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heliads · 2 years

Text

Realizations

Based on this request for my 3k celebration: “a fic possibly jesper Fahey, based off the prompt ‘I have never admired anyone more than I do right now’”

masterlist

For someone who’s just heard about a grievous crime, you seem awfully happy about it. Technically, there’s no reason to mourn, not yet; not only is that strictly against the rules in the ungodly mess that you refer to with equal parts horror and satisfaction as the Dregs, this crime hasn’t been committed yet. In fact, you’re part of the team planning it out. One grand heist, another one to add to the books. It’s sure to be brilliant.

Kaz just finished the briefing a short while ago, and the scheme will be actualized in a matter of days. Right now, you’re heading back down the rickety wooden stairs of the Slat with your closest friend right beside you. Jesper Fahey seems just as thrilled about the prospect as you do, his eyes shining like a bullet. A wicked grin never leaves his face, especially not when he looks at you.

“This is going to be good. I feel it in my bones.” Jesper says, and you laugh. “You think so? Can your bones tell us any more details about how it’s all going to go?” Jesper smirks. “I don’t think so. The gift of prophecy strikes in strange ways.” It’s an absurd claim, but it just makes you smile even harder. The rush of adrenaline that only comes from hearing about another job runs through both of you right now, making you drunk on the thrill of it. You’ll have time to be serious later, but this is fun right now.

Your room is a few stories below Kaz’s office, and you pause by the stair landing to unlock your door. Jesper waits by the threshold, leaning against the doorframe. “So, what do you think? Want to take bets on how many things will go wrong?” You raise an eyebrow, turning back around to face him. “I know you love a good gamble, Jesper, but I don’t think we’re supposed to be joking about that sort of thing quite yet. Kaz will have both our heads.”

He sighs theatrically. “Oh, I’m sure he will. Not to worry, though, I’m sure we’re both pretty enough to make rather nice decor if he decides to decapitate us after all. Anyway, do you have any thoughts or not?” You maintain your look of incredulity for a second longer, then crack with a grin. “I think it’ll be splendid. Enough said.”

Jesper smirks. “I think you’re splendid.” He winks as he does it, the light spilling out from the hallway casting a glow upon his face as if he wore a halo. None of you have been saintlike in the least, but for a moment, you could believe it in him. You scoff, trying to push away the odd lump in your throat. “So do I, Jesper. See you soon.”

He raises a few fingers in a mock salute before he goes, closing the door behind him. You sigh quietly, listening to the sound of his footsteps disappear down the stairs, then speak again. “You can come out now, Inej. He’s gone.” A moment later, you are now longer alone, and the slight billow of the curtains over your windows are the only sign of the Wraith’s entry.

You turn in a slow semicircle, pointing towards the windows. “I thought I locked those.” Inej allows herself a small smile. “You did. I unlocked them.” You grimace, although without a shred of malice attached to the gesture. “I can see that.” Inej folds her arms across her chest. “How did you know I was there? I didn’t make a sound.”

For anyone else, that last sentence would sound like a brag, but not with Inej. She speaks the complete, utter truth. There was no sign of her presence at all, not even the scuff of shoes against roofing tiles. You spread your hands. “Maybe I’m just rather observant.” Inej arches a brow. “You gave no signs of realizing I was there at all until you said my name. How did you figure me out?”

You grin shamelessly. “Every now and then I say it when I’m alone. Usually, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re listening in.” Inej is starting to laugh. “And how many times have I not been there at all, and you say my name to an empty room?” You shrug. “Only a couple times. It’s hard to maintain the element of surprise.”

Inej laughs, tilting her head back slightly. “You’re absurd. I can see why Jesper’s lost on you.” You start to laugh too, albeit more incredulously than before. “I’m sorry, that was a rather dramatic change of subject. Why are we talking about Jesper?” Inej’s grin is ruthless. “Because he was just in here, flirting as hard as he could, and you didn’t even notice it. That’s why.”

You give her a look. “You’re making that up. Jesper is like that with everybody.” Inej tilts her head to the side. “Is he?” You fight the urge to sputter. “Yes, he is! Just yesterday, he pretended to propose to you with a ring he stole from a nearby shopkeeper, and made dramatic comments the rest of the day when you said no.” Inej smirks. “He did it because you were right there beside us, and he kept shooting you disappointed glances when you didn’t seem overly jealous.”

You cast around for something to say, yet somehow come up short of a defense. “That’s ridiculous. Maybe we joke around together, but it doesn’t mean anything.” Inej just shrugs, looking far too glib about the whole matter. “If you say so. I just think it would be excellent if you sorted the whole thing out. It would make trying to listen in that much easier.” You stick your tongue out at her. “Is that a sign that you perhaps shouldn’t be spying on your friends?”

Inej just laughs, heading back towards the window. “Try telling the sun not to shine, Y/N. I’d like to see you try.” She grins one last time at the look on your face before slipping back out, the gentle thud of the panes of glass closing again the only sign that she was ever there at all.

The heist itself arrives sooner than you expect. It always does, like time itself runs faster just to see what happens on the day of the job. You find yourself getting into location with the rest of Kaz’s chosen crew. Today, you’re breaking into the house of one of the Razorgulls’ mercher contacts, trying to steal a few odds and ends of high value as a warning not to get involved in the gang fights. Just another day as a Dreg.

Inej and Kaz are entering the top floors together, canvassing the area for potential items in need of liberation, and you and Jesper are patrolling different parts of the mansion (as designated in one of Kaz’s many scheming sessions), keeping the area free of the stadwatch and any of the mercher’s personal guards.

The place is clear for the first half bell, as expected. The changing of the guards is the best time to strike, as most of the mercher’s hired guns are bored and used to standing for hours with nothing happening at all to pass their fancy. They’ve started taking longer and longer breaks in between shifts, which is perfect for Kaz’s mission.

You see your first guard on your second round, just as he starts heading up the stairs. You stick to the shadows, incapacitating him without making a sound and dragging him into a neighbouring room. He won’t wake for a while, in which time you can tie him up with the rest. Right now, the priority is to get rid of all the guards before they figure out that something is going on.

After completing a few laps of the bottom two floors, though, you only find three guards. This by itself is a problem- there should have been five, meaning that your other two are likely heading to the top floors with their friends, wasting time in between their shifts. Normally, that would be fine, except that means that many more people stumbling upon Kaz and Inej, and that many more people outnumbering Jesper. You swear under your breath, and leave your post.

You take the stairs two at a time, quickly heading up. You pass a few unconscious bodies, evidence that Jesper’s sticking to the plan, but there should be at least four more somewhere here. You move as silently as possible, searching every corner for someone to take down. At last, you hear a slight commotion through a nearby hall, and head there immediately.

You identify the source of the sound as echoing out from a locked door two down on the left. Just as you come to a stop before it, you hear something that sounds like a gunshot, albeit much quieter, as if muffled by someone’s body. Looks like Jesper has found the guards after all.

You make the choice in an instant, flinging open the door and throwing yourself through it. You take in the scene in a matter of moments- Jesper, scuffling with three guards at once, and one fallen man a few paces into the room, clutching the gunshot you’d heard earlier. You don’t even think, just act. It’s what you’re most used to, isn’t it? The rush of knowing your life is on the line.

You slam into the first guard, who stumbles to the ground, not expecting another assailant. You lift your leg and smash your boot into his head; two hits and he’s not moving. The blood clings to the treads of your shoe, leaving an imprint on the rumpled uniform of your next target. He tries to stab you with a military-grade knife, but a sharp rap to his forearm makes him drop it. You catch the blade before it hits the ground, slamming it into the man’s shoulder and shoving your free hand against his mouth to silence his cries of pain.

The guard tries to fight through it, but every time he moves, a shudder of agony rolls through his body from the stab wound, and eventually he slows down enough for you to knock him unconscious. The last guard looks downright terrified, but not enough to try and charge you anyway. You’re expecting it, and trip him up neatly, sending him falling on the bodies of his friends to muffle the sound of his body against the previously pristine floorboards. You bend down, punching him cleanly in the head, and he’s down too.

You straighten up slowly, taking note of the blood dripping from your knuckles. Your eyes meet Jesper, who’s staring at you in awe. His mouth moves silently the first time he tries to speak, but eventually he manages to pull himself together long enough to shape the syllables. “I have never admired anyone more than I do right now.” The words escape him as if pulled out by some invisible hand. You’re not even sure that Jesper meant to say it, but judging by the fact that he seems unable to look away from you, you’re fairly sure that he isn’t lying.

All of a sudden, it hits you, the truth of what Inej had said to you earlier. What if Jesper truly did mean all of his flirting comments from earlier as something more? A solitary thought appears in your head as if placed there by someone else, someone who can look between the two of you and figure out what’s going on. Jesper is in love with you. At the same time as you realize this, another discovery shocks you to your core. Jesper loves you, but you love him just as much.

Your adrenaline from the fight leaves you in a rush, and you stand motionless, unable to move. Jesper carefully steps around the fallen bodies of the guards until he waits before you, hands mere inches from yours. “Y/N?” His brow is furrowed; he seems concerned with something, although you cannot fathom what it is. You should do something, you think, maybe step away or make sure no more guards are coming, but for once you cannot spare another thought to the heist.

You don’t know who is more surprised when you kiss him, Jesper or yourself. You’re not even certain that the thought occurred in your head to do it all until it happened and you were standing there, kissing him. The second you touch him, Jesper stiffens like bone, and you start to panic, breaking away hurriedly. There’s a look in his eyes unlike anything you’ve seen on him, except for that one moment a minute or so before.

A terrible thought strikes you that perhaps Inej was wrong about all of this. She may be the Wraith, but that doesn’t make her a Saint, all knowing and all powerful. She’s just a kid, all of you are. Just convicts and cutpurses set loose on the city. How could you expect her to know Jesper’s heart, or any of yours, without cutting it open?

Then Jesper steps forward again, and all doubts and worries in your head are silenced as effectively as a blade. This kiss is not a test, or a question, but the answer, a rush that refuses to leave. He smiles at you at last, looking utterly delighted with what the two of you have to offer. “You know, you could have done that a little earlier. Maybe at a time when our lives weren’t in danger.”

You laugh. “Jesper, our lives are always in danger.” He shrugs. “Maybe so. Does this mean you’re going to kiss me every time we’re in a fight?” There’s a grin on his face, as proud as a king. You match it with ease. “Maybe so.” You cannot stay there forever in that room; the heist calls, it always does. Luckily for you, you’ll have plenty of time to revel in what just happened when you head back to the Slat.

requested by @thatfangirl42 my beloved, thanks for taking part in the celebration!!

grishaverse tag list: also who i admire most @rogueanschel, @deadreaderssociety, @cameronsails, @aleksanderwh0r3, @story-scribbler, @lxncelot

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blogulianatish · 3 years

Text

Manager

When you were in junior high school, you saw the Japan women's national volleyball team play on TV. Your old man loved this sport, because of this, when the matches were played on TV, he did not miss the opportunity to watch.

Their strong pitches and graceful bunches that took your breath away and tightened every minute; their strong blocks that kept the ball from falling like an iron wall, were so amazing that it took your breath away and you wanted to play like them. Because of this, you went to the volleyball team in elementary school, with the intention of being one of the best in the team and getting into the volleyball team.

Every year you improved your skills in sports more and more, but there were always people who were stronger, more technical, faster and more resilient than you. You, of course, understood that you need to try to be better. But above the head, as they say, you can not jump.

By the end of high school, you decided that you would no longer play volleyball, but would do something else, but, fortunately or unfortunately, the love of volleyball did not go away, and you definitely decided to link yourself to this sport.

On the first day of school, you applied to the volleyball club for the post of manager, but the women's team rejected it, citing the fact that they are doing fine without him. Without thinking twice, you went to the men's club with your head held high.

Having described to the coach all his knowledge and skills in volleyball, plus why they should take you, he agreed.

So you became Inarizaki's manager for the entire year of your training.

At the end of school, you went to the Sports Institute at the Faculty of Management (management in the field of sports). After finishing it, you began to submit resumes to different volleyball teams, go to interviews and get calls that they would not regret if they took you.

And in the end, your prayers were answered. You were taken to MSBY by the Black Jackals, and you became the official manager of this club.

On the first day you met with the entire team, which already consisted of the Shugo Meian . When you met him, he wasn't a captain yet, he won't be a captain for another year, but you've already remembered him as a reliable, responsible and strong player, with fine features and a strong masculinity.

As a player, he was amazing, as well as a lover, but you'll find out later. His strong serves, powerful blocks, concentration and calmness during the game excited all the time when you watched the jackals ' matches.

When you started working together, Meian was married, but after 2 years of dating, he divorced. The reason was banal, he did not give his wife the time she so wanted, which served as the end of a 5-year marriage.

You don't remember the exact day and time when the chemistry started between you, but it definitely didn't happen after he got divorced. Your communication, and soon your intimacy, was gradual. At first, just socializing, then getting together in hotels during away games, and then, after one of the victories, you drank to the winnings and talked so much that everything ended up in your apartment.

You didn't advertise the relationship, because there's nothing to advertise. As such, you did not have a relationship. You just slept together.

For you, it wasn't just a hookup, you realized that you felt much more for the captain of the Jackals than just the need for intimacy. You've learned this during conversations, press conferences, and games. His blocks were breathtaking, and his punches on the ball made him squeeze the fabric of his pencil skirt and bite his lip to keep from making a squeak of admiration.

Once, you dared to talk to Shugo about a relationship, but he was unwavering.

— What's the point?" Meian shrugs. — If you're afraid I'm sleeping with other people, I'm afraid to upset you, but you're the only one."

You nod your head and smile. Lifting your head from the man's chest, you get out of bed and start picking up your things to go home.

Maybe, under other circumstances, you would have scored and agreed with him enjoying it, but your relatives expect a husband and children from you.

— Do you have someone?" — asks the mother.

"Yes," you said, picking at the salad with your chopsticks. — But I'm not sure.

— In what way is not sure?! Whether or not there is a man next to you! Honey, I don't want to remind you, but at your age, I already had my first child.

"Mom —" you froze and looked up, praying to all the gods that she'd drop the subject. - It's difficult there. I don't want to talk about it, let's change the subject.

You hated the subject of your personal life because you hated uncertainty. And with Meyan, there was only ignorance.

***

The match with Schweiden ended with a victory for the Jackals and a new serve for Atsumu, whom he had coached for a long time.

Everyone on the team was happy to beat those pompous Eagles, and you were no exception.

You went into the locker room and congratulated the team on the victory and a job well done. Shugo, as always, pretended that there was nothing between you but a business relationship.

On the way out of the locker room, you were stopped by Atsumu. You turned your head and raised an eyebrow, waiting for his question.

— Still valid?" As agreed?— What is it? " he asks excitedly.

—When did I ever go back on my word?" you cover his hand, calmly answering the question with a question. "A deal is a deal. So I'll be waiting for you at 18:00 near my house. And without delay.

"I won't let a single minute go to waste," he drawled sweetly, and with his trademark smile, Mia lets go of your hand.

You looked up from it and met the captain's displeased gaze, which was still asking:

"What's going on?"

You tossed your head and walked away from the locker room.

With Atsumu Mia are you familiar with since high school when you were a Manager at Narazaki and studied in the second year of training, came the famous brothers Mia. And from that day on, the ambiguous suggestions from Atsumu began. You usually ignored or rolled your eyes and said no to his suggestions. It's not that you don't like Atsumu, no, he's a good player, he has amazing charisma and looks are not inferior to her, but for you he is an eternal child who is in love with volleyball.

When Mia came to MSBY, his suggestions continued.

***

- Can we go somewhere? "blocking your way," he says, smiling slyly.

"I have a lot of work to do," you say without looking up from your phone screen and walk past.

***

— I have two movie tickets, but I don't have a pair, " he said, holding up the two tickets, the corners of his mouth starting to curl up.

— I have a headache, " you sigh, already tired of these suggestions.

***

"Come on, let's go somewhere, Y/N -chan," Atsumu begins to whimper.

"No," you say less often than you'd like.

— You're breaking my heart."

— When will it finally break, Tsumu?!"

"That's rude!"

You look at Atsumu's sad face, and you feel terribly sad. You feel like a beast that had hurt that the ladder.

"All right —" you sigh miserably and look at him. - Let's make a deal.

He looks up at you and starts actively nodding his head.

— If you win the match and you master the hybrid serve, we'll go on a date, and if you don't, you can stop talking about spending time together."

A sly smile appears on his face, and a twinkle of excitement appears in his eyes. You knew he could do it, he just couldn't not do it.

— Don't make any plans on this day, because we're going on a date, " he chuckled and walked towards the exit.

And what? You are a free girl, no one restricts you, plus Tsumu has been offering to meet for a long time, why not, there is nothing to do at home anyway.

***

Satisfied, the guy went to his seat, simultaneously taking off his T-shirt. He was drinking something under his breath and shaking his head.

— Why are you so happy? - the captain decided to ask, - it's just amazing.

"Just going on a date." "Don't miss the opportunity to brag," Atsumu says.

At this moment, Shugo was numb, his entire appearance was not visible, but he was boiling. When he came to, he decided to find out more.

"Really?" — What is it? " he asks in a calm and confident voice, not looking at his teammate.

