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fanficapologist · 8 months

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Of Dragons and Maelstroms

Themes and Warnings: slow burn, enemies to lovers, blood, violence, explicit language, sexual violence, period-typical misogyny, sexual themes, smut, tension, marriage, jealousy, pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, attempted sexual assault, breastfeeding, major character death, divergent timelines

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon/Fire & Blood/Game of Thrones characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used nor do I claim to own them.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Great Hall of the castle, adorned with black and gold Targaryen banners and tapestries, shimmered under the warm, flickering light of countless candles and chandeliers. Noble lords and ladies, clad in resplendent gowns and tailored finery, swirled gracefully across the polished marble floor, their laughter and conversation filling the air. The orchestral melodies of harps and strings, performed by a troupe of skilled musicians, resonated through the hall, guiding the dancers in their elegant waltzes and lively reels. Tables were laden with a sumptuous feast, a cornucopia of Westeros’s finest foods, as well as beautiful centrepiece bouquets of dahlias and violas.

Servants diligently attend to the guests, carrying trays of delicacies around the hall and topping up any empty goblets they saw in the hand of a noble. The Harvest Moon, its silvery light streaming through arched windows, cast a celestial glow upon the revelry, infusing the night with a sense of enchantment and fleeting magic. Before immersing themselves in the social whirlwind, Maera and her father, Lord Jasper Wylde, were presented to the Royal table.

King Aegon, the host of the evening, sat in the center, his deep green robes a testament to his royal lineage. His demeanor was jovial, the effects of the drink apparent. To his left, his sister-wife, Queen Helaena, adorned in her finest gown of green with moth patterns, appeared nervous, fingers fidgeting with an air of apprehension. To Helaena's left, the queen mother, Queen Alicent, exuded a composed and welcoming aura, dressed modestly in a deep green gown with a high neckline. She greeted the guests presented to the table with a warm, formal grace.

On the king’s opposite side sat Otto Hightower, his grandfather and Hand of the King, dressed in his finest attire and nursing his goblet of wine. He acknowledged the arrivals with a knowing nod and polite smile. Lastly, at the end of the table, was Prince Aemond, his outfit dark, a stark contrast to his family's green attire. He was dressed in fine black robes, his legs crossed, and a glass of wine in his left hand. Aemond appeared nonchalant, almost bored, by the parade of nobles before him.

As Maera and Lord Jasper approached the royal table, they demonstrated their respect in the traditional manner. Lord Jasper executed a graceful bow, and Maera, with her heart racing, curtsied deeply. In that moment, she couldn't help but glance up and catch Prince Aemond's piercing gaze. His evident interest lingered on her form as he studied her, from the allure of her bare shoulders, the distinctive silver stripe in her hair, down to the low neckline of her gown. His lips parted ever so slightly as he drank in her appearance, a scrutiny ignited within Maera a whirlwind of emotions: nervousness mingled with a deep excitement in pit of her stomach. Her cheeks flushed as she averted her gaze from the prince and focused her attention on King Aegon and Queen Helaena.

As Lord Jasper delivered the customary formalities to the royal family, it was King Aegon who, true to his often brazen character, seized the opportunity to comment on Maera's appearance.

“What a sight, Mayflower. I am glad to see you are showing off what the Gods have so graciously bestowed upon you,” he bellowed, before taking a very obvious look at the low neckline of her gown, drawing an uncomfortable silence over the table. In response, Maera glanced towards Aemond, whose fiery gaze bore down on his brother with a fierce intensity that could have incinerated lesser men.

Aegon, seemingly chastened by his brother's gaze, cleared his throat and proceeded to offer a formal welcome to Lord Jasper and Maera, expressing gratitude for their presence at the ball. Maera nodded in acknowledgment, and her gaze shifted to Queen Helaena, whose eyes remained downcast, fixed upon the floor.

Maera leaned in slightly towards Helaena and whispered softly, "I'll see you shortly, once the dancing begins." Helaena responded with a shy smile and a nod.

With their greetings concluded, Lord Jasper and Maera separated, each going their own way through the bustling grand hall. Maera was eager for a moment of respite from the whirlwind of the ball, wanting to savor the atmosphere and the grandeur that surrounded her.

However, her brief moment of solitude was short-lived, as she was soon approached by a gentleman slightly older than herself, dressed in the regal colors of House Redwyne - purple and silver. His cuff links, adorned with purple grapes, gave away his House affiliation. He greeted Maera with a respectful bow and attempted to initiate a conversation, though she found herself somewhat annoyed by his overtures. Enduring what felt like an eternity of listening to the Lord drone on about the grape harvest, Maera desperately searched for an escape route from this tedious conversation. She scanned the sea of faces, her eyes finally landing on her father, who was deeply engaged in discussions with other Lords. Gathering her composure, Maera politely excused herself, telling the long-winded Lord that her father had called for her. With a tactful excuse, she all but sprinted across the grand hall, eager to distance herself from the boredom that had besieged her.

Reaching her father's side, Maera was introduced to the group he was entertaining. Lord Swyift, along with his firstborn son, who appeared to be around Maera's age, and Lord Jason Lannister, accompanied by his pregnant lady wife, Johanna. In her most genteel manner, Maera greeted the distinguished assembly, her graceful curtsey conveying her respect. Lady Johanna, with a warm smile, complimented Maera on the beauty of her dress.

Lord Jasper's voice carried with it a note of satisfaction as he remarked, "It has caught the attention of many this evening." His eyes twinkled with a hint of mirth as he added, "Lord Thorne has already expressed an interest in a match."

Maera looked at her father with a puzzled expression, her thoughts racing. Her confusion was evident until Lord Jasper gestured discreetly toward a man across the room. The sight that met her eyes drained the color from her face and filled her with dread. Lord Thorne, a portly and inebriated figure of similar age to the Master of Laws, was swaying unsteadily, blatantly flirting with kitchen servants, and guzzling wine as if there were no tomorrow. A shiver of apprehension coursed through Maera's spine as she silently beseeched the gods that this man would not become her fate. The very idea of a union with such a character filled her with disquiet.

Lord Jason Lannister, resplendent in his noble attire, engaged Maera in conversation, bringing her attention back to the group and offering his praise. "Lady Maera," he began with a courteous smile, "your work in the capital and your ability to assist Queen Helaena with settling into her role has been truly commendable."

Maera accepted the compliment with a graceful nod and responded with polite gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Jason. It has been an honor to serve Her Grace."

As they exchanged pleasantries, Lord Jason deftly transitioned to a topic that piqued Maera's interest. "You know," he mentioned casually, "the Maesters at Casterly Rock have made an intriguing prediction. They believe that my lady wife, is carrying a boy in her current pregnancy." He smiled, a glint of paternal pride in his eyes, placing a hand on Lady Johannas stomach.

Maera's curiosity deepened, and she responded with warmth. "Congratulations, Lord and Lady Lannister. A son would be a great blessing to your House."

However, what followed next caught her completely off guard. Lord Jason turned his attention to her father, Lord Jasper, and continued, "I've been pondering the potential advantages of a match between my yet-to-be-born son and your esteemed daughter, my Lord."

The mention of such a match left Maera momentarily stunned. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she struggled to maintain her composure. The prospect of betrothing herself to an infant was almost too absurd to contemplate. She needed a moment to collect her thoughts and regain her composure. Quickly and discreetly, she reached for a goblet of wine from a passing servant's tray, bringing it to her lips to take a deep, fortifying sip. Her mind raced as she hoped fervently that her father wouldn't entertain the notion of betrothing her to a child who had yet to draw his first breath.

Maera's gaze drifted toward the royal table, which was now nearly empty except for Helaena and Aemond. Helaena, her friend and Queen, seemed to be keeping herself busy by fiddling with a bracelet on her wrist. Maera watched her intently, concerned that Helaena might once again slip into one of her trances, muttering incomprehensible things to herself. On the other hand, Prince Aemond sat there like an enigmatic statue, his eyes locked onto Maera. It was a peculiar feeling, being observed so intently, like a cat studying a mouse before pouncing. Maera was aware of Aemond's introverted nature, but this unyielding gaze, his unwavering attention, it made her feel distinctly uneasy.

Hearing the bards begin to play “The Ballad of Visenya and Vhagar”, Maera turned back to the group of nobles with a polite smile.

"I'm afraid I must keep my promise to Her Grace Queen Helaena for the first dance of the evening. Please excuse me."

With a sense of purpose, she scurried through the elegant crowd towards the royal table. Reaching Helaena's side, Maera gently touched her friend's hand to get her attention. Helaena seemed entranced by the delicate necklace she was fidgeting with, lost in thought. Maera's concern couldn't be concealed as she asked, "Helaena, are you alright?"

Startled back to the present, Helaena quickly nodded and gave Maera a reassuring smile. It was time to join the dance, and together, they made their way to the dance floor.

As the first notes of the song filled the air, the two friends began to twirl gracefully, their laughter rising in harmony with the quartet of musicians. The enchanting dance swept them into a realm of joy, and soon, other lords and ladies joined in. For a brief moment, the war against Princess Rhaenyra seemed a distant memory as the nobles united in a shared celebration.

With the lively dance coming to an end, Maera gracefully escorted Queen Helaena back to her seat, ensuring her comfort. Helaena settled back into her chair, looking somewhat distant, lost in her thoughts once more. Maera couldn't help but worry about her friend's well-being, but there wasn't much she could do at this moment. She offered a reassuring smile to Helaena before stepping back onto the dance floor.

The notes of "Two Hearts That Beat as One" swelled for the next dance, and a gallant young man with mousey-brown locks approached Lady Maera. He was dressed in a striking red doublet adorned with silver fish-shaped clasps, and his deep blue trousers accentuated the outfit. He executed a respectful bow and extended his hand towards Maera. With an amiable nod, he asked, "Lady Maera, may I have the honor of this dance?"

Maera accepted the offer graciously, placing her hand in his as they stepped onto the dance floor. As the music enveloped them, the young lord began to speak in a soft and gentle voice. “My apologies for not approaching you earlier, my Lady. I didn't wish to overwhelm you. You seem to be quite popular this evening."

Maera chuckled at his words as they circled each other as part of the dance, palms raised and touching as shereplied, "Indeed, the prospect of a suitor becoming the Master of Coin seems to have attracted many hopeful Lords."

The young lord introduced himself as Warren Tully, revealing his lineage as another grandson of Lord Grover, the current ruler of Riverrun. Maera's interest piqued, for the Riverlands were known for their political instability, with Lord Grover Tully supporting the Greens while his heir, Ser Elmo, had aligned himself with Rhaenyra's claim. Depending on the outcome of the war, Warren could very well become the next Lord of Riverrun, a prospect that intrigued Maera greatly.

As they danced gracefully across the floor, Maera found herself charmed by Lord Warren's conversation. He playfully inquired, "So, you have been made many offers this evening?"

Maera laughed and sarcastically responded. “Yes, my Lord. I am most fortunate to already have been offered the hand of an old goat and a child yet to be born.”

Warren raised an eyebrow in mock astonishment and remarked, "Those sound like quite tempting offers, Lady Maera."

As Lord Warren moved behind her, one hand on her waist, the other clutching her hand in unison with the other nobles dancing, Maera then playfully asked more directly, "And are you offering a proposal as well?"

Lord Warren chuckled, admitting, "I am offering many proposals at the insistence of my grandfather, Lord Grover. He seems rather eager to further the family line through me if the Greens win the war." He added with a hint of annoyance, "A matter that often vexes me."

Maera laughed gently and sympathized with him, saying, "It seems we have much in common when it comes to being pushed into marriage for the sake of family, duty, and honor."

Their dance concluded with a graceful curtsy from Maera and a bow from Lord Warren. He concluded, "I shall write to your father to express my interest then."

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Maera replied, "Please do, my Lord." She watched as he walked away, her thoughts lingering on this new charming suitor who had entered the intricate dance of politics and alliances that surrounded her.

