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myforeverforlife · 4 years

Text

the sacrifice (part one).

Sorcery. Witchcraft. Burnings.

You lead a privileged life, connections to the royal family and the dormant magic of generations of witches keeping you safe from the witch hunts. You pose no threat, your family had abandoned the craft ages ago. But as your cousin lays dying and running out of options, you go against the king’s orders and run the risk of being put to death. Now, your only choice is to seek out the age-old traditions of your family, with all of its secrets and mysteries, in search of the answers you need. But what do you do when the answers that you find aren’t the ones that you want?

A/N: Mentions of minor character death in this chapter

Pairing: Baekhyun and Fem reader

Word count: 5,155

Series masterlist: ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 )

Masterlist

You weren't destined for an ordinary life.

As niece to the king of Elyxere and best friend to the crown prince, your life was already considerably different from that of anyone else's. You were not descended directly from the great kings and queens, only considered royalty through association. Your aunt had married extremely well, and while your father and mother were not of noble blood themselves, they were still considered part of the renowned royal family.

But greatness was known to manifest in many forms.

As a child, your favorite stories were not of how Prince Sehun's grandfather had fought off the kingdom's invaders, but of the magic that your aunt and father's ancestors had possessed.

The same magic that now flowed through both of you.

Of course, no one in the Shin clan had proven to have any powerful magic for centuries. The last witch had been your one of your father's distant relatives, a woman who could conjure up remedies for everyday illnesses and ailments.

Oh, how you wished time and time again that the few drops of magic blood would someday manifest in a large display of power. The promise of magic had always interested you, even as you grew older.

Now, magic was your only hope.

You gulped, heart leaping up into your throat as you carefully flipped through worn pages. These books hadn't been touched in decades, not since your aunt passed.

Not since magic had been banned.

Your senses were on alert, head constantly looking over your shoulder at the slightest bit of noise. Your aunt's room remained just as she left it, and the king would have a fit if he heard that you were snooping around.

But you had given up on trying to reason with him long ago.

It had taken lots of waiting, lots of strategic planning for you to make it to your aunt's bedchambers unnoticed. If anyone had any clues on where the witches were hiding, they would be here. Your father had never been interested in seeking out the craft, leaving all of the family heirlooms to his younger sister. The stacks of books called out to you, tips and histories from ancestors past who still had advice to share.

With a grunt of frustration, you shut the book, placing it to the side with the ones you had already skimmed through. You didn't need recipes, or guidelines for rituals. They wouldn't work for you anyway. What you needed was a map, a journal entry, anything that would point you in the direction of the last remaining witches.

Sehun was doing his best to keep the servants distracted, you knew. Possibly another complaint about how the latest doctor hadn't done anything to help either, or a refusal to take his medicine. That would surely give you another ten minutes, at least.

Leaning against the bookshelf, you reached up on your tiptoes, fingers searching for any last books when they brushed against a leather spine. Your legs were starting to ache from the stress, but you pushed onward, determined to grab the book.

You let out a deep sigh when you finally had it in your grasp, pulling it out and instantly flipping through the pages. Upon first glance, you could already tell that this book was different. Some of the text was indecipherable, written in a language that you didn't understand.

But what caught your eye was the list of names.

Names of people in various clans, different covens stared back up at you, row after row. With a gasp, you traced the script that made up your own name — one of the last few members of the Shin clan.

You didn't recognize any names outside of your family, yours and Sehun's barely squeezing in at the bottom of the page. But the next page held more promise.

"Friends," you read aloud. Friends of your aunt? Of your family? There was only one clan listed there — the Byuns, who were last rumored to be living far away from the capital of Elyxere.

A bustling in the hallway interrupted your thoughts. You scrambled to put the books back where you found them, saving the last one for yourself.

Sliding silently over to the door, you waited until the commotion died down. Now was your chance. You had no time to lose.

With a speed you didn't even know you possessed, you were out of the room, up the lesser used staircases and inside your bedroom before anyone spotted you. The book would have to wait until later. You tucked it into your chest of drawers, hidden under layers of underclothes before heading back out into the hall.

Sehun would be antsy, waiting for good news.

People were coming in and out of his room as you neared the crown prince's chambers, some faces relaxing once they caught sight of you.

"Lady Y/N," one servant greeted you. "His Royal Highness insists that you be here while he takes his medicine."

You forced out a laugh. "Of course. Thank you." Nodding in dismissal, you hoped that you didn't look as nervous as you felt.

Sehun sat up in his wide bed, an almost childish pout on his face as the physician stood beside him. "Y/N!" he exclaimed, face lighting up once he saw you. To the others, he merely seemed excited to see you. But you knew that he was dying to hear of what you had found.

"Will you be a good little prince and take your medicine now?" you asked, taking a seat at the foot of his bed.

Rolling his eyes, Sehun inclined his head towards the physician. "Alright. I'm ready."

The man sighed, worn out by the prince's antics. "Your Highness, this is the same medicine you've been taking for months," he said as he stirred the hot mixture.

"And yet I remain ill. You'll have to forgive me for being wary of medicine that doesn't seem to do me any good." Sehun raised an eyebrow, hands outstretched as he waited for the physician to pass him the bowl.

The room was silent as Sehun slowly, steadily drank up every last drop of the bitter medicine. At this point, he claimed that he didn't even notice the taste anymore. Once he was done, the physician took the bowl back with a relieved smile.

"I'll see you again, same time tomorrow, Your Highness. Lady Y/N," he nodded towards you, bidding you both goodbye. The rest of the servants in the room trailed behind, the last one smoothly closing the door.

Once the door shut with a soft click, Sehun was motioning you closer. "Well?" he whispered. "Did you find anything?"

"Did you mother ever mention anything about the Byun clan?" you asked, just as eager as your cousin.

Sehun's face wrinkled in thought. "No. Who are they?"

"In one of her books, they're mentioned as friends. It's the only lead we've got."

The ailing prince nodded, bangs flopping against his forehead. "When do we leave?"

"You are not going anywhere," you exclaimed. "What would your father think if you just up and disappeared in the middle of the night? The crown prince, of all people."

"What would your parents think?" Sehun countered. "There's no use in arguing, Y/N. I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not."

"Sehunnie," you begged, even as the prince scowled. "This trip would be too much for you. What if you got worse?" Scooting closer, you held your hands out for his own, posture relaxing when they met yours. "You’ve been sick for too long, and I won’t stand for it anymore. I swear, I will not return until I have found your cure."

"But this is my life," Sehun mumbled. "You shouldn't have to do this for me."

With a gentle squeeze, you shot him the most reassuring smile you could muster. "You would do the same for me."

It was true. A relationship forged in the early years of childhood and strengthened through multiple hardships had only resulted in an unbreakable bond. There was no one that you trusted more than your best friend, and you knew without words that he felt the same.

"When do you leave?" he asked.

"Tonight, once I figure out how to get to the outerlands without being detected." Sehun's eyes darkened with worry. "I'll be back, I promise."

The prince let go of your hands, his thin arms extended for a hug instead. You weren't much of a hugger, but for your best friend, the boy who was practically your younger brother, you had no complaints.

"Stay safe," he whispered into your hair. "It's not worth it if you get hurt."

Your stomach twisted in disagreement, but you forced yourself to nod. "Alright. But only if you stay safe too."

Sehun snorted. "I don't think I can help it, being locked up here all the time."

You rolled you eyes with a grin. "Yes, locked up in your golden cage. You know, just because you're sick doesn't mean that I won't hesitate to tickle you."

The prince scrambled back quickly, hands up to protect himself as you began your offense.

Just pretend for a few more hours, you reasoned with yourself. Pretend that your lifelong friend wasn't dying, that your parents wouldn't be heartbroken by your disappearance.

That you weren't possibly facing death by going against the king's orders.

Baekhyun's nose wrinkled in concentration, hands hovering over the rounded crystal before him. His power was nowhere near that of his great-great-great-grandmother's, but he still had enough to be able to use the family scrying stone. However, it was hard to look into the future when the rest of the coven was running around the house like a couple of madmen.

Grumbling under his breath, Baekhyun sat up, hood falling back from his head. Mongryong's ears perked up, the corgi resting next to his master on the floor.

"Can you keep it down out there?" Baekhyun shouted, not even trying to mask his irritation. "None of us are going to find out what happens in the near future if I can't concentrate."

Immediately, the house went quiet. "Sorry," Minseok squeaked out.

"I told Tanie not to chase Dotori around like that," Baekhyun heard Jongdae whisper.

"Well, maybe your familiar shouldn't have been trying to steal her food again."

Fed up with the constant interruptions, Baekhyun stood up, Mongryong already at his heels. He pulled the door open, letting it slam against the wall as the other two members of his coven stared at him in fear. Minseok's cat, Tanie ran to hide behind his legs while Jongdae's chipmunk familiar burrowed herself into the depths of his tunic.

"What have I said about making noise while I'm scrying?" Baekhyun barked out, one brown eye flashing darkly while the other remained an icy blue. "I know concentration's not a big deal for either of you, but I need all the help I can get."

Jongdae and Minseok glanced at each other, the two brothers sharing a knowing glance. "Baekhyun," Jongdae started. "What's wrong?"

The witch ran a hand through his hair with an irritated huff. "The stupid crystal hasn't showed me anything for days, and your constant noise while I'm trying to work is driving me insane."

Minseok came closer, reaching out to rest a hand on Baekhyun's shoulder. "Maybe there's nothing for it to show you right now."

Baekhyun couldn't help but glare at the older man. "It always has something to show me. Even with Mongryong around, the crystal still won't respond." He ran a hand over his face, letting out a low breath. "Maybe there's something wrong with me," admitted, the words coming out in a quick rush.

"Hey," Jongdae said, appearing at Baekhyun's other side. "That's not true."

"Yeah, well it's definitely not the crystal's fault. It has to be me."

After a bit of stifling silence, Minseok finally spoke up. "You know, we have our off days too. What, you think everything I brew turns out perfect? Don't you remember that time I accidentally turned Tanie pink?"

Jongdae chortled with laughter. "A pink cat. That was a first."

"And Dae's spells haven't always worked out," Minseok continued. "Going through a slump is inevitable."

Baekhyun shook his head. "You don't understand. Never, in the century that I've been alive has the crystal failed to respond to me. Why now?"

The other men didn't have an answer to that, both of them stunned speechless by Baekhyun's admission. Mongryong suddenly let out a short bark, running back into Baekhyun's room. The witch turned around, eyes widening when he saw the familiar glow of the scrying stone.

All three men scrambled into the room, Baekhyun pulling the hood of his robe back up onto his head as the other two sat behind him in respectful silence. Baekhyun reached out once more, almost cradling the crystal in his hold. He peered into the depths of it, an unconscious pout on his lips. Squinting through the cloudy surface, he struggled to make out the image swirling within. His confusion only grew as he spotted long skirts, a mess of hair tangled by the wind.

"A girl..." he mumbled to himself. Jongdae opened his mouth, about to ask something when Minseok threw a hand over his mouth. Baekhyun waited patiently, a skill only cultivated after a century of practice and nagging from Minseok about his restlessness.

The murky surface started to clear as Baekhyun concentrated, clouds dispersing to reveal a face. He had never seen the royal family, but the magic running through his veins told him who it was upon first glance. Baekhyun gasped aloud, everyone in the room waiting eagerly. "The princess," he shared aloud.

"Princess?" Jongdae raised a brow. "Not the crown prince?"

"Maybe the crown prince's cousin," Minseok whispered to him. Everyone in the kingdom knew of the royal family and their lineage.

"She's riding on horseback," Baekhyun continued, not even acknowledging the others behind him. "Leaving the castle. Searching for... me."

"You?" both brothers shouted at once.

"That's it. This is the end of the Byun and the Kim clans," Jongdae began to worry. "If a member of the royal family knows where we are, we're dead. Literally."

"She has a grimoire." Baekhyun was practically hypnotized by this point, his voice taking on a dream-like quality. "The late queen's. An artifact of the Shin clan." With that, Baekhyun let out a last shuddering breath before dropping his hands, the scrying stone falling to the floor with a thump and rolling away. Mongryong jumped up, blocking the crystal from rolling any further by lying down on top of it.

"She's coming here?" Minseok repeated as Baekhyun turned around. "But why?"

"To collect us and bring us to the king," Jongdae interrupted.

Baekhyun shook his head. "I don't think so. She was alone, and had the family grimoire too. Why would she bring evidence of witchcraft if she was coming to turn us in?"

"To make us think that she's one of us?" Jongdae suggested weakly. He groaned, the words sounded off even to his own ears.

"She is one of us," said Minseok. "Her and the crown prince, even if the king chooses to ignore it."

"I don't think she comes with any intent to harm us," Baekhyun spoke slowly, tasting the words. "I didn't see anything to suggest otherwise. Mother," his voice faltered. "Mother used to tell me that the late queen's clan was an ally of ours. Maybe she's trying to rebuild ties, fix what's been broken."

"You mean fix the murder of thousands of witches at the hand of her uncle?" Jongdae's face darkened, an unusual expression for one usually so bright. "To ban witchcraft is one thing, but to allow these witchhunts to go on... And to ignore the fact that he has witches in his own home!"

"His wife died because of a witch," Minseok argued softly. "I'm not saying that this excuses anything, but I can understand why he’s been seeking vengeance."

"No amount of magic was going to get the queen better — she had been sick for years! The king used that witch as a scapegoat for his anger when the potion failed to make the queen better, and we've been suffering ever since." Jongdae's eyes were glassy now, pent up frustration rising to the surface. He had never dealt with the full range of anger and despair at their losses. None of them had.

"I think we should let the girl find us," Baekhyun said softly. "Trust me," he added upon seeing the others' shocked faces. "If there was any evil intent, I would have sensed it. If she comes, and things do end up... heading for the worse, I think we can handle one girl."

Tanie rubbed her face against Minseok's knee, coaxing a smile from her owner. "What, do you expect me to turn the princess pink?"

That got a chuckle from Jongdae, the man covering his mouth with one hand. "Stop it," he mumbled. "I'm still angry."

A grin spread over Baekhyun's face. Even with all of the loss and heartbreak shared between the three of them, they still always managed to cheer each other up — even in serious moments like these.

As Dotori climbed out of Jongdae's pocket and curled up in his hand, Mongryong waddled over and plopped himself down onto Baekhyun's lap. Three witches, three familiars. They would be fine, Baekhyun reasoned.

How much trouble could one girl cause?

