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vorthosjay · 6 years

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Let’s Talk About Chronicle of Bolas: A Familiar Stranger

Chronicle of Bolas: A Familiar Stranger is out. The Hunting Party has finally reached Ugin’s grave, but more secrets await!

Crucible of the Spirit Dragon by Jung Park

"No, he was the greatest of the dragons, as of course he must be, since he is the progenitor of all of Tarkir," broke in Baishya. She stood on Tae Jin's other side, shading her eyes with a hand as she studied the hedrons with a slight, mysterious smile.

You literally just heard the story about when Ugin came to Tarkir, Baishya. Get it together.

A thought stabbed in Naiva's head: how annoying that Baishya must show off her knowledge when it was Naiva who had shown interest in the young ghostfire warrior first. Her twin already commanded more of Grandmother's attention. Couldn't she leave Naiva with anything?

Naiva is consistently the worst. I wonder if it’s Bolas’s influence, unknowing?

Amid the graceful paintings were carved the claw of Temur as well as other sigils—spirals and flames, spider webs and icy mountain peaks riven by crevasses—that Naiva had never seen before. Under other circumstances someone like her would never have seen this secret place. But she was twin to a shaman, and Grandmother never did anything for no reason.

Silence filled the air like heat radiating off a fire. The shape took a step out of the darkness of the back of the cave, resolving into an exceedingly pregnant woman holding an axe. A fur hat was tugged down over her hair. It was hard to distinguish her features due to the way the shadows dappled her face.

If this isn’t Nicol Bolas, I’d be surprised. It’s the exact form Chromium used. That’s called foreshadowing.

"Nai?"

"What?" Startled, Naiva turned to see Baishya watching her through narrowed eyes.

"There was just something funny about your eyes but it's gone. Look here what I've found."

Naiva is definitely being manipulated by Bolas.

The landscape is a silvery sheet of water as flat and reflective as a mirror extending to the horizon on all sides. Here and there rocky islands like spires rise from the endless sea, each creating a perfect resting place on which to meditate.

"What is this place?" the dragon says and, hearing his own voice, lashes his tail in surprise. But the lashing tail stirs no wind. The waters do not ripple. Only the reflection moves as the dragon answers itself.

"This must be one of the planes of which Te Ju Ki speaks. I have walked between worlds . . ."

In a wash of invisible, rippling flame, he shifts through a blind, disorienting darkness and, after a moment of stomach-churning unpleasantness, finds himself again floating above the still waters and their mysterious aura of meditative peace.

With a howl of frustration, of rage, of grief, he vanishes in a ripple of invisible fire. After a gut-twisting passage through the blind darkness, he emerges again above the dreaming mirror.

Definitely the Meditation Realm. If you remember back to when Ugin sparked, he landed in a place like this. Going back to it like this seems to guarantee it was the Meditation Realm. Although maybe we’re seeing how Ugin percieves the Blind Eternities?

The dragon falls in confusion, opening its wings at the last moment to settle atop a jagged peak. But this is not its smooth-sloped birth mountain presiding over a magnificent, rich landscape. This is a wild, stormy, rugged world only half born, called Tarkir. Ferocious winds greet the dragon in savage gusts. The mountains sing, spilling arias of fiery lava, and the rivers gush in a rushing chatter of delight. The hearts of the dragon feel touched as by home. This wilderness can be tended, not to create the garden of his desires but to become itself, to fulfill the promise of its nascent soul.

So, he burrows into the soil and digs out the creatures of earth. He swims in the churning rivers and restless seas and heavy mires, and each foamy ripple boils a myriad of creatures into the waters. The beat of his wings cracks thunder and lightning through the sky, and this tempest births dragons. Even fire begets living things, splendid in their heat and beauty.

Or at least, this is a story the humanoids often tell as they weave tales about the most ancient of days, for those who witness the dragon's majesty and power cannot help but wish to be associated with its grandeur.

So... what role did Ugin have in developing Tarkir?

He is not confined to the birth mountain or even to Tarkir, his soul's home.

Getting around the whole ‘Home Plane’ thing here with this. Honestly I was fine with it just being a minor retcon.

He walks the planes, wonders and dangers unfolding as he crosses from plane to plane. Tumultuous Zendikar. Moon-haunted Innistrad. Sun-drenched Lorwyn. Sturdy Alara with its mana in perfect balance. Shandalar's verdant flow of magic. And so many more, some vast and saturated with mana, some attenuated shards leached of life and magic both.

Moon-haunted Innistrad is an interesting phrase, and plays into what I think is up with Innistrad a bit. Also love the mention of pre-sundering Alara.

Banners rippling in the wind, Armies march across the plains of Jamuraa. In their wake spreads the wreckage of a great war: broken bodies, ruined cities, and lands poisoned by battles waged through merciless sorcery and the shattering might of dragons. Here and there, flags marked with the crown of Arcades Sabboth lie crushed in the dirt and mud where cohorts have fallen to a pursuing army. Standards bearing the curved horns advance until the proud survivors of the fleeing army gather and brace for one final engagement.

More Elder Dragon War! I wonder how long ago the war itself launched? This is certainly a vastly different landscape than when it started.

"Did you ever suspect the world is so vast a place, Ugin? I have traveled everywhere, no place too small or too grand that I have not set claw upon it. Half of it I now rule, as I have risen from least to greatest. All of Dominaria will soon kneel before me. No one dares call me "least" now. And you are returned to share this triumph with me."

Oh, Bolas. Completely misreading the room like Ugin once did.

They are linked by a shadowy space, a web of darkness to which everything attaches.

Reminds me of this line, from The Hand That Moves:

Nissa saw a world, then tens of worlds, hundreds of worlds. Thousands. She saw this world, the world of Amonkhet, and wrapped around it was a dark sinewy line. That line stretched back through all the worlds, all the thousands of worlds, and she saw an unbroken line of darkness from Amonkhet all the way back to the beginning of the line.

Probably not a lot to it, other than both are referencing the Blind Eternities.

Since that day. The day you tried to manipulate my thoughts."

"That day happened four or five thousand years ago as humanoids measure time. And you never thought to return until now? Never said to yourself, I must share this momentous revelation of planeswalking with my brother, my twin?"