"Anyway, we had a bet with Y/N-chan that if I mastered the hybrid serve and we won the match, she would agree to go out with me, and if not, I would never ask her to go out with me again."

"Well, congratulations," he says, forcing a smile, and slaps Tsuma on the shoulder, then squeezes and shakes her a little.

"Thank you, Meian-san, but now I need to hurry so I won't be late."

"I understand.

Atsumu ran to the shower, still smiling with 32 teeth.

The muscles in Shugo's face tightened, and he began to squeeze the bag down to the white bones.

"What do you want to prove with this?!"

A thought flashed through Meian's mind.

He put down his bag and began to change.

***

The next day, as if nothing had happened, you were walking down the corridor, looking at the documents that were handed to you. While reading the orders and various accounts, you didn't notice the jackal captain passing by.

"Hi," Shugo says calmly.

"Oh —" you say, not expecting to see Meian, " hi."

He put his hands in his pockets and looked at you seriously. You were unaccustomed to the captain's penetrating gaze.

- How was the date? "What is it?" he asks unexpectedly.

Smiling, you grabbed the bridge of your nose with two fingers and closed your eyes, remembering yesterday's date. Mia was emptied by a pigeon, and then to get the droppings off his head, he ran to the first car and stopped near the side mirror. While he was cleaning up the litter, the tinted window in the car rolled down, and from it the girl handed Tsumu a new napkin.

You started laughing, covering your mouth with papers and remembering the date.

"I see," he says, adjusting the strap of his bag.

There was a moment of silence, and he began to squeeze the bag, not daring to ask anything.

You look at him expectantly, seeing that he wants to say something, but doesn't know how. You opened your mouth to ask what was wrong.

— How about in bed?" looking up at you with his brown eyes, he asks.

— I don't know, " you say, raising one eyebrow in utter confusion. — I didn't keep a candle under his bedroom door.

— You didn't have anything?"

- No, but should it?

At this moment, it's like a weight is being lifted from Shugo's shoulders. He takes a sharp breath and realizes that he has said something stupid. Biting the inside of his cheek, he turns his head away from you.

— Do you care at all?" - folding your hands in front of your chest, you ask. — We are still not together, we are free people and have the right to do what we want. I told you about the relationship, and you said it didn't make sense. If you want, you can sleep with anyone you want.

There was another silence. You dropped your hands and shook your head in different directions, not understanding what all these questions are for, since he himself does not want to. Realizing that it's over, you move away from the captain, continuing to read the lease agreement.

— I don't care…

You paused, your eyes fixed on the documents, but you were no longer paying attention. Starting to turn to him, dropping the papers and opening her mouth to protest.

"You're right," he said calmly. — You don't owe me anything, and neither do I, and we can do whatever we want, but when I found out you were going with Mia "- he ran his hand through his black, spiky hair, which you knew was very soft, though it looked tough — " and knowing how he felt about you, damn it, like a jealous boy, I got angry, realizing that I didn't want you to be with anyone but me." And I'm afraid to start a relationship, most likely because I'm afraid that you will refuse or leave because I pay you little attention or am very busy with volleyball, and so we are free and do not owe each other anything.

— I'll tell you that Atsumu, that now you - I see you more often than with my family, and given the fact that we meet even after hours, it is simply impossible to think that you will push me away or not spend time with me. After all, am I your manager or not?!

Shugo threw his head back and laughed in a velvety voice that was maddening and made his legs wobble. Lowering it, he licked his lower lip and looked at you.

"Then," Shugo began to move closer. "Can we go out tonight?"

Her heart was pounding, and her cheeks were flushed. You turned away from him and walked to the office, and when you reached the door, you said:

- I'll meet you at my house at 19:00. If you're late, I'll go to Atsum's house to cool your curiosity.

Going into the office and simultaneously closing the door behind you, you lean on the wooden surface, covering your face and starting to smile with happiness, not believing that this has happened.

The captain grinned and walked towards the locker room, smiling and greeting everyone.

#Hiakyuu #meian #msby #meian shugo

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navigatrixnarrations · 4 years

Text

A Matter of Some Urgency (version)

Because my brain is Like That, I dashed off another version of the first meeting of our disaster pirates, this time from Hope’s perspective.

As always, bigger-than-life appreciation for @whenimaunicorn. Her incredible The Heart of Admiration series thus far can be found here.

Word count: 1679

Warnings: None

Hope Wickham pauses outside the tavern. She is not fully convinced that she’ll be able to save the lives of her crewmates. For that matter, she is not entirely certain she’ll leave this meeting with her own life, but she has to try. To her shock, her crew elected her quartermaster, a position to which she had most certainly not nominated herself, and now it’s her duty to protect them as best she can.

When she asked her old friend DeGroot to set up an urgent meeting with the captain of the Ranger, the man had made a wry face. “Ready to move on from Fisher, are you? Find work with a captain who has true technical sailing skill?” She shrugged noncommittally, not wanting to let on her real purpose but not willing to lie to him. DeGroot, she knew from her apprenticeship, is not one to give compliments easily or falsely. “True technical sailing skill” is as ringing an endorsement as anyone could ask for.

“What manner of man is Captain Vane?”

DeGroot looked thoughtful. “I’m sure you’ve heard his reputation as a brute and a brawler, and it’s well-deserved, but he keeps his word. Sailed with Teach for years. Respects skill. Deals fairly with those who deal fairly with him. You wouldn’t be the only woman on his crew.”

He returned shortly after with the message to meet Vane at the tavern, as soon as she could get there. And so there was nothing for it but to trust DeGroot’s assessment of the man, square her shoulders, and try to make an entrance to remember.

Years on the account had taught Hope that dealing with other pirates as a small-boned woman requires a certain amount of swaggering bravado. She flings open the tavern door, cocks one hip out, and stands there for a moment, silhouetted, as she scans the room for a man matching the description DeGroot had given her. Ah, there he is, watching her approach his table in an alcove at the rear of the room. She feels an unexpected jolt in her stomach as she locks eyes with him, but this wouldn’t be the first time she’s had to ignore her nerves, would it.

"Captain Vane?"

He nods, and she continues. "I'm quartermaster of the Starling. I believe you're expecting me." She removes the pistol and long knife from her belt and places them on the table in front of him, a sign that she has come in peace.

He gestures for her to sit across from him and signals the barmaid to bring her a drink then gives her a hard look from beneath his brow. "What's this about?" He could sand the deck with his voice, she thinks, but it isn’t unpleasant to the ear.

"A certain item of yours has come into my possession. I'm here to return it to you." She hands him a burlap sack containing his black. She had been appalled when a couple of the more rambunctious members of her crew came back to camp having stolen it from the Ranger. It wouldn't do for them, new to Nassau, to start their time here by making an enemy of the most notoriously violent captain on the island.

Vane looks inside the sack to examine his colors. Hope had ensured it wasn’t damaged, and she had folded it carefully. When he comes to that conclusion as well, he turns that heavy gaze back to her. "What do they call you, quartermaster of the Starling?"

She meets his piercing stare with her own, unflinching. "They probably call me a lot of things when I can't hear them." She is sure she sees him suppress a smile at that. So the man has a sense of humor beneath that steely demeanor. Good. She holds out her hand for a shake. "Hope Wickham."

"Why did your captain send you, Miss Wickham, instead of approaching me himself?"

She frowns, but doesn't rise to the bait. "He didn't send me," she says coolly. "He has no idea any of this happened. I'm meeting with you of my own accord and in my own capacity to try to protect my crew."

Vane’s silence as he sips his ale has a pointed quality to it. He’s waiting for her to elaborate.

"I may be new to Nassau, but I'm by no means new to the account. Captain Fisher and the rest of the crew are used to doing things a certain way, and don't yet understand that Nassau has rather different understandings of acceptable behavior for those under the black than does Tortuga. On Tortuga, this would be seen as a prank by a new crew seeking to position itself and a score easily settled without much bloodshed. Unlike them, I know that is not the way of things here."

Vane narrows his eyes. "How do you know how we do things here?"

"I apprenticed with Mr. DeGroot. We stay in touch." The corners of her mouth turn up in a wry smile, unable to contain her amusement at the absurdity of the situation. "I realize that he is nobody's first, second, or tenth choice for a tutor in etiquette, but," she gestures broadly, "we live in a world of wonders."

She’s gratified to see Vane smiling back at her, ever so slightly. It changes his entire face, and she can almost imagine that they are having a friendly drink together. "So you're a trained navigator, then?"

"I am."

He also seems to remember that this is not a social call. The smile drops from his face, which returns to its forbidding scowl, and he hunches forward enough to give the impression of looming over her without getting up. For a moment she wonders if he’s going to lunge across the table and attack her. "Members of your crew snuck onto my ship, stole my black, and they did it so badly that someone saw them getting away. So let me tell you what happens next."

Hope has learned to never, ever show fear when facing down a man, so she doesn't quail from his ferocious growl, from his coiled posture that makes him appear to be a predator about to pounce. Only long practice allows her to meet his icy glare directly. "Who saw them?"

"My quartermaster and his matelotage." Is he taken aback by the question? He’s clearly a man used to being obeyed. Yet he answered her...

She tilts her head, considering. "Anyone else?"

Vane grunts and leans back in his chair. "No."

Hope nods to herself. "Can you trust their discretion?"

"With my life." She sees him follow the course she’s plotted with her questions. "You're going to ask who else on my crew knows it was gone."

She shrugs as if to say you caught me. "Well, who else does?"

"Only them." She opens her mouth to speak but he cuts her off. "Regardless, you know I cannot let your crew's insult go unanswered. I’ve a reputation to maintain, a captaincy I do not intend to lose."

"Nor do I expect you to. However, by returning your black undamaged, along with compensation for the," she pauses and bites her lip, considering her next words, "inconvenience you've been put through by this unfortunate breach of propriety, I trust this need not be a killing offense." She takes a bulging coin purse from her coat pocket and pushes it across the table to him.

Vane opens it and quirks a scarred brow at the amount of coin within. "Is this from the Starling's collective savings?"

"No. It's my personal share from our last prize." It had been a lucky take, that last prize, larger than most of the Starling’s, but there’s no reason to tell Vane that.

He places both hands on the table and leans forward abruptly. Hope feels her eyes widen as she assesses the threat and she quickly schools her expression. Vane’s voice drops to a near-whisper that puts her in mind of a cat’s purr. "My turn to ask the questions. Who else knows that your crew had my black?"

She leans forward as well, close enough to take in details of the trinkets braided into his long hair. "As far as I know, nobody." She keeps her voice as low as his, matter-of-fact. "My crew hasn't bragged, because they didn't get a chance to parade your colors on the beach. I made certain of that. And they won't now, not after I've relieved them of it. The ones who took your black are young and foolish. I've revoked their shore privileges for the time being, until they can show they won’t be shitheads to other crews if they come into town." Oh, they hadn't liked it at all, being returned to the Starling to assist the carpenters with some much-needed repairs to the ship while their brothers celebrated the take in Nassau, but they stopped complaining when Hope explained in a reasonable tone that the alternative was approaching Vane themselves to return his black. Or perhaps they wished for Vane to seek them out?

Vane’s expression turns pensive for a moment as he mulls over what she told him. "They know you're returning it to me?"

Hope forces herself to continue to meet that intense blue stare. "Yes. If they don't like it, they can elect a new quartermaster. However, they agreed when I explained my reasoning as to why keeping it would not be in their best interests."

"And DeGroot. Does he know why you asked him to arrange a meeting?"

"He didn't ask. I didn't tell." She lets out a laugh at the memory of DeGroot’s dismayed yet proud expression when he thought she was going to work for his captain’s foremost rival. “I let him think I'm here to ask you for a job, just to irritate him."

A long moment passes as she watches Vane weigh his options. Has she convinced him?

He pushes the purse back across the table to Hope. "Keep it. Buy the next round and we'll call it square."

#charles vane x oc #charles vane x ofc #whenimaunicorn #black sails fic #the heart of admiration fic #charles vane imagine

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yentotajaan · 3 years

Text

Prison Break

Yen’to was not feeling particularly enthusiastic about this latest job as he stood stewing in a cramped prison cell with four other compatriots. Khan’s latest caper involved getting arrested under false identities and crimes in order to break someone important out of prison. Why in Eorzea did I sign up for this, again? It might be easier to find someone who can grow a gil tree. Khan, in the guise of a guard, had overseen their processing; yet it had still not been particularly pleasant. Letting out a grunt of annoyance, Yen’to glanced around to take stock of the other fools who had been desperate enough to sign up. There were two who had helped with the castrum fiasco job: Strega and Aly. Well... I know they are capable. Strange, but capable. The other two were familiar but unknown: Fiona and Victor, associates of Aly in some manner. One is a patron at the bistro she works at and the other is a cook and waitress... Twelve help us.

As they discussed amongst themselves what the job might entail, Khan finally entered the holding area. According to him, they would be transported to a loosely run prison to find someone named the Jungle Broker. It seemed he was getting a bit too powerful for the comfort of some, and they wanted him out so they could find out what he knew. Or eliminate him? Whatever, our only concern will be to get him out or the information he has. They would need to rely on their wits to get this mission accomplished, since they were going in with nothing but the shoddy clothes on their backs. At least I thought ahead to change my hair and face paint. There is no way I am going to end up on a guild wanted poster and have Fable after me.

Now fully briefed, Khan escorted the ragtag group to the prison proper. It was unlike anything Yen’to had seen or heard of. The guards maintained a presence only at the tops of enormous walls, while the interior was nothing but crumbling buildings and criminals left to their own devices. In the time it took Yen’to to collect his thoughts, two prisoners had already been stabbed. Criminals policing themselves... wonderful. He warned the others to stick together as they tried to find their first contact. They did not have to wait long, since soon a very peculiar yet expected whistling tune caught their attention from nearby.

They cautiously made their way over to the source, which turned out to be a group of three women who were weaving. A sea wolf roegadyn spoke up, identifying herself as Khan’s contact. This feels almost too easy. Much to Yen’to’s annoyance, it quickly became clear that she did not know their target firsthand. Instead, she knew someone who did and directed them to a highlander male further in the prison who more assuredly would know where the Jungle Broker was. She claimed that he would not give up the information willingly, and that they would need to... coax it out of him. For Twelve’s sake - I knew this was too good to be true!

Off they went, armed with a new goal but little else. That soon changed, however, since the ground was littered with debris that could be used as makeshift weapons. Most of the frustratingly merry band picked up various bits of wood to use as makeshift clubs. Yen’to ignored the bounty and stayed weaponless; with his souring mood, he wanted to feel the impact if he had to go to the trouble of beating information out of someone. As they approached, the man in question stopped whatever he was doing and began to speak up - but he barely got the chance before Fiona was upon him, landing a hard blow with her board. The idiot! She is going to start a fight we might not have needed! The man reeled, his eyes bulging as if going into a rage. Unexpectedly, he instead burst into tears. Calls rang out among his friends who were observing from nearby, clamoring to defend whom they referred to as ‘Gentle Paul’. “Come on boys - let’s get ‘em!” Seriously?!

They fought off their attackers as best they could, some doing better than others. Yen’to had limited training in hand-to-hand combat training, but was disciplined enough to know when to fight with restraint. His opponent did not, and Yen’to easily ducked underneath a flailing fist to land a solid blow on the man’s groin in retaliation. The others in the group held their own well enough; Fiona was terrifying in her brutality, and Yen’to swore the prisoner about to hit Strega backed off with just a look. Gentle Paul’s friends limped away to leave the blubbering highlander to fend for hismelf. Yen’to could make out the sea wolf bellowing in the distance “And that is for turning me down!” Did we just... get used as revenge for spurned advances?

Yen’to felt a twitch in his eye - he hated being someone else’s unwitting pawn. His anger simmered further as Gentle Paul informed them that he did not know who the Jungle Broker was, but very certainly knew someone who likely knew someone else who knew who it was. Someone is going to end up with broken bones before we leave, I swear to the Twelve. With a heavy sigh, Yen’to and the others trudged off to the next obstacle who was supposed to be able to help them - which turned out to be a collection of rough looking adolescents.

Yen’to did not even bother trying to figure out why children would be in such a dangerous prison. It quickly became apparent, however, once one of the kids began bragging about all of the shanking he had doled out while introductions bizarrely proceeded. Is this really happening? Is this a nightmare? The kids claimed that they knew where the Jungle Broker was, but demanded a dance for their entertainment before they would give up the information. Deep breath.... they are just kids. Just do what they say so we can move on with this farce. Yen’to struggled to keep his anger in check as he and the rest were soon bobbing back and forth with their best attempts to comply - with mixed and awkward results.

After what seemed like an eternity, the youths seemed pleased and duly informed Yen’to’s group that they did not know who the Jungle Broker was, but knew someone who knew how to know where to find someone who would know. Did they... but we just - gods damn it! Gritting his teeth, Yen’to stormed off after the others in the appointed direction. Down some dark alleyway, they heard the voice of an old man calling out for them to come closer. Yent’to sensed a trap, but only Strega held back with him as the others blundered towards the source of the sound. You know what, they can go be idiot meat shields and then Strega and I can finish this up while they are bleeding out from stupidity.