With each passing day, you found yourself further and further away from the castle, the place you considered home. You barely avoided being recognized by strangers in the first couple of days. Now, a week later in the far edges of Elyxere, you could walk around without fear of a single person knowing who you were. Most of them had never been to the capital before, let alone seen the king's niece with their own two eyes.

You kept your aunt's book hidden from all, only pulling it out in the darkness of night and the security of a rented room. According to what you read, the Byun clan was less than a day's travel away.

Members of the clan were gifted with clairvoyance, able to see into the near future. You learned that your own clan had been known for spell casting, with a few clairvoyants appearing every couple of generations. Reading about your family's rich history often left you with an uneasy lump in the pit of your stomach. How could the king ban witchcraft, ban a talent that had been used to help others?

The memory of your aunt's passing was still strong, especially when you remembered how distraught Sehun had been. The queen had insisted on using magic to save her, after trying countless remedies with no improvement. The king sent for one of the most powerful witches, one skilled in potion-making. Everyone had placed so much faith in the witch's abilities, that it came as a blow to all when the queen only worsened. The king was in denial when she died soon after, taking his frustration and anger out on the witches and their craft.

Things only escalated from there, and soon people were organizing their own hunts for the witches, burning those who showed any sign of controlling magic. You, Sehun and your father were only kept safe due to your relations to the king, as well as the fact that the magic had never manifested for the three of you.

But it still didn't stop you from feeling sick about the hatred, the unbridled violence that people had for the witches.

Sitting up in bed, you slammed the book shut. That was enough reading for now. You'd be lucky if you didn't have any nightmares tonight.

You fell asleep more easily than you had anticipated, breaths evening out as your drifted off into slumber. Most nights, you slept without dreaming — falling asleep and waking up without remembering anything in between.

But tonight, you were very aware that something was different. Even as you slept, you could feel the haziness of a dream clouding your mind. And yet, you still thought as clearly as you did when you were awake. Your skin prickled with goosebumps at the realization — you were lucid dreaming.

"Indeed," a woman's voice called out.

You looked around, searching for the new voice. There was nothing around you, only what looked like a dense, gray fog, filling the air. "Hello?" you called out timidly.

"This is your first dream like this, I suppose? But not the last," the voice continued, almost crooning softly in your ear. "You're very close. Follow your path, and you'll find what you're looking for."

With that, the fog receded, darkness giving way to light before you were forced awake.

Your eyes flashed open, taken aback to see the sunlight filtering through the curtains. Had you really slept through the night? You could have sworn that it had only been a few minutes since you had fallen asleep.

The woman's voice played over and over in your mind, focusing on the firm reassurance behind her words.

"Follow your path, and you'll find what you're looking for."

Your path led you to a forest a long ways distance from the village you spent the night in. Occasionally, the reins would slip from your sweaty grasp. You weren't the most experienced of horse riders, but you had enough training to manage.

The horse slowed as you reached the edges of the forest, whinnying uncertainly at the darkness within. You slid down from its back, trying to figure out how you'd find the Byun clan all while managing not to get lost.

As soon as your feet touched the ground, the horse reared back with its head held high. It let out one last whinny of terror before turning around, galloping as fast as it could back the way you came.

Great. You supposed that's what you got for stealing a horse.

"Follow your path, and you'll find what you're looking for." You repeated the strange woman's advice under your breath, words coming again and again as you tried to reassure yourself. Adjusting your knapsack, you inhaled deeply. You had no other choice. You had to save Sehun.

Carefully, you took one step forward. One step became two, and soon you were walking at a steady, slow pace. The glimmering of the midday sun shone down onto the forest floor, warming up your skin and making you feel less alone.

You could have been walking for hours, for days and you wouldn't notice the difference. It made you uneasy to realize that not once had you come across another person, another animal. Birds chirped from the eaves above, but you had yet to see another living creature.

Your feet moved by their own volition, keeping you going even as you felt yourself start to zone out. The occasional fallen tree branch or cluster of bushes would wake you up, all senses on alert as you pushed forward. You forced yourself not to stop for too long, only pausing for a couple sips of water from your slowly depleting canteen of water, or a few bites from a loaf of hardening bread.

But even with all your progress, you still felt like you were walking in circles.

Groaning in frustration, you stopped by a small stream, resting on top of a lumpy boulder. "Where could they be?" you whispered to yourself, the heaviness of your legs suddenly too much to bear.

A rustling in the trees nearby startled you, head whipping around for the source of the noise. "Who's there?" you called out, a wobble in your voice.

No answer. The tree branches shook lightly as the creature moved around, a chipmunk appearing as it scampered down the tree. Its nose twitched curiously, tail puffed up in interest as it stared at you.

You couldn't help but laugh at yourself. "Really, Y/N. Scared silly by a chipmunk." Rummaging through your bag, you pulled out a couple of berries. "Here you go, little friend. I'm sorry it's not much. I wasn't expecting to be traveling for so long."

The chipmunk came over to your open palm, stuffing one berry and then the other into its mouth. You cooed at the sight of its cheeks, one side round and stuffed with food.

The animal ran back down to the grassy floor, looking into the depths of the trees before staring back at you.

"I don't have any more to share, I'm sorry."

The chipmunk ran around in a small circle before climbing up your skirts and back down. You watched, intrigued as it stood in the same spot as before, almost like it was waiting for you.

"What?" you asked.

With a squeak, it ran into the darkness. You thought your new friend was gone forever until it came back, waiting at the base of a tree.

You had the strangest feeling that it was trying to show you something. It wasn’t every day that you had a chipmunk try to grab your attention. “Should I follow you?" You stood up, legs already sore at the thought of walking again.

It continued to stare, standing still as it waited.

You sighed. "Alright. Your guess is as good as mine."

With a chipmunk as your guide, you continued the long trek, winding throughout the forest. To your surprise, it seemed to know when you needed a break even before you did. It would be rude not to reward such a kind companion, and soon all of your berries were stuffed into the chipmunk’s cheeks.

The sun had left its spot high up in the sky long ago, orange flames licking up the approaching onset of nighttime. "I think we need to find a place to sleep for the night," you panted out.

Giving a high-pitched squeak, the chipmunk circled around your feet before continuing on.

"I can't move as quickly as you do," you complained.

Even as you tried your best, the distance between you and your guide only continued to grow. You called out to it, begged it to slow down, but soon enough you lost sight of it.

"No," you cried, dropping to the floor. Your chest was heaving with the continuous exercise you had put yourself through all day. "No," you said again. "Please."

You thought of Sehun, of the years he had spent lying in bed as his body failed him. You had to keep going.

With a cry of pain, you pushed yourself up, legs shaking as you hobbled forward at a snail's pace. A few seconds later, you could have sworn you saw a tiny light far off in the distance.

Squinting, you tried to figure out if this was real, or a figment of your exhausted mind. The light grew larger, weaving among the tall trees.

"Here!" you called out hoarsely. "Help me, please!"

As the light grew nearer, you realized that it was a person holding a small lantern. You stifled a gasp when you saw the tall, pointed hat on its head, long flowing robes trailing behind it.

A witch.

The figure seemed to glide through the forest, even as it came close enough for you to see its face. As he lifted the lantern up, you were surprised to see the face of a young man.

"My friend tells me you've been traveling for a long time," he spoke, lips curling in a manner you could only describe as feline.

Just then, you noticed your forest guide sitting patiently on his shoulder.

"Great job, Dotori," the man praised. He laughed upon seeing the chipmunk's full cheeks. "Looks like you got some snacks already. I think you'll be fine without any more."

With an almost angry squeak, the creature climbed down the front of the man's robes, burrowing itself into a pocket. Its little head reappeared, an acorn in its paws.

"You... you understand it?" you asked, staring at where the chipmunk was resting.

"Of course. Dotori is my familiar." The man cocked his head to the side, taking in your disheveled, worn out appearance. "Why did you tire her out?" he asked his... familiar? "You could've taken your time," the witch continued to admonish.

Dotori only held up her little acorn in response.

"I know it's almost supper. What have I said about letting your little belly get the best of you?" He sighed, shaking his head before sending you an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that. I hope you're not too tired."

You supposed it would be impolite to complain to a stranger about how you were aching all over, so you mustered up a small smile.

"Come," he said, robes swishing as he turned around. "The others are waiting."

"Others?" Adrenaline surged through your body at the mention of more witches, the rest of his clan. "Are you one of the Byun witches?" you asked, hurrying to keep up with him.

The man paused, a wary look in his eye before he continued on. "No. But we are practically like family."

His evasive answer caught you off guard, but you didn't let it deter you. "My family descends from the Shin clan. We've been allies with the Byun clan for ages."

A muscle jumped in the witch's jaw. "I know, little witch. I suggest you save your questions for Baekhyun. He's the one you want."

Baekhyun. You turned the name over in your mind, trying to remember it from among the lists of names in your aunt's book.

The light of the witch's lantern lit up your path, the clustered mess of tree roots and other flora slowly clearing with each step until you reached an open area ringed with trees. Your mouth fell open upon seeing the house nestled in the center.

"Hurry, before they eat all of our supper," the witch said. He extinguished the lantern's flame before opening the door, Dotori's head peeking out once more.

You followed behind, the sudden gravity of it all hitting you. Finally, you would find the answer you had been searching for.

The witch took off his hat, tucking it under his arm as he yelled out for someone. Shaking his head, he went up the flight of stairs close by, leaving you behind.

"Hello."

The new voice had you jumping out of your skin, only relaxing when you spotted a man sitting by the fireplace. A dog lay beside him, eyes closed as the firelight danced against its fur. This new witch stood up, studying you under his gaze as he approached. You stifled a gasp, taken aback by his eyes.

One a comforting brown, the other one startlingly light blue.

"Why have you been looking for us?" he asked, voice low.

"I," you struggled to get out. "I need a cure. My cousin is dying, and nothing else has worked. I need the help of the Byun witches." You gulped upon seeing the hardening of his eyes. "Are you one of them?"

The man laughed hollowly, the sound sending a chill up your spine. "Princess, you're looking at them."

"I am the last of the Byun clan."

Series masterlist: ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 )

A/N: I have always, always wanted to do some sort of story focusing on witches. This draft has changed multiple times, from being a loosely inspired fic based off of rapunzel with jongdae as the person in the tower, to a fic where y/n is the lost princess, and enlists the help of a mischievous coven of witches to find out who she really is. And now, we’ve come to this final fic idea haha. I think what finally did it for me was seeing baekhyun’s latest magazine shoot, and just knowing that I needed to write this up asap before this just ended up changing again and sitting in my drafts for another year. But I hope you all enjoy it! I’m not sure how many chapters there will be yet, maybe around 4? I also can’t guarantee that the next update will be soon, but once classes end, I should be back on here more regularly by the end of may (and in time for baekhyun solo woohoo)

For clarification, baekhyun’s and minseok’s spirit familiars are their pets in real life, and jongdae’s is a chipmunk because honestly the idea of writing tiny jongdae with an even tinier chipmunk was just too cute to pass up. dotori also means acorn in korean! If you have any questions, my inbox is always open!

#exo #baekhyun #baekhyun scenario #baekhyun fanfic #exo scenario #exo fanfic #writings

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momo-de-avis · 5 years

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Wordtober Day 2: Mindless

This one will be a character study for something I have been planning for a while. Beware of the themes below the cut: violence and sexual abuse, mostly.

___

The sound of cocking guns wafted in the nightly cold winds of winter, and hit the three people who sobbed silently. Under the thick, black cloth, Saskia laughed at his cries.

The sack came off, pulled out in an aggressive jolt, and she breathed in the light air around her. The thick humidity felt welcoming to her lungs. Saskia stood up, patted the dirt off her knees and avoided the sight of poor, miserable Jesper van Wegberg, kneeled now before her like the pious image of a beggar before final judgement. It wasn’t far different from the truth.

His eyes were stuck to her, following every gesture with shock and confusion: the way the rifle was placed gently on her hands, as if it had been shaped to fit there, right between her palms, and her finger hovered softly above the trigger, with just enough of a tremble to let him know how much she wanted to press it. He froze. The coldness danced around the body of the three sentenced who now looked up at their greatest betrayal, this blonde and slender woman that had wheezed and laughed at their stupid jokes while holding on to a glass of wine, eyes cast on a boring piece of art plastered on the wall, the academic jargon slithering out of her mouth like an excruciatingly boring, yet memorized, script: Mr. Sörensen, I think you hit the nail with this one!, you can truly see the influence of later twentieth century post-modernism, it’s something about this idea of deconstruction of the form that is reassembled in a new, progressive notion of culture, don’t you agree?

Bullshit, Saskia thought, cocking the gun calmly as she stared into Jesper’s eyes, and the barrel danced in circles in the air until it kissed the cold skin of his forehead. The others froze too. Johanna Verhoeven was wearing a peacock silk scarf, she noted. It was the ugliest thing she had ever seen, but Saskia detested peacocks. Cocky animals made to suit the tastes of cocky people, who too loved parading their feathers to woo and seduce the ignorant, insidious audience that swooned at their curatorial designs. A few words stitched together, a slight showing of the teeth in a gentle smile, toppled with one final compliment, sugar-coated with the usual scholarly drivel, and they leaned right in.

Now, she was the peacock.

But it was different with Jesper van Wegberg. They had been together for two years, and for a few months, had lived together in the same boring, white and minimalist apartment—right in the middle of the most expensive avenue in Europe. Saskia had been just who the bastard had wanted her to be, without him ever realizing just what lied in between. She slept in his bed and gave in to his advances when his sleazy foot touched her leg, and that dry skin of his heel rubbed against her shin; she had let his hand wander inside her pants when he caught her cooking in the kitchen, and pretended his fingers moved at just the right rhythm to let him tread on; she had let him thrust himself on top of her, bore with every moan he huffed out like a panting dog, and his sweat pushed his body deep into hers. She had stroked his ego with the same rage and disgust she would stroke his dick, and the idiot missed every hint of disgust to her face. Doing it all with the lights off helped, in the end. For two years, he thought it had all been nothing but pleasure.

Jesper van Wegberg had presented his girl, his little Saskia Delors, like a trophy to others—none other than the beautiful niece of the Secretary of Culture for the Regional Government. She dressed in fine clothes, wore expensive high heels, calculated every step, every word, every gesture—sir, you look lovely tonight!; Mr. Jeanneret, how lovely of you to invite me to your gallery opening!, those loafers are stunning, you must tell me where you got them! And behind her, Jesper’s hand, rubbing her back up and down, pushing her forward, thrusting her deep into that life she detested, smiling at the grace and beauty of his girlfriend, his reward, this stunning little thing he kept inside a glass cage in his own home—Saskia Delors, his girl, laying on a chair, naked legs stretched under the gleaming sun, pulling down her sunglasses as she smiled and said: you’re home earlier, darling.

