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mariacallous · 1 year

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In mid-October, Russia, China, and a coalition of other autocratic countries sent a furious letter to a top U.N. diplomat expressing their “shock” at the maneuverings of other countries in the United Nations over a major new piece of international law. An unusual coalition of smaller U.N. powers led by Mexico, Gambia, and Bangladesh found a way to jump-start the process of creating a first-ever U.N. convention on crimes against humanity over the fierce objections of Moscow, Beijing, and their allies—who had stalled the process for three years straight.

But this time, Moscow and Beijing got outfoxed. And they knew it.

With Mexico in the lead, a coalition of countries bucked the normal procedures and traditions of consensus in a key U.N. committee that oversees international law, opening the door for the eventual adoption of the first-ever U.N. treaty addressing crimes against humanity. No such treaty exists currently, something that human rights advocates and legal scholars describe as a gaping hole in international law.

The process for finalizing a draft treaty on preventing crimes against humanity and getting world powers to adopt it is still years off, and the fight is far from over. But as former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said in a different context, if it’s not the beginning of the end, then it’s the end of the beginning. This story is based on internal U.N. documents and interviews with nine U.N. diplomats and experts, all of whom agreed that Russia and China face an uphill battle to stymie a new U.N. treaty seen as crucial to human rights.

“To all of us who work in the trenches, there’s a sense of excitement among legal experts at the U.N. that there will actually be steps forward on this issue now,” said one U.N. diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to candidly discuss sensitive internal U.N. matters.

The diplomatic battle is playing out against the backdrop of a surge in crimes against humanity in the past year, from Russian war crimes in Ukraine to Myanmar’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy movements to the devastating conflict in Ethiopia that has killed an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 people. A U.N. convention on crimes against humanity could create a legal framework for countries to coordinate with one another on finding and bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes against humanity, whether they take place on or off a battlefield.

“Especially since the war in Ukraine, there’s been a real refocusing of international efforts to ensure justice and accountability for crimes,” said Akila Radhakrishnan, president of the Global Justice Center, a nonprofit advocacy group.

The origins of a U.N. convention on crimes against humanity can be traced back to the Nuremberg trials prosecuting Nazi war criminals in the aftermath of World War II, when the Geneva Conventions on humanitarian treatment during war and the U.N. Genocide Convention were first adopted. International legal experts for decades have called for the United Nations to create a new convention on crimes against humanity to fill the legal gap not already covered by international conventions addressing genocide, torture, war crimes, enforced disappearances, or apartheid. Crimes that could slip through these international legal cracks include murder, enslavement, rape, forced sterilization, unjust imprisonment, and others that take place outside of war zones or genocides.

“Crimes against humanity is the only Nuremberg crime that’s not codified yet in international law in an interstate treaty,” said Leila Nadya Sadat, an international law professor at Washington University in St. Louis. “So it’s a very important missing piece of the international legal architecture.”

Human rights advocates point to Iran as one example. Iranian officials involved in the brutal crackdown in recent months on protesters demanding basic rights for women may not have committed genocide or apartheid, but they committed something, and human rights advocates said those officials could face accountability in some form if there was a widely adopted international legal framework on crimes against humanity.

“It’s really important because there shouldn’t be a ‘hierarchy’ of atrocity crimes where genocide gets prevention and punishment and crimes against humanity don’t,” said Shannon Raj Singh, co-chair of the International Bar Association’s War Crimes Committee. “At a fundamental level, a victim is a victim, regardless of whether a perpetrator intends to destroy a group or not.”

In 2013, the International Law Commission (ILC), a body of legal experts charged with drafting proposed new conventions for the United Nations to consider adopting, added crimes against humanity to its ever-growing to-do list. In 2017, it drafted an initial set of articles for such a convention, and in 2019, it formally sent the draft to the U.N. Sixth Committee, the body that oversees international legal issues.

The Sixth Committee runs by a peculiar set of arcane traditions and wonky legalistic processes. Russia and China hoped to effectively kill any chance of a U.N. convention on crimes against humanity by bogging it down in an endless carousel of procedural hurdles, debates, and diplomatic heel-dragging, U.N. diplomats and experts tracking the issues said. They pulled it off in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

But a new coalition of countries decided to buck that trend in 2022. When the Sixth Committee met in October, its initiative caught Moscow, Beijing, and its allies off guard. Instead of following a ponderous procedure, Mexico and its allies took the draft resolution already written up by the ILC and introduced it into the committee immediately, assigned coordinators from the outset without waiting for approval from the states that opposed the initiative, and set a timetable for debating the resolution before Moscow and Beijing could mount any opposition to the process.

“We are shocked that through the Secretariat of the Sixth Committee, delegates from certain Missions announced themselves to be the coordinators for the draft resolution on Crimes Against Humanity,” Russia and China’s U.N. envoys wrote in an internal October letter to Pedro Comissário Afonso, Mozambique’s ambassador to the United Nations, who held the rotating chair of the Sixth Committee. “It is obviously contrary to the transparency, democracy and legitimacy of the long-lasting working methods of the Committee.” The letter was co-signed by U.N. envoys from North Korea, Iran, Belarus, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, Eritrea, and Nicaragua.

But what Mexico did was all aboveboard, if untraditional, according to the rules of the Sixth Committee. In another internal U.N. letter obtained by Foreign Policy to those delegates, dated a week later, Afonso wrote that the Sixth Committee “carefully considered the concerns” in their letter, but “the procedures and practices of the Sixth Committee are being followed and honoured.”

From there, support for Mexico’s initiative snowballed. The resolution initially had eight co-sponsors: Mexico, widely seen as the leader of the initiative, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Colombia, Gambia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. Then, dozens of other countries signed on.

“It went from one to eight to 86 co-sponsors,” said Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch, an international nonprofit organization.

The Sixth Committee traditionally operates by consensus—meaning if one state opposes a motion, the motion effectively fails without needing to trigger a vote. But by that point, U.N. officials and experts said, Beijing and Moscow knew they were checkmated. They could either declare their opposition, trigger a vote on the resolution, and lose—by a wide and very diplomatically embarrassing margin—or grudgingly go along with it. After weeks of angry behind-the-scenes warnings and handwringing, they chose option number two.

“It really upset Russia and China, but at the end of the day, it was a smart strategy that got the resolution to actually move forward for once,” Radhakrishnan said.

U.N. diplomats and experts said the unusual coalition of countries backing the new U.N. convention—from Gambia to Bangladesh—also undermined a common accusation from Russia and China that human rights initiatives at the United Nations only serve to advance the interests of Washington and its European allies.

“You had many states from different regions joining on as co-sponsors with the effect of negating the claim that, ‘Oh, these are just Western countries that care about this and are going to use it against us on account of the invasion of Ukraine,’” Dicker said.

From here, a committee will convene to debate the substance of the draft articles and present them to the U.N. General Assembly in the autumn of 2023, with an eye toward turning it into a full treaty for U.N. powers to adopt. No legal expert believes that a new U.N. convention on crimes against humanity would stop such crimes from being committed overnight. But it would be the first of its kind to explicitly hold states and individuals accountable on such crimes and help grease the wheels on international cooperation for documenting and prosecuting crimes against humanity.

More importantly, it would present states with a legal duty to prevent such crimes regardless of whether those crimes happened in that country or not—similar to what is laid out under the Genocide Convention. It would mandate that states that signed onto the treaty incorporate preventing and prosecuting crimes against humanity into their own national legal system. (Even advanced democracies don’t always have such laws on the books. The United States, for example, has large loopholes in its laws for prosecuting perpetrators of crimes against humanity, something senior U.S. lawmakers are currently working to fix.)

Over time, legal experts and human rights advocates hope, such a U.N. treaty could strengthen accountability and prosecution as well as have a broad, if difficult to measure, deterrent effect on governments that otherwise would commit crimes against humanity with impunity.

“We’re in a difficult moment globally now because of rising authoritarianism and conflict,” Sadat said. “And so I think it’s easy to become really cynical about the power of international law. But it’s also important to remember that without international law, you literally have no basis to combat it.”

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azul41 · 1 year

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I saw a tik tok video about nadya okamoto advocate to not have companies not say feminine products for menstruation products like tampons and pads etc. I totally understand the purpose of doing that as a FTM person myself. But how she went about it in her tik tok video made it seem cringy and preachy. She is a cisgender female that was trying to advocate for the trans FTM community that didnt seem realistically applicable. Her whole approach is about that people should not be shamed about menstruation because it been stigmatized for ages and lets be period positive. I am not saying this applies to all FTM but most trans FTM would try to hide their period for their safety rather than being embarrassed about it. Periods can out FTM or gnc people with utereus because it can expose them to people who are dangerous and uncomfortable about the mere existence of transgender people. Not comforming to societal standards of gender can/will put people in danger. Periods can be a source a huge dysphoria for FTM who sees it as a reminder of what cannot be full realized as their gender identity. FTM has to use stalls to the bathroom and having a dirty tampon or pad in the bathroom trash can mean possible endangerment of being exposed as a "fake." I mean is that periods can be trigger for distressing gender dysphoria. So Nadya being a CEO of August tampons, she is has to sell her products to make her company grow and money at the end of the day. Even if she doesn't realize it, she is making money off of selling menstruation products and advertising to relate to FTM or gender non-conforming folks with uteruses. It is still a company after all that needs to make money at the end of the day. Her being a CEO doesnt make it any better that she is making money off of advertising tampon products and she inadvertently wants the FTM or gnc community to buy her products and advertise her products. To be publicly showing off and to be proud or ones period to promote her brand. She makes video about educating people about changing the term "feminine products" to menstruation products, without giving context or explanation of how that term can affect trans people in real detail. Tik tok videos are short and people still question the existence of trans people but she could have explained what specific demographic of people who would benefit from this term change. She just says that term is outdated and not every menstruation products apply to girls all the time. Beyond that there isn't the who, what or reason why. I could say another conversation of why i think Nadya is weird but idk why. This issue is deeply personal to me and I just feel like cis people trying to cover trans topics is like a white person lecturing in asian american studies. It just doesnt work. She coulda uplifted trans people voices in her video by having a trans people talk about it in her account and using her platform but whatever. Its her account and i think it really needs nuance from trans people to explain this topic more. At the end of the day I still feel uncomfortable about her making video about it with the association that she has a product to sell and i wanna seem cool to FTM or gnc to buy my product vibe. There were comments on that video of FTM being empowered by Nadya taking about this term change and good on them for feeling like they can be proud of who they are but this topic is layer and it is not safe for other people in the FTM and gnc community.

#nadyaokamoto #augusttampons

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achliegh · 3 years

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The Princes and The Frogs

Chapter 6

Pro , Chp 1 , Chp 2 , Chp 3 , Chp 4 , Chp 5 ,

Alright y’all, this is not your normal little fairytale. I repeat NOT NORMAL HAPPY GO LUCKY FAIRYTALE, this is blatantly much darker than Disney. Even though those movies are pretty gruesome if you think about it, this also will not have any musical numbers but it is still based in NOLA. The time period is going to be modern. Sorry if this isn’t your cup of tea.

TW/CW: Voodoo, Dark magic, Dark thoughts, Kidnapping, Unwanted sexual attention, Smut, Arguing, Drama, Questioning Sexuality

@domesticatedbeetlenamedjorge

Characters belong to @lumosinlove

The restaurant was small but cool, they were all crammed into a booth laughing and joking like long time friends. Except for Logan, everyone could tell he was a little tense but they chopped it up to him not being a super social person at first. They were waiting for their boil while sipping on beer from a can. It felt so weird to be in a restaurant drinking a can of beer, not from tap or anything. Nadya and Sommer were across from Logan, Finn and Fritz in that order. Fritz was blatantly flirting with Finn and the girls were acting like this was totally normal and not awkward. Under the table a dark tanned hand with a scar was trailing its way up a certain redheads leg, but Finn was good at keeping his face neutral when he wasn’t in one thousand degree heat.

Logan had been picking at the place mat not really paying attention to the conversation flowing around him, then he felt a hot breath on his ear and heard the most faint whisper.

“Logan...”

A shiver shot down his spine and he grabbed the back of his neck snapping his head up to look around. Eyes wide with panic he looked back at the group of people whose chatting went silent. He leveled his breathing quickly and scooted out of the booth.

“I’m gonna go to the restroom real quick, excuse me.” He scurries to the bathroom thanking the higher ups that it is a single stall bathroom, he locked the door and leaned up against it. That voice was not one he had ever heard before, was he imagining this? Running his hands over his face he sighs, this is crazy- he is just stressing himself out for no reason.

Then he saw it, the dark mass in the corner dropped to the floor and was crawling towards him on its hands and feet. Logan tried to scream but a black translucent hand covered his mouth, fighting for a good few minutes he hit his head on the sink and his vision went blurry as he was dropped to the ground. He felt himself being dragged towards the wall. He didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t to go through it.

Back at the table Finn was getting a little worried about his friend, it was an unusually long time for Logan, who feared public restrooms more than most. He felt a squeeze on his thigh and a sweet smile was facing him when he looked up.

“I’m back.” Logan shimmed into the booth looking lots more relaxed, he was smiling and his eyes were bright.

#leo knut #logan tremblay #finn o'hara #lumosinlove #sweater weather #coast to coast #o'knutzy #o’knutzy #princess and the frog

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justablobfish · 3 years

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Winter expectations vs. winter reality

Day 1 of my Advent Calender. A new drabble or oneshot everyday until Christmas, following the Continent's favourite found family and what they're up to in the winter season. Based on this prompt list

This chapter is more of a prologue, the other days are longer ^^’

Read on AO3

Day 2

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Like every year, Jaskier spends his winter at Oxenfurt Academy.

Many things have been said about what his elected home town is like in the winter season.

In one of his novels, the great wordsmith Mariusz Tomkiewicz describes the market stalls that pop up all over the place as soon as the first snow falls as little wonder booths. Decorated with magic lights flashing in different colours and selling curious delicacies from all over the continent, he claims they invite one to step into a whole new world. Here one may indulge in the offered cookies and chocolates, spiced with exotic sounding ingredients such as cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.

In her memoirs "A Life of Wonder" Nadya Zoltowska fondly remembers citizens hurrying between the various different taverns, the smell of eggnog wafting through the air whenever a door opens, while the city guards huddled around fire braziers appear indistinguishable in their unmoving state from the snowmen that pop up on every street corner.

In his poem collection "Seasons of Love", Valdo Marx compares the bright and colorful winter hats students like to wear to a field of flowers in spring, spreading through the streets and alleys of the town. Not an incorrect observation, per se, but terribly uninspired as always.

And when the director of Oxenfurt Academy was asked why the university closes its gates during the height of the winter season, they explained that the cheers and laughter hanging in the air, as students use makeshift sleds to race each other down the slopes of the hill Oxenfurt Academy was built on, is well worth taking a bit of a break from dry lecturing.

However, they're all wrong.

Winter at Oxenfurt means no Geralt.