Maera left the dance floor, smiling to herself over her recent interaction, yet her brief moment of respite was interrupted by a voice behind her, one that sent a shiver down her spine. "Are you really so foolish to be charmed by the first pretty words you hear out of a Lord's mouth?"

She turned to find Prince Aemond standing there, his stoic face betraying only the slightest hint of agitation, a look she had become astute at detecting in his violet eye. Maera could not help but admire his appearance this evening. His fine black robes were patterned to resemble the scales of a dragon, each scale meticulously crafted with impeccable attention to detail. The scales seemed to shimmer in the ambient light, giving the impression of a living dragon's hide. Around his waist, a Targaryen sigil belt held his robes in place. The sigil, a bold representation of House Targaryen's three-headed dragon, was wrought in silver and gold, adding a touch of regal elegance to his ensemble.

She offered him a deep curtsy, a customary sign of respect, before responding, "I assure you, Prince Aemond, I was merely being polite."Aemond replied with a noncommittal hum, his demeanor betraying little of his thoughts.

They stood side by side, the atmosphere tense yet oddly charged. Maera decided to break the silence with a more strategic inquiry. "Has your friendship with the Master of Whispers revealed any information about potential suitors I should avoid?" Her question prompted a sly grin to appear on Aemond's lips as he began to scan the room, assessing the lords and their potential scandals and rumors.

Selecting his first victim, Aemond shared his findings in a matter-of-fact tone. "The firstborn of Lord Swyift, whom you were chatting with earlier, is rumored to have many... relationships with his stable boys and squires."

Maera couldn't help but chuckle at this revelation, trying to suppress her amusement behind a delicate hand. Then Aemond led her gaze to Lord Thorne, who had his own share of secrets. Aemond revealed that Lord Thorne had sired a litter of bastards in King's Landing, a number that could rival King Aegon's. Maera put her face in her hand and shook her head, even more disgusted at the Lord’s audacity to ask for her hand, despite his appalling reputation.

Curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't help but ask, “And what of Lord Warren Tully?” She directed her gaze across the hall which Aemond followed, spying the young lord chatting with Maera’s father. She smiled, admitting to herself that the man was certainly a handsome one, convincing herself in that moment that maybe a marriage with him would not be so unpleasant.

Aemond frowned slightly, his expression growing serious. "You can't be seriously considering him as a prospect, can you, Maera?"

She met his gaze evenly and replied, "Even you, my prince, couldn't argue that it would be an advantageous match for House Wylde." Their conversation hung in the air, a subtle challenge between them as the ball continued around them.

After an awkward few moments, Aemond placed himself in front of Maera before finally sneering,"Se zaldrīzes se klios gaomagon daor rholagon.” The fish and the dragon do not mix

Quick-witted as always, Maera retorted,“Iēdar jelmāzma se klios gaomagon.” Maelstroms and fish do.

Aemond responded, "Ao issi tolī zaldrīzes iēdar jelmāzma kesrio syt hen muña ānogar,” You're more dragon than Maelstrom, thanks to your mother's blood. The statement drew a subtle smile from Maera, but that quickly faded when Aemond unexpectedly reached out, his fingers grazing the necklace hanging at Maera's chest. His touch lingered on her exposed skin, eliciting a rapid acceleration of her heart and a quickening of her breath. As she gazed into his intense violet eye, she felt her emotions whirling into a tempest she couldn't easily dismiss. It was a maddening struggle, trying to bury these confusing feelings beneath a façade of composure, as they stubbornly clawed their way to the surface. It was impossible to ignore the magnetic pull she felt toward him, no matter how hard she tried to push those feelings aside.

A smug smirk played on Aemond's lips as observed the clear affect he was having on Maera. Shifting his attention to her hair, his fingers moved downwards to lightly caress a strand of hair that lay just above her breast. Maera’s heart pounded and she was sure that Aemond could feel it beneath his grasp. He leaned closer to her face, his voice a sultry whisper as he remarked, "The dragon is a truly captivating creature, and the lords of Westeros are unworthy of claiming her." With that enigmatic statement, he turned on his heel and departed, leaving Maera in a state of bewilderment. What bad just happened?

She watched as he returned to the royal table, her thoughts swirling in a tumultuous sea of emotions, uncertain of the depths they would take her.

Notes: Fun fact of the day- the condition Maera has with the white stripe is called Poliosis.

Tags: @marvelescvpe @grungegrrrl @blue-serendipity @ammo23 @shesjustanothergeek

Thank you so much for reading! Comments, feedback, likes, and reblogs are greatly appreciated 🖤

#maera wylde #aemond fanfiction #aemond targaryen #aemond x oc #chapters #hotd aemond #hotd fanfic #hotd helaena #house targaryen #house wylde

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farfromsugafanfic · 2 years

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Amadeus | Chapter Four: The Seven

Genre: Werewolf AU, slight Fantasy AU, Musician!Reader

Pairing: Bang Chan/Reader

Rating: M

Warnings: talk of wound care

Synopsis: Chan belongs to the Order of Amadeus who work to keep the kingdom safe from the lycanthropy plague spreading among the populace. You can only hunt so long before you become what you hunt.

Y/N is a violinist in a traveling music troupe-one of the few left in the kingdom. One morning when she is practicing in the woods, a man emerges from among the trees and changes her life forever.

Down a member, the Order of Amadeus continues their mission to end the lycanthropy plague, but their missing member remains in the back of their mind as they narrow in on the worst wolf of them all.

Seungmin woke up as the first light shone through the trees. He and Chan usually were the first ones up, though, that is if Chan slept at all. There were many mornings when he would wake up and find their leader awake with bloodshot eyes, reviewing maps and the most recent reports.

This morning was different. He heard the soft breathing of his fellow Amadeus member. His eyes scanned down each one. Beside him, Jeongin slept soundly with his dark hair flopping over his closed eyes. Hyunjin and Felix slept closely together. Han and Minho each slept on either side of the fire which was now reduced to gray and black ashes. Changbin lay with his blanket pulled up to his chin, but his feet sticking out.

Seungmin chuckled at the older man and gingerly walked to the fire to restart it. Grabbing a few chunks of the firewood they had shopped from a stump the night before, he placed it back among the ashes and crumpled up some dry leaves and dandelions he found nearby. Taking the black stone and his knife from his pocket, he led the spark to the base and watched as the fire ignited.

The warmth would likely wake up Han and Minho soon. He glanced over at the end of the camp where Chan had chosen to sleep the night before. His blankets were crumpled and Seungmin did not see their leader among them. Sometimes Chan would get up and go catch something for breakfast or get some more firewood, but considering his injuries and that they planned to eat what they carried and move on that did not seem likely.

“Chan?” he asked, his voice louder than he would normally make it while everyone was still asleep. Seungmin heard a bit of rustling as he no longer was careful with his footsteps as he rushed to where Chan’s bedroll laid. Leaves crunched beneath him and the normally stoic man felt tears coming to his eyes as he found the blankets empty.

Looking around, he counted the packs and noticed that Chan’s was missing. That gave him a small amount of relief, knowing that he was somewhat prepared. It also meant that their leader had not turned since he likely would’ve woken them and not taken his pack.

Despite the tears in his eyes, Seungmin hurried over to Minho—who was second in command—and shook him awake. Normally, this is something he would never dare to do because Minho could get quite grumpy. But, when Minho opened his eyes and saw the look on Seungmin’s face, any anger he held at being abruptly woken up dissipated.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, immediately sitting up and touching Seungmin’s shoulder gently. As the second oldest, he often fell into the habit of taking care of those that came to the Order of Amadeus much too young.

“Chan—he’s gone.”

It took them about four hours to get a message back to the Order. Even with the quickest messenger from the local village, it was hundreds of miles to the capital city, Seele. The remaining seven members of the Elite Eight regrouped at the inn they stayed at the night before.

“He took the bandages,” Hyunjin said as everyone went through and emptied their packs. No one else spoke up, indicating he hadn’t taken anything else.

“His bed was cold,” Minho said. “He likely left not long after we all fell asleep.” His brow knitted together as he tried to figure out what to do. It would take at least another few hours to receive instructions from headquarters.

“We can’t leave him,” Jeongin said. “He wouldn’t leave any of us.” They all nodded in agreement. Chan would circle the kingdom a hundred times for any of his members. Yet, they had few indications of where exactly he had gone.

“Changbin, Jeongin, start searching the village and talking to some of the locals to see if they have seen anything. I doubt he came this way, but it’s worth checking.”

The two men nodded and gathered their things.

“Jeongin, Seungmin, you two wait here for the messenger and review the maps for probable places he could’ve found shelter within a few miles radius.” Minho did not think Chan would’ve gone far. While he was strong and capable of walking long distances and scaling rough terrain, his injuries and the exhaustion he surely felt would’ve limited him.

“Hyunjin, Han, you’re with me. We’ll head back to the forest and see if we can find any traces of him.” Everyone seemed to understand their assignments and within minutes they had fallen into their places.

Chan slept several hours for the first time in weeks. He was prone to bouts of sleepless nights that left his eyes deeply colored with unrest. That morning, he only awoke when Maria walked in carrying a plate with his breakfast—thick oatmeal, berries, and a sausage. Not much, but better than he likely would’ve had otherwise. Even though it was dinner, it seemed Maria had the idea to provide breakfast as if he had truly slept through the night. Chan was disappointed that you were not the one to bring him his breakfast, but he gave the older woman a smile and mixed the berries into the oatmeal.

“Once you’re finished, we’ll have a look at those wounds,” she said, sitting down near the entrance of the tent.

“Okay,” he said. “They’re less painful now.”

Maria’s eyes narrowed, but only slightly. She was hesitant to believe him. Though, she knew he was trying to be reassuring. “Good,” she said.

“Y/N said you play the flute.”

Maria nodded. She did not seem like the chatty type, but Chan wanted to see what he could learn from her. You, of course, told him so much, but he knew there were things that you wouldn’t tell him. Mainly, he wondered why a young woman like you traveled with this music troupe.

You were obviously from the Western mountain region based on your accent and light skin. But, you were pretty enough to be the daughter of one of the wealthy mountain merchants. You should be debuting in the illustrious lodges of the mountains where wolves were still quite rare, instead of traveling with a band.

Much like his own group, he assumed something had happened that pushed you away from your home. The entire group was made up of people who seemed to be far away from where they belonged.

“How did you come to join the troupe?”

“Chrysotomus?” she asked.

The word was one that Chan had never heard before and he looked at her with his head slightly tilted as he brought the spoon to his lips again.

Maria seemed to understand his confusion. “It’s the name of our group.”

“Ah.” He nodded and waited for her to continue on answering the question.

“I’d always loved playing music, but back in my day, women didn’t really do things like this. I settled down and had a family. My boys are all grown up now and my husband died some years ago. When all this wolf business started up, I took the opportunity to travel. At the time, I didn’t really care if I died, I felt I had nothing to live for.”

She paused and her lips formed a thin line with all the color disappearing briefly. “But, then, I found this group and they were all kids. I felt like I had to take care of them.”

Chan gave her a small smile. He’d finished his breakfast halfway through her story, but did not want to interrupt. The older woman was still agile and appeared not that much older than Chan’s parents.

“I can tell they appreciate you,” Chan said, reassuring the woman. He held up his bowl and set it aside. “As do I.”

Maria made her way to Chan’s bedside and began unwinding the bandages around his wrist. The wound was pink instead of red, but he could still see remnants of the blackened outline that was one of the tell tale signs of a wolf bite.

“Ah, much better,” Maria said, again, paying no mind to the blackened edges of the wound. Grabbing out a clear liquid, she gave him a warning look before pouring it over his wrist. Chan winced as it burned into the wound. The burn thankfully subsided quickly, leaving behind only a bit of bubbling.

She started rewrapping the wound with a fresh cotton bandage. The smell of the fresh cotton was beginning to become almost comforting in contrast with the irony bloodsoaked bandages when he’d wandered in the woods the night before.