Thinking about it made her sick. She was glad it was over, even if it meant turning her back to everything she had ever known. Saskia looked to her left and watched as Jonas studied her movement; he folded his arms at the chest, gave a step back and nodded. Whatever she would do, he would approve, and Saskia felt nurtured into a deep sense of belonging. She had waited two years for that—for the chance to leave it all behind and fully embrace that life that was Jonas, that was his legacy, that was the entire movement, the entire group, the entire operation.

Jesper shuddered, looked up at her; the others cast their gazes down, to the brown earth beneath them. Saskia tilted her head, waited for the words to come out of his mouth, words she had envisioned a long time ago—words she dreamed about every time she closed her eyes and waited for him to wiggle and squirm in orgasmic delight on top of her. And he said them: “Why, Saskia?”

She laughed. “Why?” She asked. “You ask why, Jesper?” He truly can’t see it, she thought. “You destroyed the lives of hundreds and you ask why? You kicked people out of entire neighbourhoods, closed them down and transformed them into touristic resorts for them to be exploited like objects—and you ask why?”

Johanna Verhoeven panted into her peacock scarf, her lips smacking together in constant shivering, and her humid eyes rolled up to the woman she had once called a sweet little darling. For a long while, she didn’t speak, but then there was the sound of something Saskia barely made out—a laugh. “You’re med—” her teeth clanked together, her chittering barring her words from coming out, shoulders shaking in sobs not yet materializing, but she persisted: “You’re messing with imp—” and nothing; courage, if she had ever had any, died at the tip of her tongue. Then, her eyebrows pressed together, something flashing in her eyes—a boisterous rage she, of all people, felt entitled to—and bobbed her head. “You won’t get away with th—”

The loud bang caught her off guard; Saskia jumped back, swallowed a scream and watched her brains splatter behind her, a tiny explosion of red bursting through her shattered skull. She had missed who had fired the shot so crudely, who had been so cold as to cut off her speech entirely, who had been so untouched by her plea they would just leap forward and end her life with a snap of the fingers. But she wasn’t surprised once she realized it. Milly, of course.

Saskia watched her with curious eyes. Something about Milly was terrifying—bone-chilling, gut-wrenchingly terrifying. Whatever she did, whatever she said, there was no regret to her eyes, no hesitation to her every action. She had no fear. Milly had feared for the twenty-three years she had been alive, she had faced paralyzing dread on the day she had watched a thirty-something-year-old man passing a stack of cash to a woman who allowed him to have his way with her little sister for nothing but greed; maybe she had even embraced the idea of dying that day. Or not. There was perseverance to Milly, too. She wanted to do more than live—to be unapologetically alive, so furiously alive she would feel at last entitled to kill. And nothing held her back. She had lived her whole life inside a glass cage, turned into a living prop for tourists to poke, to touch, to grope—and eventually, spend a few hundreds in cash, a chance to shag her mindlessly like a sex doll. And at the first opportunity, Milly had set herself free by becoming everyone’s worst nightmare.

Her dark brown eyes turned slowly to Saskia, and she shuddered. Milly terrified her, despite being half her age—she had twice Saskia’s rage. “Get done with it,” she mumbled, and gave a step back.

Saskia looked up at the giant statue of Christ Redeemer that rose on the hill, overlooking the quiet river and the silent electricity of the city across it, and heard Jesper whimper. “I was going to propose to you,” she heard him say. She didn’t mind him. Yes, he was. She had found the ring, and had run up to the bathroom to vomit violently for hours and hours; the thought of having to say yes to him made her sick even then. “Was any of it even real?” He asked. Saskia focused on the statue still; she thought there was a pigeon resting on Christ’s left hand. “Something of it must have been real.” His frayed voice lilted as if in the distance. “Please, Saskia.” A cry—faint and soft, of a man filled with shame—and she heard his sobs. “I love you, you said you loved me—it meant something!”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Sleeping with him, having sex with him, pretending she liked him, had been the least. Jesper van Wegberg had been singlehandedly responsible for causing a mass exodus from entire neighbourhoods, closing down its premises for the concept of a Live Exhibition—and the people who had refused to leave turned into props, displayed like in a museum, forced to wear skimpy clothes and perform roles assigned every morning. He had called it culture. He had called it progress. He had insulted the locals, saying they couldn’t possibly understand his vision—Jesper van Wegberg, the messiah of tourism, but the Charioteer of Death itself to people like Milly.

“This won’t get you anywhere,” he whimpered. “These… people are terrorists, just causing mindless violence all over, for—”

This time, it was Saskia who interrupted him. When the bullet came out, she realized what she was feeling—that stupor that bubbled beneath her skin—was rage. She thought it would drive her mad, but it didn’t; she felt grounded, earthbound. That running dormancy that made her lower lip tremble was not unwelcoming—it was two years of pretending coming alight, released at last, and she relished in her deepest desire. Jesper’s body tumbled down, head buried in the earth, where a bubbling mass of red squirted out warm blood. Now there’s a work of art to be displayed, she thought, and she almost believed her own words.

___

So I do hope the main context was easy to understand. And if anyone might be thinking ‘wait a second, a Christ Redeemer and a river? Is that--’ YES it is. It very much is.

Past challenges:

Wordtober Day 1: Ring

#wordtober #writing #my writing #creative writing #fiction #my wordtober

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scandalsavagefanfic · 5 years

Note

1/2 So your soulmate fic got me thinking (It's fucking awesome by the way!) But what about the soulmate AU where you have you mates name on your wrist? Ra's has had JASON TODD printed on his wrist for centuries and has long stopped believing he'll find him when lo and behold his dear detective adopts a boy with the same name. Jason's always wondered about this Ra's al ghul guy even after he finds his file on the bat computer...Jason never dieing and just creepy courting form Ra's.

Sorry it took me so long to get to you!!!

This is going to be a two parter!

Rating: I don’t know how to rate things that aren’t Explicit so... this is probably T at best but the next part may get... sexy ;)

Words: 2527 (see below the cut)

Waiting Game - (Read on AO3)

Ra’sal Ghul has been watching and waiting for years now. There’s no need to rush,he has all the time in the world and the boy was still a child.

Hekeeps his distance, deliberately staying out of Batman and Robin’s way.

WhenBruce Wayne adopted a new young ward with black hair and blue eyes, Ra’s had scoffedat what was obviously either narcissism or a predilection that the Demon’s Headwould never have suspected but would certainly make the Dark Knight even morefascinating.

Thenhe had learned the boy’s name and knew he would have to play things differentlywith this one than he had with the first. So he had been quiet these four yearswhile the Detective took care of the child’s fundamentals training. Waitingpatiently for the perfect opportunity while the boy grew into a strong,intelligent young man.

Ra’srubs at the centuries old mark on his left wrist absentmindedly while he andhis men keep a close watch on the warehouse. This is the chance for which he’sbeen waiting. Batman is too far away to help and if Ra’s was a colder man, orif the boy were any other, he would allow the monstrous clown, product ofBruce’s own misguided ideology, to teach the man a lesson. A lesson aboutleaving one’s enemies alive. A lesson about taking half trained children intowar.

Thechild has been betrayed by his own blood, a woman the Detective doesn’t knowand should never have trusted with something so precious. Ra’s watches theboy’s birth mother smoke a cigarette, unperturbed, as the brightly coloredbeast beats her son bloody with a hefty length of cold metal. He can hear thesharp snap of bones through the wet thud of torn flesh and muscle from beyondhis perch over the skylight.

Ra’spresses his thumb into name that has been printed on his wrist for over 600years once more and gives a brief nod to his men. They’ve waited long enough.Jason Todd knows he’s dead, knows his adoptive father won’t arrive in time tosave him. Knows that there is no hope.

Hismen have their orders. They crash through the windows and doors, easily killingthe Joker’s men and subduing the ‘man’ himself. Ra’s spares a moment to touchthe boy’s face gingerly, softly sweeping bloody locks of hair out of his eyesbefore he passes out. Then he turns to the woman held between two of his men.She looks confused.

“Youdeserve a much longer, more tortuous death than the merciful end you will soonmeet by my blade,” he says icily, “But you brought him into the world when Ihad long since lost all hope of finding the one whose name I bear on my flesh.And for that alone, I am grateful enough to end your otherwise worthlessexistence quickly.”

Heenjoys the terror in the wicked woman’s eyes when she glances to his wrist andsees her son’s name. She doesn’t have all the context, she doesn’t know who Ra’sis or what it means that the broken little bird is his soulmate, but she knowshe’s formidable. Knows she has showed her character.

Toher very minimal credit, she doesn’t beg. Doesn’t plead for her life. Just bowsher head in acceptance. Ra’s obliges.

Witha single swift stroke, he separates her head from her shoulders.

“Come,”he barks at his men, “he needs immediate medical attention. We have already lingeredtoo long.”

TheJoker’s manic laugh bounces around his mind until they reach the transport andare able to sedate him.

———————————————————————————————————-

Jason blinks his eyes open to a room he’s never seen before. The walls arestone and there’s an open balcony beyond the foot of the bed to the left.Sheer, silken curtains of gold flutter in the evening breeze that wafts pastthe entrance.

Thewhite linen sheets he’s carefully tucked into are soft and decadent. The downpillows and comfy mattress cradle his stiff, sore body, and it’s like what heimagines lying on a cloud to be like.

Jasontries to sit up only to hiss in excruciating pain at the slight twitch of hismuscles.

Joker, he thinks angrily. He’s lucky to be alive.

Actually…he’s surprised to be alive.

Ifhe doesn’t move, the pain remains a low, dull, throbbing ache pulsing throughhis body. It doesn’t hurt too badly. Except when he looks down, sees themarks of his torture, the red seeping through the numerous white bandageswrapped around his body.

Thedoor to his right opens abruptly, causing him to flinch involuntarily. Jasonsqueezes his eyes shut and grinds his teeth together to stop himself fromcrying out in pain. When he opens them again, a tall, lean man is gazing at himfrom the foot of the bed.

Avery familiar man.

Jasonswallows and stares back, the mark on his wrist burning. He’s never met Ra’s alGhul before. But after finding his file in the Batcomuter… he has spent a lotof time looking at the man’s face, pouring over his profile, learningeverything he can about him.

Abouthis soulmate.

Onecorner of the older man’s mouth is turned up in a surprisingly kind smile. Thesilence is so thick and heavy between them, Jason feels like he could reach outand touch the air. It is very clear that they both know.

Hedoesn’t dare speak. Couldn’t if he wanted to. He wouldn’t even know where tobegin.

“Howare you feeling?” Ra’s al Ghul asks gently.

Hisvoice is deep and melodious, his words accented and confidently spoken. Thesmooth, soft sound makes Jason’s mouth go a little dry and he licks his lips invain before answering.

“I’m…sore,” he mutters finally, tearing his eyes away from the villain’s to hide thefact that he’s obviously trying to underplay how terrible everything feels.

Ra’stilts his head before allowing his eyes to scan down Jason’s body, smilewidening when Jason shivers under his attention. Then he moves around the bedto sit near Jason’s hip and reaches for the nightstand to retrieve a bowl ofgreen, watery, liquid and a small stack of cloths.

Jasonwatches quietly as the Demon’s Head carefully peels away the bandages fromseveral of his injuries. He’s surprised when the jagged edges of the gashes inhis skin and the dark bruising he expects turn out to be much less… extreme thanhe’d thought. His wounds look half healed.

“AsI am certain you are aware, the waters of the Lazarus pits have miraculoushealing qualities,” Ra’s begins as he dips a cloth into the water and dabs atJason’s wounds. He chuckles when Jason cringes at the words. He must know thethings that Bruce suspects about the pits, about the madness that comes withcontinued use, because Ra’s cuts him off before he can protest. “I anticipatedyour hesitation. You have not been fully immersed. If you had, you would becompletely healed already. The small amount I have used to save your life andlimbs will have no effect on your mind, even if your mentor’s fears werefounded.”

Ra’ssmiles up at him conspiratorially, switching the dirtied cloth for a clean oneand starting on another rip in his skin, “Incidentally, they are not founded.”

Jasonstays quiet, watching awestruck, as his injuries heal and fade before his eyes.Not totally gone, but much better than they have any right to be after…

“Howlong have I been here?”

“Lessthan two days.”

“Twodays? Batman… he’ll… he’ll be worried…” Jason searches the other man’s face forany idea of what his plans may be now. He knows Ra’s won’t concern himself withBruce’s feelings. But he feels adrift, unable to get his bearings, he can’t geta read on his situation.

Theassassin doesn’t answer for a long moment, while he finishes caring afterJason’s broken body. When he changed each dressing, he replaces the items onthe side table and shifts so that he’s more directly facing where Jason ispropped against a pile of pillows. Then Ra’s’s fingertips are grazing overJason’s left hand, gently twisting until the soft underside of his wrist facesupwards.

Theolder man drags his thumb over the delicate script spelling out his own name,the touch setting fire to Jason’s every nerve. Finally, he turns piercing,unnaturally green eyes up to meet Jason’s blue ones.

“Hescours the world searching for you,” Ra’s responds quietly, “Desperatelyseeking his lost son.”

Jasongulps, he can’t look away. He’s trapped by the intensity of those ancient eyes.Dual desires battle for priority in his mind. The need to find Bruce, to lethim know he’s alright wars with the need to take this opportunity, to get toknow his soulmate.

Oncehe returns to Bruce (if Ra’s allows him to return to Bruce), he may never getanother chance.

“Ihave kept my distance these last several years,” Ra’s continues, as though hecan read Jason’s mind, “To facilitate a sort of truce between myself and theDetective. So that one day, when I sought a meeting with you, he might be moreinclined to agree. I have been alive for a very long time and as such, I am avery patient person. A few years while you grew into the deadly young man youwere meant to be is a small fraction of my eternity, so I was content to wait.”

Ra’sgives his hand an affectionate squeeze before dragging his fingers up Jason’sbare arm to delicately palm his cheek. The familiar letters that spell his nameflash on the golden skin just below his lips. “But I have also already waited avery long time. Centuries have come and gone while I slowly lost hope therewould ever exist a ‘Jason Todd’. And so, upon discovering Wayne had adopted a boywith that name, I found myself once again hopeful for something I had come to believeI would never have. I have kept a close eye on you, unwilling to completely trustyour wellbeing to anyone else. Even Bruce.”

