Roll Band £27.50-£29.50 - 8pm - Tickets Cambridge, Corn Exchange Fish £30.25 - 7.30pm - Tickets Norwich, Arts Centre Moulettes, Bessie Turner & Raevennan Husbandes £13.50 - 8pm - Tickets Wednesday 20th Bury St Edmunds, Apex Only Men Aloud & Natasha Cook Jenkins £25 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms John Fairhurst £10 - 8pm - Tickets Ipswich, Swan Wednesday Warriors Free entry - 8pm - Event page Norwich, Arts Centre The Vagaband, Murphy’s Lore & The Arlenes £12 - 8pm - Tickets Thursday 21st Burston, Crown Buskers Revisited Free entry - 8pm - Event page Bury St Edmunds, Apex Eliza Carthy and the Wayward Band £20 - 8pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms The Junkoactive Wasteman and His Tinphonia, 2late & Acid Tea £5 - 7.45pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Jazz Jam Christmas Special Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys Wooden Maiden Contact venue for details Ipswich, Swan Blues Jam Free entry - 9pm - Event page Norwich, Arts Centre The Vagaband & Shackleton Trio £12 - 8pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary Wayward Natives Free entry - 7pm - Tickets Norwich, Waterfront Mostly Autumn £16.50 - 7.30pm - Tickets Friday 22nd Bury St Edmunds, Hunter Club Rebop £14 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Blue Moon Motherchip Connexion Free entry - 7pm - Event page Cambridge, Corn Exchange Cambridgeshire County Youth Orchestra £12 - 4pm - Tickets Cambridge, Junction The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club £17 - 10pm - Tickets Colchester, Arts Centre Goodiepal, The Dead Rat Orchestra, Lee Ashcroft & Mick The Hippy’s Krautrock Disco £7 - 7.30pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Electrum Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Soundhouse Special Measures Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys Imoni, Hattie Erawan, Ellie Cornell, Lauren Francis & Sophie Nash £3 - 9pm - Event page Ipswich, Steamboat Tavern Back To The Point, In My Disguise & The Naked French Free entry - 7pm - Event page Ipswich, Swan MotherfVnker Free entry - 8pm - Event page Norwich, Arts Centre The Blockheads & Ben C Winn SOLD OUT - Info Norwich, Epic Studios Tom Malachowski £5 - 7.30pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary E.A. Dames £5 - 7pm - Event page Norwich, Waterfront Studio The Visitors, No Story Goes, Couch & Suburban Tide £6 - 6.30pm - Tickets Saturday 23rd Cambridge, Portland Arms The British Public, The British IBM, Pete Um, Allotment & The Basque Roads £5.50 - 7.05pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Lettuceheads Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Soundhouse Mixtronicxs Free entry - 9pm - Event page Ipswich, Swan Oranje, Fick As Fieves & Impilo Free entry - 8pm - Event page Norwich, Epic Studios Bad Manners & Max Splodge £21 - 7pm - Tickets Norwich, Waterfront Studio The Quireboys £20.35 - 6.30pm - Tickets Sunday 24th Colchester, Bull Stiff In The Morning Free entry - 9pm - Event page Wednesday 27th Cambridge, Portland Arms The Furious Sleep & Doyouthinkhesawus? £6 - 7pm - Tickets Ipswich, Smokehouse Pizza Tramp, Werecats & Dealing With Damage £5 - 7.30pm - Tickets Norwich, LCR The Hollywood Undead & The One Hundred £20.35 - 6.30pm - Tickets Thursday 28th Cambridge, Portland Arms Moonstrips, Ian Jeffs, Pickering Brothers & Ricky Boom-Boom £5.50 - 7pm - Tickets Ipswich, Steamboat Tavern Folk At The Boat Free entry - 8pm - Event page Norwich, Owl Sanctuary Alastoria, Deities, MTXS, To The Nines & A Thousand Voices £5 - 7pm - Tickets

Photo: Stealing Signs (playing Colchester Three Wise Monkeys, 16th December) from Facebook. Listings Editor: Kate Quigley.

#listings #gig listings #kate quigley #stealing signs #bury st edmunds #ipswich #cambridge #Colchester #norwich #stowmarket #diss #burston

[b-sidemusic]

EAST ANGLIAN GIG LISTINGS: 7TH-21ST DECEMBER 2017

Every Thursday, we huzz a whole heap of high-voltage high-jinks heavenwards and let the seeds of rock settle where they may.  To submit your own news and listings, click here!