From a second story window, an ancient Doman man named Shen hollered greetings down to them in a heavy accent. He said he had the information they required, but in return they would have to indulge in a review of a book he had written. Does everything here have a price? At least we have yet to be stabbed. The Doman lowered it down in a basket, and one by one they each read a passage from the book to give him their opinions.

Aly was as bubbly and positive as could be expected. I do not think she could be mean if her life depended on it. Strega was... confusingly technical, but so far it did not seem like it was that bad. I have no idea what she just said, but... good, I think? Victor’s reaction gave Yen’to pause, since he struggled to provide any sort of meaningful compliment. Someone only tries so hard to be technically correct when there is something to hide. Once it was Fiona’s turn, Yen’to watched in slowly dawning horror as she furiously called out the others for lying, following with a scathing review of how horrible the book was and how horrible everyone was for humoring the daft Doman; Strega was almost in tears for being called a liar. I see those giant ears of her take up all of the space in her head normally reserved for thinking. In a rage, the Doman demanded Yen’to finish the book and that he better have something good to say.

The last portion, as was the whole book, was absolutely horrendous. It took all of Yen’to’s remaining willpower to keep his expression neutral. A drunk goblin child could come up with something more coherent than this! He hated lying, so he copied Victor’s tactic, “Uh... the twist ending where the hero gets everything was perfect?” The Doman seemed pleased, and gleefully sent them on their way for what hopefully was the last hoop to jump through. If this is not the Jungle Broker, then someone is going to end up broken.

Rounding a corner, they came upon a highlander lounging on some crates. He looked highly amused as the group approached, and inquired mirthfully, “Why did you not just turn left from the gates? Would've taken you straight here!” Yen’to was not amused - his eye twitched again. Hold it together... we still need him alive. Although no one said about unhurt. The Broker affirmed that he was the one whom Khan had sent them to find, and that he also had prepared a plan for breaking out. Much to Yen’to’s chagrin, said plan involved starting a full blown riot. Upon the Broker’s signal, some prisoners began a fight which quickly flared into a maelstrom of shouting, fighting, and more than a few stabbings. If I die here, I am going to kill Khan!

The group struggled to make their way through the chaos with their escort in tow, fighting off guards and prisoners alike as they made a bee-line to the front gates. Making good on his promise from earlier, Yen’to managed to sidestep an incoming punch while grabbing the prisoner’s arm before jamming his knee up into the elbow to break the offending appendage - the prisoner howled and scrambled away. Completely done with this nonsense, Yen’to simply squared his shoulder and charged through the mass of bodies. Fiona battered her way through with her makeshift club, while Aly deftly used the thick skulls of the prisoners and guards as launching pads to get through to the gate. Victor used what looked like a combination of lightning and wind aspected aether to lift himself over the fray, and Strega.... had somehow charmed a prisoner to shank a path clear for her.

Khan was already waiting outside with a veritable flock of chocobos, all while prisoners spilled out all around them. The Jungle Broker quickly left with Khan, while the rest of the group grabbed the nearest available chocobo and fled in different directions.

Another mission complete. Hmph, despite the ‘help’ from the others. Well, except maybe Strega... who was somehow even more effective than the others despite not fighting. How does she do that? They had somehow managed to blunder their way to success, and that was all that really mattered.

@tough-bit-of-fluff

#ffxiv #rp #balmung #shenanigans #khaaaaaan #prison break

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am-imagines · 5 years

Text

Got Moves. - Alex Morgan Imagine.

Requested by an anon: his kinda sounded better in my head buttt, could you do one where Alex and the reader are dating and the reader and the younger girls go out to the club while everyone else stays at the hotel for a chill day. And then the girls get really drunk that the reader starts dancing/twerking at the club and no one knew she could dance like that and posted it to social media. And they don’t remember what happened the next day. so then when the team reunites the next day, they tease the reader

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” You ask Alex.

The team is getting ready for a fun evening, but while you and some of the youngsters want to go clubbing, the rest are happy to stay behind and have some pool fun. It’s been some time since you had a drink, and even longer from the last time you had a chance to properly dance.

In all honesty, the team has never seen your moves. In a way, you’re grateful for that. No one knows what they would do with that intel, but you’re pretty sure the teasing would be endless. Maybe they would try to start some sort of competition between Sonnett and you. Not trying to brag but, you would win without a doubt.

“I’m sure. Have fun, okay? Don’t let them break the law.”

You chuckle at her words and nod.

Even when you’re missing her already, you understand she needs some time for herself after dealing with people day in and day out. As much as she’d like to have some privacy in town, she’s Alex Morgan; everyone wants a piece of her.

Media is exhausting as it is, and you’re not gonna ask her to sacrifice the little free time you have just for a drink.

“I’ll try my best.”

There’s a smile on your lips when you lean down to kiss her. Her arms wrap around your neck as she brings you closer. Truthfully, you could do that all day long. And you would; if Rose and Mal hadn’t convinced you to go with them. O’Hara doesn’t count like an adult when alcohol is involved. She would drink her way around a concussion if left unsupervised.

“Y/N! You coming?”

Lavelle’s voice breaks the spell. You pull back reluctantly much to Alex’s amusement. The fact she wants you to have fun doesn’t mean she won’t try to keep you there as long as possible. So, she kisses you again until you forget about the girls.

“Y/L!”

“Go,” Alex says this time. “You don’t want to keep them waiting.”

“Are you sure?” You ask, leaning down to steal another kiss.

“Oh my God. Y/L! You and Janice can make up for this hard separation with sex when we get back. Now, hurry up! The car is here.”

With a sigh, you let Alex go as she chuckles with that mischievous glint in her eyes. That woman drives you crazy in all the right ways; unlike Kelley.

“Real classy, O’Hara!” You shout over your shoulder. “Have you ever heard of love?”

“I have, but that doesn’t mean our face holes are attached together all the damn time.”

You shake your head at that. There’s no way to win with an impatient Kelley. You should’ve known, but when you kiss Alex, it’s easy to forget everything else.

“Love you,” you mouth to Alex while you’re dragged away by a bunch of teenagers.

By the time you make it to the car, you start wondering if their ID’s are fake.

***

The club is packed, but there’s always space for the USWNT. They make space in a private area where the girls and you can do almost anything you want. You claim a corner of the dance club with a drink in hand, that’s enough for the fun to start.

The neon lights flash along with the music, and you follow the girls as they “dance”.

You’re basically jumping on the spot while moving your arms around; barely ducking in time before Sam wacks you in the face. It’s fun even when their rhythm sucks. Someone puts another drink on your hand as you keep fooling around. You enjoy the moment among the younglings of the team, and wonder if this is how it feels to be a parent.

The songs blend together, but at some point the beat drops. You can feel the bass in every single atom of your body, and you smirk.

The beat calls you with its sensuality, and before you know it, your body moves on its own accord. You wish Alex would be there. You would guide her back to your booth and give her a lap dance she couldn’t forget.

You would tease her with the dangerous move of your hips as you flow with the wavelength of the music around you. It fills your body with a different kind of energy; provocative by nature. It feeds your primal side, and you simply don’t have to think.

Your hips sway with that instinct as if luring a prey that isn’t there. The bass leads the way until you’re fully immersed in that moment; going down while your shoulders invite to the touch that won’t come.

It’s such a pity Alex decided to stay at the hotel. She would have liked this song.

Who knows? Maybe you could have convinced her to ditch the girls and go back to your shared room. Instead, you’re doing shots with Kelley until she’s wasted.

She’s laughing uncontrollably; trying to get into the table for God knows what reason.

Rose, Mal and Sam are on their phones, talking among themselves about something you can’t hear above the music. They don’t even notice when you approach, and that seems like a good time as any to call it a night.

Only then you realize you’re phone is nowhere to be seen. Thinking about it, you didn’t have it with you leaving the hotel. It’s probably forgotten somewhere in your room, and you blame Kelley for that. Yes, technically you were too busy kissing Alex to even think about the damn phone. But maybe you would have remembered if O’Hara wasn’t rushing you so damn much.

“Lavelle, can you call an Uber?”

“On it,” she says without looking at you.

“Damn, Y/n! You got moves! Can you teach me some of those?” Mal asks.

“Maybe next time,” you answer with a smirk.

“Oh, I bet certain forward would really really like to see them,” Kelley adds before winking with both eyes.

Totally wasted.

“O’Hara?”

“What?”

“Shut the hell up.”

***

You wake up groggy the next morning; not hungover but you’ve definitely had better days.

Alex is nowhere to be seen, but she left a note telling you she’ll see you at breakfast. You groan after reading it, and cuddle into her pillow for five more minutes. This would be the perfect time to cuddle with her instead of the pillow, but that can’t really happen now.

You leave bed, shower and change before starting a hunt for coffee, love, and food in that specific order. The slight headache reminds you exactly why you don’t drink that much anymore.

Everyone turns their attention to you as soon as you enter and you wonder what’s going on as you shamelessly sit down on Alex’s lap. She’s your girlfriend, she’s offering you a steaming cup of coffee, and they can suck it.

It’s not like Kelley is going to move when she’s slumped all over the table; probably half dead. And you’re not going to sit on Tobin’s; Press would probably try to murder you.

“Did I miss something?” You ask when the team keeps giving you weird looks.

“Oh, God. She doesn’t remember,” Rose mutters into her orange juice.

“Remember what?”

“Yesterday we went to a club.”

That’s extremely unhelpful and you roll your eyes at that. You turn to face Alex, but she won’t meet your eye. Oh, now you really want to know what’s happening if it makes Alex fucking Morgan act like that.

“Yeah, I know. I remember Sam almost gave me a black eye while we had to drag Kelley away from the table. Her dancing is not the kind that should be broadcast.”

Alex looks up at that; eyes darker than they were a moment ago. Interesting.

The girls laugh at your comment but still, you’re even more confused. Apparently, there’s something you can’t remember even when the night is clear on your head.

“Have you checked your Insta?” Christen finally throws you a bone.

“I don’t know where’ my phone is.”

After a soft kiss, Alex lets you borrow hers to check your mentions and sure enough; there’s a vid of a very specific dance you remember. What you can’t recall is; the exact moment they started recording.

“I didn’t know you could dance like that,” Sonnett chimes.

“Yeah, no offense, but that was the point.”

You poke Kelley’s side but she doesn’t react until the fifth time.

“What do you want?”

“Why the fuck did you record me?”

“Al deserved to see it.”

“You ever heard of DM’s?”

“With the way you hog each other in public, I thought you wouldn’t mind.”

You don’t have a comeback for that so you solely wait until Kelley is dozing off again before pouring half a glass of ice cold water into her head.

“What the hell?” She shouts jerking awake just to glare at you.

“I hate you.”

“No, you fucking don’t.”

“Shows us the moves, Y/n!” Ash interrupts your staring contest with Kel.

“Sorry, those are reserved for number thirteen only.”

“Do I get to see them now?” Alex whispers.

So, that’s it. You knew she would have liked that dance. And you don’t mind putting on a very private show for her. However, it wouldn’t be good for your reputation to give on so easily.

“Tell you what, win the scrimmage today and I’ll see what I can do.”

Appealing to Alex’s competitiveness is like playing with fire, but you plan to burn.

“Game on.”

“You two are seriously disgusting.”

“O’Hara?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll shut the hell up.”

#Alex Morgan imagine #alex morgan imagines #alex morgan x reader #uswnt imagine #requested #fulfilled prompt

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purplesurveys · 4 years

Text

768

Doesn't it just piss you off when people brag about drugs and stuff? If the bragging sounds very “look at me I’m so cool and edgy, and you’re not because you haven’t tried it” it does get annoying and I just mute them in my head as I nod along. I don’t mind it if people raise it casually. You do you, just don’t be pretentious about it.

Have you ever egged a person? No, that just sounds stupid and is such a waste of food.

Are you a TV person, or prefer to actually leave the premises of your house? I normally like a healthy balance of both but eugh, these days I’m obviously so sick of having to stay home for this long. I will definitely be a bit of an extrovert once this is all over.

What do the home phone numbers start with in your area? Mine is 9. 8. It used to be different for all homes, but the main phone company in the country institutionalized the system not too long ago and announced that all numbers and hotlines were now going to start with 8.

Would you come to Australia if you had the opportunity? If everything was paid for or if it was a vacation planned out by my parents, sure. It wouldn’t be my first pick for a vacation as I feel like some parts of it have weather too similar to ours, and I simply just have other countries on my list that are bigger priorities for me to travel to.

I hope you said yes. Sorry bout that. I think it’s an interesting place though!

Are you with the teens these days? I’m still very aware of the trends. I share memes as if I was still a teen lmao and I definitely still use whatever slang is in, but I also don’t participate in a number of trends, like Tiktok or Instagram.

Or do they just piss you off with their attitudes? I haven’t seen anyone disrespectful in a while, but then again maybe I’m just biased towards the high school kids from my alma mater that I’m Facebook friends with lmao. Honestly, I don’t know a good number of teens anymore to have an informed opinion about them. The ones I know are very nice, not one problem about their attitude at all - but are definitely more vain and conscious about fitting in and looking good on social media than how the past waves of teenagers used to be.

You working? I am not. Yet. I will be very soon, hopefully.

Where abouts? What do you do? Just wait a little more, I’ll be updating you before the year ends.

You want a career, or happy with just a job? I’d wanna go jump right ahead and start building my career. Never really been a beating-around-the-bush kind of person.

Are you all for second chances? Not a fan.

Do you think anyone on the outside of a situation has the right to judge? Not always. I always take into account what that person might be going through, but I also recognized limits. I will never judge someone who just got an abortion, but like I also wouldn’t think twice about anyone who’s sexually abused someone else.

I hate kids cause they're all a bunch of layabouts. Why do you hate them? I don’t hate kids. If they’re acting terribly, I usually blame it on their environment or on their parents.

How cool was the 90's? Cool enough for a number of its trends to make a comeback today lol, like high-waisted jeans, chunky sneakers, and fanny packs. I don’t like the cheesy girl group/boy band love songs though.

What era had the best music? 2010s mainly because this is the first decade I got to emotionally connect with music at the same time they got released. Some songs in the past decades are important to me too, but I feel detached from them due to them being released way way back.

Do you find it weird that you've actually lived in 2 milleniums? Not really. I found it cooler when I read about people being born in the 1990s being alive for technically three (now four) decades. The math didn’t make sense to me at first but it felt like such a mindfuck when I finally understood it.

Has it occured to you that people won't see that for 1000 more years? No. Now it does.

Name someone you haven't seen for years. Raegan. She was a good friend of mine from prep and super super super insanely rich, it almost felt like I didn’t deserve to be her friend, much less be invited to their giant ass house lol. The last time I saw her was at my 7th birthday party during the summer, but she changed schools by Grade 1 and I haven’t seen her since.

Do you ever wonder if they think about you? I doubt it. We’ve lived very different, distant paths since then. It’s so weird though because even though we haven’t met up in 16 years, she literally just studies in the university beside ours. Literally a stone’s throw away. We’ve never seen each other at the nearby mall or anywhere in the area though.

So do you drink? Sure.

If you do, are you actually legally allowed? Yeah, for the last four years.

What about smoke? Yeah, but definitely not as much as I drink.

Into any of that hard schmak? Hard pass.

I think i may have made that term up. You smoke weed? Nope.

Did you know that weed might not be linked to skitzos afterall? I have no idea what you mean.

You know any Sams? A good amount, it’s a common name. I have a cousin named Sam, a former best friend, and I also went to school (both high school and college) with a good chunk of Sams. Kissed any Brads? I have not.

You have a pet named Bruiser? I don’t.

What's the best thing about Summer where you live? Going to the beach in the province. There isn’t anything exciting about summer here in the city, so we typically have to travel to have some fun.

Do you get snow there in Winter? We don’t get snow.

Do you wax your eyebrows? Nah I’m scared of most hair removal procedures because I’ve seen how red people get in the area that got worked on after leaving the spa lolol. Pluck or shave is fine with me since I’m not all that conscious about my eyebrows anyway.

Broken a bone? I have not.

Are you one of those people who do all communication over the internet? Right now, I don’t really have a choice. Normally my other options would be text or personally speaking with someone.

I think it's sad. I've heard of wedding invites being sent over facebook. It’s definitely cheaper and more efficient, but it just feels super impersonal to me. I’d still send out physical invitations, but I would also create a Facebook event to keep track of attendance and to send announcements if ever.

How do people know that there's a God? For some people, believing and faith have had a positive impact on them and they’re things that have influenced and molded who they are. It’s not invalid, but I preferably wouldn’t hang out with that kind of crowd.

How many places have you travelled to by plane? A. Lotttttt. Six countries, but way way more local provinces.

#survey #surveys

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meracie · 4 years

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THE BASICS

FULL NAME. macie - jay osric BIRTHDATE. 28/08/– AGE. 24 GENDER & PRONOUNS. female , she / her ORIENTATION. demisexual SPECIES. chimera. human & panther. ETHNICITY. british OCCUPATION. jack of all trades / does whatever to get money. RESIDENCE. n/a

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

HAIR. golden blonde hair, straight, thick, floor length hair. generally tied with some sort of ribbon to prevent it touching the ground. EYES. eyes of a panther. yellow hues and slit pupils. COMPLEXION. peachy skin with golden undertones. BUILD. athletic build, toned & muscular. HEIGHT. 5 foot 10 inches. SCARS. in general she is littered with scars, mostly tiny cuts. she does have a few ones that are more prominent. from the tip of her chin; on the left side, to her collar bone there are three claw marks. circular scars around her wrists and ankles from metal digging in. TATTOOS. none. PIERCINGS. her left helix is pierced. she has a large red crystal earring dangling from her ear. It’s a philospher stone forged into an earring. ( exactly the same as the earring on the cat in my rules page. ) FACE CLAIM(S). Bishamonten from Noragami plus others for a variety of facial expressions.

