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dodo-begone · 3 years

Text

Scrambled Eggs

Pairing: yan!Ranboo x reader, Yan!Tommy x reader, Yan! tubbo x reader, Yan!Purpled x reader

Request: I raise you: Hnfnnnnnnnnnn more Yandere minors but this time you're with the eggpire already (not on purpose but you get the idea)

Word count: 3k

Warning: yandere, the egg, obsession, cult (egg), kidnapping, cursing

A/n: this is all platonic. Nothing romantic. also oop this went a lot longer than i thought it would- I got really into it. Also uploaded this and didn't proof read it. I know there's at least one mistake in there- sorry in advance.

Ranboo

When this poor lad finds out you’re currently in the Egg’s clutches, he was shocked. Oh my gosh, didn’t you love him? Did you actually love him? If you really loved him, you wouldn’t have let the Egg gain control of you. That’s how “the power of love” works. Right?

He’ll go to you, begging and doing his absolute best to reason with you. In all honesty, trying to reason with you was as productive as asking Santa Clause for that new ferrari model-

But that didn’t stop him. He was too far to properly think things through. Now why don’t you come home with him? It’s not safe for you. This “Egg” doesn’t actually care for you. He cares for you though- You end up chasing him off, saying that you were happier with the Egg than anytime you were with him. Oh how the Egg has brainwashed you. It’s so bad for you, can’t you see? He’ll go through the cycle of attempting to save you a few times before it becomes too much for him.

Eventually he just goes to Phil, ranting about how you were controlled by the Egg now and he was scared for your safety. Oh god Phil what can he do to save you? Phil please help him, give him some guidance- anything! And after Phil? Well, he’d pray to any deity that’d listen. Only asking them to save you from your current plight. You weren’t safe and he loved you so much, he can’t lose you too.

Phil tires of this cycle very quickly. It’s pathetic how much Ranboo is upset by your situation. But he’s your friend and he cares for you so much; you’re a constant in his life. How can he not love you? So he’ll just give in during one of Ranboo’s pleading stages, saying that he’ll help Ranboo rescue you- which makes Ranboo very pleased. If it was this easy to end this toxic cycle, he would’ve done it ages ago.

They plan your rescue for weeks, almost a few months. Everything had to be absolutely perfect; any flaw that could allow the Egg to repossess you needed to be resolved. As time passed, Ranboo grew more anxious. He kept visiting you during the planning process, just to keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe.

When the plan was finally put into motion, his anxiety grew more. What if there was something that they miss? Something they didn’t account for? Phil had to remind Ranboo, multiple times, that you needed him. And he was here to save you. Ranboo couldn’t afford the time to hesitate, he had to take action. Plus if something went wrong, they always had Techno to fall back on. This got Ranboo back in the mindset, ready to save you again.

Something that was unavoidable was physical conflict. A fight started between the eggpire and the rescuers. It was rather rough and unfortunate that you got involved. You were fighting against them, rather fiercely as well. Leaving you mostly unharmed was nearly impossible when you were so determined to have their heads. But they managed. And they succeeded; they defeated/subdued the eggpire, you came out with only a few scratches and they got you away from the egg. All in a day’s work.

Once they got you “home” (specifically Phil’s house since it was far from the Egg and provided the most on-site protection), they started the recovery process. They had to restrain you to the bed, tying you up so no harm could come to you or them. Another unfortunate thing, but a necessity.

You were feral, thrashing around and snarling. Demanding that they release you. You had to get back to the Egg, the Egg needed you and you needed it. Though time passes with no change and you eventually tire, finally being subdued from exhaustion. Ranboo volunteers to keep an eye on you once you’re deemed “stable” (as in “not trying to actively leave”).

Phil is Reluctant to leave you in Ranboo’s care, but he was tired. The day had been long and rather draining. But Ranboo seemed so eager to help you, stay with you. So he, although reluctant to do so, leaves you in the care of Ranboo. They agreed to work in shifts before he left.

As he leaves, he gives you two a final look. Ranboo moves his chair closer to you, learning in and starts to talk to you. Honestly, Phil could care less about what conversation you two were having. He was only there to rescue you. There weren’t any ties between you two besides Ranboo, a common connection. All that mattered was you getting cured, out of the Egg’s clutches.

Tommy

This boy? When he’s told the Egg has you in its possession, he vehemently denies it. There’s absolutely no way it could’ve gotten you. I mean do they realize who they’re talking about? They’re talking about you- one of the strongest people on the smp!

Though a small part of him doubts that. Whispers that yes, you’re strong. But not strong enough to protect you from a danger like the Egg.

There’s absolutely no possibility that you were taken by the Egg. I mean come on, as mentioned above, you’re hella strong. You fought in so many wars and never fell for any of Dream’s lies. The last one is mostly why he believes the Egg doesn’t have you. If you can defy Dream’s manipulation, then the Egg should be no different. Right?

And so many people didn’t like him, so this had to be a joke. It was laughable, unbelievable. They thought they could get him so easily? Oh how wrong they were. Here, he can easily prove them wrong. Prove that it’s a prank. Mostly needs to prove it to himself though.

So when he walks around the smp, he keeps an eye out for you. He does it everywhere and eventually wanders to areas less frequented by him. That’s the level of “delusional” he’s at; you’re just hiding somewhere, far from him. This is a mean prank you’re pulling and very effective if the wanted product was a panicked Tommy.

Finally throws in the towel when he can’t find you anywhere after a week. He asked everyone on the smp for your location and got one of two answers; they either haven’t seen you or they saw you in the Badlands, near the Egg’s domain.

Now he wasn’t scared to go into the Badlands to look for you. Oh absolutely not! He was, in fact, absolutely terrified of the Egg. His reasoning for not going there boiled down to “the Egg doesn’t like him and wants him dead” and “there’s no way the egg got them”.

Enough time passes and he finally starts to accept the idea that the Egg may actually have you. When the thought pops up to look for you in the Badlands, he doesn’t question or fight it like before. Now accepting it with open arms, he heads to the Badlands. His worst fear will be laid to rest. You won’t be there.

Oh how wrong he was. When he gets closer to the Egg’s lair, he finally catches sight of you. It’d been weeks since he last saw you, and was ecstatic when he found you. A closer, more in depth look decimated any joy he had.

You were definitely a part of the eggpire with the signature red iris that obscured your natural eye color from the light. And it was also obvious that it was working you to death. Your body looked so much weaker than it ever had, besides grave injuries. Absolutely drained of all, fucking demented, lifeless were just a few things to describe your current state. It was so hard to look at. He knew he had to save you because the Egg was slowly killing you.

He executed the best plan he could conjure up in that little pea-brain of his; he’d “kidnap” you. A very simple plan, in all actuality. When the other eggpire members were away from you, he’d lure you away with just his presence. The Egg absolutely despised him, he was well aware of that. That’s why you were most likely chasing him, but he liked to believe you were coming with him willingly. Breaking from the Egg’s control.

Okay so he hadn’t planned on where he’d take you- BUT he did know you had to be taken far, far away. Far from the smp and especially the Egg. He’ll stop when he believes you’re too far from the Egg’s influence. A place you can finally rest and break free from the Egg. After that? Well it was obvious; he’d do everything in his fucking power to ensure that the Egg could never get ahold of, control or bother you again.

Tying you to the bedpost should be sufficient for now, right? Oh don’t worry about the long chain on it. It’s long enough for you to get into the bathroom and get business done. He’s a really considerate guy, huh? It’s only there to prevent you from running back to the Egg, he swears.

And look! You’re slowly becoming yourself again. It’s happening slowly, but Tommy can see the progress that’s already being made. And that makes him overjoyed.

Tubbo

The news of your disappearance couldn’t have come at a worse time. He had been told about one of the nukes being stolen and then the news that you were kidnapped right under his nose? Absolutely worse. All he felt was absolute rage and despair. First the nuke and now you? How could this get worse!

Finding out how you were taken can, apparently. Jack recounted how he last saw you with Bad. But it wasn’t like “oh they’re just chillin like homies”. No, it was about how Bad was carrying you to… somewhere. It was unclear where they went. Rather unfortunate how Jack had to deliver the news of two horrendous incidents at the same time.

Tubbo wanted to scold Jack for not stopping Bad, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t Jack’s fault. Well it was but wasn’t all at the same time. Telling Jack how he fucked up severely wouldn’t help the situation, and neither would yelling or any other destructive form of anger. Keeping his cool was his best option to solve the current crises.

He gets to work on solving both issues asap. Jack volunteers to find the missing nuke which left Tubbo to find you. Jack taking up the nuke issue was a blessing; he’d rather have Jack find the nuke than risk your safety.

Now since he’s left to look for you, he needs a plan to locate you. His best option? Getting help from the other residents, of course! They were more than happy to assist Tubbo. All of them get told the same story; the recount that Jack told Tubbo of the last appearance you made.

It isn’t long into the search before results were made. Puffy came back with your location. Your situation was less than favorable. Adding you being in the Badlands and so close to where the Egg laid, it was all clear. It appeared that you were under the Egg’s thumb. After all, if a friend calls out to you, a normal person wouldn’t just ignore them. And Puffy said she wasn’t too far away from you when she yelled for you. So something was obviously wrong.

Tubbo decides to give the Badlands a little visit. To give his own input on the situation, if you’d call it that. In all honesty, it was just to see you and see if the tales were true. Sadly, they were.

The next best thing would be to plan an escape for you. So the first attempt is him just trying to get you to leave on your own accord. And that plan was unsuccessful, which was less than surprising. Then he tries to physically drag you back. A hilarious sight, but another plan that was doomed to fail from the beginning. As a last resort, for that visit, he pulls out the puppy dog eyes and alligator tears. You were unfazed by his tactics. There go his immediate plans of freeing you.

Eventually you tire of his behavior and chase him away. You spare him some last words before you part ways though. “I don’t need to leave the Egg. I’m perfectly fine, so just leave me alone”.

That really made him upset, but he wasn’t going to give up on you just like that. No, you were his best friend. Best friends don’t give up on each other so easily. They stick with each other and get the other out of a nasty situation. And this was one nasty situation you got pulled into.

When he gets back, he relays all of the discoveries to the others. It was undeniable, unanimous; you had to be rescued. As they all talked it over, a smile grew on Tubbo’s face. Tubbo’s change in mood was dismissed easily; he was just excited to get his friend back. They weren’t half wrong with that.

Tubbo was more happy that it’d be easier to contain you. He could easily get you where he wanted you and keep you there under the pretense of “keeping you there for your safety”. And all he’d have to do is volunteer to care for you…

Purpled

Surprisingly, he meets you through the Egg. Well, properly meet you. Originally, he joined for the money. Some of the eggpire members were rather wealthy and paid handsomely for his services.

So to elaborate on how he “knew” you. He first found you when you first appeared on the smp. Being toured around by Dream. So logically he goes up to greet the new member. You want to make good impressions on people as soon as you can.

You two only exchange names before Dream starts to shoo Purpled off. Dream gives the excuse that you were his friend. Not Purpled’s. His. He didn’t know you well and this was his server, so he’d obviously give the best tour of it. Plus you two were also catching up on things you two had done.

Dream’s behavior peeved you. He was being rather rude to this stranger and rather irresponsible. If he was trying to seem good, he was doing a poor job of conveying that.

You argued with Dream to allow this other person to come along with y’all. The argument doesn’t last long before Dream finally shoots it down and pulls you away for the rest of the tour.

Purpled was awed, felt so loved. You argued back at Dream of all people, and just for him. To defend him and let you come along with him. God you must be an angel in disguise, a true treasure. People as gracious as you are hard to come by nowadays.

After that, he does his best to become your friend. He does all the research on you that he can and watches your behaviors. Noting what you like and what you do throughout the day. Just the normal stuff, ya’know.

Without you knowing it, you had become such a precious thing to him. You’d become his best friend. Yes you two didn’t talk often at all, but you two were still friends. After all, he knew everything about you. Your favorite color, your favorite place to hang out, which genre of books you like, what muffin you get at Niki’s bakery, how you like your tea and coffee. Just the normal stuff a best friend would need to know.

Also collected things of yours. Things you came in contact with. If you left them, that meant you didn’t want them. And if you didn’t want them anymore, then they were free for the taking. This was all obvious stuff.

Another surprising thing; he became too busy with the egg to even notice your disappearance. With how much he was around you, he would’ve noticed you go missing within seconds. Yet he wasn’t around to keep you safe, now was he? No he wasn’t. He was away collecting some of the dumbest things for the egg.

He was rather annoyed when he was told of the soon-to-be new member of the eggpire. Great, another egg freak he’d have to deal with. Right now, he could really use a pick-me-up. Visiting you wouldn’t hurt- apparently it can because he was almost immediately put to work after being told the news.

After prepping for the initiation process, he was more than peeved. It’d been weeks since he last saw you. It was some of the worst weeks of his life. All he needed right now was you- oh boy.

Well he wishes were granted because there you were, being inducted into the egg cult. Man he should’ve been a bit more careful on what he wished for, but whatever. You were here now. Once it’s all over, he goes to properly greet you as an eggpire member and tours you around. So since you like the egg and he likes the egg, you wanna keep talking?

Will do everything in his power to keep you under the Egg’s control. If anybody comes in hopes of rescuing you, they’d have to deal with Purpled first. They’d usually never get past him, defeated by his hand and sent away.

It was in “your” best interest to stay with the egg. Really it was his, but you believed it too.

Those egg-cult freaks kept preaching about how the Egg would give people anything they asked or craved. Now that you were here, Purpled supposed it was true. After all, you were what he wanted after all. He is best friend by his side forever. What else could he ask for?

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bostonbashers · 3 years

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Hear me out.. How do mercs behave around a person they have a huge crush on?! :D

AAAAAA this one is so cute, i’m in love!! 🤩❤️

Scout:

literally a fucking DORK around you. tries to impress you constantly with anything and everything he has, ranging from his skill set to his appearance to his personal belongings and much more.

always finds excuses to spend time with you and it can be the most asanine ones in existence. oh? you have free time tomorrow? let’s go take a run down the street. you miss your puppy that got lost when you were a kid? let’s go to the ends of the earth to find it.

made you borrow his jacket/shirt once because he accidentally spilled a drink all over your shirt. once he saw you in it, he nearly died and didn’t want it back. takes it back anyway due to his pride and though he seems outwardly okay with it, he secretly doesn’t wash the clothing for a long while.

his flirtatious behavior around other people goes down immensely. scout becomes strictly loyal to you once his crush grows stronger and can’t bear the thought of talking with someone else, even if you don’t like him back. it just doesn’t sit with him right.

Soldier:

soldier is much softer and kinder around you. he restrains himself from using any harsh words that could hurt your feelings and tries to slow down on your training.

shows you his pets!! one of his prized possessions that he won’t allow anyone else to touch, like ever. he trusts you to love and take care of them the same way he does.

everyone has to respect you. if they even give you a slight problem, he’ll get on their case about it and probably give them hell before they could even mutter out an apology. you deserve respect and he’s gonna make sure you get nothing less.

lots of supportive comments from him! even if it’s something small, he’ll grin at you proudly and yell out a, “good job, cupcake! you did great!” while giving you a strong pat in the back or an approving nod.

Pyro:

pyro is usually sweet and kind with a certain crowd and tries to do the best they can for others, but with their crush? it’s a whole different story. they’re absolutely head over heels for them.

like a lovesick puppy; they will follow you wherever they go with a skip in their step. like, i mean they’ll follow you everywhere. “no, pyro you can’t follow me to the bathroom-!” they don’t really listen but patiently wait outside anyway.

one of the many mercs who won’t hesitate to show affection and sees nothing wrong in it. runs up to them and holds their hand firmly with a happy hum, hugs them more than usual, and just straight up gives you all their attention.

Demoman:

oh boy, if tavish has a crush on you, he’ll show it when he’s absolutely wasted. demo will literally smother you with affection regardless of where you both are and literally latch onto you every second he gets a chance to.

lots of drunk ramblings; he’ll lay his head on your shoulder or lap while he mindlessly slurs about how amazing you are, what his favorite thing is about you, and so much more.

it’s pretty obvious at that point demo likes you so you admit your liking to him pretty quick and it’s funny how shocked he gets. “ya knew i liked ya?!” yes, demo, they did.

when he’s sober, he’s much more shy with it and controls his actions a lot more. apologizes for his behavior while drunk. tavish exhibits more gentleman behavior, from opening doors to making you a decent dinner and just basically ensuring your comfortability.

Heavy:

heavy is very mature and will accept his feelings pretty quick compared to the others. it’s a 50/50 chance with him; if they feel the same, that’s great! if they don’t, then.. he’d have no choice but to move on. that’s how life works.

once he does accept it, be expecting a lot of mother hen behavior; he literally watches your every move to make sure you’re safe and healthy. even if you are, he goes out of his way to give you things whenever he knows you’re around; a homemade meal, a blanket, probably some candy. your smile is already more than enough to make up for the little things he does for you.

no one will ever dare to hurt you around heavy (or just in general, really). he senses danger and issues pretty quickly, so it’s easy for him to detect any bad intentions. he’s like that scary bodyguard who looms behind you, glaring at anyone who radiates rancid vibes to scare them away.

Medic:

probably takes a while to accept or realize it cause he’s always so preoccupied in his lab, being busy and all. but once he does realize it, it’s sort of foreign to him at first, so of course, he goes to heavy to speak about his emotions. after being told it was a crush, he pays attention to you a lot more than usual, sometimes even without him noticing.

he gets all giddy when you’re around and although it’s not the jumpy, squealing giddy, it’s certainly one shown through happy greetings and continuous conversations that seem to be never ending. (you don’t mind though)

makes up random appointments and checkups for the smallest things just to see you and gets very, very excited whenever you decide to come to visit him without his knowledge. nearly drops everything just to attend to you.

he talks to archimedes so much about you that his precious pet basically knows who you are based off his owners reactions and automatically flies to you whenever you enter his lab. that bird is a lot smarter than you think. they get along with you pretty well and medic melts whenever he sees you talk to his birds like he does and play with them.

Sniper:

bless his heart, the poor man will literally faint around his crush. just the sight of them flusters him to his core, and don’t even get me started on their little habits and that godforsaken smile. [hes literally almost died when they grinned at him]

he’s already so reserved and quiet as he is, but around them, it’s even worse. he’s always so scared he’s gonna scare them away or say something stupid, but he eventually lets go of the fear and tries to muster up the courage to talk to you.

once he does, he spends a lot of his time with you, often inviting you out to drive around with him or just simply sit outside and enjoy the breeze. he talks a lot more than usual and though he doesn’t completely open up about his past just yet, he does indirectly hint that he trusts you more than anyone in his life.

lots of sleepless nights when he realizes he’s in love. he does everything to take you off his mind but all fails in the end and he’s kept wide awake thinking about what you two could be. from then on, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep his cool around you and silently begs you’ll confess one day or he’ll lose it.