Winter at Oxenfurt is nothing but cold and lonely.

#the witcher #the witcher fanfiction #geraskier #geralt of rivia #Jaskier #theblobfishwrites

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clansayeed · 4 years

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Bound by Destiny II, part 1 ― Chapter 13: The Party

PAIRING: Kamilah Sayeed x MC (Nadya Al Jamil) RATING: Mature

⥼ MASTERLIST ⥽

⥼ Bound by Destiny II, part 1 ⥽

While struggling with nightmares of lives she’s never lived, a shadow from the past looming over her city, and the proposed idea that her life may just be a little bit too weird to handle alone, Nadya makes sure to tell herself that everything is perfect just the way it is. If only. When the self-proclaimed King of Vampires (and Maker of her sometimes-girlfriend and always-boss, can’t forget that little tidbit) Gaius Augustine returns intent on claiming Manhattan as the throne that was promised, she and her friends find themselves forced into the task of saving the world. But with millennia-old vampires and an Order of hunters on their heels as well as allies hiding catastrophic secrets at their backs… it won’t be an easy task. Too bad destiny didn’t exactly ask for her input.

Bound by Destiny II and the rest of the Oblivion Bound series is an ongoing dramatic retelling project of the Bloodbound series and spin-off, Nightbound. Find out more [HERE].

*Let me know if you would like to be added to the Destiny II tag list!

⥼ Chapter Summary ⥽

It's been one whole year since Lily was Turned and she refuses to let it be a bummer. Time to party!

[READ IT ON AO3]

Nadya’s glad she never has to explain to anyone what the Shadow Den looked like before Jax joined the Council and made the Clanless, well, not-so-Clanless. It’s just such a different place. Sometimes that dark and dim tiny-flame-in-the-endless-night hopeful sanctuary for anyone seeking it seems like a distant dream rather than a memory.

Even if she tried, too, Nadya’s not quite so sure they would believe her.

That being said — Maricruz has really outdone herself.

Every bodega and small store in the city must be sold out of string lights. Not that Nadya’s complaining; all the bulbs put together like this form a weird kind of heated-lamp effect and being underground in the middle of January had been one of her biggest concerns about tonight.

The unofficial Fountain Square is a dazzling sight with multicolored fairy lights — and whatever stall can have streamers does have streamers stretching the whole length of the party. It’s kind of jarring when she spots the cutoff point. How everything just drops off into a dark abyss. But right now there’s probably no place safer on the entire island.

Adrian tucks his present higher under his arm and takes in the decorations with equal bewilderment. “I wonder where they’re siphoning the electricity from.”

There’s a little frown creasing between his eyebrows as he says it. Nadya knows that look and quickly diverts his attention. She doesn’t know either but she has a feeling the answer isn’t exactly on the right side of the law.

“I can’t believe you guys don’t do this for everyone.” This; a celebration for a successful year as a newbie-vampire. “Imagine what kind of party I could throw for you.”

Why is he looking at her like that? What does a 200 year old vampire have to be afraid of? Her party-planning skills are excellent, thank you very much. Or had he already forgotten the Fourth of July?

“Well, remember Nadya that for many people — especially around here — their Turning wasn’t something to look back on fondly.”

“Lily’s wasn’t.”

He’ll give her that. “Touché.” But his point still stands. “I can’t speak for some of the younger ones, but I definitely don’t remember the date on which I was Turned.”

“Because colonial America used different calendars?”

“Because we were in the middle of a war.” Which is a fair point, so Nadya concedes.

Only they’ve brought up his Turning — so of course Adrian goes uncomfortably quiet beside her. Thoughts lost a long time ago and with company way less cool than those at present. So instead she hooks her arm in his and points forward to where the alley of casual attendees empties out into the heart of the Square.

Hard to believe nearly a year ago they had sat in this very spot, Adrian on the run and Nadya just trying to keep up with everyone. They had sat together on the rim of the old memorial fountain and she just knew the weight of the injustice was something he demanded to carry. “So do something about it,” she had said — an offhanded thing when they were safe and sound.

But he had.

He had wanted to have a brand-new fountain made especially for the Shadow Den. Jax had refused, which was an argument Nadya’s too happy to recall at the moment, but his reasons were sound. Instead they worked together to renovate the one already down here. It wasn’t just a place to remember the lost and mourned; it was as much a part of the community as Jax, or Lily, or even little Lula.

Now, with cracks filled-in and worn edges sanded back to definition, the memorial stone in the heart of the Shadow Den was no longer something to avoid looking at. Now the pictures and names and memories of gone loved ones could be celebrated. As they were meant to.

Adrian takes it in; his passion project, his apology letter to the Clanless community. This can never make up for what we’ve done — but it’s a place to start. He starts blinking rapidly and Nadya squeezes his arm to draw him out of his somber appreciation.

Lily would kill her if she found out someone was crying at her party.

They leave their presents on a small pile by the fountain rim. What did you get someone for surviving death for the first time around — well Lily hadn’t wanted presents so much as the party itself, but if anyone wanted to bring something for the community they were more than welcome to.

As if Nadya could ever attend a party and not bring a gift.

“Nadi’Nadi’Nadi’Nadi’!”

Incoming. She braces herself for literal impact and somehow still manages to stumble as the whirlwind of child vampire comes at her like a tiny freight train. Pulls little Lula back to hold her at arms’ length and grin down at those tiny fangs and sparkling eyes.

“Hey kiddo,” she takes care not to ruffle the young girl’s hair, done up all special for the party with curls that look suspiciously like Maricruz’s, “wow, look at your dress!”

Lula spins in her frilly little frock, on one foot and with arms spread out, while her stuffed elephant is dangerously close to being hurled into oblivion. “D’you like it, do you do you doyou?”

“I feel like I’m looking at a movie star.”

Nadya elbows Adrian for good measure. He startles only a bit this time. “Absolutely,” he agrees, “you look like a little Shirley Temple.”

“Who?” Lula asks with her head cocked, and Nadya quickly slaps her hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

“I’m gonna let you handle that one.”

And if he’s going to try and get out of it the way Lula suddenly latches onto him insisting she knows stops that in its tracks. Nadya just winks and skirts off while she still can.

Because there’s only one place to find Lily Spencer at any party — and that’s exactly where Nadya finds her. Digging around in the wires underneath what looks like a pretty expensive DJ rig with wire strippers between her teeth and tangled electrical tape in her determined grasp.

She crouches down and taps Lily on the forehead. “Anything I can do?”

“I’ll call you if I want it to break.”

Not that they don’t grin at one another — Nadya’s fully aware of her technological ineptitude. Still she makes herself comfortable to watch a master work her art.

“You remember this is your party, right?”

“Uh-huh, your point?”

“Shouldn’t someone else be doing that?”

Stupid questions get stupid answers; in this case a look that’s so withering Nadya will see it every time she so much as trips on a shoelace. So she tries something else; “Where’re Mari and Jax?”

Lily spits out the roll of tape and Nadya grabs it before it can disappear in the crowd of feet. “Jax and Arnold are bringing in the kegs. Someone needed a boss so Mari went off. Hand me that, no, that thing right — no to your left.”

“You just said right!”

“Your other right!”

Lily all but yanks the god-knows-what from her hand and Nadya flicks her roommate’s nose for the trouble. “Don’t hang out under here for too long, okay?”

“Nadya — I can’t just sit by and not have a banger playlist going at a party with my name on it.”

“Really, will the party gods cast you out?” She feigns surprise, and quickly scrambles off of the small temporary stage before divine retribution comes upon her.

“You’d better run, Al Jamil!”

Only… Lily can’t see around the booth, so she doesn’t know just how right she is.

After all, why would anything ever go right for her? Why would she think she could enjoy a nice party and not turn to physically collide into the one person she had hoped she could just… yearn at from a safe and wistful distance?

Kamilah catches her faster than it takes her to realize she’s falling. Hands steady on her upper arms, making sure she’s not about to keel over and end up a pool of blood on the concrete underfoot.

Talk about falling head-over-heels.

“Uh — thanks for that…” says Nadya sheepishly, but Kamilah doesn’t respond. She just stares, eyes practically squinting, before leaning back with a nod.

“What,” Nadya pales, “something on my face?”

The woman shakes her head. “No. I was merely checking to make sure you had your contacts in.”

Oh. “Y-Yeah. Lily likes to — well this dance she invented is just spinning around and with her new speed I really didn’t want them to pistol-whip someone in the face.” Is she rambling?

Wow, she’s rambling. And Kamilah notices it too; likely in the same moment. The smile it gets is small but there. Like a secret between them even in the small crowd.

It makes Nadya feel not-so-bad for having one of her own.

“Thanks for coming,” she switches the subject quickly, “dunno if you know but… it—it means a lot to Lil’.” And to me.

Kamilah’s words are careful and measured. “Well then, you may tell Lily that I am grateful for the invitation. And wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to see her… enjoying herself.”

So this is a thing they’re going to be doing, huh.

Before Nadya can answer there’s a shrill whistle that makes the entire crowd—save herself—flinch. Sensitive vampires and whistles do not go well together.

A gaggle of angry glares all whip over to where Jax is smirking at the entrance to another alley of stalls. He lowers his fingers from his lips and motions at them with a wave. Before Kamilah even gets the chance to consider declining, Nadya nudges her with insistence. “Come on, we’re not gonna be those people.”

“And which people would that be?”

“The ones who get social restraining orders on each other.”

She doesn’t mention it, but Nadya doesn’t miss the little bit of relief that crosses Kamilah’s face under a string of purple lights.

Jax has alcohol (some thankfully not from a keg, though she knows Lily can and will live her fantasy of a keg-stand at some point tonight) which, thank god honestly. It helps that he’s with her too — because someone has to be here to back her up when Nadya will try to convince the world Kamilah takes a bottle of cheap beer from Arnold with a thanks and a long drink.

Adrian joins them shortly after; the huff he gives at Nadya with no real heat behind it. “Nu-uh,” she drinks her cider to avoid laughing too hard, “you dated yourself back there, old man.” Which makes Jax and Kamilah give equally confused looks — so of course the laughter can’t be contained.

Halfway through her bottle there’s blowback on unseen speakers — followed by chill-yet-classy electronica. When Lily’s sliding in with a manic delight that could only mean she’s ready to do something crazy…

Though she wants to wait for her grand ‘stand until Maricruz can admire her for it.

The music acts like a beacon. Summons vampires and humans alike from their scattered conversations and to the Square for dancing. Lily doesn’t give Nadya a choice in joining her — but her two left feet are a compliment to her best friend’s two right ones and they make it work.

Jax, too, gets dragged in with them — who in their right minds could possibly turn down Lula for anything, ever — and its with absolute amusement that Nadya watches the older seamstress Evelyn accost Adrian for something that’s a little too much like a swing for the current beats-per-minute.

And then there was one.

Under the guise of “needing a change in pace ohmygod,” Lily shoves Nadya away and heads back to the stereo stage. Only someone horrendously oblivious would think she wasn’t trying to do the obvious.

It’s Kamilah. Kamilah is horrendously oblivious.

She looks down at Nadya’s offered hand with lips pursed. “This isn’t the sort of music I’m… familiar with dancing to.”

“You think anyone actually does?”

Together they look out to the dance floor. Nadya’s point is proven in every direction, and then some.

“Nadya…”

But it isn’t dancing that has Kamilah hesitating. It makes perfect sense — Nadya was stupid for thinking they even could. “Nope, you’re right, my bad. I’ll —”

The familiarity of her hand is astounding. A drink of cool water on a blistering summer day. Nadya remembers a distant thought — that she had been happy to give up those sunny afternoons without a look back if it meant being with Kamilah.

And now; laughing until she’s pink in the face while showing a two thousand year old vampire how to improvise a groove?

She still would.

An hour and a second bottle later and Nadya’s sure she might die. No really, this is what dying feels like. Tightness in her chest, she can’t breathe, tongue dry and heavy in her mouth and her pulse racing through her body and pounding in her temples.

And just what will she say with her dying breath?

“Groovy moves, Jax!”

Thus Nadya can depart this world peacefully — or at the very least fall back into Adrian in absolute hilarity with the knowledge he won’t let her fall.

Jax glares but doesn’t let it stop him. He keeps on hustling, keeps on murdering Nadya with every jerky thrust of his hips.

Cause of death: aggressive hustle.

Though if she doesn’t get some air she’ll get dizzy at the very least. Adrian helps her back by the impromptu bar where Kamilah leans against a support column.

“I was under the impression we as a society had agreed to leave disco behind.”

Adrian snorts a laugh. “You did, but I’m pretty sure you were the only one.”

“If you ever visited a disco you must have done so behind my back.”

“No, but I can’t begrudge people going out and having a good time.”

“Ah yes, I forgot who I was talking to,” Kamilah rolls her eyes so hard it makes Nadya’s head hurt, “you’ve always been Mister Fun Entertainment.”

“Hey —”

She would be happy to watch the pair of them go at it all night, really. But when Adrian stops mid-sentence its enough to make both Nadya and Kamilah turn to see where Lily is running towards them… and with an all-too-familiar widened panic in her eyes.

Just one thing, can’t they have just one thing?

“What is the matter?” Kamilah sets on her immediately, but Lily ignores her for Nadya.

“You need to come quick.”

“Where’ve you been?” She distantly remembers maybe hearing Lily call out for her girlfriend, who had been mysteriously absent for how excited she was to throw this thing. “Lil’, what’s wrong?”

“Too much talking, not enough walking.”

Lily starts to shove Nadya down the way she’d come. The older vampires follow hot on their heels.

“Lil’ — stop shoving me I’m gonna fall. I’m com—I’m coming, okay? Jeez…” She has to practically force Lily to let her walk on her own two feet. And still with no questions answered.

“They’re just up ahead.”

They. Why does Nadya’s stomach fall out of her butt at that? Probably because the only ‘they’ in her life lately have been crazy killer lovers, maybe, possibly?

“Come on, stop for a second.”

“No, I don’t wanna leave her alone with him for long.”

Well now Nadya’s thoroughly lost. Thankfully when she looks behind to the others she doesn’t seem to be the only one.

Lily takes them all passed the unofficial border of the party; where the lights don’t reach but a few stragglers chat and feed with donor’s permission by candlelight. The farther they go the worse her anxiety; but there’s no stopping now.

They finally round the roasted cashew cart and her brain doesn’t really register the fact that there’s nothing to immediately panic about.

Maricruz looks up at them with her arms crossed over her chest, expression set grim. Behind her Nadya vaguely recognizes the entry to one of the Den’s closed-off feeding areas — because apparently performance anxiety was a thing vampires could have.

“Are you okay baby?” Lily asks, and immediately slots herself against the other woman’s side. Maricruz nods and kisses her temple — but it’s an absent act; a physical reaction. Her mind is definitely elsewhere.

“‘M fine, cariña.”

“But —”

“He’s almost done.”

He pushes aside the curtain before Nadya, Adrian, or Kamilah can even begin to process what’s going on. He has to duck because obviously the Den wasn’t built with people his height in mind.