PERSONALITY

ZODIAC. scorpio. ALIGNMENT. chaotic neutral POSITIVE TRAITS. willful , courageous , compassionate , kindhearted NEGATIVE TRAITS. skittish , paranoid , impulsive , extremely emotional PHOBIAS. claustrophobia , trypanophobia (needles), entomophobia (bugs) MENTAL DISORDERS. PTSD & Panic Disorder. ↘ ↘ SIDE NOTE Macie tends to exhibit animalistic type behaviour, mostly when she is emotioanally tired or vulnerable. Early on she developed a defensive mechanism, where she’ll pass out if the emotional stress is too much. Christopher named it Frenzy, when she’ll rely on her fight or flight instincts for survival. Much like an animal would in a time of dire need.

BACKGROUND

BIRTHPLACE. cornwall / england PARENTS. christopher osric & tammy osric SIBLINGS. ruben & several others who have no names. EDUCATION. homeschooled DISABILITIES. dyslexia LANGUAGES. english & latin ABILITIES.

speed & agility - macie is able physically run faster than a normal human and react faster. She is also able to jump higher / climb things with ease. Scaling buildings is no problem, she also tends to land on her feet in most situations. Perfect center of balance.

animal instincts- her senses are fine tuned, she can easily tell when something is going to happen or something is off. her five senses are amplified, she can see further, hear things from a greater distance as well as smell. She also have large canines and claw like finger nails capable of ripping through a lot of things.

regeneration - for some reason macie’s metabolism has been excellerated. whenever she recieves a fatal injury, it heals very quickly. the greater the wound, the fast it heals. although her body recieves backlash afterwards and she can’t move properly for a day or two.

proficiency - recieved military standard training, so she knows her way around most weapons, particulary knives and hand guns. hand to hand combat, heavily favors her legs, using taekwondo. Acrobatics are something she personally enjoys so she learned at a younger age also.

BIOGRAPHY

Macie is one of the many Chimera’s, created by a man named Christopher. A Alchemist who has an undying thirst for power, even after being one of the few men able to create the Elixir of life. Now with his long future ahead of him, what else could he possibly want ? Power and a throne. Like his last name suggest, ‘Divine Ruler’, that’s what he wanted to be. To obtain power he needed an army.

Normal humans wouldn’t have been enough, he wanted soliders, strong ones, monsters essentially. Creating a creature that is similar to a human but stronger, more deadly, that didn’t get tired , that didn’t have a humans weakness, a heart and could relentlessly do what was needed in his quest for power.

Out of all the creations that were made, Macie for some reason was the most successful one. She looked human, the only defining factors that could tell she wasn’t completely human was her bright yellow eyes and sharp teeth. Her dna had successfully merged with that of a feral big cat, a black panther and didn’t come out with as a pile of melted human flesh.

The preparations needed to be started long before the child was born, Christopher assumed having full control of the fetus from the beginning was important. There had been a lot of trial and error. Lots of animals and humans sacrificed to get to the point Christopher had but it had all been worth it because he had created Macie. The fact his creation was of his own blood only increased his pride & narcassism.

With incredous amount of training, experiments and honing skills, Macie gradually became stronger and stronger. Growing up she didn’t know better, doing what her Father wanted was all she cared about. Macie’s physical condition was superb compared to prior experiments but as time went by it was clear her mental stability was beginning to suffer. A battle or rather a war was being created between Macie’s animal side & human one. The more she acted on feral instincts like her Father wanted, the most she couldn’t control the bloodlust. She didn’t like that. Once Macie started thinking as an individual, she realized how scary the things she was being made to do was. It was also illegal, she thought about the families that lost someone, the lives that had been taken. It became something she didn’t want to do and the more it happened, Christopher’s position in the world only went up.

It became aparent to her that her Father only cared about what she could do for him and that he didn’t really love her. Even his supposed nicknames for her, related to her animal side rather than human. She was a mere pet and a pawn. They all were.

Macie just wanted to be a normal family, do normal things, do what normal people did. Live her life peacefully but the more she opposed to her Father’s wishes, the more punishment she recieved.

This all lead to her plotting her escape. He could find someone else to do his dirty work, he could just create another like her. On her next mission, she made her escape and left everything behind with no remorse.

Of course Christopher wasn’t just going to let his best weapon escape, his best creation, who would he brag to others about without her? She also had one other important thing attached to her ear. A god damn earring, he gave to Tammy, his beloved or the woman who he played house with at least. It wasn’t an ordinary earring, it was a part of the philosophers stone he had specifically forged. Everywhere she went, Ruben was there. His Son, technically her Brother but no matter how much she tried to talk things into him, all he wanted to do was to make his Father happy and proud of him. Ruben was the experiment prior to Macie, his first child but due to his health deteriorating daily, he didn’t bother to deal with him much. When Macie escaped her offered to retrieve her in attempt to win his Father’s approval & affection.

She has no regrets that she left, but she regrets everything she did in the past and swears to have a clean slate and start over but it didn’t matter. The more she ran the more fights she got into and her blacks outs got worst, the more mentally unstable she got.

Then is happened, during one of her altercations with Ruben, she recieved a serious head injury which caused significant memory loss. She knows she isn’t normal, from the fangs , the claws and the eyes and the fact there is an angry male chasing her around claiming to know her alarms her. She doesn’t want to know and strives to live her life normally as possible. Even if she wakes up covered in blood sometimes.

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dennace · 4 years

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GET TO KNOW THE MUSE .

* ❝ favorite things .

season: he has more of an excuse to stay in drinking during the severe seasons, so summer or winter. color: blue. pie: lemon meringue. fruit: apple. ice cream flavor: mint chocolate chip. breakfast food: he doesn’t often eat breakfast. he takes himself for a soufflé kind of guy, but he’d be over the moon for, like, a microwave tart. unspeakable acts for bacon. alcoholic drink: crème de menthe. soda flavor: (“like the mixer?”) lemon-lime. regular coke. scent: he’s likely the best-smelling member of the paddy’s gang, though that isn’t saying much. light (cheap) cologne, always a little smoky. flowers: i honestly don’t have a guess for this one. he’s not frequently among nature. animal: cat. movie: he knows too much about magic mike to not... enjoy... magic mike. predator, because he shares that with mac. close your eyes and point to a 1990s romcom. tv show: the shield, 24, any shitty makeover (person or house) show you can think of. book: dennis reynolds: an erotic life. fairy tale: hansel and gretel — his least favorite at the same time, because his mother emphasized the exact wrong message to him as a child and helped along his unhealthy relationship with food — for the sibling dynamic. genre of music: yacht rock, glam rock, new romantic. genre of movies: action, romantic comedy. (in secret: musical.) genre of books: anything that makes him feel smart.

* ❝ pick one .

hot or cold juice or soda tv or movie movie or book late night talk shows or reality tv twitter or instagram trees or flowers philosophy or psychology ocean or lake water park or amusement park cats or dogs fresh water or sparkling water sugar or honey cookies or candy bath or shower (rarely has time to take baths instead of showers, but likes ‘em) morning or night running or walking piercings or tattoos frozen yogurt or ice cream vanilla or chocolate caramel or butterscotch art or music t-shirt or button down text or call ghosts or aliens

* ❝ have they ever …

ridden a motorcycle: no. stolen something: yes. eaten an entire pizza by themselves: yes. made a prank call: yes. broken a bone: yes. fallen asleep during a concert or movie: yes. walked out of a movie because it was so bad: not because the movie was bad, but to make a scene, yes. been on the phone with someone for longer than 2 hours: no. held a gun: yes. gone skinny dipping: yes. cried during a movie: yes. smuggled food into a movie: yes. lied to get a job: yes. practiced lines in front of a mirror: yes. tried to see how many marshmallows they can stuff in their mouth at once: sure. been kicked out of somewhere: oh god, yes. been on a blind date: technically with mac one time. ghosted someone: yes. bragged about something they haven’t done: yes. said i love you without meaning it: to his mother. he can’t pull off the lie with anyone else. gotten in a fight: yes. fallen asleep on a bus: no. while driving his own car: yes.

* ❝ misc .

how do they take their tea or coffee: he takes it black. he’d prefer something sweet. what is their ideal date: a quiet? dinner at guigino’s italian restaurant. he really starts to treasure the night in (popcorn and any movie with full-frontal) after he hits 40. minimal effort and maximal drinking, really, is what he’s going for. what are some of their guilty pleasures: on “special” occasions he’ll order half the menu at mcdonald’s and eat it alone in his car. loves watching cartoons with charlie. longest they’ve stayed up for: he’s gone a few days before. maybe one of the 2–3 times he’s gone through crack cocaine withdrawal? greatest talent: um. denial? can they cook: no. do they have allergies: no. do they believe in love in first sight: yes, but he reads his own feelings incorrectly. have any special talents: he’s very good at impressions and has an above-average singing voice. he thinks he can write well, but he can’t. definitely has some bar tricks up his sleeve; he can tie cherry stems with his tongue, has great short-distance aim (can flick just about anything small enough into a shot glass), pretty much any other pointless pub-centric skill that comes to mind. he’d be an excellent bartender and a decent flirt if he tried.

#headcanon.#too much of this is straight up canonical #drugs #alcohol #disordered eating

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opheliathedreamer-blog · 5 years

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Krampus x Reader

Summary: You thought he was just another drunk neighbor participating in the Krampuslauf. You were wrong and, now that he has set his eyes on you, he’ll never let you go.

It was the eve of December 5th. Glistening snow crowned the nearby mountains. Icicles graced the eaves of every house and were made brighter by the fires of those too old or too wise to brave the winter chill. You, on the other hand, were happy to be out and about, despite your numb nose and cheeks made raw by the wind. Tonight only came once a year, after all.

You walked towards the village square, huddled inside your parka. Your heart raced with excitement. Although this day was meant to strike fear into the hearts of defiant children, you looked forward to the rush of adrenaline upon seeing all the Krampus costumes barrel into the crowds, growling and cackling and swinging around their Ruten, birch branches that act as whips. You and many others would run, shrieking whenever a branch met its mark, and then, when the drunk, costumed men were weary, you would all meet in nearby restaurants for crackling fires and freshly baked sweets.

You heard the eerie tinkling of bells in the air and quickened your pace. They were coming.

When you reached the village square, pandemonium had already erupted. With a breathy laugh, you picked up your feet and swerved left in order to avoid a snarling figure who nearly reached your arm with his switch. Your eyes scanned the crowd in an attempt to locate your neighbor, Otto. He said that his costume would look particularly terrifying and realistic this year, but he refused to show it to you. He instead presented you with a wager.

“If you can pick me out of the crowd before the Krampuslauf ends, I’ll buy your drinks for the next month!”

“And if I don’t?”

“Küss mich,” he had teased.

You readily agreed. If you won, you received all the beer you could drink for a month. If you lost, well, he didn’t specify where you had to kiss him.

Your head turned as you observed a white Krampus with a wooden goat mask emerge from an alleyway. You didn’t think it was Otto, but you asked anyway. No answer. You dodged the man’s swipe and went up to another costumed figure. This was one sported auburn fur with a realistic latex mask. His unblinking red eyes bore into you as you asked just out of arm’s reach, “Otto? Is that you?”

He faked a charge and, laughing, you ran on.

At first, adrenaline had been crucial in keeping you awake and alert but, as the night deepened and the crowds slowly dispersed, exhaustion began to settle on your limbs. Your eyelids drooped and a fine tremor wracked your body, the cold at last seeping in. You must have encountered every able-bodied man in town and inquired as to their identity but no luck. Otto had either tricked you by saying nothing or he was still reeling in a local bar.

You pulled out your phone and texted him in the shadow of a toy store’s icy eave. You waited—one, two, three minutes—yet there was still no response. You rolled your eyes but thought nothing of it. Even if you didn’t win a month’s supply of free alcohol, you still had fun.

You pocketed your phone. You were about to set out on the mile walk back to your apartment before you saw a figure out of the corner of your eye. There was another Krampus, one you hadn’t noticed before. His fur was as black as the starlit sky above you, and his large ivory horns curved elegantly backward. Curious, you approached. The closer you grew, the more you marveled at how smoothly the man’s mask complied with his actual facial expression. Golden eyes surveyed you, and a dusky grey brow puckered.

“Otto? That better be you. I’ve been running around looking for you all night!”

The figure didn’t answer.

You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest. “Well? Speak! The Krampuslauf is over. Are you Otto or someone else?”

“Someone else,” the figure replied. His thickly accented voice was deep and guttural. He canted his head to the side, and his thin lips slowly smiled. “It’s dangerous to stay out in the cold too late. This night belongs to someone less benevolent than Nicholas.”

“Ja, ja. And if I’m not good, Krampus will carry me away. I’m well aware.” You chuckled. “Your costume is amazing, though. Are you sure you’re not Otto? He was bragging about his scary outfit all week.”

“Quite sure.” He offered you his clawed hand with a flourish. “Care to feel for yourself? It’s all quite… realistic.”

You placed your hand in his, and his taloned digits wrapped around the appendage like a closing cage. He placed your hand on his cheek. The skin was eerily warm. You allowed your hand to trail downward, feeling for the edge of a prosthetic appliance or a hidden zipper. The more you searched, the more the figure’s smile grew. Your eyes widened with realization. It couldn’t be, and yet—

“Who are you?” you stammered.

“Do you not know?”

You felt rooted to the spot. Everything seemed to stop—your hands ceased their motions; your breathing and your racing heart no longer registered to your shocked mind. You could no longer hear the wind or the laughing voices streets over. All you could hear was his smug inquiry. Do you not know?

“Krampus,” you murmured.

He nodded with a sharp-edged grin. “The original.” His eyes flitted to your hand, which still rested on his shoulder. You withdrew. “I see you still have not outgrown your morbid fascination with the dark. I am meant to frighten young ones into submission, but you… You always greeted my reigning day with a smile. Are you certain that is wise?”

You thickly swallowed and attempted to loosen your tongue from the roof of your mouth.

“Do you not fear my whip? The basket on my back? Who knows how many I have carried away to the depths.”

“You don’t frighten me.” You squared your shoulders. “You’ve never frightened me.”

He leaned closer, nostrils flaring. The bells hung on the chains around his shoulders tinkled. You smelled brimstone and sulfur. “You called me Otto before. Why?”

“He’s a neighbor of mine and was supposed to dress up as you today. If I found him in the crowd, he said he would pay for my drinks for a month.”

“And if you lost?”

Your face flushed. “I was… I had to kiss him.”

The demon smirked and offered his hand once more. “Care for another wager?”

You briefly hesitated, glancing between Krampus’s igneous eyes and his gnarled fingers. Another spark of adrenaline flared to life in your chest, and you placed your hand within his own. You had never been very wise. “What are your conditions?”

“I will take you to my domain for a single night. If you remain unafraid, despite all my best efforts, I will grant you a single boon. Whatever you wish. I am an old, powerful spirit and can accomplish many things.”

It sounded like the prelude to a tragedy in a Grimm fairytale, yet you pressed onward. “And if I lose this wager?”

He pulled you to himself. His coarse, warm fur contrasted with the biting wind tearing at you with its unseen talons. “Küss mich. Zweimal. One for me and one for your missing friend.”

“Deal.” You spoke only a little above a whisper but Krampus heard you all the same.

The wind lashed at your clothes, and you were forced to bury your face in his chest to hide from the sting. When the air stilled, you reluctantly glanced up at a squat wooden cottage in the midst of a darkened wood, where not even the moon broke through the thick overgrowth. The only source of light came from the cottage’s fogged windows.

Truth be told, you weren’t sure what you were expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.

“Wilkommen zu mein Haus. Were you expecting more bones?”

“I was expecting a portal to hell.”

“Ah.” He wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “That would be the fireplace.”

Despite whatever misgivings might have dissuaded you from continuing onward, a deal was a deal, and something told you that reneging on a deal with a demon would only end badly. However, the challenge was a bit easier than you had thought. No bones littered his living room floor and no torture devices dripping blood decorated the walls. The fireplace was, as he said, a portal to hell, but you did not fear the foul smell or what the whispered voices spewed forth. You did not fear the dark. You did not fear the cold.

But perhaps you feared how comfortable you were growing with the demon the longer you spent with him. You felt the exhaustion of the night catch up with you, and your head slumped onto Krampus’s shoulder. Your vision blackened.

He awoke you at dawn, although you could hardly tell the time due to the perpetual night outside.

“You are still unafraid,” he murmured, glancing down at you. “I suppose I must keep my word. What is your request?”

You glanced into the face of your host, his gold eyes, so wry and ancient, and his twisted mouth, which hid sharp teeth that could tear out throats, or tug pleasantly on one’s bottom lip. You flushed, and Krampus grinned as if sensing your thoughts.

“I am waiting.”

“But you’re wrong.” You nervously licked your lips. “I am afraid.”