Engineer:

sweetheart mode: activated. like it’s not a big switch up, since he’s naturally a gentleman but it’s noticeable enough. you’ll notice that your nicknames will start slowly forming to more romantic ones and how he blushes with a smile everytime it leaves his lips.

the other mercs can tell when dell has a crush; he blushes a lot more than usual and they catch him smiling more than once by himself. they realize it when you approach him and he automatically fixes himself to look presentable without a second breath. his voice also changes to a much happier and giddy tone, it’s so cute!

stares at you from a distance a lot or whenever you’re distracted with something. half of the time he doesn’t even realize he’s doing so but once he catches himself, he blushes and looks away, silently telling himself to quit it. often you’ll catch him staring at you, but you ignore it for his sake and laugh to yourself when he smiles back and waves shyly.

Spy:

takes a long while before he actually accepts the crush, seeing that he’s a very secretive and reserved person but once he does, you best believe you’ll be spoiled and loved by this man. lots of gentleman behavior!! opening doors, buying you gifts, giving you his coat, and all that fancy stuff.

teases you a lot more than he should; he enjoys your reactions. he’ll lean in close enough where your fingers brush slightly, tilt your chin up when he talks to you and makes intense eye contact while doing so. whenever he gets too close or the moment gets too tense, he backs away with a smirk and pretends as if nothing happens.

he listens to you and anything you have on your mind. his door is literally open for you 24/7 and even if you come knocking at 3 am, he’ll let you in and listen to what you have to say. you think he’s not listening cause he’s very unresponsive but when you’re finished and about to leave, he gives really good advice and tells you quietly that he’s there for you in an indirect way. depending how close he is to you, he’ll let out an experience or two about him to put you at comfort and as thanks for confiding in him. he then walks you back to your room with a simple nod and goodnight.

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wrestling0neshots · 3 years

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I Believe You. - Kane

You've known for two weeks about the planned attack on Kane.. the only problem is that you've felt too bad about him not believing your feelings to tell him. Will you be able to save him in time? Or will it be too late?

Requested by the_unkn0wn_writer Originally posted on Archive Of Our Own --------------------------- Guilt. That's what you feel. You should have told him. He deserved to know.

Unfortunately contact with him is limited, you were nervous, too afraid of your own feelings to tell him. And now he's on his was to the ring, unaware of the plans of his enemies. It wasn't often you overheard people's plans, often actively avoiding eavesdropping. In this case you had done it on purpose.

"When you get back I want a full on attack on Kane. He needs to be dealt with for giving you a concussion." You had been shocked hearing it, it was such a rash thing to do over something so small.

In this business a concussion wasn't out of the ordinary, it only took a slight mis-positioning or wrong angle to cause a hit to the head. So to go after someone for just that was frankly rude.

Out of fear you hadn't said anything to them, not when it happened, not last week, and not this week. This had been your last chance to stop them.

You stare at yourself in the bathroom mirror, angry with yourself for not having the courage to tell Kane. But how could you? You had been outside his locker room on multiple occasions, ready to knock on the door and notify him of the danger. Yet every time your hand stopped just short of the door, before you could knock.

You know your reasons, being as drawn to someone as you are to Kane really gets the heart beating and sends the nerves through the roof. Well, it doesn't help that last time you spoke to him he denied your feelings. Certainly doesn't make for a good situation.

And so every single time you had stopped. Walked away. Felt worse and worse about it every time.

Now you're here, listening to his theme song. Knowing his demise is coming. Knowing he is going to be attacked. You could have stopped it, you could have done something. You still can.

With a sudden burst of courage you leave the bathroom, breaking into a jog. You're determined to make it in time. You can almost hear a clock ticking in your head, reminding you of every second that passes by. Kane's theme has stopped, an eerie silence having fallen.

It's clear that whomever Kane was supposed to face tonight will not be going to the ring. You hope you're not too late to stop what is about to happen.

Sure enough the second theme starts up. You knew they would be going down next. You're almost there, almost at the gorilla. You can do it, you can still stop them.

You pause as you round the room that sends you to the stage, filled with nerves. Not just nerves for Kane but nerves because you really didn't think out your plan.

The array of steel chairs set neatly to the side is enough of a plan for you. You pick up the closest one and fold it, not waiting another second to run out onto the stage.

The music is still loud, your eyes lock onto your targets. They're still on their way to the ring, slowly stalking toward Kane if they have all the time in the world.

Luckily they're also unaware of your presence. Something you keep up by using the sound of the crowd to your advantage, but also ensuring you're quiet on your feet. As they reach the bottom of the ramp they stop, allowing you to properly catch up. "This is it Kane, this is our revenge for what you did."

Without hesitation you swing the chair, hitting the speaker in the back of the head. A blow that sends him to the ground.

Unfortunately now his two teammates know you're here. They know you're a threat. There's one to your left and one to your right. Perhaps hitting the guy in the center first wasn't the best idea.

You don't have time to think, simply swinging again and hoping for the best. Your second swing hits, although it's not as successful as the first, only causing the second guy to stumble back.

You turn to hit the third with the chair but he's already thought ahead, snatching the steel object from your hand. You duck as he swings the chair at you, spinning while you're low and sweeping his legs from under him.

It's an effective move, although as you stand straight again you realise than both of his friends are ready for you. You're overwhelmed quickly, trying your best to fight them off. Unfortunately it doesn't last long, having your arms quickly locked in place

The guy in front of you grins, helping his other friend off of the ground while you struggle in the hold. "A valiant effort I must say, it's a shame you waste it on Kane and he's not even come to help you."

"Shut your mouth." You spit, receiving a slap to the face in return. He chuckles, gripping your chin and forcing you to look at him again. "Since you care so much you can watch us do what we came down here to do, beat the shit out of Kane. If you keep quiet we'll maybe let you off lightly after, got it?" He moves your head up and down for you, his grin filling you with an anger you never thought possible. And you're unable to do anything about it.

He lets go, turning around and walking right into Kane's fist. The guy with the chair swings, smacking Kane's arm. Kane moves to attack him now, snatching the chair and smacking him in the head with it, hard. Hard enough it causes the guy holding you to flinch.

You see blood slowly begin to pour from a newly opened wound on the man's head, although you don't have time to process it, the other one on the ground at your feet after being chokeslammed.

Kane now turns his attention in your direction, or rather behind you. The man holding you doesn't loosen up his grip, clearly intending on using you as a meat shield for as long as he can.

With Kane staring daggers at him you seize the opportunity to help yourself, stomping hard on his foot. He lets out a quiet yelp, letting go of your wrists and freeing you. You turn to deal with him further but he's already at the top of the ramp, showing no signs of stopping.

Kane's hand on your arm fills you with nerves once again. He spins you slowly to face him. You don't avoid his eyes, no point in showing your nerves now. He shows no emotion, simply staring down at you.

Seconds pass with nothing, so you look down. His lack of any communication makes you feel awful. You wish he would do something, say something. Anything.

You hiss as he gently lifts your head to look up at him again, his hand on your still sore cheek. He goes to recoil but you put your hand on his, keeping it there.

It stings, but his touch makes up for it. His thumb moves slowly across what you can only imagine is a sore looking patch of skin. You don't pull away. You don't want this moment to end.

When it does you sigh softly, accepting that that is probably all you will get from Kane. He denied your confession before, you're sure he's doing the same now.

You step away, ready to leave. You can't handle the disappointment.. not in front of all these people.

There was a small part of you that hoped that if he saw what you were willing to do for him he would see things for how they are, he would see your feelings as true.. Maybe that's not possible.

You don't look back, you don't want to. Your heart feels heavy. You tried.

"Y/n" you don't stop. You can't stop. Whatever it is you don't want it.

"Y/n." He calls again, nearer this time. "Y/n!" "What, Kane?" You turn to him at last, seeing the mix of emotions swimming in his mismatched eyes.

"I believe you."

#kane #wwe kane #romance #saviour #courage #wwe #wwe fanfiction #wwe oneshot #reader insert

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mfkinanaa · 3 years

Text

ARIES RISING.

Born with Aries on your Ascendant (or Rising), you are likely to approach life in a straight-forward and direct manner.

Aries is a physical and dynamic energy.

Accordingly, you are likely to love a challenge, enjoy being busy and will generally move toward your goals without delay.

Unless there are other more passive qualities in your chart, you are likely to be a self-starter with plenty of ‘get up and go’.

Your gift is the ability to initiate, take charge and pioneer.

Independent by nature, and self-reliant in many ways, your challenge is to maintain patience, and when necessary find ways to collaborate with others.

A Dynamic Approach.

Aries rising implies you will bring an enthusiastic, dynamic and fun-loving approach to most new things. You are likely to be capable and energetic, prefer a high degree of autonomy, and need to feel as if you are in charge of your own affairs.

You have strong mental energies and may love to debate, argue or “butt heads”. Pushing the envelope is fun for you. You may need to learn not to take on challenges purely for their own sake. Eventually, you will discover how to incorporate qualities such as diplomacy and tact as you realize ambitions.

Again, how easily this happens will depend greatly upon the rest of your chart.

In family matters, you may be inclined toward self-sacrifice, willing to undergo hardship and sacrifice for the sake of those you love. With Mars ruling your Ascendant, you can project at times a competitive edge. You can attract attention to yourself, and will project maximum influence when getting new things off the ground.

Others will see you as capable, but possibly brash. Accordingly, you would do well to think about how you are expressing this dynamism. Are you foolishly jumping in, or are you simply taking charge?

Taking Charge.

To live the full potential of your Ascendant, you need to become decisive and take action. How able you are to do this will depend upon other factors in your chart. Qualities such as courage, strength and self-assertion may need to be developed if you are to meet the challenges that life presents.

Not all of you will rush headfirst into new projects, but it is important that you have a degree of autonomy in at least one major are of your life. On the flip side, you should take care not to isolate yourself in a drama of your own making. Independence is a far cry from being alone.

On The Move.

It is also important to recognize your need to expend physical energy, without expecting the same from others. Exercise and lots of activity will help keep your nervous system functioning well. Inactivity can lead to moodiness and emotional overwhelm.

You will find yourself feeling dull or flat if your energies have nowhere to go, and so you are bets off making sure you enough happening to keep you mentally engage and physically occupied.

Starting Early.

Self-reliance is often learnt early in childhood. You may have developed this through spending a lot of time alone for some reason. Periods of isolation are needed to establish the independent, courageous qualities mentioned above. Often, there are difficulties with parents, especially the parent of the same sex, because this sign encourages you to assert your independence and chart your own path.

Aries rising children are often noisy, rambunctious and enthusiastic. Yet, despite these challenges, cheerfulness and a willingness to engage with others is also usually present.

It is highly likely that you will experience some difficulty early in life around expressing your independence, either through overshooting the mark with too forthright an approach, or feeling afraid to go it alone. However, this will diminish in time, as you gain greater awareness around how to use the primal, powerful and assertive energy of Aries to its best.

TAURUS RISING.

Born with Taurus on your Ascendant (or Rising) you are likely to prefer the slow and steady approach to life.

Taurus is a practical and conservative sign.

Wherever possible, you will feel better if moving forward in a methodical, systematic way.

Unless there are other more impulsive qualities in your chart, you are likely to be pragmatic and cautious.

This sign is not known for its’ love of change and so, you may tend to avoid trying anything new until you absolutely must.

You will seek comfort over risk.

Therefore life is best approached as a series of steps to be taken one by one, with plenty of rest stops along the way.

Constancy.

You are likely to be fairly consistent in your views, and may be considered fixed in values – either around material needs (possessions), or emotional concerns (the things you hold dear). You may be set around ideas for the future and what you feel you need to do to get there. On the one hand, this can make you reliable and focussed. On the other, it can mean you stubbornly resist anything that does not meet preconceived ideas.

Resistance can be an issue. The famed Taurean stubbornness means you are unlikely to budge. You can hold on to a situation, state of mind, or object for far too long, just to prove a point. In this case, learning when to be constant and hold on to something versus when to let go is paramount. You need comfort and security but you also need to ensure you do not to become too rigid, with a one-track view of how life will unfold.

Peace and Love.

Taurus Rising often gives a kind, graceful and gentle disposition. You are likely to be peace-loving, easygoing and therefore well-liked. Gardening, cooking, beauty, art, dance or music may appeal to you. Taurus is a very aesthetic sign. You are naturally drawn to comfort, security and harmony wherever possible.

Sensuality.

You are also likely to be sensually-oriented and respond strongly to bodily impulses. This quality should be cultivated and refined. Enjoying your senses without becoming gluttonous is key. You may have a tendency to enjoy food, wine and relaxation, as well as sexual activity, whenever possible.

Yet too much of a good thing is worse than none at all. Your ability to enjoy the good things in life will decrease if taken to excess. Ill health can ensue as a direct consequence of over indulgence.

As a lover, you may need lots of stimulation and activity, yet may not be good at instigating change. Accordingly, it is important to have a partner who can match your sexual appetite. Open sexual expression is a key to emotional balance, and very important with Taurus rising. Celebrating your body is essential for a balanced sense of self-worth.

Holding On.

There may also be tendencies toward jealousy and possessiveness within relationships that need to be curbed. Understanding the destructive side of your emotional nature is needed. Problems in relationship are often signs that your life has become too rigid, and that it is time to free yourself from a rut.

The irony here is that you are probably drawn to people who seem intense and catalytic, and they may bring many disruptions into your life. This serves the purpose of forcing you into emotional upheavals, which stimulates the need for growth. Your normal state is likely to be placid, but you may become surprisingly enraged when provoked too far.

In addition, there may be a tendency toward laziness or indolence. Usually, Taurus rising prefers an easy, and at times plodding, approach to life. This can be problematic when your preferred pace does not really match the situation at hand, or when those you share your life with need you to react with more urgency.

Letting Go.

Comfort, stability and security may have been important early childhood experiences. The need to create wealth, secure your financial interests and acquire goods may have been strongly ingrained by your family. This can lead to an overly materialistic focus, and subsequent fear of loss. You may be require to undergo lessons around letting go, to learn that true stability is a quality you build within. Your overall task is to maintain security, whilst moving with the times.

The Gift of Taurus Rising.

All in all, the Taurus Ascendant often lends a graceful and stable element to the personality. You are likely to be pragmatic and grounded in your approach to new experiences. Others are likely to find you attractive in a variety of ways, and generally easy to be around. Your gift is the ability to enjoy the pleasures of life, whilst approaching each step of your journey in a realistic way.

GEMINI RISING.

Born with Gemini on your Ascendant (or Rising), you are likely to approach life with a genuine sense of inquisitiveness.

You are gifted with a natural sense of curiosity and desire to understand how people or things work.

This Ascendant is primarily concerned with finding connections.

You may have a knack for communication, or a developed capacity to find associations between different points of view.

By nature, you are likely to be versatile and adaptable, with multiple interests and the ability to fit in with whatever life throws your way.

Often fast-talking, you are usually interested in other people, which is a great social asset.

You are likely to be gifted with a sharp mind and ability to talk about a wide range of things.

Communication and Connection.

For you, communication is key. It is important to maintain avenues of exchange within your environment, so that you can stay involved and “in the know”. In order to achieve this, you should invest time and effort into your social life. At your best you demonstrate both clarity and objectivity, able to disperse information without any emotional confusion to cloud the facts.

You can also be very dexterous, and work well with your hands. Ruled by Mercury, you may be noted for your quick movements, wit, youthful looks and slender body.

Naturally Quick.

You may be impatient with the slowness of others. In many ways you require stimulation. In turn, you are prepared to stimulate others, which will make you lively and fun, but may lead to some exaggeration in social settings. You may fear boredom, and so will avoid anything that makes you feel trapped.

You may also have a propensity for nervous tension and may need to learn to slow down and focus more.

This Ascendant can deepen your sense of restlessness if the rest of your chart is Air or Fire, but suits well those of you with a predominant Earth or Water temperament.

If mostly Air, you may be overly cerebral, and so inclined to lose touch with your body or your feelings. In this case you will have to slow down long enough to listen to what your emotions are telling you.

If Fire, you may be too impulsive, and have trouble settling down. Again, slowing down before you react will help.

Variety Required.

You need many varied experiences and interests to feel alive. Life is full of many tantalizing possibilities. You are likely to prefer alternatives, and need the freedom to move around, interacting with a variety of people, ideas and things. Yet, in some ways, this can become your biggest liability.

You may become too divergent in your pursuits, and in the end become a Jack or Jill of all trades, but master of none. You may have difficulty in committing to any one path, and scatter yourself in pursuit of endless change.

Yet at some stage, you will need to accept the necessity of commitment. Through focus, you come to experience the deeper satisfaction of integrated knowledge, from which comes meaning. Finding a purpose in your varied experiences becomes the secret to experiencing inner satisfaction and a steady life path. The position of the Sun in your chart will give clues as to how this is best done.

Learning From Others.

You are likely to seek partners who can broaden your horizons. Through partnerships, you gain a broader perspective as well as the inspiration needed to get the best from life. You are likely to be generous and broadminded, wishing to see them become the best that they can be. After all, the more experiences they can bring to your life, the more engaged you will be.

The Gift of Gemini Rising.

All in all, you are likely to be gracious, socially aware and adaptable. Your broad range of interests can make you unusually capable, and you can achieve many things through your gifts of wit and charm. Others can teach you the value of focussed attention by developing an idea. Success comes from honing your skills through focussing your varied interests, using them to highlight innate strengths and capabilities as you continue to learn along the way.

#astroworld #astrology #astrotips #aries rising #taurus rising #gemini rising

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heejinnien · 3 years

Text

i.jaebum & p.jinyoung | crimson roses part one

word count: 3k

pairing: jaebum x reader x jinyoung

synopsis: when y/n’s sister is murdered, she’s forced to evaluate everything that she thought she knew.

genre: mystery, witsec au

warnings: the reader is in a club (they’re old enough to legally be there), murder, gore, imagery used to describe the reader tripping over and finding a dead body, probably incorrect portrayal of the witsec program, there’s a mildly disturbing nightmare

rating: pg-17

author’s note: this is part one of the walking on sunshine event! it focuses on summer beginnings. i was partnered with @dreamystuffers, and credits to them for the amazing moodboard! thank you @birbdae and ryan for being my beta readers. seriously, thank you for filling in all the spaces where i wrote blah blah

“I freaking hate Tzuyu.”

You groan, dropping your head in your hands. Sympathetically, the bartender slides a glass of water towards you, accepting the grunt that you emit afterwards as a sort of thank you. You pause in your wallowing to take a long sip of the icy liquid, feeling the pressure in your head lift slightly.

“Rough night?”

The bartender’s smooth, baritone voice carries over the loud sounds of the club’s music, and you wince at his words.

“Something like that.”