“All right, sit up,” she said. Chan obliged, wincing slightly as he felt the muscles in his chest and abdomen contract, pulling at the wounds. He pulled his borrowed T-shirt over his head and was relieved when he was able to lay back down.

Maria examined the fresher wound of the two. She applied both the clear liquid and another salv before helping him sit up again so that she could wrap the bandage around his back. As she finished tying off the bandage, you peeked your head into the tent.

“Hey, is now an okay time?” you asked, seemingly both to Chan and Maria.

“I’m just finishing up,” Maria said, looking at Chan who suddenly realized he was still shirtless. Even though you’d technically seen him shirtless when you tended to his wounds earlier in the day, his ears turned red and he reached for his shirt and slid it back over his body.

You seemed to pay no attention to his half-nakedness as you came to sit beside him. “I want to introduce you to the rest of the troupe. There’s not too many of us. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be too overwhelmed.”

Chan shook his head. “Not at all, I’d love to meet them.”

He would’ve met them on your deathbed if it made you smile like you did when he answered. “I’ll be right back.”

Maria gave a sly smile before slipping out of the tent since it was about to get quite crowded. Chan noticed the shakiness in her hands and hoped that she was off to eat something herself.

It took about ten minutes for you to come back with a retinue of musicians following behind you. The tall, dark skinned man Chan recognized as the one who had greeted the two of you when you came back into camp. He stood closest to you and held a fairly indifferent expression, like an older brother dragged somewhere by his younger sister. Chan’s heart ached.

You started with the man beside you. “This is Anton. He’s our de facto leader and plays the clarinet and sometimes bass clarinet.” Next, you motioned to a shorter man with mouse-like features and a balding head. “This is Louis. He plays piano.”

The first two men left after their introductions and pleasantries to make room for the rest of the troupe. You pointed to two women—not too much older than you and Chan—who also appeared to be from the Eastern provinces. Though, based on their features and clothing, they came from the island nations east of where Chan himself came.

“Ayame and Ayaka, yes, they’re twins,” you said, chuckling at the obviously frequently asked question. “They play trumpet and trombone.”

Finally, you came to the last person in line. It was a young boy. He stood to your shoulder, but looked like he would one day be much taller. You placed your hands on his shoulders and smiled. “This is Benji. He’s our percussionist.”

Benji looked at Chan with wide eyes. “Did you really fight a bear?”

Chan chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“That’s so cool. Can I see the scratches?”

You quickly looked down at the boy. “Maria just finished bandaging him. Maybe you can help her next time.”

Benji looked slightly disappointed but nodded. You noticed the way the young boy seemed to admire him and were secretly glad that the boy had someone younger to look up to. Anton—while the youngest man in the troupe—was still nearly a decade older than you.

The boy seemed to grow shyer as silence fell on the tent. He said his goodbye and ran from the tent and out into the late afternoon air. You smiled after the boy before sitting back down beside Chan’s bedside.

“We all kind of take care of him, but he doesn’t really have a role model that isn’t old enough to be his father.” You began gathering up his dishes, which he’d forgotten were next to him. As you stacked things on his tray, Anton came rushing back into the tent.

“Y/N, we need to pack up. We’re leaving tonight.”

You scrunched your brows together. The troupe rarely traveled at night to avoid running into wolves, especially when traveling near the forest. It was easier to stay in one place and stay quiet.

“Why?” You asked, glancing over at Chan, obviously concerned on how well he would be able to travel.

“We just got word from the village. The Order was in town last night and one of them got bitten. They’re missing. We can’t risk staying around much longer.”

Your eyes widened. The Order of Amadeus was the entity that worked to reduce the spread of the lycanthropy plague. It meant there had been enough wolf attacks in the area to warrant their presence, and the fact that one member was now missing was nearly unheard of.

You looked back at Chan again. “Is there room in one of the wagons?”

Anton’s gaze looked past you at Chan. ‘We’ll find room.”

With that, he left, presumably to get everything packed up. You quickly took his dishes from the tent and came back. You started packing things up silently, wetting your lips as the only sign of your nerves.

Chan’s throat went dry. Word had spread. Yet, there seemed to be no suspicion on him, and even if there was, it seemed the troupe did not plan to abandon him on the edge of the woods. He watched as you worked and used his strength to sit up.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

You turned to meet his eyes. “Uh, if you can get your bedding rolled up, that would be great. Once we get things in the wagons, I’ll find a space so you can lay down.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my legs. I’m happy to walk.”

“You know that if I allowed that, Maria would not.”

“Now, Christopher, if you want to make yourself useful, roll up your sheets.”

Chan smiled at your stubbornness. It reminded him of Minho, but the thought of what his friend was probably going through right now humbled his thoughts. He dropped to his knees and folded his sheets in half and rolled them as tightly as his bandages.

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peony-pearl · 1 year

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Haruka performing for elite and well-to-do around the Earth Kingdom, for the fancy and haughty families and their acquaintances. She enjoys it enough, having lived with this envioronment for years, until she gets reeled in by Iroh to perform for his troupe one night in secret.

She can't describe how much she loves it; the energy, the laughter. Something about the warriors brings out an unknown element she's needed in her art. The Fire Nation, the enemy, and the man leading them tap into a soft spot for the woman. She dances like she never has before; she feels alive, and it's so wrong but her passion feels ignited in a whole new way.

The night Iroh dances with her is the night she horribly falls for the old general she once hated. She has been conquered by the Fire Nation, and she fully embraces it.

#me: oh yeah Iroh and Haruka's relationship is supposed to start out problematic AF #and I wouldn't change it for the world

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doomedandstoned · 10 months

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Pittsburgh’s MELT Airs Astounding New Spin, ‘Replica of Man’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Armageddon, religion, technology, shame and greed -- here's a band dealing with some heavy lyrical themes, and doing it with excellence. It's prog-stoner metal trio MELT from the Steel City, and today they're giving us an advance listen to the upcoming album, 'Replica of Man' (2023)

The album opens with narration from an interview long past from the incredible age of Pandora's Box tampering that the 20th century was: "The concept of the thinking machine has been man's dream for centuries, also his nightmare." To accompany this roving commentary on creeping technocracy, the bass slaps out a wicked jazzy stoner groove with vivacity and conviction. By the time drums join in earnest, it feels like we're in Prodigy territory, with metal vocals and doomy riffs. Recording engineer Nate Campisi takes great care in capturing a lusty sound from all of the instruments, and this serves as a captivating vessel for the message:

It fulfills the prophecy Unstoppable technology Steel has seized the upper hand We concede as it commands It’s too late to intervene Mating man with machine No forgiveness for the damned Heed the replica of man

Indeed, we are several chapters deep into a fledgling Technological State and already the human animal is being stretched and contorted in ways that are alien to his nature, but somehow pleasing to the great labyrinth of circuits that make up our computers and smartphones. It's no longer fodder for fun sci-fi blockbusters like Terminator, but an urgent question for our time as to what makes us truly thrive as human beings and how technology can assist us toward that end, not hurt us. Obviously, the band struck a chord with me straight away!

"It isn’t passive music," remarks frontman Joey Troupe. "It has weight, inertia and leaves a mark. We are writing the soundtrack to global annihilation. That includes elements of destruction, despair, gratitude and sometimes, hope."

Elsewhere on the album, the band conjures Lucifer's Friend vibes on "Problem Child" and "Skeleton Girl" exhibits an infectious nu-metal energy -- both captured within a cocoon of fuzzy low-end and performed with all the vibrancy of the garage experience. "Swamp Water" is a good, old-fashioned swampy stoner romp that would make a good companion to Weed Is Weed's "Alligator Crawl." And "Shame" would fit in great with the likes of Mudhoney and Coal Chamber.

The album closer is bathed in dank, watery shadows, with a grungy, forlorn bass groove. It's called "Hive Mind" and lives in the neighborhood of Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard. The song is about how the secrets of life evade us because we're stuck in rigid mindsets ("Sacrament is our demise"), and struggle to find a meaningful role in this artificial maze of concrete and asphalt ("Disguised by life, destroyed by time"). At least that's my interpretation. As I said, the lyrics are thought provoking -- but there's no mistaking the last lines of the track:

We all seek a higher mind So take your breath and blaze a fire Take flight. Ignite. Leave them all behind

Melt's Replica of Man is a virtuosic blend of influences, captivating themes, and crisp, joyful musicianship. Out Friday, July 7th (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Snail, GoodEye, Rickshaw Billie's Burger Patrol, Null, and Deep Purple.

Give ear...

Replica of Man by Melt

SOME BUZZ

Melt is a Pittsburgh-based fuzz rock band formed by Joey Troupe, J.J. Young, and James May – three seasoned musicians with a diverse range of experience in the music industry.

Joey Troupe (lead guitar/vocals) has played in various bands around the city since 2007, including Blackbird Pie, The Electric Pear, and Paddy the Wanderer — which released several LPs and EPs, toured regionally, and had a song featured on a Netflix series.

youtube

J.J. Young (drums) has played in or appeared with over 10 different musical projects, including Fortune Teller, Daisy Chain, and his own solo project, BITE. He is also a co-founder of Steel City Death Club, a Pittsburgh music multimedia collective.

James May (bass/vocals) started Aberrant Kingdom in 2008 and has also played with Spare Arrows. In July 2021, Melt released their self-titled debut and performed live for the first time, quickly making a name for themselves in Pittsburgh music for their lively stage presence and unique extraterrestrial-inspired aesthetic.

Since, the band has headlined shows across the region, been named the WYEP Artists of the Week, held a featured spot on the Deutschtown Music Festival mainstage, and opened for Silver Synthetic of Third Man Records. Their second studio album, Replica of Man, will be released July 7, 2023.

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

#D&S Debuts #Melt #Pittsburgh #Pennsylvania #doom metal #stoner rock #Progressive Metal #fuzz #grunge #HeavyBest2023 #D&S Reviews #Doomed and Stoned

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lightdancer1 · 1 year

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Another glimpse of a different one from said original fiction:

There was a blur of motion and then a being hovered in front of her in white armor, eyes gleaming a brilliant red as the veins around them mirrored that light.

There is a reason that sorcerers are cautioned not to call up that which they cannot put down. Before I encountered the children of Urhalzan I was already a being able to throw planets with ease, and the light you see can ignite stars. I, the Last, the Eternal.

She smiled then and then she cracked her neck slightly with a noise that made all a roaring sound of silence, blood oozing from cracked eardrums that would never hear again.....and yet her voice echoed as if nothing at all had happened.

The Unmaker, the Fateful Lightning, the End of Empire, the Refining Fires, the Eye of Eternity. They all travel in a troupe, and you are fortunate the second and the fourth are not here. They would be making short work of this. But then I do not need them.

She raised her right hand, the fingers of the gauntlet pointing to the skies like small mountains.

I am the Voice of the Stars. The Music of the Spheres.

She opened her mouth and seemed to inhale and then harmonics echoed and she landed, shaking her head.

By then the clouds of magma on the sky of dark obsidian had faded and the Refining Fires had landed beside her.

I told you. Doesn't matter how obscure you think you are. Eternity is vast. Sooner or later some damn fool is going to read a book they shouldn't, recite a couplet, and then bam! Perfectly fine afternoon ruined by someone who wanted to unleash a contained god for power.

She shook her head.

Even if they got the actual gods they wanted instead of us, they wouldn't control such entities either.

Well they got me.

Verulzanzunui nodded, a clawed finger tapping against her chin.

They'll learn. Break a world or two if you have to. It might seem counterproductive but the powerful who'd need to do keep tabs on those things. We have eternity in the palms of our hands, what's a single world, or even a single planetary system?

