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noneatnonedotcom · 3 years

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concept: TOTAL WAR RWBY

in a universe where the great war destroyed every kingdom and caused a collapse of civilization you play as one of the five remaining peoples of remnant as you seek to (re) forge a kingdom that can stand the test of the grimm tide

KINGDOMS

Vale: led by Ruby Rose

ruby's kingdom of vale focuses on light cavalry and ranged. her own special abilites as a general are

SILVER EYED WARRIOR: grimm are weakened greatly within her aura and can even be outright destroyed if the differance in power between her and them is great enough

OPTIMISTIC HEROISM: lower unhappiness in area's controlled by ruby means that there's less Grimm to fight overall meaning lower garisons and more money spent on the main armies

unique units

Wood Runners: long bowmen with added range and melee combat stats equal to melee infantry. light armor means that you should keep them in cover though as well as being a juicy target for cavalry. added range over most normal archers and better armor piecing with their arrows makes them a powerful, unit that can last in melee as well specializing in Anti heavy infantry

Dire corgis: large war dogs with aura unlocked. look like giant corgis because they are giant corgis. great for running off ranged units and light cav. weak to spears, though their aura lets them hang around in combat longer than most would think. they do rely on the charge bonus though and can't be controlled once they're let off the leash. can be called back to their handlers though to be repositioned

FOCUS OF CAMPAIGN: ruby's main focus is to retake the cities and villages of vale that were lost to the grimm tide. your main strategy should be to build up on patch while the rest of vale falls to the grimm before striking out. your main advantage is against the grimm not people after all. and your added happyness means that you can spend more on your armies to put in your frontlines rather than worrying about protecting your rear (ruby's got a great rear guys) your main rival will be

UNITED TRIBES OF VALE: led by Yang Xiao-Long

yang's all about shock infantry and charge bonuses. using them to break the morale of enemy armies her special abilities are

HOT STUFF: human morale lowers around her and buildings catch fire in her aura when she's in combat. she's too hot to handle

PROBABLY WASN'T IMPORTANT ANYWAYS: still recruits units and receives money from buildings that are burned down. though at a slightly reduced rate

UNIQUE UNITS

Bandits: replaces mob, cheap units that gain charge bonus when next to another bandit unit. burn down buildings when nearby. no formations though and can't brace for charges so avoid cav. low morale, they're bandits they're not sticking around when shit goes south

berzerkers: shock infantry, cause dread in enemies lowering morale. chance of going berserk which makes them unbreakable but uncontrollable may even attack allies if they're the closest unit. REALLY FUCKING STRONG ON THE ATTACK! weak to ranged

yang's campaign is all about uniting vale as a tributary state to the tribe. you can recruit units from burned down buildings and still get money so spread like a wildfire and try to show your baby sis that it's safer under your protection. be aware that grimm are gonna be a huge problem for you so keep some bandits as a garrison in every village to deal with grimm.

"some of you may die... but I don't really give a shit about you" - Yang to the bandits probably

vale is a mix of American and French culture. so yeah kinda like Louisiana plantations but with more anime

Vaccuo: led by Jaune Arc

jaune specializes in pike infantry with heavy armor and heavy knights on horseback. he's set up to be a slugger with his special abilities

AURA AMP: allied units in jaune's aura slowly recover health and have increased stats (including armor)

SCION OF HEROES: the effects of chivalry are doubled and you gain it faster.

UNIQUE UNITS

shining knights: heavy knights with aura and mounts also in aura and armor. fuck you, fuck the guy behind you, and fuck the guy behind him I'm coming through. very expensive high morale and capabilities

rainbow guard: heavy pike infantry that proudly protect the standard of the arc family. give extra morale to those around them. fuck you they're not breaking. if there's even one guy left they're still fighting.

jaune's campaign is centered around taking control of the deserts and jungles of vaccuo from your origins in the mountains and hill country of the arc territories.

vaccuo's culture is like Scotland mixed with the middle east. fiercely independent people with a very strong sense of honor. also fuck you they'd rather die then be seen as a coward so you'd better just fucking kill them all. AND FUCK TAXES! so jaune has his work cut out for him, but he's in it for the long haul

MINSTRAL: LED BY PYRRHA NIKOS

pyrrha's all about personal combat and single entity units

INVINCIBLE GIRL: pyrrha herself is fucking busted and everyone wants to be like her. single entity units like huntsmen or companions are stronger and get more XP from battles

AN OFFER THEY CAN'T REFUSE: if pyrrha has more military power than someone they have improved relations with her. peacefully annexing people is possible this way. though this can cause a problem if you expand too fast

UNIQUE UNITS

pyrrha's guard: heavy spear infantry made in the image of spartans. slow but they decimate cav outlast ranged and out fight most over infantry. but they are fucking slow and hate being flanked where their phalanx will not work.

nora and ren: two unit entity, stealth shock is the name of the game ren sneaks them in close to anything even grimm. nora deals a fuck ton of damage all at once that can't be blocked by armor and shatters units. you only get one though sorry the world isn't ready for two noras

while sino/Greco/Roman culture makes martial ability the most important, however, only champions and highly expensive units can be trained. your low-level fighters (I.e most of your army) will have to be mercenaries. still with enough champions, you can take on most things so that's good

SCHNEE DUST COMPANY led by Weiss Schnee

atlas is all about dust weapons. a necessity because of but funded by Weiss's special abilities

COMPANY MEN: units require less upkeep cost

WEISSY: she's kinda a bitch, -50 to all diplomatic relations -75 to faunas factions

UNIQUE UNITS

WEISS GUARD: dust rifle units, slow to reload but longer range than normal dust muskets. dust round in general deal moral damage greater than almost any other units in the game (only yang's berzerkers and blake's beast-men scare people more)

BIG GUNS: 24LBS rifled field guns. or cannons rather for those who don't know the difference. fire straight and have an effective range of 1500 feet. highly accurate and with enough kick to drop even the largest of grimm

atlas and the SDC by extension are based on German and Russian culture (mainly german now that the nobles are gone) and have their main campaign focused on dealing with internal divisions and grimm. their cheaper units lends themselves to using dust arms rather than melee but bare in mind they suck in melee as a result. still, weiss is of the opinion that if you can kill your enemies from the comfort of your home and simply bombard them into submission or dust, why wouldn't you?

Menagerie led by Blake belladonna

menagerie must toe the line between animal and man, utilizing special abilities like

SAVAGE REPUTATION: the effects of dread are doubled and you gain dread faster

CUNNING HUNTERS: blake has bonuses to stats and the stats of her army while ambushing or attacking at night. doing both will make the bonuses stack

UNIQUE UNITS:

white fang infantry: can deploy anywhere light armor but use spears so cav has a hard time with them

NINJA: can deploy anywhere, inspire dread, use grenades flung from slings. capable of vanishing or using smoke bombs to lower enemy stats in melee for a short time

menagerie is a mix between Australian and Polynesian cultures but they are relatively new on the world stage. having been granted the island of menagerie in the brief time before the collapse of vale after the great war. the fuanas population outside of menagerie is very low as a result of the collapse and you have to ask yourself "what will you do to ensure the survival of your people?"

menagerie is a mix between Australian and Polynesian cultures but they are relatively new on the world stage. having been granted the island of menagerie in the brief time before the collapse of vale after the great war. the funas population outside of menagerie is very low as a result of the collapse and you have to ask yourself "what will you do to ensure the survival of your people?"

concepts.

chivalry: is a meter in the game, doing honorable actions increases chivalry. making formal declarations of war and waiting a turn to attack, not doing night battles, honoring alliances and calls to arms. generally making combat harder for yourself will be seen as chivalrous. the higher your chivalry the bigger bonus you will have to morale in battles and to diplomatic interactions.

dread: dread is the opposite of chivalry and is gained by doing unchivalrous actions. it will cause the enemy to start with lower moral and cause everyone (including yourself) to lose moral more quickly. this can be really helpful against strong enemies that have better weapons than you. it will also cause diplomatic relations to be harder. using dust muskets or cannons will cause dread but only in small amounts the more you use them the more dread you'll cause

post-campaign content

finishing your kingdom will open up international diplomacy and will allow you to start a campaign in another kingdom. each with different results based on the person you're playing

jaune can marry the ruler of another kingdom giving him their special abilities (jaune can only get dust muskets and cannons after he marries Weiss btw)

Pyrrha may offer protection to the others and gains their general unit for her own army

yang may extort tribute from them and treat them as the tributaries she had before gaining access to their unique units. ruby may offer bonds of friendship and do the same

blake may create embassies and get faunas versions of each unit (they can fight at night) as well as improve her chivalric reputation with each campaign (basically lets you gain the bonuses of dread without the negatives)

and Weiss may open up branch offices and have each character as a leader under her (you basically play the official campaign as the character you choose but with access to Weiss's abilities and units now as well)

you may only do one campaign at a time. so if you're jaune you have to subjugate yang and ruby in vale before you can try to marry weiss. you gotta finish what you started before you move on basically

on each map, there's an ancient grimm. this is a massive single-unit entity and has an army of grimm backing it. defeating this grimm will grant you a major bonus to happiness and prevent further grimm from showing up later.

single unit entities are very powerful but get weaker as their health goes down. their health will recover with time though

if you finish every campaign as a single character you unlock the grimm tide. salem has taken notice of you and wants you gone before ozma has a chance to bring you to his side. grimm will spawn every turn based on the unhappiness of cities in every kingdom you will wage a war all over the world against the grimm and try to hold on as unique and powerful generals lead hords of powerful grimm to attack you. these hords will even be supplemented by the grimm attracted to your unhappiness to keep your pops happy!

if you beat every general salem herself will come to take you out. she has an unending army that will constantly get reinforcement from offscreen every time you kill off a unit and she's a capable commander in her own right with powerful magic that will prevent you from camping too much (she's out of practice so she can only cast a spell every once in a while, be sure to move when you see the strange glow) if you can manage to get your character to her through her army you'll win and defeat her once and for all

@weatherman667 don't know if you play total war but had an idea for total war rwby and wanted to know your thoughts on the various kingdoms as lead by the main characters.

anyone else who sees this and has suggestions go nuts with it. it's just a bit of fun at the end of the day. how would you incorporate a character? what would their unique units be?

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nothing-but-dreamy · 3 years

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ON THE EDGE ~ Pt. 1

Summary: YN is a Detective and the partner of Gavin Reed, number one douchebag of the Detroit City Police Department. After a forced break, she comes back. She’s looking forward to working with her partner again and to getting back into her ‘normal’ life between case files and criminals. But, of course, it doesn’t stay boring for too long: Gavin seemed to be more on the edge than usual, a Red Ice dealer might be a good lead to something bigger and then, there is Connor, the friendly, handsome android and Hank’s new partner.

Added to the fact that yn has to deal with the criminal world again, she also discovers feelings she hasn’t noticed before triggered by a person she hasn’t expected.

Her life always resembled a ride on a rollercoaster.

But now, it’s a whole damn circus parade.

Characters: Gavin Reed, YN (FEMALE!Reader), Hank Anderson, Connor

Words: 2.472

Warnings: signs of PTSD (flashbacks in italics), cursing (a lot), mention of blood

"He's totally crazy. He shoots at everything that moves. It's impossible to get close to him.", yn stated. "But we have to stop him somehow."

"Stay here. I have an idea. Over there, the left spot is free. He will barely notice me.", Gavin said and pointed in the direction.

"Gavin, no!", Yn cursed as he slipped through her grip, "Gavin!", she tried again to call him back but her partner was already too far away, "Fuck!"

Gavin ran to the left side like mentioned. Yn stayed behind the hide and watched the scene concerned. She was trying to cover Gavin whenever needed. What Gavin couldn't notice was that the crazy guy had seen him.

Even if she tried everything to get the guy's attention, Yn watched in horror how the suspect aimed at Gavin who sneaked through the room completely unaware that he was the target in the line of fire.

The suspect aimed his gun into Gavin's direction and waited til he would appear on the other side of the pillar where Gavin tried to hide.

There was no way that yn would be able to stop the guy. He was too far away and behind a half broken wall. But she was convinced that she could help Gavin. That was what she did without thinking twice: she ran towards Gavin. As she reached him to push him out of the way, the suspect fired his gun two times.

Of course Gavin was cursing as he hit the ground unexpectedly, not knowing what had pushed him. He hurried to get back on his feet and as he saw that the suspect's gun had been running out of bullets, Gavin shot to stop him.

Gavin made sure that the suspect was no threat anymore. Officers were running into the room to arrest the shooter. And only then, Gavin noticed yn lying on the ground and all the blood pouring from her body...

Gasping for air, Gavin started up from his sleep and sat straight in his bed, "Fuck...", he cursed breathlessly. He was dripping with sweat, his hair clutching to his face. Three o'clock in the morning. Just two hours of sleep but still more than the night before...or all the other nights during the past weeks.

Gavin pushed his blanket away, sat on the edge of his bed and rested his face in his hands to calm down himself. His fingers were digging into his hair violently as he desperately tried to get the memories out of his head. He squeezed his eyes shut until stars were dancing in front of his inner eyes.

A shudder was shaking him. Goosebumps were spreading over his naked chest. To sit around like this, covered in sweat, wouldn't do anything good. And because he was already awake, Gavin stood up, took his boxing gloves and started to train until the pictures in his head would disappear.

He knew this would never happen.

He should have been better.

He had failed yn.

To stay in front of this certain building after all these long weeks felt like coming home. At least, for yn. She was nervous but in a good way that shot adrenaline through her body. It was like the first day at school after the summer break. She didn't have to fear anything. Everyone would be happy to see her again. And yet, she extended the moment to go in. It was not an official visit. She just wanted to come back because...she feared to miss too many things.

Yn had heard the rumors of Hank's new partner. An android. Then, there were the happenings that got called 'War of Detroit', the successful android revolution. So many things had changed and yet, yn knew that there was still this one, certain absolute term. Her own rock in this ocean of craziness she could always depend on: Gavin Reed, her partner.

Yn was looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces again and without waiting any longer, she entered the DPD finally.

Gavin stood in the kitchen of the DPD at one of the tables, his back facing the office so he hadn't to see anyone. The last thing he wanted was to talk with someone. A cup of coffee stood in front of him. He watched the foam floating around on the dark liquid. It was his third cup. And it wouldn't be the last.

"Good morning, Detective Reed."

Gavin nodded without looking up. Even if Gavin had made his peace with Connor, the nice android from the neighborhood, he was still getting on his nerves from time to time. This morning was such a 'time'. His thoughts always drifted back to his recurring dreams of yn…

"Reed.", Hank greeted Gavin, who nodded quickly. Without asking, Hank and Connor joined Gavin at the table. An own cup of coffee in front of Hank. He sugared it and stirred the liquid that would start his day.

Connor was about to say something, maybe to light up the mood of these two grumpy guys, but Hank stopped him, "Shit! Look who's there.", he said and looked at someone behind Gavin's back.

Gavin looked up and saw Hank and Connor staring at the same spot so, he turned around, "No fucking way!", Gavin called out surprised and approached yn quickly who stood in the passage of the kitchen. A smirk was spreading on his lips as he saw her in the familiar environment.

Yn smiled and waved but as she saw Gavin's predatory glance and the smirk, she stepped back and raised her hands to stop him, "Gavin, no. Stop! Gavin!" The impact of her partner knocked all the air out of her lungs.

He snaked his arms around her waist and scooped her up, "I have missed you, shorty!", he cheered.

Yn chuckled until she got put back down on her feet a moment later, "I have missed you, too, idiot!", she said. Together, Gavin and yn went back to the table to Hank and Connor, "I'm- what? Away for six weeks and everything went south? Detroit fights a civil war against androids who started a revolution? Everything's a warzone, suddenly and I'm not a part of that? Boys, I thought you could handle it better without me.", she said smirking and crossed her arms.

"We did what we could but there were just too many of these things.", Gavin said serious.

As yn looked at Gavin with an amused expression, her eyes fell on the fourth person at the table, "Oh, and who are you?"

"My name is Connor.", the android answered.

"My new partner.", Hank added.

"Your new- bloody hell! I already heard the rumors but- Nice to meet you. I'm yn. Whenever you need help with the old man, come to me.", yn said with a wink.

"Very funny!" Hank grunted but yn saw the grin on his face.

As Gavin saw the glances between Connor and yn, he stepped between them. Gavin wasn't fond of the way the android looked at her.

"So, you're 'back' back?", Gavin asked hopefully.

"I'm still not fully recovered. I have to attend a few dates with the psycho-doc AND I have to pass the shooting test. Then I will be back. I guess one more week. I just have missed all this so much, I had to come over.", yn said grinning.

"I guess, there will be no problem for you to pass everything, kiddo.", Hank said encouragingly.

"Thanks Hank-"

"Of course, she will pass all this bullshit! And then, she will be back. The precinct was way too boring without you!", Gavin said excitedly.