Timeline information! If the art book is accurate and -20,000 AR is roughly the birth of the Elder Dragons, that places the Elder Dragon War as occurring at (or continuing to occur) between -16,000 AR and -15,000 AR. What’s neat is that around 15,000 AR is when Nicol Bolas fought the Demonic Leviathan, and he was a planeswalker for that duel (or so we were told), so he probably sparks not long after this confrontation with Ugin.

What is also interesting is how this interacts with the Primeval Dragons and the Numena, since the Numena would have captured or killed the Primevals around -17,000 AR, and ruled through -16,000 AR. We’ve always wondered how the Primevals ruled and what the Elder Dragons were up to. Maybe this side drama happened while the Elder Dragons were at war, distracting them from these relatively minor beings.

Grandmother grabbed her chin and forced her to look at her, staring into her eyes as she searchingly examined her face. "Your pupils look normal. Do you hear a whispering in your head?"

Yasova is worried about Bolas’s influence, as she should be.

A gleaming, egg-shaped gem floated between the horns, turning slowly, mesmerizing.

You know, we’ve all be wondering what the purpose of the ‘Gem of Becoming’ is for a long time.

What if it’s just a magical focus. The slow turning as mesmerizing aspect has been mentioned a lot in regards to Bolas’s mind control.

By the way, this whole section? Tremendously terrifying as Bolas approaches in the pregnant woman guise.

"I want Ugin."

"Ugin is dead."

"That's what I thought the first time I killed him, but he wasn't dead after all. This time I've returned to make sure of it. You are the indomitable hunter, soon to be renowned as the mightiest of all dragon killers, who is going to help me destroy him for all eternity.”

So... Bolas does know Ugin is alive. What Bolas does or does not know about Ugin is so freaking confusing. We’ve heard so many different versions of this that I genuinely hate Tarkir’s time travel elements.

#vorthos #mtgm19 #archive trap blog #let's talk about

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tilltheendwilliwrite · 7 years

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Balance on the Head of a Pin*

Chapter Fourteen

Previous Chapter

Pairing: Loki Laufeyson x OFC | Word Count: 5997 Warnings: Smut (just a little), swearing, a little angst

Lauren sighed, happy to be away from the house, resting against Loki’s thigh beneath the sheer canopy of the incredible tent he'd created. It hadn't taken long to finish his cake, put together a decent picnic from Sue Ann’s leftovers, and slip away to the barn before they saw anyone else.

Teddy hadn't even batted an eye when Loki had walked in, collected Dragon and walked back out. It was quite clear who the stallion now answered to. Teddy had fetched her a less spirited gelding, her sweet white mare, Belle - short for Silver Bells - long since passed on from her younger years.

The new mount was one being vetted as a hunter jumper rather than a racehorse, and much to Lauren’s liking. He had fire and heart, and though he wasn't as fast as Dragon when they'd let the horses run, he'd kept up by will alone she was sure of it.

They grazed freely in amongst the trees along the river after a stern warning from Loki to behave themselves. It was beyond belief to watch him interact with them as if he was speaking to another person, not an animal. When she's asked how he did it, he'd shrugged stating as he could assume the shape of a horse, he could also speak their language.

While she’d stood there with her mouth open, he'd turned toward the big oak whose branches stretched out over the water and whose base was relatively smooth and flat. The swelling of magic had rippled over her skin when it had raced through the air to create a pleasant spot for one to rest and while away a few hours.

It looked as if someone had dropped a luxurious tent of canvas and billowing sheer curtains beneath the oak. The outer doorways were tied back, showing a thick mattress covered in pillows and silks, reminiscent of the interior of Tony’s helicopter. A small round table set with goblets and pitchers waited to one side. Lush reds and golds and soft whites covered everything, drawing her in to flop unceremoniously upon the plush flooring.

It had been heavenly.

When Loki had settled at her side, she'd wriggle back, toeing off her boots, to use his thigh as a pillow while watching the leaves dance through the hazy gauze of the tent’s roof. So soothed was she by the sound of wind through trees, the warmth of the day, and the gentle brush of Loki's fingers through her hair, she dozed off with very little encouragement.

Now, with her waking, she glanced up to find a book balanced on his opposite thigh. “What are you readin’, peaches?”

“One of your rather gifted scribes. Shakespeare. His sonnets are remarkably good,” he said, somewhat distracted.

“We studied a few of his plays in high school. Romeo and Juliet. Othello. But never the sonnets.”

Arching a brow, he asked, “How can one judge the true depth of a person's talent if one does not read all there is to be read? It is like making an opinion on an artist after seeing only one painting.”

“You're right, but as most people are well aware of Shakespeare's talent - it is the most popular view of the man - assumptions can be made.”

“But what if your plays were examples of stellar work while the sonnets are shabby? Or the popular belief was made so by only a few loudmouthed men? Should you not form your own opinion?”

Thinking about it, she decided he wasn't wrong in his theory. Just because Shakespeare was revered by so many, didn't mean she shouldn't form her own opinion. “Well, I guess you'd best read me a couple so I can make an informed observation, shouldn't you?” Tilting her head back, she gave him a sly grin.

“Or perhaps you just want me to read to you, darling?” he asked, a smile quirking his lips.

“You do have that fancy way of talkin’ and all. I'm sure you'd sound extra pretty readin' me a few sonnets.”

“Such cheek in you,” he quipped, tweaking the end of her nose.

“Is that a no?” she pouted, tilting her head back further into his lap.

He hummed softly, the sound one she couldn't distinguish, uncertain if he was amused or annoyed, but he turned back to the book on his knee. “Why is my verse so barren of new pride, so far from variation or quick change? Why with the time do I not glance aside to new-found methods, and to compounds strange? Why write I still all one, ever the same, and keep invention in a noted weed, that every word doth almost tell my name, showing their birth, and where they did proceed? O! know sweet love I always write of you, and you and love are still my argument; so all my best is dressing old words new, spending again what is already spent: For as the sun is daily new and old, so is my love still telling what is told.”

Lauren pondered the words while watching the treetops sway. “Interestin’,” she murmured, crossing her hands over her belly.

