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recentanimenews · 3 years

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FEATURE: The Top 10 Fight Scenes of 2020 According to YOU!

One of the defining features of anime as a medium are the fight scenes. From their diversity of visuals and dramatic staging to their use in narrative development to the off-the-wall powers and techniques their characters employ. Watching weightless CG battles in superhero flicks, it’s hard not to feel like Hollywood is decades behind. Let’s fix that by letting YOU decide who gets some accolades.

If you’ve read this article’s companion pieces on 2020’s OPs and EDs you know the drill. What follows is a list of the Top 10 fight scenes of 2020 as determined by viewership on the Crunchyroll Collection YouTube channel, weighted at 30 days so anime from earlier in the year don’t get an advantage and to balance flash-in-the-pan popularity vs iconic moments that will continue on in the fandom’s consciousness. It’s not a perfect metric but I’ve gotta say, the results do show some great taste ...

10. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? - Ais vs Asterius

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Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? has always been measured with its action, honing its greatest moments into dramatic peaks, so it was great we were able to finish 2020 with not only some of its biggest battles, but Ais finally stepping on the gas for the first time on television since 2017 by battling the legendary minotaur Asterius. Ais didn’t disappoint, as she shouldn’t with her place at the very top of the adventuring world and an unreachable ideal Bell aspires to. Also, opening the fight by shearing off her opponent’s arm may be the most brutal kickoff to a Danmachi fight we’ve seen yet. This battle topped 500k in its first 30 days and I’m confident will make a lasting impression.

9. Tsugumomo2 - Kazuya vs Kyouka

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Tsugumomo’s second season delivered some absolutely huge battles, but I gotta say I’m surprised the top fight wasn’t Kanaka terrorizing the entire cast of the series with their hunt for blood. That said, Kazuya’s battle against Kyouka had some spectacular effects, a few creative obi adaptations, a divine possession, and a shorted punch to secure the victory so it had all the primary features that make Tsugumomo fights great … And for fans of the series, yes it also had that … This fight drew 600k views in its first 30 days to secure its spot on the list.

8. A Certain Scientific Railgun T - Level 6 Mikasa vs Touma and Sogiita

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A Certain Magical Index and its various spinoffs have a penchant for going completely off the rails very quickly. This fight in spinoff A Certain Scientific Railgun T is every bit as absurd. Mikasa is pushed into Level 6, giving her godlike power and sending her into a berserk state that only Touma’s magic destroying hand can take down. We also get a guest appearance from one of the series' best side characters in Sogiita whose ability to literally turn guts into power is impossible not to love.

Basically, the fight was amazing, Mikasa’s Level 6 form and its absurd power were wonderfully adapted by JC Staff and Touma and Sogiita showed off some amazing combo attacks to prevents the destruction of the city. In particular, Sogiita’s “Super Amazing” punch and princess carrying Touma drew 700k viewers in its first 30 days.

7. Golden Kamuy - The Stenka

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The most common phrase I hear from Golden Kamuy fans is that the series is underappreciated and, as a Golden Kamuy fan, I’m inclined to agree. This series is so violent, I’m constantly surprised by what it gets away with. I’m hard-pressed to think of another series that has aired in the past five years with the same level of brutality. Basically, I’m saying I’m overjoyed to see Golden Kamuy made the list, even if it's from one of its most tame battles that is simply a no-holds-barred free-for-all where everyone gets their nose broken by a berserk Sugimoto.

Might have been the JoJo's reference (not really) but this battle got 700k views in 30 days and just barely beat out Railgun T by ~1k views.

6. JUJUTSU KAISEN - Gojo vs Sukuna

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Another series I’m unsurprised to see on the list but with an unexpected battle. I would have imagined Gojo’s battle against Jogo might have drawn more attention, or perhaps more recently, Itadori’s battle with Mahito. This clip does make sense after a fashion. It was a breakout moment where MAPPA showed they really meant business adapting JUJUTSU KAISEN and the fight was between two characters that have become fan favorites.

Definitely, a defining moment that pulled in double the seventh placer's views at 1.4 million in its first 30 days! Since JUJUTSU KAISEN is still attracting new fans and already topping popularity lists, I imagine it would have been even higher given a bit more time in 2020. Gojo vs Sukuna has continued its upward climb to almost 3 million views, putting it only a few days away from claiming the Number 4 spot in lifetime views. Not bad for an anime in the year's final quarter!

5. Boruto - Sarada vs Sakura

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BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS has delivered spectacularly animated battles for just about its entire run that prove this anime is no afterthought to the Naruto franchise. Despite a wide selection of quality battles that dropped in 2020, I must admit I knew this one would be at the top. What self-respecting Naruto fan wouldn’t be interested in seeing a less-than-friendly mother/daughter slugfest between Sarada and Sakura? Although theoretically a training match to help Sarada develop her Sharingan, the amount of destruction makes it clear that one wrong move and even Sakura’s medical Jutsu would have trouble putting either of them back together again.

The Uchiha family battle secured its place with 1.5 million views in its first 30 days. Sarada's family moments, even the ones without fighting, are always winners and Sarada vs Sakura is the third youngest clip on the list so I'm guessing this one is going to withstand the test of time.

4. One Piece - Zoro vs Hitokiri Kamazo

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One Piece has been on a tear since the beginning of its much-anticipated Wano Kuni arc. Even after delivering a huge battle between Luffy and Katakuri at the end of Whole Cake, there has been a notable bump in the frequency and quality of standout animation in the long-running series, which is great to see since the Wano arc is a series of back-to-back skirmishes that can be elevated by some explosive visuals.

No moment this year stands out more in my memory than Zoro’s battle against Hitokiri Kamazo and it seems the fans agree. Zoro borrowing his enemy’s weapon to pull off an amazingly animated Purgatory Onigiri may be one of the coolest sequences in One Piece’s almost 1,000-episode long run. This moment also got 1.5 million views in 30 days, narrowing beating Boruto by about 13k views.

3. Black Clover - Everyone vs The Devil

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Black Clover has grown as a production to develop a unique visual style for magic-heavy battles and really deliver some hugely impressive battles. It’s ramp up hit a peak in 2019 with the battle between Julius and Licht and it’s been riding high ever since. The top fight of 2020 is an obvious one, as the climactic moment of the series' insanely escalating arc kicked off by Julius and Licht’s battle. It seems like half the cast piled into Hell to take on the unnamed devil and his overpowered word soul magic. To be honest I was surprised the series kept going at all after a moment this climactic (I’m not complaining though).

The final attack of this battle drew 1.6 million views in its first 30 days and now sits proudly in the Number 2 spot for lifetime views on this list at over 5.5 million!

2. The God of High School - Jin vs Jaegal

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With its sheer number of lovingly animated battles, The God of High School was a shoo-in for this list and might represent 50 percent or more of its total entries if I hadn’t limited it to one entry per series. Jin vs Jaegal is a natural choice, as the climactic battle of the fast-paced fighting series which delivered on the much-anticipated reveal of Jin Mori’s charyeok. This one really put the god in the high school, jumping far past One Piece to pull 2.1 million views in its first month.

1. My Hero Academia - Endeavor vs Special Nomu

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My Hero Academia had a huge climactic battle to cap off the winter season, so I gotta say I’m surprised to see it’s the other one that secured the top spot as the Number 1 battle of 2020. Deku vs Overhaul was a huge moment for the series and definitely sits in the upper half of this list, if not the Number 2 spot — but something about Endeavor fighting a Nomu really pulled in a crowd, even putting the clip on YouTube’s trending list. It continues to creep upward at 7.5 million views. One of the most-watched moments of the entire year!

On reflection moments that show a theoretical power ceiling of a series are always impactful, such as Orochimaru’s battle with Sarutobi or even My Hero Academia’s own battle between All Might and All for One. Endeavor definitely pulled out the guns for this battle to leave an impression before the long wait until the next season ... Or maybe it was just because he said “plus ultra?” Regardless, Endeavor blasted past even the Number 2 spot on this list at 3.7 million views in its first 30 days.

Those were the best battles of 2020 according to you and, consequently, the last of this series of Top 10 lists. When it comes to fights there’s a lot more to look forward to in 2021. Boruto, Black Clover, and One Piece have all been building toward their current arcs' big conflicts and each seems primed to pull the trigger early next year. If that weren’t enough JUJUTSU KAISEN is about to kick off its school event and MHA is set to make its return.

That does it for 2020. Hope to see you all at the same time next year.

If you feel the fandom has missed a great moment, feel free to share it in the comments below!

Peter Fobian is an Associate Producer at Crunchyroll, writer for Anime Academy and Anime in America, and an editor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: Peter Fobian

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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mythriteshah · 4 years

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Dinner with Violet & Steel

Within the mythril-blue halls of the Higuri Regalia’s Main Branch Headquarters was a vast dinner table made of that same blue metal. Precious fabrics of tulle were placed evenly along the length of the table, as plates of exquisite food from all corners of Hydaelyn were being placed.

The Angels – Lord Thiji’s personal retinue of assassin-maidservants – were gathered around the table. At the head was the Mythrite Sultan himself, being poured a glass of his Winter Lassi by his Main Branch Advisor, Veeveena Veena. He and his Angels were regaling one another over their recent success in the Bloodsands…

Lilina: So how’d it go?! I wanted to witness the spectacle myself, but I have been so busy with my Summoner training…

Veeveena: Oh, it went quite well, Miss Lilina! In fact, we would be honored if Miss Susuna could recall the story for us in full detail!

Susuna: Hey, can I at least get in a glass or two of wine first?!

The Angels chuckled as Susuna gulped down her caelumtree wine. All the Angels were garbed in the uniform of their respective branches, save for a few who were wearing items from the PiB Catalogue: Veeveena in her Impurity’s Sampot as per usual; Isja in her Life-Warden’s Veil, and Himmeya in the Griffin-Mistress’ Choil.

After a good half-bell into their feast, Veeveena popped the question to her fellow Angel once more, who took another long sip of her wine before jumping up to the table in a dramatic fashion, startling her sisters.

Susuna: So there we were, surrounded by the typical Ul’dahn crowd of nobles looking for bloodshed! Even Ishgard’s own nobility came to spectate! The Mythril Cup was nigh, and it was here that our latest operation would unfold: Violet Steel!

Luluma: But wait, I thought Miss Himmeya didn’t use weapons?

Susuna: I’m getting there! So anyway, the contestants were lined up in the Bloodsands: a big, burly Sea Wolf Gladiator; a not-as-big but just-as burly female Sea Wolf Marauder; a Midlander soldier of the Immortal Flames; a female Duskwight Lancer; a Sun Seeker male from the Black Shroud – a Redbelly Wasp; a pair of male twin Dunesfolk Thaumaturges, and a Highlander Thief!

Isja: Hm… I counted nine, including Himmeya. Who was the tenth?

Susuna: She was a Far Easterner, by the look of her armor. She had a pink scabbard which obviously housed a Doman Steel katana. At the time, she was masked, so her face was obscured from view. So as they welcomed the combatants, I placed a hundred thousand gil on Himmeya winning. The odds at the time were 100 to 1.

Lelena: What?! Then that must mean –

Susuna: That’s right! Ten million gil was going to belong to the Regalia once Himmeya won! Of course, the real victory was getting word out on the PiB Catalogue, which my sisters and Miss Shiro were manning just outside the coliseum at the time.

Umimi: Oh, when does the fun part come? Let’s hear about the fighting!

Sesena: Oh, don’t be so impatient, Miss Umimi! Suna’s gotta set the mood first!

Susuna: Whaddya mean? The mood is already set! The fight started and everyone was goin’ at it! The Gladiator and Marauder ganged up on the swordmaiden while the Lancer and the Redbelly Archer did their thing.

Umimi, taking a sip of water: Now that’s more like it!

Susuna: The Flames soldier made good use of his shield, deflecting the elemental onslaught from the Thaumaturge twins! Then here comes the Highlander Thief from out of the shadows, looking to draw first blood by taking out Himmeya!

The Angels gasped as Himmeya simply shook her head, biting into another piece of baklava. The Enforcer was amazed by the taste that she had to stop and appreciate the flavor for a moment…

Himmeya, thinking: Damn. Now I see why this is Lord Thiji’s favorite dessert.

Susuna: Unfortunately for him, Miss Himmeya was in her exclusive Fists of Ice stance! When the Thief jumped onto her shoulders for an Assassination attack, she caught him off balance using Arm of the Destroyer, then quickly grabbed him by the leg, hung him upside-down for a mean Touch of Death to the gut, and chucked his tattooed ass across the arena, taking a shield bash and Scathe combo as he was sent flying into the wall!

Umimi & Veeveena: Nice!

The other Angels applauded Himmeya’s performance. The Fist of Rhalgr disciple found it difficult to respond to such an ovation, so she simply waved sheepishly.

Isja: Who knew the Treasurer had such a talent for storytelling?

Sosona: Susuna may be the youngest between the three of us, but her expertise at information gathering and gossip is second-to-none.

Susuna: With the first combatant knocked out, Himmeya took up a new stance: the Fists of Water! The Lancer incapacitated the Miqo’te bandit with a straight kick and went straight for the Flames soldier! Meanwhile, the Thaumaturges enhanced their defenses with Manawards as they prepared a mean spell to throw at Himmeya!

Lelena: How would she be able to close the distance in time?!

Susuna: She didn’t have to. Much like the Fists of Ice slowing down opponents she struck, this stance had a unique effect as well! The Fists of Water increased her effective striking range by at least ten yalms! So she was able to instantly break their barriers with another antiquated technique: the One-Ilm Punch!

Meriri: Goodness, lass! Ye be puttin’ Pugilists to shame with yer skills!

Koyuki: It was at this point that the crowd had its eyes fixed on Miss Himmeya, and some had even inquired as to where she obtained her clothes! You can only imagine what we told them in response!

Shishira: Lord Thiji dearest was spectating from the other end, cloaked in black and violet, signaling the next phase: bringing in the masses! But for now, Miss Susuna should continue.

Susuna: Thank you, ma’am! So, with the Thaumaturges’ defenses shattered by a single hit, the Archer managed to recover and shot an arrow at the older brother, which really pissed off his younger sibling! He gathered his might and dropped an orbital laser on his head – the Skyshard!

Isja: Heavens…!

Umimi: He died, right?

Susuna: He should have! It’s a Limit Break, for Thal’s sake! But capitalizing on this, the Marauder chick took out the exhausted younger with a mean Overpower, wrapping up the triangle knockout!

Meriri: So how was the swordmaiden doin’ in the midst of all this?

Susuna: She held her own no problem! In fact, I was going to get to her in a minute! So, the roster was down to half at this point, with only Himmeya, the Far Easterner, the Roegadyns, and the Flames Soldier remaining!

Yuanji: But you missed the Duskwight – what happened to her?

Susuna, taking another sip of her wine: Oh, right – her. She got slashed right below the tits by the Flames soldier.

The Angels broke out into laughter yet again from the Treasurer’s remark. Umimi nearly spat out her water as a result. Thiji only shook his head, the only thing escaping his lips being a soft chuckle.

Susuna: Which is even funnier considering how she was talking so much good shite to Miss Himmeya before the fight began!

Himmeya: Said I was better fit for ballroom dancing.

Lilina: Ballrooms can be arenas, too!

Susuna: Well-stated, Miss Lilina! Very true! So anyway, he was up next. Himmeya readied her third trump card: The Fists of Lightning!

Lilina: Ooh! Ooh! That stance had to have paralyzed her foes, right?!

Himmeya: Correct. Though my attacks kept hitting his shield, he would eventually find it harder to hold it up as the electric current danced around the metal and eventually shocked him.

Susuna: And that was when she gave him a double Tiger Claw Strike!

Himmeya: “Couerl Paw”, Miss Susuna.

Susuna: Eh, semantics! The point is, he was knocked on his ass and was eliminated! All eyes were on Himmeya now, and the nobles were starting to see the meaning of “Power in Beauty” through our star performer! So we directed them outside to the booth we had set up. Those who stayed, however, were in for a treat! That Marauder chick was furious now, and charged at Himmeya full speed! But she was able to stop her dead in her tracks with the Steel Peak technique, stunning her long enough to charge her power move… Uh, what did you call it again?

Himmeya & Sosona: Chesed (pronounced “heh-sed”).

Susuna: Thanks to Sona’s fine-tuning, Miss Himmeya overclocked her Fists of the Fiend and brought the full power of life and growth onto the face of the Marauder, sending her bouncing into the wall where she made a nice Roegadyn-sized hole in it before landing on her neck!

The Angels winced in pain.

Susuna: That left only Himmeya, the Gladiator, and the swordmaiden. At this point, the Roegadyn was getting frustrated as her opponent was getting the upper hand, so he tried to draw her away with a Bloodstain – or Circle of Scorn, if you prefer! But then she did this thing where it looked like she foresaw the incoming attack and instantly evaded it, sliding backwards a full 360-degrees before advancing and retaliating with a slash which disarmed him!

Luluma: So some sort of… Foresight Slash?

Susuna: Yeah, that’s what it sounds like! Anyway, she sent the man into the air with a Tsubame-Gaeshi, then bisected the fool with an Ougi – some Far Eastern word meaning “Hidden Technique”.

???: The Hana-no-Fukei – the Scenery of Blossoms.