Yn saw his eyes sparkling and the familiar grin. She considered saying something nice but she always loved to tease this douchebag. It was their thing, "No new recruits to torture, huh?"

Gavin's smile faltered and he squinted his eyes as he saw her smirking, "I never-"

Yn nodded understandingly, "Ohh...I see... No women to hunt either? You poor thing!", she patted his cheek to act playfully caring.

Gavin couldn't do anything else than just to laugh before he brought her into a bear hug, completely enveloping her, "Oh, how much I have missed you!", Gavin stepped back, ruffled her hair, and laid his arm around her shoulders before they walked to his desk.

Connor watched after them. Overwhelmed by her entrance, the way she was handling Gavin and how different the Detective was around her, "Where was she?", he asked Hank finally.

Confused, Hank looked at his partner, "What?"

"Where was yn? She said she was gone for several weeks. Where had she been? Vacation?"

"Oh .. uhmm, no. She... During their last case, she got injured. She had to recover. It's good that she will be back soon, tho.", Hank explained, smiling about the fact yn was coming home.

"Detective Reed seems different around her.", Connor stated, still confused about all the smiles and laughter coming from Reed.

"I guess it's her magical power. She's able to handle him where anyone else failed a long time ago."

Connor looked at her once again. Yn stood with Gavin, Chris and some other cops at the desk, talking and laughing. She was truly magical. Nice, funny, cheeky, beautiful. He was looking forward to working with her. Then, she came back to them.

"Hey, I got appetite for the best burger in town. Wanna join?", she called over to Hank who nodded with a grin. Gavin rolled his eyes but she just nudged him in his side. Connor got dragged out of his thoughts and followed his three colleagues. Yn already waited for him to join. Much to Gavin's dismay she linked her arm with the android's one but he swallowed down his annoyance for the greater good.

They drove to the Chicken Feed truck. The best burger in town, how Hank had titled them. While the three made their orders, Connor organized a table. All three went to the table with burgers and drinks. Simultaneously, they bit into their burgers.

"You know, this meal contains 1.4 times the recommended daily intake of calories. You shouldn't eat-"

"Shut up!", Gavin and Hank yelled at the same time. Connor silenced instantly.

Yn looked alternating at Hank and Gavin before she stopped at Connor, "Connor, honey, very important rule: don't fuck the boys up when it comes to their food. It's not a good idea."

"But it's unhealthy.", Connor argued innocently.

Yn nodded slowly, knowing what he meant before she looked at her burger closely, "Well, I’m spotting salad, tomato and even pickles on our burgers. These are three different types of vegetables. It's more healthier than everything else we're used to consuming. Don't forget that we usually got fueled by coffee and donuts. Only."

Connor nodded and let them eat. He had learnt that humans knew how to live the best way but some of them didn't just want to do it right. Maybe it wasn’t for him to change their behaviour.

"Hey, sweety. Want some bread?”, Yn asked and threw a small piece of bread on the ground.

Hank followed the way of her attention and rolled annoyed with his eyes, "Oh, these disgusting creatures!", Hank muttered. Yn looked questioningly up to Connor.

"Lieutenant Anderson doesn't like pigeons.", Connor explained.

"That sounds like a story. I wanna know it!", yn said amused with a big grin, waiting for Hank to speak up.

Hank grinned but shook his head, "Someday, I will tell you what I had to endure with this guy but not now.", Hank said and he and Connor said goodbye. Hank hugged yn before they left her and Gavin alone.

Gavin and yn started to walk around a bit, enjoying the sunny winter day, "You look tired. Have you been very busy the last few weeks?", yn asked.

"No, it was okay. Nothing much. The typical stuff, you know.", Gavin said, his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket, playing with some coins.

"Oh, yeah... So, you just didn't want to see me then?", she asked, looking at him from the corner of her eyes, watching his reaction.

Gavin avoided her eyes, looking at the ground, "Yn…", he sighed, "I…", but he stopped. Unsure what he should say.

Yn nudged him with her shoulder, a soft smile on her lips as she saw his pained expression, "It's okay. I'm not mad. I was just… it was boring, you know. If you would have visited more often, maybe it would have been more fun to recover.", she said jokingly but it wasn't working, the painful expression stayed in his face.

"I really doubt that.", Gavin said low, still not able to look at her.

"What?", Yn asked surprised and stopped.

Gavin stopped as well, facing her with his back, "I- I… forget it.", Gavin said and was about to go but yn stopped him with her hand holding his arm and turning him around.

"Gavin, what is it?"

Gavin needed a moment before he looked at yn, as he did, it was with a serious expression, "It's my fault that you got injured in the first place."

Slightly taken aback that it was this topic that still bothered him, yn frowned and looked at him with big eyes and shaking her head, "No. It was the fault of this fucker-"

"No! You wouldn't have been shot if I hadn't been so stupid! I have failed you as a partner and as a friend!", Gavin called out angrily, torturing himself.

Yn intervened right away, "Stop that, Gavin! It's not your fault, okay? Your idea was good. This guy was simply just too crazy."

Gavin dropped his gaze, not able to look into her eyes any longer. For him it didn’t feel right to get forgiveness from her, "I should have been in your place instead. Two more scars on my body wouldn't make any difference to all the others I already have."

Yn stepped forward to search his glance, "You feel guilty, I get that. But ... you don't have to, okay? And beside, I know you and your luck. You would have been killed instead of just being injured.", a smirk playing on her lips.

Finally, Gavin looked at her again. He chuckled low by the face she made: a too overexcited grin to cheer him up. No matter how down he felt, yn was able to let him feel better. Always. Even just for a moment. He stepped forward and brought her into a bone crushing embrace, "It's so good to have you back.", he said softly into her hair.

Yn was surprised about the sudden outburst of emotions but she hugged him back, enjoying this moment to the fullest, "Yeah. And you know what? I can't wait to kick some asses with you again."

#gavin reed x reader #gavin x reader #gavin reed #dbh #dbh gavin #detroit become human #dbh connor #hank anderson #reader #fanfiction #detroit become human connor

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tiredcath · 4 years

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Zukka Fic Recs

after atla came back into pop culture i found myself falling back in love with zukka which resulted in me reading (almost) every zukka fic on ao3 and here are my favorites

Transference by The_Quatermasters (146k)

In a modern AU, Zuko has to deal with settling in a new school after expulsion, dealing with an angry ex and an abusive father. Maybe his new found friendships and growing closeness with Sokka will help him make it through.

Borderlines by The_Quatermasters (73k)

Three years after the war, the work still isn't quite done and the Gaang is scattered across the continents in their efforts to help the world recover. When Aang and Katara pay visit to the Fire Nation where Zuko is Fire Lord and Sokka acts as Ambassador for the Water Tribe, sparks fly between the siblings over Sokka's life choices.

Ashes Inside When You Finish Your Song by Muncaster (47k)

Sokka writes lyrics for his sister’s band. Zuko plays piano and is unnecessarily nice. Fellas, is it gay to write love songs about your friend and his golden eyes?

(AKA, a modern band AU featuring The Gaang, crappy software equipment, homoerotic lyrics, and the realization that maybe, if you think about a guy every night before you sleep, you just might be in love with him.)

sirens & sleepless nights by Satirrian (54k)

Life can be pretty hard living in a city under a totalitarian regime. Between adhering to the ridiculous curfew, keeping himself from being gunned down by a passing patrolman, and paying his unnecessary tolls to the state for, say, breathing, Sokka has his hands full just getting to work. Add aiding a resistance group on top of that, and Sokka should really be getting paid for this.

Then, one night, Sokka finds an injured patrolman collapsed in the street, who tells him with blood on his lips, “If the patrol finds me, I’m dead.”

Real Slow by surveycorpsjean (21k)

“I see.” Zuko closes the scroll. “Is the Water Tribe sending a replacement?”

“Uh yeah,” Sokka gestures to himself dramatically. “You’re looking at him.”

First by HoneyBadgerMole (20k)

Zuko has been nurturing a crush on the jock in his AP Psych class but he has been too scared to talk to him until they get paired up for a project.

the benefits of getting a flat tire by LesbeanLatte (64k)

Zuko makes an impromptu decision to run away from home after a disturbing conversation with Azula. Unfortunately, some plans are better when they're actually, well, planned. Zuko isn't counting on getting a flat tire almost as soon as he's far enough away from the city to really be in the middle of nowhere.

Sokka is immediately taken with the stranger he and his friends find stranded on the side of the road during an afternoon joy ride. However, he has no idea what he's getting involved with and a kind attempt to help a fellow teen in need turns into a massive coverup for a missing person who just so happens to be the son of the mayor of Ba Sing Se.

Azula was just trying to help her big brother - in her own way - by telling him things she thought he deserved to know. Now the situation has gotten wildly out of control. Did she enjoy seeing Zuko upset and afraid? Of course. Had she intended to endanger his life? Not necessarily, but of course, her idiot brother overreacted to everything and that's what happened and now she doesn't know how to stop the chain of events she's indirectly put in place like dominoes.

Operation Leverage by snowandfire (50k)

Sokka's instincts are onto something great. Zuko just wants to serve tea and brood in peace. Ironically, Toph is the only one who can see what's really going on.

The Stingray by Smediterranea (24k)

“You’re not carrying me.”

“I don’t mind,” the lifeguard says easily.

“I can just hop over.”

“On sand?”

Zuko will never admit it, but being carried feels pretty nice. The lifeguard sets him down and eyes him warily.

“Are you really all by yourself?” he asks in a worried tone. “No friends in town you can call to check on you?”

“No,” Zuko confirms. Tears are forming again with alarming speed; his foot throbs painfully with every passing second.

“What kind of burrito do you want?”

“You don’t have to —“ Zuko repeats.

“I’m getting al pastor. You like al pastor?”

AU: Zuko falls for Sokka, the super hot lifeguard who helps him after an unfortunate encounter with a stingray.

it's the illusion of separation by argentoswan (110k)

Sokka takes a job washing dishes at the new tea shop in town. It's a great gig, until he finds out his only coworker is his old high school bully. Sokka really should quit, but he also really needs to afford rent.

Also, Zuko is kind of hot now.

People like to think war means something by trying_to_spell_both_our_names_at_once (21k)

Sokka was the first to leave.

Somehow that hurt the most. . . . Not long after Zuko becomes Firelord, forces gather in the South and next thing he knows he's thrown into a civil war with almost no one by his side. Maybe healing is longer and more complicated than it needs to be, but with the right people by your side it is always possible.

a way that will destroy you by anothermistakemade (14k)

In the wake of Ozai's death, Zuko begins to fall apart. Sokka will do everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen.

or, zuko might be losing his mind, but he also might just be really sad & traumatized

Those Who Favor Fire by CSHfic, VSfic (30k)

After a failed attempt on his life, Sokka fakes his death, dons a disguise, and infiltrates the would-be assassin's ranks in an attempt to bring them down from the inside.

Zuko learns of his husband's tragic death, mourns, and vows revenge.

Words Mean More at Night by DaisytheDoodleDog (28k)

Even ten years after the end of the war, rebellions rise and risk the balance of the nations. Sokka was willing to do anything to protect his people, which is perhaps why he's leading an army against the rebellion, attacking only as a last result. But Sokka's unwinding, it's taking a toll on him, and the only thing keeping him grounded are the letter Zuko and him exchange late in the night when no one can see the messenger hawks. But as they say, nothing's fair in love and war.

another word for wanting by eurydicees (23k)

Sokka begins to dream of his soulmate when he's eleven years old, and it just gets harder from there. Or, 125 moments soulmates share, and none of them come easy.

(In which your dreams are your soulmate's memories, and Sokka dreams of an all-consuming fire, growing and eating at his soulmate until it burns up the connection between their souls. In which they find love anyways.)

It Has Only Just Begun by Kirazalea (39k)

There is a bitter triumph in crashing when you should be soaring

Zuko had now chosen the path his uncle had been trying so hard to show him; he had someone who believed in him, who maybe loved him; he was travelling with the Avatar and they apparently had a plan to end the war. By all accounts, Zuko should be smiling.

But Uncle was gone (captured by Azula, and Zuko didn't think she would kill him, but he didn’t, couldn’t, know for sure). The Avatar was barely breathing (he could still die at any second and there was nothing any of them could do about it). Azula had conquered the last Earth Kingdom stronghold (all those innocent people who were now at her mercy). It seemed like, for every step Zuko took forward, the world sent him back three more.

But he was determined to push forward anyways. He needed to make his uncle proud, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

aka: zuko joins the gaang at the end of season 2

Nightmares and Reveries by HisMomoness (20k)

Zuko doesn't sleep because when he does, he's haunted by nightmares. Sokka worms his way into a job and makes it his mission to get Zuko to relax. Lots of head pets and one vacation to the South Pole later, Zuko might just be getting the hang of it.

Cue pining, some fluff, and eventual romance.

The One Who Stopped Time by ohhihoney (66k)

All hope was lost to Zuko until one day, his uncle asked a random person at the Jasmine Dragon to tutor his nephew. Gritting his teeth and embarrassed beyond the point of no return, Zuko gave the blue eyed boy his number.

Little did Zuko know how much Sokka would change his world.

Rubbed Off Stars by ohhihoney (2k)

Sokka wasn't going to just sit and watch the boy at the back of the bus cry while trying to rub off pride flags off his cheeks.

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

WIP

Ozymandias, King of Kings by Think_of_a_Wonderful_Thought (168k)

After that fateful Agni Kai, Ozai makes a different call. Branded as a traitor and banished to a prison camp, Zuko learns how cruel the Fire Nation can be to its citizens. Three years, a water tribe raid, and an unexpected meeting with a gang of over-enthusiastic idealistic children puts Zuko back in the spotlight. The revolution is coming and it wants another poster boy, but Zuko is not willing to lend his face to the cause.

Another Brother by AvocadoLove (312k)

It was a mission of revenge. There weren't supposed to be any survivors, but Chief Hakoda couldn't bring himself to kill the Fire Nation boy. Against his better judgment, he brought him home. A Zuko joins the Water Tribe story.

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

BONUS : zuko x jet

Something to Hold Onto by Wildgoosery (122k)

Since the day the walls of Ba Sing Se fell, the Freedom Fighters have struggled to protect what remains of the city and its people. Jet and his second command, a mysterious boy named Li, have spent the summer piecing together an army, hoping for a chance to take the city back for good. But Li is also Zuko, and the time for that secret is quickly running out. Soon, he'll have to decide exactly who he is, what cause he's going to fight for, and where his heart lies.

188 notes · View notes

cielrouge · 5 years

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2019 YA Reads by Authors of Color

96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy - While exploring her grandmother's past at an ashram in India with her cousin Anandi, Raya finds herself and, perhaps, true love in this modern retelling of the legend of Dushyanta and Shakuntala.

After the Fall by E.C. Myers - A year after the destruction of Beacon Academy, Team CFVY answers a distress call and are forced to relive their former battles, from both the fall of Beacon and from everything that came before.

All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney - Allie Abraham has it all going for her—she's a straight-A student, with good friends and a close-knit family, and she's dating cute, popular, and sweet Wells Henderson. Only one problem: Wells's father is Jack Henderson, America's most famous conservative shock jock...and Allie hasn't told Wells that her family is Muslim.

All the Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman - 16-year-old Mehreen Miah's anxiety and depression has taken over her life. So, she joins MementoMori, a website that matches people and allocates them a date and method of death. When Mehreen and her new friends change their minds, the website won't let them stop, and an increasingly sinister game begins.

The Athene Protocol by Shamim Sarif - Jessie Archer is a member of the Athena Protocol, an elite organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice around the world. But after Jessie goes her rogue, her former teammates have been ordered to bring her down. Jessie must face danger from all sides if she’s to complete her mission—and survive.

Barely Missing Anything by Matt Mendez - Three Mexican-Americans--Juan, JD, and Fabi--each try to overcome their individual struggles as they all grapple with how to make a better life for themselves when it seems like brown lives don't matter.

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi - An epic YA fantasy about a girl with a special power to communicate with magical beasts and the warring kingdom only she can save.

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh - In 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight and a serial killer is on the loose, half-Asian Celine Rosseau, a dressmaker from Paris, becomes embroiled in a murder mystery, connected to the glamorous supernatural cohort, known as the Court of Lions, and catching the eye of their mysterious, charismatic leader, Sèbastien Saint Germain.

The Beauty of the Moment by Tanaz Bhathena - Saudi-Canadian Susan is the new girl. Malcolm is the bad boy. Susan’s parents are on the verge of divorce. Malcolm’s dad is a known adulterer. Susan hasn’t told anyone, but she wants to be an artist. Malcolm doesn’t know what he wants—until he meets her. Love is messy and families are messier, but in spite of their burdens, Susan and Malcolm fall for each other.

The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu - Remy Tsai was happy once. Remy had her boyfriend Jack, and Elise, her best friend—her soulmate. But now Jack is dead, and it was Elise who pulled the trigger. Was it self-defense? Or something deeper, darker than anything Remy could have imagined?