Cadence thumbs away a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth almost sheepishly. Despite having—apparently—just fed he looks haggard; hair tied back in a messy ponytail but falling around his face almost gaunt in the hollows of his cheeks.

He hauls up the strap of his shoulder bag a bit higher and only then realizes they have company. Even his smile is exhausted.

Nadya knows that if she opens her mouth right now the only thing that will come out is some variation of “what the literal crap” so she does the smart thing… and keeps it shut.

But… is anybody gonna say anything? Anything at all?

“You know this man?” asks Kamilah, clipped and curt behind her. It takes Nadya a second to realize she’s asking Maricruz.

The smuggler kicks at the dirt under her heel. “Kinda.”

Adrian almost sounds relieved. “Cadence — what are you doing in New York?”

When did you get here? Why didn’t you tell Kathy? How the heck is this my life right now? Nadya still doesn’t say a word though which is probably for the best.

Though, thankfully, her stomach totally bottomed out on the run over here. So when the blond vampire looks right at her there’s nowhere lower it could possibly go.

“I’m here because I need the Bloodkeeper’s help.”

Silence.

When someone speaks; Nadya’s as surprised as any of them when she recognizes the voice as her own.

“We should talk about this somewhere else.”

“I agree.”

“C’mon,” Maricruz jerks her head back to the heart of the Shadow Den; the party still swings without them, “we’ll go back to Matsuo’s.”

Not that they have many other options — and even if they did Maricruz is already marching on, Lily’s hand in hers, very much not looking back. They all start to follow — or nearly all.

They’re already around a corner when Nadya notices Kamilah isn’t with them.

She looks back and the look on the vampiress’ face is… scary. Part of that fear is because she recognizes it too-well; because it’s the reason the two of them are the way they are right now.

The rest of it is because it’s so sudden; it takes Nadya by surprise.

“Kamilah?” she calls, and distantly hears the footsteps ahead of her stop, “Are you coming?”

It almost looks like she isn’t.

Then one step forward, and another, like she’s remembering how to walk. Nadya follows slow and purposefully at her side the whole way there.

The first thing Nadya realizes once the door closes behind them — she’s stuck in a tiny apartment full of vampires. And it’s not like control has ever been on her side when it comes to these kinds of things.

Hopefully it won’t take long.

“I take it you haven’t made much progress with the Amulet?” Cadence asks, though judging by the already apologetic way he looks at Nadya he already knows the answer. “I see, I’m sorry to know that.”

“Why are you here?” It’s Kamilah who cuts to the chase; abrupt and almost rude; and she’s not the only one who realizes it.

Adrian throws Kamilah a look but it isn’t returned. She hasn’t looked away from Cadence from the moment he’d left the feeding den.

To his credit, the blond vampire remains calm even under her aggressive scrutiny. Not many can. “I came to try and help if I could. I spent a decade trying to find it; and though it might not have been any use to me personally I thought some of my research —” he pats the bag now resting in his lap, “— might prove useful.”

Which is great if it’s true. But Kamilah’s suspicion might just be rubbing off on her. Something about his attitude isn’t holding up.

“Why doesn’t Kathy know where you are?”

He doesn’t look away fast enough. Nadya doesn’t miss the flash of pain over his features. “This was an impulsive decision. I was going to tell her once I’d settled in… and once you had decided whether or not to accept my help.”

Adrian’s arms cross over his chest. “When did you arrive?”

“Just this afternoon. I spent the daylight hours at the train station and sought you out the moment I could. I have no desire to repeat what happened with Izzy.”

“Good move on your part.”

But Kamilah isn’t having it.

“I thought I was clear when I told you never to return to New York. Should I have followed it with a threat?”

“The threat was well-implied, Miss Sayeed.”

“And yet here you are.”

“I would think the threat the Amulet’s secrets pose were worth the risk.” He raises an eyebrow; meets her toe-to-toe and doesn’t back down. Nadya would be impressed if she didn’t know how badly things like this usually ended. And not against Kamilah’s favor.

“Do not speak to me of risks. I know better than anyone —”

Then Adrian is between them; Nadya didn’t register the distance slowly closing between the confronting vampires until he’s got a hand on each one’s shoulder and, from the looks of it, struggling to hold his fellow Council member back.

“Kamilah,” he tries to chide; actually has to swerve his head to get her to look away from Cadence and at him, “why are you acting like this?”

She doesn’t answer, but Nadya can guess pretty well on her own. Can’t say she hasn’t been feeling a little of that apprehension rolling off of the woman in waves herself, but she’s hoping it’s just Bloodkeeper projecting and not something she really feels.

But Cadence takes her silence as an opportunity to back down; literally. Instead he looks to Nadya.

“Not only that, but I wanted to apologize to you; to all of you.”

“For what?” Which might just be her stupidest question to date.

“For my actions at Persephone, and for not being there to try and give this kind of help before. But when night fell and I was able to get to the others, you’d already left Louisiana.”

She shrugs. “It was important we got back.” She had things to do after all. Vampires to break up with. Relationships to ruin. Depression to cry over.

“Of course, and I understand that. And I won’t do you the disservice of sitting here and saying my actions and intentions are entirely altruistic ones. I want to help you because it’s the right thing to do. But I hope you might return my offer with help of your own. Help only you, Nadya, can provide.”

And there it is. I’m here because I need the Bloodkeeper’s help.

Nadya holds up a hand to her friends before they can say anything in her stead. Whether they were planning to or not — she deserves the chance to speak first. They can’t begrudge her that, can they?

It’s her power. She can do what she wants with it. And frankly, after all the grief it’s caused her, the thought of doing some good with it is nice.

“You want me to try and find your memories.”

“Yes,” and it helps that he seems almost apologetic for asking, “because I hate to admit it — and I think I’ve been avoiding admitting it for some time now — you might be the only avenue I have left. Every single lead has come up dry. It’s been a century now… and I’m tired of getting my hopes up if I’m honest.”

Nadya wrings her hands together in her lap. “I don’t… I mean I want to help, Cadence, please understand that. And if I know that I can then yeah, let’s do it. But this isn’t something I have control of. I don’t even know if it’ll work.”

“It will.”

“I thought you weren’t getting your hopes up?”

“You misunderstand, see I know it will — because it already has.”

The only one who doesn’t look surprised is Maricruz, but she also doesn’t seem to have been paying attention since this began. She looks at Lily and judges the context from there.

Though even among those in the know the reactions are mixed. Adrian looks the good kind of surprised and that’s sensible; he was the first one to try and help after all. But Kamilah couldn’t be more opposite; she melts the emotion away easily but not before Nadya has a chance to see it for what it is — fear.

And Cadence, well, he’s getting kind of excited. “I’ve always known I served on account of the uniform, but I’ve never had a lick of a memory about the war itself. But now I do, Nadya, I do. It was so small, a roaring engine and fellow soldiers and what I think were bombs falling in the trenches. All fragments, really. Beautiful, wonderfully complex and confusing fragments. And it’s all thanks to you.” He leans forward and takes her hands in his. Nadya can’t tell if she’s the one shaking, or he is, or maybe they both are.

“Flechette, remember? You and Izzy.”

And she definitely remembers now. Awakening from unconsciousness, Isadora de la Rosa having been digging around in her head like she was an abandoned bin of winter clothes in the back of a garage. Cadence had been unconscious, and when he’d come to…

He sees the recognition across her face. “I should apologize for that, too. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it, and it was so fleeting… but you know how strange it is, don’t you. To have your entire life, all the things you can point to and know and name, and then suddenly there’s something new. Something you can feel in your bones is the truth.”

When Nadya swallows it feels like there’s glass in her throat. “And… you’re looking around, and you know what’s going to happen next because you—you lived it. But then you didn’t, and you’re still surprised.”

“But like a dream it never lasts long.”

“And you’re left wondering what was real and what was your imagination. Yes.”

If Nadya had known how good it would feel to have someone understand — actually understand; not because the memories were theirs but because they didn’t know what was going on just like she didn’t know what was going on — she would have laid out a red carpet for the guy.

Calling it nice doesn’t even scrape against what it really is, but there’s a relief there too. She holds on to that.

“You’re my last shot, Nadya,” Cadence insists; Nadya believes him utterly, “not only that you’re the only shot that’s yielded results. I think I’d given up a long time ago and not even realized it. Because to have hope for the first time… well, ever?”

She nods. She gets it — and not just because the longer her body heat has the chance to seep into his skin the more that starts to bleed through the cracks. Nadya yanks her hands away but luckily he doesn’t seem too insulted.

Adrian clears his throat and draws their attention. Pulls them out of their little world of someone who gets what it’s like to be someone and yourself and not knowing who either really is.

“Actually, this is a unique opportunity to study an actual measure to your abilities, Nadya.” He makes a point of ignoring the appalled silence radiating off of Kamilah beside him. “That is; if the both of you agree to a documented study.”

“Not a fan of how you’re making me sound like a lab rat.”

“You know what I mean.”

She does. And throwing a look Cadence’s way — he does, too.

“But we can hammer out the finer details tomorrow,” because he hasn’t missed Lily’s bouncing leg or the change of muffled music beyond the door, “because I think the hostess of the party has been away from it for long enough, wouldn’t you say Lily?”

“Lily would say,” Lily says, “Lily would definitely say.”

Cadence initially tries to back out but Lily won’t have it — though she does forget to tell him to duck before pulling him out of the apartment and he ends up stumbling with a red mark on his forehead. Maricruz follows at their heels and Adrian looks ready to join close behind — but he stops when he realizes no one else is coming along.

“Nadya? Kamilah? Are you coming?”

She knows what it looks like when someone is looking through you rather than at you. That’s why it hurts so much seeing it from eyes she’s always thought so beautiful; so boundless.

Nadya doesn’t regret ever falling for Kamilah. But at times like this — when she’s more content to twist herself up in her own concerns and shut everyone; shut Nadya out — she finds herself wondering how exactly she ended up doing so in the first place.

“Yeah, Adrian, I’m coming.”

She follows him out; and this time she doesn’t look back.

#bloodbound #bloodbound fanfiction #playchoices #kamilah x mc #kamilah sayeed #adrian raines #jax matsuo #lily spencer #bloodbound mc #mc: nadya al jamil #oc: maricruz espinoza #oc: cadence smith #fic: oblivion bound #oblv: bound by destiny ii #oblv: new chapter #; my fics

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brazen-tenacity · 5 years

Text

Chronicled Faces || Open

‘‘Thank you again for your time.’‘ Nadya nodded gratefully at the elder vampire before her as he stood upon threshold of his home. She had stepped out into the cool night after spending some time in his house for work purposes. His lips tipped up into what she could barely categorize as a smile before he turned to enter his home once again. As his door closed, she lifted the sketchbook she was holding, inspecting the portrait she’d made of him one final time. The gentle tip of his lips captured on paper to her felt like a successful representation. She could certainly recognize the stern expression to his face even though she had tried to get a more pleasant look by light conversation as she worked. But to no avail. It was probably best to portray the citizens as natural as she could, and apparently, this vampire was naturally stern? A soft laugh slipped from her lips as she closed her book and pushed it into the leather satchel she’d brought along before she started walking towards the marketplace.

The moment Ayanna had made her new role within Sanctuary official, she had dove straight into creating the citizen sketches. There were hundreds to be made, and the Keeper had requested a steady flow of them periodically. So, she’d started making house calls, requesting to take up some of people’s time to draw up their portrait. She had purposely chosen to alternate districts every day, giving herself some variety to work with.

She arrived at the marketplace before she realized she’d forgotten something important. The Keeper had given her a map of Sanctuary with all inhabited homes blanked out. Whenever she finished drawing up the sketches of a particular home, she needed to fill in the blank spots, indicating she’d wrapped up all portraits of those inhabitants, which she had forgotten this time. She opened her satchel, pushing her papers aside, searching for the folded map as she moved along the different stalls. The moment she pulled out the map, her leather pencil binder dropped from the bag and fell to the ground with a soft thud. Several pencil’s slipped free and rolled across the ground in different directions. ‘’Shoot.’’ she muttered, pushing the paper map back into her bag with a soft huff. She picked up her binder and scanned the ground for the pencils she’d lost.

#bvbstarters #open #Bleh #it's not my best starter but it's something #Feel free to jump right in!#chronicledfaces

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rottns · 5 years

Photo

loading player stats... task 001 ---

part one.

basic information out-of-game !!

full name & nickname(s), if any: vienna acerbi, vi.

age: 22.

date of birth: december 22nd, 2011.

hometown: alpine, nj, usa.

nationality: american.

gender: cis female.

pronouns: she/her.

orientation: heteroromantic heterosexual.

religion: atheist.

occupation in real life: currently unemployed.

highest education level: high school diploma.

language(s) spoken: english.

family !!

father: vincent acerbi, md.

mother: nadya lnu, md.

sibling(s): none.

children: none.

pet(s): none.

family’s financial status: wealthy.

who did they arrive in the game with ? who did they leave behind ?? she left behind her entire family, but she entered the game with her boyfriend (now deceased), who was a popular gamer at the time on a streaming platform.

health !!

physical ailments, if any: currently in a medically induced coma due to the events of velia; otherwise healthy.

neurological conditions, if any: n/a.

allergies: n/a.

extrovert or introvert ? extrovert.

do they partake in drug/alcohol use ? alcohol use.

part two.

basic information in-game !!

username: seraph.

cursor color: green, goes orange in extenuating circumstances.

player class: warrior.

choice of weapon: a nice sword she picked up off a dead body on floor 33.

guild, if any: circus.

guild position, if any: n/a.

occupation/profession in game, if any: merchant.

do they own a residence on any of the floors ? owns a residence in centria.

favorite floor: the palace ( just because of how beautiful it is ), and crystallis ( holds a special place in her heart because she met her mount there, and she also had a record number of kills in its mountain’s dungeon. )

floor they can be most often seen on: whichever floor that has just opened, but also can be found on most other levels since she’s a travelling merchant.

past guilds/professions, if any: was a part of early blood oath.

physical appearance in-game !!

when working as a merchant, she takes to wearing dresses with longer sleeves(to cover her circus tattoo) when on floors with warmer climates, and warmer outfits on colder floors. she tends to buy high-end, rare clothing — though some people might assume that it’s a frivolous choice, she knows that it establishes her as a merchant that has money and therefore is likely of a higher level, more reputable, and more knowledgeable about rare items. and as she is a travelling merchant and not one with a regular stall/store in centria, she wears a black hat when she knows she’s meeting with a client, so that they identify her in a crowd.

in guild meetings, this is her mask, and she wears, again, high-end clothing—though now she often leaves her sleeves bare. her mask indicates that she’s collected numerous kills over the years in the game by utilizing traps, which bely her green cursor.

in battle, something like this maybe ? though without the bow.

skills !! can be found here.

which skills have they mastered ? searching, appraisal, crafting, charisma.

which skills are they proficient in ? blacksmithing, enchanting, fishing, gathering/farming, luck

pets/mounts !!

pet, if any: none.

mount, if any: ursa, female grizzly bear, obtained on floor 37.

part three.

personality !!

character label: the fallen angel.

positive traits: confident, empathetic, attractive, talented, ambitious, outspoken.

negative traits: prideful, obsessive, greedy, attention-seeking, immoral.

goals/desires: in-game — wants to prolong the game for as long as possible, ideally she would convince everyone that staying in the game was a better alternative to leaving it. out-of-game — she wants a purpose, now that her old dream of working in the entertainment company seems to be out of reach.

fears: facing the outcomes of the game ending, including having to face her boyfriend’s death, being alone, and confronting her real life as who she perceives herself to be — a failure.

hobbies: singing, dancing, acting.

habits: see above

extras !!

zodiac sign: capricorn, on the cusp of sagittarius.

mbti: enfp.

enneagram: 3, the performer.

temperament: choleric.

hogwarts house: slytherin.

moral alignment: chaotic neutral.

primary vice: greed.

primary virtue: diligence.

element: fire.