Everyone looked around to find the source of the voice. Then from the entrance to the dining hall was a petite Midlander Hyur wearing the uniform of the Othard Branch, with a pink scabbard identical to the one Susuna described in her retelling. She had auburn hair tied in a ponytail and golden eyes, flawless skin, and an air of poise. She greeted everyone with a bow and immediately took a seat beside Himmeya.

Susuna: Introducing our newest Angel: Kaori Hanabira, the Petaldancer!

Kaori: Truly, it is an honor to be part of such a wonderful company. It is grand to see my old friend Himmeya again.

Meriri: Wait, you’re the same lass who cut down the Gladiator? Then how’d the rest of the match end?

Kaori: After I struck down that ruffian, I revealed myself to Himmeya. We had befriended each other during the Rhalgr’s Beacon operation when she was still in the Resistance.

Himmeya: She stowed away on an East Aldenard vessel all the way to Limsa Lominsa, where she sought to return the favor of the brave westerners who helped liberate Doma.

Thiji: We are honored to have you among us, Miss Kaori. You will serve us well as the Othard Branch’s Enforcer.

Kaori: I shall not disappoint.

Umimi: With all due respect, my lord… who won the Mythril Cup?

Thiji: That honor belongs to Miss Himmeya, of course. They had shared a dialogue before sparring. Both gave their all, but in the ensuing clash, Miss Kaori’s blade would shatter upon Himmeya’s enhanced fists. Without a weapon with which to fend herself, and her own martial arts proving inadequate, the only logical choice was to concede.

Kaori: But it was an honorable duel, and I only entered to find Miss Himmeya in the first place. She enjoys fighting – as do I. So I thought a coliseum battle would be the ideal event to find her. The kami smiled upon me that day to find her there, though I was unaware of a greater scheme in the works.

Yuanji: Ahh – of course! Miss Sesena’s team was swamped after the match, were you not?

Sesena: We would have been were it not for the fact that Miss Shiro is a master assassin! She gave everyone a copy with lightning speed!

Sosona: And now we have an easy 10 million gil in the bank; more exposure for the Regalia, and a new Angel. An awesome profit was won that day.

Susuna: The bookmaker was appalled by the outcome, but that’s the thing about gambling: sometimes –

Sesena and Sosona join in: You lose!

Umimi: But not for the Regalia! This gamble was a victory for us all! A toast to our success, and to our newest Angel – Miss Kaori!

Thiji: To Miss Kaori.

Yuanji & Koyuki: Kampai!

(Picture commissioned by Dizzyfuture)

#thiji higuri #Higuri Regalia #Lalafell #pib catalogue #Eikon Collection #Lucavi Assembly #Hydaelyn Runway #high fashion #ffxiv fashion #haute #the bloodsands #Ul'dah #ala Mhigan #comedy #ffxiv hyur #female hyur #ffxiv doma #samurai #monk

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amarabliss · 4 years

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Oaths and Hearts - 13 (Ignis Scientia/Reader)oaths and

So this is a crossover between FFXV and Dragon Age Inquisition.

You fell through a rift into the fade fighting the demons you swore to protect your world from. When you popped out you were no longer in the lands of Ferelden instead trapped in Insomnia. The gracious king allowed you to say recognizing power when he saw it. One thing led to another and now you were part of the procession of the prince to his wedding years later. Before the final battle, after years of fighting, losses, and love…your friend…your king…Noctis has asked you to change it all…

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

You looked out the window of the vehicle seeing the glittery shimmers of Glaive warping in systematically taking out Neif forces. The enemy had no idea of the attack and was completely disorganized. Getting to this point had been nerve wracking…

You watched Tor stand up looking at you in the night light after swearing to take back the city in honor of the child inside you, conditions set, you looked him over anticipating some reaction, “Do you feel anything?”

“Didn’t the last time.” He flexed his hands at his sides looking over to Cor, “Why don’t you two take a step back…”

“What are you going to do?” Cor watched him take a few steps away toward the cliffside, “Maybe you should start with something small…”

“Gotta take a leap of faith with these things.” Tor sniffed hard through his nose shaking his shoulders out before he turned around looking at you both, “Hey…how much you love that kid?”

You stared at him as his heels lined up with the edge of the cliff, “All my heart.”

“Hm…I suppose I should too if he’s letting me borrow his mojo.” He glanced back looking down making a face, “You got a name for the kid?”

You frowned knowing he was buying time because of nerves, “You’re not gonna like it.”

“Indulge me please.” He looked back to you smirking, “As long as it’s not something like Phil or Petey…”

“Ulric.” You smiled as his face contorted in disgust, “I told you.”

“I will never get out from under him…” He chuckled as he looked back at you both, “Listen if I go splat…”

“What happened to faith?” Cor growled.

“You gotta believe in something for that, right?” Tor saluted as he let himself fall backwards and you both reacted reaching out for him.

You stood there for what felt like an eternity in silence. Tears pricked your eyes, “Cor…”

As he put his arm around you, you both gasped as there was a flash shooting up in the sky then back down. Tor three point landed in front of them. He looked up grinning, “I think we’re in business.”

“Could you slow down?! The Immortal will personally kill me if something happens to you.” You turned to Libertus who had volunteered to be your escort around the ruined city, “Not everything has been cleared yet.”

“I am aware of that.” You smiled at him as he carefully trudged down the debris towards you, “I’m used of being on my own, forgive me?”

“I never could say no to you or Crowe.” He smiled as his eyes went sad.

You reached over touching his arm gently, “We’ve lost too much…I'm sorry I wasn’t there.”

He nodded as he chewed on his lip before he spoke, “We’re gonna have a big funeral once everything is settled down. I know everyone would want you to be there.”

You gave him a soft smile as you nodded, “Of course, I won’t miss it, if I can help it.”

“So…” He cleared his throat looking around the mess, “what are we doing here?”

“Looking for anything useful…Cor won’t let me fight, so I’ll find supplies. Your hospital was supposed to be over in the West Quarter, no?”

“That sounds about right.” He nodded slowly, “You’re really not one to wait for the fighting to be over, are you?”

“Nope.” You shook your head as you moved on scanning the area, “I’ve learned that being idle gets you in trouble. You start thinking about things out of your control and it just stresses you out more than anything.”

You both exchanged conversation as you picked through the debris. Every so often you both stopped as you heard gunfire and explosions. Libertus would leave you for a moment to make sure the surrounding area was secure.

It was during one of these departures you made your way down into a small crater. You knelt down moving a little wreckage away seeing an intact desk. You’d been able to find several useful things, but most was a bust. Your eyes shifted towards something nearby that was glinting in the sunlight.

You finished searching the desk before moving toward it. Crouching down you moved some ash away to reveal what it was. As you pulled it up you felt a knot form in your throat.

“Everything looks good.” Libertus approached behind you. When you didn’t give him your usual greeting, he became worried, “Y/N, what’s wrong?”

You swallowed the knot away before standing up. You turned wiping your face as you held out a unique Glaive visor to him, “Nyx…”

You watched the large man before stare at the carefully crafted piece of metal. It was a strained moment between the two of you both trying to stay strong for the other. There had always been this hope in the back of your mind that maybe he had made it…maybe the ring was wrong…

“You keep it.” Libertus finally spoke and talked over you as you began to object, “It’s supposed to go to family and you were all he had left.”

You felt a tear roll down your cheek as he took the visor from your hands and carefully placed it on your head like a headband. When he spoke again his voice held all the emotions you were feeling as he adjusted your hair to make it stay, “You probably don’t know this…Nyx never really like to burden other people, but before you came he was in a really bad place. He'd never took the time to grieve and he got into a lot of trouble.”

“Then you came, and you were like this light that just burned everything away. He was still a cocky little shit,” You both chuckled as he smiled, “but he changed for you. You helped him focus. Everyone saw the difference. He even said it to me a few times. You became someone he needed to protect and take care off. He even changed his next of kin list, making you first contact.”

“But, I’m not from Galahd…it’s should go to one of you…” You wiped a hand over your face before he took your hands in his.

“Family isn’t just blood…” He smiled at you squeezing your hands, “Nyx really said it best, 'Family is the people you swear an oath to, not because you have too and not because you want something, but because you choose to give each other your broken hearts and you both help fix one another.’”

“He must’ve been really drunk that day.” You smiled as Libertus laughed, “He hated talking about that stuff…”

“He was…he was very drunk.” He chuckled before rubbing his eyes a little, “It was after a very long fight…lot of close calls.”

“Thank you for telling me that…Nyx was my family too.” You stepped forward giving him a hug as you felt a tear slip down your cheek, “So are you.”

You felt him tense for a moment before relenting into a hug, “Yeah…uh…”

You let him go giving him a smile as he struggled to articulate feeling the same way, “I saw another cabinet over here, but it’s got some heavy rebar and cement over it. Pretty sure there’s some medicine inside.”

“Ah ha! I can finally make myself useful.” He joked leading you back to where you saw the cabinet.

You laughed a little reaching up feeling the visor as you followed behind. You heard him grunting as he began to pull at the big piece of cement. That’s when you got a strange sense that someone was watching you. The hairs on the back of your neck began to stand up as you turned around.

You stepped forward cautiously looking around trying to pin-point it. You turned again looking around the area as Libertus continued to push the debris away, “Libertus…”

“I’ve almost got it.” He called back to you.

“Lib…” Your eyes focused in on a strange looking wave moving a short distance from you. It was like you were seeing double. Invisible to most who’d never encounter it before. You swallowed stepping forward as voices began playing around your head. Ones you haven’t heard in such a long time. They sounded so wonderful…

“Y/N, what’s going on?” Libertus stopped behind you worry lines starting to show on his face when you didn’t answer him.

You turned slowly eyes slowly dimming as your legs began to give out, “Fade…”

Ignis smiled looking down over the city of Insomnia. It was too long since he’d seen the city, even if it was partly rubble, “We just need to figure out how to sneak in and put the crystal back where it belongs.”

“Well we have a ship so at least we blend in?” Gladio looked at him as he took his seat at the controls, “Prompto, everything staying steady back there?”

“Yeah! Straps are holding, Operation Crystal Deposit is a go!” He called back up to the cockpit.

Gladio chuckled glancing over at Noct strapped into a chair, “That kid can sleep anywhere.”

“Hopefully he won’t have to anymore.” Ignis told him with a smile it disappeared quickly when the chirp of the radio filled the area.

“Attention Neiflheim vessel. The city of Insomnia is no longer under your control. We order you to stand down.” Ignis glanced over at Gladio’s surprised look, “Please respond or we will be forced to fire.”

“Wait!” Gladio hit the respond button quickly, “This is Gladiolus Amicitia, Sheild of the King.”

“…please standby.” Gladio shrugged looking at him as they waited, “We’re sending you coordinates to land.”

“Be advised,” Ignis interrupted pressing the radio again, “We are accompanied by King Noctis and are in possession of the crystal.”

“Advisement noted.” The familiar voice of Cor popped through the speaker, “Welcome home boys.”

Relief spread through Ignis’ chest as he repositioned the ships course, “Sounds like you have quite the story to tell, Marshal.”

“Yeah…you can thank Y/N for that. She came up with the plan to take the city back.” Cor responded quickly.

“Sh-she’s here?” Ignis looked at Gladio as Prompto came into the cockpit taking his seat, “Is she alright? Is the baby…”

“The baby is fine.” Cor responded.

“And Y/N?” Ignis repeated receiving no reply, “Marshal?”

“It’s best we speak on the ground. This isn’t a conversation for radios.” Ignis noticed the worry in his voice.

Gladio watched his friend as he told Prompto to wake up Noct. Ignis wasn’t unaware of his friend’s concern, “This changes nothing.”

“It changes everything.” Gladio snapped back at him as the tension in the room began to rise, “Whatever is happening down there with Y/N…you need to be there for your family.”

“What’s going on?” Noct asked wiping the sleep from his face.

“I will attend to them-” Ignis started.

“For Six sake!” Gladio shouted at him to make him fall silent, “Listen to me! We have all lost our fathers and you you’ve already lost so many moments that you can’t get back…”

Silence filled the cockpit. Eventually Gladio went on, “We have been away from home for little under a year…we haven’t had the chance to really grieve and take the time to reflect on the facts that our families are less than they were. Six of those months you have been a father to be…and I’m the only one who’s seen the moments that you’ve missed out of all of us.”

Ignis looked at him as he went on, “When my mom was pregnant with Iris…my dad would come home every day and talk to her. He’d put his face right up to my mom and hold her. He would tell her everything from how he woke up…how…how he hoped one day she’d grow up and be the strongest shield next to me. He’d tell her about me and how I was going to be the best big brother, and how we were going to be the best pair of Amicitia Insomnia has ever seen.”

“The first time she kicked he got so excited…” Gladio teared up looking away from them all as he crossed his arms over his chest, “Ignis…you shouldn’t miss those moments more then you have to.”

Silence again. Finally, Noct spoke up, “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I have to agree with Gladio here…”

“Noct, I swore an oath…” Ignis sighed shutting his eyes trying to remain calm.

“So what…” Noct smiled speaking calmly, “I release you from your oath, if that’s what it takes…go be a dad. Take care of your family. I’m not going to magically rebuild the city over night. We’ll be here when you’ve taken care of things.”

“Yeah, Iggy,” Prompto smiled at him, “We can take things over while you spend some time with your family.”

“…thank you…all of you.” Ignis glanced at all of them feeling a well of emotion fill his chest, “I hope you all that I consider you all my family.”

“Of course.” Noct reached up patting him on the shoulder giving him a sleepy grin, “Brothers to the end.”

The rest of the trip down was quiet and reflective. Ignis informed them all that he would figure out the mystery behind Cor’s message after the crystal was safely offloaded. He did just that, keeping step with Cor as they watched the crystal drive off in the back of a truck.

“Are you going to make me ask again?” Ignis glanced at him.

“No…” Cor looked at him before nodding him to follow, “There was an incident…”

“Why kind of incident?” He felt a cold sick feeling sink into his stomach.

Cor sighed opening the door to the hospital, “One that puts Y/N in an unresponsive state. Don’t…ask me…I have ran through all the questions with Dr. Reed…and we’re still at a loss.”

Ignis wasted no time stepping inside searching for you. He walked past the wounded soldiers into the back and froze at the sight of you. You looked like you were sleeping, features calm and beautiful.

He stepped over trying to remain calm as the sight of you, but the reality that you were carrying his child hit him in a way that he wasn’t prepared for. The last time he saw you, you weren’t showing.

“Please…” You begged him one last time as the engines kicked on making your hair blow around, “Ignis…please don’t make me go…”

Pressing his forehead against yours he shook his head as everyone else began to move onto the airship, “I can’t let you and you know why…”

Your lip trembled as tears brimmed your eyes, “Please…”

“You are not making this easy for me…” He pulled you into his arms embracing you tightly, “But I can’t let you, I need to keep you safe.”

Apparently, his plan didn’t work. He snapped out of his thoughts when Dr. Reed stepped across from him, “Ignis Scientia?”

“Yes…yes…” He looked at him, “What’s wrong with her?”

“Physically…nothing…” Dr. Reed took a deep breath in before he spoke again, “I can’t explain it…she supposedly fainted and has not woken up sense.”

“Fainted? Where? Who was she with?” Dr. Reed shifted his gaze to Cor who stood off to the side. Ignis looked at him, “Please answer me…”

Cor took in a deep breath, “She was with a Glaive…in the West Quarter of the city looking for supplies…”

“She was…she’s six months pregnant.” He growled, “You had her out…”

“I didn’t do anything…You know most of all that she does what she likes.” Cor stared down into his eyes, “I was lucky enough to get a Glaive to look out for her. An old friend…”

“What friend?” Ignis turned back to you watching your chest rise and fall in a rhythmic pattern.

“Libertus Ostium.” Ignis remembered him as Cor continued, “He volunteered…said he owed her.”

He took off his glasses cleaning them for no reason except to keep his hands busy, “And where is he now?”

“I’m right here…” Ignis turned seeing him step around the corner, “I…I’m so sorry…I don’t…”

“What happened?” He swallowed down his anger as the Glaive looked over to the Marshal who nodded slowly.

“We were just picking up supplies from the debris…doing pretty good considering the whole quarter was pretty much demoed…” Libertus looked at you laying on the bed, “She asked me to move some heavy debris of a medicine cabinet…when I finished she had walked away a bit.”

“It looked like she was looking at something, but I couldn’t see anything and…and she wouldn’t answer me…” Libertus looked away scrunching up his face as emotions built up, “Then she said she was fading and passed out…I’m sorry…I didn’t see anything…I should’ve just insisted…”

“She said she was fading?” Ignis interrupted him as his eyes sparked, “I need to know exactly what she said.”

“Uh…I…” Libertus stared at him trying to remember, “I-I asked her…if she was okay…and she turned, and she said… ‘fade…’”

“Just fade? Not fading?” Ignis glanced to you as the cogs in his mind began to race.

“I just assumed she didn’t finish the word…” Libertus looked at Cor, “I’m so sorry…I should have…”

“It’s okay Libertus, you couldn’t have anticipated her fainting.” Cor told him watching Ignis closely, “Why does it matter that she recognized what was happening to her?”

“Because it’s not an action…” Ignis looked at him a fire burning in his eyes, “it’s a place.”