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America edit. by Ibi Zoboi - A short story anthology about what it is like to be young and black, centering on the experiences of black teens and emphasizing that one person's experiences, reality, and personal identity are different than someone else.

The Boxer by Nikesh Shukla - When racial tensions are rising in the city, and when a Far Right march through Bristol turns violent, 17-year-old amateur boxer Sunny faces losing his new best friend Keir to radicalization.

Brief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak by Adi Alsaid - Teen relationship columnist Lu Charles navigates life in the wake of a devastating breakup, and her decision to chronicle the planned breakup of another couple, Cal and Iris, in the summer after they graduate from high school.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad - Set in the city of Noor, along the Silk Road which has become a refuge for those of all faiths, Fatima becomes embroiled in a war between two clans of powerful djinn who threaten to destroy her peace in different ways, forcing her to make unlikely alliances to survive.

Caster by Elsie Chapman - In this Chinese-inspired, magical Fight Club, Earth is already at the brink of environmental disaster due to the magic overuse. And 16-year-old spell caster Aza Wu must navigate through an illegal, underground battle magic tournament, while evading local gangs and police scouts to save her family from ruin.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orïsha #2) by Tomi Adeyemi - After battling the impossible, Zélie and Amari have finally succeeded in bringing magic back to the land of Orïsha. But with civil war looming on the horizon, Zélie finds herself at a breaking point: she must discover a way to bring the kingdom together or watch as Orïsha tears itself apart.

Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye - Love, spies, and adventure abound as apprentic warriors Sora and Daemon unravel a complex web of magic and secrets that might tear them—and the entire kingdom—apart forever.

Color Me In by Natasha Diaz - In this coming-of-age novel, biracal Neveah learns about the meaning of friendship, the joyful beginnings of romance, and the racism and religious intolerance that can both strain a family to the breaking point and strengthen its bonds.

Color Outside the Lines edited by Sangu Madanna - A groundbreaking YA anthology explores the complexity and beauty of interracial and LGBTQ+ relationships where differences are front and center.

Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera - 16-year-old Nalah leads the fiercest all-girl crew in Mega City, but when she sets her sights on giving this life up for a prestigious home in Mega Towers, she must decide if she's willing to do the unspeakable to get what she wants.

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika & Maritza Moulite - Told in epistolary style through letters, articles, emails, and diary entries, when a school presentation goes very wrong, Haitan-American Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti, and writing the report of a lifetime.

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He - In this Chinese-inspired fantasy, Princess Hesina of Yan is thrust into power when her beloved father is murdered, and she's determined to find his killer--whatever the cost.

Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno - Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that's what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you're a boy with a boat. As her college decision looms, Rosa collides - literally - with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee - In 1890, Atlanta, 17-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid, but by night, Jo moonlights as newspaper advice columnist "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her efforts put Jo in the crosshairs of Atlanta's most notorious criminal, she must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light

A Dream So Dark by L.L. McKinney - Still reeling from her recent battle (and grounded until she graduates) Alice must cross the Veil to rescue her friends and stop the Black Knight once and for all in Wonderland.

Eclipse the Stars by Maura Milan - Criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot Ia Ccha and her allies make unpredictable choices as they fight to keep darkness from eclipsing the skies.

The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton - Camille, Edel, and Remy, aided by The Iron Ladies and backed by alternative newspaper The Spider's Web, race to outwit Sophia, find Princess Charlotte, and return her to Orléans.

Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen - Neighbors Mia and Jake pretend to fake date to get their respective mothers off their back. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time. The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don’t hate each other as much as they once thought.

Far From Agrabah by Aisha Saeed - On an adventure in a fantastical kingdom, Aladdin and Jasmine get caught up in the magic therein. But soon sinister outside forces come into play, threatening to strand them there forever.

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe - When Norris, a Black French Canadian, starts his junior year at an Austin, Texas, high school, he views his fellow students as clichés from "a bad 90s teen movie."

Firestarter (Timekeeper #3) by Tara Sim - Colton, Daphne, and the others must choose between those striving to take down the world's clock towers so that time can run freely, and terrorists trying to bring back the lost god of time.

Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns #4) by Kendare Blake - In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three dark sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Allegiances will shift. Bonds will be tested, and some broken forever.

Five Midnights by Ann Davila Cardinal - If Lupe Dávila and Javier Utierre can survive each other’s company, together they can solve a series of grisly murders sweeping though Puerto Rico. But the clues lead them out of the real world and into the realm of myths and legends.

Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins - Told in separate voices, Kat and Robin leave Boston on a church mission to help combat human trafficking in India while Kat recovers from a sexual assault and Robin seeks his birth mother.

Frankly in Love by David Yoon - Korean-American Frank Li Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful–and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other. Frank thinks it’s the perfect plan, but in the end, Frank and Joy’s fake-dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love–or himself–at all.

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett - HIV-positive teen Simone Garcia-Hampton must navigate fear, disclosure, and radical self-acceptance when she falls in love--and lust--for the first time.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi - Paris, 1889: Treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie gets the chance of a lifetime when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help in exchange for a priceless treasure: his true inheritance.

The Girl King by Mimi Yu - Sisters Lu and Min become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor.

Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girls of Paper and Fire #2) by Natasha Ngan - After escaping the Hidden Palace, Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans.

The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante - To have her family’s asylum request accepted, 17-year-old Marisol participates in a risky experiment to become a grief keeper, taking another’s grief into her own body to save a life.

His Hideous Heart edited by Dahlia Adler - 13 of YA’s most celebrated names reimagine Edgar Allan Poe’s most surprising, unsettling, and popular tales for a new generation.

A House of Rage and Sorrow (Celestial Trilogy #2) by Sangu Mandanna - As gods, beasts, and kingdoms choose sides, Alexi seeks out a weapon more devastating than even Titania. The House of Rey is at war. And the entire galaxy will bleed before the end.

How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters - When Remy is assigned to write an essay describing himself, he goes on a journey to reconcile the labels that people have attached to him, and get to know the real Remy Cameron.

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love edited by Elsie Chapman & Caroline Tung Richmond - Interconnected short stories that explore the intersection of family, culture, and food in the lives of thirteen teens.

I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi - When news stations start reporting that Earth has been contacted by a planet named Alma, the world is abuzz with rumors that the alien entity is giving mankind only few days to live. And with only seven days to face their truths and right their wrongs, Jesse, Cate, and Adeem’s paths collide even as their worlds are pulled apart.

I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn - Japanese-American fashionista Kimi Nakamura who journeys to Japan on a quest of self-discovery after her college plans fall apart; along the way, she reconnects with her estranged grandparents and finds romance with a handsome med student Akira who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot.

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest - Chloe Pierce’s chasing her ballet dreams down the east coast— with two unwanted (but kinda cute) passengers in her car, butterflies in her stomach, and a really dope playlist.

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver - Non-binary teen Ben De Backer is kicked out by their parents after coming out, but learns that sometimes from disaster one can build a happier new life,

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann - Winnie dreams of someday inheriting the family diner—but it'll go away if they can't make money, and fast. Winnie has a solution—win a televised cooking competition and make bank.

In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natasha Deen - Guyanese-American Nira Ghani struggles with parental expectations and her love for jazz.

Internment by Samira Ahmed - Set in a near future in the United States where Muslim Americans are forced into an internment camp, 17-year-old Layla Amin must fight against Islamophobia, oppression, and complicit silence.

Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden - In 1880s Savannah, Dorcas Vashton offers Essie an offer she can't refuse, she becomes Victoria. Transformed by a fine wardrobe, a classic education, and the rules of etiquette, Victoria is soon welcomed in the upper echelons of black society in Washington, D. C. But when the life she desires is finally within her grasp, Victoria must decide how much of herself she is truly willing to surrender.

It’s a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes & Other Jewish Stories edited by Katherine Locke & Laura Silverman - Get ready to fall in love, experience heartbreak, and discover the true meaning of identity in this poignant collection of short stories about Jewish teens.

Kick the Moon by Muhammad Khan - 15-year-old Ilyas finds a kindred spirit in Kelly Matthews during detention. But when Kelly catches the eye of one of the local bad boys, Imran, he decides to seduce her for a bet. Standing up to Imran puts Ilyas’ family at risk, but it’s time for him to be the superhero he draws in his comic-books, and go kick the moon.

A Kingdom for the Stage (For A Muse of Fire #2) by Heidi Heilig - The rebels are eager to use Le Trépas’s and necromancer Jetta’s combined magic against the invading colonists. Soon Jetta will face the choice between saving all of Chakrana or becoming like her father, and she isn’t sure which she’ll choose.

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron - Set in a West African-inspired fantasy kingdom, Arrah comes from a long line of powerful witchdoctors, yet fails at magic. When Arrah trade years off her life for magic to stop the Demon King from destroying the world—that is if it doesn't kill her first.

Kings, Queens, and Everything in Between by Tanya Boteju - 17-year-old, biracial, queer girl Nina Kumara-Clark is plunged into the delirious world of drag where she has the chance to explore questions of identity and love.

The Last 8 by Laura Pohl - Young Latina pilot Clover Martinez finds herself grounded and alone after a devastating alien attack, but soon finds hope in an unlikely group of survivors who aren't what they seem.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki - Teenager Frederica Riley undergoes what might possibly be the most epically complicated breakup in lesbian history -- or at least it feels that way

The Light At the Bottom of the World by London Shah - Set in a future where the Earth is underwater, Leyla McQueen must navigate the treacherous abyss to find her missing father, but discovers a world drowning in lies.

Like A Love Story by Abdi Nazemian - It's 1989 in New York City, three teens, Reza, Judy, and Art cross paths. Judy has never imagined finding romance...until she falls for Reza and they start dating. But as Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won't break Judy's heart--and destroy the most meaningful friendship he's ever known.

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan - After she’s caught kissing her girlfriend by her conservative Muslim parents, Rukhsana Ali whisked off from Seattle to Bangladesh, where she must find the courage to fight for her love, but can she do so without losing everyone and everything in her life?

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali - 18-year-old Muslims Adam and Zayneb meet in Doha, Qatar, during spring break and fall in love as both struggle to find a way to live their own truths.

Love Me or Miss Me by Dream Jordan - Kate's fantasy life of having the perfect family comes to an abrupt end when she is suddenly forced to return to the group home. Alone and vulnerable, Kate falls for the ever so gorgeous Percy who treats her well at first, but soon a cycle of controlling and abusive behavior begins. Will she be able to escape Percy's clutches?

The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas - As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor, and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion . . . before it's too late.

A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai - 15-year-old Indian-American Simran “Simi” Sangha, who comes from a long line of matchmakers, decides to try to gain high school popularity using her family's matchmaking traditions to create a dating app.

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco - In a world ruled by goddesses that has been split in two—one half existing in perpetual scorching Day, the other in freezing Night—twins separated at birth Odessa and Haidee embark on a quest across the great divide and rule a reunited world.

No One Here is Lonely by Sarah Everett - After having her heart so broken, Eden resorts to having her memories erased instead.

Nocturna by Maya Motayne - In a Latinx-inspired kingdom of Castallan, face-changing thief Finn Voy and grief-stricken Prince Alfehr must race to vanquish a dark magic they have accidentally unleashed.

Not Your Backup by C.B. Lee (Sidekick Squad #3) - As the Resistance moves to challenge the corrupt League of Heroes, Emma Robledo realizes where her place is in this fight: at the front.

Oh My Gods by Alexandra Sheppard - Half-mortal teenager Helen Thomas goes to live with her father—who is Zeus, masquerading as a university professor—and must do her best to keep the family secret intact.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas - When 16-year-old Bri, an aspiring rapper, pours her anger and frustration into her first song, she finds herself at the center of a controversy.

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy - In this Arthurian retelling set in space, King Arthur is reincarnated as 17-year-old Ari, a female king whose quest is to stop a tyrannical corporate government, aided by a teenaged Merlin.

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds - After falling for Kate, her unexpected death sends Jack back in time to the moment they first met, but he soon learns that his actions have unintended consequences.

Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao - 17-year-old teen outcast Ali Chu is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of dark family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves to her small, predominantly white Midwestern town.

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribar - When 17-year-old Jay Reguero learns his Filipino cousin and former best friend, Jun, was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, he flies to the Philippines to learn more.

Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi - Brooklyn bodega worker Pablo crosses paths & falls in love with multi-platinum recording artist Leanna Smart.

Rated by Melissa Grey - For the students at the prestigious Maplethorpe Academy, every single thing they do is reflected in their Ratings System. But when an act of vandalism sullies the front doors of the school, it sets off a chain reaction that will shake the lives of six special students -- and the world beyond.

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia - When a tragic accident takes the life of the only family she's ever known, 16-year-old Raven is sent to New Orleans to start over. She soon discovers that she can hear the thoughts of others around her...and another, more disturbing, voice in her head.

Rebel (Legend #4) by Marie Lu - Brothers Eden and Daniel Wing struggle to accept who they’ve each become since their time in the Republic, but a new danger creeps into the distance that’s grown between them. Eden soon finds himself drawn so far into Ross City’s dark side, even his legendary brother can’t save him. At least not on his own.

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandy Colbert - Dove “Birdie” Randolph maintains a close bond with her parents until first love and a family secret threatens to tear them apart.

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee - The never-before-told backstory of Avatar Kyoshi, from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy - A North African-inspired feminist fantasy in which two sisters, Eva and Isa must compete in a magical duel to the death for the right to inherit the queendom of Myre.

Rogue Heart (Rebel Seoul #2) by Axie Oh - Two years after the Battle of Neo Seoul, 18-year-old telepath Ama must use her telepathic abilities to infiltrate the base of the Alliance’s new war commander, Alex Kim, her first love who betrayed her. Will she be able to carry out her task? Or will she give up everything for Alex again—only to be betrayed once more?

Ruse (Want #2) by Cindy Pon - In near-future Shanghai where society is divided between the fabulously wealthy business elite and the masses they exploit, Jason Zhou must play a dangerous cat and mouse game with the ruthless CEO of an all powerful corporation which has an ever-growing choke hold on the polluted metropolis.

Soaring Earth by Margarita Engle - In this memoir, Young People’s Poet Laureate Margarita Engle recounts her teenage years during the turbulent 1960s between Cuba and America.

Shadow Frost by Coco Ma - When Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, discovers that she may hold the key to defeating the demon terrorizing her kingdom, she vows not to rest until the beast is slain.

Take the Mic: Fictional Stories About Everyday Resistance edited by Bethany C. Morrow - A YA anthology focused on a collection of fictional stories of everyday resistance.

The Shadow Glass (Bone Witch #3) by Rin Chupeco - Bone witch Tea's dark magic eats away at her, but she must save the one she loves most, even while her life—and the kingdoms—are on the brink of destruction.

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells - Maren, desperate to save her kidnapped girlfriend Kaia, plans to steal one of the emperor's dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold, but her success depends on becoming an apprentice to the mysterious dragon trainer, which proves to be a dangerous venture.

SLAY by Brittney Morris - Black video game developer Kiera Johnson battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther-inspired video game she created, and the safe community it represents for black gamers.

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo - In Hong Kong, k-pop star Lucky who'd like to be anyone else meets charming con-boy Jack, looking for a big break to impress his paparazzo father. When sparks ignite, the two must decide if they can risk it all for each other.

Song of the Abyss (Towers of Wind #2) by Makiia Lucier - When menacing raiders attack her ship, navigator Reyna must use every resource at her disposal, including placing her trust in a handsome prince from a rival kingdom.

Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao - After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician's apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman's daughter, regrets her actions. After learning that Bao’s soul has been trapped inside a flute by a witch, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) by Julie Kagawa - As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim - 17-year-old Maia Tamarin poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor, and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars, with help from the mysterious court magician, Edan.

Spin by Lamar Giles - When DJ ParSec, rising star of the local music scene, is found dead over her turntables, the two girls who found her, Kya and Fuse, are torn between grief for Paris and hatred for each other--but when the investigation stalls, they unite, determined to find out who murdered their friend.

The Stars the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petraus - Audre from Trinidad and Mabel from Minneapolis, fall in love and create magic at the same time they learn one of them might not have long to live.

Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan - In this steampunk fantasy set in Qing dynasty-inspired China, warrior girl Anlei teams up with a thief to save her village from shadow spirits, but after arriving at the Courts of Hell, a discovery challenges everything they know about who the real enemy is.

Symptoms of a Heartbreak by Sonia Charaipotra - The youngest doctor in America, Indian-American teen Saira makes her rounds―and falls head over heels in this romantic comedy.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi - Sana Khan and Rachel Recht, on opposite sides of the social scale must work together to make a movie and try very hard not to fall in love.

The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina - As Beth Teller and her father unravel a mystery, they find a shocking and heartbreaking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town, and a friendship that lasts beyond one life and into another...