Loki had insisted on changing her clothes, dressing her in a similar fashion to his own riding gear, though, while he was garbed in greens and blacks, he’d put her in creams and golds. Cream breeks and white boots were not what she would have once considered appropriate riding gear, far too easy to get dirty, but there was something about the clothing which seemed to repel dirt. Add in the fact he’d lifted her to and from the saddle, acting a complete gentleman, she hadn’t needed to worry.

Now, gliding her hands over the belly of her wrapped tunic, she played with the tie. “He sounds so… frustrated I guess, almost angry. Maybe despondent is a better word. Like he’s despairin’ over his inability to create somethin’ fresh.”

“Everything he writes looks and sounds the same to him,” Loki agreed with a nod.

“But it’s not really his work he’s speakin’ of, is it?”

“What do you mean?”

Looking back at him, finding his eyes curious, Lauren shrugged. She glanced down and away, continuing to play with her ties. “It’s just… those last lines. He’s talkin' about love. True love. Love that renews every day, like how the sun comes up each mornin’. So, even though his work reiterates the same themes, it doesn’t really matter cause like love, it’s a force that constantly renews.”

“An interesting theory, my heart,” he murmured, fingers stroking through her hair.

Lauren blushed and tried not to purr beneath the lazy stroking. “It’s just a thought.”

“A valid thought.”

Her cheeks grew a little warmer, happy he hadn’t dismissed her opinion or thought her foolish for voicing it. “It was a little depressin’ though.”

“It’s not for everyone, certainly.” He closed the book, vanishing it from existence. “Perhaps you’d prefer a different poet?”

“Who do you have in mind?” she asked curiously.

He shifted then, scooting down to lay at her side, fingers tracing the curve of her cheek before tucking her hair behind her ear. “Perhaps Byron would be more to your liking?”

“You’re gonna have to elaborate on that one, hun.”

His eyes darkened, a look coming over them like a predator seeking prey. It made Lauren shiver when the wicked smile curled his lips. Before she could ask what he was up to, he propped himself at her side, long fingers gently tracing over her ribs while his head rested in his opposite hand.

“She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; and all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes: thus mellow'd to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, had half impaired the nameless grace which waves in every raven tress, or softly lightens o'er her face; where thoughts serenely sweet express how pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, so soft, so calm, yet eloquent, the smiles that win, the tints that glow, but tell of days in goodness spent, a mind at peace with all below, a heart whose love is innocent!”

Lauren’s breath came in short pants for his trailing fingers had made their way to her face, caressing brow and cheek and lips while his sultry voice had purred out words so powerful, she was left breathless with love and longing.

“Oh my,” she whispered, unable to stop herself from reaching up to touch his lips.

“Such a romantic heart you have, my sweet,” he murmured, letting her draw him down. He kissed her soft and slow, as gently as the breeze playing with the sheer drapes.

When her lips felt swollen, when they tingled from the worrying of his teeth, and she’d moaned quietly, her hands drifting down his back, Loki finally lifted enough to allow her to breathe.

“That was lovely,” she said on a whisper of breath.

“The poem or the kiss?” he asked, nose brushing her cheek when he made to nibble on her ear.

“Both,” Lauren sighed.

His fingers skated her cheek, flushed with the heat of the day and his actions. “You seem to be overheating, or is it my touch which warms you so?”

“Both,” she smiled.

“Then perhaps you need this.” Stroking his hand down her body, he shifted riding gear to swimwear.

Shivering at the way his magic cooled the sweat on her skin, Lauren ran her hands over his bare chest for when her clothes changed so had his. He had the most beautiful body, sleek and fit, hard and defined. Everything about him seemed so refined, nearly elegant, almost regal in appearance. What Thor had in power, Loki revealed in grace.

Her hands smoothed down his ribs, and Lauren wallowed in the feel of all that strength, hers to enjoy, to cherish and appreciate. Soft skin, velvet over iron, stretched and pulled when he shifted, rolling to his back and taking her with him until she straddled his hips. Black swim trunks encased his hips, riding low, a line of red along the hip seam. Touching him was becoming her new favourite pastime, and with no one around to interrupt she set about learning the planes and hollows of his long torso.

A small smirk settled on his mouth when he tucked his hands behind his head. “See something you like, my love?”

“More than one thing,” she murmured, tracing her nails down his midline to the trickle of hair descending from his belly button to beneath his waistband. He was relatively hairless but for that happy little trail she had the insane desire to follow, dip her fingers beneath the fabric, and find the treasure she knew waited. More heat flushed her face, her mind drifting to what it would be like to finally be with Loki.

“Are you thinking naughty thoughts again, darling?”

The smugness in his voice had her brow arching. “Maybe I am.”

“Tell me,” he coaxed, eyes brightening behind his thick lashes.

“Why should I?” she teased. “What’s in it for me?”

He sat up effortlessly, knocking her back, so she landed sharply in his lap. “If you tell me, I can see about making those thoughts… reality,” he purred against her ear.

Linking her arms behind his neck, she chuckled softly. “And what if what I wanted would tempt you to break your vow, peaches?”

“I would refrain, sweet Lauren, but not without seeing you… satisfied.”

He bit at her jaw, a simple scrape of gentle teeth, but it sent a shock straight to her core. “Now you tempt me.”

“Perhaps we should have that swim. Then, once you're sufficiently… wet,” he nipped her ear and made her gasp, “I can take you to Valhalla with only my magic.”

“Just magic?” Heart skipping, she pulled back to see his face and found sultry dark eyes.

“Hm,” he hummed. “If that is your wish.” Fingers skated up her spine. “Unless you beg me otherwise.”

Inhaling sharply, her body reacting with his promise, Lauren whimpered, her eyes dropping to his lips. “Loki,” she sighed, leaning into him, yearning to get closer.

“Now, darling, what kind of beau would I be if I allowed you to become overheated?”

Again that sly, knowing smile curled Loki’s lips when his hands pressed against her hips, shifting her away so his eyes could travel down her body. The smile became a wicked smirk, accompanying the tilt of his head. When his fingers skimmed across her stomach to circle her navel, a sound very much like a purr of pleasure rumbled from his throat. “How delightful.”

His gaze trailed back up, deep blue shading into greens. Lauren had never felt so wanted, so desired in all her life.

