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manwalksintobar · 1 year

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A Poem for Painters // John Wieners

Our age bereft of nobility

How can our faces show it?

I look for love.

My lips stand out

dry and cracked with want

of it.

Oh it is well.

My poem shall show the need for it.

Again we go driven by forces

we have no control over. Only

in the poem

comes an image that we rule

the line by the pen

in the painter’s hand one foot

away from me.

Drawing the face

and its torture.

That is why no one dares tackle it.

Held as they are in the hands

of forces they

cannot understand.

That despair

is on my face and shall show

in the fine lines of any man.

I had love once in the palm of my hand.

See the lines there.

How we played

its game, are playing now

in the bounds of white and heartless fields.

Fall down on my head, love,

drench my flesh in the streams

of fine sprays. Like

French perfume

so that I light up as

mountain glorys

and I am showered by the scent

of the finished line.

No circles

but that two parallels do cross

And carry our souls and bodies

together as the planets,

Showing light on the surface

of our skin, knowing

that so much of it flows through

the veins underneath.

Our cheeks puffed with it.

The pockets full.

Pushed on by the incompletion

of what goes before me

I hesitate before this paper

scratching for the right words.

Paul Klee scratched for seven years

on smoked glass, to develop

his line, LaVigne says, look

at his face! he who has spent

all night drawing mine.

The sun also

rises on the rooftops, beginning

w/ violet. I begin in blue

knowing why we are cool.

My middle name is Joseph and I

walk beside an ass on the way to what

Bethlehem, where a new babe is born.

Not the second hand of Yeats but

first prints on a cloudy windowpane.

America, you boil over

The cauldron scalds.

Flesh is scarred.

Eyes shot.

The street aswarm with

vipers and heavy armed bandits.

There are bandages on the wounds

but blood flows unabated. The bath—

rooms are full. Oh stop up

the drains.

We are run over.

Let me ramble here.

yet stay within my own yardlines.

I go out of bounds

without defense,

oh attack.

At last the game is over

and the line lengthens.

Let us stay with what we know.

That love is my strength, that

I am overpowered by it:

desire

that too

is on the face: gone stale.

When green was the bed my love

and I laid down upon.

Such it is, heart’s complaint,

You hear upon a day in June.

And I see no end in view

when summer goes, as it will,

upon the roads, like singing

companions across the land.

Go with it man, if you must,

but leave us markers on your way.

South of Mission, Seattle,

over the Sierra Mountains,

the Middle West and Michigan,

moving east again, easy

coming into Chicago and

the cattle country, calling

to each other over canyons,

careful not to be caught

at night, they are still out,

the destroyers, and down

into the South, familiar land,

lush places, blue mountains

of Carolina, into Black Mountain

and you can sleep out, or

straight across into States

I cannot think of their names.

This nation is so large, like

our hands, our love it lives

with no lover, looking only

for the beloved, back home

into the heart, New York,

New England, Vermont green

mountains, and Massachusetts

my city, Boston and the sea.

Again to smell what this calm

ocean cannot tell us. The seasons.

Only the heart remembers

and records in words

of works

we lay down for those men

who can come to them.

At last. I come to the last defense.

My poems contain no

wilde beestes, no

lady of the lake music

of the spheres, or organ chants,

yet by these lines

I betray what little given me.

One needs no defense.

Only the score of a man’s

struggle to stay with

what is his own, what

lies within him to do.

Without which is nothing,

for him or those who hear him

And I come to this,

knowing the waste, leaving

the rest up to love

and its twisted faces

my hands claw out at

only to draw back from the

blood already running there.

Oh come back, whatever heart

you have left. It is my life

you save. The poem is done.

6.18.58

#poetry #John Wieners #love #heart #painters #painting #art #Paul Klee #queer poetry #poems of praise #American poetry #despair #America #1958

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holding-infinity-and-a-book · 3 years

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Ants love my legs 😔

#siya’s stupidity #help bren short circuited #so many ants #i named 4 of them last yeat #year #but they left #😔#moe tim larry and antwanette #they can never be replaced #especially by these new creatures #they never bit me and they were so nice never coming ij my way #the first time i go meet these new ants they bite #how mean

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suwya · 3 years

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Till the Stars Had Run Away - Chapter 6

Summary: Killian Jones was a voyager. Actually, he was many things, or at least he had been - a lieutenant, a brother, a loving boyfriend - until everything had turned upside down and his life had hit an all time low. So, he gave up. Aboard his spaceship he abandoned Arcadia, his planet, navigating the stars and other solar systems in search of... well, he still didn't know what he was searching for, but his rule was "never remain in the same place longer than necessary."

Rating: M

Prologue; Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

AO3

A/N: Sorry for the waiting, but real life came along and I had to stop writing for a couple of weeks. Thank you @thisonesatellite for being the best beta reader I could ever ask for. And thank to all of you who are reading this. Happy Labour Day!

Chapter 6 . .

Be not inhospitable to strangers,

lest they be angels in disguise.

(W. B. Yeats)

When Killian regained consciousness he found himself in what reminded him of a military hospital. There were thin white curtains around his bed, but through them he could spot other beds like his, most of them empty. The room seemed large and dimly lit.

He closed his eyes and remembered the crash landing, the unknown desert planet, the great rock that was about to crush Henry, and that feeling of unease and imminent danger he had felt just before the impact. Where was he? And above all what kind of situation was he in, a good or a bad one? He opened his eyes again, and noticed he wasn’t alone. A woman was checking his IV, and a nearby monitor was beeping intermittently.

Killian tried to sit up, but a stabbing pain in his lungs made him desist immediately. He groaned loudly.

“Look who’s awake.” Said the woman, who was now staring at him. “Hello, handsome.” She added cheerfully.

Killian had found himself dealing with uncharted waters several times in his life. He decided to play the waiting game. “This is usually my line, well, more or less.”

“Really? In this case, I'll warn my husband not to approach you.”

“Don’t worry I'm not into men, not recently at least.” He smirked.

“Oh, but my husband is quite the charming one.”

“I still prefer the company of a fair lady, if I could choose.” He winked and chuckled, and a dull pain made him gasp.

“Take it easy.” She immediately shifted her attitude from playful to worried. “How do you feel?”

“As if I've been hit by a rocket.”

“Not a rocket, but yes, you’ve been hit hard. You’ve suffered two broken ribs. And believe me, you were lucky, it could have been worse. Do you mind if I run some tests and see how you react?”

“No problem.”

While the woman was busy measuring his temperature, making him follow a small blue LED light with his gaze, and extracting some blood to examine later, he took advantage of the opportunity to observe her more closely. She had short black hair and green eyes, bright and lively in contrast to her very delicate skin. Killian found himself thinking of another pair of green eyes, which had been filling his thoughts frequently lately. The memory brought him back to reality quickly.

“What is this place?” He inquired, eager to know what had happened while he was unconscious.

“Welcome to Vernal-Den.” She answered smiling.

Killian tried to remember if he had ever read about this planet. “Never heard of it.”

“Yeah, we’re not very popular.”

Was she too concentrated on checking-in his vitals, or was she being too concise on purpose? He didn’t know, but he intended to keep an eye on her. “How long was I out?”

“A while.” Another elusive answer.

He decided to test the waters. “Were there ….other injured people with me?”

“If you’re referring to Henry and Emma, they are perfectly fine.” She seemed sincere. “They are staying at our place. Henry has visited you every day since you came in.”

“And Emma?”

“Well, she can’t come in. She’s not a relative of yours. But she has spent long hours sitting just outside that door.” She said pointing towards the exit. “I had to order her to go home and get some rest.”

After that she excused herself, saying that she had to attend to other patients.

He realized she hadn’t even told him her name. He didn’t know if he could trust her or not. The fact that she had avoided some of his questions sent chills down his spine. And most of all there was the Emma problem.

Why couldn’t she visit him? Was it true that it was only a matter of rules? Or was she in some kind of peril? He needed to know what was happening behind those doors that separated him from the woman that had been pestering his dreams in the last ten years of his life. He had to know that she was alright. To hell with rules! He thought. And by the way, when was the last time he followed one. He had to get out of this place. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his lungs was so strong that his vision started to blur and cold sweat formed on his temples. He lay back down on the bed, aware that in his conditions he couldn’t have gone far before collapsing unconscious on the floor. He promised himself to solve the problem as soon as he had enough strengths, but he couldn't dwell too much on that thought, because sleep was reclaiming his mind again.

~·~·~·~

Time passed very slowly, or so it seemed, but maybe it was simply the fact that every day looked the same. Killian was mostly asleep, probably due to the painkillers introduced through the IV, and when he woke up he couldn't tell how long he had been out, he couldn't even tell if it was day or night. There were no windows in that room.

During one of the moments when his mind regained consciousness, he felt the mattress drop slightly to one side and he slowly opened his eyes.

“You are awake! How do you feel? Can you breathe? Of course you can, you would be dead otherwise! Does it hurt?” Henry was sitting at the end of the bed, and he was asking a lot of questions, as usual. “Sorry.” He suddenly looked contrite. “I should let you rest, but…”

“It’s ok, lad.” Killian cut him off. “I’m glad to see you’re all in one piece.”

The boy greeted him with a wide grin.

Killian remembered the last moments before getting injured, and he was relieved to know that he had been able to prevent that rock from hitting Henry. But other worries crowded his mind. “How about your mom?”

“She’s fine. She’s outside. They won’t let her in. You know, only relatives and all that stuff.” He explained.

“I see. And why are you…?”

Henry didn’t let him finish the question. “I told them I’m your son.” He whispered with a conspiratory smile.

“Clever boy.” Killian’s chuckle turned soon into a cough due to the pain.

“Does it hurt?” The boy asked, frowning.

The man dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. “It’s not a big deal.” He didn’t want the lad to feel responsible for his well-being. “How many days have passed since we landed here?” He asked, changing the subject.

“I don't know exactly.” And at Killian’s questioning look, he added, “It’s complicated.”

“How so?”

“People live underground here,” The boy started to explain, “With no opportunity to look outside. And there are no clocks. My watch had probably broken when we arrived, it doesn’t work anymore.”

The man hummed, he was starting to understand. The lack of windows, the elusive answer he had received from the dark-haired nurse… everything was beginning to tally in Killian’s head. “I want you to think carefully about everything you saw outside this room. Did you feel something was wrong?”

The boy shrugged. “I don't know.” He seemed to ponder. “This place is strange. Lots of corridors and passages underground. We are not allowed to go out into the open. They say it’s dangerous. But I never felt a threat or something. I would rather say it’s boring.”

“Why boring?”

Henry was trying to find the right words to explain it. “All the days are the same, people repeat the same actions every day. They say it’s useful to maintain a routine. But I don’t think Mary Margaret and David are bad people.”

“I’m sorry, who?” Killian asked.

“Oh, yeah, Mary Margaret, she is your nurse. We’re staying at her home. She is very nice. And David is her husband. He showed me the greenhouse. It’s awesome and huge, you should see it! But I don’t think he works there. I don’t know what his job is.”

Routine? New people? A greenhouse? Well, that was a lot of information to process. But Killian felt sleep calling him back. Next time I see that lady Margaret, I’m going to ask her not to put more painkillers in my IV. He thought. “Thank you, Henry, for everything. But I may need to rest for a while now.” He managed to say before falling asleep again.

~·~·~·~

Emma knew Killian was feeling better, Henry had told her about their short chat, and some of her child's enthusiasm had even infected her positively, but she continued to feel restless, she wanted to make herself useful. Most of all, she wanted to see Killian again.

