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shipmistress9 · 5 years

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FTLOAP - 39: Once Upon A Time We Had A Lot To Fight For. We Had A Dream, We Had A Plan

Fandom: HTTYD

Theme: Hiccstrid - Medieval-style AU - Romance - Angst/Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Reduced to little more than a stable boy, Hiccup, despite his noble birth, has few prospects for more in life. But when he meets a girl who came to look at the horses, being a stable boy might not be enough anymore. Together, they have tough choices to make and great risks to navigate if they want to survive and be together.

Rating: Explicit

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Part 1: Prologue; Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10; Chapter 11;

Part 2: Chapter 12; Chapter 13; Chapter 14; Interlude 1; Chapter 15; Chapter 16; Chapter 17; Chapter 18; Chapter 19; Chapter 20; Chapter 21; Chapter 22; Chapter 23; Chapter 24; Chapter 25; Chapter 26; Interlude 2; Chapter 27: Chapter 28 ; Chapter 29 ; Chapter 30; Chapter 31; Chapter 32; Interlude 3; Bonus 1; Chapter 33

Part 3: Chapter 34; Chapter 35; Chapter 36; Interlude 4; Chapter 37; Chapter 38

Alpha/Co-author: @athingofvikings

. – * – _ . o O o . _ – * – .

AN: Okay, this was a tough chapter to write, though for once not because of the content. Let me tell you about the fourteen days since I last updated. The first nine I had writer's block and couldn't get even one word down for this story. Then followed two days where I was on quite a high and got down 7k words, which is a lot for me. And after that, there were two and a half days through which I struggled again to get anything done, which left me and my alpha-reader with less than half a day for edits. I still can't believe it's actually done by now, and if it sucks... well, then I'm sorry!

In addition, I'm not quite sure of this chapter. It got awfully long, but somehow I feel like nothing happens. I mean, I know that's not true. But still, it feels off. Well, it's something of a bridge chapter, I guess.*sigh*

This week's chapter owes its title to a friend who made me listen to The Rasmus again after many years of not thinking much about this band. And when I listened to 'Sail Away'... well, the very first lines of lyrics of that song just really hit me. They fit so well to how Hiccup and Astrid feel right now.

Also, a special shoutout to @lauracalabresi Thank you for your comments over the last few days, they were a great encouragement! ^^

. o O o .

Hiccup couldn’t remember how he’d made it back to the stables, nor how the night had passed in any specific detail. It was all just a blur of pain and sorrow, of desperation and hopelessness. It was over. Everything was over. It was true what he’d told Cami once, after all, that his entire life only revolved around her. But now, she was gone, and he didn't even understand why. He’d been so sure...

But now, it seemed as if the Gods had abandoned them, if not for that guttering spark in his chest that kept reminding him of her, cruel and unrelenting.

When Eret arrived at the stables, hours after the sun had risen, Hiccup was still sitting in his stall, unmoving, staring blankly out the small window, and registered nothing until his cousin’s broad hand touched his shoulder.

“Hey, Hiccup. You okay?”

Slowly, Hiccup turned to look at Eret, and forced a wry grin to his face.

“Hey. Yeah, I’m just… just tired, I guess. I’m sorry, I didn’t finish polishing all of your kit, but I’ll get back to that today.”

Eret gave him a scrutinising look, but nodded, accepting this explanation. “That’s fine, I won’t need it right away. But–” He paused, his eyes on Hiccup’s injured and bandaged hand. “What’s this?”

Quickly, Hiccup covered the hand with the other one. “Nothing. I cut myself, but it… it’s nothing.” At some point last night, the pain of the cut had eventually registered in his mind, but it was still too dull and unimportant to matter. All it did was remind him of her hands on his as she’d attended to the cut. Probably the last time he’d ever felt her touch… He swallowed, then made an effort to appear normal. “Anyway, what brings you here today? Don’t you need to do some training, or so?”

Eret still looked at him funny, but then shook his head. “Maybe later. But I came here for another reason. The thing is… I’m going to need my squire from now on. The hunts start tomorrow and then there’s the first small tournament in a few days, and… I already talked to father and we agreed that it will be safe enough now to keep these hotheads–” he nodded at the stallions, “– in a separate part of the main stables, now that the herd isn’t there anymore and there’s enough free space. They need to get used to that anyway. So... for the rest of our stay, you’re going to be my squire full time, which also means you’ll have to move; I can’t afford the time for you to hike back and forth to these stables. We could move to our townhouse, where there’s enough space for you to have your own room… but Grandfather’s staying there and...” he shrugged helplessly.

Hiccup needed a moment to wrap his head around what Eret had said. He seemed to be sorry for some reason, but Hiccup actually couldn’t see why. As much as he’d enjoyed the solitude of these outer stables during the past months, a change like this seemed like the best thing that could happen to him right now. It would keep him busy, would keep him from mentally tearing himself apart. It would keep him from remembering all the nights they’d spent here...

And then the rest of it registered. Oh. Right. His grandfather, who thought of him as a failure. Well, he was right, after all, but that didn’t mean Hiccup needed to hear it from the old prune.

“So what else is there?”

“Sharing a room in the squire barracks or the couch in my rooms,” Eret said apologetically, and then hastened to add, “It’s clean! I promise!”

Hiccup almost laughed – out of humour or despair, he had no idea. But he managed to keep the smile up. “The couch will do,” he murmured.

Something like a relieved smile played around Eret’s lips. “I’d hoped you’d say that. Dag and I already organised a trunk for your things and while it’s not an enclosed room, you’ll at least have a separate corner for yourself there. A little bit of privacy. Come, I’ll help you pack your things, then we can get the horses ready to be moved.”

Not having any reason to hold back, Hiccup got to work. His few possessions were quickly tossed in a rucksack – with Hiccup carefully avoiding a certain object hidden between the straw bales least Eret would ask unnecessary questions – before they turned their attention to the horses. All the while, Hiccup felt as if Eret was throwing him weird looks every now and then, but it never became so obvious that he felt like asking about it. To him, it wasn't important, and if Eret wanted to talk about something… well, then he could bring it up. Which he eventually did.

They had just started their way to the main stables – with Hiccup riding Chomp and leading Hunter at his side while Eret rode Squish and led Crusher – when Eret eventually broke the silence. "So… what do you think of these… new plans?"

Hiccup snorted. "What's there to think about?" he asked and tried not to sound as bitter as he felt. "I’m your squire and I would have needed to fully act like it by now anyway. So this is good, a change for the better.” Wrong! “And in case you meant the… the festivities... It's the King's right to entertain his people with hunts and tournaments and whatever else he's planned. It might even get interesting for us.” He forced himself to shrug nonchalantly in case Eret was still watching him.

“Yeah, interesting might be the right word.” Eret let out a deep sigh. “But that’s not what I meant. I mean this whole wedding scheme. I don’t get why Uncle Osmond thought that was a good idea. Or Daniel or my father, for that matter.”

Hiccup’s hands around Chomp’s reins tightened; it made him wince when the cut stung and the stallion snort in annoyance. Was Eret honestly asking him what he thought about her impending wedding? If he hadn’t been in danger to spill out exactly what he was thinking, he might have laughed. Instead, he just said, “Same answer. I don’t think it is my place to question the King’s decision. She’s going to marry one of these noblemen for the sake of the Kingdom. That isn’t really different from what was planned before, right?”

“True,” Eret admitted reluctantly. “But it still doesn’t feel right. And it’s certainly not right for Swanja! From what Snot said last night, she isn’t herself anymore. She lost her spark, her wit. He said she’d tried to appear unperturbed, as usual, but he saw right through her. All this must have hit her pretty hard; she was devastated at her birthday dinner. She wouldn’t even let us help or comfort her, for Odin’s sake!”

He sounded tense, worried, and Hiccup was incredibly glad that they’d reached a narrow path by now that wouldn’t allow them to ride side by side. It meant Eret couldn’t see his expression of soul-deep pain and self-loathing. Devastated… That seemed like an apt description of her the last few times he’d seen her. And it had been his fault.

Everything was his fault! And always had been… If he’d spoken his mind more firmly all those years ago, about not losing their connection to the Kingdom, his father might have stood up against their fellow tribesmen. If he’d acted more like the tribesman their people had expected him to be, they wouldn’t have been so openly against him being the heir to the High Chief’s title. If they hadn’t lost their standing within the tribes, his parents and siblings might still be alive and he would be a knight by now too. He could even participate in this competition for her hand as a ducal heir himself.

The thought was too good to be true, literally, and, unable to bear it, Hiccup pushed it aside. They all had thought they’d been doing the right thing back then, and reprimanding himself for it now, when he knew better, wouldn’t do him any good. Besides, he didn’t even need to go that far back into the past to pin down his mistakes.

He should have stayed away from her in the first place. The idea that, after all the things he’d messed up, his life could change for the better… this too had been too good to be true. Again, he’d made the wrong decision by becoming Eret’s squire just to be able to see her again, and now, she was paying the painful price for his impudence. Oh, he’d thought he’d been right back then, too. But the pain in her eyes last night was wholly and entirely his own fault, and any attempt of his to comfort her was bound to only hurt her more.

There was nothing he could do to help her.

Except…

“Don’t worry,” he heard himself say, oddly calm and composed. As if it wasn’t really him who was speaking. “What was is you said once? The Princess is a fighter. She’s tough. This whole wedding thing took her by surprise, but I’m sure she’ll accept it, eventually. She’ll come around and then you all can be there to support her when she’s ready for that.”

Eret grunted, but didn’t say any more until they’d reached the end of the narrow pass where he waited for Hiccup to take his place next to him. “You’re right,” he admitted, face turning to Hiccup, who was now focused entirely on keeping his feelings locked away as deep inside himself as possible. “But this is still different. Our fathers want her to marry one of us. How can we support her as her brothers when everyone is looking for signs as to who she’ll choose as her betrothed?”

“But maybe that’s the point,” Hiccup replied with a light shrug. “She was to marry one of you anyway, wasn’t she? Maybe it’s time to get over how you grew up like siblings and start seeing each other as what you are. An option. I… I think I know her well enough by now to say that she won’t spontaneously fall in love with one of those strangers her father presented to her. But a love match was never a likely possibility – for neither of you. And I remember what Daniel said on that first night we spent here, your accolade. He said that you would be good for each other, and… and I agree.”

Saying those words felt like a hungry beast tearing at the dead remains of his heart and soul. It hurt! But it was better this way. His own pain he could deal with, but hers? Not so much. And if it wasn’t within his power to help her directly, then the least he could do was send comfort in another form.

As they rode on, Hiccup was aware of Eret’s scrutinising gaze on him, and all he could hope for was that he wouldn’t see how Hiccup felt inside. But he didn’t say anything else until they reached the stables where a group of grooms quickly took over the horses to lead them to their new stalls.

“Hey, Hic,” he eventually spoke again once they were alone. “I know I offered to help, but… Would it be all right for you to get Markor and Cassie on your own? They shouldn’t give you any problems, after all. And I’ll take your bag up to my rooms, and…” he paused, grimacing, then shook his head. “There’s a message I have to send and I need to see whether I can find Dagur. Gotta talk to him…” He ran a hand through his hair, and if Hiccup wouldn’t be feeling so dead inside anyway, he’d be sorry for his cousin. It wasn’t only she who’d gotten thrown into this mess, after all…

But still, it was better this way.

“Sure,” he agreed with a sympathetic smile and a clap to Eret’s shoulder. “See you tonight then.”

On his way back to the outer stables, he wasn’t able to control his thoughts and emotions any longer though. He didn’t cry; after last night he didn’t think he had any tears left, but the pain still returned in full force.

It’s better this way, he kept chanting to himself. No matter how much the thought of her marrying Eret or one of her other brothers hurt, it was still the best option there was. She would have a good life with a husband who respected her as a person and not just saw her as an object, who cared for her. It might not be the right kind of love that connected them, but at least there was some form of affection, enough for her to eventually find comfort in her fate. It was all that was left for him to hope for.

And if she chose Eret… Well, Hiccup did feel sorry for him and Dagur. Even with knowing that their relationship couldn’t last, having it end this abruptly couldn’t be easy either. No wonder Eret had wanted to talk to his lover.

Once back at the outer stables, he concentrated on getting Cassie and Markor ready. It was a welcome distraction, and the familiar motions and the simple affection the horses offered gave him comfort, Cassie especially. She’d been with him for so many years now, had been his only support during trying times, and now easily adapted to his pain again. He took several minutes just scratching her and accepting her rubbing her nose to his chest, until something like a smile was back on his face. Not a happy but at least a content one.