#veliatask #yeet

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heyroslan · 5 years

Text

the lighthouse.

tldr: the bucket list task. roslan decides to sleep on the beach, gets a call, and decides not to sleep on the beach. he climbs the lighthouse instead. he ties up some family things, finally.

The phone screen says Mom and it’s been ringing for the past five seconds. It should be off to conserve battery through the outage, but Roslan hasn’t put it back on airplane mode since calling his brother. He fiddles with the edge of the box he’s been packing all night, counting down the seconds for when it will automatically go to v--

Better not.

He answers. “Mom?”

“Roslan.”

It’s the first time he’s heard Nadya Pike’s voice in what feels like a lifetime, and the disappointment in it is palpable. Roslan can feel his own panic steadily building. For their first conversation in a month, this is not how he wants it to start.

“Your brother just called me. He said that you plan to sleep on a beach tonight.”

Roslan’s hands pause, hovering over the box. His eyes drift to the separate duffel bag he’s packed, just visible in the dark room. Em, you asshole--

“In January. Roslan Gabriel Pike, are you out of your mind?”

“Mom,” he starts weakly.

“I have let you and your brother make your own decisions over the past several years of because as a mother, I can only guide you through the aftermath and help you learn from mistakes, but this? This is is something else, Roslan. Moving to Canada, I could accept. Eloping with that... that boy, I could accept--”

“Mom.”

“--because I knew I would be able to help you through them, but I cannot help you through this because you are literally going to freeze yourself to death doing it. It’s like you don’t remember the only time your father and I took you boys to the beach and you were almost carried out to the ocean because you were too afraid to wade through seaweed to come back to shore. Roslan, angel, I found my first gray hair last week. In the past hour alone, I feel I have grown only a headful more. Your father’s decided to replace every bit of carpet in the house with hardwood, your brother and his fiancée have officially set their wedding date to just a week before mid-year financial checkups, and now you.”

Roslan collapses onto the bed. Immediately, Hopscotch trots over from the foot of the bed to lie by him. “Mom, you should...breathe.”

“This is on par for a Tuesday night,” Nadya says curtly. “Why are you sleeping on a beach?”

“It’s a, um. A bucket list thing. Everyone in town’s doing it.”

“Everyone is sleeping on the beach?”

“No, no, we’re each doing something from our own bucket lists.”

“And sleeping on the beach was one of yours.”

Roslan winces. “Yeah?”

There’s a heavy sigh from the other line.

Roslan buries his face into Hopscotch’s back. “The town is-- It’s Cape Hazel, by the way. I don’t know if you were serious about Canada, but I’m actually in--”

“In Maine, yes, I know, I got that from your letters. Why are you doing this? Are you being forced?”

"No!” Roslan says quickly. “No, no, it’s something the mayor thought would be nice for the whole town, and it is kind of nice, so I want to do it. But maybe,” he hesitates, “I won’t do the beach thing? Climbing to the top of the lighthouse was the next one on my list, I think I’m going to do that instead.” If there’s one thing he hates more than worrying his mother, it’s worrying his mother after he’s already done something stupid.

He drags himself back on his feet and begins hunting through the bedside table. A moment later, he digs out a spare candle and a lighter. “Mom? I’m about to drive somewhere, but can you stay on the phone?”

There’s a faint rustle from her end. She might still be in the office, or she’s taken paperwork home again. “Of course, darling,” Nadya answers. Her voice is tired, but patient. Roslan wants to go home right then and hug his mother. “You do have an entire month to catch me up on.”

Roslan’s phone might run out of battery before then, but if there’s anything worth losing all of his cell phone battery all week for, it’s talking to her. “Yeah, um. So I told you about how I moved in with Jace--”

“No, it’s like-- we went out to the woods to find cryptids,” he explained, craning his neck to look up at the dizzying height of the lighthouse. To his right are the stairs, just illuminated by the candle he’s holding. “We call it unsolved because we don’t really find any answers. It’s more about the search for them, you know?”

“Sure,” Nadya says, not sounding sure. “And these things you call cryptids. Explain again.”

“They’re like...” Roslan tugs the zipper of his coat up all the way, finding that it’s somehow colder inside the lighthouse. “Okay, so. Remember the Marcellos?”

“Unfortunately,” Nadya mutters.

“The Marcellos are like cryptids. You’ve seen some pictures of them, and you could assume they’re real because people talk about them, but they never actually show up anywhere, so no one can definitely prove they’re real. Theo doesn’t think they are, but Sol and I think there’s something. Ugh, it’s freezing in here.”

“You shouldn’t have left your good winter coats at home,” Nadya says, the frown practically audible in her voice. “The Marcellos didn’t live in the woods. I don’t understand.”

“It’s a metaphor, Mom. That’s how cryptids generally are, but they don’t have to live in the woods. Like Nessie-- I mean, the Loch Ness Monster?”

“Right. Nessie.” Nadya doesn’t sound quite convinced yet, but she goes on, “Was this before or after that masquerade?”

“After, and after Jace’s sister. And after Hopscotch’s bad haircut,” Roslan confirms, exhaling as he finally comes upon the first landing. One flight down, another...dozen to go? Climbing a lighthouse had seemed more poetic in writing.

“I’ve missed that dog.”

Roslan snorts. “He’s missed having more shoes to chew on.”

“He misses being spoiled, you mean.”

“No, Jace and I still spoil him pretty badly.” He catches himself saying it a little too late. “Him and Almond. Jace’s dog.”

“Yes, I know Almond, you wrote about him last time too.”

“Okay. Just in case there was any confusion.” Another flight down.

“There’s none. And this is the same Jace you mentioned earlier, and all of the letters before that.”

Roslan doesn’t know how to stall. “Yeah. But. I think I finally found a new apartment, so I’m moving out soon, and then it’ll be okay.”

“All right.” He thinks he hears his mother sigh again, but it’s much quieter. She says, “Roslan, do you know what you’re doing there?”

Roslan conquers the fourth flight. “To be completely honest?” He exhales. “No. But it’s...” He pauses before the next set of steps, gripping the railing.

“Sweetheart,” his mother says gently, “when are you coming home?”

Roslan takes a deep breath, changing his mind and pushing away from the railing. He starts climbing again, keeping silent count of the steps. “I don’t think I want to,” he answers, feeling short-handed with it. “Not while... Not while Dad still thinks I’m going to change my mind about the company, because I- I won’t.” He passes the fifth. “I love you, and I love Dad, but I know I don’t want to go back and do anything with the company. I know I didn’t turn out the way you and Dad hoped I would, and I know I’m not going to be half as good as you want me to be. I know even if I try, it won’t be good enough, and I know I already disappointed you but I don’t want to wait a few years just to disappoint you again--”

“Roslan. Stop talking and listen to me.”

Roslan clamps his mouth shut. He has to open it again a second later to take a breath though, because his chest feels even tighter after nine flights.

“You have never, and will never, disappointed me or your father. We love you. Do you understand? Your father regrets everything about that night--he told me after you left. He thinks you hate him.”

“What?” Roslan winds a hand through his hair, his voice cracking a little. “No, god, I don’t hate him, I thought-- I thought he hated me.”

"Boys,” Nadya sighs. “If either of you had just talked to each other... Roslan, are you crying?”

“No,” Roslan says, crying. “I’m just at the top of the lighthouse and it’s fucking terrifying but also really gorgeous-- Mom, I don’t hate him, why would he think I hate him?”

“My best assumption is that you both said things you didn’t mean that night,” Nadya says with the patience of a saint. “And that, again, if you had just talked to each other, you both would have known that.”

“I- Is he there right now?”

“He’s on a trip for the week. But I would talk to him sooner than later.” His mother seems to wait for him to calm down before asking, “How’s that view, darling?”

“Dark,” Roslan sniffs, refusing to move further than a step onto the metal landing. “The whole town’s out of power, so I can’t see anything.”

“Oh, Ros,” Nadya says with the long-suffering tone of a mother. “You climbed a lighthouse during a power outage?”

“I had a candle,” Roslan says. “The moon and the beach look good. Here, I’m gonna send you a--” He blows out the candle and quickly swipes at his eyes before trying to open his phone back up. “N- Never mind, I can’t take pictures on twenty percent.”

“On twenty percent,” Nadya echoes. “Roslan, for the love of-- Save your battery. I’m sure we can see it ourselves someday.”

“You’d hate it here,” Roslan says thickly. “It’s the opposite of New York. It’s so quiet, you’d go out of your mind.”

“But you love it. That’s enough for me to want to see it.”

Roslan pauses. “Really?

“Only if you can promise you’ll visit us again at least once too. Your father had the sunroom renovated again, and I need someone else to tell him that the walls are absolutely too dark for a sunroom.”

“I’ll do that soon.” Roslan finally braves a single step forward, grasping the railing tightly. It’s not as high as Hazel Point, but it’s also much windier and the town is a murky spread of buildings, giving the illusion of sheerer drop. “I’m going to puke,” he mutters.

“Do not do that to the poor lighthouse.”

“I should have slept on the beach instead.”

“What even were you planning, Roslan? A tent?”

“A mattress.” Roslan gingerly steps back towards the walls of the lighthouse. When he feels his back hit the side, he slowly slides down so he can sit. “And, like, a lot of blankets.”

His mother clicks her tongue. “I knew we should have taken you boys camping at least once.”

The concept makes Roslan laugh unexpectedly. “Oh, god. I don’t think Dad knows how to pitch a tent either.”

“You all would have learned,” she says dryly. “We can add that to our own bucket list, I suppose. But tell me more about that list of yours.”

Roslan sets down the candle and the lighter carefully, huddling his arms close to his chest for warmth. It is freezing, but for the moment, the pride of having actually scaled the lighthouse is more than any discomfort. “I wanted to learn one more language. If I could’ve done that in week...” He shakes his head to himself. “I... Oh. I wanted to learn how to make chocolate lava cake too, from scratch.”

“I can’t help you with that, unfortunately. But I’m sure if you talked to your father...” His mother trails off, and Roslan knows where he’s being led.

“As soon as I figure out how to charge my phone,” he promises, “I will.”

“I still think you should be saving your battery right now.”

“It’s gonna die anyway. Besides, you still have to tell me about the next banquet. Is Aunt Cecilia’s family really coming? And you’re really going to sit next to her the whole night?”

The phone lasts for a solid half hour. Roslan wishes it was longer, but he thinks he made a solid amount of progress for the original forty-percent he’d started with.

He goes home feeling the lightest he’s felt in months and ticks off the lighthouse from his list.

#mhhhh this was a doozy #chtask005 #` & memories.

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werewolfdays · 4 years

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10 pleaseeeeeeeee and thank you

10. Putting off getting out of bed to the last minute because the bed is nice and warm and comfy etc

My internal clock woke me up to see our room illuminated in the soft gray light of early dawn. I looked over at the clock next to the bed to see that it was just after five in the morning. Just in time for the early morning patrol I’m used to taking. But my attention was drawn to the sleeping human beside me.

Nadya was looking far too peaceful and adorable for her own good. The way she was curled into the blankets, her hair messy and fanned out on her pillow, her soft expression with her lips slightly parted and releasing gentle heavy breaths, made it impossible to leave just yet. The rhythmic thumping of her heart was so relaxed that I almost couldn’t pick up on it, so I carefully inched closer to her to be lulled by the sound.

All I wanted to do was hold Nadya against me and rest my lips somewhere on her skin, but I didn’t want to disturb her when I was going to leave soon. Instead, I settled for some light brushes of my fingertips here and there, light enough that I knew wouldn’t wake her, but would still satisfy my desire to touch her. The tip of my finger circled around her shoulder and trailed down her arm until I reached the back of her hand. There wasn’t so much as a twitch from the unconscious girl, which made me smile.

I continued to caress her while I watched her sleep for a handful of minutes. Knowing that I was putting off morning patrol to indulge myself for long enough, I looked at her beautiful slumbering visage for just a few more moments. The only thing that pulled me away from her was the knowledge that my patrols along the boundaries of the Lodge’s property would help keep her safe.

I leaned in as carefully as I could to place a gentle kiss on her temple. My forehead lightly bumped that same spot, and I whispered, “I love you.”

Just as I turned around to carefully scoot out of bed, I felt an arm wrap around my waist. A displeased hum followed, “Nuh-uh.” and her arm tightened around me in an unwillingness to let me leave.

I chucked at Nadya, settling back into bed and relaxing in her arms, “I have to leave for patrol.”

“I don’t want you to.” She mumbled, still half asleep, and buried her face in the back of my neck. “You’re too warm and comfy.”

“It’s important.” I reminded her with amusement.

“So is staying in bed with me.” She countered.

Well, I certainly couldn’t argue that point, “You get five minutes.”

Nadya’s arms became tighter once more, “Fifteen.”

“Ten.”

“Fine.”

I brought one of her hands up to hold against my chest and started to trace soothing patterns on her skin. It was fairly obvious that Nadya fell right back to sleep, the rhythm of her breathing fell back into steady breaths that tickled the back of my neck. It was far too early in the morning for her to stay awake for anything, but I remained in her arms. I even shut my eyes so I could only focus on everything I could sense from her.

Nadya’s lovely scent blanketed me just like her body was, holding me safely in her presence. The gentle thump of her heart had picked up slightly when she awoke, but it’s since resumed its slow pace, drumming so lightly in her chest and against my back that I could only mostly imagine it. I loved the comforting warmth of her body even though it was no match for my heat, it reminded me of just how alive she was. I was utterly happy and content. A huge part of me wanted to blow off patrol just so I could stay here all day with her.

Surely they’ll survive without me? Or find someone to take my place?

But shirking my responsibilities never sat right with me. Especially when it involved everyone’s safety.

In the end, Nadya got her original wish for fifteen minutes and then some, guaranteeing that I would be very late for my patrol. It wasn’t easy to do so, but I managed to carefully pull her arms off me and slip out of bed. I threw on some random old clothes, I would just take them off and leave them at the edge of the woods when I shifted anyway, and heard some shuffling on the bed. Nadya reached out for me on my side and when she found I wasn’t there, her head perked up in alarm.