All this absurd situation was her fault. And no, she was not thinking about the fact that Killian was lying on a hospital bed because of some bad decisions she had made lately. No. She was not going down that path again. She had already spent a lot of hours regretting many choices done in the last month.

But this was nonsensical, why couldn’t she visit a friend that was hurt and maybe in need of some company? She had actually had a chance to say that she was his wife; after all in the eyes of her guests, she and Killian had a son together, so why not lie a bit more and make Mary Margaret believe that she and Killian were married. But the thought of a possible long time spent together on this planet feigning to be a happily married couple scared her, and she couldn’t go on with the lie.

So there she was, sitting on a very uncomfortable metal chair in the waiting room. She had spent more hours there than she could count.

David had passed by to greet his wife, and he had offered to take Henry with him, on the way back home. So she was left alone with her thoughts.

Mary Margaret peeked out the door with a steaming mug in her hand. “Take this. It will help.”

She agreed with a nod. “Thank you.” She sipped some of the hot liquid and it felt like her nerves were starting to relax a little.

“You should go home and rest. It's late.” The woman said.

“Mary Margaret let me enter.” Emma pleaded for the umpteenth time.

“We have already talked about it. You know I can’t do that. There are strict rules down here, and the best way for us to survive is to follow them.”

“This is insane. I’m not a dangerous criminal or someone who is plotting to destroy this planet. I just want to see him. Please.” She begged.

The dark-haired woman seemed to be pondering all the possible consequences. “All right.” She sighed. “Let’s just say that I’m going inside and leave the door ajar, by mistake, of course. I have to check some very important documents, so I’ll be busy and concentrated. I’m not going to ask you what you’re going to do in the next... fifteen minutes or so. Okay?”

“Thank you.” Emma handed her the cup back, rising from her chair. “You won’t regret it.”

After Mary Margaret disappeared behind the door, Emma waited some minutes before going after her. The room was large and there were many beds, she had no idea where Killian was, but after a quick look at the surroundings, she discovered that only a couple of all the beds were occupied.

She approached one of those and gently opened the curtain trying not to disturb the patient lying inside.

Killian seemed asleep. He was pale, with dark circles under his eyes. She could only imagine the pain he was going through. She had her heart in her throat because she felt responsible for the situation. If they hadn't taken a detour because she had requested it, they'd probably all be home safe and sound by now.

“Hey, beautiful.” He greeted her with a painful grin.

Immersed as she was in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed that he had woken up. She smiled, trying to be strong and not show her inner turmoil. “Do they treat you well here?”

“I'm not complaining. The nurse is kind and the food is edible.” He tried to downplay the situation. “Although I would prefer the care and attention of a certain blonde.” He winked.

Emma chuckled. Then she went closer to him and sat down on the side of his bed, trying not to cause him any more pain. She looked him straight in the eye, and then, gently, she took his hand in hers, intertwining her fingers with his. She saw him swallow hard, and the beeping of his heartbeat accelerated on the monitor. She smiled softly again. “Thank you for saving my son’s life.”

She saw how he wet his lips before answering as if his mouth had been suddenly dry. “It was the right thing to do.” Was his answer, but his voice came out slightly choked.

Emma looked back, checking if any hospital employee was nearby, “I shouldn’t be here, and unfortunately my time is running out. But I wanted to see you... needed to see with my own eyes that you are ok... well, more or less.” She whispered, with her gaze lowered, avoiding eye contact. The physical connection of their joined hands was already arousing too many contradictory emotions inside her.

“Aye. I know the feeling.” He replied, letting her know that he had been eager to establish contact with her throughout his stay in the hospital.

At those words, she stared at him again. “Get well soon.” She bent down and dropped a mild kiss at the corner of his lips. “We need you.”

~·~·~·~

Killian was lying on his back staring at the ceiling. This time there was no way he would fall asleep again. Every time he thought about what had just happened his beeping monitor sped up. He blushed. It had been just a chaste kiss, nothing compared to the hot and breathtaking one they had shared a few days before. But she had said it had been a one-time thing and he had promised himself not to indulge in those lustful thoughts anymore. Yet, this last kiss had seemed much more real, and meaningful... it had left him with a feeling of hope.

Hope and distress. Emma was such a strong and beautiful woman, a marvelous creature, as he liked to describe her in his mind, and a princess even. And what was he? A rebel, and a scoundrel. Or a rapscallion... whatever. Okay, maybe not anymore, but he had been in the past, for many years. He had been trying to redeem himself lately. But was he worth enough of her? That was the million dollar question.

He was still ruminating on it when the known brunette peeked out the curtains. “Hello. How are you today?” She greeted him with a bright smile, as usual.

“Better.” He hoped the monitor on his right wasn’t showing his state of mind.

She came closer. “Do you mind if I check your ribs? It's time to change the dressing.” After a short pause, she added, “I'm sorry, but we don't have the best equipment to assist our patients. We have to work with what we have available on this planet.” She said pointing to the bands that covered his chest.

Killian nodded, and Mary Margaret started to untie the bandages. She seemed concentrated on her task, probably she was trying to avoid causing him any pain. It was only when she started to apply an ointment on the bruises, that she spoke again. “You love her.” It was just a whisper, and Killian doubted if he had heard correctly. But then she added “Emma.”

It wasn’t a question, and he pondered what was the correct answer, or if she was expecting one. “I'd go to the end of the world for her… Or the multiverse.” He said eventually.

“And she for you, I take it?”

Killian chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“What’s the problem?” She looked at him surprised. Then took some clean gauzes and started to wrap them on him.

“She's bloody brilliant, an amazing woman. She fights for her son and always does what’s right.” Killian’s voice was so full of admiration.

“Is there something wrong with it?” Mary Margaret inquired.

Killian shook his head again. “She raised the bar very high. The fact is, I don't think I measure up.”

The woman folded the old bandages and took the ointment bottle, then she stood up, she was making an exit when she stopped short. “Since you came here I've been watching you.”

“I don't know if I should be flattered or scared.” The man tried to ease the tension of the moment.

“We don’t have many foreigners on this planet, but believe me, you're not one of the bad guys. You sacrificed yourself for the sake of a young boy. There's good in your heart.” She smiled at him softly. “I’m going to look for the doctor; I bet you’ll be leaving this room soon.”

~·~·~·~

The following day started the same as the previous ones. But during the first hours of the evening a man in a white coat came to visit Killian. He explained the medications and precautions to be taken to him, some movements that he should avoid for a while, and other tips for a speedy recovery. Then he handed over some papers for the patient to sign to be discharged. Finally some good news.

After a while redressing and packing up his few belongings in his satchel Killian went to the door. Walking hurt a bit but nothing he couldn’t bear.

Mary Margaret was already waiting for him, and a tall blonde guy was with her. “You must be Jones.” He said. When they shook hands, Killian learned his name was David Nolan, and he remembered Henry had mentioned him in his conversations. “I’m going to take you to our humble abode.”

Nolan's house was in fact modest. A loft with a large dining room, a kitchenette, a bedroom, and a small bathroom on one corner, all open, without doors, except for the bathroom. There was a raised bedroom opposite it, whose access was a metal stair.

Dinner was good, if a little awkward. Emma didn't interact much, and Killian wanted to ask if something was troubling her, but he preferred to wait for a better time, perhaps a less crowded one. Henry entertained them with what he had done throughout the day and kept repeating how glad he was that Killian was back with them.

But the man was still a bit cautious with those new people around him. He didn’t know them, especially the Nolan guy, who had been silent for most of the dinner, glancing sidelong at him as if he wanted to study him thoroughly before making a personal judgment. The feeling was mutual, Killian thought.

Just after dessert, David started to speak. “What will you need to restore your ship?” He asked.

“Uh… a new stabilizer, I think, and some parts of the propulsion engine for sure. But I’ll have to look closely at the damages to be sure there’s nothing else broken.”

The blond man nodded. “Not many ships come and go from here. But I hope we can find all the pieces you need.”

“Thank you, mate.”

“Tomorrow I’ll take you to the hangar where your ship is. We’ll have a look at it.” He seemed sincere in his generosity.

“May I help?” Henry barged in.

A chorus of “No!” echoed the room.

“I appreciate the support, but it could be dangerous.” Killian explained.

“I hate being here. I feel trapped.” The boy complained.

Mary Margaret sighed. “This is a feeling that will vanish with time.”

The woman was no doubt trying to instill some optimism, but Killian didn't like the idea of staying in that place longer than necessary. “Well, then, let’s hope we could leave this planet before the feeling has entirely vanished.” He made a grin and passed his hand on his side.

“Time for resting.” The brunette stated although it sounded more like an order. “But before that, we should change those bandages. Emma, would you like to help me?”

“Me?” Emma, who had been silent and a bit on the sidelines all evening, seemed to re-emerge from wherever she’d gone.

“He won’t be able to do it by himself when you won’t live here anymore. It’s better if you learn how to help him.” Mary Margaret clarified.

Emma looked like she was going to object, but in the end, she asserted. “Sure.”

~·~·~·~

If a certain nervousness had taken hold of Emma as she climbed to the upstairs room, it disappeared the instant Mary Margaret helped Killian get rid of his shirt. That wasn’t a thorax, it was a nautical chart. Most of it was covered by gauze, but she could still spot many marks and scars.

There was a tattoo, two of them to be exact, but Emma saw just one at first. It was on his right forearm; it was a big red heart with a dagger running through and the name “Milah” across it. Emma made a mental note to ask him later who she was.

Mary Margaret showed her how to unfasten the bandages, and then she ordered her to stand behind him, to help better in removing them all.

On his back, Emma saw the second tattoo, on his right shoulder. It was an old nautical instrument she had read about in a book when she was younger, but she couldn’t remember the exact name. The drawing was beautifully detailed, even if it had faded, it was probably older than the other one, she thought.

And when all the gauze was out of the way, she saw them: tiny, blurred, old scars that studded most of his back. Emma wondered what kind of life he had to endure when he was very young.

Mary Margaret asked her to help with the ointment. She had already opened the bottle and was showing the blonde woman how much cream to use. But Emma wasn't listening, standing now in front of the man, her attention was caught by the glorious chest hair that was covering most of his torso.

Okay, there was also a big, horrible bruise on his right ribs, but Mary Margaret was saying that it seemed on the way to a fast recovery, if the yellow and purple veining was some indication.

Emma was ogling and she wasn’t ashamed of it either. The amount of hair decreased in the lower part of his chest, leaving a black trail that disappeared under the hem of his pants.

"See something you like?" Emma was abruptly taken back to reality by a smug Killian that was smirking at her while arching an eyebrow. She blushed. She was caught red-handed, but she couldn’t let him win. She took advantage of the fact that Mary Margaret was looking for something in a nearby drawer, to get closer to him. She looked at him lasciviously from under her lashes. “Maybe?” She purred.

Now it was his time to blush, he looked intently at his feet, but she found the bright red that appeared on his ears extremely endearing. Point for Emma.

Mary Margaret taught the other woman how to fix the bandages, and Emma had to use some tiny hooks to hold them together. She did not miss the opportunity to casually slide her fingers over a part of his chest hair that came out of the bandages.

“Bloody Hell!” Killian muttered.

Emma retreated her hand immediately. “Sorry. Did I hurt you?” Worries that she had done something wrong clouded her gaze.

“Apologies.” Killian was scratching behind his ear, in evident embarrassment. “While I do enjoy two lovely ladies attending to my needs, I'm not used to someone taking care of me…” He smiled and brought his mouth close to Emma’s ear: “I’m usually the one who devotes full attention to a woman’s needs.” He whispered, but clearly not as quietly as he would have liked, because Mary Margaret's answer - “Well, you will have to put that off for a while” - made him blush again like a schoolboy scolded by his teacher.