There’s Something About Sweetie (When Dimple Met Rishi #3) by Sandhya Menon - Told in two voices, disappointed-in-love Ashish Patel and self-proclaimed fat athlete Sweetie Nair begin to find their true selves while dating under contract.

This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura - 17-year-old CJ Katsuyama’s mom decides to sell her family’s flower shop—to the family who swindled CJ’s grandparents during WWII Internment. Soon a rift threatens to splinter CJ’s family, friends, and their entire Northern California community; and for the first time, CJ has found something she wants to fight for.

A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price - In modern-day San Francisco where three gangs rule the city streets, half-Filipina teen Valerie Simons enters the Red Bridge Wars to seek vengeance for her younger brother's death, but soon finds herself torn between old love and new loyalty.

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala - In ancient India, soldier Kunal hunts the “Viper,” rebel girl Esha accused of killing his General, embarking on a dangerous cat and mouse game and where both must decide—loyalty to their old lives or to a love that's made them dream of new ones.

Truly, Madly, Royally by Debbie Riguad - When Prince Owen invites Zora Emerson to be his date at his big brother's big royal wedding, Zora is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, along with her family and friends.

The Universal Laws of Marco by Carmen Rodrigues - Told through the lens of a guy in love with the cosmos (and maybe two girls), this story explores the complicated histories that bring us together and tear us apart.

Virtually Yours by Sarvenz Tash - NYU freshman Mariam Vakilian tries out a virtual reality dating app, only to be matched up with the high school ex she's still not over. Mariam’s heart is telling her one thing, but the app is telling her another. So, which should she trust? Is all fair in modern love?

The Voice in My Head by Dana L. Davis - When a sequence of wrenching secrets detonates, Indigo must figure out how to come to terms with her twin sister Violet, her family…and the voice in her head.

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi - Set in a futuristic, Black Panther-inspired Nigeria, sisters Onyii and Ify, separated by a devastating civil war, must fight their way back to each other against all odds.

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson & Ellen Hagan - Jasmine and Chelsea start a Women's Rights Club and soon go viral. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by online trolls. When things escalate, the principal shuts the club down. Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voices—and those of other young women—to be heard.

What Makes You Beautiful by Bridget Liang - Encouraged and supported by his friends at school, Logan begins questioning his gender. Realizing they are not a gay boy, but a transgender girl, Logan asks for people to call them Veronica. As a girl, does Veronica stand a chance with straight boy Kyle?

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal - In a world inspired by ancient Arabia, 17-year-old huntress Zafira must disguise herself as a man to seek a lost artifact that could return magic to her cursed world.

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia - Set at the Medio School for Girls, where young women are trained to become one of two wives assigned to high society men; with revolution brewing in the streets, star student Daniela Vargas fights to protect a destructive secret, sending her into the arms of the most dangerous person possible—the second wife of her husband-to-be.

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf - A music-loving teen with OCD does everything she can to find her way back to her mother during the historic race riots in 1969 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

When the Stars Lead to You by Ronni Davis - 18-year-old Devon longs for two things.The stars. And the boy she fell in love with last summer. Senior year, Ashton shows up on the first day of school. Can she forgive him and open her heart again? Or are they doomed to repeat history?

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho - After 18-year-old Miyoung Gu, a nine-tailed fox surviving in modern-day Seoul by eating the souls of evil men, kills a murderous goblin to save Jihoon, she is forced to choose between her immortal life and his.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo - With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior and aspiring chef Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.

You Must Be Layla by Yasmin Abdel-Magied - Layla's mind goes a million miles a minute, so does her mouth. Despite the setback of a high school suspension, Layla's determined to show everyone that she does deserve her scholarship and sets her sights on winning a big invention competition. But where to begin? Looking outside and in, Layla will need to come to terms with who she is and who she wants to be if she has any chance of succeeding.

#authors of color #book recommendations #yalit #women of color authors #AWW YISSS IT'S MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN!!!

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stereksecretsanta · 6 years

Text

Merry Christmas, @welshwoman1988!

I was so happy when I saw your likes involved royalty AUs and I had such a good time writing this. I hope you enjoy it!

Read on AO3

*****

A Bud Beginning to Flower

Stiles wishes he didn’t have the weight of his own nonexistent marriage hanging over him when he should be enjoying the celebration of his best friend’s wedding finally coming to pass after his betrothal to Princess Allison when they were twelve. Instead, his head has been filled with all the potential matches who will be in attendance and he’s just glad his father will be staying behind to govern the country to give him some reprieve.

For the first time, he actually considers Scott’s single-mindedness a blessing as he’s absorbed by the distraction of his wedding. Not once has he asked about the pressure Stiles is receiving since he arrived a week ago, and Stiles is more than happy to keep it that way.

He’d arrived earlier than most, his friendship to Scott meaning he’ll always have a room open for him. Most other guests will be staying in the city or are already local, but he knows he won’t be the only foreign prince in attendance.

The Hales in the north have sent their crown princess, Laura, along with her husband Jordan, younger brother Derek and youngest sister Cora. They haven't arrived yet but the city is starting to simmer at the news that they're close considering it’s partially down to the Hales that this wedding almost never went ahead at all.

The rest of the blame goes to Allison’s family, specifically her aunt, Princess Katherine, and grandfather, King Gerard, who had been hatching a plot to kill the Hales once Katherine wed Prince Derek. Derek would have been the only one spared, all those in his way to the throne slaughtered, and in his grief Katherine would have governed in his stead.

When the plot was discovered, it split the Argent family down the middle and almost threw their Kingdom into civil war with the Hales eager for bloodshed on either side until Chris managed to assure them he and Allison had had no involvement.

It was all brought to an end when Derek managed to convince Katherine he shared her ambitions, then pivoted at the last moment to betray them.

At least, that’s the story that has been fed to the masses. But there are rumours abound of Derek’s involvement, that he had his own eye on the throne, that switching sides was to save his own neck when he realised he was on the losing one.

Stiles knows to believe all gossip is foolish, but he also believes you can never be too cautious, especially in his position.

With Derek’s engagement to Katherine six feet under, it’s no secret that he’s looking for a match too, a strong alliance to replace the one that was lost — something Stiles’ father has been keen to remind him of.

But even before the Argents, rumours were widespread of the Prince’s undesirable character. According to most, your eyes will want for nothing but your mind will die of thirst, a passionless bore with less personality than a plank of wood.

“You’ve never met the man, Stiles,” his father has grown fond of reminding him. Stiles is glad he isn’t here now to say it in his ear as the Hale delegation rolls up to the palace.

He’s not going to let himself be lulled into complacency by a pretty face.

And what a pretty face it is. That much he won’t deny.

With black hair against tan skin, extraordinary green eyes and a beard accentuating the devastating cut of his cheekbones, Stiles doesn't think he can be faulted for his lips going dry.

Cora shares the dark hair of her brother but Laura’s is a brilliant gold and she's just as beautiful as the stories Stiles has heard tell of. Their clothing is light compared to everyone else present, but this must feel like a heatwave compared to what they’re used to in the north.

After greeting Scott and then Allison (who receives tight hugs from Laura and Cora), the Hales turn to Stiles.

“Prince Mieczyslaw,” the Crown Princess greets, holding out a hand for Stiles to kiss the back of. She stumbles over the pronunciation, something Stiles is used to. “It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.”

“Princess Laura. The pleasure is mine.”

He and Jordan exchange a firm handshake and then Derek is next. Stiles is immediately struck by how warm his skin is, sure his hands could heat his bed in winter better than a warming pan.

“Prince Mieczysław,” Prince Derek greets and Stiles doesn’t blink in surprise at only the perfect pronunciation. He was expecting the man's voice to be gruff and curt (and honestly wasn't expecting to hear it at all after the rumours of his reticence) but instead it's lighter, gentle, and Stiles feels his stomach swoop like he’s missed a stair.

“Prince Derek,” Stiles returns. His surprise clogs his throat and the greeting comes out more like he's a swooning maiden. Thankfully, the Prince doesn’t seem to notice.

Little seven-year-old Cora is next in line, peering up at him from where she stands clutching at her big brother's hand.

“Where’s your crown?” she asks in that blunt manner most children seem to possess.

“Cora,” Derek chides, his voice smoothed further with fondness.

“I just want to know if he has a pretty crown!”

Stiles crouches down. “I bet it’s not as pretty as yours, Your Highness,” he says, taking her hand and kissing it.

Cora flushes with pride and beams. She tugs on her brother's hand, looking up at him as she extends her other to point at Stiles, finger an inch away from his face. “I want you to marry him.”

Stiles gapes but manages to contain his expression after a moment while Derek’s impressive eyebrows climb almost into his hair.

“Cora, that's— that's not how these things work.”

“But I like him,” she says, stubbornly.

Stiles stays silent, biting at his lip to hide a smile as he takes enjoyment in seeing Derek get so flustered.

“You know it’s not a matter of who you may or may not like but of politics and what alliances the marriage will bring.”

Stiles tries not to visibly bristle at the veiled insult.

In comparison to the Hales, the McCalls and the Argents, his country is small, not much more than an inkblot on a map. Though they have no great army of their own and would rely on their alliance with Scott for protection, they’re not without worth. His country is home to fertile land and they have the monopoly over the Ley river trade route where it runs through the centre of the capital. It might not be enough to procure a marriage of the magnitude of Scott and Allison, but it will make a handsome deal nonetheless. That a prince of Derek’s status would not think of him twice is no surprise but to have it implied in his own words has Stiles’ skin prickling.

He rises to his feet, face blank of anger but also of his earlier cheer. The absence doesn’t go unnoticed by Derek who’s eyes widen.

“I did not mean—”

“You must be tired after your journey. Scott has your quarters ready for you.” He bites his tongue as soon as the words are out. His casual address of their host just proves to Derek the only reason he’s here is because he rides on Scott’s coattails.

Derek is stunned into silence and Scott invites them inside before he has a chance to recover.

Perhaps after this story, his father won't be so quick to suggest the Hale prince.

With everything that requires Scott’s attention, it’s no surprise that Stiles doesn’t see him much in the lead up to the wedding. Disappointing, but not unexpected.

He spends his time riding outside the city walls or absolutely slaughtering anyone who dares face him at chess or staving off an alarming number of invitations to dinner and fluttered eyelashes. He supposes the stories will serve as fodder to keep his father happy but his patience will soon wear thin and Stiles will be required to choose a match from one of the many suitors.

He barely encounters Derek aside from their paths crossing at breakfast. The prince is always stiff-backed at the table, only speaking if someone else initiates a conversation first and even then his answers are clipped. By the third morning, no one bothers to engage him at all besides his sisters. Stiles hasn’t exchanged words with him since their introduction other than stony ‘Good morning’s and has no intention to change that anytime soon.

Beyond that, Stiles only ever sees him from afar, usually whenever he finds himself gazing out of a window. He often spies him taking strolls through the gardens with his sisters, swinging Cora effortlessly from one arm, taking lunch beneath the trees. If not in the gardens, he’s practicing the sword with a handful of Scott’s knights, flowing from one form to the next in a mesmerising dance. It takes a formidable effort to tear his eyes away before he’s caught staring.

Two days before the wedding, Stiles is approached by Laura and asked if he’d like to accompany her, Jordan and Derek to see a play in the city in the evening. In honour of their King’s impending nuptials, His Majesty’s Theatre has been putting on a performance of The Dove’s Nest everyday for the past week and it will apparently last out the month. A play is one of Stiles’ favourite pastimes, a passion of his ever since he was a child, and though The Dove’s Nest is a tired choice for the occasion of a wedding and he doesn’t much relish spending an evening in Derek’s vicinity, he readily agrees to attend.

Stiles rides alone in his carriage to the theatre, sliding down the window to watch the passing buildings. His thoughts are lulled by the rhythmic clop of hooves, the creak of tavern signs and their already rowdy patrons. The sun is setting, casting the bricks in an orange glow. It won’t be long until the lamps are lit.

The carriage eventually draws to a halt and Stiles waits for the footman to open the door and fold out the step. He thanks him and joins the Hales in front of the theatre, a grand pale-stoned building dwarfing those around it. His guards climb from the back of the carriage to shadow him while the footman and driver take the carriage further down the street to wait until he wishes to return to the palace.

Inside, they’re led through a blanketing haze of pipe smoke and chatter to the royal box on the second level, refreshments already waiting for them. It’s a bit of a squeeze for the four of them with the ornate chairs arranged inside but Stiles ends up in the rightmost chair, Derek to his left. He allows himself an internal groan. If beside Laura he might have a chance at some conversation but instead Derek is rigid beside him and he knows he’d have more fun watching a candle burn down than trying to engage him.

The angle of their chairs has their knees brushing and Stiles is reminded again of Derek’s warmth. He distracts himself by casting his gaze around the theatre, at the elaborate gilded friezes looking down from the ceiling, to the chandelier hanging beneath with every candle lit, to the orchestra pit in front of the stage where rich red curtains fringed with gold are drawn closed in the centre.

“I wonder which variation of the story we’ll see tonight,” Stiles comments.

“Yes,” is all Derek says in return.

Even Laura leans forward to give him a judgemental eye and a glance at Derek shows a crease between his eyebrows deepening. He makes no attempt to further the conversation though so Stiles sits back in his seat to await the start of the play.

Thankfully, he doesn’t need to wait long.

As expected, this version of the play differs slightly from renditions performed in Stiles’ home country and picking out all the similarities and differences makes it a more enjoyable viewing than he’d been expecting. Even the masks differ, the heroine’s here big-eyed and full-lipped where Stiles is used to daintier features and rosy cheeks.

“Well that was delightful,” Laura praises when the curtains have closed on the final encore and their palms are buzzing from their applause.

“It was very well done, though I would have chosen Orelius myself.”

“And insult their King? The Dove’s Nest is traditional.” Derek looks at him for the first time all evening, turning his body in his chair to face him.

Stiles turns to Derek in surprise at the display of such feeling.

“Safe,” Stiles corrects, something inside him awakening at the challenge. “Orelius has an element of nostalgia for me, I’ll admit—”

“—and in your rosy memories it needs to stay,” Derek teases, a twitch of a smile about his lips. “If we’re talking about a break in tradition, then A Star Away would be better than Orelius, even if they went with the version that ends in suicide.”

Stiles stares at Derek’s burgeoning grin and twinkling eyes, speechless at the hyperbole. It only takes a second for him to recover, fighting a smile of his own. “A Star Away was written not two years past and is already outdated. Orelius is timeless and it's not just by chance that it’s endured for so many years.”

“Endured? ” Derek repeats, incredulously, and then launches into an impassioned speech detailing every way and reason why Stiles is wrong. Hogwash, every word of it, and Stiles tells him so.

At one point, they manage to stop arguing long enough to agree By Candlelight is the biggest abomination to have graced the stage in the past ten years, and then they begin discussing their favourite plays — and arguing all over again. When Derek mentions journeying to the east and witnessing a performance by the Otokonai, Stiles nearly falls out of his chair in his eagerness to hear more despite his envy. Tales of the all-female theatre troupe are all he’s had to go on and he dreams about seeing a performance of his own. He hangs on his every word as Derek describes the way they performed without dialogue, just conveying emotion through body language and music and masks.

Derek’s story brings them to the topic of travelling theatre troupes which begins another argument over the best play for a street performance and Stiles takes great affront to his dismissal of Fair Weather.

“You have no imagination,” Stiles sniffs. “And I take offense at your assessment. Whimsical it may be, but it’s merely a polished veneer concealing commentary on the state of censorship in the South.”

“I may be biased,” Derek concedes. “It is Cora’s favourite and there was a time where I had to watch it performed every day for weeks. It’s a good thing she isn’t with us. Though I beg of you, don’t let her hear you mention it. A troupe gifted her a pair of ears after their performance and she almost got away with wearing them to Laura’s wedding instead of her crown.”

Stiles lets a laugh bubble up at Derek’s pained face. His grimace becomes a tentative smile but he ducks his head before Stiles gets a proper look, clearing his throat.

“Speaking of my sisters,” Derek says with a frown over his shoulder. “I don’t know where Laura could have gotten to.”

Stiles starts at only just realising they’re alone. Had he really been so immersed in their debate?

“The Princess and Lord Parrish have already departed, Your Highness,” a guard answers when Derek inquires after her. “They did say farewell but...” He keeps his eyes averted and shifts uncomfortably.

Stiles resolutely doesn’t look at Derek, his face heating. From the corner of his eye he can see Derek doing the same.

“I suppose we should return to the palace ourselves,” Stiles murmurs and they both get to their feet, looking anywhere but at each other.

Stiles feels a little like he’s been doused in cold water, the magic of their conversation slipping through his fingers as Derek returns to his taciturn self for a silent journey in the carriage.

At the palace, Derek is first to climb out, turning to offer Stiles his hand. It’s just as warm as the last time Stiles held it, and in the creeping chill of the night air, Stiles almost wants to hold it to his cheek.

The silence holds until they reach a fork in their paths, their quarters in separate wings of the castle. Stiles is first to break it.