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atopearth · 4 years

Text

The Legend of Dragoon Part 1 - The Serdian War

Omggg this is so nostalgic already! Seeing Rose save Dart from the Dragon was a pretty iconic scene haha. I honestly don't remember this game having voice dubs lol, that was a nice surprise. I can't remember why exactly Shana could affect the future of this world or whatever, but I do remember she's the Moon Child or something and Dart needs to go around the world saving her haha. It's sad to see Dart's hometown Seles get burnt to the ground just because Imperial Sandora needed to capture Shana. And omggg I love how unique the battle system is btw, it's honestly the highlight of the game for me hahaha. I used to be pretty bad at it but I usually get the hang of it after a while haha. It's so weird btw. It's probably been more than 10 years since I played this game, but somehow subconsciously I knew that there must be something at the graves in Seles, and there really was stardust there! I can't remember what it's for, but I guess it's good to know that inside me I still remember a lot of things about this game haha. Anyway, Dart and Shana have a pretty common childhood friend relationship where he's always protected her since they were kids, so there's no way he won't go to save her from Hellena Prison. Seriously though, it's a pretty cliche relationship but I don't know why, when I was a kid, I was just really fond of them haha.

Meeting Lavitz here for Dart is a blessing since he'll be able to help him get through all the soldiers, but I guess that's likewise for Lavitz. Still better for Dart though since he'll be constantly trying to protect Shana haha. Anyway, I always found it saddening that Lavitz wanted to protect his fellow Knights of Basil that were captured as well, and about to be fed to Fruegel's pet but in the end, they still ended up dying🥺 I didn't realise that Dart actually hadn't been back to Seles for 5 years! No wonder why the others in town took a while to realise it was him, I just thought they were all groggy after their injuries. I guess that's why they believed that if he was there, Seles might have been okay, but still though, one more Dart can't really go against an army lol. Anyway, playing with Lavitz is so nostalgic! Hearing Dart say Double Slash and Lavitz say Harpoon is just so crazy hahaha. I can't wait to get Rose etc~ I still suck at the Additions though lmao, every time I'm like, I'm to good at this, I fail hahahaha, and I'm still just doing Double Slash, I literally only need to press one button when it goes close to the square lol! Fruegel wasn't that hard of a boss at all! I actually really enjoyed being able to use my Addition skills more because the soldiers kept dying in one hit lol. Ohh yeah, Dart's first hometown (where he and his parents lived) was called Neet and was attacked by the Black Monster! I think it was pretty saddening that his family escaped, but his father decided to return to help others, and his mother followed after him, like, what about your child?! It must have hurt for Dart to see something similar happen to Seles though... I can't believe Dart went on a journey to find the Black Monster when he was 13 though, like dang! But I guess a kid like him who had to learn to survive by himself would be resilient enough by that age... Hmmmm, as I gathered, the Kingdom of Basil is at war with Imperial Sandora and the war is widespread over Serdio itself. Can Emperor Doel of Imperial Sandora control the Dragon enough that he thinks he can take over Albert's kingdom instead of keeping the truce?? Gotta love how conveniently that log we chopped allowed us to cross the river hahahaha. Lavitz is such a kind soul though. He doesn't even know these random people on the road, and they're even from Sandora but he just invites them to Bale and even his house because they have nowhere else to go. I guess his kindness is a reflection of the type of country Albert runs.

Lmao, I love how Dart and Lavitz are such bros that even Shana can't butt in🤣 It was pretty scary when Lavitz slipped on the rock and nearly fell off the waterfall though, I felt so nervous for him lol. So cute how the guys are so fond of each other already though lol. Not sure what exactly Shana's powers do, but it instantly decimated that snake when her life was in danger so....hmm. It's so sweet how respected Lavitz is that the artist girl in Bale painted a portrait of him, and Dart said it was too handsome hahaha. Omg! I feel so sorry for the NPC in the inn! His child and his grandchild died due to the war so he thinks there's no meaning to his life anymore... That's so saddening... The lady that has been waiting for her boyfriend to come back even after 10 years is so faithful, it's heartbreaking. It's so cool to see how much the people love Lavitz in Bale, I guess it's understandable though, not only is he a good boy and knight, his dad is also a revered knight, so he's probably doing well succeeding him. Not surprised Dart wanted to leave Shana here to protect her lol. I loved how she practically immediately told him her feelings about it and him, like wow, she's so bold to say she wants to stay beside him forever in front of the king and everyone lol. Albert is right though, with a dragon on their side, no place is really safe in Serdio anymore... Hmmmm Winglies used to rule at the top until the Dragon campaign where they fought against Emperor Diaz and the seven dragons, and it was then that humans acquired their freedom after their slavery by the Winglies? And it was then that the Black Monster appeared.. I think it's really cool of Dart to see that him chasing after the Black Monster all this time has been selfish of him, and it caused him to nearly lose his hometown again, so now he wants to join alongside Lavitz to end this war before it creates more people like him who have lost their homes. No wonder why Hoax sounds familiar huh, that's where the current line of defence has been pushed to, and it's most likely where they'll use the dragon! HAHAHA, why does Albert have a slide that goes back to the entrance of the castle in his bed chambers?! Not complaining though because that was pretty fun and cool lmao. LOL at Shana saying she's Dart's girlfriend and not Lavitz's when the mum misunderstood, even Dart didn't know she was hahahaha. Lmao at Dart saying he can cook aka he can cook a large piece of meat hahaha, is that how he survived by himself for 5 years?! Even Lavitz was like forget it, leave the cooking to his mum and Shana loll. The answers are all so hilarious, imagining Dart trying to practise with his sword in Lavitz's house is so cute loll, he'll destroy the place. It was even more funny when you choose the option to take a nap because Dart says every young lady knows that lack of sleep is bad for your skin, and Lavitz is just speechless at it hahahaha. Looking around the house, it honestly feels kinda lonely that Lavitz's mum lives in this big house by herself considering Lavitz is away most of the time. I've always enjoyed the rooftop scene, you get to see a nice view of Indels Castle and you can see that Lavitz's passion towards protecting his country stems from watching his father, but it's become his dream now too. This is similar to Dart, where his passion lies in protecting Shana because he's the only one that can do that right now, he might still consider her a baby sister for now, but we'll see how it all goes! I think it's really cute how in the end, Lavitz ended up spending the night and even took his mum's handmade jerky haha, he's a soft boy at heart. I mean, the country and the war is important, but who knows how many times he can bond with his mother, so I'm glad he decided to spend some proper time with her instead of just lunch. I find it funny how you can jump from Lavitz's house's rooftop to the stables hahaha, imagine doing that in real life!

Lmaoo at Dart, Lavitz and even Kaiser (the Eighth Knighthood leader taking care of Hoax) saying that as long as Shana's food is edible, it's good enough🤣 To be fair, when you're a knight or a wanderer like Dart, I doubt you'll have much complaints about food haha. Omgg so King Doel is actually Albert's uncle?! Since Doel is apparently Carlo/Albert's father's brother! I wonder why their relationship soured, was it because Doel wanted to be king instead? Lmao at the midwife asking if they came to talk to her because Dart and Shana wanted babies hahahaha. War is always a saddening thing though. When I think about the soldiers such as the one holding the amulet from his daughter believing that he can go back home to her, the people fortifying their houses to protect against the raid and everything, it's just so saddening to see these soldiers fall by enemy arrows and everything... Man, the fight against Kongol is so unforgiving lol! If you fail your addition, he counterattacks you! I missed it once and was like whoa! Otherwise, I always love Rose swooping down in her dragoon form and saving Dart from Kongol~ hmm, so the Dragoon Spirit (the stone Dart's father left behind) means that you "deserve" to rule Dragons and for him, it's the Red-Eye Dragon? Nice that it's clarified that Dragoons were the ones who led humans to victory in the Dragon campaign, the pictures just kinda showed humans riding on dragons so I wasn't sure haha. It was so cute how Dart piggy backed Shana and told her that even if she may not be as strong as Rose, she's good for other stuff and doesn't need to compare herself. Oooh so Winglies used Virages in the Dragon Campaign, this one was pretty weak though! Greham's story is a pretty common one, but I always find it terrible, mainly because people like him driven by jealousy and power in order to get stronger than their best friend that they essentially admire, but then kill them in that quest is just..sad. People like Lavitz's father Servi trusted him, but in the end because of their desire to be stronger, they sacrifice their friend and end up pretty much regretting it in their death. I'm not sure if Emperor Diaz from the Dragon Campaign is alive or whatever as he says, but it's nice that Greham ended up leading Lavitz to inherit the Jade Dragoon Spirit.

I remember Lohan! It's such a crazy city because of how huge it is, yet all the houses and stores are so tiny and in like a maze lol! No idea how Dabas (the antique seller that tells us we can get Dragoni plant to save Shana from dragon poison north of the nest or something) affords his gigantic store lol. Lmaoo at the man staring across the street at a lady thinking she's interested in him, but she's actually just staring at him because he reminds her of her dog hahahah. I love the rollercoaster kinda ride you do at Shirley's Shrine to get the numbers to go to the boss lol, it's pretty fun hahaha. I thought Drake the bandit was aiming for treasure here, but it seems that he was protecting Shirley all along! I feel bad that Shirley's gone now, but I guess this is how it should be, and at least the White Silver Dragoon Spirit is in good hands and will only be used to heal people. It's kinda cute how apparently Haschel and Dart journeyed together before! Now they've reunited in the Hero Competition! Anyway, I've always loved this tournament part because it's really cool to see how Dart himself fares against others without the party. On another note, I'm not sure why I love Lloyd since I've kinda forgotten his character, but to this day, I love the name Lloyd enough that if it wasn't weird, I would totally call my future kid Lloyd, and it's probably the only reason I would prefer a boy than a girl LOL. I think I always found it really cool how overwhelmingly strong he was compared to Dart probably. Lmao at Lavitz trying to drag Rose away so Dart could play games around the arena with Shana alone, but she punches him instead hahahha. Okay lmao, totally cannot do that obstacle course lolll. I'd rather do what's wrong with the room one, it's so easy after you do it a few times hahah, also helps if you cheat by taking a photo with your phone LOL. But otherwise, it's the same scene every time so it's pretty easy. The pink bird in the hat moving around is too hard with the pixels merging together imo lol! And the monkeys throwing balls at Dart is pretty hilarious hahahah.

Although I can understand why Dart is so adamant on continuing his journey looking for the Black Monster after the war, Lavitz is kinda right that maybe he should focus on the present instead of chasing after the past, otherwise he's going to lose his chance at happiness with Shana. Omgg, Albert offering up himself at Hellena Prison to protect the people of Bale from Imperial Sandora?? This is when Lavitz dies...isn't it?😭 Well, I obviously didn't farm enough to get Flower Storm for Lavitz and I honestly cbb, but I did Google to see it, and apparently when Lavitz does it, he says Rose Storm (because he likes roses the most apparently) and Albert says Blossom Storm because his favourite is cherry blossoms! The even cooler thing is that this is changed in their Dragoon forms! Lavitz's second magic skill is called Blossom Storm with cherry blossoms all around, and Albert's is Rose Storm so they kinda swap around in Dragoon form to show their love and camaraderie with each other, it's so cool! Honestly though, I nearly cried when Lavitz died. I feel like when I was a kid, I never really saw how cool, loyal and kind Lavitz was because the Additions were too fascinating lol, so now seeing how friendly he was, how considerate he was towards Shana's feelings for Dart, how he gave advice to Dart on what he should cherish most, and how we was always willing to give his life to his king and his country, it really broke my heart to see him die like that. Especially in Lloyd's hands, someone who we thought was an admirable swordsman turned out to be the guy who would kill Lavitz when they actually fought against each other. I'm not sure what kinda sword he has but it seemed really beam-y lol. And what is the Moon Gem that he needed from Albert's body? I think the pain really hit me when Lavitz entrusted everything to Dart, and then the Jade Dragoon Spirit flew out of him😭😭 Ohh, the reason why Lloyd could so easily pierce through Lavitz's Dragoon armour was because his sword was the Dragon Buster, a weapon from the old world made to kill Dragons! It's really nice of Haschel to have come along with them btw, especially since he's on a journey to find his daughter. Although I guess it's not much of a deterrence considering he's been looking for 20 years, but still. I guess he'll find her along the way... Hopefully. So, the Moon Gem was one of the magical artifacts scattered across the world made from the Winglies after their defeat, but only they can use them? It's been hidden in each crown heir every generation in fear of the powers of destruction it could bring when put in the wrong hands hmm, I'm kinda amazed they found a way to put it in the body like that though. I guess now that Albert's kingdom is "gone", he's got a reason to go along with us to end this war with the few people and Dragoons he has. I mean, if the Dragoons ended the Dragon Campaign, I'm sure they're better than an army anyway lol. It's kinda nice that the one who taught Albert his lance skills was Lavitz himself, so it's understandable that he would use the same moves. Anyway, onwards to the Black Castle where Emperor Doel resides! Straight to the end of the war hopefully!

Lmao at the guy registering to be a mercenary with Imperial Sandora trying to revoke it after his friend told him about the Dragon being defeated and Hellena Prison having fallen. Wow, I restarted because I accidentally sold something but omg when you say you want to register, the guy taking registrations advises you to not and even gives you money if you have money problems because he doesn't want you to risk your life! He's so nice... Aww the people at the inn! When the lady begged for us to stay and treat it like charity, I felt like I couldn't be stingy lol, it's only 20G anyway. LOL at the guy trying to con people for their money by claiming he killed Feyrbrand (Jade Dragon) and then he gets arrested hahahah. The variety of researchers in the Black Castle are hilarious, especially Mr Magi who turned himself into "Cerberus" but really turned into a dog lol. But the research of Dragons and magic? This sounds suspicious and bad... The battle against Kongol was so annoying! His skills take so long lol! Defeating Doel felt like...bringing someone back to their sanity? I wonder why he had to kill Albert's father back then, was it really just to be king? Anyway, it's not nice to be happy about someone's death, but honestly, with Emperor Doel's death, the 20 year war finally ends... But our journey has not, because as Dart said, this journey began because people captured Shana, and after that too many things have happened to just go home and live peacefully, we need to see what Lloyd wants and whether Emperor Diaz really is alive.

Anyway, that's the end of chapter 1! Kinda crazy that it was only one chapter tbh, I felt like I finished a story but really, it's just the beginning. So many things happened... Especially Lavitz's death. Anyway, I'm hyped to continue the journey! Btw the battle against Emperor Doel was pretty hard, he deals so much damage lol! But then again, I'm always cheap with my healing potions hahaha. Didn't think he'd be a Dragoon though, but I guess it was to be expected lol. Yay for everyone having a Dragoon Spirit now though lol. Honestly though, I really enjoy the variety of battles and how engaging the story and characters are. I really like how there are battles that are more as a symbolism than an actual battle such as Shirley’s where you’re supposed to give her the correct answers rather than defeating her, I think it really makes you think about everyone’s motivations and how they deal with it all in order to continue on their path. I just love it. The towns are also so different and fun! Like, Lohan is just a bumble of shops and everything, gotta love the guy that shouts at you for running around the rooftop lol, and Bale is just so Albert and Lavitz centred that it has such a warm feeling when you’re there. Tournaments are always my thing, so I’m glad this game has it too haha~ I can’t wait to see the rest!

#the legend of dragoon #legend of dragoon

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shewhowantsmouseears · 5 years

Text

The Little Peach, Chapter 11

Notes: As always, big thanks to my amazing editor, Drucilla!

Used an old storybit in here, I used to be so much funnier.

Summary: Pete and Panchito put a plan into action to help Mickey achieve his dreams, with Mickey himself finding some extra dreams along the way.

Precisely one day after Pete invited Panchito into his unique plan, Marsupilami was more than tempted to ditch his “newfound resolve”, but an equal balance of guilt-slinging and threats from Maurice convinced him otherwise. He was placed on “patrol” - walking all around the capitol to make sure everything was peaceful and taking out any danger. But in a city that was continuously peaceful, it really felt more like he was just stretching his legs. It would have been easy to merely walk and do nothing, as Marsupilami and Maurice had done most of their lives – grabbing what they could to eat, sleeping wherever a flat surface could be found, and moving on, moving on, moving on – but they were here to repay a debt to Mickey. That meant making an effort, although to what end Marsupilami wasn't sure.

Opportunity came accidentally knocking when he bumped shoulders with a passing villager, who politely excused himself, and then almost jumped out of his socks to see the lumbering Maurice at his side. “Don't mind him,” Marsupilami tried to calm the startled villager. “He looks like a mook, but he's more of a kook. We're the newest guards, sent from the royal palace!”

“Oh, so you are,” said the young man, a dark-haired horse who tried to awkwardly laugh to make up for his fright. “With that armor, what else could you be? We just don't see types like your friend around these parts...save for Pete, that is.”

How easy would it have been to say “Okay, goodbye” and resume laziness? Marsupilami wanted nothing more than to follow that instinct, but he surprised himself by staying put. “Actually,” he began, fingers fumbling as he tried to articulate something that had been bugging him for sometime. “You mind if I ask you about the great Sir Pete?”

“Not at all, go ahead.” The man replied, sticking his hands in his pockets, lightly chewing on a long piece of straw. “Name's Horace. I've been here all my life, I can tell you anything about anyone. I make it my business to stick my long face into everyone else's business. What do you want to know?”