~·~·~·~

Suddenly it was bedtime. Everyone was busy making preparations and taking shifts for the bathroom to change for the night. Killian was upstairs, staring at the bed he knew he had to share with Emma, who was arranging a pillow on the nearby sofa. He passed a hand through his hair and then scratched a spot behind his right ear. “I'll crash on that couch.” He stated as if it was the most logical conclusion to a battle he was fighting inside.

“Don't be ridiculous,” she scoffed. “It's barely long enough for Henry. Plus, you’re still recovering, you absolutely need to rest.”

He didn't seem very convinced. “Emma, I'm not sure this is a good idea.”

“And why is that?” Was her exasperated reply, turning towards him with her hands on her hips. “What are you going to do? Seduce me with a couple of broken ribs and a ten-year-old boy sleeping next to us?”

He lifted his arms and surrendered. “Fair point.” He conceded.

In no time they were all ready for the night and Henry was snoring softly on the sofa. Killian was supine, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the events of the day. In any case, sleep had no intention of coming, but he tried not to move. He didn’t want to wake up his roommates. Emma was lying close with her back to him and he didn’t know if she was already in the arms of Morpheus.

He turned his head to observe how her upper body moved with the rhythm of her breathing, blond curls covering her shoulders. Killian had to repress the urge to touch them. And as if responding to his call, she stirred and turned to face him.

Her eyes opened lazily. “Still awake?” She murmured.

“I have the feeling that I’ve slept enough for the rest of my life.” He whispered. “But you can’t rest either, I see.”

She didn’t answer.

Perhaps it was the closeness, perhaps it was the fact that they had spent the last few days apart. Killian didn't know how he found the courage, but he lifted his left arm as an invitation. “Come here,” he said.

She seemed to ponder the situation, chewing her bottom lip. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

He decided not to think about all the possible implications of that sentence. He was falling in love with her, he was aware of it. Probably the simple doubt that she might not reciprocate was already hurting him, but he knew that at that moment she was referring only to his physical bruises. “You won’t.”

She slipped under the sheets towards him, resting her head gently on his left shoulder and placing a hand on his chest, avoiding the bruised part. Not many minutes passed before her lids grew heavy and she dozed off to the rhythm of his heartbeats. Killian placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

#cs ff #cs au #Till the Stars Had Run Away #alternative universe #science fiction #space au #my writing

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do-not-careissa · 3 years

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Tag meme

Tagged by @wajjs

name/nickname: Chris, Carissa, and Caris all work, honestly not too picky

gender: she/her

star sign: aquarius

height: I think I was 5'2" last time we checked. Whatever it is it's not enough

time: 11:30pm

favorite bands: Shinedown, The Score, 2wei, Post Modern Jukebox (does this count as a band? Idk), Halestorm

favorite solo artists: Lady Gaga (I honestly can barely tell the difference between bands and solo artists half the time, that and I usually just have random single songs I like from random artists/bands)

birthday: February

song stuck in my head right now: Roses (Imanbek remix) by SAINt JHN (I blame the filler ads I keep getting for this one)

last movie: I was barely paying attention but we watched Bridesmaids during lunch the other day so I guess that counts

when did i create this blog: apparently 6 years ago if that email I got last month was anything to go by. Needless to say I abandoned it for a good 4 or so years

what i post: my art and writing, sometimes some ramblings, the usual

why I chose my url: an old coworker of mine back in college was super puny and corny. One time we were joking around and he said like "Well I do not Care-issa" as a play on my name and I just kinda took it and ran

do i get asks: yes, and I love them all

last thing i googled: Guy Gardner civilian outfits (I need it for ref, surely he's worn more than just his warriors shirt and that green and white suit that always comes up)

i follow: a random mishmash of people

followers: just hit over 300 🎉

average hours of sleep: less than I want

lucky number: none

instruments: haven't done that since I quit band back in eight grade tbh

what I’m wearing: clothes I hope

dream trip: I don't even know. Traveling and stuff always leaves me hella anxious, and being around going a lot of people also sets me off, so dream trip would just be going somewhere with a friend or two and not having either of those things happen

favorite food: Popeye's fried chicken, I haven't had it in like two years and it kills me

nationality: US

favorite song: at the moment Venus by Lady Gaga (preference for live)

last book read: Harley Quinn Mad Love

top three fictional universes I wanna be a part of: so obviously DC (though we could go into reasons why I wouldn't wanna be there as well), probably Transformers, and Men in Black (preferably the cartoon)

favorite color: purple

No Pressure Tags: @wellthatjusthappend @yeats-nana @guy-gardners-shapely-ass @boarcide

#tag meme

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cynassa · 4 years

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I’m doing a batch review of books I have read so far during the Time That Will Not Be Named:

#1. The Sin-Eater’s Daughter Series by Melinda Salisbury (Readable, YA)

Too long and with an insufficiently engaging protagonist. Actually, none of the characters were very engaging, which is sad because theoretically they were very interesting and unexpected. Also reads like a series where the editor cackled and said ‘Avast me hearties, we have our cutlasses where we want them! In the pockets of our readers’ or alternatively yet another trilogy.

#2. Demon Cycle by Peter V Brett (Not-readable, fancies itself to be “adult”)

A new Dune, but frankly I gave up halfway through God Emperor and just read the last 10 pages. The premise of the Demon Cycle, the actual demons are utterly obscured. The entire Thing About the Demons only exists so that the author can point to a villain who doesn’t have to be sympathised with or require complexity. There are many many video games who do this better, Mr. Brett. There are four five books in the series* so it’s not even like the price tag is lower. Most of the “worldbuilding” is just (very) thinly veiled alterations or caricatures of existing civilisations. I do not see why this series was necessary.

*Mr. Brett, I require an explanation :(

#3. The Hanged Man (In Her Majesty’s Psychic Service 1) by P.N Elrod (Very readable, worth a series, and elrod is almost elrond so she gets an extra star just for that**)

Uses the premise well, certain things could have been foreshadowed better (the ending “twist”, a certain physical ruthlessness in the MC that seemed to not fit her mileu/character) and certain things could have been foreshadowed less. The romance. I mean the romance. You will know instantly. Otherwise, excellent for a lazy read and fans of Gail Carriger and the Lady Trent series specifically. Further books in the series are awaited eagerly but not yet available. I have not yet sunk to the desperation of reading her other series because I cannot do vampire novels. Apart from thebibliosphere’s Hunger Pangs (No vampire novel, one vampire novel).

**Yes I know I’m not using star-ratings, what of it

#4. The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg (DNF)

Presumably for fans of Daddy Long-Legs who thought the writing was too complicated and also wanted a side of Mistress of Spices. Give it a pass. If you like the premise, write it yourself (and send me a copy!)

#5. The Library of the Unwritten (Hell’s Library 1) by AJ Hackwith (Readable and interesting, worth a second book)

The protagonist could have been better, but almost everything else was excellent. Great pacing, interesting use of the premise. Fun side-characters. Those who think authors need to get over themselves may find their mileage varying. Second book is yet to be released I think.

One small thorn in my side: that one character who really should have been dropping lines from the Edda or Kalevala or even Old English literature but instead went for Austen and Yeats? Disappointing.

Three series out of five are readable: not a bad haul.

I will say though that once again, I find that authors cannot imagine a world without sexism. And not even new, interesting kinds of sexism. It’s disappointing, boring, and I would love to see it end. I promise you, you can write a serious, good book, with diverse protagonists and cultures, and not resort to defining it by various existing sexist practices.

#cyn talks #melinda salisbury #pn elrod #aj hackwith #peter v brett #mini book reviews

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evergreen-dryad · 4 years

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7, 8, 15, and 19? ^-^

(sorry for the late reply! Wifi is rotten and as you can see I thought long and hard for each ask)

My favourite...

7 - quote: ...this is actually quite hard because I don’t have a specific one that springs to mind.

I do store certain quotes though, like from fanfiction or poetry. And I used to copy down quotes into notebooks (can’t refer to them right now though...)

(And there really are a lot of good quotes ranging from advice to celebrating life.)

So to pick one that I live by and is part of me now? Hmm...

The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. There can't be any large-scale revolution until there's a personal revolution, on an individual level. It's got to happen inside first. ― Jim Morrison

Just because something isn't a lie does not mean that it isn't deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction. ― Criss Jami

The above two are so part of me now I nearly forgot they once came from an outside source.

“Perhaps this world no longer needs me, but I believe I need it. The world has its own marvels. Why not make the best of the wonders that already surround us?” ― novalotypo, brilliant lights will cease to burn (by my hand i'll reignite them), chapter 7 (Yorihiko, a god)

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. ― A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

it’s not the actual direct quote, it’s more of a paraphrase.

To impoverish the world of the birds and the bees is to impoverish it of the bards and the biologists. ― Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ― e.e. cummings

Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs. ― Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethleham

Perfection is “lean” and “taut” and “hard” — like a boy athlete of twenty, a girl gymnast of twelve. What kind of body is that for a man of fifty or a woman of any age? “Perfect”? What’s perfect? A black cat on a white cushion, a white cat on a black one . . . A soft brown woman in a flowery dress . . . There are a whole lot of ways to be perfect, and not one of them is attained through punishment. ― Ursula K. Le Guin, Dogs, Cats, and Dancers: Thoughts about Beauty

just that entire essay. I wish I could imprint it into the underside of my eyelids and carry it everywhere with me. It is perhaps one of the enduring reasons why I would like to take up dancing.

Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist’s true friend.

In order to be a writer, you have to learn to be reverent. If not, why are you writing? Why are you here? … Think of those times when you’ve read prose or poetry that is presented in such a way that you have a fleeting sense of being startled by beauty or insight, by a glimpse into someone’s soul. All of a sudden everything seems to fit together or at least to have some meaning for a moment. ― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

It seems that a great deal is there, the things we most fear (and therefore deny), the things we most need (and therefore deny). I wonder, couldn't we start listening to our dreams, and our children’s dreams? "Where did you fall to, and what did you discover?” ― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Word for World is Forest.

Um, have my current top 11 10 instead? ...It’s really too hard for me to pick just one. The first 4 all originate from fanfiction, 3 of which were quoted in the beginning notes/were the theme of the fic.

8 - type of dream: the type where I’m transported. the type I can remember vividly as I’m released from sleep. But sadly, most dreams I remember are from when I’ve been awoken abruptly in the day.

I think I love most the dreams where I’m floating, or swimming, in a great big beautiful body of water, and there is a new fantastic grotesque exaggerated world tossed up like mismatched pieces to explore.

15 - decade before the 2020s: (*breaks into a wheeze* ”I’m not that old...” I said out loud.)

Decade which I actually lived through: ...I suppose 2000-2010? Things were still quieter, the hill was still green and undisturbed (less land cleared), some people still fished in the large drain (?) and I could look out for the turtles my father told me were there in his time, yes 2008 was the year of the GFC but... my family was still better off in those years. Just less worries overall, far less reliance on electronics. What was internet? Historical decade: ...that would suppose a location as well. I’ve never really been so fascinated by historical eras I want to experience them (too many cons for women in the past lol), but perhaps the time period the Library of Alexandria was still standing, before its decline. So around 200 BC lol

19 - poem: hMM.

I thought it would be e.e. cummings, but surprisingly it’s The Song of Wandering Aengus by William Butler Yeats. And I actually like Robert Frost’s style more than these two. I wish I read more poetry and I keep forgetting to check out haikus but yeah what exposure I get tends to be from fanfiction.