“Goodnight, Prince De—”

“I want to apologise for my perceived rudeness when we met,” Derek interrupts, and Stiles stares, mouth still forming Derek’s name. “I did not mean what I said. At least, not in the way you understood it. It wasn’t your undesirability I was speaking of, but my own.” A humourless smile twists his lips. “I know the things that people say about me. About the Argents, and my character. My faults shouldn’t taint someone as honourable and well-loved as yourself.”

Stiles isn’t sure what expression his face is showing, so numb he is with shock. The one thing he is certain of though is that his mouth is still hanging open in a highly undignified manner.

“I hope you can forgive me,” Derek says, his gaze so intent that Stiles can feel how important this is to him like a weight pressing on his chest.

“Of course,” he manages to murmur, and Derek smiles, small and private and relieved. Stiles’ stomach flips when Derek takes his hand and raises it to kiss the back of it. It’s an unusual gesture between two men and it makes Stiles’ cheeks go hot.

“Goodnight, Prince Mieczysław,” Derek murmurs, again with the perfect pronunciation that has Stiles’ knees going weak.

“Stiles,” he breathes, before he can really think about the permission he’s bestowing.

Derek’s eyes widen almost imperceptibly, a look of wonder and the barest hint of a smile crossing his face like Stiles has just given him a gift to treasure. No one has ever thought of him so highly before.

This is all too soon.

“Goodnight, Derek,” he chokes out, and turns to stride down the hallway to his quarters. Only when he's shut the door and is leaning heavily against it does he realise he forgot Derek’s title.

His heart begins to pound as he stands there, at the memory of having those eyes so intent on him, drinking in his every thought and opinion. Stiles had been just as eager to hear all that Derek had to say, to argue with him some more.

Even now, he thinks about how he didn’t get to finish detailing his love for Orelius and is of half a mind to stride over to Derek’s rooms and make him see sense on the subject, talk until the sun is rising.

As he lies in bed, his thoughts turn to the rumours of Derek he'd filed away over the years, of his reputation as a bore. He thinks of all the breakfasts they've shared since arriving, of that moment before the play began. But then he remembers that moment Derek turned to him, like a spark had ignited behind his eyes, a bud beginning to flower. He was animated and engaged and Stiles can tell he only scratched the surface of what is clearly a vast well of knowledge. Gone was the broody glower he directs at all but his sisters and it’s clear you just need to know how to break through that harsh exterior.

But most hurtful of all, he thinks of the rumours of Derek’s involvement in the plot to murder his own family. Just by the memory of watching him chide his little sister, Stiles could tell there was no malice in him, without needing the evidence of every encounter since.

It makes his heart ache to think of all the cruel whisperings Derek has to endure, moreso when he remembers his own inclination to believe it. Despite his insistence to make his own judgement, in the back of his own mind, he’d already assumed the worst.

That burn of shame follows him into sleep and Derek is the first thing he thinks of when he wakes and he lies there for a few long minutes carefully not examining how far behind he’s left his rationality in regards to the other prince.

Laura finds him at breakfast with an apology over her and Jordan’s departure the night before, a sparkle in her eyes.

“We did say our farewells, but you were more engrossed in my brother,” she teases, and Stiles cheeks flame despite how hard he tries to stay aloof.

“You’ll have to forgive me. I was just astounded someone could be so deluded,” he sniffs, scraping some butter onto a knife. “Someone had to educate him.” Perhaps he would have been a bit more convincing if he didn’t drop the knife with a clatter when Derek entered the dining room a moment later. Laura lifts a hand to her mouth, but it’s not enough to stifle her snort of laughter.

“Good morning, Stiles.” Derek’s voice is no more than a murmur as he takes the seat beside him, like his use of Stiles’ nickname is a secret for them alone, and Stiles nearly drops his knife for a second time. It shouldn’t be sending thrills through him the way that it is.

“Good morning… Derek.”

Derek smiles, head ducked, and Stiles can't take his eyes off him.

When the Hales invite him to explore the gardens later that morning, he eagerly agrees compared to all the requests from others that he’s turned down during his visit. The icy wall erected between them when they first met continues to thaw as they linger behind Laura and Jordan and Cora, and Stiles is only too aware that the three of them would be considered chaperones in this situation.

Still, he manages to continue their discussion of playwrights in a more relaxed manner now they’re in the open air and sunshine instead of the intensity the cramped box at the theatre had brought. But the conversation eventually shifts to other topics, to childhood memories to their shared appreciation of chess to food. A wild bubble of hope rises in his chest when Derek tells him of the fare they serve at his home and his tentative suggestion that Stiles visit some time to try it himself.

Later that evening, after an almost inseparable day they've spent together, the desire to stay up until the early hours is strong where they have their heads bent close together between two arm chairs in one of the palace’s many sitting rooms. Laura ends up being the voice of reason; they need to be up early for the wedding.

As a surprise to no one, the wedding is a beautiful ceremony, the white drapery and bouquets and beaming sunlight almost as blinding as Scott and Allison’s smiles throughout.

Stiles saw the green jacket Derek was wearing when he arrived, the perfect shade of green to bring out his eyes, and he’s glad to be sitting further down the same pew or he wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off him for the entire ceremony.

Once it’s over and Scott and Allison have headed to the palace balcony to greet their people, they can finally get to the part that everyone has been anticipating: an entire day of feasting.

There’s a sense of peace in the air, like everyone knows the recent turbulence is truly over, with the Hale’s present a symbol of their blessing and friendship with the remaining Argents. With any luck, it will last for decades to come.

Stiles sits at the long table at the head of the hall in a seat of honour. The Hales sit at the opposite end of the same table and the only sight he catches of Derek is when he chances craning his neck and watches him help to spoon food onto Cora’s plate where her arms are too short to reach. It makes his heart melt all the more.

Once most people have eaten their fill — for now — music starts and Stiles is bombarded by a never-ending stream of suitors with requests to dance. While he could get away with excuses when asked to dinner or out riding, now he has no choice but to accept each one. But he can give none of his partners the attention they deserve. Instead, with every dizzying turn, he keeps an eye on Derek stubbornly seated at the table.

It seems no one has approached him with a request to dance and his furrowed brow speaks of a dark mood. When Laura squeezes his elbow he shakes her off, lips forming words Stiles can’t make out. She’s persistent though, and whatever she’s saying has Derek eventually slamming his palms to the table and rising to his feet. Stiles can't catch what he says in return, and moments later, his attention is pulled back to the woman in his arms as the dance comes to an end.

All of the partners exchange bows and curtsies and when Stiles turns to find Derek again, he nearly walks straight into him.

The guests around Stiles go quiet as Derek holds out a hand, palm up. “May I have this next dance, Prince Mieczysław?” he asks through a clenched jaw.

Stiles flushes hot and cold all over at everyone’s eyes on him, but their scandalised faces make him bristle.

“You may,” he responds after a deep breath to steady his voice, taking Derek’s hand in his.

His legs are trembling, weak like he’s just run a mile, as Derek leads him further out onto the floor. Derek’s glower is doing nothing for his confidence.

As they begin the steps of the dance, pressing their palms together, Stiles feels his nerves begin to fade, the room shrinking around them until they're the only two in it, the only two who exist.

It sends a jolt through him when they reach the part of the dance that requires them to switch partners, the world suddenly coming back into focus. He’s glad at least that Derek looks as dazed as he feels.

They step apart and Stiles finds a woman in his arms, a golden butterfly pin in her hair, who dances with grace. He feels dizzy with each rotation across the floor, trying to find Derek, and when they finally return to each other it’s a relief. Derek actually has a small smile playing about his lips and Stiles isn't surprised that he does too.

The dance begins to slow and they reluctantly return to their starting positions. Stiles is out of breath and not just from the dance. He already regrets the loss of contact and craves more of it.

The room applauds and more people stand to join the next dance. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see people still waiting for their turn with him, but Derek hasn’t let go of his hand.

“Walk with me?” There’s apprehension in Derek’s gaze and Stiles squeezes his hand tighter.

“To the gardens?” he asks and Derek nods.

He releases Stiles’ hand, leading the way from the hall, and they walk in silence, the raucous chatter and music of the party fading behind them. The air is fresh on Stiles’ face, and after the way his heart was pounding just now, it’s a relief to take deep gulps of it even if having Derek beside him means he can’t entirely calm himself.

It’s not until they’re almost halfway around one of the paths, leaving other revellers taking a breather far behind, that Derek speaks.

“I did not expect—” he begins, voice loud in the silence between them. He must be conscious of it too because he hesitates before trying again. “I did not expect I could meet someone who would make me feel as you have in such a short amount of time.”

Stiles jerks to a halt, speechless.

“I know I did not make the best first impression. I’m sure you thought I was stuck up and unpleasant.”

“You are.”

Derek’s eyes widen as if Stiles’ words had struck him across the face. His expression goes blank, closed off, and he straightens from where they were leaning close.

“You carry yourself like you’re sitting on a throne of needles and look down your nose at those you deem unworthy of your time.”

Derek’s spine gets stiffer and stiffer as Stiles talks. “We should get back to the feast,” he says, already striding away. “My sister is probably—”

“But you’re also charming,” Stiles says after him and Derek freezes. “And knowledgeable, and you dote on your little sister too much, and you have a wicked sense of humour that not enough people appreciate. Or that not enough people are privileged enough to witness because of the throne of needles,” he adds contemplatively.

Derek has turned back to face him, his mouth open and exposing his too-long front teeth, so at odds with the sharp planes of his face and his usually piercing gaze. Now, he’s staring at Stiles like he’s never seen him before, like he’s never heard such compliments, and Stiles’ heart aches in his chest at the thought. Derek is all of those things and more, and Stiles feels a fresh burst of fury at the rumours, the rumours that had coloured his view of him before they ever met.

Derek finally finds his voice. “And you’re an insufferable know-it-all.”

Stiles grins.

“Your taste in playwrights is atrocious, and your mouth— You never close it and it’s been haunting my every waking and dreaming moment since I arrived, and if I may—”

Derek has gravitated closer and closer, so close Stiles can feel his breath on his lips and their noses are almost brushing. Stiles can hear his heartbeat thudding in his ears as he takes a deep breath.

“You may.”

Derek closes the final distance between them and they meet in a kiss that feels long overdue. Derek’s beard scratches against his chin and he’s struck once more by how warm he is, how he yearns to have no layers between them to just feel that warmth against him, to bask in it.

Despite the serenity of the moment, there’s still worry on Derek’s face when he pulls back.

“I know your father will never approve of me-”

Stiles holds a finger to his lips. “My father took to reminding me of your single status every day leading up to this visit. It seems he’s never had any doubt over your character.”

“But you did.” There’s no accusation in his voice but it hurts all the same.

“Yes. Though I am ashamed to admit it.”

Derek shakes his head. “Perhaps if I had possessed a bit more of the same cynicism, my family would never have found themselves in their position.”

Stiles takes his hand. “No one suspected, Derek.”

Derek kisses the back of his hand again and this time, Stiles has no intention to flee.

Instead, he returns the gesture, and Derek laughs. It’s a bright thing, illuminating their little corner of the gardens, and Stiles reaches up to cup his cheek, feeling the rasp of his stubble and the tension of his smile.

It’s a long while before they make it back to the feast and if the looks on all the guests faces at their disheveled appearances are anything to go by, Stiles is going to find himself at the centre of more than a few scandalous rumours of his own.

As long as Derek is at his side, he’ll welcome each and every one.

#welshwoman1988 #stereksanta14 #*fic17 #*gifts17

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wittypenguin · 4 years

Text

Looking at 1968 to Learn How to Survive 2020

It’s been suggested recently that this is the worst year in modern American history, which would make it worse than 1968, when both Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr and Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy were killed, plus a US Presidential Election brought to power Richard Milhous Nixon and the Uber-corrupt Spiro Theodore Agnew. This year we’ve already had COVID-19, the resurgence of the struggle for equal treatment under the law for People of Colour (which has been essentially ignored and left un-dealt with for well over a century), plus a complete nitwit of a President* who seems to be trying to create either a ‘Police State’ or an ‘untouchabe Emperor Structure of Governance,’ and we’re not even half-way through the year yet!

The Silent Parade was organized by W.E.B. DuBois on July 28, 1917 in New York to protest violence against African Americans nationally. Universal Animated Weekly, Vol 5, Issue 83, 1917. This clip was recovered in 1978 after having been buried in Dawson City, Yukon, for 49 years. pic.twitter.com/Hm7Nydgqcq

Check out the GIF through that link. See? That’s 1917. And that’s only what we have film of, and the first instance of human trafficking in what we now call the United States was in the early 1600s.

So… let’s take look at what people had to deal with in 1968, not with an eye to state we’ve got it so bad right now and to feel hard-done-by in comparison to the ‘Boomers,’ but to see what they dealt with, and then considering what we can learn about how they didn’t go insane while dealing with all the crap they had to. This way, we can protect our mental health in order to get through what we’ve got now.

I’ve grouped events to the end of May into three chronological blocks — Civil Rights (mostly U.S. events, but also elsewhere), General (political events of mostly non-North American locales), and the Vietnam War (including other formalized military events not directly part of the Vietnam conflict) — with the mid-March protests at Howard University being placed in both the ‘Civil Rights’ and ‘Vietnam’ categories, owing to both of those being fundamental to the causation of that particular event.

Civil Rights Events:

February 8: a civil rights protest staged at a white-only bowling alley in Orangeburg, South Carolina is broken up by highway patrolmen; 3 college students are killed

February 13: civil rights ‘disturbances’ occur at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

March 1: the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968 receives Royal assent in the UK [learn more about that here]

March 6: the then un-recognized nation of Rhodesia executes 3 black citizens, the first executions since unilaterally declaring its independence

March 19–23: students at Howard University in Washington, D.C. signal a new era of militant student activism on college campuses in the U.S. by staging rallies, protests and a 5-day sit-in; laying siege to the administration building; shutting down the university in protest over its ROTC program and the Vietnam War; and demanding a more inclusive and Afrocentric curriculum

April 2: while filming an NBC television special, white British singer Petula Clark touches African American singer Harry Belafonte affectionately on the arm [read about the details of the filming here]

April 3: the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr delivers his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech in Memphis, Tennessee

April 4: the Rev Dr King, Jr. is shot dead at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, casing riots in major American cities lasting for several days afterwards

April 6: a shootout between Black Panthers and Oakland police results in several arrests and deaths, including the 17-year-old treasurer and the first Panther recruit Robert James "Lil’ Bobby” Hutton, who was walking towards the police bare-chested with his hands raised

April 8: Ms Clark’s television special is broadcast by NBC with high ratings, critical acclaim, a Primetime Emmy nomination, and is the first instance on American television of physical contact between a black man and a white woman

April 11: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968

April 20: English politician Enoch Powell makes his controversial ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech, which criticised mass immigration, especially Commonwealth immigration to the UK of the variety which was blocked in March by the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968

Events in General:

January 8: British Prime Minister Harold Wilson endorses the I'm Backing Britain campaign for working an additional half-hour each day without pay as an economic stimulus measure, causing rifts within his Labour Party supporters who see him as kow-towing to Big Business and un-doing decades of efforts by labour organizations

January 15: an earthquake in Sicily kills 380 and injures around 1,000

February 19: the Florida Education Association (FEA) initiates a mass resignation of teachers to protest state funding of education; in effect the first statewide teachers' strike in the USA

February 27: singer Frankie Lymon is found dead from a heroin overdose in Harlem. Mr Lymon was formerly the lead singer of the squeaky-clean doo wop group “The Teenagers,” noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes and being rock's first all-teenaged act

March 2: Baggeridge Colliery closes marking the end of over 300 years of coal mining in the Black Country of England (environmentally good, but little was done for workers’ job placement in new positions)

March 12: U.S. President Johnson barely edges out antiwar candidate Eugene McCarthy [no, not that McCarthy] in the New Hampshire Democratic primary, a vote which highlights the deep divisions in the country, and the party, over Vietnam

March 15: the U.K. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party George Brown resigns after many months of public drunkenness and wide-spread unacceptable behaviour, culminating in him shouting incoherently at the PM in his office

March 16: U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy enters the race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination

March 22: eight French students occupy the administrative offices of the University of Nanterre, setting in motion a chain of events that lead France to the brink of revolution two months later

March 24: Aer Lingus Flight 712 crashes en route from Cork to London near Tuskar Rock, Wexford, killing 61 passengers and crew

March 28: Brazilian high school student Edson Luís de Lima Souto is shot by the police in a protest for cheaper meals at a restaurant for low-income students; being one of the first major events against the military dictatorship

March 31: President Johnson announces he will not seek re-election

April 2: bombs explode at midnight in two department stores in Frankfurt-am-Main; Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin are later arrested and sentenced for arson; months later, the two escape from prison and with other people form the anarchist/extremist group Red Army Faction (also commonly known as the Baader-Meinhof Group)

April 6: a double explosion in downtown Richmond, Indiana, the first caused by faulty natural gas lines, the second caused inside the building above by a store of gunpowder; 41 are dead, 150 are injured, and a total of forty buildings are eventually condemned; given racial tensions of the time, some are understandably panicked

April 8: the US Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) is created under the Department of Justice, thereby codifying the racialization of the ‘War on Drugs’ we see today; [read this ACLU document]

April 10: the ferry TEV Wahine strikes a reef at the mouth of Wellington Harbour, New Zealand, with the loss of 53 lives, during Cyclone Giselle (still the windiest conditions ever recorded in New Zealand)

April 11: Josef Bachmann attempts to assassinate the most prominent member and unofficial spokesman of the left-wing student movement Außerparlamentarische Opposition (APO,) Rudi Dutschke, in Germany

April 11: the same day — also in Germany and unrelated to the above — German left-wing students blockade the Springer Press HQ in Berlin and many are arrested (one of them being Ulrike Meinhof; remember him?)