The smile didn’t last long though, only until he entered Markor’s stall. The gelding directly looked up at his visitor, clearly hoping and then being disappointed as it wasn’t who he’d hoped it would be. The sight gave Hiccup a new sting, and he did his best to cheer the horse up by rubbing and cuddling his neck.

“I know, I know. I miss her too,” he whispered, hiding his face against the gelding’s warm fur. It was three days now since she’d last been here – a long time considering how often she’d been here during the past three months. No wonder Markor missed her, especially since he couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t come. “But don’t worry, boy. She’ll get back to you. You’ll see.”

Hiccup let himself feel comfort from the horses’ presence for a few minutes longer, before he got them both ready. He struggled a bit with which saddle to put on Markor, but then decided on the ridiculously decorated side saddle. It was the official saddle, after all, and he would need to ask Eret where to store the unofficial but more practical one.

When he was done, he let his gaze wander through the stables that had been his home during these past wonderful months, and gulped. Leaving this place for good felt like a sign. It was truly over, and their time really had only been borrowed, had never been intended to last.

He was about to leave when he remembered the one thing he’d left here before and hurried back to his former sleeping stall to retrieve it. If anyone was to find it by chance, it would only raise unnecessary questions. Hesitantly, he picked up the small swan-shaped oil pot. His chest was tightening – at the sight, at the memories, and at what it stood for. He’d been so grateful to Cami for this gift, not just because of why she’d given it to him but also because of what else it represented. He’d meant to keep it during the weeks and months of their separation, as a reminder and a promise for better times. The scent of the oil alone would have served to comfort him over missing her. But now? Now, it only hurt to look at it, the cool ceramic feeling as if it was burning his skin. All it did now was remind him of what could never be.

With a low suppressed sob, he stowed it away into a pocket, then left the stables without looking back. He tried to leave it all behind him as he once more rode down the path to the main stables on Cassie’s back, but his thoughts kept whirling around the pot and what it stood for. Why had the Gods abandoned them? He’d told her that maybe they’d been wrong, that they weren’t soulmates meant for each other after all. But he didn’t believe that, not really. She’d been right, he’d felt it too, the connection, their bond – and still felt it! All that had been real! And yet… And yet, the Gods had turned away from them, had separated them without leaving them any hope. Why? What had happened, what had changed?

A whirlwind of thoughts blew through Hiccup’s mind, thoughts that, in a way, added another layer of pain to his battered soul, but that, at the same time, made perfect sense.

It was all his fault.

With shaking hands, he pulled the pot back out of his pocket – leaving Cassie to find the way on her own – and stared at it. They’d gone too far... It made sense, now that he thought about it. This had to be what had angered the Gods. Them ignoring the rules, getting intimate before it was allowed. A part of him wanted to blame Cami for her support, for her assurance that it would be all right as long as they kept to certain rules. But Hiccup knew that wouldn’t be fair. It had been his decision to go further than he’d felt comfortable, than he’d been taught was allowed. He had ignored the rules he’d learned, had given in to his desire. He should have known better!

His breath became ragged as he kept staring at the oil pot and everything clicked into place. Them getting intimate must have angered the Gods. The timing was a clear indication. They’d gone too far, and before they’d been able to break another rule with their forbidden plan to have anal sex, the Gods had put an end to it. The timing was unmistakable.

It was all his fault!

A pained sob tore itself from Hiccup’s throat. Having lost her… that was bad enough. But now, he knew that it had been his own doing, that he should have known better. If he hadn’t been so foolish and selfish… their future would still be in reach.

Hiccup’s hand tightened around the pot – until it cracked. Without a warning, he was emerged in a cloud of intense mayweed scent, and it momentarily rendered him blind and deaf to everything around him. His mind got flooded with the memories he’d tried to hold back – of her smile, of her being in his arms, of burying his face in her hair and inhaling deeply. Of the flush on her face and her little gasps, of the taste of her skin, of holding her through the night. Of all the things that could never be.

With a pained and desperate outcry, he hurled the pot away. He wasn’t looking, didn’t care where it might land. He only wanted to get rid of it, to never relive those memories again. It was too painful.

But when he heard the splash of water, he looked up after all, puzzled. Without him noticing, Cassie and Markor had paused near the little lake that used to house her swans, and the pot must have landed in there.

How fitting, Hiccup thought bitterly as he watched the waves on the surface getting smaller and fading away. Eret had told him about the swans’ fate, how that, too, had hit her. It felt oddly right that this place now was also where all their hopes, dreams, and plans for the future were buried. Forever.

He stayed for a little while longer, gazing at the now-calm lake, and let the pain wash through and out of him. It was over, and there was nothing he could do but accept it.

He let himself wallow for a little bit longer, then forced every remaining trace of pain into a distant corner of his heart to keep it locked there forever. From now on, he had to function. Be it the upcoming tournaments and other occasions or the possibility of still seeing her regularly in case she chose Eret – he couldn’t let her or anyone else see his pain.

From now on, he wouldn’t let his emotions slip ever again.

. o O o .

A part of Astrid still clung to the hope that she would eventually wake up. Nothing seemed real; not the days she’d spent getting introduced to all her suitors, not the evening meals she was to take in the usual company of her father, the Grand Dukes, and their sons, and not the nights when she lay awake crying or too agitated to fall asleep until exhaustion took over. And now, she sat beneath a neat little pavilion, overlooking the fighting grounds that were decorated for the first of many upcoming tournaments, and still didn’t feel as if she was fully awake.

The whole setting was just… surreal. The sudden snow from the previous week had all melted by now, but it was still rather cool, and the practical part of her mind was grateful for her gloves and the warm cloak she was wrapped in – even as her heart kept recalling the warmer days from not so long ago. Around her, everything seemed dull and bland, colourless beneath the grey sky, except the brightly painted flags and banners everywhere which seemed completely out of place. It all just felt wrong to her. And the fact that the men in the arena beneath somehow believed that fighting each other would gain them her favour was just absurd.

Not for the first time, a pained outcry sounded over the crowd followed by a wave of whispers as one of the fighters fell to one knee and clutched at his thigh. Blood quickly stained his blue-and-green-coloured clothes in shades of red, and Astrid hoped that the blow from his opponent's sword hadn’t severed his main artery. It was quite possible that he’d not survive if it had.

The thought upset her even though she didn’t feel as if there was much left of her to be upset. She’d probably talked to this man during the past days, and now, he might very well be dying a pointless death. And the worst was that, if he died, he wouldn’t be the first and certainly not the last one either.

The first had been an accident during a short hunting trip two days prior. The man’s horse had been wounded by a misguided arrow from one of his companions, and the fall off his horse’s back onto the uneven ground of the forest had caused severe injuries – or something like that. Astrid only dimly remembered how the King and the other men had talked about it during dinner. It had been one of three deaths on that day, and since then, the body count had only climbed higher.

And as much as the small sane part of her mind despised these unnecessary deaths, she still had to admit that they weren’t unusual. Accidents during hunts happened. Likewise, injuries during tournaments weren’t uncommon. Many of the young men who participated considered the event incomplete if they hadn’t gotten a scar out of it. Once she had agreed with that bit of joking humour, but now? Now, she just felt numb.

So it was with a heart of stone that she watched the loser be carried off to the healer’s tent, festooned with Freya’s symbol. He wouldn’t be the last victim of these festivities, that was for sure. But as much as she loathed that thought… it wasn’t what really bothered her.

As selfish and as vile as the thought made her feel, she couldn’t bring herself to care too much for these strangers who had all come to haggle over her future as if she was nothing but a pretty adornment for their household. They had known what they were in for.

Although… with a strong sense of unease, she remembered the half hour she’d had to spend with Thuggory the other day. And even though she tried to forget his words, they still lingered.

“So here we are, Milady Astrid, in a close and intimate conversation, just like it should be. I hope you’re enjoying my company, because you’d better get used to it.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I will never become your wife. There’s nothing you can do to make me choose you!” It had been nearly the only words she’d said for days she actually remembered.

But Thuggory had only laughed. “Oh, you naive and stupid girl. You think I can’t force you to choose me? What if there’s nobody else left? What if I remove every other candidate until you see reason? You will become my wife, whether you want it or not.”

A shudder ran through her at that memory, and she quickly buried it in the depth of her mind. Thuggory could talk all he wanted, and chances were that he’d get himself killed. She didn’t even really feel bad for hoping for that outcome. But even that wasn’t what really concerned her.

No, what truly occupied her mind was the same topic that was ruling her every thought since the moment the King had made his announcement on her birthday.

She could see him standing at the side of the battleground, holding Eret’s substitute shield and sword ready in case his master might need them. It was the first time she’d seen him since he’d fled from her in the armoury that night, and even though she’d known he would be here, the sight of him had floored her completely.

During the last few days, her heart had… No, it hadn’t started to heal, but it had become numb. She’d refused to think about him, hadn’t let her consciousness dwell on what couldn’t possibly be true. He couldn’t have been right! This wasn’t the first time they’d encountered difficulties or misunderstandings, like when they’d first started to get intimate and he’d more or less avoided her for days. Back then, they had only needed some good advice and the chance to talk openly until everything was clear again. This was no different… wasn’t it?

Her eyes were burning, her lower lip starting to quiver, and she turned her attention back to the fighting men before she would burst out into tears in public. It will all be solved, she repeatedly thought to herself. We just need time to work it out.

But deep inside, she knew that this was very different from the little problems they’d encountered before. Because they already had talked. And it hadn’t solved anything. On the contrary, as much as she hated to admit it, the words he’d said to her at the armoury were not ones she could easily dismiss.

‘We’ve already lost.’

Yes, she’d refused to believe those words, but she also couldn’t simply dismiss them as wrong. No matter how much she wanted to ignore them or how much she tried to come up with a solution… she couldn’t find one. Maybe he’d been right after all...

This was another thought she’d vehemently ignored during the past days, but now… Seeing him standing there tore all wounds open anew. No, she didn’t want to believe that their shared future had been nothing but a pipe dream. But arguing against it became harder and harder, especially with seeing the utter hopelessness in his posture. Oh, he might be trying to hide it, to appear unperturbed and focused on his work – but she easily saw through him just like he’d always been able to see through her mask. She could see how much he was suffering, saw the pain in his hollow eyes. He’d said that he still loved her, that their feelings hadn’t been just their imagination. And yet, he’d clearly given up. There was no fight in him anymore, no strength to even consider fighting. He was broken, and seeing him like that broke her, too.

Biting down on her lip, hard, she gazed down at her hands, clenched into tight fists to keep them from trembling. So, what if he had been right? She’d tried her best to find a solution, but everything she’d brought up he’d warded off as impossible, and rightly so. And he who was so much smarter than her, who was able to think so quickly and come up with solutions for every problem… had given up. Slowly and against her will, the realisation seeped into her heart.

They’d already lost…

Once more, she glanced at where he stood and it felt as if her heart was breaking all over again. It was over, really and truly over. Her hand wandered to her chest as if to catch the shards and keep them together, but it was no use. A fresh wave of pain tore through her and it only got worse when she saw him grimace and mimic her gesture, his hand pressing to his chest as if he could feel it too. For a short heartbeat, he glanced up at where she sat and their eyes met. It was like a last goodbye, a last shared moment, the acknowledgement that he felt the same but that that didn’t change anything.

There was no hope left for them, nothing they could do.

. o O o .

The realisation left her feeling hollow, even more so than the pain of the announcement and his words had before. There was nothing left for her. Nothing to look forward to, nothing to hope or to fight for. All that was left to her was a dull and empty future with a man she didn’t care for while always remembering what she’d lost, what could have been. It was a frightening thought, and for two days, it was all she could think about, making her tumble deeper and deeper into her misery, until Ruff put an end to it.

“This can’t go on,” she exclaimed when she spotted the plate of once more untouched tea and biscuits. “I get that you feel horrible and I’m sorry, I really am. But you’ve got to eat! You can’t let yourself waste away just because that boy turned your head and broke your heart. No matter how much you might despise this and how little I like to remind you about it, you’ve got responsibilities.”

Astrid snorted, the only reaction that gave away she’d listened at all with her standing by the window and looking out over Lake Vola’s calm surface. Responsibilities… Yes, that was all that was left to her. Fulfilling the expectations placed on her, marrying to keep the Kingdom stable and popping out children for her future husband until her body gave up. It wasn’t any different from what she’d been prepared for all her life, but where before she’d accepted the thought with a certain composure and even a hint of pride to fulfil this duty, it now only made her feel dreadful. But who knew… maybe she would be lucky; maybe she would end like so many other women and not survive such a life for long…

She flinched when, without a warning, a hand touched her shoulder. “Milady, you’ve got to move on,” Ruff said urgently. It could have come across as cruel and cold-hearted, but Astrid knew her maidservant well enough. Most of all, she was practical. “I know it’s not easy, but you have to. You have a few hours left before today’s hunting party returns and you’ll have to welcome them back; how about you try and get on other thoughts until then, take a break? You could visit your horse; Tuff can escort you there. Or the herb garden? Maybe there are a few plants that already grow, or you could clean it up for the warmer days?”