“You look marvellous,” he said, shifting her to the side so he could push to his feet and help her to hers.

Lauren glanced down and did a short double take for the bikini, while modest, was still stunning. The green matched that of the cloak she'd seen him wear, while golden loops held the cups together between her breasts, and the bottoms together on each hip. Something akin to seed pearls edged the waistband, along with threads of gold, while a small looped chain hung around her waist and the gem in her navel ring twinkled in the sun.

“I think you may have overdone it, hun, just a touch. We're river swimmin’, not yachtin’ along the French Riviera.” She smiled to offset the words.

“I will always dress you in fineries, my sweet.” His hands stroked slowly up and down her bare sides as he admired his handiwork.

“If you say so.” She gave him a wink and turned on her heel to head for the water, Loki following. When she glanced back, she found his gaze locked on her ass. It made her laugh as she headed for the flat rocks jutting out into the water, took a few running steps, and leapt in a shallow dive out into the center of the river.

When she rose from the water, hair slicked back and laughing, enjoying the coolness, she made to turn to encourage him to join her only to have arms circle her waist from behind.

“What's this? A river nymph for me to capture?”

Would his voice ever stop twisting up her insides when she heard it like that? Low, sultry, with a rumble like a jungle cat. He purred the words against her wet shoulder, lips drifting, brushing lightly up the side of her neck.

“If you caught a nymph, what would she have to do to be set free, my trickster god?” she asked tilting her head to give him all the access he could want.

He kicked out, taking them closer to the shore. Once his feet settled into the rock and sand bottom of the river, he nipped his teeth into her shoulder. “She could never be free. I would keep her at my side, cherish and adore her, give her the world on a platter if she wished it.”

“You would cage her to you?” she asked, head falling back and legs tangling with his when she couldn’t quite touch bottom.

“Not a cage, never a cage,” he whispered against her ear, hand coming up to lay gently against the necklace around her throat. “She would be so loved, her happiness assured, there would be no reason for her to ever desire to leave.”

“I don’t need the world, Loki.”

His hand tightened around her waist. “What do you need, my precious nymph?”

She tilted her back and was stunned by the look of him, hair slick and water droplets trickling down his face. Eyes of blue and green were so piercing, so intense, she wondered if he could see right to her soul. “Nothing but what you’ve given me.”

He shifted her then to press her back over his arm. “Then what do you want, elskan min? What is your most heartfelt desire?”

Finding herself drifting on the water, laid back and floating, Lauren held onto his arms. She had red fill her cheeks with what she was about to admit. “You… you already gave it to me.”

“I did?” he asked, brows drawing together. “When?”

“When you tricked me into bringin’ you home with me.”

His face softened from confusion into wonder, eyes shining with adoration. “Such a romantic heart. You honour me, darling.” He bent to her, hand drifting up to cradle her head. His lips left trails of warmth on her river cooled skin.

“I couldn’t have done this without you,” she whispered, tears again burning the back of her eyes. Closing them, she fought back the pain, the betrayal, and the depression wanting to eat at her soul. The emotions she’d been working to ignore since her mother’s departure from the kitchen.

“They don’t deserve you.” The words whispered over her jaw with his soft lips.

Her hand found the back of his neck, clung there, desire and anguish warring inside her. “It hurts… and… I don’t know why.” It was like a knife had been shoved between her ribs, making it hard to breathe. “And the worst part is knowin’ if I’d come back alone, I’d a given in. I’d be makin’ plans to marry that… that… ass, cowed under by mama and Marabeth, sufferin’ beneath the smug smile of Cissy, slowly dyin’ because I wouldn't be me anymore.”

“No, no you wouldn’t,” he soothed. “You’re stronger than that.”

She kicked upright, wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her face there, holding on as tightly as she could, finding Loki to be the only stable point in her suddenly off-kilter world. “No, I’m really not. The only reason I’ve been able to do and say what I have is 'cause you’re here. You give me strength. You, Loki, give me courage. Only you.”

His grip on her tightened, bringing her flush against him. “You are far braver than you think, my heart. Far braver.”

Slow tears trickled down her cheeks. “I don’t feel brave.”

“How do you feel?” he asked quietly.

“Angry, hurt… stupid,” she sighed. “Really, really stupid.”

“No one calls my Ástvinur stupid. Especially not her. You are not stupid, Lauren,” he scolded softly.

“I feel pretty damn stupid, Loki. My fiancé not only had a mistress but was sleepin' with my mother!” Pushing against him, she broke free and dove into the water, swimming back out into the river.

When she surfaced again, he was right there, hand closing around her wrist to drag her back up against him. “You are not the first to be deceived by someone they loved! It is easy when feelings are involved to be blind. I should know! I was blind for hundreds of years, had no idea I wasn’t of Odin’s blood until-” He cut himself off with a shake of head. “When people wish to hide something of this magnitude, they will do so. You cannot blame yourself for not seeing it sooner. I won’t let you blame yourself!”

“But my mother!” she cried, heart clenching hard in her chest.

“Your mother is a horrible person,” he bellowed, shaking her gently, “but you are not your mother!”

She froze when the realization washed over her that he was right. It was her biggest fear, a foolish one perhaps, one she’d thought buried four years ago when she’d broken free, but still a genuine fear that one day Lauren would wake and no longer like who she was. That the years of belittling would finally take their toll and she'd become a shrill, harpy of a woman.

He’d found the heart of the matter with an accuracy she was astounded at. All her life, when she wasn’t being compared to Marabeth, wasn’t being told to do better, be smarter, be more like her sister, she’d been told how much she was like her mother. Everything from hair to dress, to face and form, she’d been likened to her mother.

“I’m not my mama,” she whispered, the relief nearly palpable.

“No, darling,” he stroked her wet hair back from her face, “you are nothing like your mother, you are nothing like your sisters, but you are very much like your Gran. That is the woman you emulate at every turn.”