I went out to the hazel wood, Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread; And when white moths were on the wing, And moth-like stars were flickering out, I dropped the berry in a stream And caught a little silver trout. When I had laid it on the floor I went to blow the fire aflame, But something rustled on the floor, And some one called me by my name: It had become a glimmering girl With apple blossom in her hair Who called me by my name and ran And faded through the brightening air. Though I am old with wandering Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she has gone, And kiss her lips and take her hands; And walk among long dappled grass, And pluck till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun.

Why do I like this poem best:

fantasy-like/fae vibes

‘because a fire was in my head’ -- lovely way to describe overthinking etc which is the state I can typically be found in. Running out to nature to clear my thoughts? Also a thing I do

idyllic life descriptions. I just love the imagery in the first verse. That entire fishing sequence with moths and stars and a silver fish (white white white)? Muah

last verse is our protagonist pining till old age, v romantic

I’m just asdwd at that last two lines. It’s such pretty imagery, and are they implying they’ve found Eden-like perfection by finding the girl? Anyway something about those two lines seize my imagination by the throat. It’s very mythlike.

#joey-yellow-county #asks #about me #thank you for sending one in!#they were very interesting and made me think hard

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britneyshakespeare · 4 years

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Get to Know Me tag

thank you so much @ohwhatamessiam <333 it’s been awhile since I did one of these :-)

Name: Diana

Height: 5′7

Wearing: An old high school improv shirt and some jeggings I’ve had for like 7 years

Introvert or Extrovert: Introvert

Siblings: One twin sissy and two brothers, 4 and 6 years older than me

Following: Ugh too many. I hardly use my dash anymore. Lemme check... 865. I should go and check when they’ve all last been active and stuff though.

Followers: I hit 3,000 just the other day so probably like... 3,002

Degrees: I graduated from high school, barely, after 4 tumultuous personal years and now I attend community college to become a teacher

Instruments: I used to play guitar but I don’t really anymore

Favorite author: Author like novelist author or writer in general? My favorite writer is William Shakespeare because I’m a basic bitch but I also love Emily Dickinson, Oscar Wilde, Christina Rossetti, W. B. Yeats, John Donne, Alexander Pope, Anne Sexton, and many others.

Favorite Star Wars: I’ve never served in a star war.

Last Google search: Don’t make me check. I think I was trying to guess how much older King Princess was than me.

Recommend a video game: I’ve only really played different Animal Crossing and Pokemon games. Unless you count mindless apps in which case lmao, Candy Crush.

Recommend a music album: (lmao ‘music album’ makes me laugh) idk maybe, So You’re Gonna Die by Get Set Go if we wanna talk obscure shit. If I let my basic bitch colors show then my favorite album of all time is the White Album by the Beatles, so judge me how you will for it.

Recommend a book: My favorite books of all time are Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I love each and every one of those so much, I’m always thinking about them. If we expand this to plays, we could be here all day.

Recommend a recipe: I’m a female born after 1993. I can’t cook, all I know is McDonald’s, charge my phone, twerk, be bisexual, eat hot chip & lie.

Share a creative thought that you had today: I consider all thoughts to be creative, as they originate within oneself as a new phenomenon each time. Even if it’s a thought one has had before it’s being enjoyed in a new context, because one has never lived this present moment ever before. And if by ‘creative thought’ you mean, something specifically artistic or philosophical, idk, maybe my spiel on all thoughts being inherently creative means something to you. Idk.

Anywho I love you all, and since I haven’t been as active on Tumblr in the last few months I think I’m gonna stick to tagging mainly some old friends, I’m sorry, I’ve missed a lot of you <33 But anyone who sees this and wants to take part can do it, whether we’re mutuals or not, idc. I’d love to be tagged by anyone.

@sneez @pavlovers @mylittlehappy @szappan @aliceic @ulitki @bohemian-brian @lonelyraddish @funky-plant-friend @buddyhollyscurls @dj-bi-luigi2005 @doitforparamore @revolutionarygirldaemona @gelaxy @toomcflyforawhiteguy if y’all want to <3 <3

#tag #love you all

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seldnei · 4 years

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Tagged by @lookninjas, and I need to do something besides play Animal Crossing today, so ...

So basically you look at your last 20 fic/story titles (I have 19! Just shy of the goal!), and answer these questions about the titles.

1. How many are you happy with?

12. Titles are the bane of my existence. Coming up with a title is my least favorite part of writing anything.

2. How many are…not great?

7. Basically any one-word or article-then-noun two-word title is probably one where I just decided to give up. Actually, the most recent thing I sent to @lookninjas for Fuckit had no title at all because I don’t know how one would title the thing, so that one wins for worst title.

3. How many did you scramble for at the last minute?

None of them. They are, for the most part, a result of sitting in front of the keyboard for a long time really thinking about what the hell to call this thing.

4. How many did you know before you started writing/creating, or near the beginning?

Five. Although--okay, so I used to just call WIPs by the name of the main character, and that actually made it harder for me to title the stories later. I write slow, so by the time I got to the end that name was pretty firmly entrenched in my brain as the name of the story. So now I try to at least start out with a working title that could work at the end of the process. That said, five of these titles were there immediately with very little effort:

“The Idaho Ghost Job,” “There are No Lost Worlds,” “Primary Manifestations,” “Mary In the Looking Glass,” and “Items Found In a Box Belonging to Jonas Connolly” (although that one started out even longer and was cut back a bit by the editor).

5. How many are quotes from songs or poems?

One: Dropping Slow, which is a bit of a Yeats poem (”The Lake Isle of Innisfree”).

6. How many are other quotes?

Some of them are quotes from the story itself (”Primary Manifestations” is one, “There are No Lost Worlds,” “String of Stars”). “Safe As Houses” is an old turn of phrase.

7. Which best reflects the plot of the story/content of the fanwork?

Probably “File 29520: Notes from Immediate Aftermath of Attack by New Villain, ‘The Daemon’” and “Four Cassandras.”

8. Which best reflects the theme of the story?

“Safe As Houses,” I think. That story is about a house, and about safety ... but how safe are houses?

9. Which best reflects the character voice of the story/pov of the fanwork?

“Items Found In a Box Belonging to Jonas Connolly,” which is exactly what it says: epistolary story told in fragments of notes, books, news clippings, and a couple of other objects. Still one of my favorite things I’ve written. Also the hardest to fit together.

10. Which is your favourite title?

it’s a tie: “Safe As Houses” (because it’s doing double duty, which it sort of has to as the title of a flash piece) and “The Lost Languages of Exiles,” which I kind of think may be more title than that story calls for, but its sound is gorgeous.

Anyone who would like to do this, please feel free! I’m not sure how many of y’all write fic or originals or whatever, but I’m going to specifically tag @contemplatingchicken and @kawuli.

#meme #lookninjas #seldnei writes things

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gilgaemsh-a · 5 years

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told you i’d make another post really soon!!! these are the last of my (female) bnha ocs lol i know i have alot im a mess

also! quirks aren’t like final versions?? im still tryna figure out how to make quirks more... quirk-like lol.

intros under the cut!!

@bnhappreciation @bnha-oc-collection

suu ekizawa (#1)

the liquid (?) hero: slime girl? (not sure yet lol)

my sweet baby child.

literally a slime monster girl, the human form she takes in from her Real quirk

her parents are both slime people, which is how she was body or... asexually reproduced? it was weird

suu’s quirk is absorption - she’s able to absord and copy pretty much anything, even people and quirks as long as she has a dna sample (saliva, hair, tears, blood, etc. etc. etc.)

i die laughing thinking about suu parents. their literally amorphous blobs while suu has a human body

how suu acquired a human body is a bit of a depressing story.

truthfully her body/form isn’t really hers its something she absorbed on accident aka the first time she manifested and used her quirk; she doesnt like talking about the event it was very traumatic

technically, suu is nonbinary/genderless but she identifies as a female and uses she/her pronouns

she’s a second year at u.a.��

shes got a big dumb crush on iida!!! though honestly i ship her with a lot of people. (honestly i can ship all of my ocs with anyone lololol)

she’s kinda childish but shes a sweet girl even if shes kinda an airhead

she can take over other peoples bodies she won’t tho she cus thinks human bodies are weird and gross with all those nasty organs

she can liquify and harden as will & stretch and expand too she can do anything a slime can do!

suu has a hard time maintaining her form when she’s tired

she sleeps in a bathtub, she needs liquids to replenish, if she loses liquid to gets smaller and smaller aka younger and younger

vice versa the more liquid she absorbs the bigger she gets aka older she looks

suu can also take on the personality of the people she’s copied for a short amount of time

tsukuru kamiwaza (#2)

the puppet master heroine: marionette

tsukuru’s quirk is another hard one to explain but i’ll try my best

she’s also the only other villain oc i have besides nagi

her quirk is puppeteer - tsukuru’s power involves taking a person’s soul and putting in dolls/plush toys and then control those dolls. the dolls end up being able to use the quirks of the souls placed in them & gaining the soul's personalities but not their memories.

she was originally supposed to be a hero but i changed her to a villain cus i think its cooler and i need more villain ocs

tsukuru is a gothic lolita type

she’s young? prolly around 14-16

shes apart of the league of villains!

she’s actually aizawa’s niece though neither of them know this until later on

her fathers a villain while her mother was a hero both of them are presumed dead

in actuality, tsukuru turned them both into her dolls no one knows this but her and she keeps her parents bodies somewhere safe and hidden away

she doesn’t know how put souls back into their bodies after taking them

she’s trying to learn how too

her quirk is focused in her eyes

daia iroishi (#3)

super rich oujo-sama

the iroishi family is known for their quirk to make gemstones, including diamonds. they became extremely rich this way and have been for generations

her quirk is crystalline - the power to create, shape and manipulate, crystals and crystalline materials. attacks, constructs, surfing, generation, all that good stuff.

she’s the princess type lol

daia’s crystal are as strong as diamonds!

she’s the first in her family to want to be a hero

she attends shiketsu high school as a first yeat

im not entirely sure who i want to ship her with

she’s the eldest daughter, she has two younger twin brothers

red diamonds are considered to be the rarest and most expensive! which is how i modeled her

daia means diamond while iroishi means gemstones

daia’s crystal tend to come out red! hence red diamonds

im not sure about her hero name or title yet tho

masaki gensou (#4)

the dimension traveling heroine: abyss

my last girl!!!!!

she’s a second year at u.a. and voted most likely to get top spot

her quirk is rift - masaki can open a hole in the universe connecting two non-adjacent locations. she can teleport like this through dimensions

shes a lil trickster i love her im not sure if im 100% set on how she looks lmao

edit: im now happy with her looks uwu

#bnha #bnha oc #mha #mha oc #my hero academy oc #my hero academia #my hero academia oc #boku no hero academia #boku no hero oc #boku no hero academia oc #mine #my ocs #ocs

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thenightling · 5 years

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The several times protagonists have secretly kept slaves

Please note: This is not a “Call out” post. It is not meant to shame anyone or tell anyone that their favorite characters are problematic. Many of these characters come from cultures that are slave based (Ancient Greece / Ancient Nordic / Medical Fantasy) and realistically many of these characters simply would not know any better, in regard to what they do, even though, yes, there were people even in those eras and cultures that were anti-slavery.

This post is partly to remind us that even otherwise good characters can be seriously flawed and also show how often film and TV writers have written slave portrayals while making careful effort to not call it slavery...

youtube

Now on with the list...