Swallowing, Astrid closed her eyes. Ruff was right, and she knew that. She couldn’t continue like this forever, like nothing but an empty shell. Eventually, she would have to go on, to get over him. A tiny voice in the back of her mind was screaming at her that this was wrong, that she shouldn’t have to get over him, that they were meant to be… But she ignored it and hoped that, one day, the voice would disappear. So far though, it only threatened to tear her apart – the logical knowledge that they had no chance against the denial still simmering beneath – and she wrapped her arms around herself in a fruitless attempt to keep herself together. Suddenly, seeking distraction sounded like an excellent idea.

“Okay,” she whispered weakly. A slight frown crossed her face as she thought about Ruff’s suggestions though. The idea of visiting Markor was alluring, but even with him now housed at the main stables, he was too tightly linked to all those wonderful memories she tried to forget, and she wasn’t sure whether she could stand being near him yet. No, that wasn’t an option, and visiting the herb garden wasn’t an appealing idea either; it would only remind her of these last few days at the dead royal gardens where she’d been offered like meat to a pack of wolves. But what else could she do?

Something like a small smile tugged at her lips as she remembered another option, another place she could go and hide from reality, from who she was, and where she got treated like a normal person.

“Is Tuff ready?” she asked in a quiet but somehow steadier voice. “I’d like to go visit Fishlegs.”

Ruff reacted with an approving grin. She even went so far as to pack the biscuits and other pastries to take with her, even though Astrid felt odd bringing food Heather might very well have prepared herself as a gift. However, she understood that Ruff’s main motivation was her hope that Astrid might still eat something, so she didn’t say anything, and not even half an hour later she knocked on the door to her friends’ house.

There were grunts and the shuffling of cloth audible, even through the door, but it still took over a minute before a tired looking Fishlegs opened her. When he recognised her though, his face brightened. “Astrid! Now, that’s a surprise. Uh, come in, come in.”

He stepped aside and waved her in, threw a wondering look at Tuff but shrugged and closed the door again when her warder made no attempts to come in as well and instead stayed with the chickens outside. He hurried around on his short legs to which he owed his nickname, and picked up boxes and other stuff to make room for her.

Astrid hesitantly took the seat he eventually offered to her and watched him with a worried expression. “Is everything all right? Is this a bad time for me to visit?” she asked, a little self-consciously. She’d looked forward to coming here once the plan was made, but hadn’t spared even a second to think about whether her friends even had time for her. But Fishlegs directly warded her concerns off with a smile and a shake of his head.

“No, no, don’t worry. We were just taking a nap, but it’s time to get up anyway.” As if to contradict himself, he yawned. “Uh, sorry. ‘s been a tough few days, but who am I telling this… Still, it’s good to see you. How are you doing?”

Warding his question off with a grimace and a shrug, she began to unpack the parcel of treats Ruff had given her. She hadn’t come here to dwell even more on her situation though, so she directly changed the subject. “And you?”

Fishlegs gave a little shrug, then longingly eyed the biscuits. “May I?” He reached for one when Astrid nudged the parcel toward him without a word, and ate it with obvious delight. “Mmh, that’s good. Not sure when I last ate anything.” He took another one, and only continued speaking once it was gone, too. “I’m okay. Tired. Overworked. Usually, I wouldn’t take a nap at this time of day, but Master Mulch insisted on it. He claimed that I’ve been on my feet for over thirty hours – and the fact that I don’t know whether that’s true is probably proof enough. But there’s just so much to do! It’s like these men are actually out on getting severely injured. More than one even asked whether he’d keep a ‘cool scar’ out of it.” He shook his head and helped himself to another pastry.

Or others are out to get them injured, she thought, grimacing as she again remembered Thuggory’s sneer. She shuddered, but ignored Fishlegs’ inquisitive look. “So, what kind of injuries do you have to treat? Mostly cuts, I assume?”

“Aye. Or that’s my job, at least, while Master Mulch treats the more urgent injuries,” he nodded, then intently looked at her. “Do you remember how to treat such a cut?”

Astrid chuckled, surprising herself with the sound. It felt odd, as if her being happy was some form of betrayal. But that was a stupid thought; Ruff had been right in insisting for her to get distracted would do her good. And she also was incredibly grateful for Fishlegs to catch up on her mood so quickly.

“I think so?” she replied to his question, focussing on what he’d taught her. “First, you have to clean the wound, with clear water or maybe strong alcohol. Then you put willow bark tincture on it, for disinfection and against the pain. Depending on how deep the cut is, you might need to sew it shut with a good needle. At last, you cover the wound with moss to soak up blood, put a tight-enough cast around it, and threaten the patient with your eternal wrath in case they don’t give the wound enough rest to heal properly,” she recited Fishlegs’ former lesson – even though the last bit was her own addition. It had the desired effect as it made him laugh and congratulate her on still remembering.

They chatted for a while longer, with Astrid feeling lighter by the minute, until Heather joined them. She looked even more tired than her husband had, and gracelessly slumped onto the bench next to him. At first, she eyed the pastries Astrid had brought with a slightly wrinkled nose, but then shrugged and picked one to nibble on.

“Hey, love. Had a good rest?” Fishlegs asked, then jumped up, startling Astrid. “Wait, I’ll make you a mug of that herbal tea. Astrid, what about you?”

“Sure, why not,” she replied with an amused smile, then turned her attention back to Heather. “Lots of work for you too, I guess?”

Again, Heather shrugged. “Yes, but it’s manageable, all in all. Mostly providing refreshments for those watching the tournament and preparing and preserving whatever them men bring from those hunts. It’s not like the crazy increase of work Justin has.”

Astrid raised an eyebrow at her, which made the other woman chuckle.

“Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking. I say that, but still, here I am, looking as if I’d been up for over three days straight.” She shook her head, a soft smile spreading over her face. “But I still say it’s not the work. I’m just kinda always tired lately. Maybe I’ve caught some bug, or so. It’ll pass.”

Before Astrid could reply anything, Fishlegs returned and placed a steaming mug in front of each. “So, here you go. But I’ve gotta leave you now. I’m sure we’ll get new patients once the hunting party returns, and I need to help Master Mulch prepare for that. Bye, Astrid. Was great to see you again.” He waved at her, bent to kiss Heather goodbye, and left.

Astrid reached for her mug, and hummed. She knew that the brew was too hot to drink it yet, but she could still enjoy the heat as part of the comfort around her, and she basked in it all, in this small sanctuary.

Until Heather brutally tore her back into reality.

“So, you’re getting married,” she stated.

It wasn’t a question, and when Astrid threw her a short baffled look before quickly averting her gaze she thought she detected a strange expression in Heather’s eyes. Pity, determination, and… satisfaction? But no, she certainly had imagined that last one, she thought and shook her head, chiding herself. She, too, was overly tired and exhausted, that was all. “Yes,” she breathed, the only answer she could think of. What else was she supposed to reply anyway? It wasn’t a secret, after all. Not anymore.

Heather watched her for a minute, quietly, and then sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said, sounding weirdly formal. “I remember what we talked about some while ago, and… Well, judging by how you haven’t openly proclaimed your love yet and your gloomy mood… I guess the one you had feelings for isn’t someone your father would approve of?”

Astrid pressed her lips shut, her hands around the mug tightening. This was not why she’d come here. She didn’t want to talk about this, about him, didn’t want to think. She wasn’t strong enough for that, not yet. “No, he’s not,” she mumbled weakly. “And-and it’s over anyway.” Saying it out loud, now that she knew it was true, hurt even more, and she hoped that Heather would drop the topic now. But apparently, she wasn’t that lucky.

“I see,” Heather sighed. “Well, again, I’m sorry for you. But this is part of what I meant, you know? When you asked me about how it feels to be in love and I told you to be careful? And it’s probably better this way anyway, that it’s over I mean.” She sighed again. “Gods, I sound heartless. I’d apologise, but what I wan– what I need to tell you won’t sound any better to you.”

Astrid wanted to make her stop talking, to order her if necessary, but she couldn’t find her voice. Unbiddenly, just thinking about him made images and memories flash through her mind, of his shining eyes when he smiled, of his touch when he cradled her cheek, of his warmth when he held her in his embrace. They flooded through her, leaving her powerless to rein them back in, and only Heather’s voice – even as it had caused this in the first place – was able to tear her out of it again.

“The thing is… I know that a marriage out of love is one of the best things that can happen to a person. But you are more than just an ordinary person! You aren’t just responsible for your own happiness, but also for that of your people. And even though I wouldn’t want to begrudge you a love match… I want to ask you to make a prudent choice. Please, think of your people.”

Astrid was trembling, but with the painful memories had also come the numbness of the last few days. As if her body and mind reacted on reflex, shutting down to ward off any harm. “What exactly are you asking of me?” she heard herself ask, her eyes on the little waves on the tea’s surface.

Heather gave a deep sigh. “I… I want to ask you to marry Dagur – or his horse-crazy boyfriend, if necessary. These two… with their impossible relationship and their refusal to marry and take responsibility, they’re a bigger threat to the Kingdom’s stability that those pathetic Malarians who can’t do anything but be an annoying pain at the border. Please, I-I’m begging you. It is within your power to separate them and end this selfish infatuation of theirs that so easily can turn half the Kingdom into chaos. Marry Dagur and give him an heir. It’s w-what the people need!”

There was a heavy silence once Heather stopped talking. To Astrid, it felt oppressive, like a thick blanket smothering everything; every sound, her thoughts, her movements, even the air to breathe. Only slowly, she managed to raise her head and to look at the other woman.

Heather was clearly afraid of having spoken her mind so openly. She was watching her with wide eyes, one hand over her mouth to cover it, the other wrapped around herself in something like a protective gesture. It was a funny sight, in a way. This woman, who had adamantly fought expectations and the people who had wanted to keep her in the place she’d been born into, was afraid of her, a powerless puppet who wasn’t even allowed to choose what she was wearing? It was ridiculous.

But Astrid felt too numb to laugh. Instead, she silently gazed at the woman who she’d thought of as a friend until now. “Thanks for the tea,” she eventually whispered, let go of the untouched mug, and rose to her feet to leave.

In passing, she heard Heather mumble another “I’m sorry!” but she wasn’t in a condition to accept the words.

Tuff looked up in surprise when she appeared next to him, but quickly caught on to her mood after he caught her expression. “Guess that didn’t go as Ruff hoped, eh? What a surprise… You wanna go back?”

Astrid nodded and mutely followed Tuff back to her chambers. And all the while, her head was spinning around what Heather had said.

How dare she? How dare she ask something like this of her? Essentially, it was the same thing the King had asked of her, the same he had suggested. But marrying Dagur – or Eret or Snotlout for that matter – that was insane! How could people even think of this option? It was ridiculous, and wrong, and simply impossible.

. o O o .

No matter how much Astrid tried to dismiss Heather’s suggestion as pure idiocy, the thought kept popping up in her mind at the weirdest of moments. Over and over, she mulled it over in her head, all the reasons why it was a stupid idea and could never work out. It was annoying – but she was still grateful for it. Thinking about this kept her mind occupied and prevented her from drowning in pain. At night, she was still helpless to the onslaught of memories, crying until she had no tears left, but at least during the day she was managing better now. And during dinner two days later, she was even able to pay attention to what happened around her again.

“Hey, Dag. Could you hand me the cheese plate?”

The question came from Snot next to her, and Astrid reacted without thinking as she reached for the plate that stood right in front of her and pushed it over to him.

“Uh… thanks, Astrid,” Snot grunted, clearly perplexed.

She gave him a nod and something like a small smile, then looked around into the astonished but smiling faces of her brothers. “What?” she asked, a little defensively. It wasn’t as if she usually was too proud to help either.

Eret’s smile softened a little. “Nothing. It’s just good to have you back.” She frowned, but he didn’t elaborate and she was grateful for that. She really hadn’t been here lately, had she?

With a low sigh, she reached for a bread roll and the cheese as well. She did it out of reflex, to not get scolded again for eating too little, and only after taking a first bite did she realise how hungry she actually was. Maybe Ruff had been right after all. Maybe it was time for her to accept the lot fate had dealt her and roll with it. As always, the thought came with a hidden, painful sting, but she refused to let it hit her, to even let the tiniest of thoughts about… about this topic reach her consciousness. She might be more composed now, but she certainly wasn’t strong enough for that. So when Eret addressed the older men at the other end of the table a minute later, she happily focused all her attention on their conversation.