“When we first started this gig, we heard he got accepted right after defeating a bunch of Oni at the front gate of the capital. Did anyone else besides Jose and Goofy see what happened?”

“Nope, it was just them two. But he was let in right after – oh, the whole capital was hootin' and hollerin' like it was New Year's Eve! He walked on in all mysterious like, covered in head-to-toe with a big ol' robe, you couldn't even see his face or his head! According to the guards, he beat back the Oni with his bare hands! Can you believe it, one ordinary man against five super-strong Oni?”

Oh, it sounded unbelievable all right. “Huh... and Pete's been on the job since? Is that why he came here in the first place?”

“Yes siree, it was like he was sent from the gods above! He said he came here to guard the Princess and the Lucky Hammer, and he wouldn't take no for an answer! Not that her highness was gunna tell someone like him no. He's been a loyal man to her ever since! Why, no one's ever seen him take off his armor! Not even when he sleeps!”

Marsupilami scratched his head, nudging his helmet a little – the darn thing was rather uncomfortable, so he couldn't imagine sleeping with it on. Maybe Pete's had gotten stuck that way, but given how much Pete loved to complain about this and that, surely they would've heard about it already. “What a guy...I'll let you go after one more question. Where is he from, anyhow?”

At that, Horace paused, searching his mind for anything he might've missed, and came up empty. “Huh...well. Here I am bragging about knowing everything about anyone, and I got nothin' for you. Pete's never talked about his past, not once. Anytime someone's asked, he's always got the same answer – 'mind your own business'. After a while people just decided to be grateful he was around and quit askin'. I'm sure he'll tell us all when he's good and ready.” He offered another shrug. “I got my own question now... why are you so curious about Sir Pete?”

The lie came without much thought. “Why, he's a great man I admire with all my heart, and I hope to be like him someday!” Funny how doing something that would help someone required great effort, but telling a falsehood was as easy as taking a nap. Motivation was still a new concept to Marsupilami, but he decided it wasn't as scary as he first thought. “If you'll excuse us, we should return to duty.” He and Maurice bowed politely, and walked on. Maurice cocked his head at his partner, clearly curious about the entire exchange.

“Something's not adding up,” Marsupilami answered, tapping his chin with both his finger and his tail. “If we want to help out Mickey, we need to figure out who we can really trust here, and if you ask me, Pete's not one of 'em. I got my hunches...maybe we're not cut out to be guards, but what's say you and me become detectives for a little while?” It would require more work – how dreadful! - but knowing it would help out the man who saved himself and Maurice made it bearable. Was this what it felt like, doing a hard day's work? How... new! And exciting! Maurice appeared to agree, given his grin and enthusiastic double thumbs up.

“I didn't expect any less from you, big guy. Next on our route... No one's seen any Oni around these parts for some time, but I need to learn all I can about them. And I might have an idea...but until we come across real clues, we don't tell Mickey, right?” Maurice nodded, miming a zipper motion across his mouth. “Good. Little guy's got enough on his plate already. We'll let him know what we know when we actually know something, y'know?” With the silent agreement in place, Marsupilami and Maurice headed further into the village, with an extra kick in their step. Maybe if this actually worked out for Mickey, they could give the whole “effort” thing a permanent part of their lives!

“C'mon, Maurice! The best ones to know Oni are the ones who used to fight 'em...we gotta find some retired samurai!”

~*~

As day was beginning to wear itself out and night was starting to welcome itself in, Mickey headed to the shared bedroom, ready to once again make a pretend effort to fall asleep before starting his search for the Lucky Hammer. He still hadn't found any clues, but ever since that late night chat with the Princess, it wasn't as depressing a thought as it was before – mostly because Minnie kept taking up his thoughts as if she owned the place. He often wondered what she was doing, if she was feeling better about her identity, and if he could get away with another secret talk with her. Since finding the Lucky Hammer could take years, maybe there could be years of talking with her as well. What a lovely thought.

But as soon as he entered the room, he found himself leaving it – via Pluto picking him up by the collar of his shirt. “H-Hey! Pluto! What are you doing?!”

Pluto walked out of the room and headed down the hallway, ignoring Mickey's flailing and protests. He only stopped when he spotted Pete, siting down on his hindquarters. “Good job, mutt!” Pete clapped laughed loudly before opening his hands up to take Mickey. “We needed you right away, kiddo!”

Mickey tried to wipe off the hints of dog slobber on his sleeves. “This had better be important!” he then stopped, and looked up. “Wait... Sir Pete? What're you doing here? Am I in trouble?”

“Trouble? Why would you think you were in any kind of trouble?”

How could Mickey reply without possibly getting into further trouble? “Well, sir, whenever you talk to me, it's either to give me an order, or yell at me, or yell orders at me.”

“That was then, and this is now, and now is a time for a golden opportunity!” Pete rushed through Mickey's words, trying to cut him off at the pass. “I've been watching you, boy, and your story really speaks to me! Why, when I realized you wanted the Lucky Hammer to be a normal size...” He sniffled, wiping away a tear that wasn't there. “It just about broke my heart!”

“You...didn't realize that was my goal the first time we met?” This was going to be an odd night all around, Mickey could tell.

Pete paused, and then cleared his throat. “Sometimes the heart takes a while to hear things before the ears do. Listen, the important thing is, I'm going to help you get the Lucky Hammer.”

Mickey wanted to be happy about this cooperation, he really did, but... “I appreciate that, sir, I truly do! But you don't know where it is either, right? And the only one Minnie – I mean, the Princess can talk to about the location is her husband. You were there when Goofy told us!”

“Don't go tellin' me things I already know!” Pete roared so loudly he nearly knocked Mickey out of his hands – he then stopped, and then cleared his throat again, this time straightening his back as much as his shapely body would allow. “I, uh, don't like dwellin' on the past, is all. What we need to focus on is your future! If you do what I say, then I can guarantee the Lucky Hammer will be yours.” In fact, Mickey's casual admittance of the Princess' name had sealed the deal for him.

Mickey tapped his foot, thinking this over. “Hmmm...well, gee...I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.” Even if the horse had bad breath. Besides, it had to be better than sneaking around and trying to steal it – almost any plan had to be better than that! So without giving it any further thought, he allowed himself to be both hopeful and confident. “Okay, Sir Pete, I'm in! How do we start off?”

“I got our pal Panchito gettin' part one of the plan into action as we speak.” Pete replied as he began to walk with Mickey and Pluto tagging along. “Part two is all on you. You just need to go into the gardens, and follow your instincts.”

Mickey blinked, amazed at how quickly things had become confusing. “Huh? What am I supposed to do?”

“If I told you, they wouldn't be instincts, you dummy!” Pete snapped, fingers clutching in a visible effort not to squeeze Mickey like a stress toy. “Just...do what I say, and we'll all be happy! Now stay out in the gardens and don't come back until you get the answers!”

Mickey didn't bother to ask any more questions, mostly because he didn't want Pete to change his mind and swat him like a fly. Maybe if he tried thinking about this more positively. Sir Pete was older than him, therefore wiser, therefore he must know what he was doing. “If you say so...” He wondered what Panchito was doing, and tried to be confident about that as well – Mickey wasn't entirely sure about Pete's intentions, but he fully believed that Panchito was there to help Mickey out, so if Panchito was willing to work with Pete, all was well! What sort of brilliant plan had they come up with?

~*~

Once Panchito had been told about the plan, he jumped in with both feet, excited about the idea and having his own spin on it. Pete had merely nodded along in an effort to make it go faster, and now Panchito was hiding around the corner to the bedroom of the Princess, ready to put everything into action. He waited until he was sure Clarabelle had left, then began to inch towards the doorway. The plan would work, and Mickey would get the Lucky Hammer, and then Jose would be so impressed by Panchito's part of the plan he'd be completely devoted to being Panchito's sensei!

That part was... a little cloudy on Panchito's end, since he wasn't sure how it would impress Jose at all, but Pete had insisted it would. When Panchito questioned it, he got the same response as Mickey did – to just shut up and do as he was told. Okay then!

At the door, Panchito cleared his throat and then knocked shove-and-a-haircut, two bits. “Your Royal Highness, pardon the intrusion!”

Through the paper door he could make the faint shadow of Minnie lifting her head quizzically, before shuffling over to the door and opening it, blinking slowly before turning into the rigid, cold Princess she was supposed to be. “Sir Panchito. What has happened? Is it an emergency?”

“Not a matter of life and death, no, but a matter of heart and mind!” Panchito struck a fist to his chest. “Mickey wishes to speak to you in private!”

“Mickey wants to speak to me in private?” Minnie had repeated the request, confused, accidentally slipping back into her casual speech. “What do you mean? He can talk to me anytime he wants. He's a dear friend – that is, you all are.” She was quick to catch herself, and then tried to straighten out her entire body, trying to look as authoritative as possible – as much as one could when wearing adorable diminutive nightwear. It was even pink and frilly. “No, no, good lady, this is a very private talk he wants to have.” Panchito lowered his voice to a whisper, hoping to make her understand quickly before he was caught. “Mickey has some special things he wishes to tell you.” He wiggled his eyebrows, emphasizing each word by pressing his fingers together. She'd yet to wash off the layers of make-up on her face, yet it was easy to tell the difference between the blush that was from powder, and the blush that came naturally. Minnie reddened and reddened more with every passing second. “Oh, my.” She finally said, eyes cast down demurely. “W-well...I suppose it would be rude to deny him such a request.” It was almost hard to hear her faint mumble, the cold front abandoned entirely. All of a sudden it didn't seem that important. “Very good!” Panchito clapped his hands together. “He'll be waiting for you in the gardens! Don't keep him waiting!” Although he doubted she would, judging by that shy yet eager smile on her dainty lips. With part one completed, Panchito suddenly raced off to complete his next step.

~*~

And so Mickey went to the gardens, although he wondered why Pete had said “follow your instincts” as if he was going to run away at the last minute. He did his best to dismiss all his worries, and walked into the tall grass. Mickey wasn't sure where exactly he was supposed to meet Minnie, as the simple garden for her was an entire landscape for him, but as he walked deeper in he found a familiar clearing – the same spot where he first met Princess Minnie. But now it was covered in a thick, silk blanket, a golden candle-holder in the middle holding up two flickering red candles. Petals of various colors had been strewn about. Mickey was immediately suspicious. “Oh my goodness. Did you do all this?” came the sweet voice of the princess, who was now walking into sight. Instead of washing off her make-up and undoing her hair as she was supposed to before going to bed, she'd added on even more touches to her face and her hair was tied up in even more elegant curls. It was as if instead of donning the look a princess should have, she'd gone the extra mile to make sure she was looking as beautiful as she could make herself. She'd made an effort – which made Mickey's heart jump into his throat, until he realized what it was she'd asked. “Uh,” Mickey struggled in his throat, looking around. “I guess? In a way?” This had to be Panchito's doing, but what the rooster was doing, Mickey couldn't guess. “It's lovely,” Minnie smiled, sitting down on her knees and smoothing down her flowing robes, this one white with a pattern of red roses stitched on, creating the illusion that the petals were fluttering with every move she made. “I hope you didn't go to too much trouble.” “It wasn't any trouble at all.” Literally. What was he getting into? “That's, uh, that's a nice kimono you got on. Ain't seen it before.” “It's for special occasions,” Minnie replied, her eyes timidly turning away for a moment, hiding her lips behind her sleeve. Mickey's mind reeled - special occasion? Why was this a special occasion? Weren't they just there to talk? “I...I was told you have some special things you wanted to tell me.” “Uhhh...?” Mickey stretched the word out as long as he could, trying to decipher whatever was being presented to him. As his eyes bounced all over, he noticed a rustling in a nearby cherry blossom tree. At first, worry seized his body, and he made a motion to grab the needle of a sword on his belt – was it one of the Oni King's minions? Nope – it was Panchito, who now hung upside down from one the branches, holding up a long piece of paper with hastily written words. Say “You're so beautiful!” Mickey blinked rapidly in honest confusion. “You're...so beautiful?” He said out loud, and it took him half a second to realize what he'd actually said and who he'd actually said it to. Minnie giggled, oblivious to what was happening in the tree or the panic flowing through Mickey's head. “You're always so sweet, Mickey. I've had so many people give me compliments, but it's... just different coming from you. Like you see me as Minnie, and not just the princess.” “Oh. Well. Um.” Mickey fumbled, trying not to watch Panchito write something else on a new layer of paper. “I think we'd be friends even if you weren't the princess. You've always been real nice to me.” Okay, so they were complimenting each other. It was nice, but how was this going to get the Lucky Hammer? Minnie wasn't going to reveal its location over idle flattery. … Right? “I feel the same way!” Minnie chirped, her enthusiasm growing while she lost some of her proper royal demeanor. “Size, titles, none of it matters. The friendship we have is so much stronger than that. You always know how to cheer me up, and make me feel like a real person.” Did he really have such an influence over her? Mickey momentarily pushed aside the thoughts of the hammer, more than happy to indulge in this time of sweetness. “I only give as good as I get, Minnie! You make me feel ten feet tall! Everyone else always takes pity on me or tries to do things they think I can't do. But you let me try stuff. You let me...” Panchito was finished writing. “Um... You let me...” Minnie waited patiently for him to finish the sentence, but Panchito had gone on a different tangent. Say “I want to be with you!” Be with her? But he was with her already, they were right there, talking and - And then the entire idea of the plan hit Mickey with the force of an exploding mountain. THIS was the plan to get the hammer?! He was supposed to – supposed to – seduce the princess?! Was Panchito out of his mind?! “Mickey?” Minnie asked gently, lowering her head slightly to get a better look at her companion. “Is everything all right?” The revelation of Panchito's plan had caused Mickey's entire face to go as red as the roses on Minnie's kimono, and his tiny body trembled with great force. “No!” Mickey shouted, intending to tell Panchito before correcting himself. “I mean, yes! I mean, that is, uh, I, um...” He wanted to make plans to kill the rooster in his sleep, but this matter had to be resolved first. “I don't know what I was thinking.” He struggled to make his voice stern, hoping that he'd make himself clear to Panchito, who was now pointing at the same words over and over in an attempt to make Mickey say them. “I must have been thinking something crazy. I must have hit my head. I was thinking about things that would never, ever happen in a million years.” He finished with a curt glare to Panchito. The rooster stuck his tongue out. Minnie's body sunk with every negative thought, oblivious to the plan being made and defied all around her. Had Mickey been paying better attention, he might have picked up that Minnie thought of him just as fondly as he thought of her – perhaps even more. It was why Panchito had been so confident of the entire idea in the first place – he'd noticed the wistful gazes Minnie had whenever she looked upon Mickey, the sheer delight in her voice whenever she spoke of him, and the daily excuses she thought up so she could spend more time at his side. Clearly Pete had noticed it too, since he'd help come up with this scheme. But being a princess, and a lady, it was only appropriate for the man to make the first move, so to speak. Which wasn't all that helpful when the man in question had a mixture of self-loathing and obliviousness. So in this moment when Minnie believed Mickey was giving up on telling her how he truly felt about her – which was what she had desperately hoped was the special thing he wanted to say – her heart felt as it'd begun to rip in two. Yet one of the things that had won Mickey over was that she didn't take things lying down. She did want to find out who she was, the real her, so she pushed away the thoughts of being a Princess and indulged in the thoughts of being Minnie. “I want to hear it!” “Huh?” Mickey had been so caught up in telling Panchito off he'd forgotten Minnie was even part of this. “Hear what?” “I want to hear what you were thinking.” Minnie placed her palms on the ground, lowering her head as much as her body was able. “I promise you, I'll listen to everything you have to say. You can trust me! Can't you?” “O-Of course I can trust you!” Mickey stuttered, but to his relief Panchito appeared to have given up on that one train of thought, as he'd tossed the paper aside and was writing something else. “Minnie, I'd trust you with anythin'! But, well, there's just...somethin' weird goin' on, and...” Panchito was finished. Maybe, Mickey prayed, this was something far more reasonable. Say “I love you!” Panchito was a dead man. “...and some people have rocks for brains.” “Mickey, please don't say that about yourself!” Minnie cupped her hands, which was the usual signal that meant Mickey was allowed to walk onto them. “I wasn't.” Mickey muttered under his breath, seeing Panchito now writing something else. “You're not dumb at all!” Minnie insisted, lifting Mickey up so they were closer together. “You've always been very clever! You always find your own way to fix things! I'd say you're smarter than every man in Japan put together!” Mickey would have been immensely flattered by such words, but Panchito kept distracting him. Now the rooster was flinging several papers in a row, each suggestion worse than the last. Mickey could only hope his eyes were getting the message across. Say “I wish I could take you into my arms!” No! Say “I wish I could kiss your lips!” NO! Say “I wish I could be at your side forever!” PANCHITO PISTOLES FOR THE LOVE OF - “I wish you could be at my side forever.” “I AIN'T SAYIN' – what?” Hold on a second, that last one had been said out loud. Mickey abruptly paused, looking back at Minnie's face. His ears were big for his body, little for anyone else's, but they worked very well. He was certain she'd said something. “You...you can stay here forever, with me,” Minnie was saying, her voice now as soft as the evening wind, one of the ribbons coming undone in her hair. She wished she could hide as she said this, but if Mickey wasn't going to make any moves, then it was up to her, no matter how embarrassing it got. “I know your size makes you so unhappy...but I'll do all in my power, every single day, to make you happy. I'll make up for all the happiness you ever deserved in life, and for the rest of our lives. If you'd allow me...I want to take care of you.” She closed her eyes, as if worn out by expressing her deepest desires. Mickey was tempted to pinch his arm to see if this was a dream, but he convinced himself that if this was a dream, Panchito wouldn't have been it, especially not obnoxiously giving two thumbs up. Mickey's heart pounded in his chest, a hard drumming that he would've believed the entire kingdom could hear. There was no way Panchito's ridiculous idea had worked – so, somehow, someway, he must have stolen her heart before this night happened. How he did it, Mickey couldn't fathom or guess. Around Minnie he was simply Mickey – nothing more and nothing less. And to be honest, he hadn't a clue about his future. He had refused to go home until he was of normal size, and if he wouldn't ever be normal sized, then where was he to go until the end of his days? A lump formed in Mickey's throat. He missed his parents deeply – but he also cared for Minnie deeply. The offer was more than tempting. He couldn't possibly give her what she deserved, yet she didn't care. It was a strange sort of happy mindboggling. If he had nothing to lose anymore, then, well, why not? “I like you,” Mickey blurted out, and regretted it only because of how childish it sounded. One didn't answer a potential confession with “like”. It was just the first words that popped into his head and had the power to leave his mouth. “I like you a lot.” As if that was any better! Then again, it wasn't as if he'd ever practiced or rehearsed for such a moment, since said moment had always bordered on the impossible in his mind. “You don't really...have to worry about all that happiness stuff. I'm happy enough when we're...together, y'know? Just being around you makes everything all better. So, you just be you, and I'll just be me. Like we've always done.” It wasn't a wholly definitive answer, but they were both still young, and Minnie accepted he would need time to think it over. For now, she was greatly pleased by what she had heard. She lifted her hands up and kissed Mickey atop his head – it couldn't be said if her lips had knocked him over, or if Mickey was so struck with lovesick stupor that he fell onto his back. Either way, Minnie giggled, and Panchito believed his plan to be a surefire success. Wanting to give the young ones some peace and quiet, he swung from tree to tree like a monkey until he hit a window, wanting to find Pete and tell him the good news.