1. Faeries:

Sorry to spoil your view of sparkling pretty pixies but faeries (in folklore) are usually a slave culture. In most folklore faeries will lure away humans (often children) and promise them immortality as one of them, at the price of their freedom. Fae have a caste system and usually these humans turned into fae are kept as slaves.

A. Mab currently owns Harry Dresden in The Dresden Files novels.

B. In Lost Girl, the character of Lauren was literally owned by the Light Fae, and made to wear a pendant that showed her status as a slave of the Light Faeries.

C. In the original folklore Puck was actually Oberon’s slave and this is how he is usually portrayed in pop culture. In some lore he is the bastard son of Oberon and a human woman and Oberon decided to keep him as his slave.

D. in Disney’s Gargoyles Puck IS portrayed as Oberon’s slave. The word “servant” is a favorite stand in for slave in Disney properties but it’s very clear he is a slave. He wears manacle bracer cuffs similar to the Genie’s in Aladdin, which were the physical representation of the Genie’s enslavement.

And Oberon literally says (in the Gargoyles episode called The Gathering) “My queen comes and goes as she pleases. Puck is another matter. He forgets that he is MINE to command.”

E. In the original Midsummer Night’s Dream play by William Shakespeare, Titania and Oberon are arguing over who gets a certain boy and what they intend to do with him.

F. In Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Titania seduces Shakepseare’s son into eating faery fruit and later takes him as her slave.

G. Also in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Titania gives Nuala (a faery woman) to Morpheus to use as a slave. Morpheus is very reluctant to accept this gift as he does not condone slavery.

F. Rumplestiltskin has no qualms about slavery in the TV show Once Upon a Time. Granted The Enchanted Forest does appear to be a slave culture and Rumplestiltskin is a kind of imp. So there may be some faery-like instincts even though he dislikes faeries.

G. The Black Faery in Once Upon a Time keeps child slaves for the duration of their lives.

H. The poem The Stolen Child by William Butler Yeats is about a child being enticed away to be a faery. The fae honestly think it is better to serve as a faery slave for all eternity than to be human.

I. The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti depicts goblins trying to entice human girls with their enchanted fruit, which ensnare you to them.

J. In the movie Maleficent, the shapeshifter (formerly just raven) named Diaval promises to be Maleficent’s servant in return for her having saved his life. Disney has a habit of using the word “Servant” in place of slave, as we established with Puck. Welcome to another “servant” of Disney lore where the word “servant” is being used in place of another s word. Much like Puck in Disney’s Gargoyles this “servant” isn’t paid and is seen, by all the characters, as being owned by Maleficent. Granted, Diaval’s enslavement does seem to be willing.

He also seems to be in love with Maleficent so this could delve into a whole different kind of enslavement besides the “unpaid servant” version.

____________________________________________________

2. The slavery in Once Upon a Time:

The Disney Fairy Tale / Soap Opera (It was a prime time drama but that WAS a soap opera. Don’t be offended by the term. It was a decent one) aired on ABC from 2011 until 2018.

A. There is one off-handed scene where a castle guard mistakes Hook (who is in disguise) as a common slave. This makes it clear that The Enchanted Forest (at last in Regina’s castle is a slave culture.

B. When Rumplestiltskin agrees to help Belle’s father deal with the war in episode 12 of season 1 (Skin Deep), it’s in exchange for his daughter. Rumple considers her his property. The word “servant” is used repeatedly but this is very blatantly a slave situation until he releases her. The only argument against calling it a slave culture is that she volunteered for it and her father was paid in the aid in the war. But that can arguably be semi-willing enslavement and that her father was paid for her. She was purchased. Note: He does ultimately release her though. And he falls in love with her.

Note: Rumplestiltskin, himself, is a slave to whomever possesses the magical dagger that gave him his powers.

C. Regina kept Graham (the sheriff of season 1 of Once Upon a Time) as her slave. Regina genuinely held his heart and could kill him at her whim if he didn’t obey her. And she did ultimately kill him. The writers downplayed this heavily later when they wanted the audience to see Regina as reformed and heroic.

D. During the Once Upon a Time musical episode in season 6, Snow White and Charming agree to pay Hook for transportation to Regina’s castle (which they never needed before...) That payment? They would give him Rumplestiltskin, whom they held prisoner at the time.

Not only is this enslavement, it’s amplified to far, far worse since they were standing right there while Hook was literally singing about planning to skin him alive. They were giving away someone at their mercy, for transportation they don’t need, knowing perfectly well that he would be killed slowly and painfully. And they didn’t even falter for a second or think twice about their own plan or have a moment of conscience. (God, I hate those later seasons...)

E. The Black Faery keeps child slaves that she raises into enslavement. Granted she was a villain so this is kind of predictable.

________________________

3. Aquaman:

A. Aquaman is an interesting one. Thanks to Crisis of Infinite Earths in the mid-1980s this was reconned but there was a storyline in the Aquaman comics where a coup rose up against Aquaman and wanted to instigate a war with another underwater kingdom. Aquaman thwarted this coup and then... gave all the men involved (and there were a lot!) to the kingdom they almost went to war with, to use at their leisure as slaves...

B. Atlantis’s culture is based on Ancient Greece with some medieval attributes. It’s glossed over but this entails slavery.

C. In DC Universe online, the MMORPG, when you play out “Story mode” there is a mission where The Atlantians are trying to enslave humans in the Suicide Slum in Metropolis. It is true that this is the direct result of Circe manipulating Arthur (Aquaman) but he already had slavers and magical equipment specifically for transforming humans into water breathing merpeople so that they cannot escape their underwater captivity.

Just imagine the awkward conversations in The Watchtower when the other DC heroes like Wonder Woman and Superman confront him on having an elaborate and obviously long-ready plan for enslaving humans.

Note: Another gloomy fact, you never can rescue everyone who gets enslaved and there are simply too many NPCs scattered around the slum. So you know at least some got taken.

Wonder Woman’s own culture is based on Ancient Greece but as far as I can tell Themyscira does not have slavery whereas Atlantis does.

________________________________

4. Thor:

Let’s be blunt. Vikings were a slave culture. Asgard in Marvel comics and in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) seems to have evolved to medieval Europe but it is still a culture of slavery.

1. According to Marvel comics lore, all the myths are true. There is myth where (after one of the children is tricked into accidentally laming one of Thor’s goats) two farm children are taken as Thor’s “servants” (slaves). They are made immortal servants of the Aesir (Asgardians) but they’re still slaves.

2. In the comics it’s much more blunt that there are slaves in Asgard.

3. There is a deleted scene in Thor (the first movie) where Loki messes with a castle “servant.” Note: Norse Viking culture almost never had actual paid servants. Even the Skalds (storytellers) were slaves.)

(Image of a viking Skald AKA a Storyteller.

4. In Thor: Tales of Asgard, the character of Algrim (A Drow AKA a Dark Elf), was the tutor of young Thor and Loki. He is a ‘servant” of Odin and deeply resents his status of unwilling / unpaid “servant” as the Asgardians spin the situation that he was essentially shown mercy and given shelter and position within Asgard (be it an inescapable one.) This is probably one of the first instances of Marvel dancing around the word slave, which gets poked fun at in Thor: Ragnarok.

5. Loki (who is the protagonist of this particular story) sleeps with a concubine slave in Marvel Knights: Blood Brothers.

____________________________________

5. The Vampire Marius:

Anne Rice’s writing is no stranger to slavery.

A. Armand was purchased by Marius by slavers in the late middle ages / early renaissance period and though he served as apprentice he was owned by Marius, whom he casually referred to as his master.

B. Later, in Interview with the vampire, Armand kept a slave boy of his own, whom slept in a literal gilded cage, and was often used as a snack by the theatre vampires. It’s believed the boy eventually died.

____________________________________________

5. Aladdin:

This one is pretty obvious. Anyone who owns the magick lamp has the genie as their slave. This one is actually addressed, more or less, in story. But the only character who actually uses the word “slave” to describe the situation is the villain Jafar. Well, at least he’s honest...

________________________________

6. Stardust:

In the novel Stardust (and film adaptation) the protagonist, Tristran (Tristan) attempts to capture the anthropomorphisized star to give to the woman he is infatuated with, as a giftl.

Even after he learned the star was a sentient human-like being he still wanted to deliver her as a gift. Fortunately things ultimately turned out very different.

Tristan’s own mother had been enslaved by a witch.

______________________________

7. Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman.

A. Though Morpheus is firmly against slavery he has many subjects who identify as his servants and I do not think there is a method of payment in The Dreaming. And it’s not as if they can quit.

B. Titania takes Shakespeare’s son to be her personal slave.

C. Puck was Oberon’s slave and he escapes from his master during a performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream during an issue of Sandman.

D. During the storyline, Sandman: Season of Mists, Titania gives Nuala (a faery woman) to Morpheus as a gift. Morpheus is against slavery and Titania knows it. The implication is she hopes he will not accept the gift as an excuse for the faeries to see this as a slight against them, as an excuse for retaliation - as at the time various supernatural beings wanted the key to Hell, which Morpheus had just obtained.

Morpheus refused to give Nuala any commands and simply allowed her to stay in the castle. Later when the faeries came to reclaim her in Sandman: The Kindly Ones, Morpheus enchanted her necklace so that she could call to him for a boon of any kind as payment for her service to him, as a means to make the situation not enslavement.

___________________________________________________

8. Dracula:

This should be a no brainer but since there are some stories where Dracula is the protagonist people tend to forget Dracula has slaves. Historically Vlad III of Wallachia did NOT like the idea of the Ottomans taking his own people as slaves but as a vampire he keeps the occasional personal slave, such as Renfield.

Renfield is semi-willing even though he fears his master. He was promised immortality in exchange for his eternal service as Dracula’s slaves and in some depictions such as Love at First Bite, this clearly is the case.

__________________________________

#Once Upon a Time #Dracula #Maleficent #Loki #Thor #Aquaman #Diaval

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wolfstarwarehouse · 6 years

Text

Wolfstar Top Ten Challenge!

As I was revamping my rec list page recently, I added some top ten lists from @wolfstarhq and @jencala (here and here). I'm one of those people that loves top ten lists, and I thought it would be fun to not only do one myself, but see what would be on everyone else’s top ten lists!

So I present to you the Wolfstar Top Ten Challenge! Just create a post with your top ten favorite wolfstar fics! They don’t have to be in order, you can leave comments or just list them, it’s all up to you. :D I only ask that you include all of the authors’ names so they can be celebrated too!

Either @wolfstarwarehouse in the post or tag it with #wolfstartopten and I’ll reblog it! Then I can hopefully create a masterlist with links to everyone’s top ten lists. :)

I’ll be the first to start and give you my top ten all-time favorite wolfstar fics:

1. A Cure For Nightmares by @picascribit: A boarding school!au that perfectly mixes angst and romance. Heavier subjects are handled so well and the whole story is wonderfully written, with characters that I love intensely. It’s my all-time favorite; it gives me all the feels every time I read it.

2. Sex and Dying in High Society by fluorescentgrey/@yeats-infection: A first war story full of music, angst, heartbreak, and gorgeous writing. A masterpiece that I will never get over.

3. Work With This by @veeagainsttheday: During the first war, Sirius starts to fear for his future and it pushes him to finally ask Remus out on a date. I love this fic so much I can’t even describe it. It warms my heart and fills me with hope.

4. Long Live Living (If Living Can Be This) by excaliburned: A non-magic!au set during their last summer before university while they work at Warwick Castle. One of the best AU’s out there. Funny and adorable and full of oblivious boys being disgustingly cute and in love.