“I’m right here.” I said as I was slipping on my boots.

Her squinting gaze found mine and she let out a sigh, her head flopping back down on her pillow, “It’s only been five like minutes, Jay. You promised ten.”

“It’s been more like twenty, babe.” I told her, coming over to her side of the bed and placing my hands on either side of her head to lean over her, “I have to go, but I’ll be back by this afternoon. We’ll meet for lunch in the Den?”

Nadya grumbled at me one more time, but she accepted it, “Okay.” Then she looked up at me with her best tired puppy-eyed expression, “Kiss?”

Like that’s something I could ever refuse you. I thought and bent down until our lips touched. I kept it light, but still stalled for time when I was reminded of how much I loved to kiss her, of how much I loathed leaving her. My lips made a few soft passes against hers, feeling her lazy reciprocation through her drowsiness, and I finally forced myself to pull away.

“Love you.” Nadya muttered with a gorgeous smile.

I pulled the blankets up to her chin, making sure that she was properly tucked in before I made my way to the door, “Love you too.”

#asks #anon #ocs #my ocs #My writing #thanks for sending this in!!! <3 #this was an extremely cute one to write #god i love them being cute and in love its gross #but it heals my soul #Jayde #Nadya #Jayde pov

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mhsn033 · 4 years

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Alexei Navalny: Putin critic taken to airport for flight to Germany

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Navalny turned into as soon as taken by ambulance to the airport in Omsk on Saturday morning

The acutely ill Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has arrived in Germany from Siberia for treatment.

He is in a coma after drinking what his supporters suspect turned into as soon as poisoned tea; they accuse the authorities of attempting to camouflage against the law.

Medical doctors treating him in Omsk had insisted on Friday that he turned into as soon as too ill to be moved.

But they later said his situation turned into as soon as stable enough for the flight. His accomplice Yulia is travelling with him.

On Saturday morning, Mr Navalny’s scientific evacuation flight – paid for by the German NGO Cinema for Peace – landed at Tegel airport in Berlin. He is being handled at the Charité scientific institution within the German capital.

The founder of the Cinema for Peace Foundation, activist and filmmaker Jaka Bizilj, urged German newspaper Bild that Mr Navalny’s situation had remained “stable” for the length of the flight and after touchdown.

Image copyright EPA

Image caption Mr Navalny is in a coma on existence strengthen

Medical team treating Mr Navalny at the scientific institution in Omsk said before his flight that his existence turned into as soon as not in instantaneous distress.

Mr Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, earlier tweeted: “Extensive because of all individuals for his or her strengthen. The fight for Alexei’s existence and health is factual starting up.”

Ms Yarmysh said it turned into as soon as a pity that scientific doctors had taken goodbye to approve his flight as the airplane and the correct sort paperwork had been ready since Friday morning.

Image copyright EPA

Image caption The scientific evacuation flight arrived at Tegel airport in Berlin on Saturday morning

Mr Navalny fell ill all via a flight from Tomsk to Moscow on Thursday, and his airplane made an emergency touchdown in Omsk.

A photograph on social media regarded to snort him drinking from a cup at a Tomsk airport cafe before the flight. His workforce suspects a poisonous substance turned into as soon as establish in his tea.

Annoying video regarded to snort a troubled Mr Navalny howling in agony on the flight. Passenger Pavel Lebedev said he heard the activist “screaming in anxiousness”.

What the scientific doctors said on Friday

The pinnacle physician at the scientific institution the place Mr Navalny turned into as soon as being handled in Omsk, Alexander Murakhovsky, warned unhurried on Friday that scientific doctors didn’t recommend flying, “however his accomplice insists on her husband being transferred to a German sanatorium”.

“The affected person’s situation is stable,” deputy chief physician Anatoly Kalinichenko turned into as soon as quoted as asserting by the Interfax info agency.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Mr Navalny fell ill all via a flight on Thursday

“As we’re in possession of a interrogate from members of the family to permit him to be transported someplace, we now enjoy now taken the determination that we end not object to his transfer to one more in-affected person facility,” Dr Kalinichenko said.

Medical doctors said earlier that no poison had been came upon in his physique, suggesting his situation could neatly be the extinguish results of a “metabolic disorder” precipitated by low blood sugar.

Health officers then indicated that traces of an industrial chemical had been came upon on his pores and skin and hair. The native interior ministry urged the Rapsi licensed info agency that the chemical turned into as soon as on the total integrated in polymers to give a boost to their elasticity, however its focus turned into as soon as very not going to place.

The illustrious critic of President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly exposed reliable corruption in Russia. He has served more than one detention middle phrases.

What end Mr Navalny’s supporters dispute?

At a info conference in Berlin on Friday, Mr Navalny’s aide Leonid Volkov said initially scientific doctors at the scientific institution had been helping to facilitate his transfer however without warning stopped doing so.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Medical examiners from Germany were allowed to worth Mr Navalny

“[It was] like something turned into as soon as switched off – like treatment mode off, duvet-up operation mode on – and the scientific doctors refused to co-operate to any extent additional, refused to give any info even to Alexei’s accomplice,” he said.

“The scientific doctors who were helping to end the forms to develop the transportation of Alexei to Charité conceivable began to dispute that he’s to not any extent additional transportable, he’s to not any extent additional stable, contradicting themselves.”

In 2018, the Cinema for Peace Foundation arranged for the treatment of Pyotr Verzilov – an activist with Russian explain crew Pussy Riot – who had indicators of poisoning.

Mr Verzilov’s ex-accomplice, activist Nadya Tolokonnikova, urged BBC Info that Mr Navalny’s situation resembles the “poisoning” of her ex-husband.

“What German scientific doctors urged me after not discovering poison in my ex-husband’s blood is that the poison disappears in three days. So the Russian scientific doctors best let him lunge after they were certain there turned into as soon as no traces of poison left,” she defined.

She also expressed surprise about what has took blueprint to Mr Navalny: “I notion Alexei turned into as soon as so necessary as a political settle that Mr Putin wouldn’t interfere.”

Mr Navalny’s accomplice Yulia wrote to President Putin asking him to permit her husband to be moved. She feared the Russian authorities were stalling so that proof of any chemical substance would be misplaced.

Mr Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that the Kremlin would wait on transfer Mr Navalny in one more country if a really necessary and wished him a “quick recovery”. On Friday he said it turned into as soon as purely a scientific determination.

In a foreign country leaders along side Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron enjoy expressed recount for Mr Navalny. In the US, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has described the incident as “unacceptable” and vowed that, if elected, he would “withstand autocrats like Putin”.

Timeline: Navalny focused

April 2017: He turned into as soon as taken to scientific institution after an antiseptic inexperienced dye turned into as soon as splashed on his face in Moscow. It turned into as soon as the second time he turned into as soon as focused with zelyonka (“good inexperienced” in English) that three hundred and sixty five days. “It looks humorous however it hurts like hell,” he tweeted following the attack.

Media playback is unsupported in your instrument

Media captionFootage looks to snort Mr Navalny being attacked with a inexperienced liquid in 2017

July 2019: He turned into as soon as sentenced to 30 days in penitentiary after calling for unauthorised protests. He fell ill in detention middle and scientific doctors said he had suffered an acute allergy, diagnosing him with “contact dermatitis”. His own physician urged he could presumably were exposed to “some toxic agent” and Mr Navalny said he notion he could presumably were poisoned.

December 2019: Russian security forces raided the places of work of his Anti-Corruption Foundation, taking laptops and completely different instruments. CCTV footage showed officers the usage of energy instruments to win via the door. Earlier that three hundred and sixty five days, his organisation turned into as soon as declared a “international agent”.

Media playback is unsupported in your instrument

Media captionEnergy instruments are historical to raid Navalny’s foundation in December 2019

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ask-colourkingdoms-nyonorway · 7 years

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👆

Nadya had been looking at the different stalls in the market when she felt a soft poke at her shoulder. She looked to her left, where she was poked but saw no one, so she quickly turned to the other side, where she saw a young man standing with a smile. He was wearing blue. She frowned a bit for a second then smiled politely. "May I help you sir?"

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ventaforce-mlmsoftware · 4 years

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Who Will Be The Highest Earner in Network Marketing? List of Top 100 MLM Earners 2020

Who will be the highest earner in network marketing?

I think, in network marketing if you don’t know the right formula to earn, you are more likely to stay broke. Being closely associated with the network marketing business, I can assure that more than 90% of the people working as direct sellers in a multi-level marketing (MLM) company are unable to reach their full earning potential.

It is only 10% of the network marketing workforce that stands out to be the top earners and become an inspiration to others. If you wonder that this low percentage would make network marketing a difficult domain for being a top earner, you’re mistaken. I will be the highest earner in network marketing if I am geared up with the right tools or MLM software and suitable MLM business strategy or formula. So can you!

One of the major reasons why I experienced the 90% failing to become top earners is that they don’t have any strategy or plan. They go talk to anyone, trying to sell their products. That is not how the network marketing business allows you to be successful.

After experiencing it myself, here are some key insights that I’d like to offer on becoming the highest earner in network marketing:

Do not chase or convince people who show no interest in you and your products. It is a complete waste of time.

Leverage the power of the Internet to find the ideal people that can potentially be your customers. If you are connected to thousands of people over the Internet, you will be able to expand your network easily. At the same time, if your online engagement with people is high, there is a better chance of them being interested in your products. If you are closely connected to say a thousand people online, then there is a good chance that at least a hundred out of them would be interested in your products and could make a purchase.

Do not waste time expecting to get fresh leads every day. Continue engaging with your existing clientele or even cold leads. Try conducting one-on-one in-person meetings with them, so that you’d get a good opportunity to re-convince the cold leads. Some may still refuse to budge, so you can consider hashing them out.

Create high-quality content on your social media accounts. Post blogs and interesting ideas on how the product you’re selling is going to benefit. If your content is attractive enough, it will boost your value as a network marketing professional. Similarly, it will also help you engage your target audience and create new leads frequently.

Use an MLM Mobile App or an MLM software to support your operations. Streamline your activities with software that has features on managing data, processing payments, enabling e-commerce engagement, and other network marketing facilities.

Build your audience by creating something that they want and not what you think they want. Keep the content highly relevant and identify their common pain-points to deliver such relevant content. Keep the conversations friendly and interpersonal, so that your audience is unable to find out when you swooped in and covertly marketed your products.

Lastly, to engage your audience, sell the idea of the product instead of the physical product. Educate them on how their lives are missing some things because of the lack of something (which is your product). Do not start branding your product before the audience feels more connected to the idea of having or using such a product in their lives.

I can surely tell you that these tricks will boost your direct selling income exponentially. Try them out and see for yourself.

Who is the Highest Earner in MLM or List of Top 100 Earners in Network Marketing Business

Know who are the top earner and to which Network Marketing Companies they are associated.

Nr.

Name

Est. Month

Est. Year

Company

1Igor Alberts & Andreea Cimbala$ 2,200,000$ 26,400,000DagCoin – Success Factory

2Jenna Zwagil$ 1,060,000$ 12,720,000MyDailyChoice

3Trin & Jirawan Vichaidith$ 940,000$ 11,280,000Nu Skin

4Rolf Kipp$ 900,000$ 10,800,000Forever Living

5Ivan and Monika Tapia$ 860,000$ 10,320,000IM Mastery Academy

6Kim Hui$ 850,000$ 10,200,000Jeunesse

7David Imonitie$ 650,000$ 7,800,000IM Mastery Academy

8Marco Leonardo Oreggia$ 620,000$ 7,440,000Lyconet

9Yager Group (Dexter Yager)$ 600,000$ 7,200,000Amway

10Jason Brown And Matthew Rosa$ 600,000$ 7,200,000IM Mastery Academy

11Calvin and Shannon Becerra$ 550,000$ 6,600,000Jeunesse

12Kristen And Travis Butler$ 537,000$ 6,444,000MyDailyChoice

13John Haremza$ 500,000$ 6,000,000Valentus

14Iulian Cimbala$ 465,000$ 5,580,000DagCoin – Success Factory

15Stefania Lo Gatto & Danien Feier$ 460,000$ 5,520,000Jeunesse

16Andreas Matuska$ 451,000$ 5,412,000Lyconet

17Mark and Judy Willodson$ 451,000$ 5,412,000Elepreneur

18Jeff Roberti$ 450,000$ 5,400,000Juice Plus+

19Brian McClure$ 400,000$ 4,800,000Ambit Energy

20Roald Mailly and Patricia Numan$ 395,000$ 4,740,000DagCoin – Success Factory

21Mario Vielmas$ 350,000$ 4,200,000DagCoin – Success Factory

22Terje Dusend$ 350,000$ 4,200,000Lyconet

23Ada Caballero$ 340,000$ 4,080,000Vida Divina

24Rapatsith Sasinonpakorn$ 335,000$ 4,020,000Nu Skin

25Nicola Smith Jackson$ 311,000$ 3,732,000Financial Education Services

26Lyndon Biernoff$ 310,000$ 3,720,000Jeunesse

27Ed & Theresa Bestoso$ 300,000$ 3,600,000Melaleuca

28Enrique and Graciela Varela$ 295,000$ 3,540,000Herbalife

29Betty Sung$ 295,000$ 3,540,000Nu Skin

30T. Wongsa and A. Chantarangsi$ 295,000$ 3,540,000Jeunesse

31J. Kulsubmongkon & I. Prajogo$ 285,000$ 3,420,000Jeunesse

32Herb and Patty Capeda$ 280,000$ 3,360,000Isagenix

33Rafael Rojas$ 280,000$ 3,360,000Melaleuca

34Jimmy Smith$ 275,000$ 3,300,000Isagenix

35Cathy Lau$ 273,000$ 3,276,000Allysian Sciences

36Jared and Heather Burnett$ 265,000$ 3,180,000PURE

37Hayley Hobson$ 260,000$ 3,120,000DoTerra

38Islam Mohamed$ 260,000$ 3,120,000Jeunesse

39Mariel & Frank Filippone$ 253,000$ 3,036,000QSciences

40Jeff and Maureen Miller$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Melaleuca

41Philip Eckart$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Ambit Energy

42Steve Thompson$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Ambit Energy

43Ray Robbins$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Mannatech

44Patrick and Allyse Sedivy$ 250,000$ 3,000,000DoTerra

45Barry Chi & Holly Chen$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Amway

46Sunny Hsu & Debra Hsieh$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Amway

47A. Benitez & Raquel Cortez$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Herbalife

48Nancy Dornan$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Amway

49Simon Abboud$ 250,000$ 3,000,000ACN

50Patrick Maser & Mike Maser$ 250,000$ 3,000,000ACN

51Kang Hyeon Sook & Ryu InIk$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Amway