The bartender looks as though he’ll say more, but he’s cut off by the sound of a high, feminine voice ordering another drink. You’re grateful for the distraction, sliding a wad of bills over the counter and slipping off of the metal stool. You appreciate the kindness he has shown you, but you really need to start looking for your sister.

Slowly, you begin to weave through the throng of clubgoers, searching for anyone who moderately resembles your sister. You wince as an elbow connects with your stomach and bite back a curse when a heel stabs your toe. Still, there is no sign of your sister.

Pushing your way to the far side of the club, you lean against a wall, panting slightly, and pull out your phone. The LED at the top signals that nobody tried to call or text you while you were struggling to navigate a mob of drunk clubgoers, and a knot of worry tightens itself in your stomach. It’s been over an hour since you last saw your sister. She left you at a booth with a few of your mutual acquaintances to go dance, and you haven’t seen her since. Giving them an awkward smile, you had slid out of the booth to go sit at the bar. You were more polite to them because they were your sister’s friends than anything, and you know you hadn’t been imagining the awkwardness that had settled into the air once your sister had left.

You quickly swipe through your phone, silently praying that Tzuyu will answer and tell you she took a cab back to your shared apartment and she forgot to tell you, or that she’s actually been in the bathroom constipated this entire time.

“Hi, this is Tzuyu, I’m busy right now, which is why I didn’t pick up…”

With a groan, you turn your phone off. Pushing yourself off the wall, you weave your way to the bathrooms, opting to begin your second search there. Unsurprisingly, the small metal stalls are empty. You cringe as your shoe sticks to an unknown substance, exiting the bathroom and mind racing about where Tzuyu’s whereabouts could be.

A cool breeze winds itself around you, tousling your hair gently and you freeze.

A breeze?

You turn away from the rest of the clubbers, following the hallway deeper into the building. The further you go, the darker it gets, and a second chill sets upon you, one unrelated to the cool breeze.

Heart pounding, you turn the corner and see a cracked doorway. The soft light of the night greets you, and you feel a spark of relief. Maybe her phone died and your sister went out this door to leave. You quickly hurry out the door, pushing it open and turning down the alleyway.

You’ve only gone a few paces, pulling out your phone to dial your sister again when your foot collides with something hard. Your arms flail as you attempt to right yourself, but you go down, your elbow colliding with something soft and your chin colliding with the hardness of the asphalt.

Letting out a groan, you try to push yourself up by pressing your hands against the ground on either side of you, but they slip. Something wet and sticky coats your hands, and confusion fills you as you blindly reach around you for your phone. Your fingers connect with the cold metal, and you’ve scarcely turned on the device and activated the flashlight before you’re greeted with the mutilated body of your sister.

It takes you a second to register that the loud noise you hear is your own screaming.

You stare blankly ahead of you in shock.

Vaguely, you hear someone talking to you, but it’s like you’re underwater, all the sounds around you muffled. The image of your sister is frozen in your mind, your fingers trembling as you grip the blanket that someone wrapped around you tightly.

You think back to the last time you saw her, only a few hours ago, smiling and joyous and alive.

If she were here with you right now, she would have something comforting to say. She’d always been the more level of you too, somehow able to keep calm even in situations when you’ve felt panicked. But she’s not.

It should have been me, you think bitterly, rocking back and forth.

“Miss L/N.”

A hand settling on your arm causes you to jump and pull yourself out of your trance. Dumbly, you look at the hand, using it to trace your way up the unknown person’s wrist and arm until you can see their face. Concerned eyes stare back at you, and you force yourself to listen to what the unknown man is saying.

“I’m sorry to say this, but your clothes need to be bagged for evidence.”

You blink, unable to process the man’s words.

“Miss L/N, please. I know you want us to catch whoever did this to your sister, and we’re trying our best, but we need to bag your clothing as evidence.”

The mention of your sister clears the fog that has settled over you, and you nod. Weakly, you stand, following the man as he guides you to a restroom. He hands you a bag and a stack of clothes, instructing for you to change into the new set and bag the old clothes.

Robotically, you do as he tells you to until you’re changed into a sweater several sizes too big and a pair of jeans that cling to your legs tightly. You splash water on your face, staring at yourself hollowly in the mirror. You hardly recognize yourself, a foreign, hollow look in your eyes. Get it together, Y/N, you chide yourself. You can cry about this later. For Tzuyu.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, you turn, exiting the bathroom with the bag of your old clothes in your hands. As soon as you exit, several furtive glances are sent your way. You furrow your brows in confusion, and a new, unknown man hurries over to you.

“Please follow me quickly, Miss L/N.”

“I don’t understand.”

The man doesn’t respond, hurrying you through the station and down a hallway until you’re stopped in front of a closed door. A plaque centered on the door reads “Sergeant Park.” Not wasting the time to knock, the man pushes open the door, taking the bag from your hands and ushering you in.

“Miss L/N, I’m so sorry about your loss.”

Hearing those words makes your throat tighten again, and you force your feelings down. You look around you, noting the awards adorning the walls around you. Two men stand inside the office, both wearing grim expressions. The one who spoke is seated behind the desk, and he stands, gesturing for you to take the free seat opposite him.

“There’s something we need to talk to you about.”

“My sister was a good person, she wasn’t mixed up in anything — ” You protest.

“That’s not what this is about.” The man opposite you, Sergeant Park, you assume, holds up his hand. “Time is crucial here, so please just listen to what I have to tell you.”

You nod, throat clogging from fearful anticipation.

“The Black Rose is the name of a powerful crime syndicate who’ve been running for the past few decades. We’ve tried our best to stop them, but they have connections everywhere.”

“My sister — ” You spring to your feet.

“Miss L/N. Please.”

You sink back into the chair, cheeks burning and thoroughly chastised. Once you’re seated, Sergeant Park continues.

“We’re not sure who all is involved with them, but what we do know is that they mark every kill, and they never kill without reason.”

Your thoughts race as you hear the unspoken words. “And my sister was marked,” you deadpan.

Sergeant Park nods grimly, and a hysterical laugh bubbles up within you. It dies instantly at the serious expression on Sergeant Park’s face.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Sergeant Park purses his lips, speaking slowly. “Until we know for sure, we need you to go into witness protection. We promise that we wouldn’t make you do this if we weren’t sure that your life is at serious risk. Mr. Im?”

Sergeant Park gestures to the other person in the room, who you assume is Mr. Im. Until now, he’s been silent, and you almost forgot that he’s here. He gives you a gentle smile.

“Please, call me Jaebum.” His tone is soothing, and you want to trust him. Still, you bite your lip, hesitant.

Sergeant Park speaks again. “Mr. Im will protect you the entire duration of the program. I promise that you’re in good hands. You guys will leave tonight.”

Alarm bells ring in your head. “Wait, tonight? I don’t understand. I still have finals, and what about my life here — ”

“Miss L/N.” Sergeant Park fixes you with a stern look. “I understand that things may seem intimidating right now, but I need you to do your best to do what we say. You could be a key role in this investigation, and Mr. Im is here to ensure that no harm comes to you. I know that this isn’t ideal, but please just let us protect you.”

You look from Sergeant Park to Jaebum. The latter gives you a reassuring smile, and your head still reels from all of the events of the night, but you find yourself nodding.

“Okay,” you breathe. “Okay, what do I have to do?”

“You keep twisting your bracelet.”

Jaebum’s voice pierces through your mindless thoughts and the dull monotony of the journey. You have been driving for the better part of the night, your thoughts still racing as you try to process everything. You look down at the bracelet Jaebum is talking about, and even though it’s dark you know what he’s talking about.

“My sister gave it to me,” you say simply.

“It must be pretty important to you, then,” he observes, eyes never straying once from the road.

“Something like that,” you say, assuming that’s the end of the conversation. Seconds later, Jaebum speaks again.

“Look, Y/N, I know that a lot has happened in one night — ”

“Please don’t,” you whisper, voice cracking. You clear your throat, staring out the window at the dark shadows of the landscape. “Don’t try to act like you understand how I feel. Twenty-four hours ago I was just a college student, and now…”

You swallow thickly, a lump forming itself in your throat.

“You are still just a college student, Y/N.”

“You know, aren’t you supposed to be using my new name?” You force yourself to change the topic, looking at Jaebum out of the side of your eyes.

Jaebum coughs awkwardly. “We aren’t there yet, and I thought that using your real name would make you more…comfortable with me.”

You scoff, but don’t speak. Awkward silence fills the car, interrupted only by the occasional sound of the night from outside your car window.

You remain like that for the rest of the ride. Everytime you think about saying something, you bury it, not wanting to show interest.

After a while, the road turns to dirt. The car bounces along the new road, and you can’t help but feel even further isolated from your old life. Jaebum pulls down a narrow driveway, and then the car stops, bathing a small cottage in the car’s light. Jaebum turns off the car’s ignition, and as you open the car’s door, you can hear the soft sound of waves crashing. Sand crunches beneath your shoes as you take in the sights around you.

You hear the sound of the trunk close, and seconds later Jaebum rounds the car, duffel bags gripped in his hands.

“This is it,” Jaebum says.

“I guess so,” you agree, exhaling nervously. You follow Jaebum up the cottage’s steps, hovering uncertaintly as he unlocks the front door. Following him inside, you squint against the bright yellow lights of the cottage.

You’re standing in a small living room. To your left is the kitchen and what you assume is the dining room, and to the right is a hallway. Jaebum leads you down the hallway, setting one of the duffle bags in front of a plain, unassuming white door.

“This is your room. Mine is right next to you.” Jaebum knocks goofily on the door in front of him, and you let out a short laugh.

“Okay.”

You grab your bag, pushing open the door to the room. You pause in the doorway, unsure. “Good night, Jaebum.”

A moment passes, and then you can hear the smile in his voice when he says, “Good night, Y/N.”

“Tzuyu! Where are you?”

You’re in a meadow, tall stalks of wheat reaching your shoulders. You frown, trying to remember how you got here, but you can’t. Alarm bells ring in your head, and you push through the stalks, searching for your sister.

“Tzuyu! Tzuyu! Where — are — you?”

Your voice is reflected back at you, distorted and garbled. Panic rises in you, bubbling hot like lava, and you begin to push through the stalks around you faster.

Finally, you stumble upon a clearing. A flock of birds takes flight, and your eyes scan the clearing, frantic. A body lies on the ground unmoving, and you run towards it. Deep in your gut you know who it is, but that doesn’t stop the gasp that leaves you as you clearly identify the girl lying there.

It’s Tzuyu.

The sight of her body makes you freeze, and before you can stop it you trip. When you regain your bearings, you’re back in the alley again. You blink, trying to orient yourself, and as you do Tzuyu’s hand shoots out, wrapping itself around your wrist. A scream gets choked in your throat as your sister sits up, smile stretching too wide for her face.

“Why didn’t you save me?”

“Tzuyu, you’re hurting me,” you cry, trying to pry your sister’s grasp from your wrist. She only holds on tighter, other hand shooting out and wrapping itself around your throat.

“Why didn’t you save me? Why didn’t you SAVE ME?”

A scream tears its way out of your throat, and you shoot into a sitting position, clutching the comforter you had admired just hours earlier against you. Your breathing is ragged, and dimly you hear heavy footsteps. Seconds later, harsh light floods your room and you throw your hand against your forehead, shielding your eyes from the intrusion.

Jaebum’s eyes are wild as he takes in your room, the way you’re sitting up, clutching the comforter against you. His muscles relax as he ascertains that you are physically safe, eyes softening at the sight of you.

“Are you okay?”

You nod, embarrassment beginning to seep through your previous horror.

“I’m sorry, had a nightmare.” You force yourself to laugh, the sound an octave too high to be believable. “You can just go back to your room, everything is fine.”

You swallow forcefully, staring down at the comforter and picking at a thread that has unwound itself from the careful stitching. Silently, you yell at Jaebum to leave. You’re not sure how much longer you can stand being mortified, discomfort seeping into the air around you.

After a long pause, you hear the gentle click of your door close. You don’t bother to look up, instead electing to close your eyes, sure that by the count of ten, he’ll be gone.

You’ve just reached eight when you feel your bed dip, and strong arms wrapping themselves around you. You stiffen, eyes snapping open to glare at the offender.

“You don’t have to treat me like a baby, I told you that I’m fine.”

“It’s okay to be weak you know.”

To your immense horror, you feel your eyes begin to well. You blink rapidly, trying to untangle yourself from Jaebum’s presence, but he holds on tightly. Before you can stop it, all of the emotions of the past twenty-four hours hit you, crashing against the gate that you had shoved them behind. The emotions you felt at your sister’s death, the emotional burden of having to suddenly end your old life and going into hiding suddenly become too much, and before you can help it tears stream down your cheeks. You gasp as you struggle to breathe, everything suddenly just becoming too much.

Time goes by without either of you realizing it, and neither of you know how long you remain in that position, Jaebum patting your back lightly as your grief pours out of you. After a few sniffles and swipes across your eyes you let out a groan, pulling away and digging the heels of your palms into your eyes.

“God, I can’t believe I just did that.”

“It’s okay, everyone has to let go of emotions at some point.” Jaebum gives you a gentle smile. “You should try to get some rest.”

“Will you stay with me?” Jaebum’s eyes widen, and you quickly scramble to backtrack. “I mean, you don’t have to — I don’t know what I was thinking — ”

“Of course I will.” Jaebum cuts off your ramble, smiling brightly. “I’ll just bring in a blanket from my room and sleep on the floor — ”

“You can share with me if you want. I don't mind; we both need a good night sleep, right?” You blurt quickly, panting slightly as you finish your question. Jaebum simply laughs, running a hand through his hair. He climbs onto the bed and lays on his side, patting the bed next to him. Shyly, you crawl next to him, laying down and trying not to think about the position you’re in too deeply.

Wrapped in the comfort of Jaebum’s warmth, you close your eyes, focusing on the gentle sounds of your breathing. A sense of tranquility washes over you, and you finally fall asleep.

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#on the shore #kpopscape #summerscape #got7writerscollective #jaebum x reader #im jaebum #im jaebeom #park jinyoung #jinyoung x reader #got7 #got7 jinyoung #got7 fics #got7 au #witsec au

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sailorgreywolf-legacy · 3 years

Text

Legacy - Chapter 64

The sound of cannon fire broke through the silence. It came with a flare of light from the Spanish forces in the fortress. The last holdout of the Spanish army on his land.

Mexico let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he had been holding. It had begun, just as the morning light broke. He hated the time that came before a battle, and the first shot came as a comfort. The preparations had set him on edge. Working with Santa Ana to shore up the defenses had served a purpose, but it had felt like waiting for the inevitable.

Cuba’s warning had given them enough warning to prepare, and the Dutch aid had freed up enough of his ships to mount a defense of the harbor. It had surprised him at first to read how few Spain had been able to muster for his reconquest. In his nightmares Mexico had seen the armada of old looming on the horizon. But, an empire crippled by a decade of war could not field the power that he once could. As the Netherlands had told him, Spain was weaker than he had been in a very long time. He had known that it would be a smaller force than Spain in his glory days, but it had done little to make him feel calmer.

Even with Santa Anna’s cool confidence in himself and the defenses, he couldn’t stop himself from dreading the silence before battle. In the nights before he had tried to listen to his intuition, which seemed to have an uncanny ability to predict the outcome of battle. If he felt dread, then Spain may succeed. But even his gut had felt frustratingly uncertain and undecided. But if there was anything that Mexico was certain of, it was that when he could fight he could have a part in ensuring a victory.

As the canon shot from the fortress raised splashed in the low light of dawn, Mexico tightened his hand on his sword. Though there was no one to fight yet, it felt right. The moment that a Spaniard dared to set foot aboard he would be ready to cut them down.

He knew little about sea warfare, but he could judge that there was not a danger from the batteries yet. The shots, clearly meant to be frightening, were landing in the water of the bay. Though the splashes were impressive, they were harmless. Mexico guessed that the cannons of his own forces were not firing because the shot and gunpowder were expensive and limited. It seemed that Santa Anna was capable of some restraint, though everything about the man said otherwise.

The captain joined Mexico at the railing and said, “Calm yourself. Patience determines victory at sea.”

Mexico nodded and tried to release some of the tension in his shoulders. This was not a battle on land, and combat with swords would not come as quickly. He asked, “Why are they firing when we are out of range?”

He knew it was something of an obvious question to a sailor, but the captain already understood that he was a soldier. He saw the smallest suggestion of a smile on the mortal’s face, which reassured him that his interest was appreciated. He answered, “They’re trying to draw us out of position so that we can’t counter their ships as well. I expect that we will see their fleet any moment.”

Mexico nodded; he could understand the strategy at play. It was bait, and it was not being taken. The captain raised his spyglass and said, “And there they are.”

Mexico glanced at the horizon and saw that the Spanish fleet was appearing at the mouth of the bay. It was not the mass of sails he had imagined, though he had known the numbers. When they were spread out across the surface of the water, it did not seem quite as frightening. Mexico realized how much he had allowed himself to fear Spain in a way that was unwarranted.

As the ships got closer, the guns at Mexico’s back began to fire. The cacophony of the dueling cannons seemed like a prelude to the fight that was coming the moment that the ships were in range of each other.

The captain confirmed it by turning to Mexico and saying, “I must go. Hold on when you need to. Things are about to get bumpy.”

Mexico was certain that if he could hold himself steady enough to shoot on a galloping horse, then a heaving ship would prove little challenge. He had never fought at sea before, but he had faith in himself.

There was a moment of silence, which he took to steady himself, and fix his gaze on the imperial flag flying from the Spanish flagship. If Spain was leading the offensive, then that would be where he was. And if Mexico could just reach him, he could take back the mercy that he had offered in the last battle. There was no way to secure the peace other than to defeat Spain soundly again, and leave him incapable of continuing to fight. This time Mexico was prepared to not stop short when he had the chance to end it.

He felt the wind fall quiet. As he glanced behind him, he saw the sail fall flat. For a moment, it felt like the world held its breath. The air smelled like gunpowder and salt.

Then the quiet was broken by a shouted order from the helm. It was followed by a flurry of activity. As if nature itself was following the command, the wind returned pushing from behind. For the little he knew of naval tactics, he knew that it was a favorable wind.

The ship jerked forward beneath him, and Mexico had to put a hand on the rail to steady himself. He hadn’t anticipated how unnerving it felt for the ground beneath his feet to shift so suddenly, but he righted himself quickly enough. The movement of the ships was difficult to follow as the fleets seemed to merge into each other. From what he could tell, their target was the Spanish flag ship, while the smaller ships were busy with each other.

This was the reason Mexico had chosen to put himself on the largest ship; it gave him the ability to get close to Spain. Though he wanted a victory for the safety of his fledgling empire, his personal goal was to get close to Spain again.