“Uncle Spitelout? I know I’m asking this every night, but have you received any news from Daniel today?”

At that, Astrid looked up with real interest now. Whenever Spitelout was at the castle, he happily took over overseeing the royal pigeonry for the time being. She’d never understood his fascination with the birds, but then, everybody needed a hobby, she assumed. It made him happy and also meant that he was always informed about what kind of messages had left or reached the castle through the homing pigeons. And even with how twisted her thoughts about Daniel were these days, she was still eager to hear from him.

However, Spitelout, who’d just pushed his plate away with a clearly satisfied sigh, just gave a little grunt and shook his head. “Sorry, boy, but there still was no answer. The last time we heard from him was a week ago when he informed us that everything goes as planned.” He shrugged. “Beyond that, ‘No news are good news’. Besides, who knows whether your message has even reached him yet? My birds only fly to their nests in Westhill, after all, and from there a courier would have to be sent out to find him and deliver your message – and while we know where the Prince is supposed to be, itineraries in that region can be seen as little more than polite suggestions.”

“Looks like you’ll have to wait until he’s back, son,” Eret II added with an amused smile. “Just be a little patient, he’ll be back in two weeks anyway.”

Eret grunted, but didn’t ask anything else, and instead focused on his overly full plate.

Astrid had watched the short exchange with a bit of apparently obvious bewilderment, so Dagur, who seemed to have caught her puzzled look, now leaned over to explain in a low voice. “Eret sent a pigeon with a message to Westhill, a day or two after… well, after this whole mess started. I read a part of it and it was hilarious; a collection of not-very-nice insults and the repeated demand for what in the name of Hel’s pale tit Daniel had been thinking.” He shrugged, grinning. “To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if Daniel chose not to answer. I certainly wouldn’t. Either way, their next meeting is going to be fun. Chippy was fuming in the beginning, and I bet he’s still not entirely calmed down, though don’t ask me what exactly it was that had set him off like that. He didn’t even tell me.”

She threw a glance at Eret, and the tight grip with which he held his cutlery and the slightly troubled grimace on his face seemed to prove Dagur’s words true. It made her wonder. Sure, she didn’t have the most sisterly feelings for Daniel these days either; his knowing about this plan and not telling her felt like too much of a betrayal. But it made little sense for Eret to have the same reasons for his anger. She didn’t get the chance to further wonder about his behaviour though.

“I’ve got to agree, it’s good to have you back among the living,” came suddenly Snot’s voice from beside her, and when she turned to look at him, he had a wide grin on his face. “And since the kitchen provided us with this dish tonight... May I suggest you try this cold venison? It’s deer prepared after a recipe our chef in Westhill developed, and it is delicious.”

Perplexed, she watched as Snot placed a piece of the rosy meat onto her plate before she could even react. Then she grimaced, and shook her head. “No, thanks. No venison for me,” she mumbled. Snot couldn’t know her feelings there, of course. But she simply wasn’t able to eat any form of venison – or meat in general – lately. Not since her birthday.

“Snot, you really are an idiot, do you know that?” Dagur commented dryly as he reached over to pick the venison off her plate and devoured it whole. The sight made a small amused smile tug at her lips. Good manners weren’t exactly one of Dagur’s strong assets – and probably never would be.

Snot huffed, but didn’t further react to Dagur. Instead, he turned his attention back to Astrid and the cheese plate between them. “I’m sorry, how thoughtless of me. But… well, then how about this?” He cut off a piece of soft cheese with a greyish-yellow rind and held it out for her with a broad smile. “Father and I brought this on your father’s request; he liked it a lot the last time he visited Westhill. It has a rich and piney flavour that only develops when the cheese gets extra time to age.”

Hesitantly and with a slight frown, Astrid accepted the offered cheese, more out of reflex than of real interest. What was up with Snot? It wasn’t as if she didn’t know this behaviour from him; focussing all his attention on one person, being friendly and observant while more or less subtly advertising himself, his family, or his home. But so far, he’d never directed it at her! Was he actually flirting with her? He couldn’t be serious, could he? Surely, he had to be joking, overacting to throw it back into their fathers’ faces… right?

She looked at him, trying to detect something in his expression, a twitch of his lips maybe or an amused spark in his eyes. But there was nothing. Still trying to make sense of Snot’s behaviour, she took a bite of the cheese, but couldn’t help but grimace at the weirdly unctuous taste. “Urgh, sorry, but I think I’ll pass this one,” she said in as polite a tone as she could muster. She kind of appreciated Snot’s attention as it served as a good distraction, but it still left a strange aftertaste.

Hoping he would leave her be now, she wanted to reach for her glass of wine, but sighed when she found it empty.

“Here, let me get you a refill,” Snot directly prompted. He reached for one of the wine carafes at the end of the table, and before she could even blink her glass was filled again. “This one is another speciality we brought from Westhill, and if I remember correctly, you quite liked this one. ‘Rich-yet-not-overpowering berry fruit flavour surrounded with hints of cassis and cherry’ was your description, I think.”

Despite her annoyance at his renewed attention, Astrid couldn’t help but feel grateful, both for the wine and that he’d remembered. She tried a sip, and couldn’t help but hmm. The rich liquid tasted wonderful and made her relax almost instantly. Before she knew how, the glass was empty, and with a low, regretful sigh, she placed it back onto the table. She didn’t want to get drunk, couldn’t afford it, but the idea of getting rid of all her problems, if only for a few hours, was alluring. And the wine really did taste good.

So she didn’t object when Snot got her another refill, and didn’t even mind him directly diving into his next story about all the formidable vineyards they had in Westhill and how much more they could have.

With a resigned sigh, she settled on sipping her wine and tried to drone out his monologue. A part of her tried to reason that he certainly didn’t mean to annoy her into anger with his apparent flirting. Maybe she was just too over-sensitive and strained right now to detect the signs of joking.

Because he couldn’t be serious, right? He couldn’t be actually flirting with her. No matter what their fathers wanted, he was still her brother! But the longer the dinner lasted, the more plain his advances became and the more she wished to get away from him. Snot, like all of her brothers, had always been a source of comfort to her, but tonight she felt the opposite.

His behaviour reminded her of the impossible implication of her marrying one of them. Although, at least Snot didn’t seem to think it impossible, even though the thought made her shudder. Marrying one of her brothers… that was completely insane!

Wasn’t it?

. o O o .

Right...Yeah, it still feels like not much has happened in this chapter, but it's actually been a lot, I think. Many little things, development, preparation...Sorry if it sucks...

And I promise this is still very much a Hiccstrid story!

*jumps back into hiding*

Next chapter

#For The Love Of A Princess #FTLOAP #hiccstrid #hiccstrid fanfiction #hiccstrid angst #romance #Royalty AU #hiccstrid royal au #medieval au #Hiccstrid Medieval AU #httyd #Hiccup and Astrid

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quickwitter · 5 years

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A memory of a loved one who has passed

Mom (top photo on the right in 1981, bottom photo is both my parent’s in a drum circle at my cousin’s wedding 2008). I don’t write much about my Mom, that might be because my relationship with her is a lot more complicated than any other relationship I’ve ever had. I imagine that most women can relate to that. To her credit my mom was game to try anything, to go anywhere, an extrovert, a fabulous dancer, and great conversationalist. She was a loyal spouse, a commandant of a mother, and a cherished life-long friend. Over time she is the voice I hear most, when I seek guidance, which would probably make her laugh since she never thought I was listening.

When I was first moved into my house the ex and I had broken up and I was sort of drifting through life. My Mom and Dad had a fight so she came down to stay with me for a long weekend to cool off. She was the energizer bunny. We started the day at Disneyland, then had dinner at a jousting tournament place called Medieval Times, then she wanted to go out dancing. I drew the line and instead we came home had a couple of glasses of wine, then headed to the local Harley/Horse bar down the street for a nightcap. My parents both loved the Hideaway, because it was a dive. Usually they’d head there together and come back all excited to report on some altercation that took place while they were there.

This time it was just my mom and I.

There are maybe 5 or 6 tables ringing a small dance floor and if it’s crowded, like it was that night, most people end up standing watching the band play. My mom went to get us a seat, while I went to the bar to get drinks. When I returned, my mom was seated at a table with a nice looking man about my age. She waved me over and introduced me to him as a nice Christian Contractor, hint hint.

It was amazing to me that in the span of about five minutes my mom managed to find both a table (no small feat) and a man for me to date that fit her specific criteria for me.

I didn’t date him. The ex and I banged it out for another decade, managing to stay together for more than two years after she died.

I could sure use her matchmaking skills these days.

My mom wasn’t a soft person, though she was always very real and honest. She was always multi-faceted and some of her edges were sharp and barbed.

I’m more like her than I like to admit. Hopefully, I have her sense of adventure in the mundane, and fierce independence, but less of her inner anger and defensiveness.

#nbad #november blogging challenge #november blog a day #memory of a loved one #healingheartonthefloor #mom

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winged-time-criminal · 6 years

Text

Can I just share my love for A Knight’s Tale (2001)?

It is the best romantic comedy and I have about memorized every line. It’s a medieval period piece, blatantly inaccurate but with plenty to maintain the mirage, classic rock (so much Queen), a fantastic wardrobe and set, and a fantastic cast.

Alright, here we go...

The first section of the movie (and little scenes throughout) show what William (Heath Ledger) is working for. He wants to be above his station, to prove his worth beyond what people see when they look at him, to survive with his friends. He gains more to his collection of ragtags and acknowledges each of their strengths. Roland’s (Mark Addy) sewing ability, Wat’s (Alan Tudyk) lunatic-ish threatening, Chaucer’s (Paul Bettany) announcing skills, and Kate’s (Laura Fraser) fantastic armor. Each skill comes into play to advance William, and he gives them glory. All appreciated and none ignored. And when it looks like he’s going to have to give up his dream, they stand by him and protect him. They also help him write the best love letter in existence.

Then there is Jocelyn. (Shannyn Sossamon) She is witty and fashion forward. She stands out because she wants to. And to those who would treat her like just a beautiful object, she ignores them or quickly dismisses them. What she has to gain in the movie is herself. If she accepts anything less than Will, then she is nothing more than a beautiful face with a voice to be silenced.

Where Jocelyn comes from with her demand that Will must lose the tournament is justified. Every man who has tried to win her attention wants her as a prize. An extra flair if they win the tournament. William wants her for her. Her snappy wit, her cleverness (like saving him at the banquet), and yes, her beauty. When he shifts to sounding like every other guy after such a remarkable letter, who wouldn’t want to take his ego down a peg. Or several.

But then she doesn’t make him go through with it. She notes his dedication to her challenge and then gives him back his goal. He wins the tournament, and he wins her. (Give or take a dislocated shoulder.) And then apologizes for his injuries. And William. Will, sweet talking darling. “My father told me to take the bad with the good.” She is the good in his life and *gah* cue the heart palpitations.

Count Adamar (Rufus Sewell) is the definition of the accomplished knight. He has the prestige. The Royal ties (called personally to the war by the Prince). What he doesn’t have is Jocelyn. He tries in his suave way, explaining the rules of jousting to her (she asks him too) and answers honestly. What becomes his downfall is putting his advancement above everything. Jocelyn is the prize like she is to every other man. Something to be “saddled and put on my mantle.” At every chance he gets he attempts to beat down Will’s self-worth. “You have been weighed, you have been measured. And You have been found wanting.” and “In what world could you have ever beaten me?” When such statements don’t get a rise out of Will, he lashes out violently and even then that does not seem to faze Will. “How would you beat him?” he asks. The reply he receives makes it clear that he never could. “With a knife, while he slept. But on a horse, with a lance? He is unbeatable.” So Adamar finds William when he is vulnerable and exploits him by revealing the lie of William’s nobility.

The lie of nobility has given William everything. His friends, access to Jocelyn, never hungering again, and the pride of his father. When Jocelyn finds out, she is willing to run away with him. “To sleep with the pigs inside the house in winter so they don’t freeze.” She disappears from Willaim’s last (filmed) match and goes to find who William loves possibly even more than her: his father. She tells him what is going on in the match and celebrates with him before joining William in the sand.

It is a wonderfully written rise and fall of the plans of man. There is a double enemy (Adamar and rank of nobility), and a triple victory (gifted nobility, victory in the tournament over Adamar, and Jocelyn).