52Nathan Ricks$ 250,000$ 3,000,000Nu Skin

53John and Lori Tartol$ 240,000$ 2,880,000Herbalife

54Susan Peterson$ 240,000$ 2,880,000Herbalife

55Scott & Sue Olsen$ 225,000$ 2,700,000Jeunesse

56Leonard & Irina Weisbein$ 225,000$ 2,700,000Herbalife

57Dan & Megan Valentine$ 221,000$ 2,652,000Optavia – Medifast

58Randy Schroeder$ 220,000$ 2,640,000Kannaway

59Tae Ho Kim$ 220,000$ 2,640,000Herbalife

60Tina Hu$ 220,000$ 2,640,000Jeunesse

61Jeff & Michelle Altgilbers$ 220,000$ 2,640,0004Life

62Fernao Battistoni$ 211,000$ 2,532,000Jeunesse

63Jason Chiang$ 210,000$ 2,520,000Jeunesse

64David and Terri Miller$ 208,000$ 2,496,000Optavia – Medifast

65Juan Carlos Barrios$ 207,000$ 2,484,000Jeunesse

66Carrie Dickie$ 200,000$ 2,400,000LifeVantage

67Toni Vanschoyck & Jay Treloar$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Monat Global

68Ahmed Emad El Din$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Dubli Network – Ominto

69Margie Aliprandi$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Modere

70Shane & Dana Douglas$ 200,000$ 2,400,000ACN

71Boyd and Sandy Truman$ 200,000$ 2,400,000DoTerra

72Andy and Natalie Goddard$ 200,000$ 2,400,000DoTerra

73Carol & Alan Lorenz$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Herbalife

74Kaoru Nakajima$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Amway

75Leonard & Esther Kim$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Amway

76Mark Lei & Peggy Yeh$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Amway

77Cici Weller$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Jeunesse

78Trish Schwenkler$ 200,000$ 2,400,000ASEA

79Gabi Steiner$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Life Plus

80Ming Li$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Jeunesse

81Helen Zhang$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Jeunesse

82George and Donna Antar$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Jeunesse

83Park Jin Hi$ 200,000$ 2,400,000Unicity

84Art Napolitano$ 195,000$ 2,340,000ACN

85Kami and Nathan Dempsey$ 195,000$ 2,340,000It Works! Global

86Madra Meystedt Jones$ 195,000$ 2,340,000It Works! Global

87Kathy & Tom Smith$ 195,000$ 2,340,000Isagenix

88Chavich Kim$ 195,000$ 2,340,000Unicity

89Siv and Jay Bennett$ 195,000$ 2,340,000Isagenix

90Vadim Rafalskiy & Marina Lyubova$ 195,000$ 2,340,000DagCoin – Success Factory

91Roger and Teresa Harding$ 190,000$ 2,280,000DoTerra

92Rasa Comeban$ 190,000$ 2,280,000Unicity

93Ray Montie$ 188,000$ 2,256,000Ambit Energy

94John & Nadya Melton$ 185,000$ 2,220,000Modere

95Alfred Nickson$ 183,000$ 2,196,000Financial Education Services

96Troy Landwehr$ 182,816$ 2,193,792New U Life

97Debra Raybern$ 179,000$ 2,148,000Young Living

98Craig Schulze$ 176,000$ 2,112,000Jeunesse

99Judy Stallings$ 175,000$ 2,100,000MyDailyChoice

100Gregg and Carol Johnson$ 175,000$ 2,100,000Young Living

Source: https://www.businessforhome.org/mlm-500-top-earners/

To become successful in Network Marketing, you should follow the paths laid out by the top MLM earners or leaders of the industry.

These leaders had an incredible vision, empower people, and change their life through this business. They build Million-Dollar Distributorships through Million Dollar Relationships.

Read Also; “Top 100 MLM Companies in the world 2020”

#MLMsoftware #networkmarketingbussiness #MLMsoftwarefreedemo

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nekozukiknits · 5 years

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Happy Christmas Eve!! This year, instead of a #christmasevecaston, I’m doing a #christmasevecontinuation (that’s a thing, right?)! I picked up my Sarafan again, and have knit from where the progress keeper is!! I want to see if I can get at least the body done by New Year’s Eve! Are you casting on today, or working on WIPs? Yarn is Merino DK/Light Worsted by @ancientartsyarn in Iron Horse (grey) and Raspberry Gelato (Pink). Pattern is Sarafan by Nadya Stallings; progress keeper from @thecraftycolon; and the Bag is one of my small box bags, perfect for this vest! : : : #sarafanvest #handdyrdyarn #ancientartsyarn #smallboxbag #knittedvest #longvest #nadyastallings #mosaicknitting #Japanesefabrics #WIP #ChristmasWIP #WIPforme #selfishknitting #Christmastree #proejctbag #workinprogress #sweaterknitting https://www.instagram.com/p/BryCaxwl1VC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=drzdgg33o6po

#christmasevecaston #christmasevecontinuation #sarafanvest #handdyrdyarn #ancientartsyarn #smallboxbag #knittedvest #longvest #nadyastallings #mosaicknitting #japanesefabrics #wip #christmaswip #wipforme #selfishknitting #christmastree #proejctbag #workinprogress #sweaterknitting

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suximaxini-blog · 7 years

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The Tiring Day 1 – LOST IN SEOUL

I planned on writing about our -my sister, Nadya, and I- trip to South Korea since we were back from February. It was merely us two, in a strange nation where we barely talk in our mother tongue (except for the time we spent with one of our friend, whom being very nice as our local tour guide and treated us with delicious food). But, I got very lazy to write. Haha, so me.

So, we went there unexpectedly. One day, my sister asked my mom whether she can go to Seoul, my mom was in the happy and easy going mood to be that easy to agree. Like, seriously…we booked our ticket, made our visa (I needed to go twice since I did not complete something the first time, totally forgot what was it), booked our hostel…mom only gave accommodation expenses, so besides that, it was our money. For 4 days and 3 nights, our budget was so tight that we cannot afford to enter any restaurant since we were too afraid of the price. HAHAHA. Therefore, we were so grateful of our friend who had treated us delicious courses.

Suddenly tonight, after a hectic Eid day, I spent my leisure time watching one of my favorite TV Program; it is Japanese one called “Why Did You Come to Japan”. It usually broadcasts you some tourists’ stories who visit Japan for some special purposes. One time, they recorded a story of Seba-chan who visited Japan to explore their Ramen, as he spent about 3 months to eat ramen in Japan. First, he used his bike to cut the transport expenses. However, by the time goes, it is hard to maintain its function, I guess, so Seba-chan continued his journey by hitching some random strangers, who happened to know him already throughout the program. Or the story about the Sasebo guy, an Australian man whose main visit to Japan was only to eat Sasebo Burger. The mayor of Sasebo city even making him a special t-shirt with its mascot and make sure he can eat any Sasebo burger for free.

Tonight’s story was about two brother in their first time visiting Tokyo and the older one happened to lost his wallet. His younger only has a debit card but it cannot be withdrawn. They looked so lost and pale. THERE! I saw the resemblance of me and Nadya with that story. HAHAHA. Just the two of us, where we needed (desperately needed) to work together to make the rest of our stay pleasant for both of us. First thing when we arrived in the airport, we thought, or I thought, we still have plenty of time to wait for our luggage after the immigration.

I checked on the screen, to where should we go to get out baggage. I was so sure regarding our gate and told my sister that we need to wait. We called our parents to notify them that we have safely landed. After waiting for approx. 10 mins, I got bored and asked my sister to wash our face and put on a little make up just to lighten up the face (we just woke up and face was definitely inhumane).

We, or I as the eldest, was so clueless…I sensed something was not right when I saw no one from our flight in front of the moving belt (whatever you call it). Hehehehe, we went to the wrong side. I did not panic because I saw my sister was already in the mode. We walked back and forth to ask someone. We asked several people but nobody can answer us. I was so confident regarding the information I have to find our luggage. I had all the details, but nobody was actually helping. Was it too early? Is 9am-ish early to you? I take note that the airport crew are not that capable of using English language and not (really) helpful. I even asked several times to lost and found counter. Nah, nothing.

Lucky for us, we found our luggage just being thrown outside the belt. The, supposed to be, right belt since long time ago. Just like that. Abandoned. THANK GOD! They were saved.

After that, we followed the itinerary we made and proceeded to ask the direction to buy the temporary SIM card and bus ticket. At the bus counter, the lady who was in charge told me that rather than buying only the bus ticket, I could buy T-money and got a discount for bus fare, also made it easier for us to use public transportation. It cost us, 100.000 Won for 2 cards. Right choice! Buy T-money everyone, at the airport, to make it simpler.

We departed for Anguk. And it was safe until we got off the bus. But, since it is my experience that you read, we lost again. My sense of direction IS BAD. We went back and forth with our luggage and the problem was not that the humidity came from heat; it was the cold we could not bear. I asked several people again with the simple, “Jogiyo? Heoksi, Yellow Brick arayo? Yellow Brick Hostel eodisoyo?”. So sorry, my mind was cloudy and I cannot think of whether it was polite enough. Nadya then took the initiative to ask a grandpa with broken English and showed him the website with picture and address, HE WAS SO NICE, he did not hesitate to take us there. To the front of the hostel, where we need to walk through an alley. We thanked him a lot by bowing with our might, if it was not for him; I supposed we would spend our time just going back and forth with no end.

We stayed at the Yellow Brick Hostel 1. We booked through Traveloka and chose the hostel because its rating and comments, they even served breakfast (sadly, although we paid for it, we’d rather buy onigiri for breakfast because we were always in hurry) and A ROOFTOP! Yep, rooftop was also the reason, although, once again, we went there only twice, the arrival and departure, and you will hardly see mountain. I recommend you this hostel because for the price they give an excellent service in a very good location. It is very easy to reach by subway, like super easy, after I get to know the area. HA!

On the first day, we arrived by Friday actually, I booked a flower arrangement course at Florinn, a flower shop I found in IG. Jenny ssaem, the owner, was a petite young lady whom very passionate with her job. It was very nice of her to guide to her flower shop nearby Ewha University…the uni I once dreamt about. Then again, we were lost, HA! I was just not accustomed to the blocks. We rode a bus, based on what Jenny ssaem and google maps suggested. We found the nearest bus stop and hopped the bus. You know the google maps give several suggestions right? Well, we could have taken the subway, but Nadya was afraid since we saw no station within our sight. Shortly, we rode the wrong direction. We should have taken the other direction with the same bus number and struggling to find the place when we arrived. Nadya was so patient to keep up with the clumsy me. HAHAHA, thank you adek!

I would tell you in details regarding the course later on. Since this post is about ‘LOST’.

We went shopping around Ewha before decided to try subway, aimed for Hongdae. Hongdae (Hongik Daehak) station in Friday night is super packed with people. After a short walk, we wanted to conclude and have a good sleep for tomorrow’s agenda. It was 8-9 pm ish when we took a bus, one we were sure was the correct one. We followed what the google maps said and arrived at, the supposed to be nearest bus stop from our hostel.

I was so confident with my maps, we even dropped by a Nature Republic store to buy wet tissues. We walked and walked and walked and walked, back and forth again…then I was scared to say that maps decieved me. I tried to calm Nadya and changed it into Waze. It was already 10 pm-ish. Food stalls were crowded with people chattering and drinking. I started to panic too, however, it was not the main concern, as we just wish to go to bed. I tried to set my mind straight and followed Waze. BUT! As you know, Waze gives you alleys suggestion, where it directed us to a dark and quiet neighborhood. Nadya was trying hard to object but I insisted that was the way to reach our hostel. I knew it well, she nearly cried, since it was her first time experience abroad to have a vacation and I gave her a bad situation.

Merely with her clumsy sister, she lost. I wanted to cry for different reason, I blamed my self for putting my sister in the situation. In the end, Waze could not give us the direction too, or it could, but we were afraid to follow since homeless men are drunk already.

My phone was nearly died even after an emergency charging. We found a small shop in an alley. Nadya asked me to stop by. I was planning to ask direction since maps could not help me. It was around -5 celcius and we could not think clearly, all we wished was only to reach the bed and tucked ourselves inside the warm blanket.

The owner was an old couple. The grandma greeted us with worries. She cannot speak English, my Korean is limited as I told her that I needed to call the hostel, if only they can pick us up, or at least giving the right direction. She said, seeing two freezing girls asking for help is so pitiful that she agreed to even talk to them! However, nobody was answering our call. Then I asked her to draw us a direction to reach our hostel, she was not sure and asked her husband about it. The husband, I guess, he did not really like us because he raised his tone and giving the body language of letting us be after mumbling the direction.

The grandma, was an angel sent to us, she was really kind. Despite her husband disagreement, she drew as the easy map, repeated the key store and even took us to the main road. Nadya and I bowed to show our gratitude and even kept the paper she gave to us. The map was so clear, we could easily found our hostel. Well, after several asking again, since Nadya was so scared we would lost again, so she wanted to make sure, we took the right direction.

We finally arrived in our room at 11 pm-ish. The first thing to do, CRYING! We cried and hugged each other as we were so afraid that we would make a headline about being lost here. HAHAHA, then the next thing I do, tell Nadya not to call our parents at the moment, since it could make them worry, we’d better keep it for ourselves, at least until we got home.

Hehehehehehe

The experience, nonetheless, did not make me give up. I even wanted to explore more, to avoid getting lost again. At least, not to our hostel.

((To be continued))

#seoul #korea #sister #trip #lost #2017

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clansayeed · 4 years

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Bound by Destiny II, part 1 ― Chapter 3: The Truth

PAIRING: Kamilah Sayeed x MC (Nadya Al Jamil) RATING: Mature

⥼ MASTERLIST ⥽

⥼ Bound by Destiny II, part 1 ⥽

Bound by Destiny II and the rest of the Oblivion Bound series is an ongoing dramatic retelling project of the Bloodbound series and spin-off, Nightbound. Find out more [HERE].

*Let me know if you would like to be added to the Destiny II tag list!

⥼ Chapter Summary ⥽

As it turns out the Trinity is still in New York. A desperate Nadya agrees to meet Valdas and his promise of answers, but is she ready for the truth behind her visions?

[READ IT ON AO3]

Nadya, Lily, and Jax agree to wait until the seventh and final night of Valdas’ offer.

So, naturally, Nadya goes the night before on her own.

The vampire watches her with an uncomfortable curiosity. It doesn’t carry the usual weight of immortality she associates with him. A year ago he moved like every limb was dragging Atlas’ burden by iron chains but now he’s… well he’s just different.

“You know, I was convinced you would wait until the last day to come.”

Nadya shifts uncomfortably in her chair. “I can go if you want,” though she really can’t and hopes he doesn’t take her up on it, “and come back tomorrow.”

“No no, that isn’t what I meant at all. I’m merely surprised. Help remind me to ask for cash back when we’re finished here, would you? I owe Isseya a few hundred for the bet.”

There’s something just… so wrong about a man over two thousand years old talking about ‘cash back.’ Maybe that’s why Kamilah always insists on paying where Nadya can’t see.