Jason’sbreath comes faster, chest moving up and down quickly, the more that voicespeaks. Then Ra’s’s thumb slides over his lips, pulling on the lower one, justa little, just enough to show his teeth and make his eyes go wide with want.

“Andit is a good thing I did so. Batman was never going to make it in time toprevent that maniac from murdering you. It was well after the building wasdestroyed by the Joker’s bomb that your mentor finally arrived.”

Thedirect reference to the event smacks across his consciousness like ice water.

“My—mymother… is she…”

Ashadow passes over the Demon’s face, a darkness that, if Jason is honest withhimself, frightens him a little.

“Theincubator who brought you into the world only to later make a ratherspectacular attempt to remove you from it, did not survive.”

“Did—didyou… kill her?”

Thosegreen eyes bore into him. He feels like the seconds they stare at each otherdrag into infinity.

“No,”Ra’s says flatly, and Jason releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding, “ButI will not say that I am disappointed with her fate.”

Ra’sal Ghul leans into his space. His breath catches again when the assassin pausesless than an inch from his face, searches for something, and smiles when Jason’slicks his lips.

Thenthey’re connected. Ra’s’s mouth is pressed to his and the man’s tongue tenderlyand briefly dips between his teeth to touch his own.

Thenhe’s gone. But Jason can still feel the warm air of his soulmate’s breathghosting across his lips.

Awicked smile meets his gaze when he opens his eyes.

“Ihave a gift for you,” Ra’s growls low and vicious. He glances down Jason’s bodyagain, then his expression softens. “You still need a couple days to recover.When you are well, I have something for you.”

———————————————————————————————————-

Thebodies in the rubble were killed by swords before the building ever blew.

Bruceknew. Even before he found Sheila decapitated, Joker nowhere to be found. Buthe tore through every inch of the debris anyway.

Thenhe started tearing through every hideout and palace and stronghold of Ra’s alGhul’s he could find.

Helikes to think that if he’d known, if he’d seen the name on Jason’s wrist thatfirst night they’d met, that Bruce wouldn’t have brought him home. Wouldn’thave taken him in, introduced him to Batman’s world. That he would have had thesense to help Jason less directly, from a distance. To hide him from the Demonwho is meant to be his soulmate.

ButBruce knows it wouldn’t have changed anything. He knows himself well enough. Hewould have convinced himself that he could have kept Jason safer if he wasclose.

Hehadn’t known though. Jason had lived with them for two months before Bruce hadcaught sight of the damning words.

Jasontold him he had hidden it most of his life, after he searched the name anddiscovered it was a man’s name. He didn’t want the bullies in Crime Alley makingfun of him.

Andthen, when he had come to the manor, started training as Robin, he had diligentlydone the homework Bruce had assigned. He had read up on Batman’s rogue’sgallery.

FoundRa’s al Ghul.

Aname he would have never known if it weren’t for Bruce’s interference with hislife.

Whenhe confronted Jason after seeing the name, Jason had shyly admitted he didn’ttell Bruce because he was afraid. Didn’t know if his adoptive father would getrid of him, would hate him because his soulmate was one of his greatest adversaries.

Brucehad held him close and reassured that nothing could make him hate his child, nothingcould take Jason away. But he had sat Jason down and had a long, frankconversation about how, soulmate or not, Ra’s al Ghul was a cruel, evil man.Jason had to understand, for his own safety, for their job, for their family…he could never be with Ra’s.

Ithad been easy. Too easy, in retrospect. Bruce had taken the League’s silence,Ra’s’s absence, for granted. Willing to take the win without the fight becauseit was so rare that he didn’t have to fight.

Heshould have known that Ra’s would find out. He should have looked into what hewas doing, kept an eye on him. He should have seen that Ra’s was waiting in theshadows.

Andnow, not only did his son almost die due to his carelessness, but he’s beenwhisked away by a dangerous enemy who has a natural claim to the boy’s heart.

Hedestroys the third abandoned League of Assassins headquarters he searched inthe last two days.

Hemust find Jason. Before it’s too late.

#Jason Todd #Ra's al Ghul #Ra's al Ghul/Jason Todd #Ra'sJay #soulmate au #ask

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blankdblank · 5 years

Text

Sango - Thranduil Prompt Request Pt 6

Pt 1 - Pt 2 - Pt 3 - Pt 4 - Pt 5 -

Tags –

@himoverflowers, @theincaprincess, @aspiringtranslator, @sweeticedtea, @ggbbhehe4455, @thegreyberet, @patanghill17, @jesgisborne, @curvestrology, @alishlieb, @jogregor, @armitageadoration, @abiwim, @jotink78, @evyiione, @sweetlytenacious25

…

Two weeks, barely, that was all Tom’s attention hovered on you before his noticing the slimmer far more interesting female having much more scenes with him. You only had five weeks to film what shockingly few scenes you both as the lead couple had together. Thankfully you remained quite private, and never went past a peck on the cheek in public, holding the relationship between you as old friends to the world protecting what little pride you had left as the gaping hole in your chest bled just a little harder from his repeated abandoning of you.

All this through Lee’s sparce emails and texts wishing to start any sort of communications with you again. Alone and stoic you sat as usual on your sets, focusing on the script and notes from the director and writer wishing for you to get the role just right, sealing your reputation as dependable and dedicated in their minds. Though in all honesty it took all you had to not constantly be in tears on the set like you normally were in your newest b&b room making you feel like a giant at your need to hunch in several of the rooms.

In your third month a knock drew you from your bed, a low groan left you as you stood, reaching up to meet the roof reminding yourself not to hit it once again in the shifting roof height in the small office/mini apartment you had rented. Through the paned glass on the door to it you blinked adjusting to the bright sunlight soon dimmed by the giant body in front of it as they ruffled their hand through their hair after pulling off a cap. Under your breath you mumbled, “This, cannot be happening…Haven’t even had toast yet…”

Forcing a weak smile you unlocked and opened the door spotting Lee in his turn as he grinned at you anxiously. “Jaqi. Um.” His hand rose to rub the back of his neck unable to find the words.

“Your flight’s a bit early.”

“I caught a sooner one.” You nodded and he added, “I woke you up.”

You nodded, “After dark scenes yesterday.”

“Shit. Um.” His head tilted curiously as he asked, “After dark as in night time, or romance scenes?”

“Night time. Some firework car chase monstrosity. Had to sprint through alleys and a park for hours to time it just right on all the angles.”

“Ah. I feel even worse for waking you now.”

You shrugged, “I’m the only one to last the night without wheezing. You start up in three days still?”

He nodded, “Yes.” His eyes scanned over your shoulder towards the still packed suitcases stacked at the foot of your awkwardly small daybed in the opposite corner of the room across from the small couch and table across from the tiny imitation kitchen the room had offered. “If you have the supplies I could come in and make you breakfast, if you wanted.”

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He nodded, “Of course. Ya. I understand.” Wetting his lips he struggled against the urge to turn away only to glance back when you said his name.

“Lee.” His eyes met yours in a pleading expression only to narrow curiously as your hand rose and planted on the ceiling causing his lips to part and for him to lean down and peer inside seeing the other dips at the switching of areas in the apartment. “I have to duck in the toilet and bed area. Your role’s an actiony thing. I can’t have you hurting yourself.”

“Who did you rent this from, a Hobbit?”

You chuckled weakly, “Mrs Tilden is really nice. Barely four feet, but really nice. I’ve only got it another night anyways.”

His brows rose, “Then where are you going?”

You shrugged, “Saw some adds yesterday, but they’re not fond of the cameras. Had some troubles with actors before.”

“I,” He wet his lips again, “I’m renting a house, few blocks over, three spare beds. And it would give me a chance to apologize, and try and make it up to you. Your filming’s four months right?”

“Another three, actually. We managed to get a fair bit done already and something about flooding cut some of the travel scenes.”

He nodded again, “Well I’m here for four, so,”

With a sigh you turned, “I’m gonna get my shoes.”

A smile spread on his face and he crouched down with a chuckle and squeezed inside the doorway to get a better look of his place only making you giggle when you joined him again. “This, it is very homey.”

You rolled your eyes, “There was a lot of care put into it.” Missing his eyes scanning over the tight t shirt and jeans he loved on you then met your eyes with a more sullen expression.

“When I started acting I jumped on what I could. I had to focus on it. I know it’s a terrible excuse, but I really wanted to give you plenty of space to focus on it properly.”

“Not even five minutes a day, or even a week? You couldn’t just give me that?”

After a disappointed sigh aimed at himself he replied, “We were busy is such a pitiful reason to use. But it’s all I have.”

You nodded, “You could have texted me on the toilet if you had to.”

He couldn’t help it but his brow rose playfully, “You, wanted me to text you on the toilet?”

“It would have guaranteed me time.”

A smirk spread across his face, as he struggled to hold back a chuckle, “Yes it would have.” After a nip at his lip he said, “I promise, should, I win your trust, and possibly, just possibly get you to like me, even just a little again, I will promise you to always text you,” a chuckle left him as you rolled your eyes, “When I’m on the toilet.”

You giggled softly and nudged him towards the door. “Come on, you woke me, now you have to feed me.”

Lee chuckled leading the path to the door, “I feel like I should be recording these. For any future vows.” Making you giggle again, “No, I’m serious. Those are incredible vows. To always feed you when woken and to always text you on the toilet.” His smile grew when he was upright again outside watching you lock the door.

“I can imagine the looks of shame on your friend’s and family’s faces.”

“I think my Dad and Brother would be jealous not to have thought of them first.”

…

All together, since your first step towards dating after your fumble in the airport seven years had passed. Tears warmly still streamed down your cheeks through another sob you failed to contain as you packed your long since used duffel and large gym bag. On the message machine in the house once again Lee’s unnoticed recorded drunken conversation clicked off and saved when the machine went back to sleep until the next call would come in. Word after slurred word flowed freely from the man who’d so greatly changed since your first try together, one who’d hinted countless times at nearing popping a certain question. The hint of reluctance in your heart still lingered knowing just how poorly it would stand up against your first proposal, but you did truly love him, something his message paid no mind to at all.

Overall your pleasing personality and willingness to aid and support him through anything was a bit of an issue for him apparently, ‘too perfect’, was mentioned more than once. The sealing factor of his stated idea to simply ‘end it already’ was your pause in renewing your contacts with your agent and modeling agency. He simply didn’t understand why it would matter that when you had mentioned a feeling of not being safe in that modeling agency without any hard reasons not to, simply stating it was a decision a simple gut feeling shouldn’t stand in the way of when it came to the doubling of your salary and exposure.

He did, however find aiding in the hunt for a new acting agent a bit enjoyable for him as yours didn’t like your being with Lee. But the final stab was that he simply didn’t wish to be the guy having to follow up to your ‘supposedly perfect former fiancé’ one again the pit in your chest bled and pulsed painfully at the following cursing recounting of the proposal you had shared with him in confidence when you’d first gotten together.

Wiping your cheek you eyed the giant replica weapons encased in cloth that you shouldered out of some deep draw to take it with you as the voices of Richard, Martin and Graham had seemingly egged on stung in your mind’s replaying of the message. Somehow your greatest friends had thought it healing or helpful, in whatever way, to allow their drunken friend to spill all of this, obviously without realizing you had been listening in when he seemingly pocket dialed you. Yes you’d forgiven him, but not this time. Not when he’d been so cruel and they had so cheerfully egged him on, even adding in their own reasons to the list.

But as your hand settled on the doorknob your eyes clamped shut as you thought about martin’s first comment, “I told you, from the first time she had just fallen asleep in my home without so much as an invitation, she wasn’t the respectful sort.”

Not once had you ever been to Martin’s house, and Richard’s after being, “And those cakes she made. Whoever told that woman she could bake was painfully obtuse.”

Graham fired in not a moment after, “Then she just assumed she was free to claim my rum that once. Honestly, the jam bags on that one.”

Over your shoulder your ponytail swung drawing a faint jungle from the bell you’d woven back into your hair in your decision to leave. As it fell silent your eyes opened through a soft gasp as it clicked in your mind, It wasn’t a trail guide you’d lost but a King, in a world you were so painfully torn from.

A ring from your dusted off flip phone sounded signaling you to draw it out, in a glance at the scene your chest clenched seeing Martin’s name. After a momentary pause you hit talk and raised it to your ear hearing the echoing whispers of the shielded Hobbit currently hiding in the bathroom at Lee’s. “Jaqi, I, is this thing working?”

“I’m here.” Your voice wavered out.

“Oh, good! Well, it’s Bilbo. I’ve only a few moments left, Gandalf mentioned something about a time limit, Thorin and Dwalin were already pulled back.”

“Bil-.”

“Jaqi, I need you to know, Gandalf said something about returning to the crack. I’m not certain he knew where he was referring to, but, he said head to the crack and you’ll find the door there.”

“Crack?”

In an anxious glance around Bilbo stole a quizzical look at himself in the mirror before shaking his head and repeating, “It has to do with a memory about a hawk, one of your first you mentioned to Gandalf about your lost childhood.” A tingle went through his fingers as he felt himself starting to be pulled back again, “I have to go, he’s pulling me. We promised not to let you go back, come home.” A click on his screen later he’d set the phone down on the counter and felt his vision go blurry before his eyes opened to his room in Erebor again and he sat up first feeling his face then his hair and ears with a relieved sigh.

His eyes locked with Gandalf’s as he asked, “You told her where?”

Bilbo nodded, “Yes.”

Gandalf nodded with a soft smile, “Now the hardest part is up to her. To find this crack again.” His eyes met Thorin and Dwalin’s sullen figures slumped at the base of their chairs instantly feeling the hateful words they had urged out of the man poorly imitating your heart broken Husband still locked in his self imprisonment. Their eyes rose to meet the Wizard’s as he tapped their curled legs to say, “It is painful. But the ties had to be broken, or she would have stayed for any ties to him and you through the excruciating years time would grant her.”

They nodded and wiped their cheeks only to have Dwalin mumble, “Doesn’t make it feel any better. Breaking her heart like that.”

Gandalf, “I know. But, it will be worth it, to have her home again. Where she belongs.”

…

Closing your phone you looked to the door and exited, locking up and dropping the keys through the mail slot before you turned and eyed the taxi you’d called. One short ride after another you sat on a crowded bus staring out the window as it neared the next pit stop along the way to Arizona as you once again mumbled, “The crack. Really Gandalf…” with a sigh your mind wandered back to the first memory you had recounted to Gandalf on your prior trip to Middle Earth, one with your Cousins where you had befriended a hawk in the week long trip centered around the Grand Canyon. Softly again you mumbled, “I suppose it is rather small after seeing Moria and those tunnels.”