It was because of this he missed the other good news.

“You know...” Minnie said slowly, coming to a decision that was weighing less heavily on her with every passing second. “My father said I could only give the location of the Lucky Hammer to my husband.”

“A-huh.” Mickey wasn't paying that much attention, still gobsmacked in all the best ways over what just happened.

“So, in a way... you might be my husband some day!”

“A-huh.” His brain still wasn't firing off any synapses.

“Which means I could tell you where the Lucky Hammer is, and then if we ever get married, you can use it all you like!”

The usual “third time is the charm” gag didn't work this time, as Mickey popped back into reality with those words, sitting up so fast his tail smacked his back. “What?! Really?! You can tell me?”

“Being a good Princess means finding a solution when all hope is lost,” Minnie replied, smiling with a hint of pride. “And I know you won't tell anyone else. So as far as I'm concerned, it's as if I've never said it at all.” Satisfied with this loophole, she glanced around to make sure they were alone, and then leaned in to whisper into Mickey's big-little ear.

Mickey leaned in as best he could – for a good moment he thought she might kiss him again, and that thought nearly blocked out what she was actually saying – and when he heard the secret, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “There? It's hidden there? Why would...” But even as he said it, he knew the answer. No one would dare enter that place, or at the very least not without the Princess being there. It was perfect, and Mickey knew in that moment he'd never get near the Lucky Hammer – while he'd been worried about his morals dying a pitiful death, there was enough conviction left in him to know that was absolutely forbidden place. Why, it was safer than a vault with locks – this location was safeguarded by morals and decency!

“Well...it's a good spot.” Mickey concluded, and while he was disappointed that the Lucky Hammer was once again so close and yet so far, he was also relieved he'd no longer have to sneak around like some petty thief. Now he could live out his days and wait until...

…Suddenly he realized what he'd just agreed to.

“Once the Oni King is defeated,” Minnie continued, oblivious to Mickey's mind utterly collapsing, “I'm sure we'll both be ready to give marriage real thought! Won't that be nice? And by then, I'll be the sort of person that can be both a Princess, and myself. I'm sure of it.”

Mickey looked away, his cheeks apple red, but he found he didn't have the words to deny her – perhaps because a part of him didn't want to. “R-Right, of course. Might take a while... but, uh, I'm willin' to wait. We should probably get to know one another better and all that.” Perhaps when he next saw his father, not only would he be average-sized, but a husband, and the Princess' husband! Wouldn't that make him Emperor someday? If that didn't make his father proud, nothing would! Sure, it would be a lot of responsibility, but maybe defeating the Oni King would take years and years. By then, Mickey would know what it was like to be a good ruler – what a leap, to be a samurai without a master to co-ruler of all Japan! He began to smile without thinking about it.

“I can only imagine liking you more, the more I get to know you.” Minnie nodded with her own charming smile to match. “Like how I know you won't tell a soul what I told you. It'll be our secret, okay?”

Mickey placed a hand on his chest and bowed deeply. “Of course, Minnie. I promise, as your faithful guard and as a member of the Duck clan, I will never tell anyone where the Lucky Hammer is.” A promise made by a samurai – the second, he remembered, the first being the one he made to his father. He'd keep them both, and at long last, the guilt and worry he'd been carrying on his shoulders began to fall away. All was well, and he was truly happy.

The peach-sized man and the not-so-cold Princess talked for a long time in the gardens, honestly believing all their troubles were now far away and could be easily dealt with.

They were wrong, of course, but how were they to know?

#disney #fanfic #the little peach #mickey mouse #minnie mouse #panchito pistoles

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thebrochtuarachs · 6 years

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Tales of the Silver Ring: Chapter 1

Hello people! Another day, another OL fanfic coming your way! A/N: Hello! First of all, I want to say a huge thank you for taking the time to read this! I truly appreciate it! Second, this idea has been in my prompt list for a while. I've always admired Claire's ring from the books and TV (I have one and I always wear it!) and think that it's just a beautiful piece of jewelry that people are just naturally intrigued and drawn to. So unique and special that people will ask her about it and always wondered how she would explain herself in those situations (Gosh, I am not good at summaries). Also, currently using book! ring for this series. Anyways, if you have a character in mind, feel free to send it in. As always, comments and suggestions for writing improvement are always welcome!

Tales of the Silver Ring | A series of one-shots as Claire tries to tell the story of her silver wedding ring to the people in her life.

Chapter 1: Joe

“It feels so good to be out of the house and out of the school!” Claire exclaimed as she and Joe entered the bar for some little night cap and celebratory liquor.

Their class just finished their last exam to culminate the first year of their medical school training and they all agreed to head out to their favorite class bar, Benny’s, to celebrate surviving it.

Benny’s was a brain child of one of their classmates, so they were patrons and regulars to the place. Benny’s was unlike your traditional bar. Instead of dark interiors and over-bearing leather seats, the walls were painted a faint sky blue and worn-off couches surround the space to allow for a more comfortable sitting and conversation experience. It was unlike the common brownstone Boston landscape and that’s the most they loved about it. A nice break from the gloomy walls of classrooms and homes. If you were not a local, one would’ve thought it to be a café until you see that the menu doesn’t offer much food. Due to their class size, they occupied most of the space and their friend decided to close the bar just for this evening’s celebration.

Some of their classmates were already there and they greeted each other as they passed by each one.

“Ah, Claire and Joe!” Dean, the barkeep of Benny’s, who started working there the same time they started medical school. He has made it a point to get to know the regulars and their drinks. “Your usual?”

“Yes” Joe said.

“Make mine a double” Claire chimed after with a sly smile to Joe. “You’re paying the first round, gotta make it count”

They settled on a couch, talking endlessly about the answers from their last exam when Dean appeared with their drinks. Whiskey for Claire and a Beer for Joe. “Heard about your test today and from the looks of all of you here, it must’ve been pretty brutal”, Dean said as he set their drinks down. Joe and Claire can only grunt and laugh in agreement.

Claire grabbed her drink and took a sizable gulp and sighed as stress left her body. “I didn’t think I needed that but turns out I did” she said. “Thank you, Joe, this is a nice break”. As if on cue, Claire downed the rest of the glass in one gulp, not two minutes just as Dean placed it there.

“Slow down, LJ. You don’t want to leave the party too early” Joe joked as he sipped his beer.

“Don’t worry about it, Joe. I’ve had stronger liquors and this,” she motioned to her glass. “…is nothing.” Claire scoffed, remembering Colum’s Rhenish wine that she could pretty much hold even three drinks after.

The sudden appearance of the memory two centuries back surprised Claire and immediately brought her to a somber mood. She did not expect the moment to hit her as much as it did but it did, it always did and always will. What Claire realized when she came back and tried to make a life again is that It doesn’t matter how long it has been since she’s back 20th century - a part of her life will always be in the behind the stones, no matter how hard she tried to shake it off or forget it.

Joe must’ve felt the slight shift in her mood and quickly brought her out her funk. He motioned for Dean to refill Claire’s glass which was topped in no time.

“So, LJ, would you happen to have plans, say next week?” Joe asked, changing the topic to something regular and normal.

Claire appreciatively smiled at Joe. “Not at the moment. Why?” she took another sip of her whiskey.

“I was thinking of inviting you and the family over our house for dinner sometime. Gayle has been meaning to see you, you know, catch up with your girl talk and all. Bring Brianna along, I miss that little miss.” Joe said.

“Girl talk, really, Joe?” Claire laughed.

“Well, I always see you two in the corner, talking and laughing about something and when I come over, it all stops with a somewhat knowing look from the both of you. It’s like being high school all over again.” Joe reasoned with a small hint of embarrassment over his observation. “I always ask her what you guys were talking about but she never budges.”

Claire smiled at the thought. Though there are friends who just know their significant others by name, Gayle and Claire have actually gotten close on their own in the year that they’ve known each other. They were introduced by Joe in the first week of their classes and since then, they have taken to each other’s company from doing grocery shopping together, going to lunch together, planning a birthday surprise for Joe, tips on motherhood, and many more instances in the year that grew their friendship apart from Joe.

“Of course, she won’t. It’s kind of a rule in our girls handbook” Claire explained with a knowing nod and took another sip. “ Wednesday at 7 sounds good to you?”

“Wednesday it is.”

With Claire’s mood back up and memories of the past put on the back burner once more, Joe proceeded in catching up with Claire on their kids, more on their schooling, the teachers they hated, teachers they liked, generic and petty topics that had them laughing for hours.

After sometime, a clinging of a glass grabbed everyone’s attention and one of their classmates proposed to his girlfriend. The girl said yes just as the grandfather clock in the corner of the bar chimed to indicate that it was already 9 in the evening – a perfect coincidence to a hopeless romantic such as Joe. Everyone clapped, cheered and gave their congratulations to the newly-engaged couple.

“What perfect timing was that clock! Did you notice that?” Joe excitedly shared to Claire as everyone went back to their own groups and conversations.

“Yes, I did. I think Bill planned this, I mean, to time it all perfectly. That was definitely not a coincidence” Claire explained with nonchalance she was sure Joe would bash her on.

“Oh, come on! Don’t ruin the romance with your logic” He waved his hand in humorous dismissal of her.

“That reminds me!” Joe turned to Claire once more. “I have a question I’ve been meaning to ask you for quite a while, I keep forgetting about it or to ask you about it…”

“Out with it, Joe” Claire straightened in her seat, always interested in his questions.

“I wanted to ask you about your rings” Joe said with eager anticipation on his face on the impending story behind it.

“My rings?” Claire quickly put her drink down and looked at the item in question. “What about them?” She instinctively drew her hands to cover one over the other, feeling a little nervous on how or what to answer him.

“I know the gold one is your wedding ring because they’re pretty common” Joe showing off his gold band. “But that silver ring on your right hand has always intrigued me” He said while pointing at said item. “I haven’t seen one like it before.”

“I, uhm,..” Claire stammered to remember her fabricated stories from before when asked about her past, tried to conjure any explanation or story she could fabricate but the whiskey was not helping in finding speed in her mental prowess.

Joe felt her flush, unsure why she was suddenly embarrassed by them. He thought it was a fairly simple question with a fairly simple answer but her face contorted a confused look he hasn’t seen before. “It’s fine if you don’t want to share, LJ. You don’t have to tell the story if you don’t want to” He said with a smile and in an appreciative tone, offering her an out.

“Sorry. I didn’t think many people notice it. Nobody usually asks me about it” she clarified hoping to not ruin the fun night they’re having. She looked at the ring in question, something she’s been wearing for the past decade or so. She decided that no harm can come in sharing a rather harmless story, right? Plus, it was a chance for her to be herself for a little while, be the part of her she never gets to talk about or share and tonight, in confidence with Joe, she decided to share it – at least, share the story as close to the truth as possible - and it excited her.

“It’s rather beautiful, isn’t it?” Claire began. “I have worn this ring for almost a decade now, have never it off since it’s been put there by someone I love and who loved me very much.”

Joe stayed silent, just listening even though his mind was running with a million questions. Those, he figured, can be asked later and not when Claire is opening a part of her he hasn’t seen before. There was a different light in her eyes, a different aura in her that seem more her, more authentic in some way, than how she usually is. He was incredibly enchanted by her change of demeanor that he did not dare interrupt her yet.

She held her right hand to Joe, who immediately put his beer down and took Claire’s ring to see it closer. “It’s a wide silver band, decorated in the highland interlace style, a small and delicate Jacobean thistle bloom carved in the center of each link” she said masterfully, pointing to each detail as if she were a tour guide at a museum.

“And you’re right, it’s one of a kind.” She continued. Only for me, she thought. “It’s from Scotland, made by Ewen the armorer from Castle Leoch in 1743.” She finished the telling the basic details allowing it to sink in between them.

“This is ring is more than 200 years old?!” Joe asked with much fascination as Claire nodded enthusiastically. “And you even know the history of it!” He returned to look at Claire’s hand again, now with closer inspection with the brand new information relayed. “That’s why I couldn’t find it anywhere! This is not just vintage, this is like a piece of history!”

“You were looking for it?” Claire’s eyebrows furrowed in question and amusement, the smile brought on by the moment still on her face.

Joe blushed embarrassingly at his revelation. “Uhm, yes. It’s beautiful, I thought I’d give something similar to Gayle for our anniversary. But I couldn’t find one ready-made or anything like it. Now I know why.” He added for measure to make sure that she knew he didn’t mean to steal her thunder or something. “I’m sorry, LJ. Didn’t mean to belittle or demean now that I know what it meant…”

“It’s alright, Joe. Think nothing of it.” Claire replied. “I’m rather glad to tell you the story, to be honest. I haven’t spoken of this for a long time, It feels nice.”

“Does Frank know about it?” Joe asked in a sheepish smile, hoping Claire would continue on.

“Yes” was all she could say. Despite the awkward inquiry, her face was still blushing from the high of the earlier question.

“And he still lets you wear it?” Joe tried to hide the shock in his voice but was unsuccessful.

“It’s still on my finger, isn’t it?” She wiggled her fingers in answer.

“Is there more to the story, LJ? Like how did he give it to you? Did he get down on one knee? Were you in a special place like a mountain with a gorgeous view? Was there someone who wore it before you? and How do you know so much about where it came from?” Joe asked in rapid succession that had Claire giggling in amusement. She looked at the clock, it was still pretty early to go home and she knew she had time to tell the story, not that it was long to start with.

“Ever the romantic you are, Mr. Abernathy” she patted his shoulder. “If you still buy the next round, I might share some more details” Joe signaled the bartender and newly poured drinks arrived in no time.

Claire took a deep breath, mentally going through her and Jamie’s history and took note of the things she might need to change - minor 18th century details that might not make sense in the 20th century setting. “This story stays between us, alright. Not a word to Gayle. Questions are asked at the end of the story if we still have time - if not, then unlucky you.” she raised one eyebrow and Joe nodded in agreement.

“Okay. First thing you should know is that this relationship began rather quickly and by quickly, I mean, think of it in the lines of a…one day’s notice kind of thing.”

#outlander #outander fanfic #fanfic #tales of the silver ring #joe abernathy #claire fraser #claire x joe #jamie x claire #personal

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bites-kms · 6 years

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La Joie de Vivre: Paris 32mm

Just came from Le Caveau de la Huchette - yes, the jazz club from La-La-Land. I didn’t know this, until I was at the door. I was just looking for a fun place to have a drink or two on a Thursday night and what a joy I found. I literally found the joy of life, or the Parisian way - la joie de vivre.