He put his hand on his sword again and waited with bated breath for a moment. Mexico felt the ship shake again as the cannons let out a series of bellowing shots. There was a crash of wood as a few of the shots found their target. The spray of seawater and the smoke from the guns made it difficult to tell if they had done any damage.

Mexico leaned forward on the rail, trying to assess what had happened. He could see places on the side of the ship where the shots had impacted, but it hardly seemed enough to cause significant damage.

He caught a flare of orange in his peripheral vision, and realized a moment too late that he should not be standing so close when the Spanish ship fired back. The awareness came too late, but someone grabbed him from behind and dragged him away from the railings. The force of the pull unsteadied him enough for him to lose his footing and fall. As he lost his footing he pulled his rescuer down on top of him.

A shot hit where he had been standing, sending a shower of splinters and hot sparks over the deck. Mexico drew in a breath of thick air, and tried to comprehend what had just happened. The smoke clouded his vision and made his eyes burn.

He turned his gaze to his rescuer. The man had been knocked unconscious, though there was blood seeping into his hairline on one side of his head that made Mexico suspect that it may be something worse. He put his hand to the man’s neck to feel if he was still alive. He felt a pulse, though the man’s heart rate was slow.

Mexico gently pushed the weight of the man’s body off of himself. He didn’t want to hurt the man, but he had to get himself free.

As he got to his feet, less gracefully than he’d hoped, he felt the ship shudder again as another broadside was loosed directly into the Spanish ship. He assumed that it had done significant damage, though naval battle was still a mystery.

Mexico could barely make out what was happening through the smoke, and the cacophony. But, he could tell that sailors were massing at the side of the deck. It seemed that they did not expect another broadside from the Spanish ship, so it was safe enough to stand close to the edge. He assumed that their last shots had done enough to delay the enemy guns to silence them.

He felt like he was beginning to understand how battle between two ships was fought. He also felt like he was also starting to find his feet on the swaying surface. For all of his grace, trying to keep himself sure of his footing on deck was proving difficult.

Once he was certain of himself again, he moved to join the other sailors waiting to see what came next. He heard a bellow that he assumed came from the captain, “Boarding!”

He was not certain whether it was an order or a warning. But it did not matter to him either way, since it meant a fight was coming. It was the kind of fight that he understood, one with swords and pistols.

Before diving into the fray, he drew his pistol. He had loaded a shot into each before the battle had begun, so he needed only to aim and shoot.

The sailors were throwing grappling hooks across the gap, pulling the gunnel of the Spanish ship closer. A symmetrical series of grappling hooks flew from the enemy, creating a firm netting between the two, and pulling the two ships close enough that a man could jump from one to the other.

The Spanish sailors were gathered on the other side, just as he had anticipated. In the moment, the battle would become the same as any other. With the hulls practically touching it would be impossible to effectively fire cannons into the other ship. It also seemed that the gun crews had taken to the deck with weapons in hand.

This was the moment that Mexico had been waiting for. He leveled his pistol and waited to choose a target. His hand was steady, though his footing was not as sure as it would be on solid ground.

An enemy sailor attempted to cross the gap, and Mexico fired with well honed muscle memory. The bullet found its mark, and the mortal fell into the gap between the ships. Mexico heard the splash as the body hit the water.

With that, all restraint broke. Sailors from either side cleared the gap, and there was the sound of sabers colliding and a series of shots. Mexico tucked his second pistol into his belt. In the smoke and chaos he could not be certain who he would hit if he fired into the crowd. He didn’t dare take the risk of hitting any of his own men.

The blade was certain though. An enemy landed right in front of him, and Mexico acted on instinct. He cut the man down easily.

It almost felt like there was little challenge in anticipating that more men would pour across the gap, and taking them out as soon as they landed. It would also do little to end the battle. The average sailors were not driving this attempt at reconquest.

He had to find Spain, and he had to end him. That was why he had decided to be on this ship, and it was the only thing that mattered. He tried to see through the mass of bodies to see if he could catch a glance of Spain through it. He knew what to look for, the scarlet coat and the glare of his eyes. Mexico couldn’t see him, but he continued to look because he knew that Spain must be on the other ship somewhere.

He didn’t realize how intently focused he was until he felt a sharp pain in his side. He broke his gaze away from the crowd and looked down at the source of the pain. A sailor who he had failed to notice had managed to stab him. But it seemed that he had not found quite the right stance, and the stab had only managed to touch his side.

He gritted his teeth, turned, and hit the man with the pommel of his sword. The mortal stumbled backwards and fell into the gap, disappearing into the water.

Mexico put his free hand to the wound. It didn’t feel deep, but his hand was stained with blood when he pulled it away. He was used to the sight of his own blood after all of the years of war. He wiped it on his own jacket, and tried to focus on Spain. Being injured meant it was even more important to find him, since he could not afford another lapse of judgement.

He glanced around. His eyes fell on the upper deck, and he smiled. That would be the best place to get an elevated view of the deck. It looked as though a couple shots had hit the upper deck and shattered the railings. But, the stairs had little damage, and that would give him the advantage that he needed.

He looked around to make sure that there was no one who was about to stab him again the moment that he turned his back. He did not see anyone who seemed poised to attack him, so he took the moment to make a break. He took quick steps up the stairs, and then turned to face the battle. From above he could get a better sense of what was happening, and from his perspective it seemed to be a perfectly even battle.

He scanned the men, looking for Spain. After his moment, his eyes landed on him. As he caught sight of Spain, the man turned and met his gaze. He saw the way that Spain’s lips curled into a smile, like he had been looking for Mexico too.

Mexico knew that he had to take advantage of his position and the distance between them. It would not last, because he was aware that Spain would get closer. He wanted a decisive fight as badly as Mexico did.

He drew his pistol. A single shot could do enough to remove the other man from the war. Mexico leveled the gun and took aim. He couldn’t squander the shot, so he was hesitant to pull the trigger. He could feel the enormity of the moment on his shoulders.

He lined up the shot, and took a breath to steady his hands. But, before he could fire, Spain moved into the fray. Mexico couldn’t fire without possibly hitting someone else. He would not waste his one shot on that.

Instead he tracked Spain’s movement through the fray between the two ships. Mexico put his finger on the trigger, waiting for the first moment that he could get a clear line of sight. He waited, and was uncomfortably aware of the swaying of the boat beneath him. It seemed somehow less predictable than a galloping horse.

He saw Spain emerge, and he fired immediately. He felt the way that the ship heaved again as soon as he fired, but he could not take it back and hope for a better shot.

Spain staggered, and Mexico thought that the bullet had found its mark. He could not see the other clearly enough to tell where it had hit. But, as Spain straightened up, he felt his heart drop. Spain had his hand pressed against his left shoulder.

It wasn’t even his dominant arm.

Mexico put the pistol back into his belt, saying as he did so, “God fucking damnit!”

He could have made that shot easily on land, and he knew it. It was enraging when Spain met his eyes again and raised an eyebrow like he had expected better. Mexico clenched his teeth, and decided that he would finish the job with his swords. He drew both, and waited.

Spain reached the stairs and said, barely even sounding winded from the rush to reach Mexico’s position, “Shall we dance again, my dear?”

Mexico loathed how confident he sounded, like he didn’t have blood soaking into his jacket around the bullet wound. He took a step closer to make it clear that Spain did not intimidate him and responded, “That didn’t go very well for you last time. Are you sure you want to try again?”

He was amazed that the stab wound from their last battle had already healed. He would have to do it again. Spain smirked, “You won’t get that lucky again.”

Without further warning, he lunged. Mexico caught his blade with his own. The force of the blow caught him slightly off balance. To regain his footing he took a step backwards up the stairs. He said, as he parried Spain’s second blow, “What are you trying to do? I will not surrender.”

Spain was making a point of attacking aggressively, and Mexico chose to play the defense for the moment. When he got on the level ground of the deck it would be easier to push back. Spain responded, “I’m taking back what is mine. If you think I will not fight to my last breath for you, then you underestimate me.”

Mexico felt his foot hit the flat of the upper deck and prepared himself to push back. He spat back, “You are being pathetic. I am never going to accept a monster like you.”

He deflected Spain's next strike and countered with one of his own that Spain managed to dodge. Mexico retreated enough to find his footing. Spain took the opportunity to keep talking, “You call me a monster, but I heard what you did to Tlaxcala. I kept that useless old man alive for centuries, and you killed him without a second thought. I didn’t think you were capable of it.”

Mexico felt like Spain had knocked the air out of his lungs. He hadn’t realized there was anyone who could have heard that conversation and told Spain. The mere implication that it was anything like Spain’s crimes made him see red. He said, through clenched teeth, “You could not possibly understand.”

Before Spain had a chance to make another comment, he aimed a slash at Spain’s side. The other caught it and parried, then transitioned smoothly to an attack of his own. Mexico saw it coming and caught it.

Spain leaned forward over the crossed swords, “You’re just like me now. You have blood on your hands.” Mexico felt the rage in the pit of his stomach. He pushed Spain away as hard as he could. He said, barely containing his own rage, “I am nothing like you.”

The way that Spain continued to look mildly amused made him even angrier. He threw another blow, intent on causing damage. Spain caught it and said, with a sickening smirk, “Just admit that we are meant for each other.”

Mexico could feel Spain pushing him backwards, but he refused to break the guard yet. He shifted his grip enough to get the right angle, and then pushed against Spain’s sword enough that it slipped out of his hand. The sword clattered on the deck, and Mexico took it as a sign that he had Spain where he wanted him.

He stepped back and raised his sword, and said, “I have you again. When will you understand that you’re beaten?”

Spain met his gaze unflinchingly. He didn’t seem to understand that he was unarmed and at Mexico’s mercy. He said, “You have so much to learn about naval battles. First, you need to learn to pay attention to your surroundings.”

Mexico had no idea what he was talking about, and quickly glanced around to figure out what he had missed. In the momentary distraction, Spain charged him. He felt Spain’s shoulder hit his chest. Suddenly the ground disappeared under his feet.

He was falling for a long moment, and then he hit the deck hard. There was an immediate splitting pain in his head where it had impacted the wood.

His thoughts felt fuzzy as he slowly opened his eyes. He couldn’t figure out how long his eyes had been closed. As he looked up, he realized what had happened. He was looking up at the break in the railing on the upper deck where Spain must have pushed him off.

The next thing he was aware of was that Spain was no longer on top of him. He was standing, dusting off his own jacket. Once he had pulled himself together, he said, “Now I am going to take you home.”

He sounded very far away, and there was a ringing in Mexico’s ears that nearly drowned him out. Mexico felt strange, but he knew that he would not let Spain touch him. He drew a small knife from within his jacket.

As gracefully as he could, he sat up and jammed the knife into Spain’s stomach. He saw the look of shock on Spain’s face at the injury.

The Spaniard growled and responded by headbutting him, which sent a new spike of pain through Mexico’s aching head. Mexico’s eyes watered at the pain, but he refused to look away from Spain. He would not concede, not for a moment.

Spain pulled the knife out of his abdomen and tossed it across the deck. Then he said in a voice that sounded like he was trying very hard to hide how angry he was, “It’s over. Come with me, now.”

He leaned down and reached for Mexico’s jacket. Mexico wished that he had another knife, but he had used his only one, and could not figure out where his sword had gone. So, he reached up, pretending for a moment that he was reciprocating the gesture.

But it was only to get close enough that he could seize Spain by the shoulders. Once his hands were firmly in place, he responded, “Damn you, bastard.”

And then he drove his thumb into the bullet wound on his shoulder. He could tell that Spain was surprised by the way he reacted to the pain.He grimaced and his knees seemed to buckle. Mexico knew that he had him off balance, and he pushed hard enough to get Spain away from him. He made sure to put particular pressure on the wound, so that he’d have more leverage. Spain lost his footing and fell.

Once he had made distance, Mexico managed to scramble to his feet. Standing up made him feel dizzy, but he would not allow himself to show it. For the moment, he had the advantage.

He caught sight of his swords, which had not flown too far when he fell. He wouldn’t have time to retrieve them before facing Spain again, but he was glad that they had not ended up in the bay.

He turned to face Spain again, and raised his fists to defend himself. Spain did the same, though Mexico could see that his left hand had a slight tremor. That shoulder must hurt terribly.

Mexico was about to strike when he heard the sound of a gun being cocked next to him. He turned to see the captain with a pistol in hand, with it trained on Spain.

Spain glanced from the mortal to Mexico and seemed to decide that he was outmatched. He gave Mexico one more withering look before turning and fleeing back to his own ship.

Mexico let out a long breath. Once the adrenaline of facing Spain started to wear off he realized that the ringing in his ears had not completely stopped. He also felt a very uncomfortable awareness of the boat’s movement in his stomach.

He bent to recover his swords. As he bent down, he realized how dizzy he really felt. He staggered as he straightened up, and the captain said to him, “Are you alright?”

Mexico wasn’t sure how to answer the question. He could feel his side bleeding, and he was sure that the shirt was ruined. His head was painful, and it took some focus to keep the world from blurring at the edges.

He countered with the more important question, “You should have just shot him. Did we win?”

The captain nodded, but something about the look on his face said that he was still concerned about his unanswered question. Mexico nodded, and said, “Good. I’m going to bandage my wounds. Tell me when we reach dry land again.”

Once he was alone in his cabin he tried to center himself. The pain in his head had faded, but he still felt strangely disoriented. He could have taken the moment to lay down and rest, but he refused to. He had too much to think about, and too much that he needed to deal with.

The wound to his side was the first priority. He retrieved a roll of bandages. As he moved he felt the ship move, and lost his footing again, and had to put his hand out to steady himself. He breathed deeply and tried to orient himself again.

Once he felt centered, he pulled up his shirt and began to wrap the bandages as tightly as he could on his own. It was not perfect, but it would stop the bleeding long enough for it to heal.

As he worked, his mind slipped back to what Spain had said during their clash. He should have guessed that the spy who had told Spain about Guerrero would also have told him about Tlaxcala.

He did not think he had done anything to equal Spain’s brutality. He had not cut down the man where he stood, though the thought had crossed his mind. Spain would have never hesitated; he would have killed the man on the spot.

He finished wrapping the bandages and tucked the end in so that it would hold. With that dealt with, he turned to his hands. When he looked at them he realized that they were caked with blood. It did not surprise him after such a brutal battle. He knew that he had touched his own bleeding wound, and made Spain bleed as well.

He poured water into a basin, which he knew had been provided because of his status as an officer. He dipped his hands in the water and watched as the red began to float off. He couldn’t put his mind completely at rest as he looked at his hands.

It was his own blood, and it was Spain’s and his own, but he also could not help but think that it was also Tlaxcala’s blood. He had condemned an old man to a slow death. It was a cruel decision, and not one he would have made if he had taken a moment to consider it logically.

Perhaps the man had remorse for his role in the conquest that he had never had the chance to express. Mexico rubbed his hands together, trying to get the blood off. The water quickly turned murky and red. He realized, with a sinking sense of guilt, that Spain had lied to Tlaxcala too. He had used everything that he could to secure his victory.

Mexico pulled his hands out of the water and began to wipe them off. He could see that there was still blood under his nails, and he began to work at cleaning under them with the edge of the cloth.

He felt like a fool for not knowing better. He had more experience with Spain’s charm and his ability to lie than anyone. He should have been the first one to give the man a chance to speak. His heart felt heavy as he had the thought. He should not have done what he did, but there was no way to turn it back. He had already severed the man’s connection to immortality, and had no power to give it back.

As he put aside the cloth, he thought about what he could do to set things right, something that Spain would never do. He had to see Tlaxcala before he died, and express his regret to him. He could not let the man think that he was numb to what he had done. He had to make it clear that he felt regret, and for his own future he had to face the consequences of his actions, so that he never acted so quickly out of anger again. With the decision made, he let himself slowly sink onto his bunk, so he could rest until they reached the docks.

Mexico changed into riding clothing and paused only briefly to check the bandages on his torso. They seemed to be holding, so he decided he didn’t need to change them before he left. With that, he intended to go straight to the stables and take his horse to see Tlaxcala.

But, as he crossed the hall he heard a familiar voice, “Are you going somewhere?” Santa Anna was striding across the floor towards him. Mexico had hoped to sneak away without an explanation, but the man’s presence made that impossible. Santa Anna continued, “I hope you are not. I was planning to celebrate the victory with you.”

Mexico appreciated his enthusiasm, but he did not feel like celebrating at all. The feeling of guilt was far too strong for him to put it aside for the night. His heart was set on making everything right as much as he could. He replied, “I must. I have something that I have left unfinished.”

He didn’t feel like he owed the man any other explanation, and he hoped that Santa Anna would not ask for more. All the mortal asked was, “Does it have to be tonight?”

Mexico nodded, “I’m afraid so. It cannot wait.”

Santa Anna shook his head like he was deeply disappointed, but his answer was, “Very well. I trust you to do what you must.”

He paused for a moment before adding, “And come back soon. I’ll miss you while you’re gone.”

Mexico couldn’t help but smile as he replied, “I will.”

It was a long ride to Tlaxcala, but it gave him time to think through what he was going to say. It would be strange to walk into the home of a man who was dying because of him, but it was better than ignoring the problem. He knew that the last words to the man had been callous, and he wanted to end things on a better note.

Perhaps it would be no better if he expressed himself, and he would be thrown out immediately. But, even that would feel better because it would give him the chance to express himself. It would also give Tlaxcala the chance to express anger that was very well deserved.

Mexico ignored the way that the movement of the horse made his head ache again. The blurring in his peripheral vision had faded, but he could still feel the dull ache in the back of his head. He tightened his hands on the reins as he felt another wave of rage at the thought of Spain.

If not for the underhanded push, he would not be in pain. Spain was dishonorable, and he should have expected as much. But the unfamiliar environment had been enough to catch him off guard. If the fall had succeeded in knocking him unconscious, the consequences would have been terrible. Being at Spain’s mercy could have had dire consequences, but he had recovered fast enough.

It made him deeply angry, but he tried to repress the feeling. For the night, he had to focus on the guilt festering in his gut. He gritted his teeth and hoped that the anger would fade before he got to Tlaxcala. Anger was the emotion that had gotten him into this trouble, and he refused to walk into the conversation angry.

As the sun began to sink towards the horizon, he began to realize how long the ride would be. He had no desire to rest for the night, since he was certain that the feeling of guilt would only worsen when he closed his eyes. If he slept at all, it would have been uneasy and troubled. He had no desire to do that in some unfamiliar room in an unfamiliar place. If he rode through the night, he would reach his destination by morning.

He decided that it would be best to get there as soon as possible. He leaned forward and patted the horse on the neck, and said, “I’m sorry that I’m going to do this. But we’re going to keep going.” He set his gaze on the horizon as the sky darkened and continued.