His eyes narrowed, and his head tilted. “Oh? Of what?”

“I’m afraid because I want to stay… I want to know you, and I’m afraid of what will happen to me if I do.”

“A matter of the heart, then. It still counts. You technically lose.” He smirked and leaned downward, silently awaiting your next move.

You took a breath, then craned your head up and sealed your fate.

#krampus x reader #exophilia #male monster #gender neutral reader #I apologize if my German is off #I'm still learning #I hope however that you enjoyed this 'Christmas' themed story!

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snow-slayer · 4 years

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A Bunch of Good Things from 2019

*I don’t do things consistently, so there’s chunks of time I just forgot to write. So the blank spaces are days where I could not recall the exact good things that happened.*

January 1: Started the year off right by hanging out with @nah-young, eating some delicious leftovers from New Year’s Eve and working on a puzzle. Also caught a shiny Delibird in Pokemon Go as the first catch of the year. 2: Had a headache at work, but went home to take care of myself. Dad and I talked for a long time about money and taxes without arguing. I have also discovered a future hobby I want to get into: 3D printing. 3: I cranked out four solid hours of studying. I’m going to ace the Auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel it in my bones (especially when I finally stood up and stretched). 4: My ‘other mom’ (one of my best friend’s mom) took me out for a belated Birthday lunch to our favorite Thai food place, and I enjoyed more mango sticky rice. It’s one of my new favorite desserts. 5: Did some epic New Year cleaning. Caught up on laundry, filed away my 2018 paperwork, and did some 2019 taxes. Finally on top of things! 6: A puzzle day! I connected a big piece of the sky to the side on the Lion King puzzle. I’ve still got a lot to go, but progress is being made. 7: As usual, I both surprised and pleased the teller at the bank when I moved some money from savings into my IRA. They wanted to know if it was for tax year 2018, but I could tell them last year was maxed out and it was for 2019. 8: Got to practice my training and supervising skills with @arrowhearts. 9: Spent the night at Lucy’s (she’s a cat). She’s the sweetest cat though, and was cuddling in my lap for so long! She even held my finger with her paw for like ten minutes. I love her. 10: It’s been forever, but I finally sat down and played some video games. I’m replaying Arkham Asylum again and really just exploring every nook and cranny I can find. 11: Might have started a new Francis story line ... Whoops :) 12: Helped Jane clear an apartment and acquired many new tools and art supplies to use. 13: Snow! It was snowing before bed, but I still woke up at 5 am to about 4 - 5 inches. Activated my dad gene and started shoveling at 5:30 am (sorry neighbors to the house I was dog sitting at). It’s so pretty out! 14: A quiet day, but I did some work for Jane and gamed some more. Can’t wait to start Arkham City when I get 100% on Arkham Asylum! 15: I took my coworker a basket of fun snacks from Lotte for her Birthday. She’s so excited to try them all! 16: Donated blood today and when I went to get dinner on the way home, I got a free salad! The entree was already free and I ordered a side salad. I pulled out my wallet to pay, but the coupon covered it, too! 17: Treated myself to breakfast on the way into preschool (my new volunteer place since the teacher I followed to several elementary schools is now at). Also ate some amazing home cooked food for lunch with @nah-young before going out for ice cream. 18: Did some very early spring cleaning to prep for my next yard sale and straighten up a bit. 19: Beat the storyline and finished gathering all of Riddler’s trophies in Arkham Asylum. I do still need to finish up the additional content for 100% completion. 20: Working with Jane to help clean out an apartment again and got stencils to use for my art (the ones with shapes of different sizes). I had wanted to get me a set, so I really lucked out. 21: Started reading a book for fun. Lol, I forgot that I can still read non-accounting things for fun. 22: Sent out 1099s at work. It’s always a dreaded part of the year, but it’s taken care of! 23: I started uploading my old Franmouche stories to AO3. I forgot that I’d written 185 pages of them. At least if someone else likes my rarepair, they have lots to read. No guarantees on the quality, but there is quantity. 24: Made fun penguin cutouts for the preschool class I volunteer at. Then studied for nine hours on campus. A busy, yet productive day. 25: Finished watching all my lectures for the next portion of the CPA exam! So much auditing knowledge!!! 26: Panic alleviated. My check engine light had been on for a few days. Usually it’s just a gas cap issue so I was worried, but after readjusting the cap again (which usually fixes it) and an oil change, the light went out! 27: Played some Pokemon Go for four hours with @arrowhearts and Lyla. No Kyogre, but at least we each got a Groudon. Plus, the weather was beautiful for this time of year. 28: I found a dollar today while sweeping the parking lots with my dad! I’m gonna be riding this wave for a week. (Fun fact: my dad and I used to go bike riding on Sunday afternoons/evenings in the local parking garages and look for pennies. We’d always get bragging rights when we found a quarter or more. We still get excited and tell each other of the day’s finds when we find a few coins while we’re sweeping). 29: Had a bit of a headache, but managed to get through it so I could finish the workday. Then I get some well deserved rest. 30: Met up with @nah-young for some fries and ice cream! 31: My annual physical went well! Took care of a couple test we’ve been putting off, too, and they weren’t quite as bad as I thought they’d be.

February

1: I had such a productive day in the office, even for a Friday. Special thanks to @arrowhearts for helping me move all (24 years worth) of our files. 2: Started off the day a little rough and feeling low, but I decided to go up to campus, and I’m so glad I did. I was able to help a bunch of people get to their destination. Also hung out with @nah-young and @arrowhearts in a sketchy room. 3: Technically today (starting at 1 am). Had a great talk with @nah-young about a lot of things including our friendship. Successfully avoided the Super Bowl (which I heard sucked, so that was a good use of my time). 4: Had a really good conversation with my dad for almost an hour. We had some fights earlier in the year, but it was nice to be able to connect some. 5: It’ll be silly to look back on, but I thought I lost a reference letter for a scholarship applicant, but realized I could find it on our shared drive. Such a relief! 6: I tried Duck Donuts for the first time today. One of our board members brought me and a coworker a half dozen each. 7: Caught a Miltank in Pokemon Go! I thought I missed my chance, but there was a special running, so I got it. 8: Just heard we got a new boss at work, so it’ll be nice to be full staffed again. 9: Started working on a painting for @arrowhearts. It might be my first completed artwork of the year. 10: A lazy day, but I flipped through a book on home decorating. You know, to plan for my future house. 11: Officially started working for Jane’s business. We’ll see how it goes, but at least it’s an extra couple of hours per week. 12: Finished a dog sitting job, and I’m super thankful to be sleeping in my own bed again. 13: I gave Lucy, the sweetest cat ever, a piggyback ride and it was the cutest thing ever. I was on my knees and forearms trying to get Lucy to boop my nose when she just climbed on my back and sat down. I rose up on my knees and hands and she did the “i’m not so sure but I’m going to stay here” stand and let me crawl across the floor a while before finally jumping off. I love this cat. 14: Took the auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel much better about this one than I have about the other two. We’ll see on the 26th. 15: Such a busy day at the office! It was productive, but just a lot of work. 16: Even though I just too the other exam, I managed to get a lot of studying done. 17: Mamaw and I got to chat and work on the puzzle for a while. It was nice to hang out with her since I haven’t done son in quite a while. 18: We had some really good food at our investment club meeting today. Sheppard’s pie (like meat and mashed potatoes), salad, this great cracker dip (I have no other details other than feels like sharp cheddar finally shredded with a hint of spice in some sort of sauce). 19: Our new executive director started today. I think I made a pretty good first impression! 20: Started playing Arkham City again. We had a snow day and even my office closed, so I made the most of my day. 21: Lol and today I finished the main storyline of Arkham City. Accidentally, because I was doing side quests, but Batman got mad when I tried to go finish some before the last mission. 24: I am obsessed with Excel, but I figured out a formula so that it would total certain categories even if they weren’t in order. Plus I learned how to make a drop down menu (on two versions of Excel). Guess who’s budget looks beautiful! 25: I caught a Latias in Pokemon Go. Not having much luck with the water legendaries. I wonder if they don’t like me because we picked the grass starter. 26: I passed the Auditing section! (and instead of keeping it quiet, I made a point to tell some people). Then @nah-young and I went to dinner to celebrate our successes of the day and just have a nice chat. 27: Good news: I starved off a migraine that was starting on Feb 26. Maybe this new method will help them from getting bad. Just took an Aleve with some hot tea. 28: Went on a Pokemon run, and I found $20 blowing across the yard when I got home! A nice find for the year.

March 1: I’ve been really getting into “Ghost Story” by Peter Straub and had so much time to just sit and read while it rained. 2: I watched “Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse” today. An epic movie and I highly recommend it! I also have several new costume ideas... 3: Officially started working on my Library Comic Con cosplay. There’s not much to show, but it was nice to start costuming again. 4: Hiked up to the nearby bubble tea. It was good! I got a mango green tea creama. Next time I know I have to mix it up before I start drinking it. 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: Started replaying Castlevania IV. It’s been a while since I beat it, so hopefully I can still finish it! 11: I have proven myself an Excel deity. Well, at least Jane thinks though. She needed a spreadsheet for something and had some ideas so I whipped it out in five minutes flat with a bunch of formulas she didn’t even know were possible. I’m quite proud of it. 12: Lol, speaking of excel, I was geeking out over my budget with one of our board members. She was showing me how she built her itinerary in excel for her next trip and I got to show off my budget. 13: 14: 15: It was fake St. Patrick’s day at work, so I got to show off my green Riddler suit. Apart from being mistaken as dressing like a leprechaun a few times, I received a bunch of compliments on it. I’ve gotten a lot of use out of that suit jacket. 16: Tagged along with @nah-young to her grandfather’s birthday party and watched Bohemian Rhapsody. Apart from the timeline inaccuracies, I really enjoyed it! Look at that: two new movies in one month. 17: First big leaf job of the season. I guess the first major landscaping job. Dad helped out, so it made life easier. 18: Investment club meeting went well, and I ended up staying late to chat and help clean up, but it was enjoyable. Also had some great tiramisu from Trader Joe’s. 19: 20: 21: It was a downpour today, but I also made a 20 minute Costco run. Parking was great, the lines were short, and I managed to balance everything without a cart. Success! 22: Finally got around to doing invoices. It’s such a weight off my chest to take care of them. 23: I had the house to myself, so got ample studying done, played some pokemon, and treated myself to some bubble tea. Got myself a bunch of good pokes from Community day. 24: Another lovely day to sit and hang out with @nah-young. I always enjoy our hour long conversations just sitting in my car in her driveway. I also finished the lectures for the BEC portion of the CPA exam. 25: I found a gift card loaded with $30 today. It had been thrown into the dumpster, so a little gross, but it washed off nicely. 26: Ran up to the local library to turn in my books (look @arrowhearts, I did it the day before they were due and didn’t have to make a midnight run). I wasn’t going to check out more books since I already had some checked out from another library visit (I go to many branches due to my job and often check out a book or two, resulting in cycles of books due at different times), but I did anyway. I started reading Area X, too, and so far, I’m really enjoying it. 27: Our family’s accountants think I’m a bit weird because I was so excited to get my tax papers back even though I owed money. I was just like “cool!” to all the facts and things on my sheets, which is apparently not what they’re used to, but one of the new tax laws works in my favor as small business income is taxed at a lower rate or something. 28: 29: 30: I love Annihilation in the Area X series! I haven’t plowed through a book that fast in years. 31: I was catching up on my business spreadsheets and it turns out I had the most profitable March since I started my business :)

April 1: No April Fools jokes, which is always a huge plus. 2: 3: 4: Took the BEC section of the exam and then clocked in a bunch of hours for the Foundation. Jubilee is almost here!!! 5: 6: The Jubilee is over!!! What a relief! A lot of things went well, and I heard it was a lot of people’s favorite. Not sure what actually happened because I was stationed at check in/out all night, but hopefully the silent auction results are good. Huge shout out to @arrowhearts and @nah-young for getting me through the night! 7:A quiet morning of returning the Jubilee to the Foundation. Plus some other landscaping. 8: I know everyone at work is saying I should take time off, and I didn’t, but I’m actually feeling blessed that I have the physical and mental stamina to keep working on things. Plus, I need to catch up with post Jubilee stuff. 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: Got to talking with my art dealer for a long while and we exchanged headcannons and ideas. 20: Had a nice Pokemon run with @arrowhearts‘ dog. Plus, enough work to keep me out of trouble X) 21: A very busy Easter. I moved a huge mound of mulch. It was half the size of my car. Hopefully the home owner will like it. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31: I’ve been feeling behind, but I finally knocked out a really important thing at work today. Got our annual applications in!

May 1: 2: 3: My gauntlets for my comic con costume look so cool! They’re a little stabby (there’s staples on the inside, although I should be able to tape it down for safety), but overall look cool for a first draft. 4: A long day, but I feel like I was really able to help my friend and her family, which is nice considering how much they do for me. 5: The event that happened wasn’t good, but I’ve been humbled as to how well our house was kept and motivated to try and become more organized. 6: Dad and I were chatting today, and we could even touch on topics in a civil manner. It was quite nice! 7: Just found out I passed the BEC section of the CPA exam! I’m 75% CPA!!! And no cavities were found after my dentist appointment :) 8: Frantically working on my costume, but my head piece looks really good! 9: Mom even chipped in to help. We rigged up a steampunk mask I have (which doesn’t fit on my head right) so that I can actually wear it. 10: I’ve been fasting for Ramadan and I think my body and I are finally on the same page. It was a rough start this year, but I’m looking forward to focusing on being thankful for what I have and working on self discipline. 11: Library Comic Con! My costume is a bit rough, so no final pictures, but I have plans to make it better! 12: It was a busy Sunday. Lots of lawns, but thankfully the weather was cool. 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: Had a nice meeting with my boss. I keep feeling like I’m not on top of things or she’s disappointed, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Plus, she said I did great at the finance committee meeting, so that was nice. 18: Although I scared everyone I worked with all day, I was able to donate blood even though I had been fasting. 19: I saw the tiniest inch worm while I was pulling weeds today. It was more like a quarter inch worm and it was just trying so hard to climb up my arm when I found it. I also saw the first lightening bugs of the year. As a bug type Pokemon trainer, I’m quite pleased with all of this (less so with the mosquitoes though, as I got my first bite of the season). 20: I have found a nice way to keep cool at the property Dad and I work at. I’m allowed to douse my head, neck, and hat with the hose, and man does it feel good! 21: I received many compliments at the executive committee meeting for all my hard work on the budget, the Jubilee, and finance committee. 22: Caught up on reconciliations at work (finally). It’s been just a nightmare, but I’m happy they’re done. 23: Another me day. I’ve been taking Thursdays off and got to game for a bit but also accomplish a lot of laundry and studying. 24: Had a good meeting at work to discuss the future of the nonprofit I work at. Plus I finally made a phone call I didn’t want to make. 25: Went to a foam helmet making class with a coworker. I’m super excited to start trying out this style, and I think the sample we made in class can easily be used to make a helmet for Vile. Might have purchased a few things to go with it :) 26: Found a new drink that I love from Kung Fu Tea! Also got to rewatch Coco, which is always good. 27: Part of my afternoon spent working with Jane was changing her screen saver. It was set up for one photo of pictures, but some were so fuzzy, so we set up new pictures and I got to add my fuzzball to the reel. 28: I visited one of Jane’s friends to discuss dog sitting and we had such a nice conversation afterwards. 29: I found a four leave clover today while mowing lawns. It’s been years since I’ve found one, so that was exciting. 30: I plowed through about 6 hours of studying for the FAR portion of the CPA exam. Only two more lectures and then onto multiple choice! 31: Filled out a form at work (finally). Now I just have to hope my boss will sign it and have it notarized.