“I didn’t even realize…”

“I know,” he said, legs tangling gently with hers to keep them afloat and not let them drift too much with the current. “It is not you who is trying to be like her, Lauren. It is your mother, afraid of ageing, afraid of losing her youth who now chases it by acting and dressing like you. I can’t speak to her motivations, but whatever she was hoping to accomplish by taking what should have been yours has failed. Whatever validation she sought is no longer available to her. Forcing you to marry that… miscreant was her doing what she could to live through your life.” His hands were gentle when they cupped her face, tilting it up so she could see her eyes. “Whatever made her do these things, whatever motivations were there on Montgomery’s behalf, I have to say I am grateful for them. Not for the pain it has caused you, but for how it has brought you to me.”

“Loki,” she sighed, the pain in her heart lessening. “Thank you, peaches.” Returning her arms to his neck, she kissed him slowly and thoroughly, her heart much less heavy, buoyed up by the love he freely offered. When she pulled back moments later, there was a very familiar grin quirking his lips. “What?”

“Montgomery didn’t exactly get off free and clear with his deceptions.” Green sparked and twinkled in his eyes.

“What did you do?” she asked, anticipation firing in her blood. She was finding her god had a most wicked sense of justice. Not cruel, not usually, but the punishment fit the crime more often than not.

“Your ex, my darling, will be unfit for the pleasures of the bedroom for a very, very long time.”

“What?” she gasped, not quite understanding.

Loki chuckled darkly and kicked in the water, taking her along with him back toward their tent as they’d drifted a little way down the river. “I cursed him to be a disappointment to his bed partner; in all aspects.”

“So he can’t… he can’t…” She didn’t know whether to blush, laugh, or cringe.

“As Barton would so eloquently put it, he can no longer get it up.” Blue eyes danced and twinkled with a mischievous light. “Nor can he perform any physical aspect of pleasure for his partner. I’m afraid he will be quite celibate for the foreseeable future.” Loki’s fingertips followed the curve of her spine. “His touch will feel like lead, his kisses sloppy and dull, and he is doomed to be absolutely atrocious with his tongue.”

“He wasn't any good with it to begin with,” Lauren grumbled only to slap a hand to her mouth. “Oh dear. Outside voice.”

Loki tugged her hand away and burst out laughing. “You must let your inner voice out more often! She is feisty and I like her.”

Giggling even as she blushed, Lauren pushed away from his chest and swiped a handful of water his direction. “Such a cad!”

He gasped, wiping away the water drops which trickled down his face. “Did you just splash me?”

Swimming backward away from him, Lauren bit her lip to keep from laughing. “And what if I did?”

“You will feel my wrath, nymph!” Smacking his hand into the water, he sent a much bigger wave her way.

Lauren shriek and darted to the side, returning fire for fire, laughing and splashing like children until an unusually cold wave of water crashed over her and stole her breath.

“That's cheatin'!” she hollered, shivering after the icy dousing. Even the water beneath the surface had gone arctic cold for a moment.

“You never said I couldn't use magic,” he teased swimming toward her.

“It was cold!” she grumbled as he got closer.

“Tsk, poor baby. Come, let me warm you.” He held out his arms, devilish smile present.

“No,” she pouted, turning up her nose.

His face fell, concern etching its way across his features. “You are not truly upset with me, are you, my sweet?”

“Humph.” Turning her face she floated away, drifting with the current.

He was instantly in front of her, face contrite. “Lauren, please. It was simply meant in jest-” His words ended abruptly when she pounced on him and shoved him under the water.

She swam quickly out of reach, laughing, expecting retaliation of some sort when he came cursing and sputtering to the surface.

“Now who is cheating?!” he snarled, shoving his hair from his face.

“No one never said I couldn't dunk you,” she mimicked, grin far too smug for her own good.

“Tricky woman. Very, very tricky. But now I'll simply have to get even.” Green suddenly gleamed in his eyes.

The water around her lit up with tendrils of magic, wrapping around her ankles and curling around her waist.

“Loki, no!” she shouted, but the dunking she’d expected never came.

A gasp became a moan when more magic brushed the inside of her thighs, skated the bare skin of her belly, caressed the curves of her breasts.

He swam up behind her, cupped her chin, drawing her head back on his shoulder. Intertwining their fingers together, he crooned, “Loki, yes,” against her ear. “Are you sufficiently… wet, my heart?”

She whimpered, nodding. His magic felt like flicks of decadent tongues over her skin, warming her body, swiftly replacing the chill which had been there. Now the gooseflesh coating her skin had nothing to do with being cold.

“What was that?” he chuckled. “Was that yes, Loki?”

“Why don’t,” she moaned when something firm skated over her clothed core, “you check and see.”

He tsked at her, continuing to snicker softly, his need to make mischief evident in the sound. “I can’t do that, darling. I did promise you’d see Valhalla by magic alone, now, didn’t I? Unless you wish to beg for something more, my heart.”

Lauren arched back and groaned, floating on the surface of the water. Though his fingers were firmly caught with hers, it felt as if he’d grown extra sets of hands, hands which now stroked and caressed, touched and teased, cupped and squeezed when and where he wished. “Oh!” she gasped, kicking out in surprise when it seemed the hands sank straight through her swimsuit to touch bare skin. The tongue suddenly lapping between her thighs was a shock which set her crying out, knuckles turning white from how hard she gripped Loki’s fingers.

“Easy, my heart,” he whispered against her cheek, “Let me love you.”

She could feel the tightening of her nipples against her suit before the sensation was replaced by the heat of a warm mouth, plucking and playing, gentle and slow, worshiping all her pleasure points. Another mouth fell on the side of her throat, fingers stroked along her spine, others drew circles on her hips. Lips and teeth nipped and sucked at the golden serpents circling her navel, and all the while the tongue between her thighs lapped in languid strokes which stole her breath, and caused her to writhe and moan.

A groan from Loki had her opening her eyes to find the green of his hot with desire, the magic swirling around them like mist. He watched her shake, arch and whimper, his attention wholly focused on her. He released one of her hands and moved slowly until she was bent back over his arm, his mouth replacing the phantom one on her throat. The sharp scrape of teeth was enough to send a small wave of pleasure crashing through her body.

Water sprayed when she swung her arm up to hold onto his shoulder, head tilted back, cry loud and wanton, shattering the serenity of the river. Lips crashed against hers, his kiss desperate, filled with need and lust, as affected by the moment as she was. Needing to feel him, Lauren fought her feet down, plastered her body to his and moaned into his mouth when she came into contact with his hard length against her stomach. Rubbing on him like a cat, she had zero qualms about wrapping her legs around his waist, an action made easier with the water lifting them up.