#omniverse tales #ka'ara the last daughter #urhalzantrani #the music of the spheres #finally fleshed out these two

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metalmessage · 2 years

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MEDIA FEEDBACK:

►► Madness • Album • 2022 ◄◄

8 / 10 ➤ "… very well produced, with a balanced sound, containing 10 nervous Melodic Death Metal tracks … with constant vocal battles, a rhythm section that works clockwise, and heavy guitar solos … without a doubt the best album that EUFOBIA has released thus far …" (Bloody News)

8 / 10 ➤ "... are fit on their instruments ... technically skilled ... I hope that EUFOBIA will get a bit more recognition beyond their national borders, because they can easily keep up with today's big bands! The potential is definitely there." (Crossfire)

➤ "... the ten songs sound varied and skillfully manage to combine harmony and chaos, rhythmic and well composed ... I was overwhelmed on first listen by this mix of styles and influences woven in from all over ... EUFOBIA does not leave us on the surface of uniformity and familiarity ..." (Metal Hangar 18)

➤ "… a really damn good band … frigging good album … mixes flawlessly both great influences that formed the root of Melodic Death Metal … breathtaking with its Thrashesque guitar riffing and bass lines … to listen loud, but very loud …" (Metal Addicts) etc. Bulletpoints: • New & third album of the Bulgarian Death Metallers • Content exciting nuclear war end time concept • Also visually lavishly staged Mighty and threatening thunders from the Bulgarian capital Sofia … fatal cause: EUFOBIA hail with their important third studio album brute and martial in the ears! This extremely determined disc is clearly created with gallons of the most rebellious heart and with immense compositional joy. And you can clearly hear the massive further development of the THRASH DEATH METAL troupe. [ Artwork: Val Volegna • 12 DROPS Design ]

TRACKS: 01. Madness 03.54 02. Facing The Firing Squad 03.26 03. Wolf Among The Sheep 03.38 04. Messiah 03.49 05. Those Who Believe 03.12 06. Burning Streets 02.46 07. Use Your Head 03.12 08. Liberation 03.07 09. The Establishment 04.59 10. Animal Farm 04.01 total: 36.08 min. Fact is: absolute artistic openness prevails here in all conceivable musical matters. Contemporary baptized with the programmatic and socially apt album title „Madness“, these indomitable hell souls reveal the successful striving for artistic identity. Fortunately successful: EUFOBIA show on their ’new‘ a very own face!Outstanding specialty of the much-cursing death horde in all their new creations: brutally aggressive, technically adept and really fat guitar assaults! Heaps of razor-sharp riff canonades are to be experienced, which not infrequently ignite as quickly as a giant tank filled to the brim with fresh kerosene. And also with their capably handled lead axe, EUFOBIA conjure wonderfully massive earworm moments out of the boxes again and again. Remarkably fit in instrumental interplay, noticeably skilled in the passes and with gigantic enthusiasm at the start, the flaming world critic quartet stands out from many competitors with its new furious output. [ EUFOBIA 2022 • Pic: Mariyan Tomov ] LINE-UP: Niki • Guitar, Vocals Ivan • Guitar Steff • Bass, Vocals Blago • Drums & Vocals Performing with martial and at all times confidently hewn rhythmic earthquakes, the truly bone-crunching and edgy drum work on this superbly crafted release is by no means left behind either: for the drumsticks of the fierce rhythm kettle-keeper Blago hammer on his cauldrons as fast and nimbly as gigantic, ultra-heavy demolition hammers. In addition, the sinister Balkan flails fire razor-sharp words in the most authentic and truthful way on their new output with welcome provocations: biting lyrics straight from the dirty and dusty street. Singer and guitar monster Niki doesn’t give a damn about compromises in content and fights on „Madness“ with incredibly effective and uncompromising throat attacks.With „Madness“ EUFOBIA show the worldwide rest of the scene that even nowadays it is still efficiently possible to hammer acutely into the epicenter of the Death Metal profession with a lot of self-confidence and burning fervor. (Markus Eck) EUFOBIA has produced a new music video for the title song „Madness“, which is the first single of their third album. The video was created by Val Volegna of 12 Drops Design. The lead role is played by the Bulgarian model Maria Georgieva. The story of the video is about a group of survivors in a world, which has been destroyed by a nuclear war, who try to save a girl trapped in a radioactively contaminated area: https://www.youtube.com/embed/6zOHQUoeuT0 [ Madness • Music Video ] 2010 • Insemination • EP 2011 • Cup Of Mud • Full-length 2016 • Liquid Of Creation • Single 2016 • Eufobia • Full-length 2022 • Madness • Full-length PR: 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 ᴳᴸᴼᴮᴬᴸ https://www.metalmessage.de/PR_EUFOBIA_en.php EUFOBIA are available for interviews via phone, Skype, Zoom & email

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archerinventive · 2 months

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Making a fire dragon with Ash Steele at Ignitions most recent fundraiser. 🔥

This was our first show fire-breathing together, and I feel so grateful to IRDeep Photo for capturing the moment. :)

Wishing you all a warm Fire Friday and an even better weekend. 🧡

#fire #fire dragon #dragon #fire performer #flo arts #fire breathing #ignition fire troupe #burn #archer inventive

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tabletoptrinketsbyjj · 2 years

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Trinkets, 45: Interesting baubles, semi magical objects and items touched by mystery.

A large chain bracelet made of nine links, the metal of each of which was mined and forged from a different layer of the Nine Hells.

A wooden mask that subtly changes color in unsettling vague patterns, mostly greens and purples with the occasional sickly yellow. As a viewer examines it, the mask slowly begins to reshape itself into a mold of the viewer's face, although the unsettling colors and artificiality of it remain obvious. If more than one person examines it, it begins to reshape itself into a strange conglomeration of the viewers, as if stuck in transition between the various faces.

A clay-colored, oblong stone the size of an orc's fist. Holding it causes strange visions to swirl in the bearer’s mind. Knowledgeable PC’s can determine that the object is a petrified eye, once belonging to a prophetic cyclops.

A 20 pound bundle of oil-soaked logs and flammable alchemical twigs bound to create a portable pyre. When untied and quickly rolled out over an empty 5-foot square, as an action equivalent to attacking, the bearer can choose to pull a small tab causing the materials to immediately ignite. The bearer can also choose to unroll the pyre but not ignite it, at which point it will be set ablaze by any source of sparks or fire. Creatures that enter the same square or start their turn on a lit portable pyre suffer fire damage equal to a shortsword (1d6). The portable pyre burns for ten minutes and is hot enough that a dead human placed on the pyre when it’s ignited will be reduced to ash by the end. It takes ten gallons of water to extinguish the flames while its lit. It cannot be used again after being burned.

A triangular electrum piece with a single lidless eye on the obverse, and a fork of lightning on the reverse.

A toolkit containing numerous small pliers, files, scissors, scalpels and other items useful for harvesting small body parts from corpses. Perceptive PC’s will notice subtle, sacred inscriptions etched into the case and the instruments themselves and will recognize the kit as relic retrieval tools. The painstaking process of retrieving a relic from its corpse and preparing it to be housed in a reliquary can be made somewhat simpler by using these instruments.

A fine gilded dinner plate like one would find in a nobleman's dining room. On the bottom of the plate is the artisan's symbol, a stylized falcon.

A rattle made from a dried gourd and holly berries.

A velvet bag containing a variety of different kinds of colored glass, cut to resemble gemstones. PC's knowledgeable in the theatrical arts know that one of the simplest props that a troupe of actors often requires is one that simulates wealth. The contents of the bag accomplishes this in spades and can be handled during performances, scattered about the stage or pasted onto costumes as required. Additionally, a character can drop a real gem into the bag, shake it up and make it impossibly difficult to find. The bag contains 10d10 glass gems of various colors, sizes and cuts.

A battered felt-lined box that holds a wooden orb, covered in faded paint depicting a man descending from the clouds.

—Click Here to be directed to the Hotlinks To All Tables post, which provides (As you might have guessed) convenient links to all of the loot and resource tables this blog has.

—Keep reading for 90 more trinkets.

—Note: The previous 10 items are repeated for easier rolling on a d100.

A large chain bracelet made of nine links, the metal of each of which was mined and forged from a different layer of the Nine Hells.

A triangular electrum piece with a single lidless eye on the obverse, and a fork of lightning on the reverse.

A fine gilded dinner plate like one would find in a nobleman's dining room. On the bottom of the plate is the artisan's symbol, a stylized falcon.

A rattle made from a dried gourd and holly berries.

A battered felt-lined box that holds a wooden orb, covered in faded paint depicting a man descending from the clouds.

A battle standard with a lion embroidered in gold thread on a red field.

A beautifully made violin with silver and wood inlays.

A black wooden arcane staff that’s unremarkable except for the way it is lightly tapered to resemble a club, rather than a caster's implement.

A black, gothic tailcoat with silver buttons and embroidered with necromantic imagery along the sleeves.

A blood splattered war mask of beaten copper.

A blue dyed-wool shirt in a simple style, with no adornments. It closes at the neck and cuffs with simple bone buttons.

A bronze scepter terminating in four prongs holding a glowing porcelain orb.

A cloth pouch containing 1d4+2 small black pearls that are beautiful to look at, but are marred by several lumps and dents that cause their quality to suffer.

A crude map of the local area inscribed on a tattered canvas scroll, that bears an “X” marking an area near where the map was found. There is a list of instructions in the bottom corner of the map: Find the cavern near the waterfall, then go north-west 2-3 miles, until you find the abandoned village. From there, go west 1-2 miles until you find the ancient cemetery, then go south for 3-4 miles and you'll find the prize hidden in the bole of an ancient elm tree. ---Note: It is up to the DM whether or not if the instructions can be followed (The “landmarks” might be a code, riddle or simply not exist for example) and if there is anything at the end. The map could easily be a prank, trap, confidence scheme, ambush or the area could already have been stripped of any value by other adventurers.

A dark green bottle filled with murky liquid. Two elves dance and cavort on the label which is labelled “Whirling Elf Absinthe”.

A diamond nose stud, set in white gold.

A duster made of heavy oiled canvas, the long coat reaches the bearer’s ankles. Twin rows of buttons run the length of the front of the coat, and when all of them are fastened the wearer is wrapped in a nearly waterproof shell.

A folded worn leather packet containing five slender unornamented bangles of gold.

A small bronze sailboat affixed inside a clear glass bottle. Knowledgeable PC's will recognize this as the third place trophy of the annual sailing competition of a local port city.

A gold pin in the shape of a scarab beetle, enameled with lapis lazuli.

A green coat with numerous pockets, each with a separate piece of a moustache trimming kit inside.

A greenstone statuette of a four-armed sahuagin baron.

A hardy piece of jewelry that takes the form of a teardrop shaped gem of deep red tourmaline set into a tarnished silver frame.

A small woodcut of weary pilgrims visiting the Priory of Cymer. The top has a small groove fitted with tiny bass spike where incense can be mounted and burned.

A hexagonal platinum piece, with a three-pointed crown on one side and an oak tree on the reverse.

A holy symbol of nature constructed of a thin piece of wood with four finger holes that allow the bearer to wear it over his knuckles. The smooth and polished wood supports four small claws jutting out over the bearer's fingers when worn. The symbol is decorated with feathers, beads, and etchings of animals.

A huge auroch horn hollowed for use as a cup, banded with gold and etched with hunting scenes.

A jet brooch carved into the shape of a raven with two glittering, translucent black diamond eyes.

A landscape painting of a nearby mountain with a semi-transparent tower on top of it. A skeletal dragon perched on its roof. The frame is made from wrought iron and feels unnaturally cold.

A large oval-shaped, clear golden-brown gem. Trapped inside of the amber is a large spider with blue and green markings.

A large tin canister whose lid is stamped with the image of a bountiful orchard whose trees are overflowing with fruit, the ripest of which has fallen and filled a cornucopia. The container is brimming with dozens of well-preserved dried blueberries.

A leather wallet stamped with the image of a pair of explorers overlooking a wilderness. It contains a full set of certified identification papers denoting that the bearer is a member of the cartographers, surveyors, and chart-makers guild. The section containing the member's physical description (Height, weight, sex, race, eye, skin and hair color) is completely blank and could be filled in by anyone with half decent handwriting.

A long, dark green silk scarf edged with tiny malachite beads.

A mahogany jewelry box inlaid with glass beads in the pattern of a butterfly.