These people, they were so immerse into the beat, it was très magnifique. Specially there was this one women, with style and grace, short hair, long earrings, long skirt -long according to her age but edgy enough let her wave and move around-, without a bra, laughing and shaking her arms towards the back while killing the dance floor at the beat and rhythm of bebop with his partner, a black man with a white haired afro, with the same big smile and crazy moves as her. It was amazing. I only felt tele transported like this before and it was at Nicky’s, the best Speakeasy bar in Buenos Aires. But this was the real deal: I am in Paris, living the late roaring 20s, in between wars after the American soldiers fought in Paris, in a lost cave right next Ile de cité, few blocks away from Notre Dame.

photocredits: Black Label Media Although I must confess I was expecting to meet my Ryan Gosling - and yes, I did remember our dance mov(i)es - I met Mr. PH, or Pierre-Henri, the lovely Swedish/French, who lived in Utah from Uppsala. It’s amazing to be able to connect with all these people through music, regardless of age and origin, and this was even more special due to my Swedish experience. We danced and laughed a lot. I proudly made a fool of myself and decided I’m gonna learn this dance once Im back in NYC. Then I met Maurice, a younger, intriguing French guy with whom we danced more upbeat my-hips-dont-lie songs. That was some intense moves going on there! I had such a wonderful time I couldn’t wait to come home to write about it, I hope to make justice to the amazing experience I just had. Walking down the Seine, as Owen Willson in Midnight in Paris, I came back home - to this evil, evil Airbnb, not without stoping by the Louvre and enjoying all its secrets, changing my movie switch to the Da Vinci Code.

It’s still mesmerizes me how much these narratives shape our collective perspectives on the world. I was thinking about this exact same issue while walking down my office’s street the other day, back in NY, and saw a couple of police patrols going around like crazy, with a black SUV that looked as if it was from the FBI and a small but intense manifestation. I was surprised on how quiet the protesters were after the police cars passed by and didn’t make much sense to me. That was when I finally realized I was living this meta-reality and was tricked by my very own mind: this was all a set up for Gotham and I thought it was the real deal. I couldn’t stop laughing and my mind exploded for a couple of very long minutes trying to understand and process all these realities happening at the same time in my head! So yes, this is my tribute to them, to the movies, to those little pieces of realities that we share in 32 mm (or blue ray, but that way is not that picturesque any more) And it feels weird that I start this tribute in Paris and not in New York, but I guess the NYC experience still feels a little bit surreal to me. At least here I know I’m not staying for good, I’m just here for 10 days, so I guess that makes me way more objective, an eager observer and an obsessed analytic of every minute.

I deserved some celebration after the success on the US embassy, so I decided to start with the simplest thing: let’s go for dinner! I went for my poulette avec pomme de terre but since it only came with fries, I switched it for the plat du soir and felt a little bit of the Jack Nicholson’s magic on Something Gotta Give at the Grand Colbert restaurant.

I ended up in the most surreal circumstances on a Friday’s night. Lost, during a thin-rainy eve in Paris, searching for hidden wifi hotspots in order to reach my destination: a typical French bistro by Le Marais. What I didnt realized, was that I was gonna run into this typical French guy called William. William, is actually a PHD professor and researcher from Atlanta- although he has been living in France since forever, and as per a Woody Allen movie, he was wearing a brown suit jacket which was double his proper size. He was also wearing bigger trousers -not pants- and we debated about morality, existence and transcendence of matter and language over the Frankfurt School, Marcuse, Horkheimer, Adorno for more than 4 hours, having wine, charcuterie and terrine. It was a very nice movie cliche to experience without even planning it!

Who knew Paris was so famous in movies? I mean, of course in the collective imagery it is, but I didn’t actually realize the size nor the amount of “featured time” Paris have in this movie so called life. After my wonderful La-La-Land experience, my expectations were high and difficult to match, but oh you, dear Amélie, that was a hell of a Saturday we shared together!

I went to Montmartre and started my film on the Abesees station, right next to the carrousel, close to her apartment. After a beautiful morning stroll with the sun on my face and the joy on each and every single pore of my being, I found the Cafe des 2 Moulins, where she enjoys the small but amazing things of life. Little did I know that not only the creme brûlée was gonna be amazing, but the atmosphere and the memories would be as such! The waiter became my fan: he noticed I was writing in my journal and started hitting on me with the sweetest and cheesiest lines ever, talking about the movie, practicing and mixing English and French, gifting me a pain au chocolat, drawing a heart gesture on the air before giving it to me. He even dared to asked for my number in the most courageous yet sweet way imaginable! It really made my day. Thanks Jullien, that was fun! Of course I also checked out the Studio 28 Cinema, where Amelie enjoys her movies. BITES & KMS SAYS: That’s a meta-hyper reality indeed: Amelie, a fictional character which I watch, goes and watches movies to the cinema in a narrative fiction, located on the same place I am standing right now in real life, thinking and wondering about what that character would be feeling at that moment, with the difference that I am feeling it right now. Wow #mindblown

Of course, I couldn’t stop singing My Song, performed by Christian (Ewan McGregor), feeling a little bit like Satine from Moulin Rouge, while going up and down hills. I hate Boulevard de Clichy, I absolutely hate it: it’s dirty, touristy, with no style nor personality, full of weird people in the bad sense weird can be understood. But well, even though the Bal du Moulin Rouge is located there, this is not whatsoever the best part of the Quarter. So, I kept my musical dream alive and went around the other small and hidden streets. I actually found a spot, which was absolutely perfect. I needed to stop and write about it. My piece of paper said something like this: “Little pieces of Paris, small and unique as the cobblestones of their streets, where only the little birds sing and the sun warms the soul, in between the distant buzz and talks from the tourists.” I imagine a little chambre on one of those top balconies, with lovers singing to each other, having sex and drinking wine in bed at 11 am on a Sunday, waiting to be drunk again to keep sleeping. I stopped by this wonderful Bistro called Le Sancerre. I had my first glass of champagne and had a delicious lunch, falling in love with all these movies, one scene at a time.

The following day I had a very specific location in mind: the Coulee Verte Rene Dumont: secret lover gardens. Only true Parisians go there and take their dates in hopes of some French kiss action. It is quite far off the tourist circuit, and that made me realized how the US is a rough copy of the best of France, with a very local spin. The Highline, that architecture phenomenon everyone is proud of, already existed here in Paris more than a century ago, and still lingers today. So, sorry Paula Scher, there’s nothing new under the sun. And talking about the sun, this was the setting for Before Sunset. I went there to seek inspiration and to reflect upon that proper dialogue that happens in the movie. Was sex with Ethan Hawke that forgettable or was it actually remarkable? Was he really happy with his wife? Why aren’t they together? Are they meant to be?

I guess there is just time to listen to some Nina Simone - which, for the time being, we can switch for French Edit Piaf or Italian Mina- and to whomever is asking when I’m flying back, I’m just gonna do as Ethan Hawke:

Celine- Hey Babe, you’re gonna miss that plane. Jesse- I know.

#love #paris #parisien #france #jetaime #movies #film #blog #travel #life #beautiful

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thesecretfandom · 7 years

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That’s My Girl -- Bughead Au

Word Count: 1,828

Rated: M

A/N: Because Protective!Juggie is something we could all use a little more of in our lives. (Also on AO3)

Jughead Jones found his fortune at the bottom of whiskey bottle. The new bartender at his usual spot already knew his order, double shot of Jameson and Coke. All he had to do was sit down at the far end of the bar and the blonde haired bartender was already pouring his drink. Tonight was different.

"You drank us out of Jameson last night, Mr. Jones." The young woman behind the bar rested on her elbows on her side of the bar. There was only one other person sitting halfway down from Jughead in the small, desolate bar. "You want me to get you something else?"

"Just get me some of your cheapest whiskey. And I told you, call me Jughead. Mr. Jones is my father's name; I'm far too young for that."

"Coming right up, Mr. Jones." She teased.

The girl, Betty, took her time. She didn't have to reach for the cheap bottle of whiskey on the bottom shelf. Jughead watched as she mixed the two brown liquids and placed a yellow straw in the drink. She returned with the drink, but instead of going back to work, she hopped up to sit on the bar in front of Jughead.

"Is there something you want from me?" Jughead asked, taking a swig of his drink.

"Not a thing." Betty responded. "As you can see, there's not much going on in this shit hole."

"So what are you doing working in this dive then?"

"What are you doing drinking in a dive like this?" She threw back.

Jughead grinned, this girl was sharp. "I asked first."

Betty paused before answering and took a drink from a glass of water from under the bar. "The last place I worked shut down. This job is just a filler until my next opportunity comes around."

"And what would that be?"

"I could show you sometime." She teased. Hopping off the bar, she pulled a pen from behind her ear and started scribbling on a napkin. "Stick around until close and I'll give you a private show." Jughead raised an eyebrow as Betty slid the napkin to him, revealing ten digits of a phone number. "I'm a dancer, you could say."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Betty danced for him that night Jughead had his million dollar idea. Three years later Jughead was the co-owner of the most popular Burlesque bar in a hundred mile radius. These days, Jughead was often in his office doing the boring things that entrepreneurs like himself had to do; balancing the books, paying bills, ordering supplies. Betty would often help him with his work, when she wasn't dancing, but would usually end up distracting him further.

Tonight, Jughead was working behind the bar prepping for the busy weekend ahead. One of his bartenders had called in sick and he had to fill in so they wouldn't be shorthanded. As he wiped down the bar and arranged chairs around each of the many tables Jughead watched the girls stretching on stage.

Each of the four dancers were vastly different, each with their own unique style. Josie wore a leopard print bikini and a pair of faux cat ears perched atop her head of black curls. Cheryl, on the opposite side of the stage, wore an outfit of white lace, red heels, and long red hair falling in a curtain over her shoulders. Of course, the men loved Veronica; all tan skin, velvet lingerie, and the string of pearls she always wore around her neck.

Betty was the real star of the show. Her long blonde hair was pulled back by a pink ribbon, matching perfectly with the soft pink lingerie that Jughead was all too familiar with. She was the only girl not wearing high heels, opting instead for a pair of white ballet flats. She always claimed that they made it easier for her to dance as well as to get backstage to change outfits.

"Is the music ready to go, Josie?" Jughead asked, making his way to stage. Josie wrote and recorded all original music for their show, and she was damn good at it.

"Just gotta press play, Boss."

The girls were all gathering together, talking and teasing before heading backstage. The bar was set to open in ten minutes and the girls had to finish applying makeup and dressing in their costumes. Jughead watched with special interest as Betty turned back to him.

"Staying for the show tonight, Jug?" After three years, her smile still made his knees weak. "It's been a while since you've gotten to stay for the entire show."

"I wouldn't miss it." Jughead hopped onstage and placed a hand on Betty's naked waist. "And God knows nobody will be buying drinks while you're on the stage."

Betty smirked and let her arms rest on Jughead's shoulders. "They wouldn't dare take their eyes off of me."

"I couldn't if I tried." Jughead placed a kiss on Betty's cheek and stepped away. "I'll see you after the show."

Betty disappeared behind the red, velvet curtain hiding the dressing room where the other three girls waited. Jughead returned to the bar, where his crew stood waiting for the bar to open and allow in the crowd waiting outside.

The crowd consisted of a few regulars, older men, bachelors, a few women. As usual, there was a crowd of young men that were unfamiliar; every night there was a group like them. They bought a lot of booze but didn't tip well. The young men ordered drinks first, more eager than the others for the show to start, and then took their seats closest to the stage.

The show starts a half hour after opening each night. The lights dim to almost complete darkness and soft music starts playing over the speakers. As Josie's voice came pouring out of the speakers her body follows, swaying hips as she slinks to her spot on stage right. Cheryl followed, her lips curling into a devious smile as she strutted to the opposite side of the stage. Veronica came next, a vision of a powerful woman, landing a strong pose at the front of the stage. That's when the music really started, the beat picking up and throwing the girls into motion.

With practiced steps the girls followed the erotic choreography that Betty created for them. As the lead dancer, Betty not only arranged choreography and organized props and stage pieces but also was the last to enter the stage. The three girls moved in perfect unison, spinning, bending, and rolling on the furniture that spotted the stage.

When the music slowed again, and the girls on stage stopped with only slow writhing movements, a long smooth leg poked out from behind the curtain. An arm followed, with a head of blonde hair until she revealed her full body, moving with the music until she reached the front of the stage. She shed an outfit of pink feathers, falling in a pool around her ankles.

Whistles and hollers erupted from the men up front and Jughead smiled. His girl was always popular with the customers, but it was him she always came back to. Many would think their relationship strange, Jughead happily encouraging Betty's career dancing half-naked for men she doesn't know. But Jughead found it arousing and…somehow, comforting. All the men who got to see her, but only Jughead could have her, and every night she chose him as well. Despite all of the men she could chose, she chose him.

The dance continued, with the other girls shedding their robes for the skimpy outfits that they wore beneath. Jughead watched the entire show, it'd been so long since he'd watched a show that wasn't a rehearsal, and Betty was at the top of her game. The rest were great dancers too, but Jughead was only watching Betty. She moved so naturally on stage, capturing the attention of a large number of those in the audience. In fact, it seemed that a few we a bit too interested. Jughead watched closely, always wary of first-timers.

The show was coming to an end, and the girls posed at the edge of stage. That's when Jughead noticed the young, college-aged boys standing and reaching onto the stage, fingers grazing Betty's legs.

Betty pushed him back with a leg. "No touching. Back up."

Jughead was already walking quickly to the stage, prepared to play the role of bouncer if needed. The man would regret it if he didn't back up.

"Come on, baby. I've got money. Why don't you give me a private show?" One of the men grabbed for her leg, pulling her to the floor.

Jughead sprang into action. He jumped at the man who dared to touch Betty and brought a fist to his nose. The man's friends jumped at Jughead, slamming his back into the ground. The security stationed around the vast room were already on the spot, pulling of the men and shoving them toward the door.

"Out! Now!" One of them shouted. "Out, before I call the cops."

Jughead, now rid of the bastards who tackled him, was holding the first man by the collar. "Don't you ever come in here again."

The man scoffed in his face. "Get off your fucking high horse man. She's a whore, it's what she does."

Another blow landed on the man's face, surely leaving a black eye. "Don't fucking call her that." Jughead shoved the man to the ground. "Get him out of here. Bar's closed. Everyone go home."

As the men were escorted out of the building Jughead lifted Betty from where she still sat on the floor of the stage. As he led her backstage, the other girls rounded up the props and costumes that littered the stage. And Jughead led Betty back to his office and slammed the door behind him.

"Who the fuck do they think they are?" Jughead flopped back in his chair, throwing his hat across the room in his anger. "This is a place of art, not a place for douchey frat boys to get off."

Betty swung a leg over Jughead, gracefully sliding onto his lap. She smiled at him.

"What are you smiling about?" He asked, face still red with anger.

Betty placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed his forehead. "I love it when you get all protective. It's hot as fuck."

"You're getting hot for this?"

Betty responded with a kiss to his lips, slow and deep. She ground her hips into his.

"Wait." Jughead reached for his top desk drawer. He pulled out a diamond ring. "I wish you could wear this onstage." He slid the ring onto her left-hand ring finger. "But a married woman brings in less money. And you know how I feel about money, Mrs. Jones."

"You love it almost as much as you love me."

Jughead smiled at his wife, who pressed her body close to his. "Almost."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I had a hard time deciding whether or not to put smut in here, but I think I made the right choice. I’ll leave it to your imagination what they did in Jughead’s office that night.

#bughead au #bughead fanfic #bughead fanfiction #bughead #betty x jughead #betty cooper #jughead jones #protective!juggie #dancer!betty #Riverdale #Riverdale au #Riverdale fanfic #Riverdale fanfiction #edit

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samrull · 6 years

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Double Dare, After Laughter, Selfish Machines, Future Hearts (I have some idea on which ones you'd pick and I'm curious 😂 you don't have to do all of them)

oh my God how do I not do them all? you know I live for this shit.

Double Dare by Waterparks

General opinion: a fucking banging piece of music from start to finish. Listening to it right now. I randomly came upon a review of this very album on Alt Press and never looked back since. I’m elbows deep in my Waterparks phase and not even sorry. Nobody does pop punk these days quite like they do. They’re quirky, fun, upbeat and deep when they need to, and I’m so excited to see what they do next. Easily the coolest band I discovered this year.

Fav songs:

1) Gloom Boys - I never shut up about this song. I listen to it every day on my way to work to pump myself up for the day.2) Hawaii (Stay Awake) - a banger3) Little Violence - a banger and also a masterful dig at the hardcore/alt rock scene

After Laughter by Paramore

General opinion: first listen? Hated it, save for a few songs. I basically grew up listening to Paramore and this made me realize I might not like change as much as I always claim to. But then I’ve started reading up on Hayley Williams’ personal issues (she just got divorced after like 8 years of a relationship), listened to the album again and saw it in a whole different light. I’m still not 100% positive about it, but I understand why it is like it is now.

Fav songs, no surprises there:

1) Rose-Colored Boy - mostly just stupidly catchy, and was very inspiring for me when I was writing More to Life.2) Fake Happy - don’t we all love upbeat songs about depression?3) Caught In The Middle - captures that feeling perfectly, and it’s so brilliant lyrically

(Honorable mention: Pool)

Selfish Machines by Pierce The Veil

General opinion: everyone and their mother knows PTV are my favorite band. They’ve released four albums and all of them are equally great. (However, Selfish Machines happens to include the only PTV song to date that I can’t stand: Bulletproof Love). Selfish Machines is full of everything that makes PTV so great in my mind: stellar songwriting, unique vocals, heartbreaking lyrics and a lot of musical callbacks to their Mexican heritage. I love it so much :(

Fav songs:

1) Besitos - SHE WAS COVERED IN BLOOD LAST SEEN IN SAN FRANCISCO, the wildest ride from start to finish2) The New National Anthem - beautiful lyrics and also the best drumming I have ever witnessed in my short pathetic life3) The Sky Under The Sea - I still remember where I was when I first really HEARD the lyrics to this, and the feeling from that moment never left me since

(Honorable mentions: basically all the other songs except for Bulletproof Love lol)

Future Hearts by All Time Low

General opinion: I love ATL with my entire heart and then some, but I have to admit Future Hearts is not my favorite album of theirs. Hell, it’s probably my least favorite if I’m being honest. It’s just got too many of the slow, soft songs that I don’t particularly care for. However, I just looked at the tracklist to choose my favorites and realized I love like ¾ of them so maybe scratch everything I wrote before.