As the green around the long stretch of highway still lingered your mind wandered back to that first night in the King’s arms as you laid across his bed clinging to each other and peering out at the stars through his wall of windows. Against your neck Thranduil purred, “Which one do you wish for tonight?”

In a giggling reply you said, “When you word it like that it sounds like you’re gifting me the star Dew Drop.”

A smile spread across his lips as his head rose allowing yours to turn and face his, “What if I was?”

Your borrow rose, “I doubt the Valar would allow such a gift.”

He chuckled coolly and replied, “All the same, I humbly beg Eru, should you ever leave me, the stars are yours.” Your brow rose, “For I never wish to see them again in your absence.”

Warmly a tear streamed down your cheek as you could almost feel his lips on yours with his warm arms circling you tightly, drawing you to his chest once again. Shielding your sniffle you wiped your cheek and eyed the indent from the golden ring formerly on your finger, now zipped safely into your boot pocket again, wondering how it hadn’t affected you here after wearing it for so long.

With a sigh you were looking over the small rest stop around you before glancing at the small diner here only to snicker as your foot landed on the skateboard rolled in front of you through a pained ‘oof’ from the tall man having collapsed in a try at jumping the curb behind you. With a giggle you said, “Lio, you really are out of practice aren’t you?”

In an instant he leapt up to his feet softly saying, “Echo.”

The familiar voice drawing your eyes to the towering man with long curly raven hair down to his navel nearly with striking purple silver flecked eyes and small fangs identical to yours you recognized at once, “Ecthelion.”

A relieved chuckle stirred from him through tugging you into a tight yet brief hug then pulled back as he eyed you fully before curiously looking over the lands around you and asking in Ancient Elvish, “Where are we?”

“Just outside of California.” His brow rose, “It’s a bit of a long story. But Gandalf’s holding a door to get us back to Middle Earth.”

“Gandalf?”

“Oh, Olorin.” His face lit up, “One of the Isitari.”

As he glanced at the diner he wet his lips at the wafting scent of the food inside, “Are we stopping here to eat?”

You nodded and guided him inside as he bent to claim his skateboard, curious of why he was gifted the strange contraption. “So, how did you get here?”

He grinned at you, “I won the right to return to you from Namo.”

“How is that?”

His grin grew, “Chess.”

“But, it’s been Ages.”

He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck with an embarrassed chuckle, “Well, it did take me quite a time to master the game.”

“So for ages you just kept playing him until you won?”

He nodded, opening the diner door for you and following you to the free one sided corner table with two small chairs on the sides along the walls granting him both closeness to you and room for anything he wished for. “How much do we have for food and expenses?”

“I’m quite wealthy here, order what you care to try.”

With a quizzical brow he eyed the menu unable to distinguish what anything was past the pictures and relented to asking what you enjoyed and requested a match to your order. His smile only grew as he accepted the spare hair tie you had offered to him to pull his hair into a large bun while you gave your orders to the waitress smirking at him before his eyes shifted to the glimmer of silver tucked in your curls resting against your back. Gently he gripped the bell and held it over your shoulder asking, “Who are you courting? I cannot read these runes.”

“King Thranduil.”

His lips parted under his focused furrowing brows before he said, “I know of no King Thranduil.”

“Son of King Oropher, of the Great Greenwood in Middle Earth.” He blinked at you still unable to retrace those names, “Well, Greenwood is barely touching the borders of Lothlorien, which used to be called, Lindórinand, King Amroth, I can’t remember his Father’s name. Um,”

“I know the lands, I believed they were under the care of Silvan Elves.”

“They were, see, King Opherion wasn’t a King. He and his family lived in Doriath, when that fell they fled and were chosen to lead those Elves and joined with the Silvan Elves in Greenwood, who also accepted him as their King.”

“Glorfindel approved of this match?”

“Well,” You both turned to smile at the waitress bringing your food and thank her before you eyed him in his pleased inspection of the grilled chicken and baked veggies you had picked for you both before he claimed a sip of the iced peach tea you had also chosen with a pleased hum then glanced at you again. “At first, the gap between when I was taken from Gondolin and when I woke up in Middle Earth after, Olorin, had brought be there from this world, I couldn’t remember nearly all of it, or any of my former life in Valinor.” His expression shifted seriously as your words sank in. “For months I was on a journey to reclaim the homeland of my close friends, the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, where I met Thranduil. It wasn’t until we traveled to Moria after reclaiming Erebor that we passed Lolthorien, where Glorfindel spotted me, just a couple days before I was drug back here again.”

“Why here?”

You lowered your glass from the sip you’d taken and raised your fork in your hand, “Lady Galadriel, from Finwe’s line,” he nodded understanding the line you were referring to, “She got a ring of power, one of the Elven three, which she traded, certain people, to increase her power and beauty.”

“People, what people?”

“Gondolin.” His lips parted, “She traded the secret barriers, and me to gain power.”

“What right does she imagine she has to barter for your place so carelessly?!” He asked in a hushed whisper.

“I wasn’t the last. I’ve seen Aredhel here.” His brow rose, “Though her time here has done nothing towards her manners or cares for others.”

“Who else?”

“I’m not certain how many. I did hear from the Dragon that stole me she also was ordered to hand over her own Daughter as well.”

“When we return remind me to behead this so called Lady.”

“She’s trapped here. Followed be back after I destroyed her ring, tried to drag me back again. Eventually had to release control over her double’s body when the last of her strength faded.”

A proud smirk eased on his lips as he eyed his baby Sister and her new found strength he hated you had to find on your own, somehow seeing the pain this world had inflicted on you in your eyes. “I am glad to hear it. I cannot wait to see this Middle Earth and especially this King of yours.”

That night you guided your Brother to the motel near the bus stop and booked a room, accepting the last single bed room that he inspected curiously before taking his turn to bathe after you had, then smiled softly and joined you on the bed eyeing the food you had ordered and set there. Happily he sunk into sleep, full from the pizzas and smiling as he held you in his arms after your nestling there. The following morning with your bags and his on your shoulders he walked beside you on the street you were following that took you straight to the Grand Canyon national park. In awe he looked over these lands following after you, all through the park you followed the same paths you had all those years ago before your lips parted as you remembered exactly where you had found that hawk.

It took a few days but you had wandered your way back onto the same path you’d had to get lost all those years back to find. Peacefully you both shared all your times and pains the separating ages had left you to face through your near three week long hike. By the start of the fourth all those paths and rivers you had to cross had found you located outside a familiar crack in the rocky wall far too high to glimpse the sunlight over when you stood in its shadow. A smile slid onto your lips as you could feel a tingling in your fingers and wove your fingers with your Brother’s, who smiled against his nerves at the strange sensation, and followed you inside.

…

Seated along the wall of his bedroom Thranduil lost in his stoic silent pit of despair his eyes wandered from the bed again back to the doors of his balcony as his Son, who he’d somehow missed entering, had opened allowing a fresh breeze inside the room, nice and warm in the early night air as the first signs of spring were nearing. With a glance back at his Father’s blood shot eyes Legolas said, “Ada, you need some fresh air.”

Against his control his body rose at the notice of the time as interim King having left an exhausting weighty stoic expression on the once constantly smiling and soft, pleased by the simplest of things now unable to stir the smile it once did at his and his Father’s shared pain. Stiffly he walked to the balcony doors asking with his eyes aimed at the gardens below, unable to bear the pain of not seeing the stars you loved so dearly yet again, “The Niphredil constellation, is it shining brightly tonight?”

Under curiously furrowed brows Legolas once again eyed the sky confirming the presence of one of your favorites that had claimed its yearly chance to shine brighter, “Yes Ada. Just over the eastern tower.”

The King nodded, “Exactly where it’s meant to be. I hope she’s enjoying it, to ease her pain, at least.”

“Ada, Mithrandir gave his word, and Bilbo sent word, they had made contact and given her the instructions to the doorway.”

After a deep sigh Thranduil replied, clenching his fists on the thick marble railing, “Three months she’s been gone. And all the peace he can offer is to wait.” In a pained groan he turned to go back inside only to pause in the doorway at a soft flicker he caught in the corner of his eye. Slowly his eyes shifted to the glass reflecting small dots he got a clearer view of by shifting the door closer to him before he eyed the sky with parted lips. The small speckled reflected in his eyes, formerly absent since your parting drew a gasp from the Prince now growing an elated smile.

“Ada.”

A tear streamed down the King’s cheek as he whispered, “Thank Eru, our stars have returned.”

His eyes lowered to his beaming Son with a tear of his own streaking down his face, only to turn at the ghostly whisper signaling the appearance of the King of Dunharrow who bowed his head to the pair, “The Queen is nearly to Gondor.” The ghostly eyes scanned over them both, “I will pass the word to the Dwarves, she is calling to us.” Before questions could be asked the ghost King vanished leaving the pair to glance at one another before darting to the King’s closet to dress him quickly.

Deep in the Elven halls and the nearby green marble kingdom shouts for the preparations for marching to aid the stolen Queen filled each corner as all able and willing, except by direct order to remain behind for order or protecting the keep, the men readied to march. Though for all their eagerness the Dwarves could spare few, leaving simply the King and two advising Cousins, Balin and Dwalin alongside Bilbo readied to ride along with the Elf King and Prince leading their small legion of Elves ready to encounter anything. Nearly doubling when Lord Celeborn and Glorfindel joined them with even more protection for the Lords and Kings among them.

All watching the stars for the truest path as the Elf King relished the chance to see his most precious gift to you, once again promising his chance to hold you under them the first night he was able to share with you wherever he would find you. No matter what, his Queen was home.

Pt 7

#Lee Pace x Reader OC #Thranduil x Reader OC #Hobbit #lotr

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fruitful-blogger · 6 years

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Flipping the Script (Part 2)

Part One | AO3

It's the first day of school, Gurls, and we gotta meet some of the other cast! Roman is also breaking the patriarchy as one does.

“…and that, my good sir, is why the patriarchy is a disaster.” Roman concluded with a nod as he finally sat in his seat. The teacher and other students about were staring, some with open mouths, and others just. Befuddled.

The teacher fell into the former category.

“That was… eloquent, Roman.” The teacher coughed. “But I am very lost right now.”

A student raised their hand. “What the hell does that have to do with Trigonometry???”

Roman opened his mouth only for a hand to cover it. “No, no, no more.” The star athlete silenced his desk neighbor. “That was stupid enough the first round.”

The darker of the two swatted the hand away. “I was just saying that the system in place has…”

His reiteration was cut off with the bell alarm, a loud digital tone that yelled out through the speaker system. “Ok class we start the laws of sine and cosine tomorrow. Please do practice problems one and four in chapter 1.” The teacher told as he looked to Roman and Logan cleaning up. “And please, Roman, save the patriarchal debates for Civics. I’m sure Veronica would love it.”

“Oh, I will!” Roman defended as his backpack was grabbed by its loop. He was easily pulled across the floor and out of the classroom, where he spun on his captor. “Rude, but also hella good timing. Great for the whole dramatic factor.”

Logan groaned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I just… it’s lunch. We’ve barely made it half the day, and you’ve already given me a headache. New record. Congrats.” He spun on his heal to walk away, but Roman was following him. “…you have lunch now too, don’t you.”

“Yup! Besides, who would you sit with besides me? The other tennis guys?” Roman replied cheerily.

“Maybe. They at least know the difference between duce and advantage.” Logan threw. “They also won’t somehow decide Tennis is a pathetic excuse for a sport.”

“Hey, I like tennis!” Roman added as he skipped ahead. “It’s scoring system is crazy enough to confuse the masses, and I can stand behind that. My problem is with some of the more archaic rules that are somehow still a thing, like rules on women’s outfits.”

Logan adjusted his glasses. He’d taken a quick shower after the work out and now wore his normal day clothes. Because it was the first day of school, he hadn’t gone straight for the basketball shorts and sweats (yet) and instead had a pair of jeans that were a bit wrinkled from being thrown in his bag and a navy button up with the top buttons undone, sleeves rolled to the elbow. He had a fitbit on as part of his training regiment with a beaten pair of trainers on his feet.

Unlike the uncultured swine that Roman had seen on TV (and met in real life a handful of unfortunate times), Logan wasn’t the stereotypical meat-head jock. Yes, he loved his sport and a few others, but he was in no way blind of the outside world. He was a really good student – probably would have been on the same level as Patton if he wanted to apply himself to it, but he loved tennis through and through. Outside of tennis, he was also the sports editor for the school paper and also liked to debate (usually about healthy lifestyles).

Roman liked that about his friends. While, on a surface level, they all seemed to fit nicely into the typical goth, nerd, prep, and jock categories, they weren’t just that.

Like now, as Roman stopped by his locker, he saw the bubbly genius bound down the hall towards them. “LOOOOOOOGAAAANNN! ROOOOOOMMMAAAAAANNNN!” Patton called, but, unfortunately, crashed on arrival. Logan was able to avoid most disaster, though, by jumping out to catch the other junior before he rammed into a hall garbage can. “Woah! Thanks, Lo! I underestimated the friction my shoes would have on this part of the floor!”

“No problem, Pat.” Logan smiled as he righted the teen. “Are you headed to the lunch room as well?”

Patton held up his lunch box with a grin. It was a pretty pastel blue with a picture of the solar system on it (though Patton noted that it was proportionally inaccurate, but it made a good learning tool at times). “Yeah! Virgil had to swing by the office, but he’s headed there now, too! Do you guys have lunch this period?”

“We indeed do.” Logan nodded as Roman tossed the last of the books in his locker. Logan rolled his eyes at the mess that was there as he crossed to his own that he’d left open. Most of the locker was taken up by his tennis bag, so he kneeled down to grab the books at the bottom, stacked in a little organizer to make the most of the room. When he stood, he also reached into the top nook to pull out his lunch.

Roman nodded as he hiked up his bag. He’d brought money for lunch but, if the menu sucked, he’d try to trade around. Logan always packed healthy but in excess (he burned calories like crazy), but Patton always brought extra sweets to share. “We should head down ASAP. The tables always fill up so fast.”

The other two nodded as they headed to the lunch room. Patton paused as they approached long enough to dig some ear plugs out of his backpack and put them in. Roman and Logan noticed but did not comment – this was simply a thing. Patton was a Hypersensitive Person. In a broad sense, it made him, well, more sensitive to the world in a variety of ways. He could walk into a room and instantly pick up on the micro-signals that others gave off, allowing him to better notice emotions and read the environment. He was very in tune with the needs of others because of it, but, sometimes, the stimuli became a lot and he needed to diminish it. For him, loud noise was usually a factor. He used to hide in the library a lot, but he’d gotten earplugs from Roman before a movie once (the goth had seen them at the store and figured it was worth a go), and he always carried them now to help.