The ensemble is well crafted. Each character is defined. (And you have to stay through the credits for the bonus farting scene; trust me.) Roland is the voice of reason, though he can joke with the others and has pride. (”The Pope may be French, but Jesus is English. You’re on!”) And he gets a cute flirty side romance with Jocelyn's handmaiden, Christiana (Berenice Bejo). Wat is comedic (so many clever one-liners! “It’s called a lance! Hellooo!”). Chaucer is comedic, always insulting and kidding Wat, but he also knows the laws of nobility and defends Will from them. Kate wants to prove herself as a blacksmith. She is the only historically-accurate character in the movie as a widow would often take up their husband’s trade to survive. And she’s good at it. She’s innovative. And she invents the Nike symbol for good measure.

The Black Prince of Wales (James Purefoy) acts as sort of a fairy godmother. Will proves his worth when he does not back down from endangering a member of the royal family. “By jousting he endangers himself.” Both the prince and Will hide their identities to compete, which links them later when Colville saves him from the stocks.

And the jousting! I used to work at Medival Times (dinner and show business) so I know how hard those stunts were. The hits are impactful and advance the plot or character structuring. (Like when Roland and Wat lie to encourage Will to hit one competitor extremely hard.) Each one means something, even in the “losing montage.” The audience’s respect of the collisions builds over the movie, so when Will goes into battle without armor, it’s edge-of-your-seat rattling.

I’m sorry this was so long (it got away from me), but this movie is beautiful. Strong characters. Well crafted plot. A Love Story where both sides have things to gain and lose that are relatable.

#a knight's tale #heath ledger #rufus sewell #shannyn sossamon #paul bettany #laura fraser #mark addy #alan tudyk #james purefoy #bernice bejo #film analysis #knights tale 2001 #knights tale film analysis #didn't mean to make this a project #oops #romantic comedy #period piece #medieval europe in film

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project-ml · 7 years

Text

Project: Tarot 2017 - In the Hand of Fate

In The Hand of Fate

Project: Tarot 2017 Masterpost (tbp)

Author: @pateatsaburger

Beta’d By: @the-bored-bookworm, @misfireezreal

Summary: The miraculous cure isn’t perfect and everyone suffers after effects of being akumatised, and on Halloween, the heroes suffer the effects of their own miraculous.

Tags: Halloween, cat and bug appearance changes, akuma abilities, classroom antics

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“Player One wins!” announced the pre-recorded digital voice. The pixelated robot form of NAD03 stood triumphant over the crumpled mass of MX-01.

“Come on, dude!” Nino threw his controller on the floor, “When did you get so good at this?”

Adrien gave a cool smirk and folded his hands behind his head. “Ha, if you think I’m good, Nino, you should go a round with Marinette. She’s unstoppable at this game. Right, Marinette?”

The girl in question was sitting at a nearby table filled with home-baked snacks her parents had brought up to her room. The mountain of tasty food served as a believable hiding spot to ogle Adrien from. It was all she could do. The simple fact that Adrien Agreste was in her room was sending her brain into overdrive. A sharp bump to her side snapped her out of staring at the dreamy boy. “Huh, what? I mean, yeah! I’m… super good at that… hehe...”

Awkward silence followed for what felt like hours.

“Round Two!” announced the video game and the boys returned to the fight.

“What was that, girl?” Alya whispered, “He was paying you a compliment!”

Marinette gripped her hair, “I know, I just freaked out! I wasn’t prepared for today! You’re the one who suggested having this video game tournament in my house!” She pressed her face to the table and groaned. This was going terribly. Alya was always the level headed one. She worked so hard to give Marinette dozens of chances to be alone with Adrien, all of which Marinette screwed up. “How do I talk to him without making it weird?”

Alya patted the girl’s head, “Hey, you’ll get there. You just need to take baby-steps.” She thought about it, “How about… you ask him for his number.”

“His number? But I already have that. I got it from you.”

“Adrien doesn’t know that,” Alya winked and got up. “Okay, Adrien, you’ve done enough damage. It’s my turn to kick Nino’s butt.”

“Dude, not cool!”

“Have at it,” Adrien handed her the controller.

Marinette’s heart stopped as she realized her crush was coming her way. Her body spasmed as it couldn’t decide whether it wanted to run or stay. In the end, her indecisiveness was her downfall.

“Thanks for inviting us, Marinette. I’m having a great time.” His face was radiant like the sun. She felt like she would melt under the warmth. “...Marinette?”

She blinked as she realized she was staring again, “Ah! That’s great! You’re having a great time so that’s great! You’re great! Everything’s great! Great! Yay!”

Her gaze drifted past him, towards Alya who mouthed, ‘Baby-steps.’

Marinette took a deep breath, steeled herself, and looked straight at the cookie tray for bravery. In the center of the sweets stood the serpent-like body of a jade dragon. Her mom had left it there, telling Marinette it was a good luck charm. The woman had then shot a knowing smile at Adrien which he thankfully didn’t see. Marinette was so embarrassed by what her mom was insinuating that she practically shoved the woman out of the room, making sure to quickly thank her and ask her to please not come back. Now, she hoped that little green dragon did have some magic. Marinette knew luck was real, but she was only lucky as Ladybug. How could a normal girl do this?

“Um, Adrien, I was wondering. M-m-maybe, next time, I don’t have to invite everyone through Alya.” Her eyes followed the dragon to the silver tray, she followed the silver tray to his arm, she followed his arm to his face. He was patiently listening with that same glowing smile full of understanding and happiness, “Maybe… I could invite you if I… had…” she gulped, “Nino’s number!”

His eyebrow arched up, “Nino’s number?”

Marinette forced a smile and gritted her teeth as her subconscious started kicking her repeatedly, “Yeah, you know, to make getting a hold of him a bit smoother.”

“Sure...” he returned the smile, one more believable than hers, and pulled out his phone.

“Dudes, check it out!” Nino slammed what looked like a brick onto the table. Alya stood behind him giving Marinette a wordless apology. “I found these under the cabinet. I think they’re like sparrow cards or something.”

“They’re called Tarot cards, Nino,” Alya corrected while grabbing his shoulders, “Now stop trying to avoid losing to a girl and get back to the game.”

Adrien shuffled through the cards, their designs were intricate and mysterious. Each held a single word along with the miniature paintings. Marinette could tell they were old. The edges were frayed and bent, but the imagery was still vibrant. She vaguely remembered her dad rifling through this deck many years ago, “I think these belong to my dad… What are they doing in my room?”

“You can use them to predict the future, right?” Nino asked, “Let’s totally do that!”

Adrien nodded, “Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

Relief washed over Marinette. Now she had more time to work up the courage to ask Adrien. She gave Alya a desperate look.

Alya sighed, “Fine.”

A quick online search was all Alya needed in order to figure out how to do a supposedly proper card reading. As proper as a Google search could find. Although, she admitted, the ceremony was much more complicated than she originally thought. Snacks were pushed to the table edges and everybody watched as she placed several cards face down to form an odd shape. “The Hand of Fate,” Alya called it, “Constantly moving, taking us along for the ride. Who we doing?”

“Ladies first,” Adrien motioned towards Marinette.

Marinette giggled. All the excitement in the air felt silly. At the same time, though, she was… nervous. She wondered what the cards had in store.

Alya flipped the one closest to Marinette. On it was a tall dark obelisk in a dry desert. Its silhouette framed sharply by the burning ball of fire behind it. “The Tower,” Alya read off the guide on her phone, “It could mean a sudden change… good or bad.”

“Ooooohhh...” Nino fanned his fingers trying to be scary.

Alya cleared her throat and the boy stopped. She then followed the direction the tower pointed until she hit a second card. Pictured there was a man and woman, both wore absolutely nothing. An angel smile down upon them. “Uh oh, The Lovers,” Alya playfully sang, “Looks like we got a sudden change to love.” This launched a round of snickers that left Marinette blushing.

Marinette could feel all three pairs of eyes on her. The only ones she cared about were the green ones next to her. This was too much. “Alya, quit it!” Still, a part of her wanted these cards to actually hold some kind of power.

“Hey, it’s not me,” Alya shrugged, “This is fate. And fate has one more card to play.” Her finger traced the direction of the angel’s gaze to a card standing alone in the corner. She flipped it and all the teasing ended.

“Whoa… dark,” she heard Nino mutter.

Marinette peaked. Her heart stopped.

On a white horse rode a knight. The medieval armor, heavy and thick. The only opening was the lifted visor resting on the man’s forehead. At least, she assumed it was a man. Hard to tell when they have a skull for a face. The unsettling ghoulish creature led the steed across its name: Death.

Alya fumbled with her phone, “R-r-relax, guys, it’s not literal,” she scanned the screen for an answer. “Oh! It can mean: from known to unknown. That’s… vague?”

The world was spinning in Marinette’s head. Does this mean her love for Adrien was doomed to fail? Was there nothing she could do? Was there even a point in trying?! She didn’t want to think about this. She needed air. She pushed the table away so she could run to the balcony. But then she heard something wobble. In the corner of her eye, she spied a flash of jade fall to the floor followed by a crash.

Blinding light spilled from the stone dragon’s remains, quickly engulfing the room.

“Whoa! What’s happening?!” cried Nino.

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“Not much, what’s happening with you?” Marinette flirted back. She leaned her head on Adrien’s shoulder, enjoying the comfort of his arm draped around her. She wished she could stay like this forever, but the walk from school to her house was so short.

“If that’s the case, I was thinking maybe we do something today. Just the two of us,” he sweetly suggested.

Marinette stopped and clasped Adrien’s hands in hers, “Really? You’re open? No photoshoots, fencing, or networking dinners?”

“I set aside today a month ahead of time,” he puffed out his chest with pride, causing her to laugh at his ridiculous pose. Ideas raced through her imagination, they hadn’t been on a date in weeks. Now they had a whole day to themselves and she wanted to do everything!

A terrified scream pierced the air. Several identical white-skinned, red-skirted jesters fled down the streets in fear. Far in the distance sauntered another, only this one wasn’t scared. She was confident and angry.

“Oh no...” whispered Marinette before she was pulled into an alley. “Adrien—” Before she could beg him to stay, his lips pressed against hers. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his presence a little while longer.

He took her hands and wrapped her fingers around something small. “Plagg, claws out.” In a blast of green, Cat Noir stood before her.

“Let me come with you. I can help,” she blurted out.

Both of them hesitated, surprised at her words. Cat Noir recovered first and cupped her cheek, “I’ll be back. I promise, princess,” he said with bittersweet longing. He leaped up the walls and disappeared.

He would come back. He always did, but never for long. It was hard enough being in love with a fashion model. A fashion model who doubled as a superhero, though? It was a miracle they ever saw each other. She opened the velvet case he had left. There rested two diamond-studded earrings. Happy tears brimmed. She had mentioned so long ago how she always wanted real jewelry but her family couldn’t afford them. He must’ve been paying attention. She removed her cheap plastic pair and put on the gift. She stepped out of the alley and looked at her reflection in a shop window.

Beautiful.

She really did look like a princess.

She would trade them in a second for her prince.

00000000

“This is temporary,” Master Fu told Wayzz like he did with every new prisoner.

The little green kwami said nothing to the man, choosing instead to return to meditating in his record player. The man stroked his short, gray beard. The habit brought small comfort during these troubling times. In his long life, he never expected to be responsible for the suffering of so many. A wall of monitors stood before him. They showed similar sterile cells. Sealed off from the outside world, each was home to one poor soul. And he had put them there.

When Hawkmoth first surfaced, Fu had easily found the perfect wielder for the Cat Noir ring. However, he had no such luck with the Ladybug Miraculous. With no way of purifying the Akumas and undoing the damage they inflict, Cat Noir could only break what held the dark butterflies, destroy the insects and free the victims from Hawkmoth’s control. While this seemed to work at first, it became apparent that those infected were at greater risk of re-akumatization. They had to be protected, watched, and contained. Fu was forced to turn to the Mayor. The politician came off as naive but he truly cared about the people of Paris. Once he saw the destructive power the Akumas held, he granted Fu full use of La Sante high security prison.

“That cat boy’s bringing another one for you, Master Fu,” informed the chubby policeman at the door.

“Thank you, Roger.”

He watched another monitor as the hero walked the latest de-akumatized victim, a handcuffed girl with long black hair, down the cold corridor. This one was probably another of Adrien’s classmates. Hawkmoth had taken a liking to them. It seemed like they kept getting younger. After Cat Noir locked the cell door, Fu turned off the monitor. He could never watch the first day. The child’s pain and fear was too great.

“Temporary...” he muttered. In his palm rolled two red and black polkadotted jewels. The power to end that pain and fear locked within. Out of reach without a wielder.

