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silvrash-797 · 6 months

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The final chapter of The Truth Comes to Light is up!

The secrets of the shadows are revealed, and the truth comes to light.

Thanks again @skyloftian-nutcase for letting me do this! It's been a great experience and I've had a lot of fun putting Link through all the emotions exploring Link's pov

Read on ao3

Father and son spent the rest of the evening talking about their adventures. Midna's absence still hurt, so Link danced around her involvement as best he could, stating only that she was a Twili and they’d become very good friends, but the support his father leant him made him wonder if the older man might have understood.

Link did elaborate on the teachings of the Hero's Shade, and shared a few of the other details his father asked about, where he’d gone, who’d he met, monsters he’d had to face, all in the interest of rebuilding trust and deepening understanding. It was interesting to receive pieces of his father's journeys in return.

After dinner they’d gone to the hot springs above the inn to wash away the trail dust and bad memories and just relax. Night had truly fallen by then, and in the comfortable warmth of the springs Link found himself drifting back to sleep.

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When morning came, Link woke from a blissful sleep, noticing with no small relief that last night’s soak in the hot springs had removed not only all the tension in his body, but also all traces of the wound in his stomach.

Sighing happily, he made his way downstairs and out the inn door, glancing around the village, squinting at the bright morning light. When he saw his father leading Epona, a grin split his face and he ran to them, greeting Epona with a cheerful “good morning,” lovingly rubbing her nose.

His father smiled at him fondly as he fussed over his mare. “There’s breakfast for you in the wagon. We should be home by lunchtime.”

Link nodded and, while his father hitched Epona to the wagon, made his goodbyes to Renado and Luda, thanking them for their help and hospitality.

Taking a deep breath, he climbed to the front of the wagon, commandeering half of the driver's seat to be closer to his horse, since he couldn’t ride her like he wanted. His father chuckled but made no move to shift him, instead climbing up next to him and handing him breakfast. The pair waved their goodbyes to the villagers and started down the path to Ordon.

Link managed to stay awake for about an hour after he finished his food, but the good food and gentle cadence of Epona's hooves were soothing to his tired body, and he jerked awake as his father wrapped an arm around his shoulders to stop him tumbling from the seat.

His father smiled at him. “Go lie down in the back, Link.” The words were gentle, but he heard the order within.

Pouting slightly, but knowing he’d be more comfortable and sheltered there, Link obeyed. Reaching the back, he made a nest in the piles of blankets and buried himself within, drifting off to sleep in minutes.

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A loud neigh and the hard shudder of the wagon coming to a stop woke Link, and he blinked rapidly, trying to clear away the sleepy fog from his mind. His attention snapped to the front of the wagon as his father yelled, and Link heard the telltale thunk of an arrow hitting wood.

He sprang to the front of the wagon and took in the situation with a single glance: three bulbins dead, his father's attention on some guay flying above, and a bokoblin sword swinging towards his father's throat – NO!

Link began his assault even as his hand easily found the shadow crystal hanging from his neck, turning into the wolf mid-jump, snarling as he tackled the bokoblin swordsman off the wagon and onto the dusty path. The easy focus of battle filled his senses as he pinned it to the ground. The bokoblin squealed as his teeth met in its shoulder, and Link growled protectively as the taste of hot iron flooded his mouth. Something inhuman moved behind him and he turned, pouncing on a second bokoblin swordsman, claws extended. The skin of its bare chest shredded easily under his sharp claws, leaving deep, red gouges, rendering it dead even as he used its body as a springboard to return to the first bokoblin. He caught its throat in his jaws and tore, crushing the life from the monster.

Link huffed as he scanned for additional threats, the battle-focus subsiding when no other monsters appeared. He turned his attention to the wagon, intent on making sure his father was okay.

He did not expect the arrowhead pointed directly between his eyes, nor the look of horror on his father’s face.

For a moment, his own terror from the last few days threatened to drown him, and Link shrunk, cowering in fearful submission, ears pressed close to his head. He only marginally relaxed as his father released the tension on the arrow, dropping the weapons like they’d burned him. He watched the man stumble from the wagon seat, landing heavily on his knees.