But the mention of his partner makes Nadya uneasy. They’ve always been joined at the hip. “She won’t be joining us?”

Valdas shakes his head. “No, not tonight at least. I thought it best we keep this an intimate affair.”

“Ew.”

He gives her a chastising look but says nothing more on it.

Nadya doesn’t know what she was expecting; what she would have done if she had waited for her friends to come along as backup, or if she’d sucked it up and told Adrian and Kamilah about going behind their backs in the worst way. It’s not hard to imagine their looks of disappointment.

Even not knowing what to expect, though, didn’t mean Nadya had prepared herself for a place that’s actually kind of cute. An inside that smells like fresh coffee grinds and vanilla and a surprisingly decent bit of sidewalk real estate gated off with a wooden fence painted glossy black.

Not that any of that eases her worry. She’s prepared herself for the worst — tenses up at every passerby, catches herself halfway reaching for the stake in her purse when the vampire across so much as shifts in his seat.

Only Valdas is the epitome of a gentleman. He plays the part he’s dressed for almost too well. Still, Nadya reminds herself not to be fooled, not even for a second. She’s seen what he can become; what he can do. Sometimes she still tastes Vega’s ashes tickling at the back of her throat.

He glances up at the strings of yellowed lights crossed aimlessly over their heads. “It’s a rather charming place, wouldn’t you say? And, I hope, agreeable to your anxieties. Though I wish you would have let me take you somewhere —”

“Somewhere what,” interrupts Nadya; words bursting with accusation, “somewhere secluded and private, or with leather and torture devices?”

Valdas raises a single dark eyebrow in an ‘are you quite finished?’ way and no, she’s not — not by a long shot. But she’s willing to admit (silently, to herself, not out loud whatsoever) she might be making it worse for herself at this point.

Especially when he answers.

“Somewhere proper; with enough courses to get us through what I’m sure will be a difficult if enlightening conversation for you and I to have, Nadya.”

Yeah, especially then.

“Oh. No — this is fine.”

Someone clears their throat behind her; makes Nadya almost jump out of her seat in a heart attack. The barista does his level best not to laugh at her while he adjusts his tray bearing a steaming mug on a saucer and a plate of tiny finger sandwiches. “Oh, we didn’t —”

“Here will be fine,” Valdas pushes his folded newspaper aside, “thank you.”

He’s young; one of those obviously-New York types with several studs in his ears and a streak of blue in his blond hair, and likely a long-time server judging by the way his face goes red at Valdas’ simple act of common decency. Run, she wants to shout because she’s seen that darkly alluring smile before and nothing good can come of it, run while you still can.

Instead Nadya mouths a voiceless thanks. They are left alone.

“I didn’t order anything.”

“I took it upon myself.”

“But you didn’t know which night I would show up.”

“Indeed. After the third night they knew my order by heart.” He glances appraisingly towards the inside cafe — Nadya on the other hand can’t focus on anything but their reflections in the glass. “It’s hard to find attention to detail like that these days outside of hired help.”

With pursed lips Nadya pushes the latte away. “You really shouldn’t have. I can’t —”

“It’s soy milk, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Uhm, what? Yeah — only one of them finds her surprise funny and hint; it’s not Nadya.

“At the Awakening Ball, shortly after our first introductions. You were rather loudly threatening Raines and Sayeed with what I believe was a platter of artisan cheeses?”

“That’s… very diligent of you.” Creepy. It’s creepy. It’s so so freakin’ creepy.

Valdas gives a soft snort of amusement. “I’m old, Nadya, but not antiquated. In fact I’ve been looking for someone to discuss the latest season of The Crown & the Flame with, should you have time after our business is concluded.”

“That’s not —” This is so getting out of hand; more than that its wasting time.

She can’t let this chance slip through her fingers. “What are you trying to do? I didn’t come here to have small talk or drink coffee or talk TV, and I’m pretty dang sure that’s not why you invited me but if it is then tell me now because I don’t have time for it.”

“Very well,” he says just a little too flippantly for her growing irritation, “I thought you might be more comfortable this way. I apologize.”

“Apology only accepted if you start talking.”

The vampire leans forward a little too quickly for Nadya’s liking. All that arrogance, immortality; suddenly so plain on his expression he might as well have ‘VAMPIRE’ painted on his forehead.

It takes everything in her not to move away.

So many questions and now she can finally get her answers. But it leaves Nadya a bit stalled on where to start. But Valdas stays eerily patient.

Okay, big questions. “Am I dying?”

“You’re mortal, you are dying from the moment you’re birthed.” Which is not the answer Nadya’s looking for and he knows it. “But no, not more than any other.”

“Do you plan on killing me?”

“No; you are far too valuable for that.”

“What does that mean?”

Valdas carefully chooses every word to answer; “It means… that we are very happy you are alive, Nadya.” And his not-answers feel a little too close on the family tree to Nadya’s mostly-truths.

Though if he thinks she missed that “we” thing he’s very much mistaken.

“So my nightmares, what exactly are they?”

He’s too casual — plucking one of the sandwiches on the tray and nibbling it idly. Nadya entertains the image of her throwing it in his face… it’s a nice one.

“Nightmares, you say? So the visions only come to you when you sleep?”

“Visions?”

“Visions, mental images, nightmares — name them what you will but they are the same thing. Events you never witnessed, lives you never lived…”

“People I’ve never killed?”

The words come out of her so scared, so broken; and Nadya’s almost angry for it. A sound so pitiful that even Valdas — the same man who threatened Jax so easily, hurt Adrian and Kamilah so easily, killed Vega so easily — lets sympathy slip through the seams of him.

“And those, yes. They are all a part of you; they have been all your life even if you were once unaware, and they will remain that way from this day to your last day.”

Nadya shakes her head so hard it hurts. “No. No way I — I can’t feel like this forever. I won’t survive it. I… I won’t. I feel less and less like me every time I wake up. There won’t be enough of me left.” I worry there isn’t enough already.

And he really sits there without an answer for her? Two thousand years and this is all he’s good for; making her feel like her life is already over? What good is it to live for so freakin’ long if it can’t help her; save her?

“What did you do to me,” it feels good to ask; really good — better than she’s felt in a while, “why did you do it? How do I stop it, or make it hurt less, or make it happen less, or —”

“Forgive me —” —she doesn’t— “— but… you believe I am somehow responsible for these visions? When I just told you they were yours from your first breath.”

“Well what else am I supposed to think?” Nadya snaps. “My head almost explodes, you do some weird psychic mojo that makes it better but also makes it worse, and the last thing your bonkers girlfriend—who conveniently isn’t here—says to me is “enjoy my gift?” I gotta say — that all seems pretty freakin’ responsible to me!”

The last time she raised her voice at Valdas, Nadya had Kamilah and Adrian combined to back her up. Yet here she is, no immortality at her back, and honestly she doesn’t even care.

“I am scared, okay? So, so scared — scared enough that I’m doing stupid things that I know I shouldn’t be doing, lying to the people I love, going behind their backs and putting myself in danger and you know why?”

“Because fear is an irrational motivator.”

“Shut up. It’s because I would do all of that again and again and again if it helps me find a way to make this stop. If it takes away all of these horrible feelings that aren’t even my own and… and stops tearing me up inside.”

Who are you, Nadya asks herself, because they may be her words in her voice but they’re so wrong — so not Nadya. And that just adds onto her already existing fear.

It’s not fair.

None of this is fair.

Valdas waits until Nadya catches her breath; until he can hear the slowing down of her heart. “Are you quite done?”

“I dunno,” her face is still flushed, “but… sorry.”

“Whatever for?”

“For telling you to shut up.” Because she’s pretty dang certain if anyone else had tried that they wouldn’t have gotten to finish saying their piece.

But she did. Valdas let her get it out until she was pink in the face and more than a little hot under her coat collar despite the bitter night breeze. Why?

“No one should ever feel the need to apologize for their grief.”

Nadya glances up from her white-knuckled hands; but Valdas isn’t there — not mentally, anyway. His focus is far off and distant… millennia away. “Grief is a complex thing felt in complex ways. It kills us inside… but the pain of it is proof we are alive, too.”

“I’m not grieving though. I can’t grieve. I have to hope there’s a way to fix it.”

“If my efforts to ebb the storm still leave you this way Nadya, I must admit I’m doubtful of it.”

How is it something so bleak leaves her so breathless?

“What do you mean,” she chokes out, “what—what efforts?”

“The ones you would so quickly write off as malice. Though I suppose I’ll give you one thing — my beloved Iss’ has a knack for making most things sound malicious.”

“That’s an understatement…” and apparently the only bad thing he’ll ever say about her, “so—so wait. I don’t… I don’t understand.”

Valdas does the decent thing and turns his face away, but that doesn’t mean Nadya misses the color me surprised raised brow.

“Psychic prominence can be innate, yes, but when you reach a certain age most talents are easily learned. I had hoped the web I was allowed to spin in your mind that night at the Musea Sanguis would hold long enough to bring us to this point naturally. Sadly this was not the case.”

He offers his hand out palm-up between them. He could just as easily take what he wants from her but no, he’s offering.

And the more she thinks about it the more Nadya realizes Valdas had done the same that night. “I thought… when I touched this—this column I could’ve sworn I… that something to do with you had…”

Valdas nods with growing understanding.

“Well that’s to be expected. When psychic abilities grate up against one another it’s a bit like grit-paper on stone; the outer layer of the stone crumbles into a fine powder, yes? The influence that was being pressed unto you turned you into the grit — the rest of the world; your stone.”

“So it’s all in… in touch?” Nadya looks down at her hands as she asks.

“No, but given the borders of your capabilities…” The curl of his fingers draws them both down to watch. “Physical contact is a tether in any instance. But objects have memories just like people do, Nadya. And we vampires are an odd in-between of the two.

“I could show you — if you wish.”

Their fingertips couldn’t be more than four—five inches apart. But to Nadya it looks like miles; like ages stretching out across the tabletop.

Two thousand years of history, of life; of love. And the very idea of inducing this terror upon herself has Nadya actually questioning her sanity — and rightly so. But there’s a power in it, too; in controlling it, not letting it control her.

The last of her reservations are dashed when her mind unhelpfully supplies the memory of Kamilah in the penthouse kitchen — hands hesitant to hold her, to hurt her; fear hidden in the familiar dark of her eyes, fear both of and for Nadya. Because she’s not torturing herself enough already, apparently.

“You don’t have to. The choice is yours.” Really though — is it?

No. “No, it’s not.”

Nadya sucks in a deep breath and dives in headfirst by giving Valdas her hand.

In his dreams they do this bathed in sunlight. But dreams are for the young and the innocent. He is the Made-God Valdemaras and he is neither.

The rapier catches in the grooves of his vest and bends dangerously close to snapping. Behind him, Isseya laughs giddy and without care.

“You know, you really should be cheering on your Maker, darling girl.”

Valdas rounds on her but she meets him petulantly prideful. “Should I? Lucky for me that I am free to champion whomever I wish.”

“Fair enough. I would champion him too, if I could.”

They both look to watch him pull the ribbon from his hair; it falls damp around his shoulders — little golden wisps clinging to the sweat on his forehead. The exhaustion of his efforts flashes bright in the deep red of his eyes but his smile is as unwavering as his beauty.

“I’m flattered, truly,” Cynbel croons to the pair of them, “but that would leave me with no one worthy of a good spar and you know how troublesome my spells of boredom can be.”

Likely that he thinks the wink he gives their girl is a charming one. But taken with him as they are their love does not blind them — not anymore.

“Indeed.” Valdas clicks his tongue and begins to undo the clasps of his suit. “But that is enough sparring for tonight, I think.”

“And what of my prize?”

Before he can say another word strong arms embrace him close; hold him in the rough-hewn fingertips that claim Valdas’ body as easily as they cradle it. When he looks up it’s to the familiar sight of adoring eyes; of endless devotion.

As if the kiss Cynbel steals from him doesn’t say as such enough on its own.

“Satisfactory?” Valdas asks his Golden Son — though he already knows the answer.

“Rather I would call it divine.”

He decides he will commit this, right here, to the parts of his memory that will never wane with the ages.

At the very least he is owed that. They all are.

Nadya and Valdas realize it at the same time. The trembling of their joined hands isn’t Nadya’s fault at all, but rather the rarest and greatest slip of the vampire’s composure.

But he doesn’t let her go. He can’t, she accepts solemnly, because this wasn’t about showing me anything. It was about seeing.

It was about him.

So Nadya spares him the indignity and brings her hand back to rest in her lap. Valdas startles as if from a deep sleep; runs his hands over his face and Nadya can’t help but hurt for him as she watches that careful mask slide back into place.

“Forgive me,” he clears his throat abruptly, “I wasn’t expecting you to be this, ahem, advanced — for you to be able to project the, erm —”

“‘No one should ever feel the need to apologize for their grief.’”

The vampire focuses on her sharply — the look he gives her makes her feel complex and worth studying. Or maybe she’s just feeling him still; feeling the things that break his heart with every passing day. When he realizes then that she’s sincere — that Nadya repeats his earlier sentiments because she believes they will heal him somehow — he visibly eases.

“You are wiser than your years, you know.”

“Lately they aren’t exactly my years though, are they?”

In her lap Nadya digs around in her purse and pulls out a small journal. Even just the sight of it makes her queasy but she has no one to blame but herself. When she tries to toss it down between them Nadya finds her grip only tightening — her fear of its discovery so innate she has a hard time letting it go even willingly.

Valdas sees this and reaches out; strangely careful to avoid touching Nadya directly as he pries it free. “What is this?”

“A journal.”

“Yes, I can see that.” He begins flipping through the book; eyes roaming over Nadya’s neat scrawl. Page after page of it; filled from top to bottom in various colored pens and then some. Tabbed notes and scribbled margins — but the closer he gets to the end the more chaotic the entries become.

Careful recall hours later turned into hasty ramblings in the throes of panic. The ravings of a mad woman.

“I don’t always remember,” explains Nadya, “but I write down what I can.”

“What you can remember?”

“What I can stomach.”

If anyone understands it would be him. He’s practically dripping in blood; it oozes from his pores just like his infallible persona. And Nadya hates that she knows this with certainty.

Valdas stops on a page near the end; leans forward intensely as he tries to decipher her cursive’s best impression of wet noodles. Do you know how hard it is to write with gel pens, hands shaking and slippery from sweaty palms, in a blacked out room when you can’t tell the difference between the pages and the bodies piling up before your eyes?

Pretty freakin’ hard.

The way he reads it though — like some riveting tale to stand the test of time. In a way it does, maybe. “I was here for this,” and he sounds a little too amused for her liking; nothing in that awful book is amusing, “we all were, even dear Kamilah. From the tone with which you write I would say this is the petit Lafayette’s account of the siege of his township.

“You write with great passion; ever considered a career in fiction?” He pushes the journal back her way with a single finger. Nadya practically snatches it up to be buried back in her bag. Underneath the work notepad and pens, her glasses case and the stake she is never without.