The sun was rising as he reached the house in Tlaxcala. As he had entered the city he had realized that he did not know exactly where he was going. He had decided that he would trust his gut and what he knew about his kind. Countries often chose to live in the heart of their capital, and it wasn’t difficult to find.

Mexico also trusted his gut to tell him that he was in the right place. It was not logical, but it was usually right.

As he stopped his horse outside of the courtyard, he wondered if this had all been a terrible idea. Had it been worth it to ride through the night to be told that he was hated and thrown out?

He pinched the bridge of his nose. If the dull ache would go away, then he could think clearly about what he was doing. His heart told him that it was right, and that it would soothe the feeling of guilt either way. If he turned away from the uncomfortable feelings, then he was no better than Spain. He needed to know at least that he was better than Spain, otherwise the feeling would haunt him.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself for whatever was about to happen. Then, feeling as centered as he possibly could, he turned his horse and entered the courtyard. As he dismounted, he still felt slightly off balance. It must have been some lingering effect from spending time on a swaying ship.

He gave the horse a few loving pets to the mane, because he knew that he had ridden the poor creature harder than he should have. He said, quietly enough that someone wouldn’t hear unless they were very close, “You did very well. You can rest now.”

He wasn’t certain whether he would be back quickly, since it depended on Tlaxcala. But, he hoped that his horse had the chance to rest.

As he turned, he realized that the door had already opened. In the early morning, the sound of hooves must have been quite noticeable. He took it as an invitation that Tlaxcala had not immediately closed the door and locked him out. If he had not wanted to see Mexico, then it would be easy enough to keep him out. Mexico hoped that he had drawn the right conclusion from the gesture.

As he walked closer, he realized that the person standing in the doorway was not the old man he had spoken to before. There was a woman looking at him, and he couldn’t read her expression. Perhaps he had come to the wrong house after all, though his heart told him that it was not.

He also could not shake the feeling that he had met the woman somewhere before. Her face felt so familiar, but he could not think of a reason why.

He pushed all the thoughts away and tried to focus on the reason he was there. He said, trying to sound polite, “I’m sorry to bother you. I am looking for Tlaxcala.”

He spoke in Nahuatl, though he hadn’t made the conscious choice about the language. It came naturally to him, and he chose not to question it. Her eyes widened slightly when he started speaking, and for a moment he thought she would not understand him.

But, that worry was assuaged when she responded, “My husband? He is here, but he is asleep.”

She sounded shocked, but Mexico was too focused on the word. He didn’t know the man was married. He felt even worse knowing that he had killed a man who had a spouse who would mourn him. If they had children, his guilt would be even more terrible. He knew what it was to lose a parent.

He tried not to betray the thought as he said, “I would like to speak to him if he is well enough to see me.”

He did not know what state Tlaxcala would be in, since he didn’t know how long it took an immortal to die. It felt far too forward to ask whether he was still capable of carrying on a conversation. It had felt like his father had faded very quickly based on his limited memories, so the same may happen to Tlaxcala. He also wanted to give her a reason to politely decline him if his presence was too uncomfortable.

The woman nodded and answered him, “You can see him, if you would like. He won’t be expecting you.”

Mexico could not help but wonder if she knew who he was, because it felt like an understatement. He expected Tlaxacala to neither be expecting him nor be happy to see him. He could not think of a single person who would be happy to see his killer.

She stepped aside and said with a slight smile, “Please come in.”

It felt strange to step over the threshold. He felt like an incredibly unwelcome guest. He didn’t know why she would look at him so warmly, unless she had no idea what he had done. It made him feel like she would notice at any moment and throw him out, as she had every right to. Perhaps it would happen once she spoke to Tlaxcala and he made the whole situation clearer.

She led him to a comfortable kitchen, and then said, “You should sit, and I will wake him.”

Mexico found the welcome entirely too warm, but he was not going to question it. He made himself as comfortable as he could at her kitchen table. Much to his surprise, she placed a cup of coffee in front of him, and gave him another smile. He found it hard to smile back while being so aware of his own guilt.

After the long ride and the sleepless night, coffee seemed very welcome. But, he felt like he could not take a drink of it, because it would be taking something from a dead man. To drink the coffee would be to accept the hospitality, and he could not do that.

He put his hands around the cup and felt the warmth, but he would not allow himself even a sip. She left the room, and he was left alone with his thoughts and a coffee that he didn’t feel he deserved. He stared at the surface of the coffee, and tried to collect his thoughts.

He had not thought through what he was going to say to Tlaxcala. The important part was that he said he was sorry, and Tlaxcala could react to it however he wanted. He was uncomfortably aware of how long the woman had been gone, and he began to wonder if they were trying to decide to tell him to leave.

He tapped his finger on the table, trying to force himself to be patient. He could feel the nervous energy building up in his body. Remaining sitting felt too uncomfortable. He felt far too nervous to be alone with his thoughts.

He pushed the cup to the side and stood up. He intended to pace, to do something with his nervous energy. He would have thought that the night would have exhausted him, but he still felt awake and anxious.

He began to pace, thinking about the words he wanted to say if he got the opportunity. He wanted to sincerely express that he was trying to learn, though he knew that was little consolation to a dying man. It was all he could think of to say, and he was not certain that he would remember any of it when he was faced with the conversation.

He paused by the door when he realized that he could hear voices on the other side. He knew that should not listen to Tlaxcala speaking to his wife out of respect to both of them. But, he could not resist the temptation of knowing if he was about to get anger from either of them.

He leaned close enough that he could hear the voices. All he could make out was Tlaxcala’s voice saying, “You should tell him. He’ll feel better if you do.”

He didn’t hear the answer. He had no idea what they could be talking about. He dared not push the door open to hear better. Instead, he turned away, feeling ashamed of himself for even listening. He heard the sound of her footsteps returning, and decided to sit again so that she did not know he had been wandering.

She returned and said, “He’s ready to talk to you.”

Mexico swallowed his nerves and responded, “Thank you. You’ve been so kind.”

He felt like he should say it in case he was about to get castigated and have to leave in a hurry. If Tlaxcala threw him out, he wouldn’t have a chance to thank her, and she did deserve thanks for all her hospitality.

Tlaxcala was laying in bed with the curtains drawn so that it was bright enough for Mexico to see him clearly. He looked like he was ill. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked older than he had the last time Mexico had seen him. He had very distant memories of his father looking faded when he died, and Tlaxcala looked much the same.

He had thought of so many words to say, but he wasn’t sure what to say to start the conversation. To his relief, Tlaxcala met his eyes and said, “You are a surprising guest.” Mexico replied, “And I am sure that I am not a welcome one.”

He felt like it was better to open the door for Tlaxcala to tell him exactly how he felt. It felt better to allow the possibility of rejection, so that it did not feel like such a blow when it came.

But, the old man didn’t have any anger in his face as he answered, “That depends on why you are here. If you want to gloat, then I will ask you to leave. But, judging by your face, I do not think you are.”

Mexico settled into a chair at his bedside, because he felt like he had just gotten the permission to stay and talk. He replied, trying to say what he had been thinking about, “I am not. I wanted to speak to you because I am sorry for what I did.”

The words felt heavy in the air, like they could never be enough. He watched Tlaxcala’s face as he spoke, and tried to judge the reaction. The man’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t look upset. Mexico couldn’t help but continue to voice his thoughts, “I was angry about so many things, and I took it all out on you. But, I should not have hurt you for what Antonio did.”

He could think of more words to say about how he had taken his pain out on the person he could hurt, instead of the one who was threatening him. But, it was better to hold his tongue and give Tlaxcala a chance to respond.

The old man took a moment of quiet before he said, “It makes me glad to see that you have reflected on it.”

He adjusted himself in bed with a groan, so he was sitting up and looking directly at Mexico. He finished his thought, “I want you to look at me, and remember this. Your actions have consequences. You have more power now than you ever have, and you must be more careful with your temper.”

Mexico felt like this was an oddly measured lecture for what they were discussing. He leaned forward and said, trying to make himself clear, “You do not have to forgive me. I do not expect you to.”

He felt particularly uneasy with the idea, and wanted harsh condemnation. To his great surprise, Tlaxcala leaned forward and took his hands in his own. Tlaxcala sounded like he was speaking patiently to a child when he said, “Listen to me. I know that I do not have to, but I never wanted to be your enemy. These old grudges have to end. This cycle of conquest and revenge and pain has to end with you.”

Mexico felt like he was a foolish child, and he didn’t know what to say. He simply nodded, hoping it was clear enough that he understood. He could not quite comprehend how someone could not resort to anger, but it felt like a skill that he should learn.

He felt absurdly like he might cry, because the relief was too strong and he could hear compassion in the old man’s tone that he had not earned. Tlaxcala held his hands a little tighter, and said, “I knew from the moment you were born that you would represent something bigger than any of us. I want you to take this as a lesson. Be a better ruler than your mother. Be better than Spain.”

Mexico found his voice again and said, “I am so sorry. If I can do anything to make you more comfortable, please ask.”

He could feel moisture welling in his eyes, but it felt wrong to cry when he was the guilty one. Tlaxcala gave him a pained smile, and said, “You’ve already given me peace by coming here. Now I would like some rest.”

Mexico nodded. He understood that this conversation had been everything he could have asked for already. He said, “Thank you for hearing me out.”

He was holding back tears as he left the room. He could not understand how someone could be so understanding. He leaned against a wall and felt a new wave of guilt and uncertainty. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to collect himself.

He felt like he was losing someone he had never known, but who could have supported him. The strange grief and guilt mixed to feel like something somehow worse.

He felt the soft touch on his arm. He opened his eyes to see Tlaxcala’s wife standing in front of him, looking oddly concerned for him. For the briefest moment, he thought that she looked like his mother if Aztec had ever been able to grow old. It made him feel even stranger.

She said, “Are you alright?”

It was the same question that the captain had asked him, and he still did not know how to answer. He said, “He was very kind. I am just tired.”

It was the best answer he could give to avoid discussing the turmoil in the chest, and the ever present ache in his head. She said, “You were in a battle, weren’t you? At sea, I would guess.” He had no idea how she could have made such an accurate guess. He replied, too quickly to be fully polite, “How do you know that?”

He had changed out of his uniform, so it could not possibly be that obvious. She put a hand to his forehead and said, “I saw this.”

With that, she pulled something out of a spot near his hairline. He winced at the pain, and was utterly confused until she held up a long, bloody splinter. She said, “You brought part of the ship with you.”

It must have happened during the broadsides, but he had no memory of it. He felt a droplet of blood forming where the splinter had been. She pulled out a kerchief and offered it to him, saying, “Press on it and it’ll stop bleeding.”

He took it and followed her instructions, but he was confused. He voiced the thought, “I am very grateful. But I do not understand. I am causing your grief. Why would you want to help me?”

He pressed the cloth to the spot that was bleeding, and began to wonder if his side had also started to bleed again. In these strange circumstances, he was not sure what he would do with an answer.

She took a deep breath and answered, “You are young, and you made a mistake. I’m not going to punish you for that. If you learn to do better, then that is all any of us can hope for.”

He wished that someone would just be angry at him. It felt like the kindness was unwarranted and unearned. She made it worse by saying, “You can sleep here. We have extra rooms, and you seem quite tired.”

Mexico stared at her for a moment, trying to comprehend. The whole day felt utterly strange and he found himself wondering if he had slept after the battle and this was all a very lucid dream. People were usually only so kind in his dreams. But, given the pain he was still feeling, that was impossible.

He answered, “I could not possibly do that. You have both been incredibly kind, and I have asked for enough.”

He was absolutely certain that he would not sleep in the same house as a man who was dying because of him. He guessed that offer was what Tlaxcala had urged her to tell him, to let him know that he was welcome to stay. But the idea made him feel no better. Even the thought of laying down and attempting to sleep brought another wave of hideous guilt.

He shook his head, and added, “I think I have been here long enough, and I should go back to Veracruz.” He felt deeply uncomfortable with how long he had been in Tlaxcala’s house, even if no one was being unkind to him. His own deep awareness of what he had done felt like it was wearing on him.

She looked like she wanted to say something else, and he hoped that she would not. He said, hoping to stop the conversation, “Thank you for everything. If either of you need anything, please do not hesitate to write.”

He was back on his horse and riding away as quickly as he could, despite his fatigue. His racing thoughts and volatile emotions were enough to keep him awake through the night. No matter how much he thought about it he could not make sense of the whole series of interactions. It had violated all of his expectations about people, and he could not decide how to react.

Even as he returned to Veracruz, he could only think that he should take Tlaxcala’s words to heart and keep closer control of his temper.

It was late afternoon when he returned to his own room in Veracruz. He needed time to sleep and think through what had happened, since he could feel the way that the exhaustion was starting to set in. As soon as he reached his room he flung himself onto the bed, fully determined to sleep.

But, his hand hit a note that had been left on his pillow. As soon as he saw Victoria’s handwriting, his heart sank. He could already guess that it was an invitation to a meeting. When he opened it and saw the word “tonight” he groaned at the prospect of yet another night with little sleep.

He could not possibly choose not to go. If he wanted to keep his word to Victoria about supporting the republic then he would need to accept secret meetings when they happened. He read through the rest, because he would need the details.

The words blurred as he tried to read them, and it took substantial effort to focus. It was all very straightforward, and he was very glad that Victoria had opted for little poetic language. For a man who had trained in law, he was surprisingly talented with brevity.

The end of the letter intrigued him the most though. It said with ample mystery, “It would be best if you were there. There will be something you will not want to miss.” In normal circumstances, he would find that undeniably tempting, but he couldn’t help but feel like a chore. He groaned again, rolled over, and got out of bed to pull himself together to leave again.

It was not difficult to find the beautiful mansion, and as he looked at it he wondered if Victoria owned it, or if it was the home of someone who was sympathetic to the rebellion. Victoria never seemed to have a shortage of friends. He also had the passing thought that it was not very subtle, but he knew better than to question someone who had been so effective at organizing rebellion.

Mexico found the man waiting for him in the foyer, looking very pleased to see him. Mexico saw his face slightly fall when he got closer, and he could only assume that the lack of sleep was obvious on his face. The past day was beginning to blur in his mind, and he was certain that he must look exhausted too.

But, Victoria hardly hinted at it when he said, “I am glad that you are here.” Mexico smiled and responded, “Your letter was interesting. It seems like you have a surprise for me.”

He had assumed it was something very exciting, like a clear idea how to topple Iturbide. The sparkle of intrigue in Victoria’s eyes didn’t particularly worry him. He was certain that anything that Victoria would play would be for his benefit, because the man was sincere in his patriotic convictions.

Victoria responded, “I do. Come with me. I have something I think you should see.” Mexico wasn’t certain why he was feeling the slightest sense of foreboding, but he blamed it on his exhaustion. He followed Victoria as he led him to one of the many rooms, and paused in front of the door. Victoria turned to him, with a look of intrigue, and said, “I think you should go in by yourself. It will be better.”

Mexico was very tempted to ask what was worth all the secrecy, but he trusted him well enough to not question him. He pushed open the door. And his heart dropped the moment he laid eyes on the man who was sitting at the table.

Vicente Guerrero looked up and met his eyes.

Mexico felt goosebumps bloom on his skin. He had no idea what to say to the man, or even if he wanted to speak to him. He heard Guerreo start to say, “Ale-”

But before he could finish what he wanted to say, Mexico turned and left the room. His heart was racing, and he couldn’t collect his thoughts. He stepped to the side outside the room and tried to collect himself.

He heard Victoria approaching him, and he said, “You set me up! You both conspired to do this.” He wished he could sound angier, but he didn’t have the energy. The sleepless night had rendered it impossible.

Victoria shook his head, and said firmly, “No, he didn’t know either. I invited both of you without telling either of you.”

Mexico gave him the best glare he could muster. He could not put into words how much it felt like a betrayal to be suddenly faced with Guerrero in the flesh again. He asked, “Why would you do this without telling me?”

Victoria seemed to have far too much confidence in himself as he said, “Because you would not have come if I told you, and neither would Vicente. And I need you both to talk. I cannot effectively lead with you two avoiding each other.”

Mexico’s head was swimming, but he was certain that he was frustrated. He responded, “I am supposed to decide when that happens.”

He felt another spike of pain in his head, and he put his hand to his head. He couldn’t sustain the anger enough to yell at Victoria, not while he was tired. He winced at the pain and said, “I cannot have that conversation tonight. I’m not ready.”

He wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep, but fleeing completely would make him look like a coward. He had no idea what to do, since every option would bring confrontation. Victoria sighed like he was deeply frustrated and said, “You cannot run from this for your whole life.”

Mexico’s voice was quiet as he closed his eyes and said, “Please leave me alone. I need to think.” He knew he was just pleading for time, but it was all that he could do. Victoria said, “Very well.”

The sound of retreating footsteps brought him some peace, though he knew it was temporary. He wished that the ache in his head would fade enough so that he could think clearly. If they could be alone, he might be able to express his feelings to Guerrero, but his mind was blank when he tried to think of what to say. He pressed his palm firmly against his forehead, trying to force himself to focus. It hurt far more than he expected it to. He had forgotten that Spain had headbutted him exactly where he was pressing.

He thought he was alone until he heard a familiar voice, “Alejandro, we need to talk.” Mexico opened his eyes and saw Guerrero. He must have followed him out of the room. He was annoyingly persistent, as he always had been. Mexico knew he should have expected it.

His heart beat skipped several beats as he realized that this conversation could not be avoided. Without a response from Mexico, the mortal launched into a prepared speech, “I know that I disappointed you, but I need you to give me a chance to explain myself. I need you to know that -”

Mexico interrupted him by saying as firmly as he could, “I cannot do this right now, Vicente.”

It was all that he could think of to say that would stop a deeper conversation. If Guerrero said anything too intimate, he felt like he would either cry or rage, and he could not handle either.

He saw Guerrero’s face change immediately as he heard the tone of his voice, and he abandoned whatever he had planned to say. He asked, “Are you alright?” That damned question.

Mexico replied, without thinking about what he was saying, “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

He still had no answer to it, especially not for Guerrero. The other man answered the rhetorical question, “Because you look like you’ve been through hell.”

Mexico scoffed. It could not possibly be as bad as that, and he hoped his reaction would convince the man that it wasn’t. But, Guerrero’s eyes widened and he said, “And you’re bleeding.”

Mexico assumed that the splinter wound had started to bleed again. He put his hand to his forehead to stop it, only to find that it was dry. Guerrero said shortly, “Not there.”

Mexico then put his hand to his side, and it came away red. He said, “Damn it.” He had forgotten to check his bandages before he had left to meet Victoria.

He glanced back up at Guerrero and was struck by how concerned he looked. The man had curled both of his hands into fists, like he was holding himself back from doing something with them. Guerrero spoke, and Mexico could tell his jaw was clenched from the stiffness of his voice, “May I touch you?”