5. Being An Historical Record of Events Surrounding the Unfortunate Truth-Or-Dare Game of February the Twenty-Second, and Consequences Thereof by sodomquake: A veritaserum filled game of truth or dare forces Remus to admit his feelings, and awkwardness and kissing ensues. Now this is where I can trace back my love of truth or dare and potions fics. It’s so cute and I love it just as much every time I reread it.

6. Let Nothing You Dismay by @montpahrnah: During the Christmas season of 1979, Sirius finds himself questioning his sexuality, his feelings, and just how much you can pine for someone before you have to do something about it. Beautiful writing combined with the sweetest story; an incredibly lovely fic.

7. In the Bed by @bigblckdog: The post-prank fic to end all post-prank fics, in my opinion. Incredibly creative and gorgeous use of paintings and emotion. It’s everything I love in one masterful fic.

8. Three Card Monte by @enjambament: An Ocean’s Eleven-inspired heist!AU, and it’s as awesome as you think it would be. It has amazing characterization and a full backstory; it’s dazzling and hugely entertaining.

9. We Build Our Own Unfolding by @imochan: After Hogwarts, Sirius finds his flat constantly filled with Moony. This whole fic is a kind of slow burn towards realization. A little sad, a lot hopeful, and beautifully told.

10. Now by youcantseeus: When the second war is over, Sirius and Remus and Teddy are still alive, but Remus has a hard time coping with life. This is another one I’ve reread too many times to count. It’s that mix of heavy feelings that can make you tear up and gentle, comforting, domestic fluff.

That was incredibly difficult, and they aren’t in any sort of order, but there are my top ten. I can’t wait to see what everyone else includes on their lists!

#wolfstartopten #wolfstar #personal fav #challenge #rec list

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popstarryeyed · 5 years

Photo

(spotify link)

songs that remind me of the memes about Hozier being a forest spirit/fae creature. many songs on here are ones he has a personal connection to - songs by him, songs by his friends, songs by artists he admires, etc.

yes this took me a long time to put together, and yes, you can read an explanation of each song choice under the cut:

1. Nature Boy - Aurora

this is the song that gave me the idea for this playlist - i realized “a shy wise boy who wanders out of the forest to tell you about the power of love” is 100% how people on this site see Hozier. i chose to use this version instead of the original by Nat King Cole because a) this was the first version of the song i heard and therefore the one that inspired me and b) Aurora has a nature spirit vibe in her own right, so she had to be on this playlist.

2. Two Turtle Doves - Alana Henderson

she was part of Hozier’s backing band on his last tour (cello and vocals), and her music has a similar morbid-folky vibe. you should check her out.

3. My Lagan Love - Lisa Hannigan & The Chieftains

he mentioned that this was one of his favorite traditional Irish tunes in this interview, and he’s often mentioned being a fan of Lisa Hannigan. i bet he’s heard this version.

4. Exile - Enya

couldn’t make a playlist about Irish fae royalty without acknowledging Enya. this song is structured similarly to My Lagan Love and i’ve always really liked it so it got added.

5. Stolen Child - Loreena McKennitt

this is a musical setting of a W.B. Yeats poem about being abducted by faeries. he loves Yeats and people thing he’s fae. it’s perfect.

6. Blood Moon - Saint Sister

they’re opening for him on his European tour, and this song has a particularly magical energy. i’ve previously put it on a witchy playlist.

7. The Raid - Anuna

originally, i started making this playlist on youtube so that i could add and reorder more easily than on spotify, and the version i had there was the one with hozier singing on it. enjoy.

8. Velvet Green - Jethro Tull

in the track by track video for “In a Week”, Hozier explains that the song is about two lovers who go off to the hills to “do what young lovers do” and then die there. this song is basically that, except without the dying.

9. In a Week - Hozier

see previous.

10. Sweet Thing - Van Morrison

he’s covered it, so it was an easy pick.

11. Hounds of Love - Kate Bush

this song references running into the woods and finding a wounded fox. that very specific image also shows up in “In the Woods Somewhere”, and it was too perfect a coincidence to pass up. also i’m a huge fan of Kate Bush, and this album in particular is one of my favorites of all time.

12. The Bailey - Loah

she co-wrote Someone New, and i felt the vibe of this song fit the playlist. you should check her out, especially her feminist anthem “Nothing”.

13. Carry Me Out - Mitski

a little reference to the Hozier-Hades thing, with the line about the spirits leading her down to the Styx. also, long dark hair, flowers, and death feature in this song. can’t imagine why i’d connect those to Hozier.

14. Mother - Florence and the Machine

the Hozier mythos is often tied up with Florence, so she had to be here. this song in particular has her asking to be turned into a tree and a bird, two things that Hozier has also sung about (”NFWMB”, “Shrike”).

15. Angel Owl - Little Green Cars

Stevie Appleby, one of the lead singers of this band, is one of Hozier’s close friends. he did the tattoo, designed the Hozier logo, and drew this comic about “In the Woods Somewhere”. couldn’t not include him.

16. Deeper Devestation - Jesca Hoop

just felt like it fit the vibe. not every song on this playlist has a deep reason for being on here.

17. Pressing Flowers - The Civil Wars

the imagery in this song is exactly the kind of thing i was going for with this playlist - “we were branches pressing flowers” “meet me in the tintypes of long ago”.

18. Beast at the Door - Wyvern Lingo

Karen Cowley, who featured on “In a Week”, is in this band, and this song has the same energy as “In the Woods Somewhere”.

19. In the Woods Somewhere - Hozier

i’ve referenced it in three different descriptions so far, obviously it was going to be here.

20. My Love Will Never Die - Otis Rush

he’s covered it, plus i needed some old blues music on a Hozier playlist. there should really be more, but i am somewhat limited by my own music taste here.

21. Rollin’ Stone - Muddy Waters

he covered a little snippet of it here.

22. Lilac Wine - Nina Simone

it’s a Hozier-themed playlist, i can’t NOT include the woman he admires so much he named his EP after her.

23. El Condor Pasa (If I Could) - Simon and Garfunkel

"i’d rather be a forest than a street”

24. Color Song - Maggie Rogers

just a song about nature with crickets in the background.

25. Blackbird - The Beatles

he’s covered it.

26. Like Real People Do - Hozier

an adorable love song about being dug up from the earth, one of my favorite songs of his.

27. Drop in the Ocean - Hudson Taylor

they opened for him on his North American tour. i saw them. they were good.

28. A Trick of the Light - Villagers

he chose this song for a spotify playlist recently, and i just loved it, it’s so shimmery.

29. Plant Life - Owl City

this and Nature Boy were the only two songs on this playlist at one point. this song gets extra points for mentioning bears. as we all should know, Hozier enjoys a good bear.

30. Compass - Zella Day

i just like the imagery in this song. idk.

31. Better Than That - Suzanne Santo

she’s currently part of his touring band, and is opening for him in Europe. had to include her because she’s awesome.

32. Shrike - Hozier

i mean, obviously.

thanks for reading.

#hozier #nina's musical log #my playlists

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rinaizumo · 5 years

Photo

It’s sort of long to explain, but in 2017 I made a lengthy crossover of K project and Touken Ranbu. So, meet the K ranbu (=*___*=)

It will take many posts I guess... See the tag RI-K Ranbu for the whole thing.

Name: Kokujoji Daikaku Kanji: 國常路大覚 Age: 96 Birthday: September 30 Special: Saniwa, so he can animate inanimate objects, and he’s 210cm tall. Personal data: Having served his country for many years, he was the first to ring the alarms because of the possible history changes. Despite the fact he had to spend several years to persuade the authorities to legally create the ‘Timeless Palace’ castle. Only the brash actions of Revisioner’s army made the ministers see the gravity of intentions and reality of time changes coming from them, giving the green light to Mr.Kokujoji. He is the collectioner of ancient weaponry and being Saniwa-master commands touken danshi’ actions. Name: Adolf K. Weissmann Kanji: - Age: ? Birthday: ? Special: mysterious maecenas and a friend of Mr. Kokujoji. He had never yeat stepped on Shizume’s ground, but actively aids by negotiations with sword-owners abroad. Personal data: There’s little information on the man, except for the facts that he’s an oppositioner to Revisioners’ army, obviously rich, fluent in several languages and his family more likely were friends with Mr. Kokujoji for generations. He’s very emotional and likes to talk over the phone.

Name: Ameno Miyabi Kanji: 雨乃雅日

Age: 16

Birthday: February 22 Special: heterochromia (left and right eyes are of different colour) Personal data: Young miss Ameno lost her parents due to disaster and was a resident of a local orphanage where she called herself ‘Neko’ (or ‘Miya-Miya’).About a year ago it became known that she’s the heritor to a huge fortune as well as to a small collection of ancient weapons. The copy to Isana shrine Sword and Yatogami sword (late copy of Miwa sword) are the stars of this collection. After she was reinstated in her rights moved to Shizume and got contacted by Saniwa in regards to the confrontation of swords. Name: Kushina Anna Kanji: 櫛名アンナ Age: 12 Birthday: December 8 Special: rare type of Dalton disease (colourblindness), due to which she can only distinguish red colour Personal data: She’s only half-Japanese (so her given name is written in Katakana, while last name - in Kanji). Anna’s father was a foreigner and there’s little known of him. Mother’s family didn’t approve the marriage, so the father left the country when his VISA expired. Mother herself died under strange circumstances when the girl was only 3 years old. Since then Anna is in the custody of Kushina family, her official guardian being Kushina Honami. Being the only child in the new generation of the family - she is the heiress to the family treasure: Homra-group leader’s long sword, tanto and spear. Said leader’s supposedly Kushina’s distant ancestor. Anna is currently in Mr. Kokujoji’s training to become next Saniwa. Name: Yoshino Yayoi Kanji: 芳野弥生 Age: 22 Birthday: March 4 Special: has little self-confidence and looks younger than she actually is Personal data: She’s an intern in the State Museum sent to keep an eye on the Tenro-squad sabers being temporarily ‘in storage and maintenance’ within private collection. (Considering that administration of the institution knows perfectly fine how the sabers are being used, choosing her as a watchman was probably just means to blame the inexperienced employee in case things go south and some of the exposition pieces get damaged). Together with Yayoi in the castle came Kuro-the-cat.

#k project #RI-KproArt #RI-K Ranbu #kokujoji daikaku #adolf k weismann #ameno miyabi #kushina anna #yoshino yayoi

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suwya · 3 years

Text

Till the Stars Had Run Away - Chapter 5

Rating: M

Prologue; Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

AO3

A/N: Thank you @thisonesatellite for being the best beta I could ever ask for . And thank to all of you who are reading this.

Chapter 5 . .

“Do not wait to strike

till the iron is hot;

but make it hot

by striking.”

(W. B. Yeats)

Everyone on the Jolly Roger was almost ready to start the journey back home and the crew was busy sorting out the last details. In the end, the little holiday had been a pleasant one; Emma was happy she had decided to embark on this adventure. But she also looked a bit worried. Wrinkles showed up on her forehead while she was chewing her bottom lip. “Henry, would you mind checking if everything is in order in our cabin?”

As soon as the kid left the main hall, Emma approached Killian. “Can I talk to you for one second?”

Killian observed how she was acting anxiously, often checking on the door in case Henry would come back. “No need to find an excuse with your boy. If you want to spend some time alone with me, you just have to ask.” He tried to minimize the moment.

She answered him with a roll of her eyes, but it was clear that something was bothering her. “Are we leaving already?” She asked.

“Probably not before tomorrow morning. I need some more time to replace the fuel and our water supplies.”

“Oh, okay.” Was her short reply. But Killian detected apprehension.