His father extended a hand to him, like he would if Epona was riled up. “Link… Link it’s… are you okay?”

Link's heart still pounded, but he knew his father would be even more frightened if he responded while still a wolf, so he breathed a shaky exhale, releasing the Twili magic at the same time. When the shadows cleared he remained crouched on the path, hyper-aware of the blood coating his hands, face, and chest.

Link flinched as his father lurched forward before catching himself. His more sensitive ears allowed him to hear his father’s muttered “Spirits. You…certainly do make a mess in that form,” and he swallowed, still tense, still waiting for judgement, or harsh words, or anything.

When his father stood, turning back to the wagon without a word, Link allowed himself a few shaky breaths as he tried to relax. They’d talked about his ability to transform last night, but with everything that had happened between the two men it was hard for both of them to see and be seen as the wolf.

Link looked at the dissipating bodies of the bokoblins, all but desensitized to the smell and taste of their blood, and realized his father's horror was to how they’d been killed, not to him. He’d all but forgotten how he felt the first thousand times he’d had to attack and kill monsters as a wolf, but he recalled feeling a lot like his father had looked.

His father’s approach startled Link out of his thoughts, and he swayed away minutely, hopefully catching himself before his father could notice. He saw the damp cloth in his father's hands as the older man crouched in front of him, then gentle hands reached for his face and neck, tenderly cleaning away the blood.

“Thank you for saving me.”

The words came as a shock, and Link couldn’t help the tears that flooded his eyes, threatening to spill. All he could do was nod in acknowledgement, clearing his throat and desperately blinking the tears away. He continued to hold still, silently basking in his father’s ministrations, reminded of that same tender touch on skinned knees and elbows as he was growing up.

A few aborted attempts at speech drew his attention back to the present. “Does…” his father asked, “does it hurt?”

Link knew he wasn’t talking about the cloth or the blood on his face, but the transformation. It was something he’d glossed over when they were talking last night, but his father deserved to know. He immediately shook his head. “Not like it used to. I’m okay, Pa.”

Link watched some emotion ignite behind his father’s eyes, but couldn’t decipher it before his father turned his attention to the water flask at his side, pouring some more water on the cloth to begin cleaning off his hands. Link continued to watch his father, apprehension bleeding into comfort as the older man began to knead the tension out of his hands.

It returned full force when his father gently stroked the thick band of scarred tissue around his left wrist, a physical reminder permanently etched on his body of the chain and shackle he still wore as a wolf. “When we get back, we’ll get that chain off you.”

Link stared at his father, horrified. “We—you—you want me to turn into a wolf in the village?! No, no—”

Link barely registered the bloodied cloth falling to the ground as his father hastily grabbed his shoulders. “Link, Link, relax,” I can't! “I meant at home, not outside.”

“B-but—Colin and Ma—”

“Uli already knows.”

Link felt the blood drain from his face, panic racing though every nerve. He knew the words were meant to be reassuring, but he couldn’t forget his mother's reactions that first night in Ordon. Tears involuntarily filled his eyes as he tried to stammer out a coherent sentence. “She—she—” She was his comfort, his rock, what if she hated him now, too? He couldn’t bear it.

“Link,” his father’s firm voice pulled him from his spiraling thoughts. “It’s okay. She was worried about you. She doesn’t think you’re a monster any more than I do, I promise you. It’s going to be okay.”

Link looked down blankly, hiding in his hair, desperately fighting for composure. He felt hands under his elbows, and he let himself be lifted to his feet. His daze was finally broken as Epona nickered at them, nibbling at his hair, and he smiled at her wordless support. During his adventure he’d howl for her, whenever he was missing a touch of home, and they would just talk for a while. It always brought peace to his heart, and he was grateful for her help.

Link couldn’t help the tension that grew within as they traveled through Faron woods. So much of his adventure had taken place here: the wall of Twilight, restoring the Light Spirit, multiple dungeons, learning from the Hero's Shade, navigating the Lost Woods…running from his father…he could barely imagine what it would feel like to have more people know about his other form, never mind have them accept him despite it.