A marble bust of a long-dead Random Humanoid Race empress infamously remembered for her part in the growth of Random Godly Domain worship which developed into a full blown militant cult by the time of her death.

A mask of copper and multicolored glass depicting a feline face. The eyes are of transparent golden amber.

A matching pair of small sleeping cats carved from creamy marble.

A matching set of three bracelets fashioned from rare black coral.

A palm sized mercenary’s badge fashioned in the design of a small iron shield. Its face bears a small pearl cameo of a griffon filled with arrows. Knowledgeable PC’s recognize the sigil as that of the monster hunter’s guild known as “The Slayers”.

A metal-shod, ten-foot pole with hinged, six-inch arms mounted every two feet along its length. Known as a descending staff, the bottom end of the item bears a sharp, iron spike, which can be used to anchor the pole into solid rock. The side arms can be extended and retracted by pulling a lever on the other end of the descending staff, providing an instant ladder wherever needed.

A miniature painting depicting a fat maharajah mounted on an elephant, on a tiger hunt.

A monk’s robe fashioned of bright silk and contains long-flowing sleeves, multiple layers and many ornate flourishes.

A one gallon cask of Mountain’s Bounty, a fine liquor made using water from a glacial stream. It is always refreshing, and always makes the drinker feel cold no matter the weather.

A one gallon cask of Tarnation, a strong spiced cider meant to be served warm. It is traditionally drank as quickly as possible after a boisterous cheer or a lewd drinking song.

A painting of a flame‐haired sea captain defending her sinking ship from skeletal pirates.

A painting of the mighty conjurer Arius binding an efreet to his service.

A pair of matching earrings featuring gold wire twisted into the shape of an eye. Sparkling emeralds in the center serves as the pupils.

A pair of quirky earrings displaying enameled red and black butterflies above tiny dangling teardrops of amber.

A pamphlet put out by the Society for the Abolition of Demoniac & Infernal Servitude & Maltreatment arguing for the emancipation of summoned beings and the criminality of coercive conjuration.

A perpetually spinning gyroscope encased in a transparent crystal sphere.

A pewter tankard etched with scenes of drinking and revelry.

A piece of broken pottery depicting a partial map to a ruined lakeside tower, marked with a griffon’s head symbol.

A piece of hollow bone skillfully carved into the shape of a humanoid tooth. This false tooth can be very useful for hiding very small objects, like tiny scraps of paper, or a thin garrote wire. It is next to impossible to notice that a creature has a false tooth in their mouth on casual inspection.

A platinum pin whose thin shaft is surmounted by a bluish moonstone carved to resemble a honeysuckle flower in bloom.

A sturdy quill pen made from a hippogriff feather.

A quill pen made from a white feather taken from the wing of a full-grown male griffon. The writing nib is made of gold.

A red leather horse saddle with elaborate gold tooling.

A red velvet robe, embroidered with the outlines of leaping flames in a rainbow of colors.

A ribbon of ultra-fine green silk with a pair of small yellow pearls tied to both ends.

A richly designed Random Instrument of excellent quality that has a variety of subtle ranges and tones, allowing the performer to put impressive nuances into his music.

A set of linked metal chains that fit over the hand and shimmer with color. The chains follow the placement of the bones in your fingers and hand, and they stretch slightly when you clench your fist.

A simple golden chain ending in a half-broken link that has been bent out of shape.

A simple hollow cone constructed of inexpensive brass. When used to listen at a door, wall, or similar obstacle, the user receives advantage on perception check to hear through the obstruction. The user suffers disadvantage on all other perception checks made as long as he listens at the door. The cone has the added benefit of protecting the user from defenses that may not be visible to the naked eye, such as contact poison.

A set of elegant prayer beads all crafted from silver molded into the shapes of strange glyphs whose meaning is lost to time but which seem oddly reminiscent of the alphabet of the Giant language.

A sky-blue wooden box, eight inches to a side, has a tightly-fastened lid and a clockwork crank on one side which is unaccountably slimy and warm. When the crank is turned, the box produces an arrhythmic music composed of the sounds of teeth grinding, bones cracking and flesh tearing. If the crank is turned for ten seconds the ‘music’ reaches a sickening crescendo and the lid clacks open releasing a bundle of slimy grey rags tied around a disgusting looking grick puppet.

A wooden lute of medium quality. There is a small hole in the headstock that contains a hidden stiletto dagger.

A small alchemically-treated, white crystal about the size of a thumbnail. This device is designed to gauge and avoid the danger of shifting mountain weather so the bearer can seek shelter. Just before a natural storm occurs (5d10+10 minutes) the change in air pressure will cause the crystal to turn black. The object returns to being white after a 7 days of clear weather.

A small box of elfin salt which, if sprinkled over a meal, instantly makes it taste absolutely delicious and even purifies spoiled food, but also completely deprives the provender of any nutritive value.

A small roughly cut ruby, obviously unworked, sporting a purplish-red coloration shot through with veins of orange.

A small weathered piece of rolled parchment contained within a case made from a human femur bone. It contains a rough map of the local area in which it was found.

A small wooden travel case containing 3d4+2 rations known as Elven Wafers. Although named after the elves this dense, highly crispy travel ration actually originated among heavily settled human populations. Formed of highly concentrated grain paste dried about a bean center, these palm-sized bricks each pack enough nutrition in them to sustain an active man for a single day.

A small, egg-shaped crystal that’s warm to the touch, and regularly pulses like a gently beating heart.

A striped silk handkerchief in two Random Colors. Although the design and coloring seemed to be aimed for use by a man, the cloth is infused with a woman’s perfume.

A thumb sized, satiny dark grey stone with a glassy smooth surface and metallic sheen that makes it stand out as unique amongst valuable minerals. It warms quickly to body heat when held in the hand. Knowledgeable PC’s can identify the gemstone as hematite.

A twisted mammoth tusk carved with the history of an ancient nomadic Random Humanoid Race tribe.

A transparent blue gemstone whose teardrop shape flickers with light reflecting from the insides of its many facets. Knowledgeable PC’s can identify the gem as aquamarine.

A volatile hourglass that barely contains a potent storm of temporal magic.

A well-polished marble made from a solid colored brown chalcedony quartz.

A white satin cape with a kraken embroidered across the back in green and black thread.

A white silk shirt with an adult copper dragon embroidered on the front. The shirt is sized for a medium sized humanoid.

A woodcutter’s axe, the steel head of which shimmers like downwards-flowing water.

A wooden box containing a dozen candles, each made of a rainbowed arrays of differently colored waxes. Each candle has small specks of flammable alchemical materials within its wick and have been imbued with the faintest traces of prestidigitation magic. When lit the candles will shoot out fist-sized balls of multicolored sparks a few times a minute. The sparks are harmless but might light particularly flammable objects at the DM’s discretion.

A wooden folding screen decorated with gold celestial patterns.

A wooden top painted with images of scarecrows chasing children through the forest.

A stiff leather tube closed at both ends by brass caps lined with felt. Inside rests a beautiful painting of a woodland landscape. Upon examination, it looks like the canvas may have been cut from its frame. Knowledgeable PC’s will recognize the artist’s signature as that of a recently deceased baron who dabbled in painting.

A watercolor painting depicting a goblin napping underneath a large oak tree while a city burns in the background.

A wooden whistle carved by a druid of the old ways. This instrument makes the sound of the spring winds when blown.

An acupuncture kit complete with a supply of needles, charts of the pressure points of several humanoid races and a few vials for storing herbs. It is a mandatory accessory for a healer who wishes to attempt any type of acupuncture remedy.

An armored kilt consisting of a knee-length leather skirt covered in dozens of small steel plates for additional protection.

An elegantly crafted elven quill, emblazoned with an ancient inscription that reads “Random Motto”.

An odd wind instrument known as a lysard, shaped something like a squashed “S”. Rather than being round, the pipe is octagonal, which aids the player in covering the fingerholes.

A pinkie-length, oval shaped, worked gemstone with a reddish gold hue. Knowledgeable PC’s can identify it as a Tiger’s Eye.

A smoky, oil painting depicting a huge beholder getting its central eye pierced by a hero’s spear.

A malachite statuette of a coiled, enraged dragon about to breathe upon the tiny copper figure of a warrior, spear raised, that is mounted on a projecting portion of the statuette's base.

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the-himawari · 3 years

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A3! Citron - Translation [N] SSR Family

*Please read disclaimer on blog

---

Itaru: What’d you think about the VR festival, Masumi?

Masumi: …There was way too much going on and I couldn't get into the song properly.

Itaru: Eh~, it got more exciting because they had those performances though.

Tsuzuru: Well, it's true that those sorts of performances can only happen in a VR space.

Sakuya: It was really amazing! My heart’s still racing!

Citron: I had loads of fun too!

Chikage: I'm sure we'll be able to use these experiences in these VR realms for our upcoming play.

Citron: I feel like I’m going to fall totally in love with VR spaces. I want to experience more things that only VR worlds can offer. Do you have any more recs, Itaru?

Itaru: Let’s see, what’s been trending lately… Ah, it looks like VR host clubs are in right now. It’s written as news on the net.

Citron: A VR HOST CLUB!? I WANNA GO!

Tsuzuru: Uh, but aren’t host clubs where women go…?

Citron: No, no. Did you forget? You can become anything in the VR world!

-pause-

Itaru: “This looks like a host club you can enjoy for free.”

Tsuzuru: “Citron-san forced us to come as female avatars since he insisted this would be good practice for the play…” “But I gotta say, I feel pretty out of my element…”

Citron: “I’m not Citron, Tsuzumi! I’m Citoyo! Right~, Sakiko!”

Sakuya: “Y-yeah!”

Citron: “Okay, let’s go girls! Itaka, Chikae, Masuna. Make sure to speak like a woman, got that!”*

Chikage: “Good grief.”

Host A: “Welcome to the VR host club!”

Host B: “Hey, come on over here, you pretty princesses.”

Sakuya: “T-thank you very much!”

Citron: “We’re gonna have sooo much fun today~ ♪”

Host C: “Yeah, let’s enjoy ourselves together!”

Host A: “All you ladies are drop-dead gorgeous.”

Itaru: “I'm flattered. This is our first time visiting a VR host club.”

Host A: “Really now! Well, I’m glad you came. We’ve got lots to talk about.”

Chikage: “Oh, right. Can you tell us more about VR host clubs?”

Host A: “Of course, I’ll teach you anything.”

Host B: “Ah, should I put on some music? What kinda tunes do you like?”

Sakuya: “U-um, me and the guys… I mean, girls don’t really know much. So please play a song you recommend!”

Host C: “We’ve also prepared popular party games. How ‘bout we play them together?”

Tsuzuru: “S-sure. Teach us how to play… right, ladies?”

Citron: “That’s it, everyone’s killing it! We’re so totally cute!”

Masumi: “*Sigh*…”

Host D: “Come on, get in the spirit! Let’s chat! Or do you wanna play something?”

Masumi: “Not interested.”

Host D: “Eh~. That cold shoulder only gets me more fired up.” “I’m definitely gonna make you smile!”

Masumi: “No, you won’t.”

Host D: “Just watch me~!”

Masumi: “No, you won’t.”

Tsuzuru: “It looks like that VR host's motivation got ignited…”

Itaru: “The undaunted host and the unbreakable Masumi. This is the legendary unstoppable force VS immovable object…”

---

*The Spring troupe guys try to use feminine speech patterns/ endings in the story. I tried my best to make this work in English haha

#a3!#a3! translation #citron #act! addict! actors!#oh ymgod

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cheekygreenty · 3 years

Text

Little Witch -Part 17

The Darkling x Reader

The day ended and you would be lying to yourself if you said you weren't disappointed that Aleksander didn't make an appearance. You spent some time in the banya and read peacefully in the library, soaking up the silence before retiring to bed thinking about the Winter Fete.

You had a meeting with the Queen today regarding the festivities and you would rather enter the Fold than converse with the self-centred woman. Nonetheless, you threw on a more traditional red kefta, knowing that if you wore one of your favourites she would turn her nose at you and sulk throughout the meeting.