Only when her secrets are six feet under does Nadya relax.

“I wouldn’t dream of exposing the world to those terrible things.”

“The world has already been exposed to them.”

“Well I shouldn’t have been, but I didn’t really get the chance to choose did I?” Nadya stares at him hard. Valdas has the good sense not to justify a reply.

Already the city is well into bed with the night around them. The cafe window bathes the pair and the sidewalk in soft yellowing light but directly across the street neon pinks and blues flicker out of the corner of her sight.

How long have they been here, she wonders, but can’t muster up the courage to look at her phone. They have to know by now; they have to. Lily’s probably already GPSed her and they’re all on their way, crammed into Jax’s fake plumbing van, ready to jump out and hog tie Valdas while shoving a dirty rag into his mouth… actually maybe he’s on to something with this ‘fiction writer’ idea.

“Why didn’t I get to choose, Valdas?” Because he’s old — he’s so old which means he has to know. He has to. That’s why she’s here. That’s why she’s risking everything to be here.

“Rarely are we given the opportunity to choose our own destiny.”

“But it’s possible, right?”

He gives a reluctant nod. “Yes… for others. But not for you, Nadya. I would have thought this, here—tonight—had given you clarity of that.”

Clarity? More like the exact opposite. Nadya feels deeper in the fog than ever and that’s just fact. But is it so wrong for her to hold out even a crumb of hope?

Valdas sees this — her resistance — and maybe he even admires her for it. The man lifts his hand and Nadya readies herself to flinch away—don’t touch me pleasedon’ttouchme I don’t want to see any more please—but he hovers it just shy of her skin. So close he can feel the heat of her cheek against his palm.

“It’s unfortunate what little control you did have was taken from you so soon.”

“I don’t understand.”

His brow furrows. “I said as such, remember? You were always meant to walk this path but Jameson’s influence sped the world up beneath your feet; sent you along farther than you were meant to be.”

Shut the front door.

Nadya recoils so hard her chair legs scrape against the concrete loud and jarring. Suddenly all the little beautiful things around them — the lights, the baristas winding down inside, even the people just passing by beyond the gate — seem dull; lifeless.

“Ja—Jameson? What are you talking about?”

He had even agreed with her: it made sense to think Valdas was the one doing all the pulling of the strings. But okay — so it isn’t him. Jameson, though? “Jameson. Jameson, Jameson. Like the weird little librarian guy; the one from Adrian’s trial. That. Jameson.”

“Yes…” answers Valdas, and Nadya really isn’t a fan of how hesitant he says it, “He’s the only prominent psychic in the country. Moreso than myself, even.”

Holy… crap. Totally not a conclusion she would have even put under the ‘Extremely Unlikely Possibilities’ category — like at all. But the wild thing is the more the idea has time to marinate the more Nadya’s starting to get it. The more she’s starting to believe him because somehow it makes… sense?

“No,” no, remember who this is, remember how he lied so easily and condemned Adrian to death, “no no, that’s not… he’s a member of Kamilah’s clan!”

Which apparently is news. “Is he really? That’s surprisingly deceptive of him.”

Surprisingly deceptive. Ha!

This is too much to process. Nadya’s still reeling — she’s still him in a way, still feeling the pressure of his eternal life crushing her own heart in a stone grip. It doesn’t make sense and it also makes total sense; she just isn’t certain which one of them is real.

That doubt screams at her through the pain still growing. How dare you trust him, it growls; a monster hiding under the bed, after what he did to Adrian, after what they did to Adrian, to Kamilah, to you! Are you really so desperate and so far gone?

Of course she remembers his lies. So easy and flawless and done on the thinnest whim because of what — a rumor; a ghost hidden behind another man’s face? The pain he’d caused them all…

“You can’t expect me to trust you.”

“Perhaps not ‘expect’ so much as hope I’ve proven enough to you tonight that such trust comes willingly.”

“Do you really think it’s that easy?” She bites the words off her tongue in chunks of anger; frustration. “Or is it that you think I’m still just some dumb human who will believe the scary old vampire without even a question otherwise.”

“Quite the opposite. I think you resilient, resourceful, and yet reticent to act on impulse — when you’re of sound mind that is.”

“So you’re calling me nuts.”

“I’m saying the fault isn’t yours. And if you’re still hesitant to believe me then there’s a very simple way to prove the truth.”

The second time Nadya holds his hand is much less reluctant. Maybe part of her wants to get it over with. Maybe whatever’s left hopes she’ll find something wrong in him; his intentions. Like a validation.

She squeezes so hard it hurts her palm but what is feeble mortal strength compared to, well, him? And…

“Nothing?”

He keeps them connected — really just completely dedicated to this whole proving himself trustworthy thing, apparently. “Don’t sound so disappointed.”

But really; there’s nothing. Not the low-key anticipatory bombardment of visions and the feelings that come with them. Not voices or sensations that aren’t her own. And not even some weird warm glow of altruism either.

It’s comforting as much as it is worrisome but in the absence Nadya realizes just how tired she is.

“You’ve helped me, tonight.” There are so many things to tell Kamilah, Adrian. Finally a step closer and she gets to rub being right in their faces on top of it. “Really… really helped — maybe more than you know.”

His chin raises slightly. “Is that a ‘thank you?’”

“It’s a question.”

Why did you do it?

Valdas’ thumb tickles the bare skin of her wrist in gentle motions. It’s intimate — weirdly so. Which means Nadya is completely justified when she takes her hand back.

Until he squeezes tighter, that is.

“This was the last act of my own free will. Perhaps not forever—hopefully not forever; I’ve had quite a few forevers already and they are dreadfully long.”

Nadya tugs again in vain. It’s like a completely different man sitting across from her, now. Darker; deeper and digging deeper still. She doesn’t want to dig deeper, though, but the longer Valdas holds on the more the choice is taken from her.

Another thing taken from her.

Her voice cracks slightly. “Valdas… please let me go.” They’re still out in the open air but it breathes heavy and stifling in her lungs. Reeking of dust and mothballs and other old, ancient things.

It’s the Musea Sanguis all over again. The onyx coffin that haunts her nightmares — the ones that belong solely to Nadya Al Jamil.

She meets Valdas’ eyes and the fathoms of them are too many to count.

“I wanted to help you, Nadya. I wanted this, the act before the sin, to be one that mattered — one that meant something.”

“W-What sin?”

“Forgive me.”

“Val—”

He’s holding her too close — Nadya can’t pull back far enough. But someone, probably Kamilah — definitely Kamilah, should be proud of her that she struggles every moment.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I wish that were the case.”

All the way up until his fingertips brush her temple and the world goes dark.

LINEHERE

In between waking and being awake there is a place where all is calm and well. Where she feels safe and warm and at peace. How often does she get that these days? Is it any wonder she clings to it desperately?

Long fingers brush through her hair. There is a warmth about them, even dark as they are — even though they haven’t seen the sunlight in so many years.

Lost, lonely — yet they comfort her even now.

Nadya opens her eyes and the first thing she sees is the shifting canopy of leaves overhead. No—not leaves. Dark green fabric, sheer and draped around the four posters at each corner of the bed and over her head like an old ritual dance. One that called upon forgotten things and spoke in relic tongues. She can taste the words of them; bright mint and heavy sage. All she need do is open her mouth.

“Ssh… not yet, my darling.”

The hand slips from her hair and Nadya keens at the loss. Turns towards where the touch might have come from like a child comforted in a storm.

The woman beside her has been wandering the dark for so long. Nadya can smell crisp groundwater on Her skin; salt on the back of Her tongue. The rich caramel of Her covered in the brightest white she’s ever seen.

“I’m scared,” Nadya tells Her. Is it possible to know a stranger all her life?

Perhaps it is. Just as it’s possible for the woman to laugh above her, face just out of sight, and for it to sound like every song she’s ever known or loved and also like nothing she’s ever had the luck to hear before.

“I know. But you must be brave.”

“I’m tired of being brave.”

“I was, too,” Nadya sighs as she feels an arm come around her shoulders; strong and more certain than she’ll ever be, “but that does not mean your trials are done. Be brave for yourself; and be brave for the both of us.”

She’s about to protest when the door opens on the other side of the room.

Nadya sits upright at the sound; fights through the waves of nausea and vertigo that wash over her and blind her with colorless spots of light behind her open eyes. She reaches out — waits for the stranger woman’s touch — but it doesn’t come.

When she can see everything right again Nadya doesn’t understand why she was waiting for someone there, anyway. The bed is barely rumpled. She’s alone.

“Ease yourself, Nadya. Your heart sounds like a racehorse.”

Oh, hell no.

She doesn’t have to see him to know the dark figure that watches her with the closed door at his back.

Valdas crosses the room in several long strides and holds something out to her. She knows the glint of her glasses in the otherwise dim light and snatches them from him; but tosses them onto the bedspread to be abandoned.

She doesn’t want to see him; the false sympathy in his eyes. He’s lied to Nadya enough already.

“Where am I?”

“Putting your glasses on might help.”

“I don’t want to look at your face.”

Valdas sighs. “Nadya…”

“Don’t you dare,” the rage that seethes from her clenched teeth surprises them both but gotta say — Nadya’s kind of a fan of it, “don’t. you. dare say my name like that. When you…”

She looks around again. Tries to keep dignified through wide eyes even though everything is a blur. Now it’s the principle of the thing. She can just make out the cut frame of the door beyond him.

Nadya spreads her fingers out on the coverlet like she’s searching. Can’t see Valdas’ face but she knows—she knows him maybe a little better than she knows herself right now. Just like she knows when he thinks he realizes what she’s doing and reaches out to grab them; to help her.

She clutches a blind hand desperately around the tassel of a pillow and whips it at his face as hard as she can.

“Asshole!”

The pillow does about as much damage to the millennia-old vampire as, well, a pillow would. But it gives her an opening and Nadya takes it.

Launches herself from the bed and hits the ground running; stumbling — her depth perception absolutely shot — but clear of him and with the black seam of freedom just barely in her sights.

It takes two steps for her to feel an ironclad weight clasping around her arm to pull her back.

“No—no nono!” Nadya screams; struggles against Valdas’ hold but the vampire is too strong. She might as well be trying to tear down a skyscraper with her bare hands.

He wraps both arms around her middle and knocks the breath from her lungs. But desperation — it’s a funny thing. Gives Nadya just that little kick of adrenaline she needs to keep fighting even if she chokes on every effort.

“Please stop this,” he growls in her ear, “the only one you’re hurting is yourself!”

“You’re insane. You’re a psychopath!” I’m a fool for trusting you.

“Nadya I can explain —”

“Don’t wanna hear it! Guh— lemme go!”

“I was the lesser of two evils I assure you!”

“Bull!” She pops her ankle and feels it collide between his legs with a fleeting satisfaction. Valdas crumples slightly, hisses at the pain that lances through him. Just enough for her to pry free and make another, equally mad dash for freedom.

The moment Nadya clutches at the door handle it jerks open; sends her flying backwards where she collides painfully with the rug.

“Grief, Valdas, she’s a fucking human child. How hard can it be?”

She almost doesn’t recognize Isseya at first — the proud woman of the abyss Nadya had last seen in the Council Chambers barely even a shadow flickered on her face.

In the time it takes the other vampire to assess the situation, though, Nadya is already scrambling ready to crawl her way out if that’s what it will take.

Valdas growls around his injury. “Iss’—”

“Yes yes, I’m not a fool.” Then Nadya screams, loud as she possibly can — tries to tear through the claw raking its way through her hair such a violent touch where was the kindness of the dark from before but it hurts too much too much and no matter how hard she hits Isseya’s grip doesn’t let up in the slightest.

She yanks Nadya up by her hair like a puppet on strings. “And I think you’ll find it a little bit harder to incapacitate me in such a way.”

“Let me go!”

“Need I even humor that with an answer?”

Valdas comes into view through the pain prickling at the edges of her vision. “Let her go, beloved.”

Behind her Isseya’s voice drips with irritation. “But —”

“Isseya. You know our orders.”

“Well I’ve harmed more than a few hairs on her head. Better to ask forgiveness, no?”

“No.”

Finally she’s released and the suddenness of it sends Nadya flying forward. Her hands and knees burning against thick wool fibers everything blurrier than blurry from the tears and she tries not to think too hard about the hairs she had felt torn from her head.

But, really, it’s her fault in the end — for thinking it was gonna be that easy.

When is anything ever that easy?

“Are you mostly unharmed?”

His legs come into her smudged view before Nadya can even blink. Valdas reaches out a hand in offering; she smacks it away instead. “Like I’d fall for that twice,” she mutters ragged; feels the last breaths of her screams for help itching in the back of her throat but knows, ultimately, they’re of no use. Standing alone is an effort but she manages it because she will not look weaker than she already is.

“Am I…” Nadya’s scoff is a bitter surprise in her mouth, “are you really doing this right now? Good vampire, bad vampire?”

“You think this is bad, just wait until the appetizer,” says Isseya — too close says Nadya’s entire nervous system and every hair on the back of her neck; has her jumping back but that puts her closer to Valdas and crap on a cracker they have her pinned.

“The appetizer being me, I’m guessing?”

To her surprise, the vampiress laughs. “No, I’d be looking forward to the evening far more if that were the case.”

The evening. It has Nadya running across the room to the large fuzzy shape of floor-to-ceiling curtains. There’s no way — absolutely no way it isn’t dawn yet.

And she’s kind of right. But this is one of those situations where that means about as much as being wrong.

The sherbet gradients of the setting sun bring a fresh wave of tears to her eyes. “It’s been… a whole day?” And they haven’t come for me? Not Adrian, not Kamilah… nobody?

Valdas, ever vigilant of the sun, is careful as he comes up beside her. Nadya’s glasses catch the light in his hand.

He almost sounds relieved when Nadya finally takes them, practically crushing the lenses against her face. “I confess I had hoped extending our evening would give them time to find you. But the years have made your friends soft and trusting.”

“What does that mean?

Isseya comes around to join them — awkward, all of them, too domestic for the pain she still feels at her failed escape — and keeps to the shadows too as she sits. She nods to the window. “Open your eyes, see for yourself.”

Nadya has to shade her eyes with her hand to see much of anything. Wherever they are there aren’t any buildings to block the path of light.

When the garden finally comes into view down below Nadya chokes on her own breath.

It takes a bit of searching but she finds the bridge and familiar pond just at the edge of her window’s view. It had been over a year now but suddenly it feels like no time has passed at all; like the Ball is still in full swing and she’s still Cinderella before the apocalypse.

At least she knows where she is now. Upstate New York; five hours’ ride by old-fashioned locomotive. She remembers the journey to Marcel’s castle and the Awakening Ball like it was yesterday.

#bloodbound #bloodbound fanfiction #kamilah x mc #playchoices #playchoices fanfiction #bloodbound mc #mc: nadya al jamil #oc: valdas #oc: isseya #rheya apostolous #fic: oblivion bound #oblv: bound by destiny ii #oblv: new chapter #; my fics

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