“What’s the rush?” He inquired.

She dismissed the matter with a wave of her hand and he decided to take advantage of the moment alone with her. “Why did you accept?” He suddenly asked. “To come on this trip.” He added to her puzzled expression.

“I just want to offer Henry every possible chance to live a life full of good experiences.”

Killian hummed, but he had a feeling there was something more. He made another step towards her, invading her space, and he could now distinguish the freckles that dotted her cheeks, which he found very endearing. He tilted his head and kept his eyes connected with hers, trying to read what she was not telling him.

Emma did not step back nor she lowered her stare, but she was biting her lower lip again. "And I have a lead." She admitted eventually.

He didn't see that coming and arched an eyebrow in question. "Come again?"

She looked briefly over her shoulder towards the door, but Henry wasn't in sight. "I may have found someone that could have information about my adoptive parents and their plan," she whispered in case Henry could hear her, "I know where this person is, but I don’t know how to reach him."

Killian was all ears even though he somehow already knew he wouldn't like what was coming next.

"I need a favor,” she started explaining. “This man, he appears to be on a planet… ahm...” She handed him a little piece of paper with some coordinates. “Here, see? Do you think we could make a stopover there on our way back home?”

Killian glanced briefly at the numbers written on the paper and nodded. An unpleasant feeling of anxiety was growing inside him.

“I have already arranged an appointment, well sort of, with this guy.” Emma went on. “I can set the meeting at an hour when Henry should be already asleep. He doesn't usually wake up at night, but in case he does… would you distract him until I come back?"

"What kind of appointment? Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Will you?" She insisted, avoiding his questions.

Killian sighed. "On one condition.”

“Shoot."

“What’s this guy’s name?” Killian asked as if it wasn’t a big deal.

Emma stared at him for a few seconds. “Are you going to check on him?”

“Of course I will.”

“I have already done that. Thank you, but you don’t have to worry about me.”

“I’m the captain here, and I have to take all the possible precautions when it comes to my ship. And you meeting someone whose name I don’t even know could represent a risk.” Killian was starting to lose his patience. Everything about this appointment was screaming danger.

Emma crossed her arms in front of her defensively, but in the end, she surrendered. “Fine. His name is Sidney Glass and he’s a journalist, he’s not a criminal or anything. He travels a lot, that’s why I’m pretty sure he’s got more current information than what I have about New-Tolemac.”

“So what’s the plan, Swan? Seduce him until he speaks?” He asked sardonically.

“Would it be any problem?” She retorted.

He swallowed hard. “I don’t like it. If he’s a journalist, it won’t be easy to make him spill any possible secret he may know.”

Emma looked behind her back again. Still no sign of her son. “Will you take care of Henry or not?”

Killian finally nodded. “I assure you, nothing will happen to the boy while he’s in my charge.” But his gut told him he was already regretting the decision.

~·~·~·~

Days passed quietly. Killian tried to bring up the topic from time to time, but she wasn’t keen on talking about her upcoming appointment, always avoiding his questions and rapidly changing the subject. She was also spending less and less time sitting near him in the main cabin at night, just in case he started worrying again. He suspected she knew that meeting this man could be risky, but he soon learned how stubborn she could be, especially with a goal in mind.

That’s why he was surprised when the evening before the scheduled appointment she approached him while cooking dinner. Henry was sitting nearby, immersed in his tablet.

“What the hell is that thing?” She asked pointing to a big hairy bug Killian was holding.

“It’s a mottled furry cockroach.” He answered as the most obvious thing.

“Yuck!” Emma scrunched her nose in disgust. “It’s huge!”

“This one? Oh, no, it’s just a baby. Grown-ups can reach even 3.5 feet length.” Killian seemed delighted.

“Is it dead?”

“Of course it is. One little bite of this creature and you’re going to pass some nasty hours of life. Its foam is poisonous.” He explained.

“And what exactly are we going to do with it?”

“Why, eat it!” Was his answer. “It’s our dinner.”

“You are not being serious, are you?”

“Believe me, with a nut of garlic butter and some secret spices only I know, it’s exquisite.”

She moved close to him, probably more than necessary. He shot an inquisitive look at her. She spoke as lower as she could so that Henry couldn't listen. “Are you trying to poison me, so that I can’t go to my appointment?”

He turned towards her and stared directly into her eyes, his face mere inches from hers. “Try something new, love, it’s called trust.” And he could sense a sudden shift in her behavior, even though he didn't know if it was because she was making an effort and opening her trust to him or if it was because they were standing so close he could feel her warm breath on his face. They stayed like that for a few beats of their hearts.

“Could you please stop making eyes at each other when I'm in the same room? It's gross.” Henry said behind them.

Emma hurried back to the table “I don't do that”, she stated, while Killian tried to concentrate on the ingredients in front of him even if he couldn't suppress a smile. What the hell was with this woman that made him act like a teenager with his first crush?

As soon as the meal was prepared Killian served it on a metallic tray accompanied by some rehydrated vegetables. When all were served with their portion of food, he opened a bottle of yellow sauce and poured just the right amount on the plates. After that, he sat down waiting for his guests’ reactions.

Emma was fidgeting with her fork, moving pieces of food from one side of the plate to the other.

Henry was the first one in giving in to it, always famished. “It's not bad at all!” He exclaimed enthusiastically.

Killian put his right elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand. He was staring expectantly at Emma.

“Okay, let's do this!” She breathed. And then she put a piece of meat in her mouth and closed her eyes, probably for savoring it better, or maybe for just not seeing what she was eating. After a couple of seconds, she emitted a sound that Killian would describe as a moan “God. This is delicious!” She purred.

Killian’s mouth fell open. He was conscious of ogling her and his pupils were probably already dilated, but he couldn't help himself.

As soon as Emma opened her eyes and met his, a bright red color flushed her cheeks, but Killian couldn't figure out if it was because she suddenly understood what she had just done, or because his inappropriate thoughts were written all over his face like an open book.

“Guys, you're doing it again.” Henry managed to say with his mouth full of food without averting his eyes from his plate.

The rest of the dinner passed in awkward silence.

~·~·~·~

It was already dark when Emma emerged from her door, wearing a skin-tight black dress that left little to the imagination. A dark leather jacket that she wore hanging from one shoulder and high heels of the same color completed her outfit.

Killian was just walking from the main cabin to the ship's entrance when he stopped short: jaw dropped, admiring the vision before him. "You look stunning." He breathed.

He tried to move towards her as casually as possible, adjusting his trousers to relieve the sudden unpleasant pressure and praying to the gods that she didn't notice it. But of course, she did, if her quick look down and a sudden blush on her cheeks were any indication.

"Good." She exhaled not making eye contact with him.

"Remind me why letting you go alone is a good idea." He spoke in a low voice at a cautious distance from her, restraining the urge to put a rebellious lock behind her ear.

"I can take care of myself." She stated finally looking defiantly in his eyes.

"I’m aware of that. But that Glass man, you don't know anything about him. Just be careful."

She swayed a bit towards him, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're being jealous." She was teasing him, he didn't need to be a mind reader to know it. But that wasn't the time to play that game, so he just gave her a warning look.

"Don't fuck it up." She smiled, and then she stepped next to him, invading him with her scent. She put her mouth to his ear and whispered: “And yes, the pun was intended.”

With that, she turned back and made her exit through the main gate.

Bloody Hell! Killian thought.

~·~·~·~

As soon as Emma left the ship, Killian sat down at his control board and switched on his computer. He inserted the name of Sidney Glass and waited until he had all the results. He had already checked on the man several times, but he hadn’t found anything conclusive yet. Maybe there wasn’t anything to find out, but something inside him was telling him to keep looking.

Not much appeared on the screen. A bunch of local prizes for articles he had written years ago. Appearances in several news conferences on various planets. He didn’t seem to have a family and he had traveled a lot.

This was frustrating. Sidney looked clean, this should have reassured him, and yet... But then two words appeared on the screen: "Lepka Industry". The man had worked for the Industry at an early age. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it? Killian thought.

What are you getting into? The LED light started to blink.

“Not now, Liam.” Was Killian’s short answer.

If I were you, I would go back to Althea-Seals as soon as possible, deposit that woman and her lad safe at home, and forget about them forever.

“Well, luckily, you’re not me.”

You don't know her, brother, you have no idea what troubles she could bring. And any connection with the Industry, even the most feeble one, means danger. You, of all people, should know that. Listen to me, Killian. Forget about her, before it's too late.

A voice inside Killian whispered to listen to his older brother, always with words of wisdom. But another voice, louder, was suggesting to ignore him. “Maybe it's already too late.” He sighed. .

~·~·~·~

. And it was late, indeed. Literally. Too much for his likes. More than three hours had passed since Emma had gone out, and she hadn’t come back yet. Killian was starting to feel anxious. What if something had happened to her? And he was stuck on his ship, taking care of her son. He went to the kitchen counter and poured a glass of his favorite liquor. He stared at it but didn’t drink it. He shouldn't indulge in its temptation. Henry was sleeping just a door down from him.

He was still pondering the option of swallowing the amber liquid or not when Emma opened the main gate with the code Killian had previously given to her.

First thing inside she took off her high heeled shoes, balancing precariously on her wobbly legs. She looked very tired.

“I’m exhausted” she exhaled “and I had too many drinks.”

“How was your date?” He tried to ask nonchalantly. He didn't want to show her how annoyed he was, but he couldn't help a scowl.

“It wasn't a date.” Was her dry reply.

He released a sarcastic chuckle.

She watched him carefully, “Are you drunk?”

“I would never do that while in charge of your boy, Swan.” His patience was hanging by a thread.

Emma approached him. Killian straightened his back and stared into her eyes, trying to keep control of the situation, and not wanting to give her the privilege of berating him without case, but his confidence had never intimidated her. She looked at the glass he was still holding and took it from his grasp drinking it down as if it were water. He was impressed, he knew his rum should have burned her throat.

“You still haven't answered my question.” He insisted.

“I don't know.” Was her evasive answer.

“And what does that mean?”

She shrugged. “I had some news, but not what I expected to hear.”

Bloody infuriating woman. Killian internally cursed. “Good or bad news?”

She exchanged the glass with the bottle on the counter and drank directly from that. “I don't want to talk right now.” She had no intention of divulging more information, it was clear in her posture. She was trying hard to maintain control over the situation.

He was not one to back down from a challenge. “And what do you want to do?”

At her lack of reply, he pressed “Did he touch you?”

She took another sip without averting her eyes from his, but without answering either.

To hell with personal space, he thought. With a quick movement, he took the bottle from her and deposited it in the sink, then he cornered her between himself and the kitchen counter. “Did you have fun, Princess?” He asked, mocking her royal title.

“You don't have a right to question my actions, Jones.”

“Believe me, I'm very well aware of it!” He stated, punctuating the last consonant, his face at mere inches from hers. The first thing Killian registered was that she lowered her eyes to his mouth. The second thing was that she vehemently grabbed the lapels of his vest. The third was the distinct sensation of her burning lips on his. And he had the clear impression that in the kiss she was putting all of her frustrations, and all of her hopes, and all of her exhaustion, and whatever other feeling she was experiencing.

It was frantic and desperate and hot. And Killian’s head was swirling: because of the lack of oxygen, because everything in her was intoxicating because he was already addicted and she was his drug.

“That was…” he murmured when they had to split up to recover some air.

But she didn't let him finish. “A one-time thing.” She disentangled from him and when she reached her cabin without looking back she said “goodnight Captain,” and disappeared behind the door. .