The question puzzled him for a moment, and then he remembered that he had told Guerrero emphatically not to when they had last seen each other. The man looked like he was hardly holding back the urge to embrace him.

The fact that Guerrero asked was enough to soften Mexico’s defenses. He answered, “You can.”

With permission granted, Guerrero used one hand to gently brush Mexico’s hair off of his face. Mexico heard him draw in a sharp breath through his teeth before he said, “That looks painful.” Mexico guessed that he was looking at the bruise from where Spain had headbutted him.

He said, trying to remedy the worry, “I am fine. It’s just some blood.” Guerrero met his eyes and said, “You are not fine. Come with me.”

He slipped his arm around Mexico’s waist and pulled him close enough to support him. Mexico was certain that he should push him away, and maintain his anger about the lie. But in the moment, it felt good to have someone hold him. There was something about being so close that felt achingly familiar, like his heart had been craving it.

He said, trying to make it clear that nothing was forgiven, “I am still mad at you.” It didn’t sound particularly convincing, and Guerrero responded, “Right now I don’t really care. You need rest. You can be mad at me tomorrow.”

He let Guerrero lead him back into the room, and said, with a gentle firmness that Mexico had sincerely missed, “Sit down.”

Without thinking, he obeyed. In the back of his mind he wondered where Victoria had gone, but he assumed that it was a choice to give him time alone with Guerrero. This conversation had been the point of this whole charade.

He wasn’t certain how he felt about any of this, but he could not muster any anger at his former general. Guerrero kneeled in front of him so that he could look him in the eyes while he was sitting. He asked, gently, “Ale, when was the last time you slept?”

The question felt like it struck too close to home, and Mexico glanced away. He answered, feeling ashamed of himself for being too careless, “Two days ago. Before the battle.”

Guerrero took one of his hands in his own. It was incredibly comforting, in a way that Mexico had not anticipated. He had not had someone touch him so gently in quite some time. He felt his eyes start to sting. He had not realized how deeply he had missed this.

Guerrero asked, “What happened?”

Mexico could not remember the battle well enough to tell him what happened. After the fall, his fight with Spain got terribly blurry. The memories of the battle were a jumble that it would take too much effort to untangle.

But, he guessed that the question was about what had kept him awake all night. He tried to provide an answer, “Antonio said something and I had to make amends to someone I hurt. I couldn’t live with myself if I was like him.”

It was hard to explain without saying what he did to Tlaxcala, but he did not want to admit to that yet, not to someone he held in such high regard. He hoped that Guerrero would understand.

The mortal seized upon the name, “Antonio? Spain was there? Is he the one who did this?”

To make it clear what he was talking about, Guerrero softly brushed the bruise on his forehead with his thumb. Mexico knew he could not avoid the question, so he answered with a wry smile, “You should see what I did to him.”

Guerrero was immune to his attempt at humor. He said, “Right now I am looking at you, and you look like you were in trouble. How close did he get?”

Mexico bit his lower lip, uncertain of how he should respond. In truth, he did not know how close it had been. Guerrero seemed to understand his silence, and his grip tightened on his hand. He said, with a dangerous edge of anger, “I cannot believe that anyone let him get that close to you.”

Mexico finally decided that he needed to clarify how he ended up in battle. He said, “It isn’t anyone’s fault. I insisted that I wanted to fight. It was my fault, and I got unlucky.”

Guerrero’s hand touched his cheek softly, and he felt his heart thundering. He had missed this touch so dearly. The mortal said, “Ale, my dearest, you always insist. You are too noble to let anyone fight in your place. But, you need to be protected. Did you have guards?”

Mexico hadn’t even thought about it, though it had been normal when Guerrero was his commander. He shook his head. He could see the way that Guerrero’s expression darkened. He was angry, and Mexico knew it; he had seen that expression enough to know.

Guerrero drew in a breath through his nose, like he was trying and failing to keep himself calm. He said, “That’s how this happened. I am going to kill him.” Mexico said, with an attempt at levity, “I tried to kill Tony. It’s difficult.”

But, Guerrero was not amused and said, “Not him. I am going to kill Agustin. I promised you that if he hurt you, I would kill him.”

Mexico remembered it clearly. He had never thought that it would come true in this way. Guerrero continued, “If something had happened, we could have lost you. And if that had happened…”

He stopped himself before he finished the thought. His hand slipped off of Mexico’s and he curled it into a fist. He repeated, with his voice filled with righteous anger, “I will kill him.” He was looking away like he could not stand to show how enraged he really was, and it spoke volumes.

Mexico’s anger at him evaporated, because the display of concern was too sincere. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes from the days of stress and sleeplessness.

He craved Guerrero’s touch, and with the man so close it was exquisitely painful. He could handle dreams of his general’s comfort. But, it was too hard to deny the affection when it was so close. He knew what his heart wanted.

He said, “Chente, please.”

Guerrero looked up at him again, tenderly this time. Mexico extended his arms, hoping it was clear what he wanted. Guerrero immediately understood and pulled him into an embrace. He spoke softly in Mexico’s ear, “I’m here now. I will make this right. I promise you I will.”

He caressed Mexico’s hair softly. Mexico let himself close his eyes and put his head against the man’s chest. It felt so familiar and comforting. It felt like home. He said, his voice almost shaking, “Why did you lie to me? I’ve missed you so much. Chente, you don’t know how alone I’ve been.”

He held firmly onto the back of the man’s jacket with both hands. The physical presence was so comforting; it made it all real. Guerrero gently cradled his head against his chest and said, “I promise we will talk about that tomorrow. I’m so sorry. I should have never left you alone with these people. They don’t understand how important you are.”

Mexico wished he could spend the rest of his night with his head against Guerrero’s chest. If only he could stay and sleep assured of the protection of his general.

The same thought seemed to occur to Guerrero. He took Mexico’s face firmly between his hands and said, “Stay here. Take some rest, and we can discuss everything when you feel better.”

Mexico wanted to accept the invitation with every fiber of his being. But, he thought of Santa Anna, and what the man may tell Iturbide if he did not return soon. It could put everything in danger if he stayed. Though he was not sure if Santa Anna even knew he had returned from Tlaxcala. It was possible that it would not matter, but he could not take the risk.

He swallowed his emotions and said, “I cannot stay. The commander will notice. I have to be back tonight.” Guerrero said, unwavering, “I cannot let you leave in this state.”

Mexico shook his head. He was emotional and tired, but he was not incapable of riding. He said, “I will be fine. I can still ride.” To make his point, he stood up again.

He realized a second too late that it was a mistake. His vision went black, and he felt his knees buckle. For a moment he felt himself falling, until arms caught him.

Before his consciousness faded out he heard, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

#hws mexico #hws spain #legacy chapter #it has taken me a ridiculously long time to write this #hopefully it was worth it

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kannra21 · 4 years

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Dating Hoshino Ryo

At first he's completely aloof, similar to Daisuke in a way but different motives. He's very dedicated to his job, it's one of the things that brings him happiness and pride. When he decides to completely indulge himself in something he's doing it earnestly. He's also not a risk taker, he's the type who's constantly worrying about things. Perfectionist of sorts? He just wants everything he puts his mind on to be as good as it possibly can. That's why he's actively trying to avoid love matters since he's so busy with making his life work nicely for him. Person like him looks cold from the outside but in reality he has a big heart. He looks up to his sempai and respects his superiors.

When you appear in his life he'll be formal, as usual, until you make a move on him bc otherwise he won't take the initiative. It's too risky for his heart. It'd be even more difficult if you were his colleague because colleagues dating within the same unit is against the rules. If this happens, the couple is given the choice to either end their relationship or one of them would have to leave the MPD which is lowkey giving him a heart attack.

He's afraid bc when he falls for someone he falls too hard and does reckless things, he hates this side of himself. Will pin you to a wall behind their common workplace at the station and kiss you all over. He's passionate and soft and slow and sensual. He can't think straight, it's just the way you make him feel. Your colleagues often wonder why you come out of the corner looking all disheveled. He's fixing his tie and his well-put hair is now looking messier (and hotter but you're not supposed to say this aloud).

Is putting extra effort in his looks, in his free time he's dressing in oversized shirts, sweaters, cuffed and cargo pants, and all that jazz. You're teasing him ab it but he doesn't mind it bc he knows that you find it hot. Will always be expecting you with a small surprise such as bouquet of flowers or sweets, he's a big romantic. Will slowly dance with you in the middle of the room while following the rhythm of the music. He never shows this side of himself to anyone, only to you. It's the way he's showing you his trust in you.

He's overly protective of you and although he doesn't want to admit, he's a little possessive. If someone's raising their voice at you during work, he switches from "calm reserved Ryo" to "angry boyfriend Ryo" and puts himself in front of you to have a "little chat" with whoever you're having problems with. Everyone notices the change in personality but pretend they didn't see because they knew how much you meant to Hoshino. They were all good friends in MPD, they didn't want to hold grudges against each other.

When you're sent on missions he always makes sure to give you lower-risk tasks, he's always looking after you and going extra mile to ensure the completion of your work. His colleagues think he's wasting time bc he used to work more efficiently before his obsession with you and him pampering you. He's trying to convince them otherwise but no one believes him. It's a running joke between your colleagues.

There were times when you saw him utterly devastated such as when Haru refused to work with him and went with Daisuke to England. He was sitting on the bed holding his head in his hands grieving. He blamed himself for being such an ass towards him and he hated himself. You didn't like to see him like this since you knew how much he looked up to Haru and you wanted to call him to give him a lecture but he begged you not to do it. Too late, you already tapped the "call" option and he panicked. Not knowing what to do, he kissed you and continued making out with you and you could hear Haru's voice on the other line "Hey y/n, what's up?... Hello?... Mby she called by mistake.", he hang up. Hoshino was never rly encouraged to prolong his kisses but this was urgent and once you parted you couldn't help yourself but to be amazed. This turned into something more later in the day.

When he's in mood he gets clingy, hugs you behind your back and kisses your neck and ears. He whispers the most beautiful of praises and encouragements. Sweet talk is his thing and he's showing you just how much he loves and appreciates you. Sometimes it brings you to tears because no one ever loved you like this before. He's feeding your heart with so much positivity and he's genuinely happy to have this effect on you. He kisses your forehead, tells you that you're his beautiful angel and that he'll protect you from everything in this world. You're convinced in his words because of how overprotective he acted towards you when at work.

If you're the later shift you'll arrive home greeted by rose petals on the floor leading to a certain room. You're getting all blushy bc you can already assume where this is going. You enter the bedroom and see bed covered in rose petals, candles on furniture and silent music playing in the background. He gets out of the bathroom in only a towel and he's surprised to see you arriving a little earlier than expected. You just jump on him, kiss him and you make out like there's no tomorrow.

He likes long walks, his favorite is taking you on the beach during a sunset. He'd listen to you talking like this forever and the landscape looks truly amazing. If you get a little playful, you'll spray him with water and he'll scold you like a worried bf he is bc he can't allow himself to let you get a cold. He always worries about things and you're assuring him that everything is fine. Night looks beautiful and the starry night sky gives the whole ambience a completely new meaning. You can't take your eyes off of the stunning view and he's hugging you closer to himself, in moments like this he'll tell you that you mean the entire world to him and he'll keep you warm or buy you smtng to eat. He's spoiling you so much and you're the luckiest girl alive. You never ask for much, you're modest but this won't stop him from trying to meet your expectations and getting your approval.

Of course, there are times when he gets extra wary when you're talking to other guys. He's not questioning your loyalty, he's worried of them making a move on you and the sole thought of it fills his heart with rage. He can be an asshole sometimes when he's having his doubts and you need to tell him to calm down bc he's making everyone uncomfortable. He apologizes, but only to you because he feels like he doesn't owe them anything, he's this stubborn.

Sometimes he brings up stupid topics while lying in bed with you before sleep like fear of losing you one day bc your job is too dangerous and his mind gets clouded with dark thoughts. That's why he's so afraid of getting too attached to someone, if he loses you he'll lose himself and before he continues ranting any further you take his hand in yours and lean your forehead on his. You tell him that nothing will ever happen to you as long as you're with him and that's enough to make him calm again.

He's not exactly skilled at cooking so he appreciates it v much when you teach him certain things. He's not lazing around, he's listening to you rly carefully and taking notes on important things you tell him. You reward him with a peck and he gets cuddly. You still can't believe that such a softie works as a police officer. You ask him what motivated him to choose this job and he said that he looked up to his dad a lot. His dad was one of the highest ranked men in their department and he died protecting other people. He was a literal hero and many remember his name till this day. Therefore, out of respect and in memory of his dad, he decided to become a cop as well. Besides, he always wanted to be someone's hero and he finally found someone who could make it all happen.

When he gets stomach ache you offer to massage him and although he refuses bc he doesn't want to bother you, you do it anyway and he melts into your touch. It's not like you mind it since his body is slightly toned and you need to contain yourself because he's so handsome and yet you need to concentrate on his pain. You take such good care of him, he gets goosebumps and is so grateful. He wants to return the favor somehow but there's no need to bc of how mindful he constantly is of you and he loves you so much. His heart is full and he always has that dreamy look whenever he spends time with you. He loves it when he puts his head on your lap and you caress his hair and face. Your hands are soft and warm and he's in bliss. He hums and feels so much better with your treatment. You scratch his scalp and he buries his face in your belly. He's lying turned to the side on purpose so you couldn't see certain things but you notice from how his back is slightly hunched and you just know. No one can make him feel this way the way you do.

When the crew is traveling by a police van there's a possibility that there won't be enough space for everyone to sit in so Hoshino will stand up for you to occupy his seat but you sit on his lap instead and everyone is looking at you. Hoshino is blushing and whispering in your ear that this wasn't such a good idea but you continued talking about how the van is too small and criticized it's lack of equipment. During patrols he's sharing his food with you if you didn't have enough and if you get hurt he'll always help you out or even carry you. Your colleagues already knew what's going on between you two but they decided not to tell boss. They found you lovely and gave you their full support.

On the other hand, they're teasing Hoshino because he always supported the idea that work should be done with seriousness and dedication. He's blushing and telling them that he's trying to be as professional as possible. Their colleagues appreciate the more relaxed and humanistic Ryo rather than the workaholic one they all got used to. They talk casually with him and ask him some love advice but then he gets angry and tells them to go back to work. Noup, nothing changed. Workaholic Ryo is still present, he just accidentally showed them his new side, that's all.

He's the one who doesn't appreciate theme parks and crazy rides but he'll go with you if you really want to. He never really talked about this before but he's afraid of heights. He thinks he's a party breaker but you actually don't take him to ferris wheels or roller coasters. You take him to everywhere else like water rides, bumper cars and he's absolutely in love with shooting games at the stalls where he can win you a toy. You stayed at the arcade section for at least two hours. You had so much fun that day and no one felt sick on top of it.

Haru found out about you two eventually and teased you bc he claimed how he knew this entire time. He's so happy for you and he's congratulating you. Daisuke isn't interested whatsoever but he decided to mess with Hoshino a little bc he can and bc he's a millionaire bastard. He invited you to his high-end restaurant for his top-noch first-class dinner to test if you were docile and if your relationship was real. Daisuke couldn't care less about your preferences, he just wanted to see Hoshino's reaction. You politely declined and Hoshino became dangerously serious which surprised even Haru, he never saw him this angry before. Haru concerningly asked Daisuke if he went completely insane and he just said that he got his confirmation. He turned around, entered his expensive car and Hoshino couldn't believe the audacity of this guy. Haru just shrugged and said "it's Kambe".

You want to take him to a karaoke night and you're being so enthusiastic ab it but he's shy, he doesn't want to embarrass himself in front of everyone else and especially in front of you. You somehow manage to convince him and you came to the bar. When he starts singing you realize that he's actually good at it. You tease him that he's a man of many talents, he's flattered and tells you that you're not so bad yourself. Now you're trying to persuade him to wake you up every morning with his nice singling and he gets soft just by thinking ab it. You really are his angel and more.

He really enjoys cuddling with you in a blanket while watching a movie and snacking on something at night. Whoever falls asleep on the couch first gets covered in the said blanket, gets a pillow tucked under their head and the other goes to their bedroom. Hoshino will carry you only if he feels like it, besides, he doesn't want to disturb your sleep. He'll make sure you get properly covered before leaving.

He loves baths with you bc they're rare. He always takes a quick shower before work and making time for you to do something like this is super relaxing for him. He'll scrub your back, smear the foam everywhere and it's the best feeling ever. You'll do the same for him and massage his scalp, he's living for it. After a tiresome day at work he's definitely looking forward to things like this. He's kissing your shoulder and you're surprised. You make out and you need to keep it down so you wouldn't overflow the bathroom floor. It's funny to you how he doesn't find sharing a bed with you sexual while he does sharing a bath. He says it's bc you're naked at the moment and you say that he could as well just take your pjs off, that there's no real difference. He's all flushed bc he can't find the appropriate answer and you laugh.

However, he does get hot and bothered when you're testing his limits. He'll dominate whatever happens from this moment on but if you insist on taking the lead, he'll let you. You don't know how he knows certain things and you suspected that he had girlfriends before, you're jealous and he told you that he's actually just well-informed. You're so smug at the moment and he's replacing this expression of yours with a new one full of want. He's passionate and mindful and he's completely weak to your own happiness. He could entertain you like this for hours and he's v open to conversation and exploration of what you want. He's v loving and caring and you can't get enough, it's like an addiction.

He'll drive you to work and many already noticed that you come together most of the time. Your colleagues are being dorky and calling you a "cople", you're blushing and he tells them to go back to work, he secretly enjoys their teasing.

He kisses your cheek while you were typing something on your laptop. Boss saw it, you panicked and Hoshino said that he wished you a happy birthday. Boss noted that it was, indeed, not your birthday and that he knew through your resume. Hoshino replied that he has mistaken the dates and you laughed. Boss huffed in amusement, you two were so obvious that even the blind could tell. He allowed you to be with each other as long as you're not doing lovey-dovey things at work, you were good assets to his team so he didn't want to lose you. Hoshino's eyes were basically shining and you were glad. He was so pessimistic ab the outcome of this possible situation but now he's grateful and he cherished your relationship even more.

It's his birthday and you surprise him by dressing as a sexy cop. You say kinky stuff like bad boys going to jail but he's such a good boy and the joke is literally useless, you make him laugh tho. He suggested to play bad cop good criminal scenario so he took your handcuffs and used them on you. Now he can't see you the same way during work anymore. It was the best birthday gift.

He takes you to a little trip at the botanic garden and it's so amazing there, being surrounded by such beauty is a wonderful experience. You sit at the bench and feed the swans in the lake. You have no idea how Ryo comes up with ideas like this but he never ceases to surprise you. Every day is something new with this guy and it's always a positive thing. He knows how to make you relax after a stressful day at work and he makes you smile when everything seems like it's falling apart. You tell him you love him, it comes out of nowhere and he's just so happy. He wants to make you feel like this all the time. Only then does he know that he's succeeding as a boyfriend and making sure that you end up with someone who actually deserves you.