Fav songs:

1) Cinderblock Garden - man??? this is my favorite love song :( It’s got this positive outlook on life that I’m struggling so hard to achieve. The You can breathe now and forget line gives me hardcore chills every time. Just beautiful.2) Old Scars / Future Hearts - this song has that pop punk power that some parts of this album are missing slightly3) Dancing With a Wolf - catchy and good lyrics. Classic

(Honorable mentions: Satellite, Kicking & Screaming, Something’s Gotta Give, also Caroline and Take Cover which are b-sides from the same era)

#asks #music #basically just me ranting

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lethaderr-blog · 5 years

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, is a big city with small town vibes. As I strolled down Richmond Row, the historic shopping district in ’s downtown core, the old buildings seamlessly merged with modern boutiques. On a sunny, summer day, the patios were packed and the streets were buzzing with groups of families and friends. Starting at Richmond Row and beyond, there are so many fun things to do in .

If you’re looking for a weekend away, there’s really something for everyone: the outdoor adventurer, the foodie, the museum lover, and the gaming nerd. As I consider myself to be a mix of all of the above, I’m going to share my favorite activities and attractions that you can easily do in one weekend. Also, I’ll share my top food and drink options from some of the best restaurants in . Seeking what to do in ? Let’s go!

Things to Do in : Treetop Trekking

Did you know that , is known as the “Forest City”? ’s roots are very green, indeed. Back in its early days, it was a city in the middle of a dense forest. There were vast expanses of greenery and trees as far as you could see.

While construction and development may have diminished some of the trees, has plans to maintain its Forest City moniker. For every 1500 trees that are chopped down due to poor health, the city replants 5000 trees. If you’d like to explore one of the city’s green spaces, head directly to Boler Mountain. In fact, this is one of the most unique and fun outdoor activities in : you’ll be right up in the trees!

The treetop adventure park at Boler Mountain is a great place to connect with nature and get some exercise. By winter, Boler Mountain is a ski park. By summer, there are non-stop adventures in its natural Carolinian forest. There are five ropes courses for all ages and abilities. I participated in the beginner, intermediate, and zip line course. Watch the video below to see my treetop trekking skills in action!

My Treetop Trekking Experiences

Treetop trekking adventures at Boler Mountain are so much fun, and it’s one of the greatest outdoor activities in . Reconnect with nature as you hop and swing through the trees. I was challenged by each apparatus that I encountered. It was interesting to figure out how I was going to swing from one platform to the next.

Some of the platforms and planks were easier to navigate than others. There was one circular bit of wood that unexpectedly spun when I stepped on it, so I completely lost my balance and flew up into the air. But, that’s no problem at all! You are safely connected with harnesses and cables, so you can quite literally hang out up there while staying 100% safe.

As you can see in the video above, I got to fly through the air on a Tarzan swing right into a pirate net. Of course, I missed grabbing onto the net and flew backwards into the middle of the course. Not to worry: there are staff members positioned at spots throughout the course. This particular staff member was quite helpful in describing how to climb out of my situation!

What to Know Before You Go

Here are a few helpful tips to know before you go treetop trekking:

You can’t bring any bags or backpacks with you on the course. You can bring cameras, as long as they are attached to you in some way as you’ll need both hands free. My BlackRapid camera strap came in super handy here for keeping my DSLR safe. Highly recommend bringing a GoPro to take photos and video of your adventure!

Don’t wear sunglasses on the course. It’s perfectly fine to wear them (and I wore mine). However, I wish I didn’t. The canopy of the forest blocks out most of the sun. And you might not want to wear your sunglasses on the zip lines as you could lose them in the forest.

Bring your own pair of work gloves. You’ll need something that allows you to grip the ropes without hurting your hands. If you don’t bring your own pair, Boler Mountain will supply you with some gloves. However, you’ll likely end up tossing these ones at the end of the trip, and that creates a lot of waste. It’s best to bring your own durable pair from home.

There’s a training session at the beginning of the ropes course so you can familiarize yourself with the equipment. Bring a sense of adventure and have a great time!

Indoor Activities in : Rec Room

The Rec Room is 30,000 square feet of games, food, and fun in ’s Masonville Place. If you’re seeking indoor activities in at night or on a rainy day, gather your pals and head straight to the Rec Room. Justin and I love playing video games, so we were pretty pumped to visit the Rec Room for the first time.

You’ll find tons of brand new games and fun activities at the Rec Room. There are modern video games (four player Mario Kart, anyone?), redemption games, ping pong, pool, virtual reality, and even axe throwing. The two of us played lots of video games and redemption games. We even amassed enough points by the end of the evening that we came away with some boxes of candy.

Playing Games at the Rec Room

It’s easy to play games at the Rec Room. Add credits to a wrist band. Hold your wrist band up to the game that you’d like to play. That’s it! Any points that you earn from redemption games are stored on your wrist band. You can keep your wrist band and save your points or redeem them in the shop at the end of the night.

Our favorite game was one that combined air hockey and Pac-Man. We’d both never seen it anywhere else before. The game starts off quite normally. We were hitting an air hockey puck back and forth, trying to score on each other’s goal. After a couple of goals, a panel at the side of the game unleashed a fury of pucks on our game. Dozens of smaller pucks spilled onto the game field and chaos ensued. There were pucks flying around everywhere. I was doubling over with laughter. I really don’t think that I’ve laughed that hard in a long time. After a couple of moments passed, more miniature pucks fell down. And more of them again. I think our final score was something like 91-77, which is insanely high for a game of air hockey. You’ve gotta try it when you go to the Rec Room!

Admire Art at Museum

Museum is Southwestern ’s leading gallery for regional art, culture, and history. They have one of ’s most important art collections, featuring over 5000 regional and Canadian works, as well as 45,000 artifacts illustrating ’s history. This museum continues to inspire and represent the community by sharing and preserving its art and history. If you’re looking for things to do in , add this amazing museum to your list. It’s also a great rainy day activity, too!

Kent Monkman Exhibition

The exhibition by Kent Monkman, Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience, runs from June 1st to August 25, 2019. You absolutely need to check this one out, whether you’re visiting or you’re a local resident. It’s very enlightening and quite moving.

This exhibit was created by Monkman as a response to the 150 celebrations happening a couple of years ago for ’s 150th birthday. The history of is written by the victorious and in this case, European white men. Kent Monkman is a Canadian Cree artist who brings attention to the complex and devastating history of ’s First Nations. He works in a variety of mediums (paint, installations, video, and performance) to reinterpret romanticized North American landscapes and historic events. In doing so, Monkman explores themes of colonization, sexuality, loss, devastation, genocide, and resilience.

Through Monkman’s gender-fluid alter-ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, we travel back in time through ’s history from its beginnings as New France. This exhibition details how ’s history is told through art and stories from the lens of newly arrived white Europeans. Then, it juxtaposes the mainstream history with Monkman’s art, which brings some of ’s darkest chapters in history to light.

We’ll see romanticized portrayals of the fur trade, the signing of treaties, and beautiful landscapes. Monkman gives us a window into alternate perspectives and devastating realities for First Nations from history to the present day, including the reserve system, residential schools, mass incarceration, and destitution. The piece illustrating the genocidal nature of residential schools is particularly moving.

Visiting the Monkman exhibition should be required viewing for all Canadians. Definitely check it out at Museum this summer before the exhibit is over.

The Rhino Lounge

Fancy a sweet treat before or after your visit to Museum ? Pop by the Rhino Lounge bakery and coffee shop, right inside the museum. While it’s not an exclusively vegan cafe, they cater quite heavily for vegans and vegetarians with many plant-based offerings. Browse their Facebook page for lots of drool-worthy photos of vegan treats: vegan calzones, tarts, doughnuts, vegan and gluten-free chocolate cake, and more.

Tea Time at The Tea Lounge

If you’re looking for what to do in and you’re a tea lover, don’t leave the city without visiting The Tea Lounge. It’s a peaceful place, just off Richmond Row, to savor a cup of tea and light meals. There was a very serene atmosphere when I dined on the front porch, as I enjoyed a light breeze with my freshly brewed tea.

You can choose from a variety of over 100 high quality loose-leaf teas from around the world on their expansive menu, as chosen by their tea sommelier. Then, you can drink tea from a traditional tea set that corresponds with its country of origin. For instance, I chose the Uji Gyokuro tea from Japan, so my tea was served in a traditional Japanese tea set. I was shown exactly how to steep my tea properly, and there was an endless supply of hot water (at the ideal temperature for the tea).

Vegan at The Tea Lounge

Next, I enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Tea Lounge. The menu is predominantly vegan and plant-based, with the small exception of a few vegetarian items. I tried a vegan cheese platter with a variety of local, nut-based cheeses. Artisan vegan cheese is absolutely delicious, so I urge you to order this one, even if you don’t follow a vegan lifestyle. I also ordered a nourishing bowl of miso soup, which matched my Japanese tea quite perfectly.

If you’re feeling a little hungrier, order one of their Mason jar salads. I tried the Sexy Mexi Jar (love the name!), which includes greens, black beans, peppers, onions, corn, chickpeas, guacamole, and vegan cheese. To top it all off, I had a vegan chocolate chip scone for dessert, complete with coconut cream and local jams. I haven’t had a scone in years and years, so it was such a treat to try this veganized version.

Treat yourself to afternoon tea, a light lunch, and dessert at the Tea Lounge. It’s one of the most memorable things to do in , and it’s also a fabulous place to gather with your partner, friends, or family. In fact, there was a birthday party indoors when I attended…for the cutest little dog named Pip!

Sample Craft Brews at Curley Brewing Co

I’m a huge fan of craft beer and microbreweries, so I just had to check out Curley Brewing Company. Curley Brewing is a nano brewery, meaning that they produce beer in small batches. You can only find their beer in house, so head straight to Curley Brewery to sample a flight or a pint. There was also a fantastic duo playing some rock tunes during my visit on a Friday night, which boosted the lively atmosphere. It’s one of the best places to visit in .

The Beer

There were so many unique kinds of beer on tap. I couldn’t decide between the Citra Blonde (blonde ale with cascade and citra hops), Kettle Bird (lightly soured and dry hopped ale), or the Mocha Stout (stout with coffee, bourbon soaked vanilla beans, cacao). But, I eventually ended up choosing the Strong Hill for something a little fruity (saison with raspberries and blackberries). It was a wise decision as it was very refreshing and like summer in a glass!

Vegan Brew Cafe

Curley Brewing Company is also the first vegan brew cafe I’ve ever visited. Their pub grub is so yummy and pairs perfectly with the beer. There’s just about every comforting dish or snack imaginable, all made completely with plants. I was tempted by all of the options: burgers, sandwiches, quesadillas, grilled cheese, and more. In the end, I couldn’t resist a big ol’ plate of vegan nachos – yum!

The Best Vegan in

If you’re looking for the best vegan restaurants in , you’ve come to the right place. Don’t forget about the options I listed above (Curley Brewing Company, the Tea Lounge, and Rhino Lounge) as they’re fantastic options, too. Here are some more amazing vegan restaurants and restaurants with vegan options where I suggest you dine when you visit , .

Plant Matter Kitchen

I’m not a stranger of Plant Matter Kitchen. In fact, I visited Plant Matter Kitchen a few years ago during a trip to where I explored local markets and the local food movement. PMK not only lived up to my memories, but potentially exceeded my expectations once again.

Plant Matter Kitchen focuses on vegan, organic, fresh and healthy meals made from local ingredients when possible. Only the good stuff here! It’s always difficult to choose something from the menu when it all sounds so delicious. I decided to try the Holistic Enchilada and it was super tasty. Every ingredient worked so well together: refried beans, kale, sweet potato, peppers onions, sour cream, and cheese sauce, smothered in tomato sauce in a wheat tortilla. I quenched my thirst with a black currant kombucha.

The folks at PMK have two other vegan establishments in : Plant Matter Bistro and Plant Matter Cafe. I’ll have to try the other two on my next visit!

Garlic’s of

Garlic’s of is a farm-to-table restaurant in downtown that has served up chef-driven meals for over 25 years. They source the highest quality ingredients from local farmers and producers, merging rustic eats with a modern flare.

I was pleased to see a few vegan options on the menu. My server was happy to point out all of the plant-based meals, as she also happened to follow a vegan diet. I decided to order the Slow Roasted Garlic Bulb to start, which has apparently been on the menu since the restaurant opened 25 years ago. It only seemed fitting to eat a bulb of garlic at Garlic’s (also, the perks of dining solo: no one was there to smell my garlic breath!).

For my entree, I selected the vegan Pad Thai with tofu, rice noodles, bean sprouts, toasted peanuts, chili, lime, scallion, and coriander. I loved how both dishes were so artfully arranged on their respective plates, and both meals were tasty and full of flavor. I highly recommend checking out Garlic’s if you’re planning a date night or having dinner before catching a show at the local theater that’s around the corner.

The Little Bird Cafe

The Little Bird Cafe is a cozy spot in Wortley Village with a cute patio. I got there pretty early in the morning for breakfast and the patio was nearly packed. I was a little bit cold, so I didn’t mind eating indoors. There are a few vegan options for breakfast, and I ordered two of them: the chia seed pudding (which had interesting flavors that actually worked quite well together – pineapple, coconut, and dark chocolate) and the grapefruit brulee.

I thought the chia seed pudding was delicious, but that grapefruit brulee really stole the show. There was a layer of sugar on top of the grapefruit, which had been heated with a flame, much like a creme brulee. I had to crack the top of the sugar layer to get to the fruit, eating a spoonful of crunchy sugar with each bite of grapefruit. It was sinfully sweet and not like anything I’ve tried before.

Save Room for Dessert

Even if you’re full, I advise that you save an extra little space of room in your stomach for a sweet treat. After all, desserts go in a separate area of your stomach right? Here are a couple of spots where you’ll find vegan dessert in .

Chick Boss Cake

When you walk into Chick Boss Cake, you feel like you’re walking right into a beautiful Instagram feed. There are gorgeous decorated spaces throughout the bakery and even entire walls devoted to taking selfies.

They also have vegan cupcakes, which was my primary reason for visiting. I ordered a rainbow colored cotton candy cupcake. Then, it only seemed fitting to order a matching rainbow lemonade. Their Pride lemonade celebrates Pride Month, and it also tasted like Skittles. Yum!

Chil Frozen Yogurt

Did you know that Chil Frozen Yogurt has over 100 toppings and they have an absolute ton of vegan options? Chil was my last stop on my tour around the city, and it was such an amazing surprise that tops my list of things to do in . Essentially, it’s a frozen yogurt bar where you pay by weight for your dessert.

There are four different kinds of vegan ice cream bases, so I did a mix of vanilla and chocolate. Then, there are a variety of kinds of cookie dough, candies, syrups, sauces, fruits, nuts, and more. You name it, it’s a topping at Chil Frozen Yogurt. The vegan options are clearly marked all around the shop. After you’re done, you weigh your masterpiece and then…eat! I was rather pleased with my ice cream creation, which looks like a child went a little crazy at the ice cream shop. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Where to Stay: The Park Hotel

If you’re seeking the top things to do in , it’s a good idea to stay in a prime location. The Park Hotel has one of the best locations in the city, right in the middle of it all. Located right off Richmond Row in the downtown core, you can easily walk to many spots in right from the hotel.

My suite felt more like my own little apartment in the city. There’s a living room with a TV, a separate bedroom with another TV, a desk, a clean and modern bathroom, a microwave, a mini fridge, and a Keurig coffee maker. Wi-Fi is complimentary, and you can also park for free in their underground parking lot.

The staff of The Park Hotel were super friendly and helpful, and I felt right at home there. Although I didn’t do this, you could actually order room service from the Jack Astor’s restaurant next door, which I felt was a really nice touch. I can’t imagine wanting to stay anywhere else when I travel to . Book your stay at The Park Hotel or check out more reviews from fellow travelers.

Getting There

As I spent a couple of days in Windsor before visiting , I traveled from Windsor to aboard the VIA Rail train. My journey was quick and easy, and the service is always excellent on the train. I also took VIA Rail from back to Union Station in Toronto, too. If you have a car, you can always drive to , but the train is such a relaxing experience (and more environmentally friendly, too!).

Getting Around

I mostly walked around on my own two feet as many neighborhoods in are quite walkable. However, when the distance was a little too far, I used Uber to get all over town. Uber drivers are plentiful in , especially since it’s a university city.