He hissed when the heat of her core came in contact with his clothed erection. “Lauren!” he gasped, jerking his mouth away.

She rolled her hips, uncaring, desperate herself to feel him, to watch him come undone. “Don’t care, peaches. Please, touch me,” she panted, rolling against him, causing his mouth to drop open and hands to streak to her ass. She wrapped hers behind his neck, leaned back and found a rhythm which pleased them both.

The rocking staying the speed of a smooth canter, she cried out when his teeth closed over the pulse point in her throat for a moment before he lost the ability to concentrate. Hot breath washed over her skin, her heart raced in time with his pounding against her chest. Her core throbbed with how good she felt, the ecstasy just out of reach but growing closer with every thrust and roll of his hard length over her clit.

“Fuck!” Loki snarled, dragging her tighter against him until there was no retreat, only the hardness of him pressed to the softness of her, hips grinding together, smooth skin gliding over sleek skin.

When the fist of need wrapped around her center finally clamped down, Lauren threw her head back and moaned out his name. Every nerve in her body light up. Pleasure pulsed and crashed through her until she was breathless, mouth open in a silent scream, walls clenching on nothing, leaving her wrung out but still hungry for more.

Moments later, the half moan half growl fell from Loki’s lips, the sound vibrating against her neck when he jerked a few final times against her and went still.

Lauren sighed happily, the water again feeling nice on her superheated skin. She hummed, content to just stay where she was, his face tucked against her throat and arms around her back. “That was some retaliation, hun.”

“Hm, you are a minx,” he murmured, kissing her all along her throat and jaw.

“I think that’s how you like me,” she said with a chuckle.

“You would be correct, darling,” he quipped, pulling back to look at her with all the love she could handle. “My mischievous Valkyrie, not even I am immune to your charms.”

“I should hope not, sir! However, would I keep up with you if you were?”

He laughed and kept her pressed right where she was as he moved them toward the shore, eventually walking out with her still wrapped around him, taking the two of them back toward the pretty tent. “I think you should stretch yourself out in the sun like you usually do and leave the mischief-making up to me. It is my job after all.”

“Oh is it now?” she quipped, looking down at him as he packed the two of them dripping, back through the opening. “As you keep insistin’ you are a reformed mischief maker, perhaps you need a new job?”

Loki dropped to his knees and tumbled her to her back, setting her giggling. “Perhaps I should make you my new career?”

“Me?” she blinked up at him, his hair dripping on her chest as he crawled his way back up her body.

He dipped his head, licking at the water trickling down her sternum. “Hm, indeed. Follow you around. Call you my lady. Be at your beck and call for whatever needs you may have.”

“Oh my stars,” she whispered, chills racing her spine with the thought of it.

“Would you like that, naughty girl? Having me available to you at any moment for whatever pleasures you’d desire?”

The heat in his gaze seemed to sear through her, raise her temperature and dry her from the inside out. She wondered if steam was rising from her wet suit. Again she felt almost compelled to speak the truth and whispered only, “Yes.”

“My lady,” he crooned, lowering so his lips brushed over hers. “How very, very wicked of you. I’m afraid you would never work again for I would do all in my power to gain your attention so I could have you to myself. Pressed to a wall or,” his lips drifted back to purr near her ear, “bent over your desk.”

A quake of need gripped her center. “Loki,” she moaned, reaching for him.

Nipping her earlobe, he continued to speak to her in the rumbling, rolling tone which twisted up her insides. “That would be five, elskan min. My heart. My love. My beautiful darling.”

“You’re gonna kill us both before we ever get there!” she groaned, when he finally pulled away.

“What is that saying of yours? Patience is a virtue,” he chuckled.

“Not right now it ain’t!” she whined, pouting when he drew away.

His fingers tickled her ribs and made her squeal. “Roll over.”

She did so even as she eyed him suspiciously. Lauren sighed when the sun’s rays fell upon her back. It swiftly became a moan of appreciation when warm, lotion slicked hands smoothed over her skin. “For someone who hardly ever joined us by the pool, you’ve got a pretty good handle on the laze by the water thing.”

The wet ends of his hair on her shoulder when he bent closer made her shiver. “Who says I wasn’t there?”

Eyes snapping open, Lauren glanced at his smug face. “You skulkin’ again?”

“I do not skulk!” he growled, hand landing firmly enough on her bottom to make her jump.

“Hey!” she yelped.

“Serves you right.”

Hearing the pout in his voice, Lauren smirked into her arms and said no more. Instead, she enjoyed the way his fingers not only smoothed on the lotion but also smoothed out the knots of tension she’d been ignoring.

“Feels nice,” she murmured, relaxing under his hands until she felt like putty.

“Good. Enjoy the heat. One would think you and Wanda were part feline with how you migrate from window to window, or lounge chair to lounge chair.”

She giggled softly for he wasn’t wrong. “Guess now when I’m lookin' for a warm spot, I should just snuggle up against you?”

A tender kiss was placed low on her back. “Whenever you wish.”

“Or I could always snuggle with Bucky. Super soldiers radiate heat,” she teased earning an unhappy growl.

“You do and I will make sure you regret it,” he warned, fingers kneading into her legs.

“After this last retaliation, that ain’t much of a deterrent.”

His touch slowed to a stop before creeping back up her thighs. At the leg of her briefs, his fingers slipped beneath to ever so lightly caress her buttock, making her shiver in anticipation. “Yes, but I was feeling benevolent today. Push me, darling, and I will see you hang on the precipice for hours.”

The retort dried up on her tongue.

He went back to his massaging.

She didn’t have to look to know there was likely a smirk on his face. Lauren licked her lips, swallowed, and schooled her voice. “Hours, hm? How… delightful.”

His hands paused a second time, but Lauren only sighed, sinking into the softness beneath her while smiling to herself when his hands flexed, then began anew, and he said no more.