You wake up the next morning, head towards the kitchen and notice that something smells rly nice. Was Hoshino cooking? You take a look and sure enough, he was making a breakfast for you two. You approach him and kiss his cheek, telling him good morning. He reduced the fire, picked you up and seated you on the counter. He kisses you and tells you good morning as well. At one moment he looks insecure and you ask him what's up. He says things like you being the key ingredient for spicing up his world and he's covering his face from how cheesy and stupid it sounds. Hoshino trying out cooking jokes was hilarious but you're so in love with him and you kiss him and say smtng cheesy in return to make him feel better. You take a taste of his food and it's great, you love it. You feed each other and he looks so adorable when he's munching on it.

When he's sick you find it hard to leave him by himself since you want to help him as much as you possibly can and he's telling you not to do it bc he'll spread it on you. You don't listen, partly bc he's just as same and would rather spend time taking care of you than doing anything else. The boss knows in advance and is already counting on backup whenever something like this happens. You don't need to inform him, it's already clear to him that whenever one of you gets sick, the other will soon follow.

He takes you to hanabi festival, you're dressed in yukatas and watch beautiful fireworks in the distance, it's one of the most amazing sights to see. He gets down and you squeal bc YES it's finally happening! You've waited for this moment in so long. He apologizes, his napkin just fell and you're disappointed like never before. "By the way" he says as he's reaching for a small square box in his pocket, you squeal again and he opens it, revealing an elegant-looking ring tucked in puffy inserts. He asks if you want to marry him and you shout the long expected "yes", you're hugging and crying and he can't believe his own eyes, he became the luckiest guy in the world.

@narcopharmacist These are the HCs I was talking ab. Hope you like it. ^^

#fugou keiji balance: unlimited #millionaire detective balance: unlimited #fkbu #millionaire detective #hoshino ryo #hoshino ryo x reader

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twstdreams · 4 years

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hi there! May I request a vil! s/o x dorm leaders where the reader steals all their magic and harms them :0 thank you so much ♡♡

Later clarified: Villainous!reader, not Vil’s S/O and only unique magic is stolen

Warning: Azul’s portion contains spoilers for episode 3, and side story spoiler for Vil’s part

Riddle Rosehearts

You feign incompetence about Practical Magic. You do so well with ancient incantations but you just can’t get things to move how they’re supposed to!

You humbly ask your dorm leader for help and promise not to complain no matter how strict Riddle is

Riddle lectures you on almost failing a course but internally he is glad you reached out for help rather than having him hunt you down

You gasp as an incorrect spell slips past your lips and targets Riddle. Riddle can immediately feel something is wrong as a wave of your magic washes over him.

You screech and bolt, saying that you’ll go get Trey or an upper-year. Riddle orders you to stop but you continue running. At this point, he shouts “Off with your head!” to stop this madness

Except nothing happens

Riddle keeps casting his spell again and again, more frantic each time it fails

Then he becomes red with rage. You stole his magic! He screams while ordering you to give it back. Instead, you stick out your tongue and disappear around the corner, but not before casting a wind spell that sends him flying backwards

Without fail, Riddle enlists all of the Heartslabyul students to find and capture you

Riddle becomes a dangerous mixture of fear and fury. He must find you or else... Well, he cannot think about horrendous consequences that would follow, nothing short of his future being destroyed. Riddle won’t allow it, he can’t afford to.

Leona Kingscholar

Leona hears hurried footsteps, someone hastily running away as he awakes from his nap

He catches a glimpse of your backside but doesn’t think much of it. Some herbivore got scared of his presence and ran, big deal

But there’s something off. His instinct senses it and his mind tries to find clues to confirm or reject his feeling

Leona notices a little prick on his arm, one he’s sure that wasn’t there before. He didn’t nap near any prickly plants, so how did this happen?

His eyes land on an herb, used in ancient incantations and curses, one that he knows NRC doesn’t cultivate because of its dangers and costs

He growls and tests out his magic. The basics seem to work but when he tries to turn a nearby flower to sand, nothing happens

Leona lets out a ferocious roar and immediately tries to follow your scent. You were smart, the garden is filled with too many fragrant species for him to be able to pick out your trace

Suddenly, a wave of nausea hits him as a magic circle appears before his feet. The clever lion breaks the spell but it only adds to his anger

Leona wastes no time in delivering orders to the rest of Savanaclaw, not letting anyone know that his magic was stolen but simply that you had transgressed greatly against Savanaclaw. He probably says you insulted Savanaclaw or were actively trying to sabotage them

He has Jack try to follow your scent and Ruggie find any information possible

You’ve provoked the wrong person and Leona is determined to teach you that. He might be lazy but he wouldn’t let this go. He was going to take back his unique magic and let you taste firsthand why it frightened so many of the servants back home

Malleus Draconia

He should have known better. Of course, it was cursed. You claimed you wanted to share friendship bracelets with the dorm leader and he let his amusement get the best of him.

Oh? What an odd custom but he supposes he’ll indulge you for a while. It seems harmless enough, your questionable craftsmanship showing through uneven knots. You were even wearing a matching one yourself.

Later, as the spell activates when you are far from his reach, Malleus realizes too late your true malicious intentions

Prepare to pay the price

This is an act of war. Malleus is the ruler of the Valley of Thorns and he won’t let you get away with this. The implications of such an act are enormous.

It’s almost impressive if it wasn’t so unbelievably dangerous, for both him and you. While he’s still a strong magician regardless of his unique magic, it’s still important to him and dangerous in the wrong hands. You’re not quite safe either, his unique magic isn’t something just anyone can use and it puts you in danger of overblotting.

Malleus wanted a friend but it seems he’s gotten an enemy instead. The injury isn’t severe for the strong fae but the wound to his heart and pride are far greater. He wonders if he being less open and crueller would have prevented this predicament. The repercussions of losing his powers and what that means considering his position are not lost

There is an immediate hunt for you that won’t end until you’re captured and Malleus has his magic returned. Naturally, Lilia, Silver, Sebek, and many school members will join the hunt, but if it’s not resolved quickly then fae from his homeland will be brought in too

Azul Ashengrotto

Azul is oh so careful. His long contracts are proof as much. He thinks it’s any normal contract, you a stupid unfortunate student that needs some help for Trein’s upcoming history test

He tells you to read the terms and conditions, which you move to your lap to read. You read the first page, skim the next, and he can tell by the fourth page you’re not really paying attention anymore. You rapidly flip the pages, fingers tracing a line or two before you inevitably give up and sign the last page

You thank him with a singsong voice and happily accept his study guide. He thanks you in return for your business and you’re both on your merry way.

Except when he opens his vault, it’s empty. He has the most horrid sense of deja vu. He runs out of his office and demands that Floyd chase after you only to find out you’ve already left the dorm

Once he explains the situation to Jade, the vice dorm leader tries to ensure that Azul doesn’t overblot again while providing Floyd with enough information to track you down

Azul and Jade pour over the contract he just made with you to extract anything that could help them locate you or expose a weakness when Azul nearly shrieks. A clause in the contract has been changed! When? How?! You must have somehow altered the contract with your own magic! That should be impossible yet it was his current reality

Azul is incapable of resting until you’re found. He worked so hard to perfect his unique magic. He thought that losing the contracts was horrid but this was even worse.

He’s teetering on the edge, trying his best not to break down, but it’s dangerous and no one in the Octavinelle dorm feels safe. He knows rationally that he still has his alchemy skills along with his normal magic but Azul feels sick to his stomach without his beloved unique magic

Vil Schoenheit

You came to him between classes on an off chance where he was alone. You explain that you were from Octavinelle and Azul was hoping Vil would test his new lotion! Vil rarely did work for free but last time he had requested some skincare from Azul it had worked out wonderfully, so he decided to accept

A week later, Vil had an unbearable stomach ache. Given Vil strictly controlled his diet and routine, he immediately deduced something was wrong with the lotion as it was the only recent change. After receiving some help from Rook and accessing some medical supplies, the pain passed but Vil’s rage did not

As an act of comfort or some semblance of control, Vil attempted to use his unique magic only to find it fail him. Vil worked hard to improve his unique magic, so to have it fail him sent the magician storming Octavinelle

He demands an explanation from Azul only to find out that every single word you spilled was a lie. Vil does his best to stay in control but fury runs through his veins unchecked. He clenches his hands hard enough to draw blood

Vil demands Rook hunt you down and bring you grovelling before his knees like the traitor you are. He plans to use his knowledge in potions to ensure you experience a blood-curdling punishment that will teach you a lesson permanently

Vil is not above using his large social media gathering to gain information about you, though he might tailor the story he tells his followers, simply telling them that you had transgressed against him

Vil’s mood becomes unstable. He is used to being in control and for his hard work to be rewarded but your little scheme threatens everything. This is nothing short of a nightmare that he plans on ending no matter what

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland headcanon #riddle rosehearts #leona kingscholar #malleus draconia #vil schoenheit #azul ashengrotto #twstdreams #twisted dreams

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samanthawilsonart · 3 years

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How to Prepare and Facilitate Your First Art Workshop

Using your creativity to facilitate an art workshop isn’t just an extraordinary method to acquire some extra funding for your studio.

Art workshops can also offer you the chance to meet new individuals in your creative field, grow your contact list, invigorate your own imagination as well as work on your public speaking abilities.

However, if you’ve never facilitated one, it can be a little intimidating to get started. So how to go about instructing one?

Regardless of whether you’re thinking about what drawing and painting exercises to show or the number of participants you ought to have in each class, we’ve gathered together eight helpful tips for hosting your very own art workshop, so your students leave feeling fulfilled and prepared to pursue your craft more.

Know Your Audience

It sounds obvious, but start with your audience. Depending on who you’ll be working with, you’ll need to offer different activities, like charcoal drawing, simple shading or loose watercolour warm up exercises for example. It’s about understanding their particular needs.

If you’re working with young children, they won’t be accomplished artists – but they will be very creative. Older people looking to get into art for the first time might be more comfortable with something like watercolours. Student artists may be digitally-savvy. Every age group and skill level is different!

Bear in mind, you want to challenge your audience, but equally make them feel comfortable. Start by bullet-pointing some initial ideas for the type of projects you want to run.

Contact your Participants Ahead of Time Outlining the Workshop

In good time before your first workshop, send your participants an email itemizing what they can anticipate from the day. This will be your first formal contact so it’s a great opportunity to make a good first impression to get people excited about your workshop!

Suggestions:

Add a short bio about yourself, introducing your creativity experience and who you are as an artist. Do you specialise in drawing? Are you a fantastic oil painter? Have you received any notable awards for your work? It’s a great way to make a more personal connection.

If your workshop requires a lot of materials, you may ask them to bring some along with them.

You may like to request that everyone considers what they want to gain from the experience and ask them to share that with the group upon arrival.

Providing this information ahead of time will almost guarantee that your workshop will run smoothly because people will know what to expect and come prepared! It will help make the experience beneficial for all.

Try not to Give Too Much Authority

Drawing and painting isn’t about getting things right. A workshop is more about facilitation. It means that you guide the participants through the exercises. They can learn and share the experience as a group while feeling free to express their unique creativity. This will help everyone feel relaxed and encourage imagination.

Set Up Tips

Furniture arrangements of a room can influence the feel of any space. It’s not a smart idea to situate yourself at the top of the class as this makes you resemble a teacher. Have your artists sit in a circle for example which will encourage sharing and playfulness.

Workshop Ideas Depend Upon Your Participants

A successful art or drawing workshop needs good ideas. Create the session for your specific age group. For example, for children, you may focus on only one simple project or idea, like painting an animal. In case you’re working with grown-ups, you may focus on multiple different drawing and mixed media exercises.

Offer practical Wisdom

(Listen to this less than desirable workshop experience from watercolor artist Angela Fehr )

“Despite the fact that I didn’t know it at that point, I had picked an educator who was more concerned about empowering students’ creativity than really showing us how to paint. From that class, I learned how to paint from light to dark, however I was still practically clueless where genuine techniques were concerned.”

You want to try to avoid this, and ensure your participants return home feeling more confident to apply new techniques in their own work. Angela recommends having students make cheat sheets to assist with reviewing various procedures they’ve learned.

Complete a Full Piece

A great goal to work towards is having students finish a whole piece so they feel more accomplished. Taking a completed drawing, painting or sculpture home will not only make them feel good but it will encourage them to speak about your workshop with friends or family.

Plan Out The Structure of Your Lesson And Practice Them

Have a rough idea of the exercises you wish to facilitate and gather the right supplies. Rehearse with a friend and note down areas you feel work well or need amending. It may take some time but will make you feel really prepared when the official workshop day arrives!

Cover Your Expenses

Realizing what to charge for workshops can be a genuine challenge. To get an idea, research what other similar creative workshops sell for in your area and factor in the cost of your studio or workshop space, your time, preparation time and materials for every participant. This is so important to make sure you actually make profit!

You may consider offering an installment plan for individuals who cannot afford the workshop in one go.

Promotion, Promote, Promote!

When you have your workshop arranged and all set, promotion is a vital key! Make good use of your creativity here and social media platforms; facebook, instagram, your blog, your newsletter (if you have one) or create one for this, online groups, public art fairs, and any other outlets you can consider to get the message out.

Eliminate any doubts or fears students may have in joining your class by expressing the experience level required for the class. You may increase your success by opening your workshop up to people of all levels or you can be more specific and hone in on a specific level, like for professionals only which can attract a niche market or participants.

Keep the Class Size Little

Keep it clear for yourself and your students how many participants you can teach at once. It’s nice to have the ability to still offer one-on-one attention within the group setting to offer direction.

This may mean starting with just a few students and seeing how it goes. You can always increase the size as time goes on, and you get to know more about your own unique teaching style.

Remember to Have a Good Time

Don’t forget to enjoy the experience! While you want your students to leave having acquired new drawing and painting skills, they should also have fun! Balancing the right amount of learning with fun will ensure your students want to come back for more!

Move Forward and Facilitate

There is no reason why your first art workshop can’t be a triumph. To make the experience less overwhelming, remember what you would like to gain from the session if you were the student. Remember to create an intriguing class where students can learn genuine techniques with one-on-one direction, as well as have fun with new friends! Following these simple steps will help make your future art workshops a success and help grow your flourishing art business.

#Arts #artist #artists on tumblr #fine art #art club #art class #art commisions #kids art class #online art class #private art class #art shop #figurative art #painting class #drawing class #drawing commisions #life drawing #art for sale #wall art

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brahmavidya · 3 years

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Yoga Drain Your Worries and Lightens Up Your Stress!

When you can work on yourself and bring some lightness in your life, you should not miss out on. In this busy life, you can always ensure that you work on the ways that help you to stay relaxed and at ease. After all, it is about making the most of your life and that is possible only when you are stress free.

Here what you can do is you can introduce Yoga in your life! Yes, in case you are a seeker of weight loss, a strong and flexible body, relaxed type of mind, glowing gorges skin, absolutely sparkling health or what so ever, yoga is there to help you with same. You can take up a yoga meditation class and ensure that you understand the concept and get started. It is a revolutionary journey for sure.

What is the point of Doing Yoga?

The art of performing yoga is very helpful in controlling your mind, body and soul. It brings together mental and physical disciplines to attain a tranquil body and mind. Not only this, it also manages fear and stress and keeps doers at ease. Other than this, it too helps you in growing your muscle strength, flexibility and body tone. It grows energy, respiration, and even that of overall vitality. Maybe you have always been wondering that Practicing yoga is just like stretching, but you have no idea how it can do much for you.

Yoga creates flexibility, strength and of course confidence. If you are somewhat regular in practicing yoga, then you can witness loss in weight. Your stress is going to get relieved and your immune system is going to become stronger. For example, if you have always been a habit of losing your calm over petty issues, after doing yoga for some time, you can get away from this tedious habit of yours.

Inner peace and better health

Then if you feel that you have everything in your life but your inner peace is not there then yoga and meditation can help. You can be sure that you have a great experience stored for yourself. Yoga is going to help you stay happier from within. You would feel more confident about yourself and your life. You know there are manifold kinds of yoga asanas and each of them include various benefits. These cater the performer not just the peace of mind but all-round fitness, great stamina, improve the overall sexual life and lessen the issues of insomnia and even migraines.

Well, in this hectic era, most of the folks suffer from Insomnia that is a general sleep condition. , People having insomnia encounter trouble in getting sleep. Here yoga stretches out the overall muscles in the body, offer the performer firm arms, a strong back, toned buttocks and even that of legs. The body stays active, fit and most crucially free from stress. Once you do it, you will feel absolutely alive throughout your day.

Conclusion

So, check out yoga meditation classes and ensure that you have the luxury of learning this art to relax your life and unwind yourself. You would have inner peace.