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When an Akuma attacks, the streets shut down until the police give the all clear. In other words, no customers. Instead of staring at the empty bakery, Marinette’s mother tried to pass the time by commenting on her new jewelry, “That boy is too good to you, Marinette.”

“Why don’t we invite him over for dinner as thanks,” her father offered.

Marinette put on a smile, “I’ll ask.” She absently rubbed the earrings while leaning over the counter. Her parents bustled about, making sure all the breads they probably wouldn’t sell today would stay good until tomorrow. That is, if anyone came tomorrow. This area of Paris had become the hub of the most Akuma appearances, which drove all the shoppers away. Each time, her parents would shrug and say it was an off day, but from their frantic pace and long looks at the deserted sidewalks Marinette could tell that that was a lie. She had even overheard them whispering about the possibility of moving. Clearly, they couldn’t afford to invite Adrien over for dinner and they were just being nice. “He might need to clear his schedule. It… fills up pretty fast.” She didn’t want to give her parents any false hope, what with Adrien having to save the world and stuff.

Running out the door to rescue the day.

Leaving her behind.

‘Let me come with you. I can help.’

What had she been thinking? She had always simply smiled and wished him luck. The very idea of fighting at his side was ridiculous. She had no powers; never threw a single punch in her life. She must be going crazy. Still, in that moment, there had been... something.

Her thumb brushed a bit too hard against one of the prickly edges of the gemstone on her ear and she pulled away with a hiss.

“Honey, you alright?” her dad asked.

“I’m okay, don’t worry,” Marinette assured while hiding her cut behind her back.

Her mother saw it, “Careful, real diamonds can leave a mark.”

She needed air.

“Call if you need me,” she said as she climbed the stairs to her room, ready for the refreshing breeze on her balcony. Her head had barely poked through the trapdoor when she stopped. A feast of desserts stood in her room on a table she recognized as the one they used for cake displays downstairs. Stale crumbs littered the floor. She heard the droning buzz of her television alongside the menu theme of Ultimate Mecha Strike III.

“Hello?” Marinette whipped around, wondering if she had accidentally walked in on a surprise party. Nobody answered. Then she saw something she never thought she would ever see again.

She bolted up the last few steps and ran to it. The bookbag was the same shade of blue as she remembered. She flipped the thing over and found the impossible words stitched into the side: ‘Property of Alya Cesaire.’ Maybe she really was going crazy. There was no way Alya’s bag could be here. Marinette had brought it to her friend when she first visited her cell and yet there it was, an exact replica. Or maybe not so exact… Hanging off one of the straps was an odd little decoration. It kinda resembled a ladybug.

Before she could investigate further, her ears picked up another sound over the TV. A single note, endlessly echoing. It was faint, ominous, ethereal, almost otherworldly. And it came from under a pile of cards on the floor. Marinette carefully pushed the mess aside and found a jade dragon broken into three pieces. Curiously, each piece stood atop a Tarot card. The music ebbed and flowed from the chunks of stone which seemed to be somehow glowing.

Magic. The source of Akumas!

Marinette scrambled back. This was it! She was next! She was going to wake up in a cell like Alya, locked away by her own boyfriend, never to see the outside world again!! She curled into a ball and waited for the end. The note continued. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Nothing had changed. The stones continued their song, ignoring her fear. Alya’s account of how she was akumatized came back to her. Anger. Anger was what triggered the magic. Good thing she was more scared and confused than that.

She ran to her trapdoor and rushed down the stairs. Just as she was about shut the door, she took one last look at the magical dragon. She knew she should run. She was taught to always run and let the police handle it. Let Cat Noir handle it. But that… feeling was back. That urge to do something.

‘I can help.’

Panic still icing her veins, the girl climbed back into her room and examined the dragon. The magic didn’t attack or try to akumatize her. It simply rang. This didn’t make sense. Master Fu had warned all of Paris to stay away from magic. It was dangerous. Wait… Master Fu! He would know what this was. Maybe it was good magic, like what Cat Noir used.

Using Alya’s bag, she carefully scooped up the statue, cards and all.

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La Sante was a prison first constructed in 1867 to house 500. Over the years, that number increased to over 2,000. With its new variant of occupants, the fortress was again redesigned under Master Fu’s direction to both keep Akuma victims in and everything else out.

Especially butterflies.

Windows were cemented over. Air ducts were netted. Every point of entry and exit had two sets of reinforced doors. Mayor Bourgeois had even suggested Fu cast an ancient spell of shielding over the entire complex. Fu had to remind him that he was a wise old man, not a wise old wizard.

The precautions had worked. Nobody who had been housed in La Sante had been re-akumatized… yet.

It had been nearly a year. Black butterfly after black butterfly had fluttered through shadows and hidden in corners, searching, prodding for a weakness. Most of the magic insects were found within a day and immediately destroyed by either Cat Noir or the Paris Police Force. But this one… this one had been smart. It had avoided all the cameras, memorized the guard routes, and found the one place Fu forgot.

Underground.

La Sante was originally built on the former Coal Market of Paris. The initial architect had refurbished the drains once used to carry the rocky sludge away of the city. They still let out into the same sewage line from 150 years ago. It flapped its wings hard to stay just above the gurgling water, twisting with the rusted pipes. With no way of knowing which turns to take, the insect chose at random until it saw light at the end of the tunnel. Its tiny legs pulled its body out of the drain and scaled the metal. It sat on the sink edge and saw its target: a young girl with long black hair.

She was crying into her hands, “Rose, I’m sorry. I am so sorry.” She held something tightly against her chest.

The butterfly flew towards it.

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Fu stared at the black screen, his dark reflection showed tired eyes surrounded by constantly growing bags. He had waited long enough. He needed to resume his watch of the newest prisoner, no matter how much sorrow it brought. He reached for the on switch.

“Master Fu,” a voice called on the intercom.

Fu swiveled from the cell monitors to the live feed of the front guard station. Roger was looking back at him with a girl standing behind him. This one normally came to see Alya if Fu’s memory was correct. Fu sighed and pressed the red answer button, “She can schedule a visit with Alya for tomorrow.”

“Actually, sir, she wants to—”

The girl jumped in front of Roger, “Master Fu, you need to see this! I think it’s magic!” She quickly held up what looked like a backpack. Fu groaned. Another well-meaning child who thought they had found the key to breaking the Akuma curse. It was best to thank them for their time and send them on their way. He pressed the red button again, ready to do as such, when he saw something else that was red. Hanging from the backpack strap. A little circle with… polkadots.

“...Roger, bring her here and call Cat Noir.”

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“And I thought, ‘that can’t be Alya’s bag. I gave it to her months ago.’ But it totally is! See it even has her name that I stitched in for her,” Marinette explained, her excitement levels were going ballistic. The Master Fu, the Great Guardian, Cat Noir’s boss was listening to her. Sort of. He kept staring at the weird ladybug keychain.

“Princess?”

Marinette jumped at the sudden presence of her boyfriend. Officer Roger shut the door behind him and assumed his position at Fu’s side.

“What are you doing here?”

Marinette took a deep breath, “I told you, I can help.”

“Help? This isn’t a game, Marinette! You could seriously get hurt!” Marinette hated when he talked down to her like this. He was right. She wasn’t a superhero. But that didn’t mean him not believing in her didn’t sting. His gloved claws gently took her shoulders, “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

She slapped them away, “No!” That feeling came back. That urge. That need. “I’m not going to stand around anymore and do nothing while you fight! Doing the right thing will get me hurt? Fine, then let me get hurt!”

She covered her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say all that. The words that had spilled out felt like they came from someone else entirely but they were the truth. She didn’t want to be protected like a fragile doll. Cat Noir’s shock held for a short time and she worried he would still force her to leave. Finally, he calmed down and looked away. Marinette couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but, the fact remained, she was still here.

“Marinette,” she turned back to Master Fu, who was observing her with an odd smirk, “Did you find anything else?”

She unzipped the bag and reached in. Using the Tarot cards as a makeshift plate, she placed the glowing stone dragon on the table between them. Its heavenly tone filled the room. Roger instinctively reached for his weapon, but Fu waved for him to stop.

“I haven’t seen one of these charms in decades,” Fu whispered. “Old magic. The magic of wishes.” He pointed to the three Tarot cards beneath the pieces, “Combined with these and you get a rather peculiar result.”

Marinette gasped, “So it is magic? Can we use it to fight the Akumas?”

Cat Noir’s ears perked.

Roger waited with bated breath.

“Even better,” Fu picked up the dragon head, its Tarot card lifting up with the head as if the two were attached, “If we put this back together, we may find Ladybug.”

“Who?” asked Marinette.

The next few moments were a blur. Marinette saw Roger tear the dragon head out of Fu’s hands, throw the old man out of his chair and grab the rest of the statue. In a flourish of red, the heavyset grown man shrunk to the same jester from earlier that afternoon. Belting out a laugh, the Akuma dashed out of the room, Cat Noir hot on her tail.

Marinette was the only one standing. Her mind barely registered what had just happened. She didn’t even hear the sudden jailbreak alarms blaring. It was Fu’s coughing that roused her. She pulled the man back to his feet, “Master Fu, are you alright?”

“Do not worry about me. I’m far more spry than I look,” he said, gritting against the back pain.

She lowered him into the chair while searching for a way to ease him, “I’ll get you some ice.”

He gripped her arm tightly, “Wait,” he gazed at her knowingly, “Do you recall the first time we met?” “...Huh?” she stopped, derailed by his sudden question.

“About a year ago, I was having a hard time crossing the street. A car was about to run me over. And you pulled me to safety.”

Marinette blinked at his strange claim until… yes… it was the morning before she met Adrien for the first time. She was almost late for class and she had spilled all her… “You ate my macarons!” she shouted in realization.

He gave a throaty chuckle, “Only a selfless, pure heart can wield the Ladybug Miraculous and purify the Akumas. I thought for sure it would be you. And from the way you handle Cat Noir, I believe Ladybug may still be in there.”

Marinette tried to comprehend what he was saying, but she was failing, “What are you talking about? I’m who?”

He pulled out a pair of earrings. Marinette looked back at Alya’s bag. The keychain had the same design as the pair in his hand. “That charm and the Tarot cards attached to it are keeping you from being chosen.” He pushed the remaining deck of Tarot cards to her. “You must change them before the Akuma gives them to Hawkmoth.”

She tugged on her hair. Why did magic have to be complicated? “So, what you’re saying is, if I switch up the cards on that dragon, I’ll become a superhero?”

“Not exactly,” his attention drifted to the monitors of the prisoners panicking in their cells. “It’s wish magic. The wish will end and the world will change back to the way it was. Which could mean anything. They could be free. You could have Alya back.”

Marinette was overjoyed. It could be real. Paris wouldn’t have to live in terror. She could be a superhero like Adrien! Saving lives! Protecting the city!

Not being able to help her parents run the bakery...

Having to bail on her friends...

No time for Adrien...

“What if I was the one who made the wish?” her voice cracked, “The only good thing in my life is Adrien. What if that’s what I wished for? What if, in the world the way it was, we’re not together and the only chance we had was through these cards?” The horrific idea of losing that overprotective, loving dork made her body quake. “Maybe it would be better to stay here where fate let us be together,” she whimpered.

There was no answer, just the alarm down the hall. She truly felt alone.

“Let me tell you a secret about fate. It’s a choice.” She looked at Master Fu. There was care and understanding in his eyes. He handed her the Tarot deck. With a little strain, he dragged a small trash can over and placed it before her. “The cards do not decide where your life goes... you do, Marinette.”

She looked between the cards and the trash. The choices were clear. She held the deck over the can opening. All she needed to do was let go.

That feeling was back, sparked by his words. The same feeling that had driven her to think about joining Cat Noir on the rooftops, chasing Akumas. Her grip on the deck tightened. If she, a normal girl, had already changed the world once, then maybe it was okay if she lost Adrien.

After all… what could possibly stop her from getting him back?

Maybe it was adrenaline or maybe she really had gone crazy. But, right there, in that room, Marinette didn’t want to be Adrien’s princess.

She wanted to fight.

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Buildings whizzed by as the police cruiser raced down the street. The actual Officer Roger was behind the wheel. Marinette had found him locked in the Akuma’s old cell. After freeing him, Fu ordered the policeman to provide Cat Noir with backup and to take Marinette with him. The man was apprehensive about bringing a citizen, a kid no less, into the combat zone, but Fu assured him Marinette would be necessary.

The girl herself was in the passenger seat going through the Tarot cards. She needed to find the right ones to break the spell. A combination that was the magical equivalent to a reset button. The constant potholes and sharp turns made it difficult. First one to stand out to her was ‘The World’ card. They needed to change the world. That fit, right?