Sometime during the trip through the woods, Link's father pulled him gently into his shoulder, and despite his whirling thoughts and worries Link almost managed to doze off again. He woke from his half-sleep with bleary eyes when the wagon stopped, and he glanced around, trying to place where they were.

When he recognized his tree house he was suddenly wide awake, stiff with fear and anxiety. He looked at his father, hoping to put off talking with the rest of his family, hoping for more time to prepare, for anything, but his father only smiled.

“It’s going to be okay, Link. Help me grab some things and we’ll head to the house.”

…Link never could resist a plea for help.

Sighing, he hopped off the wagon seat and made his way to the back, gathering up their things while his father unhitched Epona. Once his father finished, he took some of the things from Link's arms, they said goodbye to Epona, then started the long walk to the village proper.

Link couldn’t remember what state he’d left the village in, or even if anybody else knew, so the stares he got from a few of the villagers unnerved him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ilia try to make a move towards them, but the mayor pulled his daughter's attention back to their conversation, and they continued unhindered.

Link stayed back a bit while his father opened the door, hoping against hope that nobody else was home. He saw his mother knitting on the couch and Colin playing with Hana, and apprehension knotted in his belly.

His mother looked up and caught Link’s eye, then suddenly she was careening into his arms, pulling him into a tight hug. “Link!” she gasped in relief, “Oh, honey, I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Link couldn’t form an answer around the lump in his throat. All he could do was let himself be held, clinging to her almost as if his life depended on it. This could be the last hug I get from her... Distantly he heard Colin ask a question and his father answer, but he was lost in the warmth of his mother's embrace.

His mother sniffled and somehow held him tighter, whispering, “I was so worried, Link. When your father left with you, I…” She left off the thought, fighting for composure. She leaned back just a bit, taking his face in her hands, wiping at the tears he only just barely realized were falling. “I love you, Link. So much.” She kissed his cheek, gazing deep into his eyes, and reaffirmed what his father had already told him. “I love you, no matter who or what you are. You are my son, and that will never change.”

Link tried to hold back his sobs, trembling in his mother's embrace, shocked and amazed and relieved that his worst fears weren’t true. His lip wobbled as he fought past the lump in his throat, the pressure fleeing just enough he was able to whisper back, “Thank you, Ma. Thank you.”

Colin wandered over, then, from where their father had led him, a worried crease in his brow. “Link? Are you okay? Why are you crying?”

Link took a deep breath and swallowed to remove the last of the lump in his throat. Sniffling, he rubbed at his nose with the back of his hand, then laughed just a bit at his mother's affectionate scoff as she left to retrieve a handkerchief. He pulled his brother into a tight hug, making him giggle. “I just missed Ma is all. And you too.” He let his mother clean his face with the handkerchief and smiled as she kissed his nose.

The smile fell from his face as his father approached, carrying Hana. “Now, it’s time we take care of that issue with your wrist, Link.”

Link's breath hitched as he looked into the happy, carefree eyes of his brother and the open, relieved eyes of his mother. He turned his own pleading eyes back to his father's. “Pa, I—it’s okay, really it is.”

“What’s wrong with Link’s wrist?” Colin asked. Link shivered as his mother took his hands and began to examine them, dreading the revelation. Colin saw the mark first. “Link, you’re hurt!”

Anxiety filled Link's stomach as the boy ran to the cabinet of first aid supplies, only to find nothing there. “All the bandages are gone!” he grumbled before tearing off to locate more medical supplies. Link saw his parent’s exchange a glance out of the corner of his eye.

For all his status as a hero, this was scaring him almost more than Ganon had, and Link shook his head. “Please, please it’s okay, I promise it’s okay.”

“Honey, what is it?” his mother asked softly.

“It’s his wolf form,” his father explained. “There’s a chain on his arm—his leg—his—”

Temporary amusement filled Link's heart as he watched his father struggle for the terminology, remembering how long it took him to get it straight. Shade had to help him figure everything out, in the end.