#yoga meditation classes

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kimberlybrown00 · 3 years

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Free Enjoy Creating Positions Manual - Just how to Have Explosive Sex

The internet was only getting started to gain popularity. When you mentioned the term, porn was probably the first thought that came to mind for many people. However, as time as gone by, this notion has evolved as people have discovered the benefits to make use of the internet and ways to create a business with it. But, porn remains quite significant on the internet. In fact, with the high speeds of connection to the internet, downloading porn clips films, videos, and other content happens in a matter of minutes and someone can easily enjoy a daily dose the same. As the subject of this article suggests, is it realistic to rid the web of porn? It is not possible. A cause like this would be a big waste of time.One of the things that make this issue difficult is the amount of money produced by the porn industry. That's why you'll find thousands upon thousands of porn websites, whose clients are largely males and spend a large portion of their money looking for sex online. To entice clients, some sites offer free videos. Some sites allow users to upload their own videos. No matter what, you will still find those who pay to have sex on the internet.The presence of pornography on the internet isn't only dependent on money, but also by the freedom of expression and the freedom of speech. At the beginning of the web, the online world was viewed as'morally clean' with people using words in a controlled manner and taking care not to offend others. However, as time went by , and people have been allowing people to speak what they think is a fact, pornography has been growing and enlarging its online realm. However, porn is always there and will continue to be no matter how it appears. The internet has made it much easier to access porn. It has also reduced the embarrassment of those who need to buy porn movies from adult stores. However, this can mean that children even as young as 3 years of age can have access to pornographic material. But thank goodness for the internet and its capacity to provide security and ensure that parents can control the types of websites their children access. Parents have the sole responsibility to ensure that their children don't have access to adult content on websites. The internet does not have any responsibility for this. One of the main issues of pornography is the addiction. There are an abundance of people obsessed with porn that they'll be seeking out any chance to download either pornographic video clips or images to satisfy a need that is difficult to satisfy. Alcoholism has been in the news for quite a while and has been around for a long time, just like alcoholics. It's not possible to completely eliminate alcohol, but it is important for alcoholics to acknowledge their problems. Child pornography is a problem that is not able to be removed. While there are laws that prohibit this kind of behavior however, it has found its way into the world of internet. The laws of one country cannot regulate or legislate the internet. Every nation has its own laws. In China, for example they are able to block websites that they deem inappropriate. What are the acceptable and non acceptable forms of pornography? These are tough questions to answer in regards to the definition of pornographic material as well as what is considered to be normal. What defines a pornographic line is not clear because different individuals have their own distinct views on pornography. According to the British government, 'violent and extreme pornography constitutes a crime'. However, what might seem extreme for one person may not be extreme for another. Freedom of expression and speech should be granted if it doesn't cause violence between parties. The freedom of expression seems to be limited by the internet. It should not be viewed as a threat to the ability of the internet to remove pornography. This will only lead to futility. It is essential to have the ability to control and take measures. They are worried that their female partners will become bored with their sexual activities and will seek out more comfort somewhere else. Kama Sutra's sales continue to rise despite economic downturns. We'll provide the free information on how to get a sex that is explosive. You can't miss foreplay as it is an essential element of making love. It helps you prepare yourself and your partner for sex and aids in building the sensation. According to experts, it takes minimum 15 minutes of arousal before a woman can orgasm.So how can you get the most out of your foreplay? Foreplay can be more than simply touching and kissing. Askmen.com put it beautifully: "Foreplay should encompass everything and everybody your lady loves kissing and caressing is always appreciated but don't confine yourself to the traditional standbys." We recommend the following activities to spice up foreplay. Watching porn movies with your partner, a hot eye contact, dirty talk, sensual massages and oral sexual contact. The Best Lovemaking Positions-If your goal is to give her the ultimate climax, you need to have positions that provide exotic stimulation to her clitoris and her G-spot. The two most sought-after position for lovemaking that are the Goat and the Three. It is one of the most sought-after positions for women who are in the top positions. This position will require you to sit in a comfortable chair that has a back that is supportive. The person is seated on your thigh and face against you. Then, she shifts her hips upwards and down on your penis shaft. For maximum stimulation, she is able to regulate the depth and angle that her penetration takes place. This position limits your movement however you are able to touch her breasts and clitoris to stimulate her. Position 69: This one lets both partners have orgasm simultaneously. Firstly, apply generous amounts of lubricants on your fingers. After that, place your hands over her genitals, and lie down. Then, use your fingers to stimulate her clitoris until there is an increase in the amount of water. If she's excited take a kiss and kiss her clitoris and the perineum. If done properly the act of oral sex is sufficient to send her great orgasm.Addiction to porn is a far more serious issue than we realize. The latest estimates indicate that around 40-60 percent of all men, and 35 percent of womenhave some kind of problem with it. My research has found that those with these addictions are extremely cautious of discussing pornography with anyone. Even when they know someone who has. They believe that their issue is unique and they are the only ones who suffer from it. Their reticence in seeking assistance can result in deeper or more severe compulsive behaviour. Compulsive behaviors can become something of a compulsion or a complete addiction if they are not treated. The danger of addiction to pornography is far greater than watching of sexually explicit images. Many people become obsessed with sexual pleasure to the point where they can't think of any other option. The result is that every circumstance is sexualized, sometimes inappropriately. People's need to have a sexual experience can rise to levels that are illegal and dangerous. If you, or someone you know, are struggling with pornography, here are some helpful guidelines to help begin the process of healing.One of the toughest things anyone can accept that they're struggling. Here's a story of someone I had the privilege of working with. The couple was in turmoil. He was hooked on porn for hours on end, sometimes for up to 4 to 6 hours. He was also staying up late and was not getting enough sleep. He was paranoid about the possibility that someone would discover his issue. He kept magazines, DVDs, and cassettes. All of this while feeling a sense of guilt and shame. When I first met him, his response to me was: "I'm not sure that I'm suffering from a problem!" That's the power of denial. To find added information on this please find useful source. It is possible that you are contemplating whether you're suffering from issues. Maybe you're wondering whether it is really something serious. I can tell you this If you're feeling anxiety, guilt, shame or regret about your past actions, there is problems. You should seek treatment. If you are able to admit that you have a problem you're ready to take the next step.Isolation is one of the biggest contributors to a pornography problem. If a person continues trying to resolve the issue on their own then they'll continue to get the same results. Pornography is an issue that is deeply rooted within the emotional blind spots that require that others help. People who cover up their issues can't be helped. I didn't tell anyone--my wife, my closest friends, my pastor (especially the people in my church!) or anyone else! They would all judge me. I thought they'd have to judge me. I felt lonely and isolated, and I did! Added to this was my pride which kept me from seeking help from different avenues, like support groups. I was not interested in being a part of support groups because I felt they were all losers and perverts (who was who judging whom?). and I worried about my privacy. "Though isolation is the main enemy of healing, it doesn't mean that a person ought to openly talk to anyone with a problem. It's important to find an honest person who has the ability to aid in healing.There is an old saying that is found in 12-step programs that "You are as sick as the secrets you keep." This secrecy keeps the addiction cycle going. To be healed, it is important to find a person with whom you are able to share all your secrets. A lot of people fear that they don't know someone. They also worry that they'll be judged by other people because of the actions they share. Finding someone might be much easier than you think. There are many 12-step programs that are available in all communities along with counselors and ministers who would be happy to help. Secrets lose their power when the right people are able to aid. When secrets are no longer effective they begin to heal. begins.Next, it is absolutely necessary to get rid of any pornographic material, whether it's hard or soft, that is in the possession of a person. To begin, destroy all pornographic: tapes, DVDs magazines, files, files and computer files. Do not toss them, but take them away! They can be found accidentally if they are in a good state. It is imperative that the materials be destroyed. Also, stop all subscriptions for pay television sites, pornographic channels, and magazines with sexy content. These include magazines that feature sexually attractive models. Unblock private phones that are used to have sexual content. Close the account for mail if post box offices are being used to send private messages. Go through personal libraries, videotapes and DVD collections to be sure that nothing exists that could be used to satisfy the desire for more - this includes R Rated films. Be vigilant in removing these temptations! When these materials have been destroyed, the next step is to create a new set of operating limits. Boundaries are the boundaries we create to stop dangerous things from getting within our reach. Through the creation of new boundaries we can avoid situations that previously triggered our emotions. The process takes time and is improved by trial and error. However, almost everyone can identify the more obvious options. If one realizes that they cannot resist purchasing pornographic magazines from the convenience store, then they decide to limit their purchases and make a promise to never go on their own to a convenience store. Someone who isn't able to stop acting out while they are at home alone must be prevented from doing it until they have a reduced appetite for pornography. Each person is different and what causes one person's behavior may not affect one person in the same way. Someone else might not be attracted to pornographic magazines, however they may still be drawn to sexually explicit pay per views, HBO, and Cinemax shows. In such a case, an important boundary is to stop these services. If someone is constantly tempted to buy pay per watch movies, they need to alter their subscription to cable or drop it altogether.Some individuals trigger more easily when they are feeling lonely, angry, hungry or tired (HALT). Becoming aware of these emotional and physical conditions can help people stay clear of triggers that can cause to being out.The research is conclusive and it's difficult to argue with the results. The rate of recovery from sexual addiction is close to zero for people who do not have an accountability system in place. For those in an effective program that has an accountability component the recovery rate rises up to around 80 percent. Accountability is a constant communication with a specific person who is knowledgeable of the addiction's challenges. A accountability partner will inquire about how successful they have been in keeping "sober" for that day, and provide suggestions for improvement. An accountability partner should be with the same sexual orientation and have experienced similar issues through a recognized program. It is not recommended to have spouses as an accountability partner.For myself I have an accountability partner who is named Rick. We see each other at least four times a week and discuss almost every topic. The length of our conversations typically ranges from five to 10 minutes. Although Rick and I are utterly different, we are determined to be free from pornography and sexual impureness. Rick helps me to see the world from a new perspective and holds me responsible for my actions. Additionally, I act as an accountability partner to several others. My role is to assist my mentors overcome their issues with porn by being a caring person to ask them hard questions about whether or not they've been keeping their sexuality pure.One important distinction that deserves a mention of it's own, is reporting on the internet using software. The internet is a tempting spot for porn. It's nearly mandatory that anyone who has problems with pornography use special-designed software for filtering and reporting. Filtering software prevents the most obvious pornographic sites from appearing in the web browser. Reporting software allows you to use your computer however you'd like, while also reporting every site to your accountability partner. Many people, who are serious about healing from pornography, find that this can greatly reduce the need to browse pornographic websites.

#πορνό βίντεο

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daretosnoop · 4 years

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Lessons I learned from the Games

Most of this is just silly, some are actual lessons.

SCK/SCK2:

If you’re going to get murdered, get revenge by leaving clues to the blackmail you have on potential suspects and hope to god someone figures it out

If you’re investigating a crime, being a random transfer student at the end of the year is probably not the way to go, but no one cares because they’re too busy with college applications.

If your niece is coming to your place to investigate a murder and you’re not there, the least you can do is set up a cage to trap any possible break-ins.

Nothing beats being able to hold a gun to the murderer #whySCKremastered???

Teens dealing with pressures to meet college and parental demands

Teens resorting to drugs

Teens dealing with sexism that’s found in abundance in college and work environments

Teachers not giving a shit about what students are going through.

STFD:

If you’re getting death threats, play it cool. Keeps the perps unhinged

Toxicity of fan culture

Throw all CEOs into the closet

Nothing beats Jazz

If you’re going to commit crime in an actor’s community, you must do it with flare

MHM:

If you’re going to buy a Victorian mansion, the least you can do is check for ghosts. And also hire a carpenter beforehand

Never invest your life’s savings into anything

Treat those who help you with basic decency (my god Rose!)

If you’re snooping on someone, don’t give them any indication that you’re onto them

If someone slips a threatening message under your door, open the door.

Victorian houses have all sorts of booby traps, FIND THEM.

TRT:

Don’t trust anyone who’s eager to be your friend

Trust the weirdos and grumpy people

Learn French

Don’t leave incriminating evidence that reveals your lies

There is no such thing as too much food

Women in history have been badly treated by (male) historians.

It’s called the past for a reason

Turn a bad situation into an opportunity to learn

If you’re going to do crime, at least ensure you have an escape route that’s not blocked by the snow

Don’t date people who pressure you to marry them/ask you to prove your love for them

FIN:

As a woman, if you want anyone to take you seriously and help, you have to be adamant, sassy, and everything men don’t like to see in women.

If you’re a POC, the chances of the police helping you decreases

Capitalism sucks

Police suck

Misogyny in capitalism

Old theaters are amazing

Don’t trust the person who’s trying to be your friend!!!!!!

Don’t talk to suspects about your case

Have confidence in yourself

SSH:

Colonialism still exists in the form of capitalism

The art industry is completely profit driven

Mexico and America tensions

The Mayans

They never talked about what happened to the Mayans…..

Don’t deal with shady salesmen

Sometimes saving money contributes to a bad system

If you accepted a position, take your work seriously

Don’t trust the guy trying to be your friend!!!!

Master the art of amnesia should you ever need to use it

Even if you disband a group of art thieves, it’s best to be humble

No one in life is going to help you, even if you get pushed into a monolith

DOG:

This game is why it’s important to put your dog(s) on a leash! (insert that dog vine: “it don’t bite. Yes it do!”)

If we didn’t have uptight rangers, the parks would be burnt to smithereens

Misogyny exists in the woods

People who are just trying to do their job always get a bad rap even though it’s because of them the park still exists!

Gangsters are bad, but also low-key cool

Get back at your enemies by making a fake grave of them

Old people have interesting stories

Gold can release arsenic into water

Always check well water before using

Wood mice are bad for health

If you’re going to get tied up and tossed into your tool shed, keep a scythe on hand

Go birdwatching at night

Torque is a fancy word for screw driver

If you’re a POC, people are most likely to suspect you.

CAR:

There is no job security if you end up in hospital

Sometimes you really need a 2000 calorie sundae

If you went to jail, people are most likely to suspect you first

Don’t spy on your co-workers

Don’t trust the person who’s trying to be your friend!

Don’t procrastinate on a job

If you’re miserable in life, maybe it’s time to sign up for some therapy

If you have a sad backstory, you’re automatically entitled to everyone’s sad backstory

Mental illness: depression

Health awareness: niacin, don’t eat junk food like a 2000 calorie sundae

Don’t dump someone just because they’re not able to give you a lavish lifestyle

DDI:

If you’re going to trash someone’s boat, don’t leave your business card behind

If you’re tired of small mindedness, it’s best to just leave

It’s always handy in life to know boating skills

If you’re trying to report suspicious activity, communicating by bottles is not the way to go

Don’t feed wild animals!

Capitalism sucks

Look carefully at your environment, you never know what clues are left behind

Always make a plan B in case plan A doesn’t work

Don’t be afraid to explore

SHA:

Never trust the guy who’s trying to be your friend!!!

Always trust the grumpy guy

Horses die easily

There is no such thing as over ripe vegetables

Sunflowers should be planted near gardens so that bees come

Respect chickens

Falling in love with a criminal is difficult when your dad’s a cop

It’s handy to know how to ride a horse

Ghost towns are terrifying

Farmers work hard and should be respected

CUR:

Don’t trust the person who’s trying to be your friend!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t be a negligent parent

Before getting married, make sure your partner has a good relationship with your child

Don’t trust creepy people

America and British will always oppose each other

Talking parrots are always handy

British aristocracy was supported through colonialism #got Loulou on his Travels, uh huh

If you’re a spinster, you’re going to be the mom of something

If you’re afraid of becoming a monster, best be dramatic about it

It’s really important to have good communication between partners

Don’t stick your new wife in a room that still has pictures of your old wife and where all the furniture has covers on them

If you have a manor, you better explore it before some 12-year-old gets hurt exploring it

don’t go to great lengths to protect a rock

calling something that skips every generation a “family tradition” is just rude and exclusive

don’t leave your child alone for so long. Don’t keep them away from people their age

don’t write memories, no one wants to hear your life story

CLK:

if you’re going to presume someone’s identity, you better nail the part down hard

don’t blow up the kitchen when there’s only three people in the house and you were the closest and last one in the kitchen

emotional manipulation

gas lighting

if someone mentions stolen jewellery, putting back what you stole just incriminates you

even if you have psychic abilities, don’t be an ass bout it

no one ever tips because no one like the system. Pay your employees what they deserve!

Even though the depression’s going on, people are still dumping money in psychic lessons and dress making

No one ever gives anything away for free

Even if you’re promised money, don’t put too much trust in the promises of others

Don’t be rude to the person who’s trying to help you

If your partner is demanding to be spoiled during an economic depression, find a better partner

People aren’t as smart as you, tell them straight where you left your will.

TRN:

The dumb blonde joke is not funny

Cops are useless and unhelpful

People are more willing to listen to adults then teens/young adults

Celebrities are much different in real life then in their celebrity world.

Don’t steal someone else’s ideaà artist theft

Old trains are super cool

People aren’t as smart as you, tell them straight where you hid your treasure

Don’t dump someone just because people think they’re dumb

DAN:

Capitalism sucks

The fashion industry is brutal

normal size representation

Boss’s can be crappy people

Don’t blackmail people

If you promised to do work, you better dedicate yourself to it

Having a healthy fear of giving away personal information is not a bad thing

Don’t aid stalkers

Covid-precaution: cover face with mask. Act erratic to keep people away from you

Concept of older men dating younger women is actually frowned upon

Love is mysterious

Flashlight on the many women who helped decode during WW2 but largely remain unrecognized by countries today

Forgery is okay sometimes

CRE:

Indigenous cultures continue to be badly and negatively portrayed in media

Capitalism sucks

Environmentalism

Academia is not as research oriented as one wishes it was

Daddy-issues

Native Hawaiians forced to “work with” big corps in order to survive.

Tourism industry and its affects on the environment and native population

Sometimes an upgrade is not a good thing

ICE:

Animal conservatism

Capitalism sucks

International competitions suck

Running away from humans to hide in a cabin and bonding with a wolf is not a bad thing

Never enter a sauna alone

It’s bad business to kick customers out

If your customers are falling asleep everyday in a common room, it’s probably not a good sign of booming business

Don’t be chill over bombs exploding near your hotel

Always handy to know how to drive a snow mobile

Don’t volunteer to be a maid, ever

Cops are useless

CRY:

Don’t dump your job on your girlfriend

There’s nothing wrong with being emo

Men being emotional and desiring love and affection

Men being abused in relationships

Even if your relative leaves you a ton of money, it’s no excuse for not being a good guardian/parent

Don’t trust strangers. Don’t eat food from random people

Customer service is awful. Even when the customer is trying to instigate a horrible reaction in you, you got to put on a smile

Always trust the eccentric lady

Nancy’s sad backstory allows her to hear everyone else’s sad backstory, unless you’re a guy, I guess.

A date in the cemetery is not a bad idea

If your partner demands you to spoil them, get a new partner

People aren’t as smart as you, tell them where you hid your treasure

VEN:

Anyone can help out on an international mafia case

The mafia is very creative and artistic

Capitalism sucks

Assert your independence as a young woman by dancing in a cat suit on stage? I guess?

Money can be found anywhere

Eat the rich

Don’t trust the person trying to be friends with you

Possessive relationships are red flags

Don’t steal a cheap neckless if you’re a notorious thief

Cops kind of useful for once.

HAU

Don’t pull a prank on your partner before your wedding

Don’t invite someone who used to date your partner and still has feelings for them

If your partner is missing, actually look for them instead of sitting around

Crows are amazing

Fiona might have lost her parents at a young age and her life as a hermit definitely had its side affects, but she also saved herself from the misogyny women endured

RAN:

If your friend gets kidnapped, please, at least fake some concern

Don’t waste time with monkeys

The only other person on the island is probably the culprit

WAV:

Girl bullying can be worse than boy bullying

Don’t trust the person who’s trying to be your friend!!!!!!

TOT:

Nancy’s sad backstory allows her to hear everyone else’s sad backstory, unless you’re a guy, I guess.

Academic institutions are struggling to fund research

Capitalism sucks

Even if you hate your lead, don’t sabotage the team

Communication is important

Even if you hate your job, don’t sabotage your team

SAW:

People who resist to change just become boulders in the way of progress

Boomer mentality is soul destroying

Emotional manipulation

Gas lighting

Depression

Sometimes you have to cut away from those you love in order to maintain your sanity

Nancy’s sad backstory allows her to hear everyone else’s sad backstory.

If you have to give your partner a gift every time you fight, you might have relationship problems

Don’t be in a relationship just because you’re used to it

Don’t force someone to adhere to your expectations in life

If you’re unable to talk to your partner and so resort to haunting her inn, you probably have relationship issues

#nancy drew

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