June 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: Took the (hopefully) last CPA exam. It was nice as I spoke to an elevator engineer before the exam and it helped to calm my nerves a bit. 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: Wasn’t sure what day to put this on, but @nah-young and I hung out for hours just sitting and chatting on the cats’ back porch. 15: Successfully navigated into DC with the help of @arrowhearts (and had an interesting laugh about her being my son...? Oh well, at least we got to give the people sitting outside a show as we left the building with two rollie office chairs each). 16: Started working on my Halloween costume. I’ve abandoned the idea I originally had and will be switching to a different Mega Man X character (fun fact: it was a costume I originally intended to make before being introduced to Scaramouche back in 2017) 17: It was a scorcher, but had a slurpee for the first time in almost a year. I’m so thankful for the 7-11 within walking distance of where my dad and I work on Mondays. 18: I’ve officially passed the CPA exam! Now onto the next steps... 19: I have been struggling with telling people good news, but I did make an effort to inform some people about me passing the exam. 20: Told some more people about the CPA exam and just trying not to stress. I got celebratory milkshakes for my family after dinner. 21: My coworkers are so sweet. They brought me in a cake and we had a mini celebration. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26:Found a praying mantis while mowing. She kept standing where I wanted to mow, so I got to pick her up and put her somewhere safe (with lots of snacks for her!) 27: 28: 29: So glad I went to see Detective Pikachu with @nah-young and @arrowhearts! I really enjoyed it! 30: 31:

July 1: A new fiscal year! I did manage to get a good bit done on my latch hook. 2: A sudden thunderstorm took me off the weed pulling job early (i.e. a perfect opportunity to read). 3: It was quiet in the office. Too quiet ... yet super productive! I processed so many gifts and letters. 4: I don’t really celebrate, and spent a lot of it working, but played some pokemon in the rain. It was a warm day, so the cool rain felt so refreshing! 5: A jammed packed day with trashrooms, a bank run, and more pokemon quests! I completed another 15 and hatched a new pokemon. Plus I finished another book: Dr. Death. 6: A busy day, but I was able to finish everything so I can take the next day off completely (for once). Again, apologies to @arrowhearts for dragging you out and getting caught in a downpour so I could get some bubble tea! 7: 8: 9: 10: Unboxed my unicycle! Not sure when I’ll ride, but it’s ready when I am. 11: 12: 13: 14: The vanity is back in my bathroom! Dad’s renovating it, and it’s been a slow process, but I finally have a sink! 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: Spent a few hours working on cleaning the basement, and I’m finally seeing some of the fruits of my labor. 21: 22: 23: 24: Officially finished the Vile helmet! 25: Just started a new dog sitting job, and the house is right on top of a pokestop. Guess I’m going to have a full item bag again! 26: Finally got myself a memory stick for my PSP. I’m replaying the Maverick Hunter X game ... because I can! 27: Got three team rocket grunts in one day at the one stop. 28: Plowed through the Vile portion of Maverick Hunter X. Lol, I probably make it harder on myself since I only use my favorites, regardless of if they’re good against the boss. 29: Had a huge crab and shrimp dinner at Jane’s house. 30: Hung out and ate delicious homemade butter chicken with my best friend’s mom (she’s basically like my other mother). We laughed and chatted, showed off our latest projects, probably kept the neighbors up, and just had a good time until like 2 in the morning. 31: Welp, it wasn’t a raid day for armored Mewtwo, but @arrowhearts and I did defeat more Team Rocket Go grunts in the rain.

August 1: Chatted with @nah-young for a few hours and I’ve got a new place to eat on my radar! 2: I kept feeling like I was letting my boss down because I couldn’t answer her questions/didn’t understand, but she insisted I was handling myself well, and found the information she needed later. Plus, she’s very complimentary of my work and appreciates my transparency and work ethic, both of which I work hard on and value. 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

September 1: 2: 3: It’s official! We’re having a Halloween party at work. If my new schedule turns out, I’ll be at work on that day and will show off a costume. Not sure if it will be the one I’m working on, but I can always recycle an old one. 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: I had such a good ripstik run. @nah-young and I practiced for a good while yesterday (and she did her first trick, too!). I guess it’s nice to see the fruits of our practice since we’ve been working off and on for about a month. 16: Had the investment club meeting at my house. I didn’t get to cook everything, but I picked the recipe and it turned out well! 17: I finished “Every Tool’s a Hammer” by Adam Savage (from Mythbusters) and I really recommend it. It’s such a great book for anyone who makes or creates. It’s a fun read and chocked full of helpful hints. 18: I decided to start reading the Naruto series. I’m enjoying it so far! Now I just have to wait for the next to volumes to be available from the library. 19: I started replaying Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase. It’s amusing, although I’m a little rough. 20: 21: 22: 23: I’d been on the fence about taking a vacation early next year because I want to save up for a down payment, but after talking to my dad, I decided I’d do a little something. I still need to work out the plans (and make sure the people I want to visit are free), but I’m looking forward to it! 24: 25: 26: There’s a chance I might be going full time at my office job, so dad encouraged me to take the day off from trash rooms. I still got up early, but knocked out a bunch of chores, finished Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase, finished a drawing, and cleaned in the basement a bit. 27: Lol, I just realized I have three cycles of books checked out again. I started reading The Wicked Years series. I’m trying to set aside time each night so I can read a chapter or two before bed. 28: I made the pattern for my gauntlets! I’m actually trying to do it the right way and making measurements, creating an accurate template, and just generally taking my time. 29: Part 2 of the gauntlets: They’re made! My template worked and I spent a couple of hours slowly forming and shaping them. I still need some practice on the gluing component, but at least they feel sturdy. 30: Started replaying DK 64 again. I really love this game. Besides Gauntlet Legends, it’s probably my favorite N64 game we own. 31: Got rained out at work, but managed to take it easy in the afternoon and just generally keep ahead with laundry.

October 1: Today officially marks the first day of working full time at my office job. They added ten hours a week, so now I’m working 4 days at 10 hours each. It’ll take a little adjusting. I’m happy for the extra hours! 2: I sent out invoices on time for once! 3: It was my fuzzball’s 16th Birthday today! Someone also brought in some really yummy snacks to work that were leftover from a meeting. I also managed to create templates for the leg gauntlets and cut them out of foam. I’m just rolling with the motivation now, and would like to have Vile finished by Halloween (keep reading to find out if it was finished). 4: Really just having a good time playing DK 64. Knocked out Gloomy Galleon, so all that’s left are my favorite levels! 5: 6: 7: I have leg gauntlets formed. Lol, I guess I should look up the name... All that’s left is the chest plate and cape! 8: I lucked out! My coworker can’t go to a book signing even this weekend and asked me to get her book signed since I’m going. It was the perfect opportunity to get my hands on a copy of “Where the Crawdads Sing” which I wanted to read before this weekend. 9: Making some headway on the costume again! Arm and leg gauntlets have the plating and base coat of plastidip. 10: I finished “Where the Crawdads Sing” within 48 hours of having it my possession. That’s such a huge accomplishment to read something so quickly and eagerly! 11: I was plowing through my to do list at work. I knocked out 11 items. Woo! 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: My Halloween costume is finished *gasp* before Halloween! Barely, but it counts. 31: I won the most creative costume at work! Well, tied for first, but that’s cool.

November (whoops, I really forgot to write this month) 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

December 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: My coworker is back! She had been on extended leave for a while, but now she’s back. She bring such a positive and fun attitude to the workplace. 13: 14: I’m officially 25! I worked a few hours in the rain, but got a lot done (and saw Lucy, my favorite cat I cat sit). Instead of going to a steakhouse for dinner, which I’m not a fan of, we ended up going to somewhere I did enjoy. Overall, it was a nice and quiet celebration. 15: 16: 17: I finished the Naruto series today! It was a good series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Going to take a manga break to work on a few novels I have checked out and then decide which series to start. 18: 19: A busy day again. Knocked out two leaf clients for the year and went to see three bands perform at a local music club. I stayed out way too late, but had a great time hanging with a friend, one of the performers, and the performer’s friend. 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: Hung out with my brother and grandmother. I crushed them in several games! 25: Went to my coworkers in the afternoon and dueled for the first time in quiet a while. They wiped the floor with me, but I had fun with my deck destruction deck. 26: 27: Ended up hanging out with Jane for a while and just chatting about everything. We’re seeing eye to eye on a lot of things, so it was nice. 28: Finished my leaf jobs for the year! Time to relax. 29: 30: 31: Welp, ended up being sick and missing out on the intended New Year plans. I guess I did start the year with a migraine, so here I am ending it with one. After I rested up, I did start playing my favorite video game. Plus, I frantically read “Hey, Kiddo!” before the end of the year

Notable stuff

Highlights: Passed the CPA exam Officially hired full time

Books read: “Ghost Stories” “Every Tool’s a Hammer” “Where the Crawdads Sing” “Wicked” Naruto series “Hey, Kiddo!”

Movies watched: Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse Mary Poppins 2 The Princess and the Frog Pokemon Lucario

#2019 in review #2019 #a year in review

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captainlordauditor · 5 years

Text

300x3 1:02

Well. Most of this was technically written Thursday, so I’m counting it. Day 2 of my first attempt at the 300x3 challenge! Once again, the idea is to write at least 900 words a week in 3 spurts of at least 300, and share them to encourage others to do the same and hold yourself accountable for actually writing.

This one is from a post canon Newises fic that takes place about a month and a half - two months after the strike. It’s going to be a bunch of short character studies of Jack and Katherine from outside perspectives. This segment is 756 words!!

Linguistic and trigger notes:

Extremely brief mention of domestic abuse. Not meant to be taken as something that’s happening to anyone, just as a thing that Race knows exists.

Kivvutz - rough guess at the form of the word here, if anyone can correct it please let me know. The modern form is ‘kibbutz’, but the first one, which was formed in 1914 was named ‘kvutzat’, so I’m kind of taking a guess. Refers to a socialist farming commune.

goyische - nonjewish. Used here to mean Christian.

kvetch - a kind of habitual complaining

kvell - habitual bragging, usually about someone else

shul - synagogue

Jack never complained. Not for himself.

Jack didn’t complain about the Refuge, even when he barely slept. Jack didn’t complain about the shoulder he’d injured in one of his escapes, even when he could barely move it. Jack didn’t complain about Race spending so much time in Brooklyn, even though it got more and more dangerous to come home every day he spent there.

Jack talked about things, sure. He talked about things he wanted, even. He did that all the time. He wanted out of New York, except he didn’t, really. He wanted a kivvutz, and his brothers safe, and for no one to die like his parents had. He wanted socialism and sunsets and paint and someone to share it with, because it wouldn’t really be socialism if he didn’t share those sunsets, would it?

Race could swear Crutchie’s goyische optimism had infected Jack since they’d been sleeping right up next to each other for so long. He’d never say it to Jack, but he’d once almost made the crack to Hildy that he had a hard time believing Jack was still Jewish seeing as how he didn’t kvetch or kvell and got coffee from nuns more than he went to shul.

It made it hard to get a grip on how things were going in Jack’s life, because he never complained. Jack could be eating two bites a day, sleeping in the gutter, half his bones broken and all of them done by his sweetheart and Race and Crutchie would have to get to him while he was asleep to even know what was happening.

Race knew that way, way too well.

“Hey,” Spot’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “You just lost three hands in a row. What’s eating you?”

Race looked up at him over his cards and grinned. “How nice your arms looks.”

“Bullshit.”

“What, I can’t appreciate how you looks when it’s just the two of us and-”

“You’s barely looked at me all game,” Spot retorted.

Race made a face and threw his cards on the table. They were bad cards, anyway. Make that four hands - damn, he really was bad when he wasn’t counting, wasn’t he? It was a good thing he and Spot had stopped playing for money when they’d started dating. “Thinking about Jack.”

Spot put his cards down too, face down. “He can take care of himself.”

“Yeah, I knows.” Race picked at his nails. “I dunno, something don’t feel right.”

“Did something happen?”

“Naw, not yet, I just - I gots a feeling. You knows?” Race wished he could put it into words.

“About Jack?” Spot asked.

“Sorta,” Race admitted. “About - you’s gonna hate me.”

Spot’s face softened. “I could never hate you.”

Race smiled, and tucked this moment in time away in his memory for later. “Well, you’s gonna be mad at me.”

Spot shrugged. “Indulge me?”

Race liked it when he did that. Anyone else, Spot would tell them, and they’d obey. Race, he asked, and Race agreed. “Katherine.”

Spot tilted his head, watching Race, or possibly something in the cracked mirror that hung on the wall by his head. Everything about Spot’s tenement was deliberate. The bed, pulled out from the wall, so neither of them was trapped in a corner. The window beyond the bed, with nothing below it, so Race could come in knowing how to get down but anyone who’d never been inside would fall. The crates for sitting on, and storing things they weren’t supposed to have. The washing stand and its mirror, across from the door, so that Spot would know who was coming in no matter where he was sitting.

Six months ago, when Spot had moved in, Race had polished that mirror until it was shiny as new. It hadn’t lasted long in the grime and dirt of a dockside tenement, but Spot had deserved something nice, and Race had been having a bad week with work. The room had seemed so strange then, empty and small, nowhere near big enough for one person after living on the streets for so long, never mind two of them. The idea of Spot’s lieutenants all meeting here to talk work had seemed even more crowded. Now, the room felt as if it had grown, filled with stolen gifts and bits of taxes Spot had kept, along with the things needed for living. Spot made it seem bigger, just by existing.

“Did she do something now?” Spot asked after several moments.

#dendarii.orig #300x3 #dendarii.txt #6th #September #2019 #September 6th 2019 #fic writing #neu #newsies

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dndeviants · 5 years

Text

A Good Man

They traveled back through Ruki’s conjured Mists to the town of Vallaki proper... it hardly took any time at all. Reorienting themselves, they followed the cobbled streets to the Cathedral on the western portion of the town. They approached and found that unlike the church in Barovia Village, the Cathedral was a lot more pristine, and was much larger as well. It was clearly cared for... the paint was settled, and had no chips or flakes, the grass was trimmed, and strange flowers blossomed at the gates.

It was more than a relief for Ismark and Ireena.

Vasili muttered under his breath, cursing the nerve-wracking walk through the mists as he took out his pipe. He smoked for a small amount of time before looking much relieved...

Much to the chagrin of those gathered. He snuffed the flame, “Apologies...”

“Again with the pipe, my lord?” Ruki shook her head, “Seems like you will not be quitting that old habit.”

"Some things cannot be helped,” Vasili huffed, “If I die, I die. I might as well have some comfort."

Linda didn’t mind so much, and found herself agreeing with the sentiment. She opened the gate and walked to the grand oak doors... she heard singing on the other side. It seemed there was a congregation.

Linda turned back to the group, "Shall we join the congregation to wait for an audience?"

Vasili shrugged, "We can do what we like. It is technically supposed to be open to all who want to be there."

Linda shrugged and opened the door. Vasili and Ruki followed, along with Ismark, Ireena, Victor, Aric, and Jeeves.

They arrived in a grand stone chamber, which opened into an even larger area, where a surprising amount of townsfolk were gathered. Aromas of rich food wafted through the air, and a melodious, gentle man’s voice carried over to where they stood.

"...I would like you to ask what it is that truly makes evil...” The voice pondered, “What do we mean when we say that something is 'inherently evil'? Something that is evil just by its very nature? When we call something inherently evil, aren't we actually diminishing the agency to do good? If you ascribe someone as being inherently evil... it denies them agency. You diminish any good that may have been done... because if something is truly evil, than any good deed, any good act or purpose... is all a facade... And in a way, I think that takes away from how bad evil actually is...”

“In the end, good and evil are both choices that we have to make. We know in our hearts what is right, but at times we may be misguided or selfish. You can't allow those things to control you. And if you see others struggling with such things, it is your duty to try to help them. But always strive to better yourself first."

The voice sighed, "I want you to keep that in mind. I will be praying for Izek's soul. Wherever it may be. Pray for someone you think is evil. Who knows, maybe even the Devil himself is deserving of a prayer..."

They all entered into the large chamber and saw the man speaking... He was a little older than middle-aged with graying blond hair, a clean shaven face, brown eyes...

Vasili lingered in the back of the hall, along with Aric and Jeeves. Linda and the rest moved forward, catching the man’s attention.

The man looked up at the newcomers and smiled, "Thank you, and Morninglord bless you all. Please, feel free to take food before you leave, and please be kind to your fellow man in this uncertain time."

The priest walked down from the altar and approached Ruki first as the congregation began to pull food off the tables, and leave the church. He put a hand over his chest, "Ah, hello... Ruki is it? I've seen you around town a few times. Is your father here?"

Ruki nodded and gestured to the back, “He is in the back, Father Lucien. It will be a while before he approaches.”

Lucien peered to the back and caught a glimpse of Vasili, "I see..."

Lucien turned his attention to Linda and Ireena, and bowed, "How are we today? I've not seen you before. New residents?"

Linda huffs a small laugh, "Ah no, not exactly. Only visiting."

Aric backed up against the wall, feeling the eyes of the townsfolk on him. A few got too close for his comfort and he fiddled with his ring. Thousands of tiny, needle-like swords sprang to his defense. It was the best he could think of as a warning.

As soon as the blades were conjured, the townsfolk hurried to get away from this strange boy who had gray skin and amber, ember scars...

Vasili did his best to contain his amusement before finally approaching Lucien. Aric readily joined him in moving to a less crowded space.

"Ah! Welcome!” Lucien held out his arms, “Lord Holtz and guests! How do you fare, my Lord?"

"Well enough,” Vasili mused, “Too crowded for my taste."

Lucien folded his hands in his long white robe, "Well, you can always come and speak to me if you wish. You are always welcome here, though you seem to always decline whenever you are invited."

Vasili simply shrugged, "I'm a busy man."

Lucien tilted his head, "So what do we have today? Are you delivering more orphans into my care? Or... what do you need?” He turned to Victor, “And why is my nephew with you?"

Victor folded his arms, "I ran away from home. Dad was being a pain."

Lucien did not seem surprised.

Vasili drew back the priest’s attention, "We actually have a favor to ask of you, Lucien."

Vasili held out his hand to Ireena and brought her forward.

"I need your help...” Ireena trembled, “I need help removing the curse of a vampire’s bite... I have been bitten twice already..."

Lucien frowned, "That is troubling. I want to help you, child, but..." A sorrowful expression marred his face, "The... bones of our patron saint... Saint Andral... were stolen from the altar just two days ago... Without them, I can't keep this church consecrated, and any holy spell I cast won't be as effective."

Everyone felt a wave of shock and a pit of dread.

Vasili stepped forward, demanding, "Why not report the theft? No-” he paused, “Nevermind. I understand. You didn't want the town to panic, and for the burgomaster- your brother-in-law... to take it out on you..."