Thursday 7th Burston, Crown Jess Morgan & Kitty MacFarlane Free entry - 8.30pm - Event page Cambridge, Corn Exchange The Overtones £25.25-£101.75 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Junction J1 Dr Feelgood & Eddie and the Hot Rods £20.50 - 7pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Jazz Jam Free entry- 9pm - Event page Norwich, LCR Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes £18.15 - 7.30pm - Tickets Norwich, Waterfront Peter Hook and the Light £24.75 - 7.30pm - Tickets Norwich, Waterfront Studio Saves, Clown Smash Everything, Sucking Grunts & Rats Packing Grenades £6.60 - 7.30pm - Tickets Stowmarket, John Peel Centre The Wedding Present Sold out - 7.30pm - Tickets Friday 8th Cambridge, Blue Moon Synthetic & Alter the Sky Free entry - 8pm - Event page Colchester, Bull The Beagles Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Soundhouse Faith in Physics Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys Yr Poetry, The Hemingways, Rubber Jaw & Lawrence and Cow £4 - 7pm - Event page Ipswich, Smokehouse Nervous Twitch, Umbrella Assassins & The Naked French £4 - 7.30pm - Event page Ipswich Swan Figure of Six, Ghost Season & Next Time Mr Fox Free entry - 8pm - Event page Norwich, LCR Sub Focus, MC-ID & more £19.25 - 10pm - Tickets Norwich, Open |Mungo’s Hi Fi, Gentleman’s Dub Club, The Skints, Aries Dubwize & more £10-£15 - 9pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary Suburban Tide, Bad Apples & Skinny Milk £3 - 7pm - Tickets Norwich, Waterfront Studio Eddie and the Hot Rods & Department S £19.25 - 6.30pm - Tickets Southend, Chinnerys Rhoda Dakar £11-£13.75 - 7pm - Tickets Southend, Cliffs Pavilion The Overtones £26-£102.50 - 7pm - Tickets Saturday 9th Bury St Edmunds, Apex The Fillers £13 - 7pm - Tickets Bury St Edmunds, Oakes Barn The Hoo Ha Record Club PWYC - 8pm - Event page Colchester, Arts Centre The Blockheads & The 1957 Tail Fin Fiasco Sold out - 7.30pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Hedgehog Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Soundhouse Phil Hilborne Band £7 - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys Rony Rosado Free entry - 6pm - Event page Southend, Chinnerys Skamite £11.50 - 7.30pm - Tickets Southend, Palace Theatre Roy Wood and His Band £29-£33 - 8pm - Tickets Sunday 10th Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Academy The Great Barrow Christmas Free entry - 10am - Event page Cambridge, Portland Arms Jordan Allen, The Lost Volts & Gaffa Tape Sandy £6.60 - 6pm - Tickets Ipswich, Smokehouse Kevin Pearce £11 - 8pm - Event page Norwich, Waterfront Slade & Kassettika £25.85 - 7pm - Tickets Monday 11th Bury St Edmunds, Apex Schubert Ensemble £5-£20 - 7.30pm - Tickets Colchester, Arts Centre Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer £11 - 7.45pm - Tickets Norwich, LCR Shed Seven Sold out - 7.30pm - Tickets Norwich, Waterfront Studio Jordan Allen, New Scientists, Seven Cities & Gameplan £6.60 - 7.30pm - Tickets Southend, Palace Theatre Blake £20-£26 - 7.30pm - Tickets Tuesday 12th Mildenhall, Jollyplex Seriously Catherine Come To Our House, We’ll Have Drag Race and Hooch & It Will Be Great Free entry - 6pm - Event page Norwich, Waterfront Studio Willie J Healey, The Meeks & Gladboy £7.70 - 7.30pm - Tickets Wednesday 13th Bury St Edmunds, Apex Steeleye Span £24 - 7.30pm - Tickets Bury St Edmunds, Hunter Club Open Mic Free entry - 8pm - Event page Cambridge, Emmanuel United Reformed Church A Winter Union £19 - 8pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms Wooden Arms £6.60 - 7pm - Tickets Ipswich, Swan Wednesday Warriors Free entry - 8pm - Event page Norwich, Waterfront Studio Dirty Thrills, Renegade 12, Blue Nation & Sittin Pretty £11 - 7.30pm - Tickets Thursday 14th Burston, Crown Catflap Dilemma Free entry - 8.30pm - Event page Cambridge, Blue Moon Dean McPhee, Sam McLoughlin and David Chatton Baker & Rachel Watkins £6 - 8pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys Craig Garrod, Jakob Deist, Mark Halls, Sam Ryder & Carousel Free entry - 6pm - Event page Norwich, Open Wooden Arms £8 - 7pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary 24 Robbers, Blood Like Honey & Metanoia PWYC - 7pm - Tickets Friday 15th Cambridge, Junction