Next Chapter

#balance #loki #Loki Laufeyson #loki fanfiction #Avengers #avengers au #avengers fanfiction #fanfiction #southern belle #testy

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texasborderbusiness · 7 years

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Mayor David Suarez

Mayor David Suarez and Ramona, his wife

Weslaco mayor David Suarez, with Weslaco police officers

“Las Luces del Tinaco Están Prendidas”

As We Look Up to The Lights, All of Weslaco Is Looking Up.

As originally published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition March 2017.

February 28, 2017 – Mayor David Suarez stepped to the podium and said, “Good afternoon. Thank you, Gene, for that gracious introduction.” The following is Weslaco’s 2nd Annual State of the City:

Thank you all for joining us today in our second annual State of the City. Together we now make it a tradition. And because it is only in doing anything together that we can do so much, please allow me to recognize those with whom I share the days, also here today:

Gerardo “Jerry” Tafolla, Mayor Pro-Tem, District 4;

Leo Muñoz, Commissioner, District 1;

Greg Kerr, Commissioner, District 2;

Olga M. Noriega, Commissioner, District 3;

Letty Lopez, Commissioner, District 5;

Josh Pedraza, Commissioner, District 6;

Mike R. Perez, City Manager;

Other distinguished guests join us today; please stand and be recognized:

Precinct 1 County Commissioner David Fuentes;

State Representative Armando Martinez;

State Representative Oscar Longoria;

State Senator Eddie Lucio;

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez;

and Congressman Filemon Vela.

And of course, all those who put us to work — our School District Trustees, our Economic Development Corporation and Chamber boards, our service clubs, particularly our Lions and Rotarians — are also present today. To all of you I give all the credit and your own applause.

To all of you I give all the credit, but all the glory I give to God and His gift to me, my beautiful wife. Please help me in giving due credit to my life partner, Ramona, who created with me both a family and a family business. Our boys, Xavier, Johnathan, and Gabriel, are here, too.

As I am sure many of you today can relate, the challenge for any parent is to teach their child harsh truths; the greater challenge is to do so without a harsh voice. Some of these truths we teach by example.

I’d like to think maybe I’m teaching my sons about the truths of character and integrity, by example from a boy from a Labor Camp who became Mayor of a City. But they keep me too humble for that. And so instead we keep it fun. And I find teachable moments, in all places, at HEB where I can point to a piece of fruit and lecture my sons on being proud of who they are: after all, even a pineapple stands tall and wears a crown. Apparently, another life truth is that even when your sons are grown, you can still embarrass them with corny jokes.

It is true that character and confidence stand tall. In Weslaco, our pride stands 100 feet tall, on six concrete pillars, and wears a crown of gemstone lights. Our El Tinaco, our original water tower, was completed in 1941 and last year received a modern upgrade with LED lights and even more recently, and more modern, its own trending topic on Twitter: Hashtag #ElTinaco.

Constructed as a concrete cylinder by the Works Progress Administration — I’ve been told, one of just two of its kind in Texas — it was immediately proclaimed a marvel of modern construction and in 1982 designated with a marker by the Texas Historical Commission as a testament to a “progressive city.”

But supposedly it was a National Geographic Magazine article in the mid-1970s that certified it as an icon. Because by then, it had already brought all new meaning to the term “Friday Night Lights.” In 1971, lights were installed on El Tinaco, and almost as soon as the first football game that followed, the tradition was born to light it up with every gridiron victory.

Local sports commentators memorialized the phrases: “Las luces del tinaco están prendidas,” literally translates as, “The lights at the Weslaco tower are on;” commonly means, “Panthers won.”

“Weslaco está oscuro, están con veladoras.” Translates: “Weslaco is in darkness and is with candles.” Simply means, “Panthers lost.” And so goes the story how an elevated cement tank built at the center of town became a beacon from the heart of the community.

There was a sad chapter in this story recently, when it started to leak and after sustaining this tradition four full decades, the lights went out on our El Tinaco. This was no reflection of our performance on the football field; it was more a reflection of contractual issues or regulatory concerns or just bureaucratic excuses.

Those dark days are behind us. Look to them now, “Las luces del tinaco están prendidas”. Back and better than ever, more than just the flip of a switch, but a colorful display of community: purple for Panther pride; white for East side, strong side; red and blue for National Night Out; even a twinkling red and green throughout the holidays.

We have taken something old and made it new again, giving an old tower new lights, giving an old tradition new future. But all over Weslaco, beyond El Tinaco, “Las luces están prendidas”.

In some places, it’s taking the familiar and making it new again. Our parks have new signage, new workout stations, new shade systems, newly paved trails and newly resurfaced courts. Our dogs even have a new space just for them within Harlon Block Sports Complex with Weslaco’s first Dog Park.

Our roads have 5.25 miles of new asphalt — some of it three lanes wide, like that beautiful new section of South Border Avenue, completed in partnership with our Precinct One – and our roads now have two more miles of newly accessible sidewalks. Our cyclists too have space just for them as we brought to Weslaco the new concept of a “complete street,” with 2.25 miles of the first bike lanes striped.

This doesn’t include the paving we did at the Airport, lengthening our runway another 1,000 feet, since they frown on it when you try to drive over it on a car. But that new asphalt is getting traction, too: The Governor landed on it in the official plane when making a border visit at Christmas. And if that wasn’t already the gold star seal of approval for general aviation and corporate business flights, the Texas Department of Transportation awarded our T65 Airport the Airport of the Year.

We replaced all of 9,245 feet of water line and 7,560 feet of sewer line with new pipe. That’s over three miles of new underground infrastructure, which means better pressure for our homes and businesses but also whole tracts ready now for new development.

Some infrastructure projects we took to new depths: we widened our drain ditches and deepened three detention ponds, adding new storm capacity to existing areas and adding relief to our neighborhoods.

Some projects we took to new heights: we demolished ten structures around town, among them the old Valley Nature Center building, making way for new construction… including, finally, the new state-of-the art Valley Nature Center environmental and educational facility. The new Boys and Girls Club building also opened, adding 12,800 sq. ft. of new indoor recreational space for the children of our community.

In some of our activities this year, it was making the familiar new again; to do that well, we brought new tools to old jobs. We bought a long-reach excavator to claw the debris from deeper ditches. We bought a new ambulance and new custom pumper fire truck to arrive at any emergency faster and better ready. We launched new technologies, like new livestreaming of Commission meetings from our new website, making your government more accessible and more accountable to you at your convenience. A new online permitting system is up next.