Lucien tightened his lips and nodded, "I... do have my suspicions though... I told one of the orphans in my care, Alexi, about the bones... and where they were, just previously... and then after that conversation, the bones went missing. I asked Alexi myself, but he won't say who took them."

Ismark folded his arms in agitation, "Then we have to ask ourselves and get the bones back... We can't do anything else without them. I don't feel safe with my sister travelling in her condition."

Linda looked to Vasili, “We can ask Alexi.”

Vasili nodded, "It seems that it is the only thing we can do."

Ireena rubbed her temples in tired frustration, "How come every time we need to do something, we get sent somewhere else?"

Victor raised a hand, "Uncle... where is Alexi?"

Lucien indicated to his left, "The side room, with Udo, and Milijov.” He turned back to Vasili and walked with him away from the rest of the party, “I heard you had a hand in rescuing Udo, Milijov's father... I can't thank you enough. It was horrible what Vargas was doing. I only hope Lydia can reach her senses and come to church."

Ruki took Aric and Jeeves with her to look for Alexi. Ireena and Ismark walked with Victor down the pews... and Linda eavesdropped on Vasili and Lucien, eager to hear what they were discussing.

Ruki walked into the side room and saw a few children. She called out, “Alexi?”

A little blonde boy looked up at her, “H-hi!”

Ruki knelt next to him to get eye level. She spoke in a friendly and calm voice, “Hello Alexi, my name is Ruki. We need to ask you a question. Father Lucien says the sacred bones are missing. Do you where they are, or who took them?”

Alexi looked uncertainly at another child across the way, then turned back to whisper to Ruki, "We... tried to get the bones to help Milijov feed his younger brothers... No one else knows... but the coffin man asked us if we could get them for him... We didn't know how important the bones were!"

Ruki tilted her head, “The coffin man? Do you mean Kristoff?” That was the only coffin maker she knew.

Alexi shook his head, "No, Mr. Henrik. He has the shop down the street. He was interested in special bones for someone that asked for them. He gave us ten gold pieces!"

Ruki was perplexed, “Someone else asked him for the bones?” This is becoming a little too intricate... she thought.

Alexi wrung his hands nervously, "I'm sorry. We aren't in trouble are we?"

Ruki shook her head, “No child, you are not. I will let Father Lucien know you are innocent.”

Alexi nodded in relief, "Okay. It won't happen again. Promise."

Ruki fumbled through her pockets and gave Alexi a small piece of candy, before standing up and regrouping with Aric and Jeeves.

"The title of Burgomaster is up in the air at the moment. Would you mind keeping the peace until the changes can be made?" Vasili respectfully asked Lucien.

Lucien laughed, quietly, "I would gladly use my place in the community to promote goodwill. And keep the peace. But... you aren't? I think you are the most qualified-"

"I already have too much to do,” Vasili cut him off, but went back to his gentler tone, “It wouldn't be proper for me to take that title. Besides, I do enough finding you orphans... and rescuing them at times..."

Rescuing orphans? Linda wondered how it was possible to crush on someone as much as she was crushing on Vasili. She silently chided herself for such... juvenile feelings... especially at her age..

But Vasili is a good man...

Lucien put his hand on Vasili’s shoulder, "Everyone was glad for what you did for Mina, rescuing that poor girl after her village was ransacked by bandits... I still can't believe you took on a tribe of bandits by yourself. You will have to tell me how you managed someday."

Vasili mused, "Perhaps one day."

"Any other man would brag and boast and over exaggerate...” the priest chuckled, “But you don't ever speak of anything. When will you just humor me and tell me what you really do for the Devil?"

Vasili made a dismissive gesture, "It's mostly just taxes. There is nothing to brag about."

Lucien hummed, "You are always hiding something... Someone is going to figure it out sooner or later."

Ruki turned the corner and approached her father, “This seems to be a bigger scheme than we first thought...”

Vasili turned away from Lucian and walked to Ruki, "What did you find?"

Ruki lowered her voice, “More concerns...”

Vasili examined Ruki, "I see...” He turned to the priest, “It seems we will have to continue this conversation another time, Lucien."

Lucien sighed and folded his arms in his robe, "Ah, there it is. Another convenient escape for you."

Ruki walked to the priest, “Father Lucien, the child is innocent. We will find the real culprit.”

Lucien blinked, "Oh... I see. Very well. Perhaps I was wrong to suspect them..."

Lucien turned back to the altar and spoke, "Restore the bones to the church, and I will definitely remove that curse for you, child."

Ireena rose from her seat, "Thank you, Father." She turned to everyone, a look of determination on her face, "Alright... let's find those bones, if it is the last thing I do!"

Ismark tiredly raised a finger, "Hopefully not the last thing you do, though..."

Ireena shrugged, "It's an expression."

Ruki walked down the hall, “The curse is not so bad Lady Ireena...”

Vasili began to walk as well, speaking sternly, "Do not lie to her. To truly live among the dead is a hollow existence."

Linda paused. The way he said it seemed to resonate something within her... and it seemed to be spoken from experience. There is something deeper, she thought. Is it Strahd and the undead? Does Strahd have something to do with this? Or... has his experience just made him bitter? She furrowed her brow, and muttered, "Something's missing. I just can't figure it out..."

She rejoined everyone as they walked outside. Vasili stretched, and looked very relieved as they left.

He hummed, "That was a pleasantly brief trip. Lucien is far too nice. As usual."

Ruki shrugged, “He is as a priest should be.”

"Oh hello there!" a voice cried out.

Ruki and Vasili turned to see Rictavio leaning against the church gates. He took off his at and made a flamboyant gesture with his hand as he bowed before them.

Linda stepped out and saw the gesture. Zone of Truth? What is Rictavio up to? She folded her arms and watched.

Rictavio stood up and put his hat back on his head, "My name is Rictavio!" He raised a brow at Vasili, "I didn't quite catch your name, however, Sir..."

Vasili smiled thinly, “I don't believe I threw it."

Rictavio blinked in confusion, trying again, "Ah, well. My name is Rictavio. And you are...?"

Vasili politely tipped his hat to the half-elf, "You may call me Lord Holtz. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Rictavio seemed dumbfounded. He blurted, "Well... nice to meet you."

Vasili steepled his fingers, "Well, if you will excuse us, we have urgent business to attend to. So you can either help, or stay out of the way."

Ruki smirked as Vasili chuckled and walked down the street.

Linda shook her head as she watched Vasili and Ruki leave the Zone of Truth, and sighed, “I just don’t get him... I want to...”

Linda crossed her arms and walked over to a discouraged Rictavio, "He keeps avoiding direct answers... you cast Zone of Truth, didn't you?"

Rictavio nodded in dismay.

"Why? What do you know?" Linda pressed.

The disguised doppelganger sighed, "Long story, I'd rather not get into right now, but once back at Blue Water, I have something I need to show you, and you alone. As a hunter. You will understand."

Linda was personally tired of the cryptic behavior, but conceded, "Alright."

Rictavio nodded to Linda, before donning his cheery persona and running up to Vasili again, “You needed help right?”

Linda sighed and followed on the tail end of the group.

“Sooooooo, what are we doing?“ Rictavio prodded.

"Finding the bones of Saint Andral...” Vasili answered, “...and saving the church."

#story update #curse of strahd #writing #dnd 5e #aric rein #linda tacklemeyer #ruki von holtz

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kakosindustries · 5 years

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Intro: What you are about to hear is gonna make that booty work work work work.

Junior: Hello and welcome to the Kakos Industries corporate shareholder announcements. At Kakos Industries, we squeeze every last ounce of Evil out of every person on the planet, and then we feed it back to them in preparation of beginning the process again. My name is Junior and I am a consultant here at Kakos Industries. Perhaps the best consultant. Everyone’s favorite consultant. Just the other day, they took a poll and I came out as the number one consultant in the building. You see, it’s because I’m so smart. I have the intellect of dozens of ordinary humans, leading to emergent properties of thought that you cannot even imagine. I know of one other mind that might be able to fathom my depths, but she spends all of her time making crossword puzzles.

Things have been in a slight disarray around Kakos Industries recently for obvious reasons, but I have decided that it is my responsibility to make sure that our responsibilities to you, shareholders, are being met. You see, while many of our employees have experience podcasting, because everyone has a podcast, I have slightly more experience doing actual broadcast like this. I’ve interrupted Corin so many times that I technically have more on air experience than just about anyone. Combine that with my vast intellect, and I am the obvious choice, albeit self-appointed.

What are you trying to tell me, Soundman? Oh, I shouldn’t be here? And what about you? Should you be here? You should be cowering in your home overcome with grief and guilt.

Today, our broadcast is coming to you from a fancy new cellular device you should have received in the mail. This cellular device is the new Evilixia 7, coming to us from the collaboration between our Division of Distraction and DigInfoDox, a company that will give you anything for free as long as you tell it your darkest secrets. While this is very nearly the production model of the Evilixia 7, it is slightly different in that it is much cheaper, and many of the functions were removed or never added so that it would be a perfect vessel for this very transmission and nothing else. The broadcast, as you may have noticed, has come to you as a phone call you couldn’t ignore, and now you must hold the cellular device to your ear and pretend like you’re having a conversation so that those around you will not be in any danger of finding out about us here at Kakos Industries before they’re ready. Be sure to pepper in some uh-huhs and some for sures and some yes daddys to make it believable. If you happened to have answered this call on behalf of a shareholder, or because you’re a snooping jealous lover, then I am afraid I must tell you now that you will have some difficulty putting this device down before its self-destruct mechanism is activated at the end of the broadcast. To save your life, you must now do something extraordinarily Evil and selfish to become a shareholder before your doom. We’ll give you some time to get creative. It may help you to land on our new and noteworthy list.

Now, I do not believe we still have an Automobile Celebration every year, but just recently, there were a lot of you shareholders and a handful of our employees who showed up to the building in modified and incredibly fast vehicles to do donuts in the parking lot and generally cause a ruckus. It seems that some people miss this festival. I do not. I do not fit in automobiles. When I need to get places, I use a helicopter. If you have never gone to the grocery store in a helicopter, I can firmly recommend it.

The Festival of Darkness was a smashing success as always. This one was even darker than normal. We painted the walls of the basement ballroom with pigments that absorb all light. We took away your cell phones and digital devices. Those of you who glow or have blinking lights just below your skin were placed in enormous black bags to keep any light from emerging. And then you were ushered down into the still and quiet room. You were placed on a special rug and allowed to spread out. We moved through the room quietly to make sure that everyone was behaving. Then, we walked through with a collection of man-eating beasts held on a tight leash. We have no reports of any of the handler making mistakes, but we would also have no way of knowing if they did as it was dark and quiet down there. If one of you shareholders disappeared, we would have no way of knowing. Perhaps you just never arrived. We can’t be certain. People disappear so often these days. Probably gone off the grid, I wager.

We also recently had the Festival of Genes. I believe it is technically the Festival of Genes Mark III. I’m not sure why we began to number them, but there you are. This festival holds a special place in my heart because I have genes. A whole lot of them in fact. More Evil genes than any other known living creature. It’s what makes me so smart and so great at everything, and so Evil. It’s always interesting for me to see what augmentations humans choose to get. Longer limbs. Enhanced bosoms. Softer elbows. At this year’s festivities, we wanted to make things a little more interesting. We allowed people to line up based on the type of changes they might like, and then we drew a genetic modification out of a hat and gave them that one. It would be in the right conceptual family, but not always what they wanted. We had one young woman get in line for cheek bones, hoping to get larger cheek bones, but instead, we gave her three more. She was quite displeased, but I personally found it to be very hot. A man waited in line for something to do with fire, hoping he could perhaps create fire with his mind or with some sort of secretion, but instead he became fire. That was something to see, although it didn’t last very long. We also had someone get in line for a tail, and end up with six tails. Some people find this to be unpalatable, but I can firmly get behind tails, if you know what I mean. We wrote “medley” on one of the slips of paper and mixed it into a random hat. When that one was drawn, we gave that person a huge number of modifications, so many that it should take a physiology as strong as mine to handle them. But the woman in question, Dana Govern, is still alive. She doesn’t seem to have changed much as of yet, but we’re keeping a close eye on her. I will say that something about her aroma has changed, and I find this change to be… alluring. No one else seems to be able to smell the difference, but I can’t get it out of my nose. I can tell where she has been, and I can find her in a crowd, and soon, I may even speak to her.

Coming up, we have the Shareholders’ Ball! This is one of my favorite celebrations. It is possible that this is because I have an enormous share in Kakos Industries. It is also possible that it is just the wildest, most debauched event we throw. This year, we will have grilled abominations as the main course. These abominations are anything that comes out of one of our genetic modification labs that we cannot suffer to live. Some have been on ice for a long while in preparation for this feast. We would love to tell you what sort of flavors to expect, but we cannot. We can only tell you that these creatures lived short and painful lives, and now we will consume them so that we can pretend that they never existed. There will, of course, be veggie options as well. The entertainment will be a combination of ventriloquism and puppetry that is certain to unsettle everyone in the audience. The dolls that the Puppetto Miserables troupe use reach an astounding 297 MegaNopes on the standard freakiness scale. But we will not nope out of there. We will stay, and we will witness, and our skin will crawl, and our anuses will pucker, and we will feel a strange arousal of a possibly sexual nature. I personally cannot wait. Following the show from Puppetto Miserables, we will have the blood orgy. This year, I am proud to announce the creation of the Blood Monster, an unfeeling, unthinking creation that produces incredible amounts of blood. It would possibly be useful in transfusions, or other medical applications, but instead we will poke a hole in it and allow its hot, red circulatory fluid to rain over all of us as we get busy. And get busy we shall. Those of you who are interested in doing the horizontal tango with me had better make arrangements soon, as my dance card fills up quickly.

We also have the Chili Cookoff coming up. I assume that many of you will create chili-as-performance-art again this year. And I will eat it all the same because my hunger will not be conquered.

Corin: Junior? What are you doing?

Junior: I’m doing the announcements. I wasn’t sure…

Corin: You weren’t sure what?

Junior: I wasn’t sure if you would be ready.

Corin: I was at work all day, Junior. I’m fine. I promise. I was just running around ten minutes late.

Junior: You should really take it easy.

Corin: I really appreciate that, but I’ve been fine for weeks. Everyone just keeps telling me that I should rest, and take it easy, and allow myself time to recover, but I’m totally fine. I don’t even need the crutches anymore.

Junior: I can see that.

Corin: So, please let me take over. This is my job.

Junior: Yes. Of course.

Corin: So where were we… What’s that, Soundman? He already did the Shareholders’ Ball? For fuck’s sake, Junior, it’s the best part of the announcements all year! Come on.

Junior: I think we can all agree that I did a fantastically Evil job selling it to the shareholders.

Corin: You don’t have to sell it to the shareholders. They’re already going to be there. It’s more of a victory lap. A chance to brag. A chance to tell them what they mean to us. What’s that Soundman? Well, okay, I guess you did okay, Junior. Been doing a lot of things okay.

Junior: What’s that?

Corin: Well, I know you took over a chunk of my workload while I was out of commission. No complaints, I hear.

Junior: I did my best, of course, and, as you know, my best is astronomically great.

Corin: I know. I just… I don’t like feeling replaceable.

Junior: Continue the announcements. While everything I do is amazing and better than anyone else could do it, I do not wish to step on your toes.

Corin: I feel like I owe you an update, shareholders. I took a little bit of unexpected time off recently after… Soundman shot me. I survived. I assume. I could be a clone of some sort, but I don’t think that was necessary. Soundman, in the throes of some sort of power fantasy, was pointing his firearm at my genital region when he had a terrible sneeze, or maybe some sort of whole body climax, that led to the gun going off. His aim is not that great, so he actually grazed my thigh. I was sitting at the time, so it grazed my thigh longways. It nicked the femoral artery, I assume, or something that bleeds like crazy in that area. I don’t actually know. I contend that I passed out due to blood loss, but they tell me it was far more likely the sight of the blood that caused me to lose consciousness. Then I hit my head. I was unconscious for a few days, but the speedy response of my medical team had me patched up in no time. If you’re keeping score at home, this means that Soundman came far closer to killing me than I did him. And let me tell you, our very own Soundman de Sade has had an unyielding erection ever since. It nearly tore through his pants when I hit the floor, I’m told. I understand that this detail is a source of great shame for Soundman, but I’m just happy to have him back at 110%. I am told that his return to his original stature has increased productivity here at Kakos Industries so much that it completely offset the month plus that I took off, and with Junior taking over some of my responsibilities, me getting shot was a greater boon to Evil than if I had just come to work in that time. I can tell you that feels great to know. I can personally think of no better way to enter my fifth year as CEO than from a hospital bed with the smallest hole in my leg slowly healing itself up. They even left the carpet bloody in here, which is really cute.

Here’s the strange thing about my time in the hospital. There was this beautiful woman taking care of me. A nurse practitioner, but I think I may have been her only patient. Striking eyes. One of those colors of gray violet-ish green that makes you think one of their grandparents had to be a space alien. I was sedated to some extent, probably unnecessarily, for the first week as my support staff tried to get me to take a break by any means necessary, so I only barely remember interacting with her. But she was so kind. I don’t believe I’ve ever been so doted on in my life. When I was getting ready to go home to finish my recovery, she offered to come check on me. She handed me a card with all of her contact information on it. I smiled and told her that I would be happy to see her. She walked away and I kind of laughed to myself until I looked down to see that her name was Tabitha.