~·~·~·~

When Emma got out of bed the next morning, she had a dull headache from her hangover and a feeling that something was wrong. The ship was swaying, Killian had probably taken off during night, not wanting to waste other time to get home. Her mind immediately flew to him and the last moments of the previous day.

She had kissed him. Why? What had she been thinking? She told herself that she had probably drunk more than she could handle and she shouldn't give it any importance, but would go on behaving towards Killian exactly as she had done before. Nothing would change. They were both adults and it had been just a kiss.

But what a hell of a kiss it was. She couldn’t avoid thinking about it.

She couldn't fool herself either. She felt attracted to him, and he was probably aware of it, too. With his self-confidence, his lean torso, his ever unkempt dark hair, and his scruffy stubble. But Emma was not one who easily surrendered to a man's charms. She didn't want to get lost in the ocean blue of his eyes. She wanted to be found. The problem was that she didn't know if she could trust him.

But it was not just the turmoil of a morning after that was bothering her, something wasn’t right, she could sense it. A shake and a loud noise confirmed her foreboding. Henry woke up with a start and they briefly looked at each other before bursting into the main cabin. “What was that?” They asked in unison.

The ship was shaking and Killian had visible difficulties keeping it stable. The knuckles of his right hand were white with the effort and his bionic hand was in an impossible position. Through the windows, they could spot a very close planet.

The red LED was blinking and the metallic voice resounded in the cabin: Damages on the orbital maneuvering system and the vertical stabilizer, one of the propulsion engines is offline. I’m asking permission for landing, but I’m not getting any signals back.

Something shiny passed close to the ship.

“Was that a meteorite?” Henry asked.

“I have no idea what that was. The moment we entered the gravitational layer of this bloody planet, those bright flying things appeared out of nowhere.”

“Are we being attacked?” Was Emma’s worried question. “And why did we go so close to land?”

“There wasn’t supposed to be a planet here!” Killian was almost shouting from frustration.

Another loud bang shook the ship even worse.

“To hell with permissions! Hold tight, we’re landing over there.” He exclaimed, pointing to what looked like a spaceship's port.

Emma sat down on the same chair she used to sit at night. Then took Henry’s arm as an invitation to sit upon her knees and so Killian could keep doing his job without interference. The boy was already reaching for the man in his endless need to be helpful, he probably thought that he could give a hand in holding up the steering. But another flashing thing hit the ship and a piercing alarm started echoing through the cabin. That deterred Henry and he sat upon Emma’s lap, grabbing his mother's shoulders to avoid falling as a strong jolt shook the ship to its foundations.

While they approached the ground, big rocks appeared outside the windows, floating, and they became incandescent as soon as they came in contact with whatever atmosphere was surrounding the planet.

Was this land itself spitting meteorites? Killian tried to understand what was happening, but even if he had traveled to many different places, he had never seen anything like that. He was also worried about his crew, he wanted to look at them, be sure they were all right, but he was too concentrated on avoiding the rocks and not getting hit again.

The port was approaching fast. Killian internally prayed to the Gods above that the brakes would still work properly. He just hoped that someone could rescue the three of them alive.

After what seemed to be a long and quite difficult maneuver, the ship touched down. He turned off the engines and everything went silent. They looked at each other, waiting for a sign of life, but nothing came. Killian leaned his head against the back of the chair and exhaled. Then he got up and started rummaging through his belongings.

Emma and Henry were clinging to each other, but the boy slipped away and ran towards Killian hugging him. “You did it!” He exclaimed. The man was taken aback by this show of affection, he scratched a spot behind his right ear and tried to defuse “I’m a hell of a Captain!”

Killian took a shoulder bag from behind his hammock, and two laser pistols, delivering one of them to Emma. “What are you doing?” She asked, holding cautiously the weapon in her hand.

“We sent a request for an emergency landing and nobody answered. This planet does not appear in any known charts. I am taking the necessary precautions, it's best to be prepared for anything, good or bad.”

“I want a weapon, as well.” Henry stood there with his back straight and his hands on his hips, to reaffirm his statement.

“No way.” Emma thought that was enough to put an end to the subject.

“But what if I’m in danger and I need to defend myself?” He insisted stubbornly.

Killian retrieved his automatic harpoon from a locker near the control dashboard. “Take this. Munitions should be downstairs.” But before Henry could run towards the stairs, he grabbed the boy’s elbow and added “Don’t use it unless it’s necessary, lad. And try not to hurt yourself.” Henry nodded and ran away enthusiastically.

Stunned by the remark, Emma stood, mouth agape, staring at Killian. “Are you kidding me?”

“Don’t worry. It probably won’t work. I forgot to recharge it.”

“You forgot to recharge your weapon.” It wasn’t a question.

He was moving fast around the cabin, retrieving who knows what from here and there, packing his satchel “It was supposed to be a simple commercial trip: no big risks.” He stopped right in front of her and raised one eyebrow. “Wasn’t it?”

She looked at him chewing her bottom lip. “What are we going to do?”

“Go outside, have a look at the damages, find the replacement parts, and hope to come back home alive from this place.”

~·~·~·~

. The planet seemed to be desert, apart from the port there was nothing, just sand, and rocks. No people on the horizon.

“This is strange,” Emma said as the three of them were exploring the surrounding area. “Can you feel it too?” A sense of oppression and discomfort pervaded her.

Killian nodded. “It’s too quiet. Something is wrong.”

A large stone flew from nowhere and Killian saw as Henry was right on its trajectory. He launched himself trying to protect the boy from the inevitable collision. The last thing he felt was a sharp pain in his chest and he couldn’t breathe. Then everything went black.

#cs ff #cs au #Till the Stars Had Run Away #alternative universe - science fiction #space au #My writing

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imsfire2 · 5 years

Text

Lot of memes lately

Number one: I was tagged by the lovely @cats-and-metersticks; thank you for tagging me!

Your questions:

1. List your current WIPs!!

Eeek.

· The bargain of liberty – original fic

· Volume Two of “By stardust and moonlight” – still at planning stage but definitely feels like a WIP in my mind

· Stardust dancing (completely stalled, to my great shame and sadness)

· Fragments from the Tale of the Ring - LOTR/Rogue One fusion AU (only ever going to be bits, not the whole thing!)

· The star of Lyonesse (Arthurian legend/Rogue One AU, stuck on the rocks of angst and the appallingly high Major Character Death factor)

· A dozen or so assorted one-shots which will eventually be published as more Fragments from the Multiverse

· Three attempted re-writes of novel-length fanfic into original fic

· Five original novel-length fics that stalled between chapter three and chapter eight

2. What’s your favourite thing you’ve ever written?

>screams weakly and lies down to die< I am so bad at choosing favourites. I am never sure that anything I write is genuinely any good, but at one and the same time I’m also really childishly loving and protective and generally a fond mama to my own work.

One answer I could give you is “The eternal love of Gabriel Yeats”. This is an original story which I wrote in 2005-6 and revised in 2015. It remains unpublished and probably always will, but it’s been shared with a few friends. I know my writing has got better since then and I know it has many problems structurally and in the internal logic of the plot, but it has a special place in my heart because it was the first full-length story I finished that I felt was genuinely solid and worth reading.

If original work isn’t covered and I have to keep to fic, that makes it even harder to choose!

In a dark time, the eye begins to see has a place in my heart for similar reasons to Gabriel Yeats; I’m more a natural long-form than short-form writer and it was a delight writing a full-length novel to give our Rogue One heroes a totally different path from hope to victory. Likewise A rider comes to the valley, which forced me to face the challenge I’m currently baulking at with the Arthurian AU mentioned above, namely writing an AU that is desperately sad instead of a fix-it.

I very seldom write Baze/Chirrut as I find them hard to get right, but I’m genuinely quite proud of The last dancer, which is about the experience of being part of a very small, very broken diaspora and the decision to hold on to your culture and everything it means in the face of that breaking.

I’m also very fond of some of my bleakest one-shots. In particular I feel very Loving-Mama towards the non-Rebelcaptain ones, which often don’t get much love, like The mask and In the holding pen, and Recruitment, and The first time.

Also one of my earliest pieces for the Rebelcaptain fandom, Poetry of the First and Second Republics, Vol 3: The War Poets (extract), which is both a really unusual form and canon compliant, but was a very satisfying technical challenge.

3. What are some of your current goals as a writer?

Keep writing. Get better at it. Finish my WIPs. Start new ones. Never give up writing.

Also, find ways to get people reading my original work as well as my fanfic. Find, one day, a genuine old-fashioned agent and get a publishing deal. Be, not just a writer on AO3 who’s also self-published a couple of novellas on Kindle, but an actual on-paper published novelist with books in bookshops.

4. What first inspired you to write fanfiction?

Ever since I was little I’ve had ideas about what I would do if I wrote the scripts for assorted films, TV series etc. My first conscious attempt to write one of these ideas down – completely in secret because I didn’t even know there was such a thing as recognised fan fiction – was a rambling Star Wars story set after “Return of the Jedi”. Adventures for Luke and a bold and heroic OFC, trying to track down Palpatine’s heir. Lots of badly-written lightsabre fights, feels, hiding in caves, mutual pining and a solid dose of H/C. So yes, writing Rogue One fic now is kind of coming full circle for me because it all began with Star Wars!

5. What’s your favourite thing to cook for dinner vs. what’s your favourite meal to eat out?

When I’m doing the cooking, probably something simple but tasty like a cheese omelette and a salad, or a bean chilli. Eating out, either eastern Mediterranean/middle eastern food (Turkish, Greek, Cypriot, Lebanese etc.) or south Indian food.

6. What would your dream house be like?

It would be rather larger than a single person has any right to expect! That way, I could put up guests easily. It would have high ceilings and large windows, and a big garden with mature fruit trees. It would either be quite near where I am now, in west London, or somewhere on the coast. It would never be particularly smart inside but it would be comfortable, and there would be a lot of books. Also cats and dogs.

7. How do you like to start a story?

With whatever bit of it really wants to be the bit I start with!

I know that sounds daft but I’ve found from experience that waiting for The Right Opening Line to come along can leave an exciting idea completely bogged-down. Jumping in with the scene that has my energy at the moment, on the other hand, gets things started. Then I can go back, do the beginning and fill in the gaps, once the blockage has broken.

8. What’s the biggest thing that convinces you to read the second chapter in a multi-chapter fic?

What happens next to these characters? I need either a plot, or strong character writing, and ideally both.

9. What fic are you currently obsessed with (any fandom, reading or writing), if any?

I’m waiting in mixed anguish and awe for the conclusion of the mighty jplus’s historical AU Indigo; suspect I will cry my eyes out several more time before the end. This series by the same author, The Edge, is also terrific.

And although I fear this will end up as that rare and heart-breaking thing, the canon-compliant AU, I’m eager for the next chapter of @ruby-red-inky-blue aka guineapiggie’s superb The World through a Scope .

10. Describe your perfect Saturday!

Get up, find myself full of energy and optimism, open the blinds to find it’s a perfect sunny-but-not-boiling-hot day; shower, dress, breakfast, make coffee. Spend the morning writing, without either worrying about what I’m working on or experiencing the urge to procrastinate. Go for a walk along the Thames in the afternoon. Meet a friend at one of the pubs on Kew Green, have a beer and perhaps watch the last overs of a cricket match on the Green, then stroll into Richmond for a lazy supper out and a movie.

11. Metaphors or similes?

Both; both is good!

Haven’t analysed my own writing in detail but I’m going to guess I use metaphors more than similes; but I could be wrong! They both have their place and I’d hate to be denied one or the other.

Thank you for tagging me!

#cats-and-metersticks #thank you for tagging me!

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