She didn't acknowledge you with your title, merely nodding as you entered a room in the Grand Palace surrounded by First-Army guards.

'What is this year's Winter Fete going to entail Moya Tsaritsa? Are there any performers you wish for me to vet before their arrival?' You let her think she had the control, but in reality, there wasn't a single soul that entered your palace that wasn't already vetted by you and Aleksander, or so you'd like to think.

'I suppose there is yes but I can't remember-' She pointed to a stack of papers on the desk.' -I have performers coming from all around Ravka. You know it's a huge honour to get an invite to this festivity and I didn't hold back on the travelling troupes, my people deserve to see their King and Queen at least once in their lifetime' My people.

'They really should since you work so hard to ensure their safety and prosperity.' You forced yourself to say and it was doubtful that she heard the edge to your voice.

'Diplomacy is the only way to win a war Deputy, wind and fire won't get us anywhere.' She laughed as if she'd just told a hilarious joke.

You bit your tongue and stayed quiet, Aleksander would kill you if you misspoke around a member of the Crown.

'How old are you Deputy?' This caught you off guard.

'Why is that a topic of conversation?'

'I heard rumours that you're quite old, older than the General-' She laughed again '-yet you look like, well look at yourself.' Her laughing never ceased and it drilled through your head. It was a burst of laughter concealing sheer jealousy and spite.

'Don't listen to rumours Moya Tsaritsa, it does nobody any good.'

'If you say so.'

'Back to the Fete, I assume your sons will be attending?'

'Only Vasily. Nikolai is busy with his studies in Ketterdam. He's about your age you know, or rather the age you look. Tell me have you been meeting with Genya Saffin?' Her condescending tone of voice was enough to make you want to jump out the window.

'Yes, I make it my job to meet with as many of my Grisha as I can.'

'Ms.Saffin is my lady, she does not belong to the Second-Army.'

'She's still Grisha, isn't she? Therefore she is my responsibility, Moya Tsaritsa.' She looked away clearly displeased.

'I must excuse myself, Deputy. Tell General Kirigan I send my best regards.' Her lavish gown trailed behind her as did her swarm of ladies. You couldn't help but let your mind wander, When I am Queen- No. Stop. Don't get your hopes up.

You stood with a huff with the papers safely tucked under your arm as guards came to your side signalling that it was time to leave and you happily obliged. The walls of the Grand Palace were still as tacky as you remembered them, even more so now and you itched to leave. The Little Palace was by no means simple, but it had a sense of humbleness about it that the Crown lacked heavily.

***

'Don't ever make me go there ever again.' Your agitated voice cut through the peaceful lull of Aleksander's war room. You dropped the papers on the large round table and reached for the bottle of kvas sitting idly by, tempting your tastebuds. He was standing at the opposite end, inspecting the current war map with furrowed brows.

'I suppose you won't accompany me to the war council meeting this evening then?'

'If you want me there I'll be there. Besides I was talking about the Queen and her obsession with my age.' You rolled your eyes and drank from your glass.

'Your age?'

'Yeah, I don't know why. She does know Grisha live longer, right?'

'I'm assuming she was jealous of your incredibly good looks. Not an imperfection insight, darling.' He rounded the table and approached you.

'Same goes to you General, she sends her best regards by the way.' You felt his hands wrap around your waist, pulling you close to his chest.

'I only have eyes on one Queen, yet she stands before me with the obvious lack of a crown on her head.' His boyish smile that always made you giddy returned.

'Getting ahead of ourselves much?'

'No.' His lips came down to yours, the smile still pulling at his cheeks. Your hands went to his hair, pulling on the black strands with a fervour of longing.

It had been a while since you and Aleksander had time alone that wasn't spent fighting and arguing and it showed through your actions. The sweet kiss turned into a daring fight for control. His hands desperately pulled at the edges of your red kefta, pulling it open not giving a care to the buttons flying over the room. You did the same, although his silver buckles proved to be harder to undo than your flimsy buttons.

'Aleksander' You panted as he stormed your neck with his urgent lips, hands gripping your waist so tightly it was bound to bruise. His touch ignited a fire deep within you, burning its way to your core, where one of his hands brushed against you. He pushed you back against the table, knocking war props out of the way to make room for you and spread your thighs wide.

'Keep quiet darling, there are ears everywhere he whispered in your ear as he delved a finger into you, his thumb working your clit without a hurry. Your back arched at the sudden feeling and the involuntary moan was swallowed by his lips attacking yours once again. He worked you right to the edge, to the point of your moans turning into whimpers of plea for your climax.

'Please Aleksander'

'When I make you cum in my war room, it'll be when I command it.' His rough hands let go of your waist, instead working to undo his breeches then to lay your back flat on the table.

'I will never grow tired of this view.' He mused and pushed himself into you, a throaty moan erupting from his throat that almost immediately sent another pulse of arousal through you.

He stretched your walls to the limit, letting himself adjust to you, then with a force so pleasurable but sinful, moved in and out. By the fifth thrust, your stilled orgasm washed over you with brute force. He felt the blood rush as you did, basking in the pleasure of your climax as he chased his own.

With your lip between your teeth to silence your moans while your body racked from waves of pleasure, Aleksander stared down at you with the passion of a thousand fires. He felt immense pride knowing he was the reason for your euphoria and nobody else. You were his. Your silent whimpers drove his lust even deeper, sinking into you with a resolve long forgotten.

'Faster.' You breathed and he did as he was told, pulling you up into his chest, pounding into you to satisfy you once more. Not long after did he push himself over the edge, muttering your name like a prayer while you did the same, clutching onto his body for dear life.

He captured your lips with his one last time, silently speaking the words 'I love you' before pulling out, earning you a feeling of emptiness in return. You feared that if he set you back on the ground, your knees would surely buckle beneath you. The feeling of post-sex bliss was nothing compared to the relaxation of yesterday's banya especially when Aleksander was involved.

'We'll be late to the meeting dear.' He said against your lips, not loosening his grip on you or making a move to leave.

'So you do want me there.' You laughed.

'I always want you with me.'

------

Part 18

Taglist (tell me if you want to be added to the Little Witch taglist!!)

@theonelittleone @searching-for-gallifrey @0-artemis @lostysworld @xceafh @fire-in-her-veinz @patdsinner33 @cleverzonkwombatsludge @wizardwheezes @aleksanderwh0r3 @tomhollandisabae @hotleaf-juice @justmesadgirl @exo-1204 @houseofdupree @oberonpascal @eireduchess @lunas1x1 @adoringb

#shadow and bone #the darkling #grisha #imagine #the darkling x reader #ben barnes #alexander #alexander morozova #fanfic #alina starkov

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usergreenpixel · 3 years

Text

JACOBIN FICTION CONVENTION MEETING 7: SCARAMOUCHE (1921)

Hello, Citizens, and welcome to the seventh meeting of our lovely Convention!

I deeply appreciate your wishes for my speedy recovery and I assure you that I’m right as rain.

So, with that out of the way, let us begin.

1. Introduction

“Scaramouche” is a historical fiction novel written by Rafael Sabatini, who might be familiar to some of you via works like “Captain Blood”, which was among my favorite novel series when I was growing up as I’ve always loved (and still love) me a good swashbuckling story and I never quite grew out of these tastes in literature.

In the case of this novel, it never was a blip on my radar when I was a kid but my renewed interest in the French Revolution and my research of topics for future reviews led me to this story. Apparently there’s a sequel and I might review it in the future.

I found the ebook readily available in English on Project Gutenberg so it’s pretty much in public domain now.

I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s a swashbuckling novel set in Frev - the setting is like a perfect fertile soil for external and internal conflicts, adventures and drama, so it was only a matter of time before someone came up with an adventure novel in this setting.

That being said, at first I had quite a few fears that this book would be just another propaganda piece, especially since the author was technically Anglophone.

Did my fears come true? Let’s find out.

2. The Summary

The story’s protagonist is one André-Louis Moreau - a ward and godson to a Breton nobleman and a lawyer by education who swears revenge on a Marquis who kills his friend in a duel.

To escape the gallows after landing himself in hot water for igniting the fire of revolution in Rennes and Nantes, André-Louis joins a troupe of traveling actors and performs as a character called Scaramouche, hence the title.

3. The Story

Like I said, I have a soft spot for swashbuckling novels so I actually quite enjoyed reading the book. And, on a pleasantly surprising note, the revolution is NOT demonized. If anything, the protagonist actually becomes an idealistic republican by the end, which is a really uncommon narrative choice in Frev media.

The narrative clearly portrays the nobility as too privileged and corrupt and the people are in the right - at least, this is what the protagonist understands during his arc.

There’s also not that much Thermidorian bullshit, at least no popular stereotypes, which I really appreciate.

That being said, I do have three main issues with the story.

Firstly, sometimes there’s too much filler and it feels like the narrative is barely dragging along, which got tiresome at times.

Secondly, I didn’t like the romantic subplot between André and the niece of his godfather, Aline. For context, the two were childhood playmates and grew up referring to each other as cousins, only to fall in love as adults.

Maybe it’s just me, but I find romance between family members (no matter how honorary) gross even if there are no shared genes involved. I know cousin marriages were more common in the past but personally I think the novel would’ve benefited from Aline and André only sharing a platonic bond and familial love.

(Spoiler alert!)

Thirdly, I highly doubt the “I’m your father” twist was necessary here as I usually dislike such plot points because they’re hard to do right.

Here there was no proper building up to the revelation, at least in my opinion, and the twist itself can (and most likely will) seem predictable to modern audiences.

However, it was resolved in a fairly realistic way. Marquis de la Tour and André don’t immediately reconcile just because they’re father and son but André calls off his revenge quest, grants the Marquis a safe passage out of the country and doesn’t want to see him again, which is understandable considering their prior enmity.

On that note, let’s take a closer look at the characters.

4. The Characters

Right off the bat, the biggest issue the modern readers might have is that the characters are too “black and white”. In the era of “grey morality” and complex characters, these archetypes might come off as done to death and boring but, other than that, the characters were mostly easy to empathize with.

Personally, I didn’t like André himself in the beginning but he grew on me.

He starts off as a stoic almost to the point of coldness, a cynic and a borderline nihilist who believes fighting against the noble class is futile and there’s no point in trying to improve the country.

But when his idealistic best friend is killed, André vows to take the Marquis down by using the volatile revolutionary climate to his advantage. Slowly, André too becomes a revolutionary and an idealist, which is admittedly rare as usually people in stories become cynical by the end.

Seeing this character ark but played in reverse felt quite refreshing to me so even though at times André’s sarcasm and stoic attitude made him insufferable, I think he is pretty well-written and fleshed out as a protagonist.

Next is Aline, and unfortunately she is underdeveloped in the novel, more so than a female lead should be. She is ambitious, which makes her consider marrying the Marquis, prejudiced against actors due to her upbringing and in general is a typical noble ingenue.

Her and André are playfully witty at times and verbally cruel to each other at others and, unfortunately, they suffer from the “misunderstanding” trope which makes them unable to talk things out. I always find this trope annoying and, coupled with prejudice and not being fleshed out enough, it played into my apathy for Aline as a character.

Then there’s Marquis de la Tour, the typical privileged corrupt noble. He loves women, is a master of fencing and has no heart. André even calls him the embodiment of sin various times.

I know despicable people can and do exist, but here it seemed like he was made a bit too evil, to the point of being simply cartoonish and hard to perceive as a threat or, for that matter, take seriously.

At least he wasn’t threatening for me personally as a character and was more amusing than anything else.

Interestingly enough, historical figures don’t feature much in the story but we do get cameos of Marat, Danton, Robespierre and Desmoulins, as well as Mirabeau.

Mirabeau is called a hypocrite by the author but the other four, surprisingly, aren’t portrayed as evil villains. Marat is even called a philanthropist and his pamphlets inspire André! How rare is that, Citizens?!

Anyway, let’s continue.