It was good timing as the noise doubled once they entered the cafeteria. Students of all grades scattered about, most with lunch trays but a few with sacks or pails of food. Nobody understood how it was established, but the freshman always seemed to coagulate at one end of the room by the lunch ladies, then the sophomores, juniors, and seniors would separate towards the back.

“Hey, Logan!” Logan looked as a student waved their hand. “Get over here! We got a table!”

Logan nudged Patton and Roman and pointed to the table, which was only a third filled. The three headed over and set their stuff down, the faces there mostly familiar to the three.

Lauren was the one to wave them over. She and her boyfriend, Kai, were already seated there while another friend, Elliott, was scribbling away at a notebook. Elliott had a saved seat down next to them, but the rest were still open.

“Salutations, Lauren.” Logan greeted with a nod before looking to Kai and Elliott. “Hello to you both as well.”

“Hi again!” Patton waved as he plopped down.

“Greetings my colorful friends! Except you, Elli. LOVE the dress.”

Elliott looked up with a smirk. The non-binary teen had actually come into the fold thanks to Roman. They’d transferred to the school last year and, not really knowing anyone, just kind of decided to approach the first person who looked mildly interesting. That person had been Roman, who, upon hearing their pronouns, dragged them to the GSA meeting. Roman had introduced them to Logan, Patton, and Virgil, who introduced them to Kai and Lauren. Nowadays, the teen was usually with the couple. Lauren and Elliott bonded over food, and Kai loved to watch all the B-rated movies with the teen that Lauren hated. “Thanks, Ro. Felt like a no-pants day, honestly.”

“It’s very pretty!” Patton complimented as he pulled out his lunch. Sure enough, about six cookies fell out.

Roman only threw down his bag before snatching his wallet. “Guard my things with your lives.” He warned as the others waved him off, them all having already gotten food. Roman weaved through the rows to the lunch line, greeting a few fellow drama nerds that he remembered from last year. A few of the freshmen who noticed him approach seemed to shy back, but Roman got that. He sometimes looked a little scary and out of the ordinary, but he loved that about himself.

Besides, anyone who spent more than five minutes with the guy knew how much of a bubbly theater geek he was.

Roman got into line as he spotted a familiar face. “Remy! There’s my favorite sleep-deprived zombie.”

The figure turned, revealing glasses indoors upon his face. “EEEYYY It’s my favorite gay!” Remy threw as he tossed an arm over Roman’s shoulders. “Gurl, where have you BEEN all day? Like I had the trippiest morning in Mr. S’s class. I swear I thought the starbs guy finally spiked my drink.”

Roman snorted as they got into line. “Gurl, that’s just Mr. S. You should know that by now.”

Remy was a senior who was also the president of the GSA and on student council (if only to get the administration to put a Starbucks in the cafeteria). He was as flamboyant as they got, but he also was the king of gossip. He knew it all, even things people didn’t know about themselves. When Roman, a baby goth gay, and Patton, a nervous genius gay, had graced the hallowed doorway of the GSA that first time, Remy had adopted them on the spot.

“Still, he nearly blew up the classroom! On the first day! That HAS to be a new record.” The teen threw as he grabbed a tray. “And don’t get me STARTED on Dot. I love that woman, I really do, but do you know what she did today? She let her pet MAN EATING PYTHON out in the wild of our halls!”

Roman couldn’t help but laugh. “Python??? Dude, it’s a foot long, max, and she calls it Fluffy.”

“Gurl, who’s telling the story? Anyway, apparently one of her kids wanted to hold it. TO HOLD THE BEAST! AND SHE LET THEM!!!” Remy paused to turn to grab a burger as he passed, gaining a few confused (and concerned) looks from the lunch ladies.

Remy went on about this crazy ‘escaped demon snake’ until they paid and got back to the table. Remy decided to grace the juniors with his ‘gorgeous’ face, even as he could have sat in the senior section.

When they got to the table, though… there were two Virgils staring each other down and hissing at one another???

Roman had to stare and blink a few times.

“What the hell?” Remy spoke.

“Language!” Patton chided, not taking his eyes off the book in front of him. “And we seem to have an imposter! Virgil A came over here and started having lunch with us, but then Virgil B came in and noticed us. They’ve been hissing at one another since then.”

“Well when I came back from the office to see this JERK…”

“You mean when I came back from the office only for this PRAT to walk in…”

Roman sighed as he looked between the two before grabbing both their wrists. They both yelped as they nearly fell, but Roman allowed their sleeves to fall. “This one is Virgil.” He lifted the arm that belonged to the later Virgil.

“How can you even tell???” Logan asked, stumped. “I’ve been throwing questions at them for ten minutes!”

“Ok, it has not been that long, but still.” Kai threw as he looked between the two.

Roman grinned as he showed off the light pen marks on Virgil’s wrist that looked vaguely like a swirly. “I drew this earlier today when Virgil was distracted. He tried to clean it off, but you can still faintly see it.”

Virgil blinked before grinning, turning to his double ganger. “Yeah, ‘Virgil,’ looks like your costume isn’t so perfect after all.”

“Dang it.” He said as his voice shifted. He hissed a little before shoving his hands in his pockets and glaring at Roman. “Had to ruin me, didn’t you?”

Roman shrugged. “Sorry, Dee, but good effort.”

The person huffed as they fell into the chair open, shedding the preppy jacket and messing up their hair. They also took a moment to dig out some make-up wipes from their bag and an extra shirt. The purple polo was removed to reveal a black tank, which was quickly covered by the yellow flannel, left open. He used a few wipes to remove the contouring make-up, and soon a plum discoloration on the left side of his face was revealed.

Demetrius, or Dee, was a bit of a wild card when it came to South Hamilton High. He was beloved by almost all the teachers (especially the biology teacher and her snake – he loved the snake to bits) because he was a good student and relatively trustworthy… until he pulled out his make-up bag. He was renowned for his ability to transform himself and others, and he just loved to pull harmless pranks.

Virgil snorted as he sat. “Finally some anarchy does me good. No, you cannot use that as a platform for me to get the school spray-painted black or something.” He threw as he saw the look on Roman’s face.

“Uhg, you suck.” He huffed as he dramatically downed his milk.

Remy plopped down next to Dee as he nudged the dude. “Gurl, you will not BELIEVE the gossip I have.”

“Oh, no, you should overhear what Samantha told ‘Virgil’ today…”

“Stop impersonating me! I have a reputation!” Virgil threw with a hiss. Virgil and Dee had some mysterious past that they never really talked about, but they often butted heads whenever nearby. Really, a teacher’s pet and a prep would usually at least function in the same general vicinity, but Virgil and Dee where not that. It didn’t help that Dee and Virgil shared enough similarities that Dee only had to break out the contouring to get them to look identical as opposed to the wigs and lifts of most of the staff.

“SHHH I have some important gossip about Samantha right now, Virgie.” Dee waved off as he turned back to Remy.

Remy and Dee were besties over their shares in the gossip empire of not only the school but most of the town. “Don’t tell me it’s about Todd again.” Remy threw as he bit into a fry. “Seriously, that girl needs to dump his ass.”

“Oh, but that’s the best part! She didn’t, but he did!”

Remy choked. “No.”

“YES!”

“OMG SPILL!”

Virgil groaned as he lay his head on the table. “This is only the first day what the fuuuu….dge. Fudge.” He amended as he noticed Patton’s stare. They may be in high school, but Patton kept their language clean.

“Well, now that THAT is figured out,” Logan turned back to the group. “How is everyone’s first day been so far? Because, honestly, I’d rather be home watching TV. It’s the same drivel they all give every year.”

“Pretty much.” Virgil shrugged. “Although Patton correcting the teacher this morning was entertaining.”

“Well, I had to clarify that Hades wasn’t originally the villain of the Persephone story!” Patton nodded to himself. “The book was far out of print, and more recent evidence shows the potential influence of male translations of many of the stories.”

“Down with the Patriarchy!” Roman, Lauren, and Elliott all said at once. Roman went to high five both.

Patton nodded, still reading, as Logan rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone to scroll through some sports news. Virgil attempted to keep his composure as he ate, even as half the table began to chant “Down with The Man! Down with The Man!”

Roman led the charge on that last one.

#Sanders Sides #Flipping the Script AU #Roman Sanders #Logan Sanders #Patton Sanders #Virgil Sanders #Deceit Sanders #Elliott #Kai #Lauren #General tomfoolery #High School AU #Role Swap AU

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yourfirsthealthfitness-blog · 5 years

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6 Exercises to Make Your Hips and Thighs Slimmer

New Post has been published on https://www.firsthealthfitness.com/exercise/6-exercises-to-make-your-hips-and-thighs-slimmer.html

6 Exercises to Make Your Hips and Thighs Slimmer

How to Slim Thighs and Achieve Lean Legs and a Tight Tush

You can have sexy legs and tush by giving them a firm push and exercising effectively and in the right way. To achieve best results, do these moves after a cardio session. You can also work them into your already existing routine four or three days a week.

What will you need? A set of dumbbells of about 5 to 15 lbs depending with your fitness level and a resistance loop or a resistance band tied around a small loop.

1. Balancing Squat

If you want to keep your hips, glutes, and abs in a firing mode in the entire session, adding a balance challenge to those booty-shaping squats will help you achieve that.

How are you supposed to do it?

Stand tall with your feet slightly wider apart than your hip width. With your chest lifted and as you maintain a neutral spine, lower yourself into a deep squat reach both your arms to the ground. You can also attempt to tap the ground.

While pressing up, shift move your weight to your right leg and at the same time bend your left knee and move your left hand to your shin. Hold there for one count, reverse your leg and go back to the start.

Count that as the first rep and do 19 more as you alternate sides with each rep.

2. Side-Stepping Curtsy

This traveling exercise is effective to your hips, thighs, and glutes, and the reaching motion involves an extra core challenge.

How is it done?

Put your fit wide apart than your hip width and stand upright with your hands clasped in the back of your head.

Cross your right leg behind the left one and lower yourself into a curtsy lunge as you reach your right hand to the ground. Stand back up quickly and return to the beginning. That’s one rep.

Do 19 mores while alternating sides each round.

3. Hinging Deadlift

For women with lower body, strengthening your backside is just as important as strengthening your front. Deadlifts awaken the muscles in your hamstrings, lower back, and glutes.

How do you do it?

Hold a pair of dumbbells and stand upright with your feet a little wider than your hip width, with your knees a bit bent. Hold the weights just in front of your thighs and your palms facing in.

While maintaining a neutral spine, move forward a little from your hips as you lower the dumbbells towards the ground until your torso is nearly parallel to the ground. Pit your focus on your glutes and raise your body back up but halfway and return to full forward hinge again.

That’s one rep, and you should do a total of 20 reps.

4. Shifting Side Lunge

When you combine a sumo squat with a side lunge, what will happen? You will get a triple saddlebag slimming power.

How do you do it?

Stand upright with your feet together while holding a pair of dumbbells by your sides.

Take one wide step out towards your right and lower yourself into a side lunge as you reach the dumbbells on any sides of your right leg.

After that, bend your left knee then you shift your weight to your legs into a squat position that is wide and reach the dumbbells to the ground ahead of you.

Extend your right leg and move your weight to the left as you step your left leg into a side lunge.

Push your left foot off to make your legs together again and start the process once more and count that as the second rep.

Do 18 more as you alternate sides every rep.

5. External Hop Raise

This super-effective strength move helps to build strength in the hips from inside out.

How is it done?

Take a resistance band and then loop it around your ankles and then lie on your right side while supporting your body is being supported by your right hand and forearm.

Your next step should be to extend both of your legs out with your feet flexed. Brace your abs tightly and lift the top leg to be above your hip’s height. Meanwhile, you will be rotating your leg to make your toes face the ground as you keep tension on the resistance band.

Lift the leg a little higher than your hip’s height as you push against your band and rotate your heel up to the ceiling.

Return the leg to hip height and repeat the process for about 20 times and do it quickly, and then you switch sides.

6. Side-Lying Leg Lift

The American Council on Exercise recently named this move as one of the best thigh toning exercises. It also engages your abs, and you feel some changes the next day.

How will do it?

Take a resistance band and then loop it around your ankles.

Lie on the right side of your body while your right arm is extended on the ground and your left hand in front of the body to gain support.

Tightly, brace your abs in and bring your bottom leg a nit in front of your top leg as you let the inside of your top foot relax on the ground.

Lift your leg to the ceiling as your hips get stacked.

Maintain some tension on the band throughout and push your bottom leg up and down fast for about 20 times.

Do the same on the other side.

A Secret ‘Carb Trick’ That Burns Up To 1 Pound Per Day

If you’re like most women trying to lose weight… you diet, you count calories, you tear up the treadmill, and… nothing.

That’s how 40-year-old Sarah Donovan, an overweight mother with prediabetes was feeling…

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Until she stumbled on this strange “carb-pairing” trick and burned away an unheard of 22lbs pounds in just 13 days.

And because of this one simple shift in her eating, she shed pounds and inches from her body without starving herself and without a lick of exercise!

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#Exercises #Hips #Slimmer #Thighs

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mlleecrivaine · 7 years

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Who’s the Hot Blond? Part II

Word Count: 1,761

Warnings: Getting shot with a tranquilizer, broken ankle

Author’s Note: Here’s part 2! Alex is trying her best to make a plot happen. Enjoy! Feedback is both welcome and encouraged!

More parts can be found here

“We’re on approach, stand by,” Ethan’s voice came through your earwig in static.

You sniffed and reread your script one last time.

“You alright?” Benji asked, glancing up at you from his screen adjacent yours.

“Yeah, Dom was happy, so I’m happy,” you said with a shrug. Truth be told you were more worried about the heat tying your tongue than anything else. Wiping a rivulet of sweat from the crease under your jaw, you waited for your que.

“They’re knocking now,” Benji muttered seconds before you heard three dull thuds over the earwig.

“The fuck do you want?” a man’s voice snapped in Thai.

“We’re here to see Muhammad,” Ethan responded in broken Thai. You pinched the bridge of your nose. You had to sound better than that. It made sense for him to sound bad in person, he was clearly white. You couldn’t sound it.

“Like shit,” the man spat. “Get the fuck out of here.”

“Look, we gotta get in there,” Ethan argued. “My boss is gonna have my balls if we don’t.”

“Not my problem.”

“Look, what if you talked to her?”

“Get lost.”

“They’re gonna get their asses kicked,” you muttered.