We also brought new training, to bring new perspective to familiar jobs. Every City employee received customer service training, which then through a grant from the Texas Governor’s Office and by the coordination of our Chamber, we extended to every employee working anywhere in the City, for any business. Some of you may have participated; all of you benefited. One business told me at their ribbon cutting earlier this month that when they decided to expand into the Valley market, they chose Weslaco because of the hospitality they received at our City Hall and all other businesses they encountered here. That’s our training at work to bring new investment here.

Our new training is also working to bring a new level of safety here, too. Ours is one of only two police departments in the United States to train every police officer in the DDACTS philosophy, which is the modern policing strategy in the crime reduction model. Again, we all benefit: we ended the year with an 11% decrease in violent crime and 8% decrease in property crime, serving 52 felony warrants on violent offenders.

We brought new services to you this year, too. We held our first Clean Sweep in October, galvanizing our heavy equipment fleet with hundreds of volunteers; they hit hard one neighborhood one Saturday morning, picking up 49 tons of garbage and 350 tires. We plan another one of these events in a neighborhood near you in April.

We added two new reasons to love our library. We added a 3D printer and 25 ft. movie screen at the Library, to bring modern conveniences to our loyal patrons… Weslaco checks out more books already per capita than all other libraries in the Valley second to McAllen and is above the 90th percentile of visits per capita within the whole state of Texas. Now let me give you your own reason to get to our Library: those clever Tinaco centerpieces were made by that 3D printer I just mentioned; and as Gene indicated, only the person sitting in the chair with my business card gets to take it home today… but go to the Library and they will sell you your very own for just $25. Now back to our program…

We held our first Youth Preparedness Camp in June, bringing kids together from across the Valley to learn about how to assist in disasters, how to be leaders in service to their community. The second annual camp is scheduled this Summer. But not to let them wait until then, we have already put these kids into volunteerism alongside our paramedics and firefighters to conduct Home Fire Preparedness Campaigns, installing smoke detectors in 400 Weslaco homes, and the Vial of Life Campaigns, documenting the unique medical considerations of every resident of Alta Vista Tower. These young men and women have done such a tremendous job, the state recruited two of them to the Texas Youth Preparedness Council.

We introduced the “Copsicle” Patrol Van, a first in the Rio Grande Valley, which travels to parks and events with a freezer full of — you guessed it — popsicles, creating a positive way for police officers to interact with the children of the community. Kids are as happy to see that van as grown-ups are to see the graffiti van, another new addition to the police fleet. Its Community Custodian cleaned up over 400 graffiti locations this year.

Certainly, some of these new initiatives and services require investment. But it is also true that success breeds success. The more we do well, it seems the more we are capable of doing.

Those successful policing strategies, for example, have decreased crime and increased citizen participation. But they have also resulted in the ability to capture $1 million this year in federal grants and cash seizures. That is new money we can put into expanding our community policing program.

Federal agencies are taking note of our public safety programs; bonding agencies are taking note of our sound financial protocols. We present quarterly investment and financial reports and this year obtained a good, unmodified (clean) audit opinion. In May, Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings Services upgraded the City from A+ to AA- bond rating, the highest in the City’s history. The City promptly refinanced its 2007 Certificates of Obligation, saving $3.5 million dollars over the lifetime of that debt.

But, when I say success breeds success, our City success is our community success… because money follows money! Last year we added $80 million in valuation to the local tax roll. That’s almost as much as the last two years combined: $30 million in new commercial construction; $17 million in multi-family construction; $18 million in new homes. Because investors take risks, but they don’t like them: they see in Weslaco, stable government and reliable services. So they put their money to grow in the City on the grow. And are we growing now!

Last year was the first that we assembled a 5-yr budget, forecasting our needs and laying out a plan to responsibly meet them. And we intend to grow because we expect others intend to be a part of the success we are making for ourselves here.

We just closed on a 48-acre tract on Mile 11, where we intend to construct a new fire station to service our development to the north. We intend to build out that acreage with a new park for the convenience of those who live north of the expressway. But we also intend, with our partners at Knapp Community Care Foundation, to build out Isaac Rodriguez Park with a new splash pad and disk golf course, to give all those from north of the expressway and around the whole community a new destination for healthy recreation in Weslaco.

We just tore down the old City Shop on Business 83 to make way for the new Public Safety complex we intend to build there, moving our police, fire, and municipal court administration into a modern facility that can meet the needs of a growing community. We will pave more streets, scour more ditches, replace more water lines, we will patch the leaks at our El Tinaco.

We will open the Mid-Valley Regional Communications Center, to unite all the Mid-Valley Police, Fire, and EMS agencies under one roof, to improve response effectiveness for ourselves and our neighbors.

We will renovate the airport and get ready to expand it again. We will re-roof the library and get ready to expand its learning labs.

We will partner with UT-RGV to create another learning laboratory, the first of its kind in the Rio Grande Valley: a business incubator space that will bring together academics and entrepreneurs to cultivate creativity in patents and processes that accelerate the modern economy.

Another institute of higher education is expanding here, too: Texas A&M University – Kingsville announced this year their plans to expand their Weslaco campus to make locally available engineering programs through a bachelor’s degree.

More rooftops are coming to Weslaco, more storefronts. More opportunity. It’s as though they are drawn to the light of our El Tinaco, our beacon of success. We turned on the lights for football, we keep them on for community. “Las luces del tinaco están prendidas”. As we look up to the lights, all of Weslaco is looking up.

I am proud to report that our State of the City in 2017 is more accessible and more accountable. We are stable and solvent. We are ready for every opportunity that finds the light.

Thank you again for joining me here today. Thank you to every citizen of Weslaco who challenges us to be the best city we can be; thank you to every employee of Weslaco who labors tirelessly to achieve it.

May God bless you and them. May God bless Weslaco.

Thank you.

Weslaco 2nd Annual State of the City “Las Luces del Tinaco Están Prendidas” As We Look Up to The Lights, All of Weslaco Is Looking Up.

#Weslaco

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