5. The Setting

Although at times the text is overloaded with descriptions, all of them were vivid enough for me to imagine myself in the story with the characters.

Sabatini sure knows how to convey the images of villages, cities, nature, inns, etc in an exciting and engaging manner. I just wish that the descriptions were a bit shorter.

6. The Writing Style

Seeing as the novel was published in 1921 and I’m pretty good at English, I didn’t have many problems with reading but there were some outdated grammatical structures and vocabulary so be prepared.

Besides, in the version I read didn’t have translations of French and Latin phrases that occasionally pop up in the text, which was a bit annoying but not that much as I could understand the context of the phrases and therefore figure out what they mean more or less.

In general though, despite occasional overload of descriptions and the aforementioned grievances I have with the text, the writing style is engaging, very easy to understand and not too complex.

7. The Conclusion

In short, I can definitely recommend this novel to anyone who loves good swashbuckling stories and hates propaganda. Not the most original story but enjoyable and a good read regardless.

With that, I announce the end of the meeting. Stay tuned for updates and stay safe, Citizens!

Love,

- Citizen Green Pixel

#french revolution #frev #history #maximilien robespierre #jacobin fiction convention #robespierre #frev art #frev propaganda #frev literature #camille desmoulins #georges danton #scaramouche #rafael sabatini #jean paul marat

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still-single · 2 years

Text

HEATHEN DISCO 11/21/2021

LISTEN. Good soundtrack to you posting weird Cthulhu or selfie or sex/bondage shit on here or whatever you do for work.

https://www.mixcloud.com/mosurock/heathen-disco-show-271-21-november-2021/

HOUR 1

Hard Feelings – Love Scenes

James Brown – Let Yourself Go / There Was a Time / I Feel All Right / Cold Sweat (live)

Fire-Toolz – (e)y(e)s w/o a brain%

Rider/Horse – Sleeping in the Box

Hard Corps – Sacred Heart

Terrine – Carotte Cake

Caroline K – Mirrorball

Thug – Don’t Inter-Fear

Laughing Gear – In a Tank

SiP/Prezzano – Seneca Falls

HOUR 2

Low Life – Hammer and the Fist

Rollerskate Skinny – Bow Hitch-Hiker

Dwaal Troupe – Start a House Fire

HITS – 500 Square Foot Labyrinth

Siouxsie & the Banshees – Painted Bird

Snake Corps – Victory Parade

Come – Submerge

Bitchin Bajas – Island in the Sun

Shop Assistants – Before I Wake

Grouper – Unclean Mind

Chateau – Archdiocese

Endless Boogie – Bad Call

Tyvek – Underwater To

Government Issue – Understand

Ignition – Consequence

New Age Doom & Lee “Scratch” Perry – Fly in the World

Pays P. – Laca de Lacanal

HOUR 3

KG – Sex Toy Box

Meat Beat Manifesto – I Got the Fear Pt. 2

L’Trimm – We Can Rock the Beat

Bleep – In Your System (Joker Mix)

Magazine 60 – Don Quichotte

Clan of Xymox – Mesmerised (Peel Session)

Eris Drew – The Message / Ride Free

Second Layer – Underneath the Glass

Crawler – Stone Cold Sober

David Christian and the Pine Cone Orchestra – Lockets, Drop-outs and Dragnets

CIA Debutante – The Janitor

Clear History - Morsels

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chaoticallysapphic · 4 years

Text

the great divide part one

summary: Who knew that eight words would be your undoing. If you had known then what you know now you wouldn’t have signed up for Suyin’s dance troupe, you probably would have left Zaofu just to be safe. But you didn’t and fate had branded you with a path that chained you to someone who would break your heart.

a/n: so uh just a few things to note, I came up with this idea before watching the last three episodes of lok (which I feel like really show who Kuvira truly is) and it’s not a healthy relationship. Please note that no one should treat you like this, and if so either ditch them or go to therapy with them (altho I’d advise you ditch them). Also a massive thanks to @medeliadracon the first chapter was rough because I wrote it at like 3 am and they helped me work out the kinks by being my beta reader.

word count: 4k

“Would you mind helping me memorize the routine?” You ask one of the dancers that Suyin had pointed you to. You recently joined and unfortunately, they were already in the middle of rehearsing a routine they’d been perfecting for weeks. Usually, Suyin would help you after class but with Avatar Korra visiting she was too busy. Thankfully she had pointed out one of your fellow dancers, a woman named Kuvira. “Suyin usually helps me but she said you would probably be happy to take her place."

Kuvira stands in shock as she stares you down, you’d just said those eight magical words that she used to dream about when she was little and you seemed to have no clue what you’d just done. You’re staring at her expectantly and as time lapses on you start to look a little nervous under her gaze.

“It would bring me great pleasure” Kuvira replies and takes a step closer, your eyes widen in shock, a flush dusting your cheeks as she replies with your six magic words. Kuvira toys with a strand of your hair as she looks deep into your eyes. Her voice is deep and traps you like honey. “We should begin.”

After that day, Kuvira always volunteered to help teach you after class, neither of you spoke about the elephant in the room as she’d place her hands on your body to correct your position and brush herself against you any chance she got. You’d leave every session a flustered mess who’d go home to flop onto your bed with a massive grin on your face

In the last session before the big performance, you were dancing in sync with one another. You were each on a metal flower petal directly across from the other and were meant to be the final act. With the class, you had performed the whole thing and aced it but alone you could only practice half the routine as the ending needed other metal benders to move the petals for you.

So instead you and Kuvira practiced the aerial portion of the routine that would take place directly before the petals would move. With just the two of you instead of the whole class, you spun closer together and once you were within reach Kuvira grabbed your waist with her free hand and pulled you in close so she could lock you in a passionate kiss.

You widen your eyes in shock, staying still for a moment as you process this overwhelming moment before pressing your lips against hers in return. You both gently land on the floor but Kuvira doesn’t let you go, instead, her other hand grabs the back of your neck to steady you as she hungrily kisses you like you might just disappear any moment and it takes your breath away.

Slowly, Kuvira pulls away from your lips but keeps you pulled close to her body, she stares deeply into your eyes as if searching for something, maybe disapproval? She won’t find any though because you want to stay here in her arms forever.

Her hand that was originally holding the back of your neck pulls away and bends the petals of the flowers upwards so they surround you both and offer cover from the outside world. “Do you want to stop?” She leans down to nibble on your earlobe and whispers those words to you. Her hand that was on your waist and traveling up your body, skimming the underside of your breasts as she waits for your answers. “Well?”

“N-No, Kuvira please” you beg, something inside her is unleashed at your words and she pulls you back into a crushing kiss while she slides a hand under your shirt to feel your bare skin.

“Lay down,” she says in a commanding tone that leaves no room for argument, you happily oblige and immediately pull away from her. The chill of the metal against your warm skin sends goosebumps down your arms and the look Kuvira is giving you from above makes you feel even hotter.

She straddles your hips and slides both of her hands underneath your waist, running them up to your sides and under your breasts before pulling them away to pull your shirt off, you lean up off the metal to make it easier for her and she flings somewhere behind her. Kuvira puts both her hands on your shoulders and gently pushes you back down so your bareback and shoulders are against the cold metal.

She threads her fingers through your hair and scratches at your scalp as she leans back down to kiss you once more. You moan at the blissful feeling of her warm body against your own and her nails on your scalp, giving her perfect access to your open mouth. You’ve never felt anything like this before, you’d decided to wait for your soulmate to share your first kiss, your first time and the wait was entirely worth it.

You give yourself to each other in the dance studio that night, whilst Kuvira doesn’t coddle you she does gently guide you and give you praise when you do something right. You feel so in tune with her now as you curl your naked body against her own. She wraps an arm around your waist to tug you closer as you both try to catch your breath from the mind-blowing activity you just partook in.

You’re about to tell her how much you like her, how excited you are to discover more about her when she beats you to the punch, “I think we should keep this to ourselves for now.” You sharply pull away from her, your brows pinched together in confusion. Your heart feels the first pinprick of heartache Kuvira will give you. “What? But we’re soulmates, why should we keep this a secret?”

Kuvira rolls her eyes and sits up to face you. “I just want us to be able to cherish this thing between us as it grows. If we tell everyone suddenly we’ll be bombarded with questions that will only stress us out.”

Your shoulders sag as you think about it, you don’t want to keep this a secret. All your life you dreamed of the day you’d meet your soulmate, the day you could have someone to hold hands with in public and go on dates with, maybe even kiss in the botanical gardens.

“I guess…” you gulp, “if it’s only for a while then I guess it can remain a secret.”

Oh, how you wish you could take that back after everything that is about to happen.

———————————————————————————————————–

A few weeks later is the grand opening (which had to be postponed whilst Suyin and her army were gone to help Avatar Korra) of the dance troupes performance, you feel like you might vomit and suddenly the last thing you want to do is go up there just so you can mess it up. Especially since you and Kuvira are the final act, twisting your legs together in the air as you each balance on your other foot so the flower can unfold around you.

That flower has caused you so much trouble since that night with Kuvira, throughout the dress rehearsal the night before you kept messing up anytime you so much as touched the metal because your thoughts became consumed by her and what you both had done.

You hadn’t had many moments alone since but in the locker room after the dress rehearsal, Kuvira had let her hand brush against your naked back as you changed into clean clothes after your shower and suddenly you were set alight with that same fire she ignited the other night.

You must look like you’re unwell because Suyin comes into view and she places her hands on your shoulders to give them a reassuring squeeze. “You can do this y/n, I believe you,” she says in an encouraging tone.

“I wish you didn’t, what if I mess up?”

“People mess up sometimes, all you have to do is pick yourself back up and try again. You can’t be too hard on yourself y/n, I’ve seen how you’ve really changed these last few practices. Those private lessons with Kuvira must have helped” she drops her hands from your shoulders and gives you a bright smile before rushing off, claiming she has to check on the lights.

You flush at her words, Kuvira’s lessons did help… sort of. One of the stagehands calls out that it’s time and you walk over to the stage entrance. On the other side of the stage stands Kuvira with half of the dancers behind her. She simply holds your gaze for a minute before the curtain draws and the dance must begin. You force down any thoughts you get of that night as you perform the routine and it’s going so well, when it gets to the part where the flower closes around you guys you suddenly feel too exposed and scandalized. Despite your thoughts Kuvira still hooks her foot with your own, she sends a small smile your way that calms you just a bit as the flower begins to bloom once more.

The crowd erupts into applause and whistles as flowers are thrown onto the stage, you and Kuvira unhook your feet and bow with the rest of the troupe before exiting the stage for the next talent to take the stage, it was some new instrument a student had metal bent, something called a harp.

Everyone begins to hug one another and congratulate them, Suyin pulls you into a quick side hug and softly says “I told you that you could do it.” It feels good to have her say that, to know that she’s right and despite being new to this you did well enough to not humiliate yourself. Other people begin to crowd the backstage as dancers’ family members and friends come to congratulate them and offer them bouquets.

Your parents rush up to pull you into a tight hug that knocks the wind out of you, they shower you in praises and your mom kisses the top of your head before pulling away. “You did amazing, y/n. We’re both so proud of you” your dad says as he hands you a bouquet of lotuses. You’re about to call over Kuvira to introduce her as a friend and to tell your parents about how much she helped you but the sight in front of you kills the words that were on the tip of your tongue.

Baatar Jr. has his arm wrapped around Kuvira’s waist as he offers her a bouquet and gives her this wide smile. “Junior, why didn’t you tell us?” You hear Suyin say in a betrayed tone. Baatar Sr. has a hand on Suyin’s shoulder as he looks disapprovingly at the couple in front of him.

“I knew you guys would overreact! Kuvira and I are in love. I hope you both realize how important she is to me.” Baatar Jr. spits out, Kuvira places a hand on his chest to settle him down and flashes the two parents a smile.

“I was hoping you both would approve of us.” You can’t stand there and watch anymore as she flaunts her relationship in front of you like you don’t matter.

“I’m a bit tired from the performance, I think I’m gonna head home,” you tell your parents, trying not to let them know how badly you’re hurting.