Several seconds elapsed before your phone rang. You tapped the cracked screen and lifted the phone to your free ear.

“What?” you barked in your best imitation of Dom’s accent, praying the whole time. Benji glanced up at you and quirked an eyebrow.

“Boss, this guy’s not letting us in,” Ethan answered, still in Thai.

“Let me talk to him,” you snapped, sucking your teeth, trying to stay in character as Benji watched you.

“The fuck is this?” the thug on the other side growled.

“This is a warning,” you snarled. “You let my people in or I will send more.”

There was dead silence on the other end. You exchanged a look with Benji whose eyes were growing with the passing seconds.

“Why the fuck do I care if you send more?” the man asked. “I’ll send them away, too.”

You shut your eyes. So far, on script.

“They won’t give you a choice,” you growled. “You either let these two in, or you die.”

“Oh, I’m going to die now, am I?” the man laughed. “Big talk for a woman. How about you come down here and make me let them in, huh?”

You sucked in a breath through your nose. That wasn’t what he was supposed to say. Benji started typing furiously on his computer. You watched him while you thought of a response.

“Not so tough are you?” the man chuckled. “Cat got your tongue?”

“Suit yourself,” you decided to skip to the end of the script. You couldn’t ad lib anything more convincing. “I have more men coming to you now. It’s a shame that I’ll have to greet Muhammad with the news of the death of one of his men.”

There was a ding on the far side and a shuffling noise over the phone.

“Fine,” the man spat. A sharp clatter burst from his end of the phone and the line went dead.

You listened hard to the earwig, not picking up much sound.

Benji flashed you a thumbs up.

“What did you do?” you asked quietly.

“I sent a message to his mobile device, pretending to be Muhammad,” Benji said with a grin.

“How…”

“Well I’ve got Muhammad’s information, it really wasn’t that hard to figure out who this guy was in the contacts list.”

“That’s brilliant,” you whispered.

“Could you two shut up for a moment?” Ethan muttered.

You sat back in your chair and sighed.

“Can’t believe I left Cairo for that…” you muttered.

“None of us could have done it,” Benji breathed with a sympathetic look.

You pursed your lips and nodded noncommittally. At least you got to meet him during all this. It was better than hanging out in an equally stuffy apartment with your teammates for a few days. After nearly three months of breathing the same air as those two, you were ready for a short break.

A heavy pounding against the door snapped you from your thoughts. You sat up straight and stared at the wood, listening.

Benji stood and drew his gun, pointing it at the door.

You didn’t wait. You stood and slammed both computers shut, lifting them and stuffing them in a canvas bag at your feet.

Benji was about to protest when a booming voice shouted, in English, from the landing outside the door.

“Open up!”

Benji sidestepped to stand between you and the door as you hurriedly stuffed what would fit into the bag. You tucked in the cracked phone, the computers, as many of the smaller devices as you could see, and all of the fake identities that had been left stacked in the middle of the table.

“I said open up!” the voice boomed before the fist slammed on the door again.

“Leave the rest!” Benji hissed, lowering a hand to paw at your side, urging you to stand and make your way out.

“We’ve left too much,” you replied. “We’ve got to light it up.”

“I’ve got a small device in that bag there,” Benji pointed at an identical canvas sack on the far side of the table.

You slung the bag of tech over your back and rounded the table to fumble through the bag for a device. What you found was a short range explosive, thirty foot damage radius, perfect for destroying whatever was left in this room.

“Go,” Benji breathed, taking the device from you and fiddling with the dial on the one side. “I’ll set it. Go out the window; I’ll follow.”

You nodded and quickly stepped into the living room to grab your own bag before striding into the kitchen and yanking the window open. Looking quickly up and down you determined that the coast was clear and you fed the bags through the opening, letting them fall the two storeys to the ground before hoisting yourself out the window.

You dangled for a moment from the window ledge, sizing up the drop to the next floor before letting go. Your stomach clenched as you fell but you caught yourself on the next window sill before dropping to the ground, rolling on impact. Standing, you looked around the empty alley.

You collected the bags and looked up, waiting for Benji to follow.

Seconds passed and you looked back up and down the alleyway, hoping no one would appear at either end to block your escape.

A pair of legs suddenly emerged from the window and Benji lowered himself out.

“Get clear!” he shouted as he let himself drop to the second window.

Before he made it to the window sill, the device upstairs exploded, sending a vibration through the ground.

Benji missed the window sill and fell straight to the ground. There was a crack. He rolled as you had, coming to a stop with a screwed up expression on his face.

“You alright?” you asked, a sinking feeling in your stomach knowing he wasn’t.

“No,” he growled, the pain seeping into the word. “But we need to move, it didn’t sound like there were a few of them up there.”

“Okay, come on,” you said, winding around him. “What happened?”

“I think I broke my ankle.”

“Which?”

“Left.”

“Alright,” you sighed, lifting his left arm over your shoulder. “Let’s go. Can you put any weight on it?”

“If we want to go quickly, I think I’ll have to,” he groaned, looking up at the window that was now billowing smoke.

“Ethan, do you copy?” you decided to try your earwig. There was no response.

“I’m not getting anything on mine,” Benji confirmed.

“Shit,” you braced yourself against Benji’s body. “Alright, step with me.”

He nodded and you saw his jaw clench as you took your first step, quickly following with the next one.

Benji made a horrifying strangled noise as he attempted to weight bear on the broken ankle.

“We can’t slow down, I’m sorry,” you said, squeezing his wrist. “Just keep going. Do you think we can make it to Luther from here?”

Benji just shook his head.

“Is it because of your ankle, or do you think they’ll catch us first?”

“Both.”

“Okay,” you said, feeling his body start to shake with pain under your hand that you had braced on his ribcage. “Just keep moving, I’ll think of something.”

“You’ve got the bags, just leave me here.”

“Look, I don’t know what the policy is on your team, but on mine we don’t leave people behind,” you shrugged to rearrange the bag straps and Benji’s arm around your shoulders. You tried to stand taller to pull more of his weight onto you. “Just keep going. How far was it to extraction?”

“A kilometer west of here,” Benji groaned, trying to cover a high pitched whine.

You looked ahead to the road at the end of the alley.

“If we get on the road, we’re exposed,” you mused, looking side to side for an escape. “Shit.”

“There!” Benji exclaimed, pointing down a narrow passage between two apartments.

You sidestepped, threading yourself sideways into the space first. The laptops dug into the small of your back with their sharp edges but you kept moving, gently pulling Benji along next to you.

“Use the wall to brace if you need,” you said, tightening your grip around his waist. “Keep your foot elevated a little.”

Benji nodded and placed his palm flat against the wall in front of him. Together you shimmied down the passage. You looked at the exit ahead and growled.

“We’re headed for a road.”

There was a gunshot and Benji yelped, suddenly slumping against you.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” you panicked. You tightened your grip on him, trying to hold him up but he crumpled to the ground.

“Go,” he croaked.

Your hands flew to his body, feeling for the wound.

“Come on,” you begged.

The fletching of a tranquilizer dart brushed against your finger.

You looked up in time to see a gun pointed right at you before a flash of red flew down the passageway, lodging itself in your pectoral muscle.

“Ah!” you cried out at the sharp pinch, feeling your knees start to buckle as the serum pumped through your body. “No… no… fuck…”

You slid sideways, Benji’s body settling half on top of your hip as your shoulder hit the dirt. The laptops pressed painfully into your spine, but the sensation dimmed as you lost consciousness.

Tags: @vintagevalentinexx @texasblues

#benji dunn #benji dunn x reader #mission impossible

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colonel-crapshot · 6 years

Text

ISLAND Episode Two

Crunchyroll is determined to make me look at Maihime's cousin's ass

Friend: [Aliens.jpg] Fanservice

I mean, there are worse asses to stare at in this life. But there is more to it than just the booty.

Normally I'd say something demeaning about myself but I can't have an opinion of my own ass since I can't look at very well and even if I could it would probably be a resounding "Meh"

AH AT LAST WE PAN UPWARDS FROM THE BOOTY

Friend: My eyes are up here

Funny thing is we are facing her back and even when we get some of her face her eyes aren't in sight

Also, she's apparently a fucking vampire

A disease? You mean VAMPIRISM?!

"Soot blight syndrome" aight. I'll bite, THE FUCK ARE Y'ALL SMOKING HERE THAT THE SOOT MAKES VAMPIRISM?!

Aight lady you're fast balling a lot of things at us. And no, we're not going to contract vampirism to keep you company as a "Prince of the night"

Well that's an opener. Granted it follows neatly on from last episode so I can't complain

OH LOOK. A FLIER FOR THE MAID JOB. I WONDER WHAT SHE'S DOING AFTER SCHOOL TODAY

... you know thinking on it. I might be able to understand a slightly more territorial policy like the one Mayor Butthurt propogates if they have cases of FUCKING VAMPIRISM on the titular Island

OH COME ON SETSUNA. THIS IS LAUNDRY FOR A HOUSE OWNED BY A WOMAN (or at least with one woman known to be present) KNICKERS WERE ALWAYS GOING TO BE PART OF THE THINGS TO HANG ON THE LINE

It's not like you went into your own undergarments drawer and procured them

GROW UP

You were mopping anyways. A spill isn't the worst thing to happen

Half the usual and he's got at least one 10,000 yen bill present

I mean, failing all else they are making sure their maids get to fucking live off of working for them

Sweet christ they were a unified chorus

You should go to the shrine library to get them checked for evil spirits

Well no-one can say he isn't putting his back into it. Completed the days work AND it's still very sunny outside

Must be like early afternoon

Maybe ask your Vampire princess once she's roused from her slumber with a fresh bag of AB negative

Odd that the library would be closed at the end of a school day. You'd have thought that they'd have someone at least holding the fort for the inevitable bout of students who'd want to get some studying done

Granted I appreciate Setsuna trying to seek the information elsewhere. Though I do wonder if he'd even recognise the kanji for Soot Blight Syndrome if he just read it in the library and might misread it and be left scratching his head

The library on the Island might well have the resources to research their island specific vampirism

Oh shit an Oonusa. I’ve no idea what one DOES with an Oonusa. But dat be it

... Aight child. We need to have a talk about the abuse of the Gods powers for assassination attempts

"Let's go to my honey zone in the library." Assassination doesn't work so well when I know what you're up to you know?

Wonder what Mayor Butthurt's game is adopting a sodding shrine maiden

Granted this COULD be yet further hammering in the idea that this guy is a douche nozzle. But I'd like to think better of this. I've seen Visual novels with asshole characters actually having reasonable motives for acting in such dickish ways

Good grief. Who'd go to burn down a freaking shrine of all places?!

I suppose the Three Families in Urashima are something of the driving force behind the Barbatossian "NO! OUTSIDERS! EVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!" which probably would make people a little miffed at them

OH BOY. STORY TIME

Okay. That's a nice dodge of the pendulum of bullshit. Well done Sara

I think Loli Maiden’s name is Sara anyways

OH BOY. INCEST LORE

Friend: WHA

THE ISLAND HAS INCEST LORE

Friend: https://i.imgur.com/GleCwqI.mp4

JESUS. I mean... to some degree I understand. BUT CURSING MONSTROSITY UPON THEM?!

Friend: Hits red button and runs away

This is a long ago thing

They're not trying to champion it. But still, I respect the nope

Uh huh... interesting lore

Kinda counter to our boys instructions that "Setsuna must die"

Friend: Oh I know you'd be going into convulsions if they had championed it. My nope comes from that sort of lore typically being used as edgy drama-bait rather than legitimate storytelling

Luckily this is lore and they were rather swift to go over it and the repercussions of it, or more so the repercussions of both it and jealous women

Friend: Hand still hovering over the red button

The thrust of the lore is the idea that since Rinne topped herself the Shrine Maiden who cursed her said "Yo. She'll be reborn later in time, and if y'all can re-unite I'll undo the curse." Which seems to be good since it won't be incest at that point and they can let their love go about itself

RATHER than "INCEST" and hoping that we all press 800 nope buttons stacked atop one another and fire ourselves into an alternate dimension where we can keep watching it

That's convenient. I mean granted the library on the Island probably WOULD have books about their local vampirism disease

"I'm ready, so lets do this." Oh, you've finally finished setting up your honey trap?

I don't have the heart to tell her that she REALLY should do this when her hopeful victim isn't present and aware

Oooh. Are we getting actual plot or is our Shrine Maiden ACTUALLY more cunning than an upturned cup of milk

"The reason why you exist." I could have given you that reason ages ago with Sex Ed 101

Tab A into Slot B, jostle as necessary until goop. Wait 9 months and hopefully a sentient potato falls out of Slot B

BECAUSE SHE HAS READ THE SCRIPT SETSUNA

OH SHIT SHE MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN THAT CUNNING

That was your plot armour reacting to potential plot ending events

You're being awful rude, Setsuna.

You know there can be more than one maid for a house. Whilst it may not necessarily NEED more than one maid since Setsuna pretty handily did everything before the sun was even close to setting

Oh look. Vampire princess

She set out incense when she was setting up a honey trap to murder me

Get with the program Rinne

Setsuna, you can't drag people in for an interview. Even if they're leaving in a huff

LOSING MEMORIES AND CAVING TO YOUR PARENTS BULLSHIT ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS! I CAN MAKE MORE MEMORIES. IF YOU GIVE IN TO YOUR PARENTS ISN'T THAT THE END OF YOUR FREEDOM?!

D'aw, that's nice Setsuna. You haven't put your best foot forward about it though

... GOD FUCKING DAMNIT SETSUNA.

At least you're reflecting upon your acted self importance

That's not a bad way of looking at it Rinne

"It's destiny." There's been a lot of that talk. I wonder if we're going to get a story I like where Destiny gets fucked and Setsuna forges himself a relationship of his own choosing. Or if Destiny in this is actually benign and just wants to help get lovers get into a healthy romance rather than one made of nope

"You'll remember soon enough." I thought you didn't have much in the way of memories from before you hurtled counter to time either?

Ah plot summer break

The ultimate hand wave to highschoolers gallivanting about at all hours

Why must you push Karen's buttons Setsuna?