May 13: one million people march through the streets of Paris, sparking the period called “May 68,” which includes demonstrations, general strikes, the occupation of universities and factories, and causing both the brief cessation of a functioning government (after President Charles de Gaulle secretly fled to Germany) as well as the nation’s economy to come to a complete halt

May 16: just two months after opening, a 23 floor tower block in Canning Town, east London, called Ronan Point, partially collapses after a gas explosion, killing 5

Vietnam War (and others):

January 21: the Battle of Khe Sanh begins

January 21: a U.S. B-52 Stratofortress crashes in Greenland, discharging 4 nuclear bombs

January 30: the Tet Offensive begins, as Viet Cong forces launch a series of surprise attacks across South Vietnam

January 31: Việt Cộng soldiers attack the US Embassy, Saigon

February 1: the Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém is executed by a South Vietnamese National Police Chief in the middle of the street, the event photographed by Eddie Adams as well as an NBC film crew, which makes headlines around the world, eventually winning the 1969 Pulitzer Prize, and swaying U.S. public opinion against the war.

February 12: the Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất massacre

February 24: the nearly month-long Tet Offensive is halted; South Vietnam recaptures Huế

February 25: the Hà My massacre

March 7: the First Battle of Saigon ends

March 8: the Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129 sinks with all 98 crew members, about 90 nautical miles (104 miles / 167 km) southwest of Hawai’i

March 10–11: the Battle of Lima Site 85, the largest single ground combat loss of United States Air Force members during the (at the time) secret war later known as the Laotian Civil War

March 14: nerve gas leaks from the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, immediately killing 6,249 sheep over 30 miles away in Skull Valley, Utah, as well as necessitating the euthanisation of a further 1,877 after they are declared ‘unmarketable’ even for their wool

March 16: American troops kill scores of civilians in the My Lai Massacre, which will first become public in November 1969, helping to further undermine public support for the U.S. efforts in Vietnam

March 17: a demonstration against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War in London's Grosvenor Square leads to violence; 91 people are injured, and 200 demonstrators are arrested

March 19–23: Students at Howard University in Washington, D.C. signal a new era of militant student activism on college campuses in the U.S., with students staging rallies, protests, a 5-day sit-in, laying siege to the administration building, shutting down the university in protest over its ROTC program and the Vietnam War, and demanding a more inclusive and Afrocentric curriculum

April 23–30: student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university

April 26: the 1.3Mt nuclear weapon "Boxcar" is tested 1.16km underground at the Nevada Test Site in the biggest detonation of Operation Crosstie

May 17: Catholic activists called ‘The Catonsville Nine’ enter the Selective Service offices in Catonsville, Maryland, take 378 draft files, pour homemade napalm over them in the parking lot, and burn them, all as a protest against the Vietnam War; some of the Nine being out on bail after pouring human blood on draft cards the previous October

May 19: Nigerian forces capture Port Harcourt and form a ring around the Biafrans, contributing to a humanitarian disaster as the then surrounded population were already suffering from hunger and starvation

May 22: the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine Scorpion sinks with 99 men aboard, 400 miles southwest of the Azores

The next three weeks see the shooting and subsequent death of Robert Kennedy; the arrest of the American white supremacist, fugitive, and felon who assassinated the Rev Dr King, Jr. (their trial and conviction taking place the next year); the first round of the French elections to be held as a result of the protests the month before; and the official establishment of the CIA’s “Phoenix Program,” involving cooperation between American, South Vietnamese and Australian militaries.

So… that’s where they were at this point in the year. While I’m not about to list all of the things that have happened to us in the last five months (this has taken me a good five hours to assemble, for one thing), it’s probable that 2020 is a fair equal to 1968, if not actually surpassing the collective effect of the earlier year by this point in the calendar.

How did they get through it then? Good question! I’m gong to call my mid-70s-aged Father to find out. You should call someone at least 65 years old and do the same, as everyone copes in different ways. After reading all of this, at least you’ll have a common understanding of what they went through.

Good luck to us all.

#BlackOut #Coping #worst year ever #Know Your History #2020 vs 1968

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thefortyeightlawsofpower-blog · 7 years

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LAW # 21 : PLAY A SUCKER TO CATCH A SUCKER—SEEM DUMBER THAN YOUR MARK

JUDGEMENT

No one likes feeling stupider than the next person. The trick, then, is to make your victims feel smart—and not just smart, but smarter than you are. Once convinced of this, they will never suspect that you may have ulterior motives.

In the winter of 1872, the U.S. financier Asbury Harpending was visiting London when he received a cable: A diamond mine had been discovered in the American West. The cable came from a reliable source—William Ralston, owner of the Bank of California—but Harpending nevertheless took it as a practical joke, probably inspired by the recent discovery of huge diamond mines in South Africa. True, when reports had first come in of gold being discovered in the western United States, everyone had been skeptical, and those had turned out to be true. But a diamond mine in the West! Harpending showed the cable to his fellow financier Baron Rothschild (one of the richest men in the world), saying it must be a joke. The baron, however, replied, “Don’t be too sure about that. America is a very large country. It has furnished the world with many surprises already. Perhaps it has others in store.” Harpending promptly took the first ship back to the States.

Now, there is nothing of which a man is prouder than of intellectual ability, for it is this that gives him his commanding place in the animal world. It is an exceedingly rash thing to let anyone see that you are decidedly superior to him in this respect, and to let other people see it too.... hence, white rank and riches may always reckon upon deferential treatment in society, that is something which intellectual ability can never expect To be ignored is the greatest favour shown to it; and if people notice it at all, it is because they regard it us a piece of impertinence, or else as something to which its possessor has no legitimate right, and upon which he dares to pride himself; and in retaliation and revenge for his conduct, people secretly try and humiliate him in some other way; unit if they wait to do this, it is only for a fitting opportunity. A man may be as humble as possible in his demeanour and yet hardly ever get people to overlook his crime in standing intellectually above them. In the Garden of Roses, Sadi makes the remark: “You should know that foolish people are a hundredfold more averse to meeting the wise than the wise are indisposed for the company of the foolish.”

On the other hand, it is a real recommendation to be stupid. For just as warmth is agreeable to the body, so it does the mind good to feel its superiority; and a man will seek company likely to give him this feeling, as instinctively as he will approach the fireplace or walk in the sun if he wants to get warm. But this means that he will be disliked on account of his superiority; and if a man is to be liked, he must really be inferior in point of intellect.

ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER, 1788-1860

When Harpending reached San Francisco, there was an excitement in the air recalling the Gold Rush days of the late 1840s. Two crusty prospectors named Philip Arnold and John Slack had been the ones to find the diamond mine. They had not divulged its location, in Wyoming, but had led a highly respected mining expert to it several weeks back, taking a circular route so he could not guess his whereabouts. Once there, the expert had watched as the miners dug up diamonds. Back in San Francisco the expert had taken the gems to various jewelers, one of whom had estimated their worth at $1.5 million.

Harpending and Ralston now asked Arnold and Slack to accompany them back to New York, where the jeweler Charles Tiffany would verify the original estimates. The prospectors responded uneasily—they smelled a trap: How could they trust these city slickers? What if Tiffany and the financiers managed to steal the whole mine out from under them? Ralston tried to allay their fears by giving them $100,000 and placing another $300,000 in escrow for them. If the deal went through, they would be paid an additional $300,000. The miners agreed.

The little group traveled to New York, where a meeting was held at the mansion of Samuel L. Barlow. The cream of the city’s aristocracy was in attendance—General George Brinton McClellan, commander of the Union forces in the Civil War; General Benjamin Butler; Horace Greeley, editor of the newspaper the New York Tribune; Harpending; Ralston; and Tiffany. Only Slack and Arnold were missing—as tourists in the city, they had decided to go sight-seeing.

When Tiffany announced that the gems were real and worth a fortune, the financiers could barely control their excitement. They wired Rothschild and other tycoons to tell them about the diamond mine and inviting them to share in the investment. At the same time, they also told the prospectors that they wanted one more test: They insisted that a mining expert of their choosing accompany Slack and Arnold to the site to verify its wealth. The prospectors reluctantly agreed. In the meantime, they said, they had to return to San Francisco. The jewels that Tiffany had examined they left with Harpending for safekeeping.

Several weeks later, a man named Louis Janin, the best mining expert in the country, met the prospectors in San Francisco. Janin was a born skeptic who was determined to make sure that the mine was not a fraud. Accompanying Janin were Harpending, and several other interested financiers. As with the previous expert, the prospectors led the team through a complex series of canyons, completely confusing them as to their whereabouts. Arriving at the site, the financiers watched in amazement as Janin dug the area up, leveling anthills, turning over boulders, and finding emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and most of all diamonds. The dig lasted eight days, and by the end, Janin was convinced: He told the investors that they now possessed the richest field in mining history. “With a hundred men and proper machinery,” he told them, “I would guarantee to send out one million dollars in diamonds every thirty days.”

Returning to San Francisco a few days later, Ralston, Harpending, and company acted fast to form a $10 million corporation of private investors. First, however, they had to get rid of Arnold and Slack. That meant hiding their excitement—they certainly did not want to reveal the field’s real value. So they played possum. Who knows if Janin is right, they told the prospectors, the mine may not be as rich as we think. This just made the prospectors angry. Trying a different tactic, the financiers told the two men that if they insisted on having shares in the mine, they would end up being fleeced by the unscrupulous tycoons and investors who would run the corporation ; better, they said, to take the $700,000 already offered—an enormous sum at the time—and put their greed aside. This the prospectors seemed to understand, and they finally agreed to take the money, in return signing the rights to the site over to the financiers, and leaving maps to it.

News of the mine spread like wildfire. Prospectors fanned out across Wyoming. Meanwhile Harpending and group began spending the millions they had collected from their investors, buying equipment, hiring the best men in the business, and furnishing luxurious offices in New York and San Francisco.

A few weeks later, on their first trip back to the site, they learned the hard truth: Not a single diamond or ruby was to be found. It was all a fake. They were ruined. Harpending had unwittingly lured the richest men in the world into the biggest scam of the century.

Interpretation

Arnold and Slack pulled off their stupendous con not by using a fake engineer or bribing Tiffany: All of the experts had been real. All of them honestly believed in the existence of the mine and in the value of the gems. What had fooled them all was nothing else than Arnold and Slack themselves. The two men seemed to be such rubes, such hayseeds, so naive, that no one for an instant had believed them capable of an audacious scam. The prospectors had simply observed the law of appearing more stupid than the mark—the deceiver’s First Commandment.

The logistics of the con were quite simple. Months before Arnold and Slack announced the “discovery” of the diamond mine, they traveled to Europe, where they purchased some real gems for around $12,000 (part of the money they had saved from their days as gold miners). They then salted the “mine” with these gems, which the first expert dug up and brought to San Francisco. The jewelers who had appraised these stones, including Tiffany himself, had gotten caught up in the fever and had grossly overestimated their value. Then Ralston gave the prospectors $100,000 as security, and immediately after their trip to New York they simply went to Amsterdam, where they bought sacks of uncut gems, before returning to San Francisco. The second time they salted the mine, there were many more jewels to be found.

The effectiveness of the scheme, however, rested not on tricks like these but on the fact that Arnold and Slack played their parts to perfection. On their trip to New York, where they mingled with millionaires and tycoons, they played up their clodhopper image, wearing pants and coats a size or two too small and acting incredulous at everything they saw in the big city. No one believed that these country simpletons could possibly be conning the most devious, unscrupulous financiers of the time. And once Harpending, Ralston, and even Rothschild accepted the mine’s existence, anyone who doubted it was questioning the intelligence of the world’s most successful businessmen.

In the end, Harpending’s reputation was ruined and he never recovered; Rothschild learned his lesson and never fell for another con; Slack took his money and disappeared from view, never to be found. Arnold simply went home to Kentucky. After all, his sale of his mining rights had been legitimate; the buyers had taken the best advice, and if the mine had run out of diamonds, that was their problem. Arnold used the money to greatly enlarge his farm and open up a bank of his own.

KEYS TO POWER

The feeling that someone else is more intelligent than we are is almost intolerable. We usually try to justify it in different ways: “He only has book knowledge, whereas I have real knowledge.” “Her parents paid for her to get a good education. If my parents had had as much money, if I had been as privileged....” “He’s not as smart as he thinks.” Last but not least: “She may know her narrow little field better than I do, but beyond that she’s really not smart at all. Even Einstein was a boob outside physics.”

Given how important the idea of intelligence is to most people’s vanity, it is critical never inadvertently to insult or impugn a person’s brain power. That is an unforgivable sin. But if you can make this iron rule work for you, it opens up all sorts of avenues of deception. Subliminally reassure people that they are more intelligent than you are, or even that you are a bit of a moron, and you can run rings around them. The feeling of intellectual superiority you give them will disarm their suspicion-muscles.

In 1865 the Prussian councillor Otto von Bismarck wanted Austria to sign a certain treaty. The treaty was totally in the interests of Prussia and against the interests of Austria, and Bismarck would have to strategize to get the Austrians to agree to it. But the Austrian negotiator, Count Blome, was an avid cardplayer. His particular game was quinze, and he often said that he could judge a man’s character by the way he played quinze. Bismarck knew of this saying of Blome’s.

The night before the negotiations were to begin, Bismarck innocently engaged Blome in a game of quinze. The Prussian would later write, “That was the very last time I ever played quinze. I played so recklessly that everyone was astonished. I lost several thousand talers [the currency of the time], but I succeeded in fooling [Blome], for he believed me to be more venturesome than I am and I gave way.” Besides appearing reckless, Bismarck also played the witless fool, saying ridiculous things and bumbling about with a surplus of nervous energy.

All this made Blome feel he had gathered valuable information. He knew that Bismarck was aggressive—the Prussian already had that reputation, and the way he played had confirmed it. And aggressive men, Blome knew, can be foolish and rash. Accordingly, when the time came to sign the treaty, Blome thought he had the advantage. A heedless fool like Bismarck, he thought, is incapable of cold-blooded calculation and deception, so he only glanced at the treaty before signing it—he failed to read the fine print. As soon as the ink was dry, a joyous Bismarck exclaimed in his face, “Well, I could never have believed that I should find an Austrian diplomat willing to sign that document!”

The Chinese have a phrase, “Masquerading as a swine to kill the tiger.” This refers to an ancient hunting technique in which the hunter clothes himself in the hide and snout of a pig, and mimics its grunting. The mighty tiger thinks a pig is coming his way, and lets it get close, savoring the prospect of an easy meal. But it is the hunter who has the last laugh.

Masquerading as a swine works wonders on those who, like tigers, are arrogant and overconfident: The easier they think it is to prey on you, the more easily you can turn the tables. This trick is also useful if you are ambitious yet find yourself low in the hierarchy: Appearing less intelligent than you are, even a bit of a fool, is the perfect disguise. Look like a harmless pig and no one will believe you harbor dangerous ambitions. They may even promote you since you seem so likable, and subservient. Claudius before he became emperor of Rome, and the prince of France who later became Louis XIII, used this tactic when those above them suspected they might have designs on the throne. By playing the fool as young men, they were left alone. When the time came for them to strike, and to act with vigor and decisiveness, they caught everyone off-guard.

Intelligence is the obvious quality to downplay, but why stop there? Taste and sophistication rank close to intelligence on the vanity scale; make people feel they are more sophisticated than you are and their guard will come down. As Arnold and Slack knew, an air of complete naivete can work wonders. Those fancy financiers were laughing at them behind their backs, but who laughed loudest in the end? In general, then, always make people believe they are smarter and more sophisticated than you are. They will keep you around because you make them feel better about themselves, and the longer you are around, the more opportunities you will have to deceive them.

Image: The Opossum. In playing dead, the opossum plays stupid. Many a predator has therefore left it alone. Who could believe that such an ugly, unintelligent, nervous little creature could be capable of such deception?