“Oh well, we wanted to take you out to dinne-”

“Maybe tomorrow, I think I just wanna take a shower and go to sleep,” you say before walking off. Your parents share a look of concern as they watch your retreating figure. In a matter of seconds, your once overjoyed demeanor turned to something melancholic.

Once out of the building you walk to the botanical gardens knowing that at this time of night no one is there, your parents will probably return home soon and you don’t want to worry them with your crying. You find a spot tucked away from sight behind a bunch of sunflowers and lean your back against the tree.

You’re so confused, she’s your soulmate and yet she’s with someone else. Baatar Jr. said they were in love which must mean they’ve been together for some time. She never mentioned him to you. Suddenly the desire to keep your relationship a secret makes sense and you feel stupid for playing along.

At least an hour passes as you cry out all your emotions until you’re just sitting there numbly trying to figure out what to do next. A crunch of a leaf can be heard from in front of you and your head snaps up and away from your lap. Kuvira is standing there, she’s changed out of her dancing clothes and is in a casual outfit now, you look away from her, unable to look at her first without crying again.

“He wasn’t meant to tell them tonight,” she confesses and you scoff. Is that supposed to make you feel better?

“What are you doing Kuvira? W-We’re soulmates and yet you’re with this guy despite telling me I had to keep us a secret.” You stand from your spot and your muscles ache from sitting in that uncomfortable position for so long, you try to ignore her as you go to walk away but she grabs your forearm as you go to pass her.

“I don’t love him,” she admits “but I need him for something and the only way he’ll do it is if he thinks I do.” You rear your head back in shock, what in the world is going on.

“What could you possibly want from him? A seat at the Beifong family table!?” You shout and Kuvira aggressively shushes you. You rip your arm out of her grasp but stay still as you wait to hear what she’ll say next.

“After the earth queen’s death the earth kingdom is in disarray and Suyin won’t step up to help those who are suffering. Junior has inventions that can help us rebuild these impoverished towns and cities so we can bring them back to their former glory.” Kuvira sighs, her palm going to rub at her forehead “he won’t go against his mother unless we’re together, I can’t let those people have their homes ransacked by raiders and be left to starve when we can make a difference.”

“So you’re… manipulating him” you murmur, Kuvira’s eyes narrow a bit at your words and she takes a step closer to you, you stumble back until your back hits the tree behind you and Kuvira keeps walking until she’s against you. Her hands go to rest above your head as she looks into your eyes.

“I’m pushing him in the right direction. I want to leave soon to start and I want you to come with,” she moves one of her hands to grasp your chin when you try to look away from her and says “we all have to make sacrifices for this cause, y/n. Mine is playing pretend with him and yours is having to keep us a secret.”

Your eyes water at the idea, you don’t want to leave Zaofu behind. Your parents are here and you think you might want to pursue a career in dancing. Kuvira grips your chin just a fraction tighter and brings her lips to yours. It’s a deep, slow kiss and suddenly you’re consumed with her just like the other day in the dance studio. You moan as she lightly tugs at your bottom lip as she pulls away from you, she lets go of it and you can feel it swell a bit from her actions. You slowly open your eyes back up and she’s giving you this intense look that has your knees weak.

“Please, I want you there with me,” she says in a husky tone that has you nodding in agreement, she grins before pulling you back into a kiss, this one is far more heated than the last.

You wish you’d said no.

———————————————————————————————————–

“I think we should keep this to ourselves for now.”

For now turned into a year, once the train tracks were built Bolin along with Varrick and Zhu Li joined your cause. In front of everyone, Kuvira played the role of not only being the compassionate leader but also the love of Baatar’s life. Yeah, he no longer went by Baatar Jr. Kuvira convinced him to drop the honorific.

Behind closed doors, late at night when everyone was asleep Kuvira would come and visit you, most times you guys would passionately make love as she took charge but sometimes, and these times were your favorite, she’d lay in bed beside you and talk about all you guys would do once your mission was over. “We could get married,” you whispered one night and Kuvira pulled you in a slow, sweet kiss before murmuring against your lips “you’d look good in white.”

Right now those sweet moments are far from your mind though as Baatar hands Kuvira a file in the main cabin of the train where meetings are held, he places a hand on her waist and you look away as you try to push down the anger bubbling within you. You were about to stop in a rather large town that had fallen on hard times, as all had. And if all goes well you might need to take a moment for yourself. This train was starting to feel suffocating and you were this close to metal bending the roof open.

The train lurches to a stop, sending Bolin almost off the couch opposite you, he grips the back of it to keep from falling flat on his face and you grab the armrest to your right. As always, Kuvira is the only one who seems to remain unaffected, she stumbles back two steps before regaining her balance and squaring her shoulders.

“We’re here,” she says in her normal calm voice before heading to the door to step outside. The town is surrounded by lush greenery and towering trees. The buildings tower to three stories and market stalls are lining the streets. It looks like it was once a hub, maybe a stopping point for travelers, but now there are holes in some of the buildings from raiders and the market stalls have been torn apart. All of the citizens are waiting for them at the entrance of the city and you note how tired and thin they look.

“Woah, looks like we are definitely needed here” Bolin mutters beside you. As Kuvira talks to the mayor in private, you all begin to load up carts and trucks with crates of food, they always give into her eventually so there wasn’t much point in waiting. The meeting between the two takes an hour and a half, when the mayor walks off the train he wears a look of defeat and Kuvira saunters out with that same air of confidence that makes you wonder if she was born with it.

She walks over to you and signals for the men beside you to start giving out the crates of food and supplies. “Another small victory,” she mutters.

“If anything I’d say it’s a big one, this is a large province and this town is the only one in it. Not only that but it’s a hub for trading and travelers, having this under our belt is helpful.” You look into her eyes and notice that same dissatisfied look she gets any time someone praises her. “This is good, Vira.”

“I told you not to call me that in public,” her tone is scolding and she looks away so she doesn’t have to see the disappointment in your eyes. Whilst everyone thought you two were close friends she was still worried about someone figuring it out and telling Baatar. He was too oblivious to figure it out himself but quite a few times she caught Zhu Li looking between the two of you when you’re deep in conversation. “Besides, I won’t be happy until we’ve united the entire earth kingdom. “

You bite your lip as another one of those oh too familiar aches in your heart. It feels like someone has gotten a needle and aggressively stabbed at the center of it. “I’m going to go help,” you say before walking away, she doesn’t call after you or even say goodbye

Later, once all the supplies are given out, the townspeople decide to celebrate in the main square, live music is being played as everyone dances and laughs. Kuvira usually makes a short appearance to things like this just to make everyone happy before heading back to the train. Usually, you trail behind her along with Baatar while Bolin and Varrick tend to stay for an extra hour or two. Most of the time they stumble in drunk and loudly shush one another.

“C’mon y/n, just stay a while longer!” Bolin shouts over the music, he gives you another cup of alcohol, a part of you doesn’t want to. You’ve never stayed behind to celebrate after Kuvira heads back and you wonder if that means she won’t show up in your room as per usual. But it’s just one extra hour…

You take the cup from Bolin’s hand and down it, causing him to cheer. The alcohol burns down your throat and you cough from taking it all at once. Varrick saddles up beside him and slaps his hand on the young earth bender’s shoulder. “What are we getting excited about?”

“Y/n’s actually gonna stay and party!” Bolin shouts, you fill the cup back up and take a sip. You haven’t been drunk since Zaofu, you deserve this break. “Wait, you’re telling me y/n isn’t a stick in the mud? Well, that’s the shock of the century!” Varrick replies you roll your eyes at his comment, trying to not let it bother you. You could be fun, you were fun before everything happened.

“Let’s dance!” You shout and finish up your drink before setting it on the table to head to the designated area for dancing. You thought of the studio back in Zaofu, how freeing it felt, and how you had felt like you’d finally found your calling. Bolin cheers you on as he dances beside you and Varrick keeps making ridiculous comments about the parties he used to throw back in republic city. You make out the words platypus bear and skiing at one point but decide to not ask him to explain what the hell he’s talking about.

An hour passes, maybe two, before the three of you are stumbling back to the train. You haven’t had this much fun in so long and your cheeks hurt from laughing. You’re warm from the alcohol despite the cool breeze brushing up against your skin and at some point, you took your jacket off to keep from sweating. You weren’t meant to be out of uniform when out of your room but it was late at night and you didn’t think much of it.

When you guys climbed up the steps to the train and entered the main compartment Bolin began to loudly talk about how much he missed his soulmate, Opal. Suddenly your bright mood dimmed at the fact that you couldn’t talk about your soulmate to anyone, but your mood was truly ruined when Bolin said, “y’know one-day y/n, you’re gonna meet your soulmate and it’s gonna feel amazing just you wait!”

You forced out a chuckle before softly bidding them goodnight and walking off to your room, you heard Bolin ask Varrick if he said something wrong but you were too far away to hear his reply. When you opened your door a part of you hoped Kuvira would be inside, but she wasn’t. Your shoulders slumped as you kicked off your boots before falling into bed. You didn’t bother with undoing your updo or changing into proper sleeping clothes.

When you wake up you are alone, usually, Kuvira would wake up before the sun rose and leave but not before kissing your forehead and whispering that she loved you. It was always a great way to start your day but today you were alone. You got dressed and fixed your mess of hair before exiting your room to head down towards the dining cart.

Your room was right beside Kuvira’s which was beside Zhu Li’s and then it was Baatars, Bolin’s was on the other side of your room. Thankfully the walls were thick though so you didn’t have to worry about him hearing you and Kuvira late at night.

The door to Baatar’s room opens, but instead of the young engineer walking out, Kuvira does, she’s in her uniform from yesterday which you can tell because there’s a few wrinkles and her hair is down. She makes eye contact with you before heading to her room and without thinking you follow after her. Technically you aren’t allowed in her room for appearance reasons but your heart is racing and you need her to reassure you that what you just saw wasn’t what you thought it was.

You close the door after you, trying not to slam it but you desperately want to. “What were you doing in there?” you ask and part of you internally cringes at how you sound. It’s obvious in your tone how hurt you are, how confused. Kuvira simply begins to undress from her old clothes and takes her time formulating a reply.

“He was getting suspicious of my lack of affection for him,” is her reply. You back up until your knees hit the edge of her bed and fall into a sitting position. “So you…” you gulp, “slept with him?”

“I did what needed to be done. Besides, you weren’t here last night,” she spits out. By now she’s in her underwear which would usually cause you to flush but right now your vision is blurring from tears and you feel bile rising from your throat but it’s not due to last night. “So what, it was some kind of way to get back at me for letting loose for once?!”

Kuvira whirls around to glare at you, she has a pair of pants on now and she stalks over to you like you’re her prey until she’s between your legs. She roughly grabs your chin to make sure you keep eye contact with her and she says “so me fucking you senseless isn’t enough to alleviate the stress from the day before?”

Your heart races, “Vira…” You aren’t sure if you like this part of her, in a fucked up way it’s kind of hot but it’s also terrifying and you feel so small. “If you disobey me or humiliate me again you’ll be punished the same way you were last night. If you are to one day become my wife you’ll need to start working on your image and getting drunk in public isn’t a good look.”

She lets go of your chin and swiftly walks back over to her closet to finish getting dressed. “You may leave.” Her tone doesn’t leave any room for argument so you blink away the tears threatening to spill from your eyes before promptly leaving your lover’s room. Suddenly you’ve lost your appetite so you head back to your room where you plan on spending the rest of your day, As you go to open your door, Bolin sluggishly opens his own and walks into the bright hallway with a groan.

You look away from him but not in time as he notices your red eyes and the tears threatening to spill, he steps forward, a look of concern taking over his features but you quickly enter your room and slam the door shut behind you.

You miss home.

#kuvira #the great uniter #lok #legend of korra #kuvira x reader #kuvira/reader #angst #drama #soulmate au #bolin #varrick #zhu li #baatar jr #can you tell i hate baatar jr?

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