J1 The Fiver: Searching Grey, The Extons, Tom Lumley, Deep City & Anthony Rubery £6 - 6.45pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms Moth Conspiracy, The Seven Twenty & The Pawn Hearts £5 - 8pm - Tickets Colchester, Arts Centre Eliza Carthy and the Wayward Band & Duotone £20 - 7.30pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Grounds For Divorce Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys SuperGlu, Impala, Piers James, Dilute to Taste, Shiners & Shooty and the Bang Bang £5 - 6pm - Event page Ipswich, Smokehouse Pessimist, Counties, Prey Drive, In and Out of Sleep & Excuses £3 - 7.30pm - Tickets Ipswich, Steamboat Open Mic Free entry - 8.30pm - Event page Norwich, Arts Centre Father Funk, DJ Yes, Gypsy Swing & Daniel Tuffs £10 - 9pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary King Kiwanda Free entry - 7pm - Event page Norwich, Waterfront Studio UK Subs £17.60 - 6.30pm - Tickets Woodbridge, Angel Aartwork Free entry - 9pm - Event page Saturday 16th Cambridge, Blue Moon Shake Your Turkey Feather Free entry - 8pm - Event page Cambridge, Corn Exchange Glenn Miller Orchestra £17.25-£34.75 - 2.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Corn Exchange White Christmas £26.75-£40.75 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Junction J1 Ezio £15.50 - 7pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms Iron Fist £10 - 8pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Stone Shuffle Jones Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys Ghosts of Men, Rad Pitt, Surge, Mandeville, Stealing Signs, Mystery Act & The Baskervilles £5 - 6pm - Event page Ipswich, Smokehouse Radio Orwell, Sun Scream, Hillmisters & Jack Rundell £5 - 7.30pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary Dub Conductor & Dub, Sweat and Beers £5 - 9.30pm - Tickets Sunday 17th Bury St Edmunds, Oakes Barn Chris Mass: Beast With a Gun, Thy Last Drop,  Bury Boy All Stars, Santa’s One Man Band £5 - 7pm - Event page Cambridge, Portland Arms The Archive £5 - 7pm - Tickets Colchester, Arts Centre Jason Frederick Cinematic Trio £14 - 7pm - Tickets Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys The Gavin Bowern Band, Laura Wyatt & Lianne Kaye Free entry - 6pm - Event page Norwich, Owl Sanctuary Ducking Punches, March & Chapter Of Wolves £6 - 7pm - Tickets Norwich, Waterfront Studio Santa Cruz & Skarlett Riot £13.20 - 7pm - Tickets Monday 18th Bury St Edmunds, Apex Jazz at the Movies £16 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Corn Exchange UB40 & Maxi Jazz and the E-Type Boys £40.25-£75 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms The Treatment £15 - 8pm - Tickets Colchester, Arts Centre The Churchfitters £11 - 7.45pm - Tickets Norwich, Arts Centre Richard Dawson £15 - 8pm - Tickets Tuesday 19th Bury St Edmunds, Apex Roy Wood Rock and Roll Band £27.50-£29.50 - 8pm - Tickets Cambridge, Corn Exchange Fish £30.25 - 7.30pm - Tickets Norwich, Arts Centre Moulettes, Bessie Turner & Raevennan Husbandes £13.50 - 8pm - Tickets Wednesday 20th Bury St Edmunds, Apex Only Men Aloud & Natasha Cook Jenkins £25 - 7.30pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms John Fairhurst £10 - 8pm - Tickets Ipswich, Swan Wednesday Warriors Free entry - 8pm - Event page Norwich, Arts Centre The Vagaband, Murphy’s Lore & The Arlenes £12 - 8pm - Tickets Thursday 21st Burston, Crown Buskers Revisited Free entry - 8pm - Event page Bury St Edmunds, Apex Eliza Carthy and the Wayward Band £20 - 8pm - Tickets Cambridge, Portland Arms The Junkoactive Wasteman and His Tinphonia, 2late & Acid Tea £5 - 7.45pm - Tickets Colchester, Bull Jazz Jam Christmas Special Free entry - 9pm - Event page Colchester, Three Wise Monkeys Wooden Maiden Contact venue for details Ipswich, Swan Blues Jam Free entry - 9pm - Event page Norwich, Arts Centre The Vagaband & Shackleton Trio £12 - 8pm - Tickets Norwich, Owl Sanctuary Wayward Natives Free entry - 7pm - Tickets Norwich, Waterfront Mostly Autumn £16.50 - 7.30pm - Tickets

Photo: Rhoda Dakar (playing Southend Chinnerys, 8th December) by Drew Kirkland Listings Editor: Kate Quigley

#listings #gig listings #bury st edmunds #Colchester #norwich #ipswich #cambridge #Southend #burston #diss #kate quigley #rhoda dakar