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You can also click the “buy” button on any picture to purchase gifts made from our photos.<div class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore-wrap"><a class="kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=125747X1586856&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftravelphotos.justinpluslauren.com%2F%2F%2F-2019&sref=rss">Learn More <p>If you’re looking for things to do in , whether you’re a local or a visitor, I hope that my list has helped inspire your plans. There are so many activities in that I couldn’t possibly visit all of them in just one stay. Just as there are so many more vegan restaurants to try, too! 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feathersforthesoul · 7 years

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In less than two years, I traveled to 9 different airports, and boarded a plane 20 times. Every airport and country was unique of course, from the glamor of the Charles de Gaulle to the organized chaos of Najaf. Every experience has been so different. But the last trip I made back home was the worst. Can you imagine a day lasting 30 hours? Because that’s how long that day was for me.

It started off first when I had to say my good-byes to my husband before my parents and I departed. Every day leading up to the last, we couldn’t imagine the moment that we had to leave each other. And when it happened it was unbearable. But we had to go. It was 2 am. We got onto the plane, and 10 minutes before departure, my mom started passing out. She hadn’t eaten in 12 hours and had very low blood sugar, but we didn’t know that at that moment so it was just pure panic. The flight crew got her food and a kind lady in front of us gave my mom some medicine for nausea. Though I had planned to sleep that 4 hour flight, I refused to shut my eyes until I knew my mom was okay. We landed in Paris 6 am and I was exhausted. So exhausted that I didn’t pay attention to the fact that my flight to London was different than my parents’ flight. After boarding a plane more than a dozen times in the passed year, it was a stupid mistake.

So I missed my flight. Not knowing what to do, we went to customer service and they said the only flight available was to D.C. at 1 pm, which would mean I had to wait another 4 hours in Paris alone while my parents and my luggage were en route to London and then Detroit. As my mom was boarding their flight she was upset that she had to leave me alone, and I was too. But I had to put on a brave face and reassure her that I’ve traveled alone before and that I can take care of myself. So I got my new ticket and waited. But here was the tricky part: I was told that when I arrive in D.C., I had 3 hours to switch airports that were 30 miles apart. That was on my mind the entire time. I used the internet mostly to search ways to get to the next airport as fast as I could, or if it was even possible to do so. I was also worried about having a recurrence of this massive and scary headache I had on a previous flight. A headache so bad I seriously thought I was going to die. So I kept checking, double-checking, and triple-checking that I had medication. I was so stressed, but having traveled alone several times before I knew I could handle it. A few bumps along the road are okay as long as Allah is watching.

While waiting in line to board, I momentarily noticed a bag that had hebrew on it. But I didn’t notice the person holding it. I looked down the entire time because I was afraid of making eye contact with anyone that would judge me for the hijab on my head. I tried my best to keep a happy face on. To get to the gate, we had to board a bus to the plane. I put my carry-on luggage in the back of the bus. I got on and decided to stand next to some seats while holding on to a pole for balance. The girls sitting next to me were the only ones talking on the bus, and their voices carried. Suddenly one of them got a notification of an attack in Tel Aviv by a Muslim, and she started saying “OMG I was just there!” In that moment, I realized that she was the one with the Hebrew bag. I felt instantly uncomfortable. But I stayed silent. I tried to block out her words, but I couldn’t help but hear that “they are so aggressive”. I knew what “they” meant. I felt all eyes on me on that bus. It was not a good feeling. But I stayed silent.

When we arrived to the gate of the plane, I had to wait until everyone left the bus so I could grab my luggage from the back. I was the second to last person boarding the flight, and I was beyond exhausted. A man and his wife and child were in front of me blocking the way while putting away their luggage and getting their seats ready. So I waited. But I was nervous because from what I saw, everyone was seated, which made me worried that there would be no room left for my luggage anywhere. Just another thing for me to worry about. The man and his wife took their time, but when they apologized for taking so long I smiled and said “it’s okay”. Finally, they sat down, and I walked a few steps before seeing a woman walking in the opposite direction. I let her through to her seat, and because I was looking down, I never noticed the man that was right behind her. So I took one step and felt an elbow on my chest push against me. I looked up and saw the tall man point to his left and say “Um. My seat is right there.” The man just pushed me with his elbow because his seat was right there. I don’t care if I was running into the guy willingly, he should have not pushed me the way he did. I let him through to his seat and said “You didn’t have to push me.” And then I walked away. I don’t know if he heard. Sound waves don’t travel very far inside of an airplane, at least from my experiences. But it didn’t matter.I found my seat and of course, just as I thought, there was no room for my luggage. So they put it in a fridge-type thing. I didn’t care.

All I wanted to do was cry. Cry because I missed my husband. Cry because my parents were hundreds of miles away from me. Cry because a zionist was next to me. Cry because a man pushed me. Cry because I just wanted to go home. So I cried until the plane reached the clouds.

I fell asleep for a little while and awoken to the sound of the flight attendant walking past me. Two African men were sitting next to me, and I asked one of them if the flight attendant was passing out headphones. He said he was. Then he asked “You want one?” I told him that it was okay, but before I could he yelled out, “EXCUSE ME!” to the flight attendant. He came back and gave me a pair of headphones. After being pushed by a man, it was nice to see some kindness. I fell in and out of sleep the entire 8-hour flight, wondering and worrying about if I was going to arrive on time to get to the other airport in D.C.

When I finally arrived in the U.S., I was about 20 hours into my trip. And I wasn’t home yet. I reached D.C. about 5 pm, and I had about 3 and half hours to go through customs, drive 30 miles to the next airport, and board my final flight to DTW. Going through customs they always ask a few questions, but I realized that if I ask questions in return, then they won’t ask as many questions back. I asked two officers what would be the fastest way to get to the Reagan airport and if 3 hours was enough time to board my next flight. “Outside the airport you can get a taxi, but you gotta leave like, right now.” So I went as fast as I could. My taxi driver thankfully turned out to be a Somalian Muslim who disliked Trump and planned to leave the country once he was elected. Can you blame him?

He drove me to the airport just in time to board my flight. I even had a little bit of time to wait next to the gate. A women at the gate desk asked if anyone wanted to check their carry-ons because there probably wouldn’t be enough room on the plane. So I checked my bag, and my bag boarded the flight. But the thing is…

I didn’t. The day wasn’t over yet.

When they scanned my ticket, my name was showing up, but it wasn’t validated or something? I have no clue. I kept telling the lady that I just want to go home. I said I had to teach first graders the next day. I was begging. After what I had been through, begging seemed very appropriate. But they wouldn’t let me on. I asked if there was another flight. She said not with Delta, but American Airlines had a flight at 10 pm. I asked if there was any room on the flight, they said I had to check at the AA ticket counter and I had to move fast. So I walked as fast as I could. I was panting as I asked the woman behind the ticket counter if they had any seats left for the last flight to Detroit. She said that there was one left, but because I was buying it late it was going to be expensive. I handed her my card. I had to go home.

I went through security for the 5th and final time that day. I got to my gate an hour before my flight. I was so worried that my boarding pass wouldn’t work that I went to the gate desk and asked if they could double check that it would work. They said they couldn’t check until boarding. So I waited. But I prayed that there was no more. There was still a little bit more.

My boarding pass worked alhamdulillah, and I got on the tiny plane. I had the first seat, which to me meant that I would be the first one out when the plane lands. Then I fell asleep. An hour later, I woke up. And I was still in D.C. What was happening? Apparently something was wrong with the bathroom. The captain said it would be about 15 minutes. So I waited. And I cried some more. I just wanted to go home. It was 11:30 pm, and the captain came out and asked everyone if they would rather we change planes which would take a couple of hours, or that we go through the entire 90 minute flight without using the bathroom. We all agreed to hold our bladders.

When I finally landed at 1 am in Detroit, I ran out to see if anyone of my family members were there. There was nobody. My phone’s battery had died, so I asked two strangers that I saw on the plane if I could borrow their phone. Then I found an outlet to charge my phone. Turns out my family went to the airport three different times thinking I would be home, but I never came. So they stayed home until I called them. I waited another 20 minutes for my sister to pick me up.

And the bag that I checked? It came before I did on the Delta flight. So before I went home, I had to go to their luggage office and look in a room full of over 200 pieces of luggage until I spotted mine. Then, finally, I was home. I decided to skip half a day of work the next day because I was not ready to go in that morning.

4 hour trip to Paris, 8 hour layover, 8 hour trip to D.C., another 6 ½ hour layover, and 2 ½ hours until I reached home. I left Beirut at 2 am, and arrived home 2 am. But factor in the time differences. If you do the math, what was supposed to be an 18 hour trip turned into 30 hours. That’s a long day. And that was the worst day. Inshallah I never have to go through that again.

#i haven't had time to tell this story yet #its long #just like that day #ugh #a series of unfortunate events i tell ya

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dsmroleplay · 4 years

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#TheIslandOfTheDolls #DSM #SPN #RP Part 1

Written by @LoneHuntressIRP & @TridentHunting

Annie:

| I paced the floor of Dean’s office. I needed to do something.

Sam had been nice and showed me how to use the computer for research. It was way different now than the way I’d found cases before. It was easier but also made the vastness of the world easier to access.

I plopped down in Dean’s chair spinning around as I try to focus on one thing. But my mind spun just as I did in the seat. The chair stops it’s spin and I open the laptop on the desk. Thinking I’d find bookmarked anime porn, I pause as the article opened up.

Isla de las Muñecas

I read through file after file. I saw the faces of different girls that had gone missing under unique circumstances. Then the dolls. Creepy as shit. Tourist reports seeing the arms and legs following them as they toured the island. Reporters chalked that up to overactive imaginations of witnesses. But hunters know differently. Behind the strange stories, there was always something there. Something that went bump in the night. The boogyman or a ghost. Something supernatural to explain everything that couldn’t be explained.

I pulled a credit card from the desk drawer and booked the next Red-Eye to Mexico City. I’d figure out how to pay back the cost of the flight when I got back. But that would be another worry.

A couple of hours later I snap my seatbelt closed and stare out the window of the plane as it starts to descend. Nervous after my first flight, my fingers dig into the arms.

“Welcome to Mexico City. Sorry about the bumpy landing. It’s not the captain’s fault. It’s not the co-pilot’s fault. It’s the asphalt. Please remain seated until the plane reaches the gate,” the stewardess, I mean the flight attendant, says. “The pilot has turned off the fasten seatbelt sign, it is now safe to deboard. Thank you for flying with us, and enjoy your stay.”

“Hi, do you know where I can get a ride to the,” I glance down at my notes then back up at the attendant, “Xochimico canals?”

“Welcome to Mexico City, Señorita,” he says, “there are buses there.”

“Gracias Señor,” I responded with an accent that would make my tenth-grade Spanish teacher roll in her grave. :::::::::::: John: -John had been trying to keep an eye on everyone but things had gotten crazy. Something came across his desk though that signaled that something was off. A credit card statement on one of Dean's cards. Mexico? What the fuck was the boy in Mexico for? Picking up his phone he called him. And to his astonishment found out his eldest was at home safe as was Sam and Adam. That left one person with access to their credit cards and case files... he and Dean talked it over and concluded it was Annie. Dean had offered to go after her but John told him no. Dean had enough shit going on, getting off the phone he rounding up his secretary and lead team officer. Giving them instructions to hold the fort down leaving Dean in charge while he was away. He kept a gear bag at the office, it was a have to with their lifestyles. He called his pilot and headed to the airfield to get on one of their private jets. What the hell was the girl thinking he had no idea but he'd take care of this hunt and bring her ass back to the US in one piece. For whatever reason he felt responsible for her now.- ::::::::::::::::::: Annie:

I give a sweet smile to a toothless old man selling Churros from a cart and hand him a few bills. I'd hadn't converted the currency right so I hoped I gave him enough. He hands me my treat with change so I was satisfied.

I plop down on a bench, dangling my feet as I devour it. I was reminded that I hadn't eaten at all since I left the US. The bus to the Xochimico canals wouldn't be arriving for an hour at least.

I hadn't been on a hunt on my own in a while. And hindsight I probably shouldn't have traveled across the border alone. But I'm a big girl and can handle my shit. At least I hope I can handle my shit. ::::::::::: John: -John arrived at the airport and an SUV arrived to drive him where he needed to go. He knew Annie's flight had made it safely but she was ahead of him and it would take time to get to her in a third world country like this.- :::::::::: Annie:

I fling my backpack over my shoulder and climb on the crowded bus.

"Excuse me," I step over an older man's foot as I make my way to an empty seat. The sound of chickens crowing in a cage beside him caused me to jump. "Hi," I take a seat next to a little girl holding a doll. The doll's eyes were dark and cold. The girl looked up at me, her eyes flashed the same dark color. I blink, I was just seeing things though I felt a shiver down my spine.

I reach into my bag and pull out my phone, powering it back on. :::::::::: John: -The SUV moved slow through the dilapidated towns. People and animals just wandering through the streets. He looked at his watch, this was taking to long for his liking. Taking out his cell he wondered if he could even get a call out. Put he found her number and tried it.- :::::::: Annie:

I glance at the screen as the phone trills in my hand. The number didn't look familiar other than the area code. Kansas. Figuring it had to be either Jo or a Winchester I swiped the screen to answer.

"Hello?" :::::::::: John: Annie? This is John. Where are you? -He tried to hold in the annoyance and temper but he was sure it would probably bleed through but then again she'd went off half cocked.- :::::::::: Annie:

Irritation oozed from his words. I suppose running off on my own wasn't in my top five of the best ideas but I didn't want to put anyone out.

"Where am I?" I chew my lip nervously, "Well, I'm in Mexico City. Just got on a bus going to," keeping my voice low, "Isla de las Muñecas. There's something there. I know it." ::::::::::: John: I’m on my way. You shouldn’t go out the alone. Get a hotel and stay put till I get there. ::::::: Annie: "Alright, I'll text you when I get checked in," I chew my lip after disconnecting the call. I wasn't sure what to expect from John when we met up.

Would he believe me that there was something here? Or would he snatch me back up and take me back to Kansas.

I wasn't exactly ready to click my heels and head back. Not yet. Not until I figured out what the hell was going on.

A chill ran down my spine as I take the steps from the bus meeting the gaze of the dark-eyed girl again. It was fucking intense. And made my stomach churn. I draw in a deep breath and spread my lips into a warm smile again and walk to the front desk.

"Hi!" I catch the attention of a dark-haired man behind the desk, "Need a room." After some broken English from him and broken Spanish from me, I was able to check-in.

I drop my bag on the floor and toe-off my shoes and shoot a text to John. "I'm at Casa de Muñecas, Room 206." Then fall backward on the bed. Closing my eyes for just a minute. :::::::::: John: -He’d received her message and had gotten to town in the wee hours of the morning. Carrying his gear bag up the stairs of the hotel he found her room and knocked. It being so late he figured she was asleep. Glancing down the hall, no one in sight he used his credit card to open the door easily and slipped inside. Putting his bags down he took a seat in chair and shut his eyes a minute.- ::::::::: Annie: My minute turned into hours. I must have needed it. I didn't sleep at all on the plane. My lids flutter open and I jump slightly seeing that John had nodded off in the chair.

I pull the blanket off the bed and tuck it around him. Trying not to wake him. The clock ticked to four am. Still early. I shimmy out of my jeans and toss them over my bag before tucking myself under the sheet. Trying to fall back to sleep. :::::::::: John: -John awoke to a sound maybe a sense of movement. He stretched and looked at his watch.- Annie, are you awake? -His voice calm and not overly loud in case she was still asleep and it had been his imagination.- ::::::::: Annie: I nod as I raise up and rest my head on my hand. "Sorta," I give him a sleepy smile, "didn't mean to wake you." I was nervous hadn't spent much time with John. I wondered if I should brace myself for a tongue lashing or something else.

I bite my lip and look up at him through my lashes. "I'm sorry if I worried anyone." ::::::::: John: -She sounded tired and he got that, he was too.- You're alright that's all that matters. Just please, especially out of the US take some backup okay? ::::::::: Annie: His voice was soothing and softer than I expected it to be. "I will," I scoot over to one side of the double bed, "the ferry to the island won't load for a while. Wanna try to get some more sleep until then," I glance over at the empty spot then back to him, "here is probably more comfortable than that chair." :::::::::: John: -He got up and walked over to the bed taking his boots off, laying down beside her.- Thanks Annie. :::::::::: Annie: I turn to face him on the bed. "Did you get a chance to look up anything on the island?" I tuck my arm under my pillow. "It's something right. I mean it's gotta be. Ghosts or something. There was this little girl on the bus," I could hear myself rambling on but I just couldn't stop the words from falling out of my mouth, "I swear her eyes flashed black. So weird right?" :::::::::::: John: I think it's a legit case Annie. And not weird, in a country like this especially when the infrastructure is so bad and corrupted it's a perfect opportunity for demons. How much do you really know about hunting? I'm not saying I don't think you're not capable, I'm just wondering what you know and don't know. If you saw a demon then there's a damn good chance they know you're a hunter and are keeping an eye on you. That worries me. :::::::: Annie: "I started just outta high school, officially," I tell him. I didn't blame him doubting me even if it was just a little. John was notorious. So I was in awe of his skills.

"I've learned a lot on the job, I suppose there's no real training class for this," I raise and rest my head on my hand, "I know about possession and stuff. But I haven't successfully depossessed anyone before." ::::::: John: Do you have an anti-possession tattoo or charm? Because it's not pleasant to be ridin' by a demon. We should get up and get moving. I've read the local lore and I know the caretaker died not too long ago. I also saw where a few tourists have gone missing so you are right there is something going on with the little island.

#DSM SPN RP

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