“Got ‘em! All cars, converge on the bridge!” Roger shouted on his radio. He hit the sirens.

Through the windshield, Marinette caught glimpses of the Akuma and Cat Noir on the roofs above.

The engine revved and Marinette was thrust back into her seat as Roger sped past the superpowered beings. With a yank to the steering wheel, the cruiser spun around, tires squealing and the vehicle stopped at the entrance to the Pont des Arts bridge. Seconds later, a dozen more police cars parked around them, blocking entry.

“Stay close, little lady,” instructed Roger as they got out.

Without anymore buildings to use, the Akuma landed on the street before them. Policemen made a line, armed with riot shields and batons. Cat Noir landed behind her, staff at the ready. She was surrounded.

“Give it up, Akuma,” Cat Noir said, “You’re going back in the cage.”

The creature growled at them, “You’re not gonna stop me from getting there.” She swung her arm, “Get out of my way!” Out of her hand arced a bright pink ray. Marinette ducked behind the car while the officers hid behind their shields.

Cat Noir flipped over the ray and charged full sprint at her. His staff twirled so fast, Marinette could barely see it. However, he wasn’t swift enough to catch the Akuma. She sidestepped the attack at the last moment and pushed Cat Noir back with a powerful kick.

“Now!” Roger shouted over his megaphone.

The officers rushed the Akuma, shields first, like a stampede of wildebeests. The red jester simply hopped into the air and floated beyond their reach on some unseen magical wind. With a smirk, she flew towards the bridge.

“This is a No-Fly Zone!” Cat Noir snarked, planting a two-legged kick into the Akuma’s back.

Marinette’s face went pale as the creature tumbled out of the sky, heading right for her! She dove out of way. The Akuma hit the cobblestone road hard and rolled several times. During the fall, something slid from the creature to Marinette: a simple pink notebook. Marinette stepped back, the magic aura surrounding the book made it look like it was bubbling with darkness. Marinette didn’t know what to do. Should she find a new hiding spot? She was the closest. Should she attack?

“I need to see her...” she heard the Akuma sprawled on the ground snivel. She sounded dizzy and… sad. “I need to tell her...”

Something flittered down and landed on the pink notebook. It was a Tarot card, fallen from Marinette’s hand. Specifically, the card showing a clownishly dressed man oblivious to the fact that he was about to walk off a cliff; under him were the words ‘The Fool.’ Marinette certainly sensed she was being foolish as she picked up the notebook. Nothing came from the touch. The magic didn’t infect her. Emboldened, she walked towards the Akuma.

“Princess! Get away from that thing!”

Marinette shot a glare at the boy and he quickly shut his mouth.

She knelt next to the recovering Akuma. The jester started at the girl’s sudden closeness. “They won’t fight you if you take me with you,” Marinette said, trying to calm her own frightened heart. The Akuma examined Marinette with uncertainty. She took notice of the distance the police and Cat Noir were keeping. Then, a shining pink outline of a butterfly appeared on the Akuma’s face like a mask. Marinette didn’t know what that meant but managed to keep her disarming smile going. The creature shook away the mask with some effort as if she was resisting something. Marinette held out the notebook to her, “Let’s go see her, together.”

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“We are gonna have a serious talk about you and putting yourself in danger!” Cat Noir shouted from across the river. He wasn’t allowed to come any closer or even try to follow as Marinette and the Akuma walked away.

The Akuma said nothing, making sure her hostage was always between her and any policemen that showed up on their route. Marinette was barely holding herself together. The jester’s pinkish-red hand was heavy on her shoulder. She had chosen to travel with an Akuma, the most dangerous creature in Paris. A monster driven by blind fury that brandished untold magical powers only dreamt about in fairytales. This is what being a hero is about, isn’t it? Putting yourself at risk for the sake of others without a second thought? Oh God! It was official, she had gone both completely crazy and certifiably insane!

“There.” The Akuma guided Marinette towards the giant building on the corner.

Doctors, nurses and patients parted for the duo as they made their way to the hospital receptionist. “Rose,” the Akuma demanded, “Rose Lavillant.” Marinette couldn’t tell if the Akuma was using her as a shield or a place to hide. From the creature’s tone, Marinette could’ve sworn she was… ashamed?

On the bed the doctor brought them to slept a girl with blonde hair cut in a pixie style. She was petite, probably a full head shorter than Marinette. She recognized her as one of her classmates who she had never really spoken to before. The number of machines connected to Rose was concerning. Whatever was wrong with her, it was serious.

The Akuma at last moved from behind Marinette, leaving her in the doorway. There was hesitation in her steps, like a guilty child approaching a parent for punishment. She placed the pink notebook on the bed, “I brought it back, Rose. I know you said I could keep it but...” Her voice hitched, “I’m sorry I… I’m sorry I put you here.” Never did Marinette imagine she would live to see an Akuma cry.

This wasn’t a monster. This was a poor girl who had lost a friend, just like her.

Marinette entered the room only for the butterfly mask to reappear. With it came a renewed wave of anger blasting from the Akuma. She gnashed her teeth and her tears were replaced by boiling rage. “I’ll fix you!” she growled, pulling out the jade dragon pieces, “Even if it means the entire world!”

Waves of magical energy erupted like gusts of wind from the dragon. Anything light enough was thrown around the tiny room, including the Tarot deck. “No!” Marinette fruitlessly grabbed at the cards, only nabbing one.

The rest collected in the Akuma’s waiting palm, “I’ll make a new world for you, Hawkmoth.” The pink butterfly mask shone brightly as she tore off The Tower card and replaced it with The World card. “One where you can wake her up.”

Marinette struggled to move forward against the magic, her only card bent in her grip. It was as if she was walking against a hurricane. “Wait!” her shout was barely audible over the storm, “I don’t know who Hawkmoth is, but he’s done nothing but ruin Paris! He doesn’t care about Rose like you do! You have to stop!!” Doubt seeped into the Akuma’s eyes and Marinette thought she might have reached her. The butterfly mask dazzled more intensely than ever before. Any sign of emotion was lost and the Akuma resembled a zombie. It seemed Hawkmoth wasn’t giving anymore chances and decided to take full control. There was no way Marinette could beat this. What could she possibly do? Then she saw the card she held...

The Akuma slipped The Fool under the next dragon piece, “A world where people would have to be fools to defy you!”

“A world where you control who lives and who dies?” Marinette called, showing off the Death card with a smug look.

The Akuma flicked her wrist and a small pink ray zapped the Death card out of Marinette’s fingers. The winds carried it to the Akuma. Victory in front of her, she grabbed the card and screamed in pain! Her arms flailed as she dropped the Tarot card. She took another look and found a sharp pair of diamond-studded earrings pinned into the card.

“Careful, real diamonds can leave a mark,” Marinette mocked, from the doorway. In her hands were the dragon pieces. In her gut reaction to the injury, the Akuma had accidentally knocked the pieces across the room to Marinette. Now Marinette stood in the center of the chaotic winds! She held a new card to the third dragon piece and it stuck like a magnet. The Akuma roared and pointed her arm at Marinette.

The normal girl of Paris smiled at the powering up pink ray as she pressed the dragon together. Blinding white light filled the room yet Marinette could still see what the last card said…

Strength.

00000000

The jade statue landed safely in Marinette’s hands, inches from the hard floor.

“Whoa, close one. Nice catch, dude,” commented Nino.

Alya started restacking the Tarot cards, “Okay, guys, how about we stop here before we almost accidentally break some other priceless Chinese artifact.”

“Aww, I wanted a turn,” Nino groaned.

Marinette felt as if she was a stranger watching her friends playfully jab at each other like nothing had happened. Here they all were, happy as can be. Did they all forget? The dragon in her grip could offer no answers. The cracks that had shattered its body from before were long gone without a trace of magical light. The room remained as cluttered with party snacks and games as before. She caught her reflection in the her vanity mirror. On her ears were not the diamond studs but her unmistakable Miraculous. She began to wonder if it was all just a dream. The memories certainly felt real. She could recall when Alya was taken away, how she never became friends with Nino, her first date with Adrien…

“Marinette?”

Her mind still in a haze, she slowly turned to Adrien who was waiting by the open trapdoor. Alya and Nino were already on their way down for the next big activity.

“You coming?” he asked.

Her body instinctively went into freak out mode as it realized she was alone with the boy. Yet that nervousness was overpowered by a desire to know, “Adrien… d-d-do you remember?”

“Remember?” She clung to a sliver of hope that he could affirm that it was all real. That in some other Paris far away, he was Cat Noir and they were together. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, “Oh! Nino’s number, right. Thanks for reminding me.” He pulled out his phone.

She released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Of course… why should she expect there to be an easy answer? Maybe it was real, maybe it was wishful thinking given life by too much sugar. She prayed Cat Noir never learned the two of them were going out in her fantasy world. He would undoubtedly use it as more flirting material.

“Oh wait,” Adrien gave her a sheepish smile, “I just realized I don’t have your number, Marinette.”

A shiver ran up her spine. Whether or not the other Paris was a daydream, she could make it her reality. The only thing in her way was herself. She just needed to take that first baby-step.

No wishes.

No cards.

No fate.

She placed the dragon on the table.

“No problem, I’ll give you mine and you can send me yours.”

END

#Miraculous Ladybug #Project: Tarot 2017 #marinette #chat noir #adrien #master fu #alya #nino #reflekta #sabine #tom #officer roger #themlgroup

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hainsworthy · 4 years

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53 Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament. Writer & Dir N/A. There I was, not exactly disgraced but certainly not brimming with pride, sleeping on my dad’s couch, have thoroughly failed at being an adult and living in the city. And the thing about the burbs is, if you don’t have a car, you don’t go anywhere. So one Thursday morning I was up and doing nothing when the phone rang and it was my brother. He asked, “what are you doing tonight?” and I’m like “same thing I do every night, Pinky, not a goddamned thing” to which he said “I need an actor, can you come in and do the show?” Now the show was Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Schaumburg where my brother was the show manager and emcee. In addition to all the knights, which I was super not qualified for (you literally have to squire and train for a year) there are also non-combative parts in the show. At the time, it was a Spanish themed show so it wasn’t kings and queens, it was Count Don Romando, lord of this land and castle. So my brother offered to pick me up, handed me a script in the car, and 8 hours later, I was riding a horse (something that got left out of the job description) in front of 1,400 people. Oh I had never been on a horse, by myself, that wasn’t tethered to a center post, in my life. Also, I must have signed about 800 autographs that night. So if you were at Medieval Times in 1996, check your programs that you undoubtedly saved. My father also upgraded his truck that summer and gave me his old one, so no one had to drive out to Winfield to pick me up anymore. My career at Medieval Times came to a crashing end with - well - a literal crash. I was coming home one night and got hit by a drunk driver who destroyed my truck and straightened my spine so I couldn’t ride a horse for months. But the accident gave me enough money to move back into the city and start again. #retrospective #1996 #medievaltimes #countdonromando #schaumburg #tubbyknowstheshow #deathofthefrog (at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament - Chicago) https://www.instagram.com/p/B52nlQppRtD/?igshid=104h1nvmy7bck

#retrospective #1996 #medievaltimes #countdonromando #schaumburg #tubbyknowstheshow #deathofthefrog

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saltwaffle · 7 years

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deleted scenes of petri dish/shit that i planned on but never actually got around to writing:

the first drafts were written with first person omnipotent narration — and for some VERY WEIRD REASON, that narrator was yellow diamond. cut because it was mostly experimental to get creative juices running, and because i felt like YD would be revealed in canon pretty soon. didn’t wanna make assumptions. that was probably a good choice

the concepts for chapter 7 had them going to a carnival and peridot throwing up on a tilt-a-whirl. idk why i cut that it could’ve been great

there was a part of early chapter 9 where peridot walked in to get amethyst’s homework, but instead caught yellow pearl standing on a chair and making out with miss diamond. cut because i wrote it at 2 a.m., woke up, read it, and said pretty loudly “what the fuck”

chapter 10 was going to open with peri, vidalia, sour cream, and onion in the car after going out to eat. they were going to get stuck in a snowdrift and would be rescued by garnet and amethyst. amethyst would still be resentful towards peridot for the shit that happened in 9, but steven would offer to take them in until the snow stopped and they could get their car out. cut for simplicity’s sake

steven was gonna sing peace and love around the fireplace as they ate chicken dumpling soup. cut because the above was cut

during the big I Have A Crush On You reveal: they were intended to resolve their differences first, then amethyst was going to take peri up to rosewood’s observatory where they cuddled on a mattress and looked at the stars before their first kiss. cut due to dialogue going a different way, with peridot’s confession being central to their solved differences rather than separate, and also because i realized if its a goddamn snowstorm, the clouds ain’t gonna clear for a while and its gonna be real dang cold up there. idk if rosewood even has an observatory anymore. i’d like to think so.