Kimzzzzzzzzzzz has made a new decree. Apparently, in order to be sexy now, you must dye exactly half of your hair red. If your hair is already red, you have to make half redder. I think I’m just going to sit this one out. I’ve seen enough red for a little while.

Our drones down in hell have found Meredith Gorgoro’s left arm. We are unsure as of yet if this is the only remaining piece of her after some dramatic battle, or if the rest of her is still out there fighting monsters. We are hopeful, of course, but it cannot be easy to survive down there with this new disability, even for her.

I stopped by the Division of Erotic Experiences earlier to check on Jasmine Aashna and Dr. Dunkelwissen. They are still trying to answer the question “What is most sex?” They were both asleep in their boardroom with their heads down on the table while a very bored and very naked pair were sitting inside of an observation room you could see through a large window in one wall. I looked at the white board beside the sleeping duo. It simply said “putting it all the way in?” with a bunch of question marks at the end. It seems that they have been working tirelessly on this one, and it doesn’t look good. I don’t know what “it” is, and I don’t know where “it” is going all the way into, though I can imagine, and something tells me that’s not the answer to their question. I will keep you updated.

The Division of Figuring Out What All These Keys Go To has unchained a monster. In fairness, the monster was quite communicative and persuasive. In unfairness, it has since eaten three people and mailed their teeth to their loved ones. The missile they launched is still MIA.

They say that Evil once toured the planet in a traveling carnival. Its attraction was sitting quietly in a room full of people and making all of them feel gut-wrenching, insurmountable terror. This is Things We’re Taking Credit for Now. Today, we are taking credit for plastic litter, the aroma of decomposition, and the fact that your body is basically decomposing at all times. As always, some of these things are kind of big, and it’s difficult to tell if we actually caused them, but we did. And if you disagree, you’ll start to decompose a little faster than the rest of us.

Jonathan Ulrich has won today’s Ruin-A-Life Drawing. As a result, the life of Zweelee TeeHee Me Three will be ruined. We assume that Zweelee is Jonathan’s nemesis, but really that’s not strictly a requirement, though we often make it sound like it. We spun the wheel of misery in the same direction as Earth’s rotation and it landed on the space for covetous. From this day forward, Zweelee will be 90% more covetous, leading to an ever greater amassing of objects and lovers. For Evil measure, Jonathan Ulrich will be 13% less covetous, which might just push Jonathan over the edge to not having much interest in stuff at all. That could be trouble. Congratulations on the win, and best of luck.

This brings us to the end of today’s broadcast. Your Evilixia 7 will now self-destruct momentarily. If you’re not a shareholder yet, and that phone is stuck to your ear, it would probably be a smart idea to do something Evil quick. Like headbutting someone who would really be a lot better off without being headbutted, or telling your pet that they have been very, very bad, when in fact they have been completely obedient. The numbers are next.

337

Corin: Hey, Junior.

Junior: Yes?

Corin: Thanks.

Junior: Glad to help. You know, you can always give me more to do.

Corin: You know they don’t like that.

Junior: Yes. I know.

Credits: Kakos Industries is written and produced by Conrad Miszuk, who is also the voice of Corin Deeth, and the composer of the music. The introduction is read by Kim Aiello, and the credits are read by Kelsey Kemmer, the second most interesting conversationalist in the room. Any room. Please visit KakosIndustries.com for news, extras, and more episodes. There are also transcriptions on the website if you’d like to read along with the Kakos Industries announcements. That’s K-A-K-O-S-I-N-D-U-S-T-R-I-E-S dot com. Please visit store.KakosIndustries.com for merchandise and special offers and get wonderful benefits by becoming a subscription donor at kakosindustries.com/patreon. Questions, comments, or a strong desire to collaborate? Drop us a line at [email protected]. If you like Kakos Industries, be sure to rate and review us on your favorite podcasting service, and connect with us on YouTube (YouTube.com/KakosIndustries), Facebook (facebook.com/kakosindustries), Tumblr (kakosindustries.tumblr.com), and Twitter (@KakosIndustries). We encourage fan art and listener participation on all our social media platforms. Please visit our website for cast details and the credits for all of our social media contributors. We’ve recently expanded our social media team, so please visit the website to view their credits and current projects.

Special thanks to our esteemed shareholders Iain Croall, Dan Shumway, William Brandon, and Jack Attack. Also thanks to honored employee Dorkpool Dorkuss, who chewed enough gum to blow an enormous bubble, which saved the woman falling from the window of the Division of Defenestration, and Chris Leclerc, who scooted all of the glassware a little further away from the edge of the countertop moments before the earthquake. And thanks to our division heads Britney Garcia, head of The Division of Beanies, Booties, and Construction Projects That Are Probably Too Large for Yarn, Valerie Koop, Director of the Division of Inappropriate Games to Play in Public, Patrick Green, head of The Division of Oceanic Micro-Cryptozoology, Lynne Herman, director of the Division of Increasingly Improbable Slash Fiction, Carl H, Director of the Division of Unanswered Messages, Xavier Jarman, Director of The Division of We Know Magic Doesn’t Exist But We’re Going to Keep on Trying, Craig Czyz, director of the Division of Obscure Vintage Technology, And Lady Squidney, Director of the Division of Cephalopod Psychology. The Division of Beanies, Booties, and Construction Projects That Are Probably Too Large for Yarn has run out of Ultra Yarn in Dayglo Yellow. Everything in the building seems to have a dayglo koozie wrapped around it. The Division of Inappropriate Games to Play in Public has introduced public park mud wrestling. We looked it up. Mud wrestling is pretty much always pornographic in nature. The Division of Oceanic Micro-Cryptozoology claims they have found the puddle-cabra, a rare cryptid that lurks in small puddles, and resembles a goat, kind of. They say that it is very shy and doesn’t like being looked at too much.. The Division of Increasingly Improbable Slash Fiction has started shipping keeping things nice with having a thriving arts culture. There’s gotta be a give and take there somewhere. The Division of Unanswered Messages has left a “You up?” text message unanswered so long that the person who sent it is now monogamously married. It seems unnecessary to say that they never RSVP’d to the wedding either. The Division of We Know Magic Doesn’t Exist But We’re Going to Keep on Trying has given up on the hunt for magic words for now, but instead they are looking for ancient scrolls with some kind of power. They’ve gone right through our dry storage trying to read the paper towels. The Division of Obscure Vintage Technology has found a box of old brass finger screws. They’re not as hard as steel ones, but they still hurt like hell when applied to fingers. The Division of Cephalopod Psychology has discovered that the exectopuses do feel quite a bit, but usually they feel jealousy and frustration and anger. They tend to clam up when asked why. Clams are not cephalopods, in case you were expecting a pun there. Our esteemed shareholders, honored employees, division heads, and other Patreon patrons are the best. If you want a thank you in the credits, your own division, or other great rewards that help to keep this show running, please head to Kakosindustries.com/patreon. That’s Patreon: p-a-t-r-e-o-n.

Kakos Industries can be heavy sometimes. Try volunteering with a secular charity to bolster your indie cred.

#IFTTT #Kakos Industries #Do Evil Better

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alluran · 6 years

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a/n: pre-lion swap and fairly early months of voltron / female pronouns for pidge / also the subject of feeling overwhelmed in a crowd is the focus. I got the name for the random planet here.

summary: Maybe if he throws the glass in his hand hard enough against a wall or something it would be enough to get things to pause long enough for him to figure out what on earth he’s supposed to be doing or where he should be going. “Ah, Keith, no. ”The glass is taken from his hand and set on a window sill. So apparently, 1. His arm had already been raised to throw the glass. 2. Lance had somehow gotten them across the room without him even noticing. Admittedly, things were not going great for him.

He’s got no idea where Coran got the color coordinating capes, but he absolutely hates them.

Keith does his best to kick it out from around his ankles, but the fabric just lays back, stifling and too much on top of the paladin armor and diplomacy feasts and being extremely thirsty but not knowing if the drink in his hand is safe for humans. He’s got nothing to do with his hands and he just feels ridiculous. He promised Shiro to try, so he can’t really just leave and curl up in the comfort of Red’s maw where her understanding would soothe his terminal social cues and hopefully tell him whether or not the drink in his hand is the alien equivalent of drinking drain cleaner with a splash of Hawaiian Punch.

So, Red’s out because Shiro would absolutely check their first and drag him back. The floor obviously isn’t about to swallow him whole and while he doesn’t like the capes, he figured it would be easier to spot someone to help him at least look like a friendly defender of the universe - like Hunk. He had a really good time with him and the Arusians. Or at least Pidge, she would stand in solidarity with him on being too tired for this crap.

Shiro was definitely out, he would just tell Keith to go mingle or something equally embarrassing like “shake loose”.

Keith sweeps his gaze across the room, doing his best not to make eye contact with anyone that wasn’t someone he knew - which was harder than it looked, some of the species of the planet had four eyes or more. He’s not going out of his way to seem mean or standoffish, he just doesn’t have the energy.

Finally, he spots an empty part of the far wall that would do just fine for him and give him the chance to try to spot any of the team because seriously, they were wearing bight colored capes and matching armor. Were they even here???

And wouldn’t that just be the ultimate nightmare? If he missed some glaring memo that they were leaving and nobody bothered to count heads as they left.

His armor makes a muffled clink against the wall where he rests as he tries to breathe for the first time since being led into a grand ballroom with ceilings dizzyingly high and waves of beings wearing colors that have his vision blurring.

“A lot different from the Arusians, huh?”

He startles, his armor clacking with movement and woven with the teasing chuckle of his nightmares.

“You’re kinda jumpy tonight, aren’t ya, red?”

Lance is swimming in the blue of his cape that’s a little darker than the accents on his armor and Keith could only bite his tongue. He’s leaning against the wall like him, but he leans his head forward, eyes roving over the crowd. His long legs stretch out in front of him a little and cross at the ankle. It’s a very aloof stance, Keith thinks. Vulnerable if someone decides to just attack. Aaand he realizes a little late that it’s maybe one too many details he’s filing away.

Right, he’s creating an awkward silence.

He takes a breath.

Patience yields focus, they weren’t allowed to make any scenes, also he wasn’t allowed to leave five minutes after arriving.

They were currently standing at 3 minutes, 27 seconds.

Keith tries to keep in mind that part of him that strives not to disappoint Shiro. “I’m not a big fan of parties.”

“Y’don’t say.”

Keith cuts him a look, only to see Lance nonchalantly taking a drink from his cup then dipping his head politely as a couple passes them with a reverent greeting.

“Paladins.”

Keith waits until they’re back out of earshot before shooting Lance a halfhearted glare (he was tired). “Look if you just dropped in to give me a hard time, the cape and all of this already beat you to it.” His throws his hand weirdly out in front of him, disjointed with his nerves. “Besides, don’t you usually have some audience to brag to?”

“The drink is safe for consumption by the way.” Lance doesn’t even blink, doesn’t follow the line of Keith’s arm into a crowd that seems barely contained as their suns - that’s right suns, there’s two and a half - dip past the windows lining the hall and below the horizon

“I- What?”

“It’s not alcoholic. Shiro went to great lengths using Allura as translator to really get that point across. Though, I think I’d be more worried about it basically being battery acid if anything.”

This entire interaction has already deviated so far from how Lance and Keith navigate parties and each other. It has his brows scrunching in thought as he stares into his cup. “I was thinking Drain-o and Hawaiian Punch.”

Lance laughs, not boisterous when he’s exaggerating some grandiose tale about him and Blue. Not the one that he’s come to recognize as the rival cackle. It’s this something that he can only name as just Lance and isn’t that a terrifying thought that he can differentiate the various sides of Lance McClain? He gulps down the drink in his hand.

Better than nunvill, at least.

There’s a barely veiled snort from beside him. “Yeah, just give me a heads up if you’re gonna spit this one out though.”

Oh, he said that out loud.

It feels like a carpet is about to be pulled from under his feet.

“Lance, why are you over here?”

And Lance - Lance finally jerks his head in Keith’s direction. He’s searching Keith’s face with this focus and weight that makes everything in Keith’s body go still. “Why wouldn’t I b-”

A surge of energy splits the crowd for a moment as music crescendos like a sonic boom in his chest plate before the crowd comes back together then splits and zigzags in any and every direction. The planet beneath their feet - Indira, his mind distantly supplies - pulses and it’s a few moments before Keith comes to recognize the turns and movements are a dance. There was no ratio of dance floor to not dance floor and it’s only Lance’s warm fingers hooking in the crook of his elbow pulling Keith out of the pathway of five Indirans swaying and stomping into the spot he had been standing in.

He would have been fine, but no, Shiro insisted they honor some old paladin tradition and humoring Coran on the ridiculous capes. The fabric is tangling between his boots as he stumbles and there’s a drink in his hand that he’s not supposed to be spilling and they just got done with a battle, why do they always have to party immediately after?

An enthusiastic brunch would work just fine for him.

The music does something else that rattles his bones and he feels Lance tense up behind him.

At least then he knows it’s not only him.

Early onset heart arrhythmia wouldn’t fly very well with being a defender of the universe.

They’re just buyout in a mass of bodies as Lance tries to right their balance and find a safe corner. Keith should probably be helping with that.

But this, whatever this is, is a thing and he can’t think straight.

Maybe if he throws the glass in his hand hard enough against a wall or something it would be enough to get things to pause long enough for him to figure out what on earth he’s supposed to be doing or where he should be going.

“Ah, Keith, no.”

The glass is taken from his hand and set on a window sill.

So apparently,

1. His arm had already been raised to throw the glass.

2. Lance had somehow gotten them across the room without him even noticing.

Admittedly, things were not going great for him.

“Hey. Lemme get this.” And then, there were only Lance’s focused eyes and deft hands in his line of vision, taking away the cape and it feels every inch of the weight of the world lifting from his shoulders.

A punched out sigh beats out whatever communications skills he possesses. Which is great. Perfect even. Just the right fuel for fire Lance needs on him.

Except it doesn’t happen. Lance bunches up the cape and sets it next to their glasses on the window sill. Broad shoulders block the heightening festivities and any wayward dancers from Keith’s toes and general personal space. A warm hand splays at the small of his back and it’s nice. Sound stays at the fringes of his senses as Lance leans closer to Keith’s ear and it’s nice. New territory and a little terrifying since he and Lance are known for their more frequent louder moments.

He tells himself he doesn’t turn his face another minuscule fraction to incline himself further into Lance’s shoulder.

“-eith, are you good?”

Who’s talking to him, he dimly realizes.

Keith has no idea how long he’s been talking to him or how long he’s just sort of been standing there like a fish frozen in shock. He nods curtly. There’s a crest of gratitude that sweeps over him when Lance doesn’t move away when he stands up straighter.

Did Lance really just square his shoulders?

Or is it a trick of the light?

He feels the ghost outline of long fingers flex against his back. Having their lower spine unguarded is technically a huge design flaw in his honest opinion, but it’s good right now. It’s just their flight suits separating them.

“Like I said, I don’t really do parties.” And okay, he does lean into the touch but, like, because of a pulled muscle or something. “Thanks.”

Lance blessedly doesn’t tease Keith about owing him one, he shakes his head, fervently searching the crowd. “This....is not a good time. Also, how can Allura, Shiro, and the space mice collectively know what we’re up to every second on a huge castle-ship, but stick us in one room when we actually need them, and suddenly they’re invisible??”

He swivels around, following the up line of balustrades to Keith’s left. “Hey, do you think if I climbed into one of those balconies things and did like a store page, they’d come? “Four unaccompanied Earth minors are looking for their adults. If they belong to you please come get them. They need rest.”“

Keith huffs a laugh. “I mean, that would definitely get someone’s attention at least.”

He feels the covered fingertips graze over their spot on his back, absentmindedly scratching. His muscles relax a little more before the warm spot is replaced by a rush of cool air as Lance’s hand drops back to his side and a blur of green and yellow reel past them, then double back.

“Did you guys feel that?” Pidge’s eyes are owlishly blinking from behind her glasses and she sounds winded. “That was-”

“Unpleasant,” Hunk pouts next to her, one hand loosely hanging onto her cape.

“Agreed, buddy.” Lance groans and stretches to crack his back, arching his neck in yet another search of Shiro, Coran, and Allura.

“Well, I’m getting out of here,” Pidge huffs. She takes the sides of her cape and yanks them up around her like bat wings as she turns and makes for the door. A few Indirans pay enough attention to duck out of her way as Hunk falls in line behind her.

Keith snatches his discarded cape and makes for the entrance with Lance beside him. “Why do we always after to party right after a battle?”

It’s the ghost of Lance’s hand on his back, the same hand falling on his shoulder to rub comfortingly over it even though he can’t really feel it through the armor, that makes it all a little okay. A little worth it.

It’s a development.

Maybe an experiment in future diplomacy dinners. For science, the ratio to him wanting to vault himself out of a room and take off in Red to the number of times Lance whimsically appears at his side.

#Lance #Keith #klance #Voltron: Legendary Defender #Voltron Legendary Defender #supportive lance is my weakness #this was supposed to be a drabble #it's over 2k #writing and posting by the seat of my pants #the writing tag

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