Authority: Know how to make use of stupidity: The wisest man plays this card at times. There are occasions when the highest wisdom consists in appearing not to know—you must not be ignorant but capable of playing it. It is not much good being wise among fools and sane among lunatics. He who poses as a fool is not a fool. The best way to be well received by all is to clothe yourself in the skin of the dumbest of brutes. (Baltasar Gracián, 1601-1658)

REVERSAL

To reveal the true nature of your intelligence rarely pays; you should get in the habit of downplaying it at all times. If people inadvertently learn the truth—that you are actually much smarter than you look—they will admire you more for being discreet than for making your brilliance show. At the start of your climb to the top, of course, you cannot play too stupid: You may want to let your bosses know, in a subtle way, that you are smarter than the competition around you. As you climb the ladder, however, you should to some degree try to dampen your brilliance.

There is, however, one situation where it pays to do the opposite—when you can cover up a deception with a show of intelligence. In matters of smarts as in most things, appearances are what count. If you seem to have authority and knowledge, people will believe what you say. This can be very useful in getting you out of a scrape.

The art dealer Joseph Duveen was once attending a soiree at the New York home of a tycoon to whom he had recently sold a Dürer painting for a high price. Among the guests was a young French art critic who seemed extremely knowledgeable and confident. Wanting to impress this man, the tycoon’s daughter showed him the Dürer, which had not yet been hung. The critic studied it for a time, then finally said, “You know, I don’t think this Dürer is right.” He followed the young woman as she hurried to tell her father what he had said, and listened as the magnate, deeply unsettled, turned to Duveen for reassurance. Duveen just laughed. “How very amusing,” he said. “Do you realize, young man, that at least twenty other art experts here and in Europe have been taken in too, and have said that painting isn’t genuine? And now you’ve made the same mistake.” His confident tone and air of authority intimidated the Frenchman, who apologized for his mistake.

Duveen knew that the art market was flooded with fakes, and that many paintings had been falsely ascribed to old masters. He tried his best to distinguish the real from the fake, but in his zeal to sell he often overplayed a work’s authenticity. What mattered to him was that the buyer believed he had bought a Dürer, and that Duveen himself convinced everyone of his “expertness” through his air of irreproachable authority. Thus, it is important to be able to play the professor when necessary and never impose such an attitude for its own sake.

#advice #power #quote #quotes #business

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glare-gryphon · 7 years

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I Have No Self-Control.docx

Here’s the full chapter of that WIP I posted last night. It made me feel much better to write it. Sith/Jedi ABO AU

Do Not Go Gently

~2500 Words

Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker

Additional Tags: Jedi!Alpha!Obi-Wan, Sith!Omega!Anakin, Alternative Universe, Omegaverse

Summary:

Anakin Skywalker is only six months into his Jedi training when he goes missing on a mission, bringing his Master’s life crashing down. Unable to recover from the loss, Alpha Obi-Wan Kenobi grieves his Padawan’s loss, unaware that his life would once again be turned on end with the arrival of an Omega Sith Lord to the Temple ten years later.

When he closes his eyes, Obi-Wan can still picture everything as clearly as if it only happened yesterday. He can hear the murmurs of the crowd as they pass, going about on their day to day business, and the gurgle of the fountain. He can smell its wetness on a warm summer day, mingled and mixed with the almost milky scent of youth that lingers around his young charge. He can feel Anakin's weight on his back, his arms around Obi-Wan's neck as they weave their way through the busy streets. He'd wanted to be high—as high as Obi-Wan could get him, anyways—in order to better take in the sights of a new and exciting culture.

They'd only been partnered together six months. Six months spent within the confines of the Temple's walls, only daring stray as far as the gardens and the yards while Anakin adjusted to the new rigors of Jedi life. The transition hadn't been easy for either of them, but they were slowly taking steps in the right direction. Considering Anakin’s history as a slave, Obi-Wan considered any progress at all great leaps. There was trust to be established—loyalty to be earned. Nothing comes free to a slave, and Obi-Wan knew that in those first few weeks, Anakin was waiting for the day the bill came due. It had taken a great deal of effort to convince him otherwise; to prove that nothing he could say or do would make Obi-Wan turn him away. He had made a promise to his Master to raise the boy, and raise him he would.

When they were called to the Council Chamber for their first assignment off-world, Obi-Wan had protested mightily. There was progress being made, yes, but they weren't ready for the stressors that the rest of the galaxy can bring. The Training Bond between them was there, was strong for its age due to the events of Naboo and their unusual circumstances, but not strong enough for Obi-Wan's comfort. If he'd gotten his way, they would have waited. If he'd gotten his way, they would have remained in the safety of the Temple until that delicate tie between them had hardened into a durasteel chain.

The thing about the Jedi Council, however, is that they very rarely care for the opinions of young Knights, Sith-Killers or not. Once they have made a decision, there is very little that can move them from their position. So Obi-Wan's protests had fallen on deaf ears, and he and his very young Padawan had been packed away on the first available transport to a supposedly unimportant world in a supposedly unimportant system to play mediator between two opposing factions in a supposedly unimportant civil war.

They stop at the edge of the fountain, Obi-Wan allowing Anakin to slide from his back and swirl hesitant, but curious fingers in its flow. He still marvels at the amount of water that the rest of the galaxy holds, from the showers in the Temple to decorative fountains like these. It's always a pleasure to watch him, something curling warm and contented in his chest as a delighted smile blooms across the boy's face. Still, despite the serenity of the moment, the gentle glow of life that seems to emanate from Anakin at every given moment, there is something putting Obi-Wan’s teeth on edge. He feels it in the Force—oppressive as a wet blanket. It feels too much those moments on Tatooine and Naboo before the emergence of the Sith for Obi-Wan’s comfort.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan asks. "Do you think you can remember where this fountain is?"

Anakin nods in the affirmative, scooping a palm full of water and watching it trickle down his hand and back into the fountain’s basin.

Obi-Wan echoes it with a nod of his own. "While this is supposed to be a strictly diplomatic mission, sometimes things happen in the field that we aren't expecting—"

"—Like Master Jinn and the Sith?" Anakin asks, terribly clever.

Obi-Wan feels his heart clench at the mention of his lost Master. "Yes, Anakin, like the Sith. So if something were to happen, if we were to get separated at any point during this mission, I would like you to come back to this fountain and wait for me. Do you understand? No matter what happens, I will come back for you. I will find you."

"Yes, Master," the boy replies, meeting Obi-Wan's eyes, his tone taking on the same hard edge as his Master's. Sometimes it's easy to forget that Anakin is far more experienced in the ways of the world than his peers. At least, in things like this—in survival. His round, innocent face and baggy Jedi robes (years of malnourishment still to be corrected) are a misleading mask for the trouble and experience earned in his short years. "I'll be here."

"Good," Obi-Wan breathes, reaching out to tussle the boy's Padawan cut. "Good," he repeats, when Anakin returns his attention to the fountain. There is something in the air that he can't seem to shake—an unease that raises the hair on the back of his neck.

The chronometer on his wrist mount flashes, informing him that the time of their meeting with the factions is approaching, and Obi-Wan is forced to pull Anakin away from the object of his fascination. They stroll side by side down the busy streets, Anakin's small hand in his, as the Padawan asks questions about the culture and the architecture and the various alien species that are still new to him. Obi-Wan does his best to answer, and for a moment almost forgets the stifling pressure in the air.

Until the first explosion goes off, leveling houses along the left side of the street. Rubble comes crashing down, sending the foot traffic scattering in a cacophony of shrieks and screams. Only a moment after the first, barely enough time for Obi-Wan to regain his bearings, a second explosion rips through the block on the other side of the street.

It seems one faction of the government has taken peaceful negotiations off the table.

Jostled by falling debris and the fleeing crowd, Anakin's hand is yanked from Obi-Wan's hold. He fumbles for it, calls out to the boy, but it's no use. He's already been pulled with the flow of civilians well beyond Obi-Wan's reach.

From the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan catches movement along the rooftops nearest the blast: the bombers. Suddenly, he is faced with an agonizing choice.

Jedi vows compel him to go after the bombers. It is his duty to protect the people of this city from further harm at their hands, and if he goes now, he can catch them. Maybe even be able to salvage these negotiations by convincing the rest of their faction to write them off as extremists and bring peace to this planet. On the other hand, instinct ingrained into his very genetic code is pushing, urging, screaming for him to abandon the bombers for now and seek out his wayward Padawan. The air is thick with fear and blood and Obi-Wan almost cedes. But a Jedi is above instinct, and he has Anakin's word to wait for him.

He makes a decision.

Despite his speed in giving chase, the bombers manage to lose him in the chaos of the crowd. Dust from debris and the acrid tang of blood and fear coat his nose and mouth, making more primitive methods of tracking them impossible. With no other options, he is forced to abandon the chase.

While there is a bitter disappointment that comes with not catching his quarry, Obi-Wan is a little relieved. To apprehend them would have meant dealing with the local authorities, delaying his return to where his wayward pupil awaits. Darkness still hangs uncomfortably in the air, curled around his chest and squeezing, and he is eager to have Anakin back within arm's reach.

Striding through the damaged streets towards their meeting place, Obi-Wan takes in the ruin. It seems odd to him that the factions would request a Judi negotiator only to level several blocks with explosives mere hours before peace talks began. What's more, the bombers didn't seem to belong to species that regularly made their homes in this area. Perhaps one of the factions had hired a small crew of Bounty Hunters to do their dirty work? But where would they have gotten the credits for such an exploit? According to the briefing packet Obi-Wan received, the only reason peace was on the table was because the economy had begun to struggle in the wake of the governmental upset, making it difficult for either faction to raise the funds they need to continue to fight...

It is a curious dilemma, which is struck from his mind when he enters the small square containing his and Anakin's meeting place. The fountain had not fared well in the attack, a large piece of rubble sent flying by the force of the explosions having made its residence upon it. The great spire that one stood in the fountain's center has fallen, its basin cracked and crumbling. Water pours from from it, spilling out onto the cobblestone streets and trickling away in a slow, steady stream. More importantly, however--Most importantly--Anakin is nowhere to be seen.

Obi-Wan does not allow himself to panic. Not at first, anyways. He circles the structure, making sure he hasn't missed the boy among the rubble, and deems him absent once again. Perhaps, Obi-Wan thinks, he is only lost. Perhaps he had overlooked the landmark, what with all the damage it took in the blasts. Anakin is a resourceful child, and quite stubborn once he sets himself to a task. If he is lost, he will find a way here eventually. He will not rest until he does so. With that in mind, Obi-Wan settles on the ground, leaning back against a dry, undamaged section of the basin. Best to wait. Anakin will come.

Yet as an hour passes, then two, then three, there has been no sign of his boy. Even though a Jedi is taught to fear, Obi-Wan can feel its beginnings bubbling up in his chest. Anakin is a resourceful child, yes, but still a child. Still a child on a strange planet so very far from his home; still a child in the middle of an active war zone.

Obi-Wan should never have left him alone.

The thought has him on his feet, pacing the borders of the square. There are several small streets leading off it, and Obi-Wan finds himself hesitating as he passes each one. He wants to walk down them, to search for the boy, but he'd promised to be here. What if Anakin returned and found no Obi-Wan waiting for him? But what if Anakin was out there, lost and alone or trapped and scared by the destruction that has been brought upon the town? He can't seem to make up his mind on the matter, leaving him pacing the square until several more hours have past and exhaustion forces him to still.

Retaking his position against the fountain, Obi-Wan considers going back to his ship. Night is beginning to fall; it wouldn't do to leave himself exposed to the elements. But he couldn't condemn his student to a night in the cold, either. If Anakin returns during the night, he wants to be able to ferry the boy to shelter as soon as possible. Obi-Wan can't leave, he can't, so he prepares himself for the long night ahead.

But Anakin does not come in the night, nor does he arrive the following morning. By the afternoon, Obi-Wan has given up on waiting, convinced that something must be holding up his pupil's return. He wander through the streets, stopping civilians to ask if they've seen a boy—about this high, blond hair, wearing Jedi attire—anywhere in their repair efforts. They all tell him no. He wants to scream.

From the Force, he feels nothing. The Training Bond he shares with Anakin was not strong enough to handle such extended separation. It feels like something had pulled the string until it snapped, its frayed edges floating aimlessly in the currents of the Force. Obi-Wan had told the Council that they weren't ready. They needed more time to grow, to connect. They needed to be able to use that Bond the way it was meant--to be able to sense the other partner. If they'd had a proper Bond, he would have found Anakin by now.

He'd told the Council they weren't ready.

The second day of his search yields nothing, not the third, nor the fourth. The comm link on his wrist chimes incessantly, but he pays it no attention. He doesn't care to speak with the Council at the moment, he tells himself every time he silences the chirping device; he will call them back later. Except that he never does, and four days turns to two weeks and Anakin still hasn't been located.

Obi-Wan can't remember the last time he really slept, the last real meal he ate. Before they left the Temple, he supposes. With Anakin. His time is split between actively searching for the boy and aiding in the clean-up effort if only out of some sick hope that they'll find Anakin's body amongst the rubble. It would not be the ending he hoped for, but it would be closure. Better to know for certain than this endless uncertainty. The people of the town pay him no heed; they have their own problems to handle.

By the end of the third week, a new ship arrives at the spaceport. Obi-Wan hears of it through the conversations of the citizens passing his position at the newly-repaired fountain, but does not bother to investigate. These days, he rarely leaves his vigil. Children come and go, occasionally bringing him treats and asking after a story. Obi-Wan obliges, if only to pass the time until Anakin arrives.

The Council's emissaries find him there, curled against the cool stone. Sunken-eyed and shaggy, still in the soiled robes he'd been wearing that first day. They'd taken one look at him and known.

When Obi-Wan closes his eyes, it feels just like yesterday. But it wasn't. Years now stretch between the day he lost his young pupil and this moment, curled beneath the blankets of Anakin's cot. The boy's scent has long since faded from the fabric, replaced by his own Alpha musk, but Obi-Wan imagines he can still smell it when he buries his face into the mattress. His wayward apprentice.

Outside the room, in the sitting area of the apartment the Council had never convinced him to move out of, his comm link chimes.

#gryph fic #obikin #Sith/Jedi ABO AU

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doublenuzlocke · 7 years

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Entry #2: Fallout Double Nuzlocke

Year- 2274 CE

After the world was destroyed by nuclear weapons where all vaults such as New Bark Town and Pallet Towns had people living underground all their lives. However, at age of 10 years old where the young venture into harsh environment that everything will kill him. Most did not make it, but there’s few became living legends.

Not all life was killed, there was many pokemon were saved during the vaults and often raised as companions for those to venture into the unknown wasteland. Some make it and others did not. In Kanto, Vault Pallet Town has three legendary kids who venture into the unknown where they had faced dreaded Team Rocket, evil Mercenaries who exploited the local populace.

Red is more a melee fighter while Green is a weapon specialist. Blue, however is more thief with a heart of gold. After meeting the Brotherhood of Steel Kanto Chapter, they have defeated Team Rocket who under payroll of Enclave. The three decided to become merchants and venture into the wildness and helping out others despite both Red and Green wonder why Blue is ripping other merchants off.

Year- 2277 CE

Three years after the Kanto event, Johto is about to receive its own heroes. Vault New Bark town has three kids who lived in the vault except for one who want to leave the vault. Gold, Crystal, and Lyra were those heroes who were about to enter the dreaded wasteland.

It all happen when Crystal’s mother went out of the vault and Crystal decides to go after her only for Gold and Lyra to enter the wasteland with their companions. They saw Johto is now scarred wasteland where they must face various mutated creatures especially mutated fusion Pokemon, raiders, slavers, and Team Rocket Remnant. The trio strumble upon a certain red hair individual wearing power armor named Silver. He was looking for his teacher, Lance who founded Brotherhood of Steel Johto chapter.

They continue their adventure into the ruins of Goldenrod city to Blackthorn settlement. In this AU, all gymleaders are mayors of what’s left of civilizations. The Team Rocket remnants are hunting the trio as they discover that Silver is no other than son of Giovanni, leader who was defeated by Kanto heroes. Silver swore to bring them down.

During their time in Maghoney town, they stopped Team Rocket’s plans to continue mutate magikarp and save Lance from the clutches of Team Rocket. He offers them intel of their operations during the past three years since their supposed disband. Lance leaves with Silver, but Lyra wants to tag along as well. Lance takes Lyra as a new recuit. Gold makes a comment that Lyra has a thing for Silver.

After strumble upon Olivine City, Gold and Crystal found Crystal’s mother was working a project to restore environment from nuclear fallout been around for 200 years. However, enclave with support of Team Rocket arrived to take the project and claimed it for their own. Brotherhood of Steel appear and saved the heroes and Crystal’s mother as they fled away from them.

They went to their headquarters in Blackthorn that they have set up operations. Crystal’s mother has told them about the information, but need supplies and equipment to make it happen. All items that was needed was from Professor Oak in Vault Pallet Town. Crystal’s mothers beg Crystal to go there and retrieve the items. Crystal accepts the mission, but Gold volunteers to help her out.