I mean. YEAH, I DID. But 1,000,000 YEN?!... granted Setsuna did get a hefty paycheck even at half of the rate he would normally get it seemed

Yeah. I'd imagine your mom wouldn't take kindly to Mayor Butthurt's bullshit. Especially if she's anything like the basis for some of your personality

It may well have been 5 years ago honey but you don't sound exactly over it

He's been on Urashima for like 3 days Karen, how do you expect him to know the best places to be

I'm not even sure how far 1,000,000 yen will GET you. Assuming that you can even convince someone with a boat to take you there

HEY I WAS FUCKIN' RIGHT. HE COULDN'T READ IT ON HIS OWN

Still does put the idea of this vampirism and its things into check. Do wonder though why Rinne doesn't take the anti-vamp meds

"You went on a secret date with Karen?" If by "secret date" you mean doing the sodding shopping, then yes, secret date

Christ, you sound almost spurned for someone who was TRYING TO MURDER ME YESTERDAY

Ooooh. Cutting right to the thick of it. I like you Setsuna

CALLED IT

I'm unsure about how... wait. I think I get it. They were originally persecuted for cutting them off from the mainland and they put in those ideas to help assuage the peoples rightful ire

Aight I re-read it and it lost me again

Still I can see Karen's idea that Rinne contracting it is just an excuse. But by the same token IT'S FUCKING VAMPIRISM. YOU DON'T WANT THAT SHIT SPREADING

But by the same token. HOW HAVEN'T THEY DIALED UP THE MAINLAND AND ASKED FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE?!

"To protect the island" I can see how cutting themselves off protects the mainland. But not the island

Setsuna, come back to earth with us. YOU CAME FROM THE FUTURE! YOU TOOK THE NAME SETSUNA SINCE IT'S ALL YOU REMEMBERED THE REST WAS ALMOST WHIMSY

I mean... maybe? But on a different note, like 90% of that was twisty turvy nonsense

I'm gonna go back and listen again

Nope. Still don't get it

SHE ISN'T A VAMPIRE

Aight, that makes sense

D'aw that's sweet that she wants Setsuna to save Rinne

Nice. We're gently kicking the "Prophecied couple" routine in the head early

Less nice, Setsuna that's not a great way to approach it

... I mean granted I'D probably do it that way, But still, not good. I mean heck, Rinne may well have something more going on rather than just thinking "I'm the Rinne reincarnation."

Ooof! That looks like it hurt

Oh good. Mind palace. Not actual speech

Alrighty. He's handling this better than in his mind palace

You're awful hooked on this idea of Destiny, Rinne

... THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS LADY! LETTING THINGS REMAIN AS THEY ARE WON'T KEEP SETSUNA AS "YOUR" SETSUNA

Good thing is. She's aware that she ISN'T actually a vampire. Bad thing is: She thinks that if things remain as is then everything is fine

Aight, this is proving interesting

Even if I don't get their idea of Island prosperity

Link: ISLAND Episode 2

#ISLAND #anime #island episode 2 #reaction #Colonel-Crapshot

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yourfirsthealthfitness-blog · 5 years

Text

15 Secrets To Stay Slim Without The Gym

New Post has been published on https://www.firsthealthfitness.com/health-fitness/15-secrets-to-stay-slim-without-the-gym.html

15 Secrets To Stay Slim Without The Gym

It’s almost a common knowledge that sitting is the new smoking.

Many studies have demonstrated that sitting for a longer period each day can make us fat, also it increases the risk of premature death.

But what can we do if we spent half a day at the office with our butts glued to a chair?

So, you must figure out a way to get up and get moving!

Luckily, you don’t have to go to the gym to do it, according to an expansive new study.

The study, published in The Lancet, discovered that just 150 minutes of exercise weekly can help extend your life and decrease the risk of heart disease.

Most importantly, it doesn’t matter how you choose to spend those minutes exercising, any physical activity counts.

Dr. Scott Lear, the study lead author and a professor at Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Health Sciences in Canada, dispelled the notion of having to spend money to be active.

You’re in luck today because we’ve put together a guide to becoming more active today.

The following are some of the easiest ways to start burning more calories right now.

Stop with the excuses by trying these calorie-burning tips!

1. Clean Up Your House

Besides making your house look spick-and-span, the cleaning up can make your body look better.

All you have to do is stay mindful of your movements as you move around the house.

Stand on your toes while you scrub some dishes or clench your core while you bend over the tub.

Michelle Opperman, Group Fitness Manager of Crunch in New Montgomery suggests to balance on one foot while wiping down sinks, counters, sinks, walls, but make both sides.

With tips like these, you wouldn’t mind cleaning anymore. For just 25 minutes cleaning you can burn 100 calories.

2. Bike To Work

If you live close enough to work and don’t have an occasion where you have to dress up, consider biking to the office.

There is a solution if you’re too far as well.

Split it up, take the train, subway, or the bus, to a near point and then bike to your workplace.

You’ll be grateful in the future for that decision.

3. “Stand Out” at the Office

Dave Colina, certified CrossFit trainer, Krav Maga instructor, and founder of formula O2, recommends to experiment with a standing desk if work in front of a computer all day.

If your office doesn’t allow for a standing desk, keep your monitor and keyboard on a stack of books.

It is possible to type just as easily when you’re standing as when you’re sitting.

Plus, you’re burning a lot more calories while you’re at it!

4. Get To Gardening

You can burn 100 calories by gardening for just 22 minutes.

A hundred calories if you weigh 175 pounds, but if you weigh more than that, you’ll burn calories at an even faster pace.

Also, you can give yourself a double dose of the good stuff while you’re digging in the dirt anyway.

You can plant some veggies or make your garden even beautiful with some pretty flowers.

That way, you’ll have fresh vegetables to help with your healthy meal preps and your garden will be the most beautiful in your neighborhood!

5. Make Time For Tiny Workouts

No matter how busy you’re with your work and your kids, you can find time for tiny workouts.

The thing is you only need 2 and a half minutes to start burning calories and boost your metabolism.

Research printed in the journal Physiological Reports demonstrated the individuals who did five 30-second bursts of maximum-effort cycling, then took a rest of 4 minutes, burned 200 extra calories and boosted their metabolism for the next two days.

Chasing your kids never sound so much fun, right?

6. Have a Dance Party

Shaking your body for just 17 minutes will burn off 100 calories.

Whether you’re taking a class, heading to the club on Saturdays, or showing your best moves in your living room, just start dancing!

Moving to music is one of those workouts that doesn’t feel like a workout and it’s a great way to get your heart pumping.

Don’t believe us? Certain kinds of dancing can burn more calories than a run, according to a study by the University of Brighton discovered

7. Play a Tourist in Your Own City

You can check out historic walking tours in your city or even better, find a nearby nature path with a breathtaking view.

Lace up your sneakers, go hiking and enjoy in the sounds and sights of nature all while burning off calories.

With 15 minutes hiking, you’ll burn off 100 calories and most trips last longer than that!

Walking and hiking is easy, burns many calories and is a great opportunity to take in new sites and sounds.

8. Choose Stairs Over the Escalator

You’ll burn off an insane amount of calories if you skip the escalator and go for the stairs instead while you hiking out of the Subway system or walk around the mall.

Tourists pay attention here, all those stairs can help balance out those big vacation meals.

9. Go Window Shopping

In about 33 minutes checking out the latest gadgets and fashions at the mall will burn off 100 calories!

Enjoy your window shopping!

10. Park Farther Away

Zuta Gilchriest, Regional Group Fitness Director of NY CRUNCH gums, says an easy way to get yourself moving is to park your car a few blocks away from the mall or at least at the farthest spot in the parking garage, so you’ll extend your short walk.

11. Go Bowling

A round of bowling, which lasts 25 minutes, will fry out 100 calories to the curb.

12. Go Mini Golfing

A 37 minute game of this game will burn off 100 calories.

13. Move Some Furniture

Are you looking to redecorate or a friend is moving?

Moving furniture around for half an hour will burn off 167 calories.

14. Play Darts

If you spend 51 minutes playing a fun game of darts with friends at your favorite bar, you’ll burn off 100 calories.

But, try to stay away from the booze!

15. Get Under The Sheets

Those who want to cuddle, pay attention here.

It’s possible to lose weight without even getting out of bed! According to University of Montreal researchers, men burn off 100 calories and women burn 69 calories during the average sex sesh.

We believe you didn’t need any excuse to get busy in the bedroom, but you have to admit this is a good reason to stay even more!

A Secret ‘Carb Trick’ That Burns Up To 1 Pound Per Day

If you’re like most women trying to lose weight… you diet, you count calories, you tear up the treadmill, and… nothing.

That’s how 40-year-old Sarah Donovan, an overweight mother with prediabetes was feeling…

She did “everything right” and never lost an inch.

Until she stumbled on this strange “carb-pairing” trick and burned away an unheard of 22lbs pounds in just 13 days.

And because of this one simple shift in her eating, she shed pounds and inches from her body without starving herself and without a lick of exercise!

With the same “carb-pairing” trick Sarah dropped a total of 37lbs in the FIRST month and she shocked her doctor by completely reversing ALL pre-diabetes symptoms!

If you’re a woman over the age of 25 who wants to reclaim her life inside the body she DESERVES, you should check it out for yourself.

Source link

#Gym #Secrets #Slim #Stay

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yourfirsthealthfitness-blog · 5 years

Text

6 Moves To Lose That Muffin Top After 40

New Post has been published on https://www.firsthealthfitness.com/weight-loss/6-moves-to-lose-that-muffin-top-after-40-2.html

6 Moves To Lose That Muffin Top After 40

As we age it’s completely normal for belly fat to increase significantly, especially in women post-menopause.

If you’re a woman with a waist size of 35 inches or over you’re in trouble – a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and cancer.

A vital point to remember is that you do not need your workouts to be longer, just harder, and that’s where the amazing benefits of HIIT come in.

Try these 6 moves in the HIIT routine outlined below to lose that muffin top after 40!

6 Moves to Lose That Muffin Top After 40

This fat melting routine will transition your body from fat to fit in just 4 weeks while helping you rid yourself of stubborn belly fat.

6 crucial exercises for 30 minutes per day is all you need to burn off that unwanted pooch fat.

This workout involves the most effective moves that you can do to exercise your core waistline muscles.

The exercises will help you achieve strong, flat and pulled-in abs that are attractive and look great in and out of your clothes.

The workout is a combined cardio routine and all-over strength workout that takes around 30 minutes, and if you stick to it, you’ll be zipping up your jeans with ease!

Dead Bug

Double Criss-Cross

Pretzel Knee Crunch

Elbow Plank Hip Rainbow

Side Plank Plié

Swimming Pose

How does it work?

Goes for four days a week while you do one set of each exercise continuously.

You will need to rest 30-60 seconds before repeating the circuit.

You will need to do three of them on the same day.

What’s the total time?

This workout will take you up to 30 minutes.

What’s needed?

All you need is a mat, easy! Let’s get started.

1. Dead Bug

Step 1: Lie with your face facing up and extend your arms to the sides.

Lift your legs to a tabletop position with your knees bent and lower your legs parallel to the ground.

Step 2: Brace the core and reach your left arm up with hands behind your head, while your right leg straightens, but don’t allow it to touch the ground.

Go back to where you started and then repeat the practice on the other side to complete the first rep.

You should complete three sets and ten reps.

Mistakes and Tips: Don’t let the lower back lose contact with the floor and keep it pressed downward and abs tight.

2. Double Criss-Cross

Lie with your face up and bend your knees towards the chest while your hands are behind your head.

Bend your left knee towards the chest ass you extend your right leg out parallel to the ground.

Let your right shoulder turn into the knee while you keep your elbows open wide and don’t pull on the head.

Pulse the shoulder and knee closer together two times.

Go back to start and redo the rep 20 times, as you alternate your feet and arms each rep.

You should do three sets.

3. Pretzel Knee Crunch

Move 1: Set your body in a pretzel position with your right leg bent ahead of your body, and your left leg is bent behind.

Both your knees should be at about 90 degrees angle.

While your spine stays naturally straight, hinge slightly forward from the hips as you lean torso forward to the floor at an angle of 45 degrees.

Bring your hands together towards the chest.

For you to gain more support and move easily, place your hands on the floor.

Lift your left leg slowly a few inches from the floor.

Move 2: Move your left leg towards you’re the right without moving the rest of your body and try to tap the left thigh to the left elbow.

Without lowering your leg to the ground, return it behind the body.

Do 20 reps per side and three sets.

4. Elbow Plank Hip Rainbow

Move 1: Start with a forearm plank position.

Your feet should be hip-width apart while your abs are braced in tight.

Lift your hips a little above your shoulders.

Move 2: Rotate your right hips towards the ground as you pivot onto the sides of the feet.

Pull your abs in deeper to spine and lift your hips to the starting position.

Do the same to the left.

Continue that way while alternating sides with each rep.

You should do ten reps and three sets.

5. Swimming Pose

Move 1: Lie down with your face facing down, and your arms and your legs extended like drone wings or “X” shape.

Extend your spine and lift the arms, chest, and thighs off the ground while you hover above the mat.

Remember to keep your eye focused down to prevent a neck strain.

Pull your right arm towards the ear as you lift your left leg slightly higher than the behind hip.

Move 2: Switch sides immediately to complete the first rep.

Keep your torso completely steady while in motion and continue alternating your arms and legs.

You have to do 20 reps and three sets.

Mistakes and Tips: Make sure your elbows are slightly bent to modify and focus on engaging the abdominals.

The exercise stretches your abdominals and the spine.

You should think about widening your shoulder blades, sliding them down the rib cage and lift your chest forward.

You need to find an opening in your chest as well as an external rotation in your shoulders.

6. Side Plank Plié

Move 1: With your right arm extended under the shoulder, your left leg crossed over the right-left arm extended over the ear and left palm facing downwards while your abs are engaged, start a right stacked plank position.

Move 2: Bend both of your knees into a plié and shift your weight backward toward your feet.

To gain more support, lower your left foot to the ground.

After that, lower your left arm by the left thigh while the palm is facing up.

Extend your legs to back to the starting position.

You should do ten reps and three sets.

A Secret ‘Carb Trick’ That Burns Up To 1 Pound Per Day

If you’re like most women trying to lose weight… you diet, you count calories, you tear up the treadmill, and… nothing.

That’s how 40-year-old Sarah Donovan, an overweight mother with prediabetes was feeling…

She did “everything right” and never lost an inch.

Until she stumbled on this strange “carb-pairing” trick and burned away an unheard of 22lbs pounds in just 13 days.

And because of this one simple shift in her eating, she shed pounds and inches from her body without starving herself and without a lick of exercise!

With the same “carb-pairing” trick Sarah dropped a total of 37lbs in the FIRST month and she shocked her doctor by completely reversing ALL pre-diabetes symptoms!

If you’re a woman over the age of 25 who wants to reclaim her life inside the body she DESERVES, you should check it out for yourself.

Source link

#Lose #Moves #Muffin #Top

0 notes