they were gonna go to either prom or winter formal together right after Big Confession, probably around the same place that chapter 13 is. even weirder, it was going to be malachite who ended up acting like sugilite and coming onto peridot, allowing amethyst to jump in and save her. abandoned because it was too blurry and it felt more natural for amethyst to have the history.

just like with the computer, i had planned for amethyst to be falsely accused of a crime, except that it would be larger scale and end with amethyst in court. peridot would be the only one left to testify against her, except that the truth would be amethyst couldn’t have committed this crime because she was skipping class to make out with me in the girls’ bathroom. she would be forced to either come out to everyone in the courtroom or let amethyst be falsely convicted. cut because i don’t know shit about juvenile court and i didn’t really want to open the “how much homophobia exists in petri dish universe” can of worms (still don’t know the answer)

at one point peridot was going to physically fight sugilite but i get the feeling she would have lost more than just her leg

i think she was also going to physically fight yellow diamond too

fuck it up peridot

@wiz-witch and i went to medieval times with sci-fi club which is like medieval roleplay and dinner with a show where knights pretend to die, and we came up with a scene where ame and peri go too. and peridot does exactly what i did — she waves her arm really high for her section’s knight because she loves team spirit and then gets chosen as the tournament queen, but as she’s squeezing out of the table, she trips on her prosthetic while in the spotlight and awkwardly drapes the tournament queen ribbon on her head

the pool party scene was supposed to be at the shitty overpriced public pool by my house. amethyst was gonna flip off a lifeguard who told peridot she couldn’t get in the pool even tho dr maheswaran said it was ok. amethyst was probably also gonna punch the lifeguard

along the same lines: someone left an interesting tag on one of my more popular petri dish artworks that suggested steven had stolen peridot’s prosthetic foot. somewhere in my drafts is an entire unfinished oneshot about peridot playing capture the flag with jasper, lapis, and malachite against garnet, pearl, amethyst, and steven. the whole thing was a Friend Ship reference. idk where it is i’d like to finish it

peridot’s dad was supposed to be a no-show. wish he’d stayed that way smh. he showed up because i needed explanation for something that happens later

malachite wasn’t supposed to show up after chapter 15. her story was supposed to be told in a three-chapter side story called Faded that no longer exists. Faded was supposed to be told two years after the predicted end of Petri Dish, when steven got to high school and both peridot and amethyst were in college. with the help of connie, peridot, and mr. albus, steven was going to make little robots disguised as watermelons that eventually went rogue and were never seen from again. until one of them bumped into the foot of a girl with freckles and wild red hair. alexandrite was then going to track the watermelon bot and find malachite, only to be locked in a bombshell romance that had a lot of hot car makeouts and didn’t actually have a decent end. scrapped for obvious reasons — it’s fuckin stupid

jasper and lapis were supposed to make up by chapter 29. shit that leaked into chapter 25 convinced me that they couldn’t stay together. maybe in another AU.

for a brief time, the plans for chapter 29 was amethyst and peridot going to a party to relieve some stress of school. that was where malachite was going to come onto peridot and amethyst was going to see it, forcing them to confront the problem immediately. cut because i needed peridot to hear vidalia’s conversation and also jasper and lapis’s. couldn’t be done if she was at a party.

the projected length was five chapters long

i’ll come back and add to this list as i remember things but that’s just off the top of my head for now

#my stuff #petri dish fanfic #amedot #perithyst #waffle writes

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smartstartblogging · 5 years

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8 Ways on How to Have Quality Time with Your Child in Casinos

Going to the casino can be a blast for anyone who’s legal gambling age. Unfortunately by the age most of us are financially stable enough to be able to handle losing a couple hundred dollars as a form of entertainment, we’ll also have some rugrats running around. Having kids doesn’t mean that you need to postpone your Vegas vacation until you can find a sitter, however.

Curious what I mean by that? While casinos, at least in the USA, won’t allow you to have your child with you at the gaming tables and in fact will take offense to them leaving the designated walkway on the casino floor that doesn’t mean they aren’t welcome inside the casino grounds. Las Vegas for instance is billed as one of the top family vacation spots in the entire USA despite what most people think about the strip. Unchecked debauchery definitely still has a home in Las Vegas, but there’s more than enough opportunity to have a good time at a casino with your children without them being exposed to any mature themes. This list has a lot of attractions that are specific to certain casinos in Las Vegas, but hopefully it should give you an idea of the expansive list of offerings on display at most casinos worldwide.

Here are just a few of those opportunities:

Casino Arcades

While your child will be quickly ushered away from the casino floor by security staff, one place in a casino your child can keep entertained is in the many arcades that now call casinos their home. These arcades are stocked with all of the typical arcade fare like pinball, Pac-man, and things like racing games. Depending on what casino you’re going to the arcade will range anywhere from pitiful to more interesting than the adult casino. The arcade in the Circus Circus casino in Las Vegas for instance is a giant floor filled with nearly every type of arcade game known to mankind.

If your child is under 12 you’re going to have to accompany them, but with all of the games on offer it is going to be far from babysitting. Having some quality time at any of these expansive video arcades is sure to keep your child engaged and having a great time. These arcades have all of the flashing lights and captivating sounds of the casino floor but without any of the gambling or adult themes. If your child is above 12 you’ll be able to leave them semi-unattended at the arcade but most casinos have the arcade in a place where adults can easily keep tabs on their children while they gamble.

Water Parks

Casinos now invest lots of money in being sprawling entertainment centers instead of purely institutions of luck & chance with slots and card games. Many casinos on the Las Vegas strip or in Macau have water parks that can be enjoyed with the entire family. Spend the day going down water slides or enjoying a wave pool with your child for an extremely memorable trip to the casino grounds. The Atlantis Paradise Island Resort for instance has the Aquaventure water park on the casino grounds and its size cannot be understated. There are water slides, pools, river rides, and even beaches to enjoy a full day in the sun & on the water with your children.

Kid-Friendly Shows

While it’s pretty easy to find a raunchy comedy act at nearly any casino, most understand that people are bringing their kids along so they do their best to have a diverse array of programming suitable for all ages and engaging enough for the entire family. Las Vegas does a great job at having a staggering number of child-friendly shows.

Treasure Island Casino for instance has the Mystere show that is suitable for all ages. Mystere is a Cirque show much like Cirque Du Soleil and you can expect all of the typical gravity-defying tricks expected from that variety of spectacle.

Planet Hollywood is known for their in-house magician named Xavier Mortimer. While I doubt that’s his birth name, magic seems to course through his veins. The only downside is that children under three years old are not permitted to go see his show. Mortimer is a full-blown entertainer and not just a man doing cheap parlor tricks to pass time. His show, dubbed the Magical Dream, is a 14 act show that creates an overarching storyline complete with comedy, magic, and bewilderment.

Wayne Newton may be the undisputed king of Vegas, but he’s not the only person on the strip with some serious singing chops. The Mirage casino has Terry Fator, the acclaimed 2007 winner of America’s Got Talent giving a show that’s suitable for everyone aged five or over. He’s a ventriloquist who sings grand overtures and captivating melodies with the help of his puppets. His vocal range is staggering for a man who never opens his mouth, plus his puppets all have their own personalities to boot. It’s a great mix of singing and pure comedy when Fator takes the stage.

Fancy getting a little medieval with dinner and a show while you’re at the casino with your family? The Excalibur casino has the Tournament Of Kings which is a Medieval Times style tournament that’s lead by none other than Merlin himself. Take in a delicious dinner to the sounds of jousting, gladiator-style combat as well as horse racing. It’s recommended that you pick a favorite knight and follow his progress throughout the show, egging him on all the while.

Amusement Parks

As I said before, casinos now have much more going for them than the gaming floors themselves, with most choosing a theme and going all out to immerse you and your family in a whole new world.

Back at the Circus casino, the Adventuredome is a fantastic place for the entire family. It’s an indoor amusement park that’s over five acres large and has all of the typical carnival fare with a few added bonuses. There’s a rollercoaster on site and even a go kart track, making it a completely all encompassing affair that’s sure to get the blood pumping. It’s like an amusement park, country fair, and midway carnival all rolled into one. One day isn’t even enough time to take in all of the sights and sounds at the Adventuredome. There are carnival games galore which will enable you to win your child a nice plush stuffed animal to help them remember their fantastic trip. Did I mention there’s laser tag, as well? Most of the rides require your child be at least four feet tall to ride, so please keep that in mind if you’re considering going to the Circus Circus casino.

It wouldn’t be a circus themed casino without an actual circus though, every day at 11:30 a full show is put on complete with acrobatics, clowns, and other typical circus fare.

Free Attractions

Most of the things on this list will require you to put some money down which is an unfortunate reality of any casino. However, most of these casinos rake in enough money to have some free amenities that are breathtaking in their own right.

The Bellagio Fountains top the list of free attractions available in Las Vegas. During the weekdays every 30 minutes from 3PM-8PM a stunning choreographed show of water and lighting is put on to any of the 30 songs they have on their rotation. Sit with your children and enjoy the show!

That’s not all the Bellagio has to offer as far as free attractions go. Once you’re done with the fountains on the outside, go inside to their free conservatory and botanical gardens. There are five themes and which you’ll see is dependent on what time of year you’ll be present, currently there is Christmas, Chinese New Year, Summer, and Fall. All of these themes are complete with real plants that are sure to impress. The Chinese New Year theme is complete with oriental plants from the other side of the globe, sure to make you wonder if you’re at Casino Malaysia instead of in the heart of Nevada.

Other casinos offer free art exhibits, flea markets that are free to enter and have no purchase necessary so you can look at some fancy junk, or any of the hundreds of light shows casinos tend to put on.

Restaurants

Any casino will do their best to keep their patrons kept on the grounds the entire time. Part of this is making sure their guests don’t have to leave for any particular reason. This line of thinking has given rise to most casinos having every type of restaurant available for you to dine at.

A Cheesecake Factory is a great family oriented restaurant where you can plan out your day and get your child excited for what’s ahead of them all while eating some magnificent food and dessert. If you’re going to Las Vegas, also known as the entertainment capital of the world, you can bet there will be some kind of show to go along with your meal.

Casinos will always let you bring your entire family into the restaurant for some good eats and quality time. Don’t think they haven’t thought about families who want to enter their grounds who want healthy, budget conscious meals that they can enjoy together. Be sure to check out all of the available restaurants at your particular casino so you can pick one that best suits you & your family’s tastes.

Aquariums

Any tropical resort casino as well as two or three on the Las Vegas strip is sure to have an aquarium on site full of exotic marine life sure to make your child remember their trip.

For instance, the Mandalay Bay casino in Las Vegas contains over 2,000 marine animals and has the distinction of being the third largest aquarium in America. Not too shabby, I’d say. We’re talking over 1.6 million gallons of saltwater flowing through this expansive establishment that has been extremely well thought out as far as architecture is concerned. Walk through see-through glass tubes and peer into the lives of hammerhead shakes, turtles, and schools of fish alike. Your child is sure to think you’ve taken them to Atlantis should you decide to make a trip to any of the casino aquariums.

It isn’t just idle looking around, either. You & your child can take part in interactive activities like feeding stingrays, turtles, or even zebra sharks. You feed the sharks with handheld tongs, it is a very fun experience for people of any age.

Take In The Sights

For children the glitz and glamor of casino life is instantly captivating, I can assure you your child is going to want to take a look around. Nearly all casinos are full of flashing lights, beautiful fountains as well as stunning architecture.

Take a walk with your kids anywhere they’re permitted on the casino grounds and give them a full tour of what a casino is all about. The more expansive casinos will have things to stop and look at dotted everywhere explicitly for this purpose, as well as free shows you can drop in and out on at your heart’s content going on all the while. There’s really no limit to how big a walk you can take, so if you’re trying to tire your kid out so they can get a good night’s rest, try taking them on a scenic walk where they can be dazzled by the high-end luxury of casino life.

You probably thought casinos were strictly adults only, didn’t you? Well, hopefully this list has shown you there’s very little to be afraid if you’re planning a casino vacation but have children you need to take care of. There’s no need to look for a babysitter and your children can have the trip of a lifetime with you, what’s not to love about that? Casinos have evolved far beyond the world of card games and roulette tables, it’d be a shame for your family to miss out on any of these fantastic ways to spend a day together.

from More Design Curation https://www.16bitdad.com/8-ways-on-how-to-have-quality-time-with-your-child-in-casinos/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=8-ways-on-how-to-have-quality-time-with-your-child-in-casinos

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