Lyra helps out the project as she becomes a scribe for Brotherhood of Steel Johto. Crystal worries that she might messed up, but confident that she will do fine on her own. Both Gold and Crystal go into the Kanto region as yet the unknown danger awaits for them. Along the way, they have met both Green and Blue who tells the duo that Red had disappeared three years ago and nobody has ever seen him.

They reach to Vault Pallet Town as Professor Oak told them about the project that Crystal’s mother was working on, but his machine was taken to Mt. Silver, where it used to be a military installation by United States during time of Sino-American War. Then he said about Red was taken over by a mysterious being which both Blue and Green mention something that during their adventures that Enclave given a task to Team Rocket to create a Pokemon bioweapon under their control.

Then radio was heard that Team Rocket is trying to reach Giovanni as they stated that enclave is coming to give Team Rockets weapons and power armor. No time to lose, they heard to Radio Tower in Goldenrod city ruins where they fought Team Rocket and their enclave allies. After defeating Archer and Silver found Giovanni.

Gold and Crystal told Brotherhood about Mt. Silver was once a military base and the machine build by Oak is there. As they venture into the mountain only to find more mutated pokemon, they entered the heart of the fortress where it was holding massive treasure of weapons, power armor, medical supplies, and vast food stockpile reserves to feed army of 10,000 for ten years. Gold collected good weapons and got his hands on older, but efficient power armor. Crystal was looking into computer files only to find that Oak and her parents were researchers for project Ho-Oh.

They wanted to use Ho-Oh’s ability sacred Ash to recover the lands was destroyed by Nuclear weapons. However, things went wrong as the recording is showing figure destroying the lab with its pokemon. The video ends with a startling with fear and horror. There was a slight chill in other side of the lab as it reveals way to the top of the mountain. What’s way ahead of them was that figure is no other than Red who is taken over by Bioweapon, Mewtwo.

They both managed to defeated Mewtwo and saved Red on time. They found the machine within the lab as they managed to take it back to Blackthorn as they managed to help the machine to produce little of Sacred Ash. Next step was to use the ash on Ho-Oh who died during the Great War. Ho-Oh was recovered and fly all over the lands to help recover the lands was scarred by nuclear war.

Bonus side- Enclave prank

During their time in Kanto, Gold and Crystal are looking into the research complex where Crystal is using the computer into the files. Gold comes in as he trying to look for more stuff.

“This sucks. This place has barely any stuff for valuable.” Gold whined.

“Well, all science books are more worth than caps. I need to go another room. Don’t touch anything. I will be back.” Crystal said as she heads to the next room. Gold being Gold decides to type into the PC as he turns on to find various codes until suddenly…

“Enclave here. Why isn’t your video feed working?” Enclave soldier wondered as the video appear before him. This gives Gold an idea since his face not appear before him.

“We’re working on the visual link right now. I just wanted to test it.” Gold replied which Enclave is curious to know why.

“Well, your unit still doesn’t appear to be operational,, Pal. Who is this?” Enclave soldier is wondering why this doesn’t make any sense. This gives Gold an idea to give a response.

“I’m Chosen One.” Gold smiled as he looks away.

“Chosen One, huh? Well, uh, pardon me for not blowing shushine up your ass, but I’m little too busy for this your highness.” Enclave got annoyed by that remark.

“Uh, I meant I was the one *chosen* to fix the comm-unit. Seems like nothing works anymore.” Gold responded as it was true that he has to deal with electronics on daily basis.

“Huh, ain’t it the truth. Just don’t let anyone who’s got the President’s ear hear that. You’ll making cattle-runs to New Reno ‘til the end of time, pal.” Enclave soldier doesn’t want to deal with his boss.

“president?” Gold wondered.

“Yea, you know how unhappy he gets when people complain. He takes it personal, like it’s loyalty thing. Maybe that just goes with being President of the United States. Or what’s left of ‘em.” Enclave soldier remembered as how President complains and bitches about everything.

“The President of the United States?” Gold asked again which it might be a good response.

The President of the United-Fucking-States of-America. Who’d you think I was talking about? Who the fu - who is- What - I should kick your fucking ass, who is this?“ Enclave soldier is confused of the question which he’s enraged about this.

“You’re not important enough got that information.” Gold said as he’s just trolling with him.

“Oh? A wise guy, huh? Look, I’m tracing you right now, pal. We’ll see how smart you feel with internal security all over fucking ass, dickhead.” Enclave soldier is not lying on that part as it made Gold pissed off about it.

“I’ve got your trace for you, and I can show you just where to shove it.” Gold remarked which Enclave soldier least surprise by it.

“Ah, a few more moments and I’ll have your sorry ass in a sling. Hey, wait a minute. This can’t be right.. I’ve got you somewhere on Japan.”

“That can’t be right. I’m at the comm desk right across the hall from you…” Gold said as Enclave soldier suddenly realized what he meant.

“Made you look. What a rube.” Gold laughed his ass off which only enraged him except something hit him in the screen.

“I’ve got you, at Kanto region, Bill’s lab. Ah, well, why don’t you just sit tight and I” order up a little celebration for ya. Including fireworks.“ Enclave soldier got the trace on him which Gold gulped.

“Oh, goodie. I just lo-ove fireworks. Send me a lot.” Gold remarked that he hopes to grab more stuff.

“Yeah well, whoever you are, I just dispatched a verti-assault team to your location. Have a nice day.” Enclave mentions it which Gold begs to wonder.

“And what are they going to do?” Gold begs the question.

“Usually they just go in shooting. They let someone else sit though the ashes to figure out what was going on.” Enclave soldier described on what they do.

“Oh, now you’ve got me all scared, I need to change my undies.” Gold sarcastic responded which nothing guffs the soldier.

"Goodbye. Next news on you will be when I read the after-action report.“ Enclave hopes they kill him.

"Hey, you just went on my list.” Gold swore he’s next on his list to kill for his pokemon to do.

Several minutes later

Both Gold and Crystal are trapped by Enclave soldiers who ambushed the duo. Crystal looks at him wondering what caused this to happen.

“What did you do!?!” Crystal shouted as they fight back against Enclave soldiers.

#au fanfic contest #submission #republicempire

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swipestream · 6 years

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New Release Roundup, 19 May 2018: Fantasy and Adventure

The Man of Bronze, the Wisewolf’s daughter, a Wild West King Arthur, and the Ark of the Covenant feature in this week’s roundup of the newest releases in fantasy and adventure.

Closure (Javin Pierce #3) – Ethan Jones

Covert operative Javin Pierce will avenge his betrayal or die trying . . .

Off the grid, Javin Pierce is struggling to heal from his wounds. Immediately he’s forced into a shaky deal with former enemies not only to secure his partner’s release from a Saudi jail, but also to settle the score with the traitor who double-crossed them.

While his new rogue team crosses Iraq’s treacherous lands, he can barely stay ahead of the deadly threats coming from all sides. As Javin sets his sights, alliances around him crumble. So with no one left to trust, in an ever-changing maze, how will Javin survive the deadliest mission of his life?

Destruction’s Ascent (Dragon Ridden Chronicles #3) – T. A. White

When the past rises, the world burns.

Newly conscripted into the Emperor’s dragon corps, Tate Fisher is still trying to figure out all that her new position entails. Along with an elevation in status comes dangerous enemies. Enemies who would rather see the dragons fall into ruin than remain in their current place of power.

When a dragon goes missing, followed by a child close to her, Tate is forced to confront the hidden agendas of those in the highest seats of authority. Her search for the truth takes her deeper into the maze of tunnels that lie beneath the city. It’s a place where secrets lurk and dangers abound.

There, she’ll uncover a plot whose origins stretch all the way back to the beginning of this world—one that can only end in the destruction of everything she knows and loves. The key to saving her city lies in her uncertain past. If only she could remember what that was.

The Disclosure Protocol (Warner & Lopex #8) – Dean Crawford

In the United States, the CIA is being held to ransom. Perfectly focused images of Unidentified Flying Objects are being sent to Langley with a demand: provide full disclosure of what the government knows about UFOs or these images will go public.

Struggling with the task of identifying the perpetrators of the images, and aware that they must somehow know when and where UFOs will appear, the CIA sends General Scott Mackenzie in search of Ethan Warner and Nicola Lopez, the only known former US agents with the skills to track down the perpetrator. His mission; obtain the technology that is allowing someone to predict when and where UFOs will appear and ensure that nobody else can access it.

But as the investigation unfolds, so Ethan and Nicola learn that the Russians are also seeking the same technology. As a race against time develops to get the upper hand, victims of strange abduction events implore the government for help, including the parents of a seven-year-old girl who is suffering seizures and post-traumatic stress from her experiences.

From the Indian Ocean to the lonely deserts of Utah, Scotland to Nevada, Ethan and Nicola discover the startling truth about alien abductions and UFO sightings, and realise that full disclosure isn’t about UFOs at all: the knowledge the CIA possesses will change the course of human history…

Dispersal (Guns of the Waste Land #3) – Leverett Butts

Guns of the Waste Land recasts the legends of King Arthur as an American Western.

Set in the late 19th century outside the West Texas town of Bretton, this third volume continues the stories of the men and women devoted in their own ways to Sheriff Ardiss Drake: Percy Murratt, still living with Ardiss, is in love. Unfortunately, so is Ardiss’ foster brother, Caleb and with the same woman. Gary Wayne Orkney has recovered as much as possible from the beating he received from Lancaster O’Loch and desperately wants to ride a horse again and continue is service as a deputy. Reverend Merrle Tallison is considering leaving Bretton and finding a life for himself. Finally, Ardiss’ estranged wife, Guernica, continues to seek closure for the events that brought her to the wilds of the Waste Land.

Haunted Ocean (Doc Savage #4) – Laurence Donovan as “Kenneth Robeson”

“Let me strive every moment of my life to make myself better and better, to the best of my ability, that all may profit by it. Let me think of the right and lend all my assistance to those who need it, with no regard for anything but justice. Let me take what comes with a smile, without loss of courage. Let me be considerate of my country, of my fellow citizens and my associates in everything I say and do. Let me do right to all, and wrong no man.”–The Oath of Clark “Doc” Savage, Jr.

An awesome power haunts the sea, paralyzes New York City and brings the most powerful nations of the world to their knees. Deep in the frozen Arctic an astonishing army of naked men and the forces of international greed challenge the invincible Man of Bronze for the strange secret of the so-called Man of Peace!

Honor at Stake (Love at First Bite #1) – Declan Finn

One is a heartless, bloodthirsty killer. The other is a vampire.

College freshman, Amanda Colt knows few people and wants to know fewer still. She enjoys fencing and prefers facing a challenge every once in a while. She is beautiful, smart, and possibly the most interesting person on campus.

Then she finds tall, intense Marco Catalano in her fencing class. With a mind like a computer and manners of a medieval knight, he scares most people – but not Amanda.They both have secrets, for they are both monsters.

As they draw closer, they must find the line between how much they can trust each other, and how much they can care for each other. Each carries a secret that can destroy the other. But they must come to grips with their personal drama soon, because a darkness rises around them. Bodies keep turning up all over New York, and an army of vampires closes in on all sides.

They have only one hope – each other.

On the Shoulders of Titans (Arcane Ascension #2) – Andrew Rowe

Corin Cadence finally has a firm reason to believe his brother, Tristan, is still alive. Unfortunately, finding more information isn’t going to be easy. Tristan appears to be entangled with a clandestine organization that calls themselves Whispers. And Corin’s last brush with the Whispers didn’t exactly end well.

As much as he wants to follow that lead, Corin has more pressing problems to deal with.

Sera is still suffering from a mysterious malady that has stolen her voice and her magic. Corin knows that a portion of that is his fault, and he’s determined to fix it.

Corin still hasn’t finished his first year at Lorian Heights. If he fails his final exams, he’ll be sent off to the military, and lose his chance to investigate his brother’s fate.

And finally, there’s the issue of enemies. He might have made a few of them.

The biggest problem?

He’s not sure if Jin, once one of his closest companions, is one of them.

The Princess in the Tower (Schooled in Magic #15) – Christopher G. Nuttall

Everyone knows that the Tower of Alexis is impregnable…

…But Emily intends to prove them wrong.

The Kingdom of Zangaria has finally started its descent into civil war. King Randor has declared martial law, imprisoned the pregnant Crown Princess Alassa in the Tower of Alexis and started preparations for a first strike against his enemies. The time has come for everyone to choose a side.

Emily has arrived in Alexis with the intention of freeing Alassa before her father can have her executed. But as Emily and her friends are drawn into a maelstrom of rebellious factions and crown loyalists, of commoners trying to escape the chaos and noblemen trying to make it worse, they find themselves faced with an insolvable problem.

If they manage to liberate Alassa – and put her on the throne – will there be anything left of Zangaria for her to rule?

Sacrifices (War Aeturnus #2) – Charles Dean

Desperate to save as many people as he can from a horrible fate in the cruel game of the gods, Lee and his small group of friends abandon the relative safety of Satterfield for the great city of Kirshtein. Tensions within the city have reached a breaking point after the arrival of an enemy Herald, and Lee is soon caught up in the struggle for power.

Captured, imprisoned, and forced to fight for his life on the blood-soaked sands of the Kirshtein arena, Lee has to figure out how to survive long enough to mend the rifts in the broken city before it falls apart completely. Armed with new skills, joined by new allies, and up against his most dangerous enemy yet, Lee’s bid for survival in the War of Eternity takes on even higher stakes as he learns the what true leadership requires. Now, with an ominous new threat looming in the distance and an army on the horizon, Lee has to answer one question: Can he pay the price of victory?

Son of a Liche (The Dark Profit Saga #2) – J. Zachary Pike

A doubly disgraced dwarven hero. A band of accident-prone adventurers. Giving redemption a second shot may have been a grave mistake…

Still bruised and heartbroken from their last calamitous quest, Gorm Ingerson and his band of washed-up heroes try to make amends for the Orcs they accidentally betrayed. But justice is put on hold when an old foe marches to the city gates. Gorm is horrified to discover a liche pitching the frightened city-dwellers on the merits of the undead lifestyle… at the head of a corpse army.

To save the city from high-pressure sales tactics and an inevitable siege, the Dwarf warrior and his misfit band hatch a harebrained scheme that lands them at the top of the king’s kill list. With death and dark magic on his heels, Gorm must craft his own pitch to round up the troops and put the undead snake-oil salesman and his army of pushers permanently out of business.

The Templar Curse (Sean Wyatt #15) – Ernest Dempsey

Throughout the course of human warfare, no weapon has been as feared, as deadly, as the Ark of the Covenant.

Legend claims that this mysterious, supernatural force, first carried into battle by the ancient Israelites, was so powerful that the Ark could lay waste to entire armies, entire cities in moments—thousands of years before the advent of nuclear bombs.

So, when an ancient order of killers reemerges from the shadows after centuries of hiding—convinced that other secret societies took the Ark from Jerusalem to hide it in early America—international treasure hunter Sean Wyatt knows exactly what they seek and why. And that realization terrifies him.

Together with his best friend and sidekick, Tommy Schultz, Sean must track down the Ark before the Order of the Assassin can. Before their order can pervert this heavenly power and wield it to enslave all of humanity.

Where the Cats Will Not Follow – Stephen Stromp

Ayden finds himself held captive by his former friend, Phillip. Phillip believes Ayden holds the key to finding Ginger, his missing girlfriend. This shocking claim forces Ayden to revisit the adolescent world he shared with his older brother, Everett. It is a world where truth is uncertain and dreams and imagination blur with reality. Everett insists Ayden possesses powers of clairvoyance and has the ability to conjure entities from his mind. As Everett pushes Ayden into increasingly darker territories, events turn deadly. Digging into this murky past, Ayden and Phillip awaken old demons they must face as they race to find Ginger.

Where the Cats Will Not Follow is a strange journey into the mind of a troubled young man who may be delusional–or may in fact possess the extraordinary abilities he was believed to once hold.

Wolf & Parchment, Volume #2 – Isuna Hasekura

The young man Col dreams of one day joining the holy clergy and departs on a journey from the bathhouse “The Spice and Wolf Inn,” owned by his savior, Lawrence. The Winfiel Kingdom’s prince has invited him to help correct the sins of the church. But as his travels begin, Col discovers in his luggage a young girl with a wolf’s ears and tail named Myuri who stowed away for the ride!

The young man Col and the daughter of the Wisewolf, Myuri, survived the scripture riots in the port town of Atiph. Col spends intense days being pined for after Myuri tells him about her love.

Meanwhile, Heir Hyland commissions them for another next job. In the coming war with the Church’s forces, control over the strait between the Kingdom of Winfiel and the mainland will play a crucial role. While Myuri is excited for a new adventure, Col cannot hide his unease after hearing about potential heresy among certain pirates for their faith in the “Black-Mother”!

New Release Roundup, 19 May 2018: Fantasy and Adventure published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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