Finally, his father gave up with a sigh, opting to lift Link's wrist instead. “Here.”

“But only when he’s a… a wolf?” his mother asked, bemused.

Link interrupted, desperately wanting out of this situation. “But it’s okay, I promise." Things were quickly running away from his control, and it frightened him.

“Link, it’s scarring you.”

“Pa, I—”

“Sweetie, we don’t want you to get hurt every time you go into that form. Do you transform a lot? That mark looks like it hurts.”

“Ma—”

“Son, don’t argue. We’re getting rid of it.”

Before he could plead his case any more, Colin burst back into the room. “I found some more supplies! Don’t worry, Link, I’ll fix you up. Luda and Renado taught me some things in Kakariko.”

Link opened his mouth, but his father cut him off before he could make a sound. “Colin, you can look over his wrist once we get the band off that’s causing the problem. Best have those supplies ready, then. In the meantime, go grab my blacksmith tools, will you? They’re in the bedroom, I have them all in the box – remember where it is?”

Colin looked confused, but nodded and ran off again. Link turned, silently pleading with his parents, but they held firm. “We’re a family, Link,” his father stated. “He should know as well. The rest of the village doesn’t have to, but Colin should. He’s good at keeping secrets, you know that.”

Link's mother gently reached up and brushed the hair out of his face before playing with the tip of his ear, something she’d done whenever he was anxious for as long as he could remember. “It’ll be okay, sweetheart. We're all here to help and support each other. You're going to be okay.”

Link sighed heavily and hung his head, outnumbered and outmatched. He heard Colin enter the room and hand off the toolbox, then his mother drew him in for another hug and kiss.

“Remember, Link,” she whispered, “we will love you no matter who or what you are.”

Link sighed again, then took a step back. He looked between the eyes of his family, lingering on Colin's the longest. They all held implicit trust and love and a bit of worry, but not an ounce of judgement.

He opened his mouth to speak but froze, closing it again. He’d never thought about how he’d break the news of his shadow curse to his family. Nothing he could come up with would make it sound any more believable, either. So, I…uhh…can turn into a wolf, ever since I was snatched into another dimension where I shoulda died but became a wolf instead. I was stuck there for a while but I made it out an' then things happened an' I got a crystal to contain the curse so now I can make the change voluntarily… Heart pounding in his chest, he tried to speak again, but words just wouldn’t come, and he could only stand there, spiraling.

Finally, his father – who’d obviously had more time to think about these things – came to his rescue. “Colin, there’s something we need to tell you. During Link’s journey, he was given a gift from the goddesses.”

“A gift?” Colin repeated, intrigued and entranced at the thought.

Link stared at his father, surprised. His ability to shift was certainly useful, he’d told his father as much the night before, but a gift…

Link still stood stunned, and his mother pulled him into another hug, smiling. “Yes, a gift.”

“He’s going to show you now because he has something we need to fix,” Link’s father explained.

Bolstered slightly by his parent's confidence, Link stepped away from his mother, blowing out a measured breath as he did. He closed his eyes as he clutched the shadow crystal hidden under his tunic, crouching down as the magic unfurled around him. When he opened his eyes, he couldn’t hold back a whine at the faces looking down at him. Memories swirled through his mind, and he honestly thought about running.

He heard Colin gasp, saw his father begin to approach, then warm arms were wrapped gently around his neck as his mother fearlessly pulled him into a hug, resting her cheek on the top of his head.

Her movement apparently gave Colin the courage he needed, since the next thing Link knew his brother was standing right in front of his face, rambling excitedly. “Wow! You—can you still understand me? Do you talk too? Is…” Colin reached forward hesitantly and rubbed his hand against Link’s head. “You’re so fuzzy!!”

Link heard his father laugh, and the thick knot of tension in his gut began to unravel as his mother and brother fussed over him, patiently bearing their touch as they traced the pattern in his coat and on his forehead.

Link's father shifted into view directly in front of him, blacksmithing tools in hand. He held out a rough, callused hand, and simply waited.

Link stared at the hand for what felt like an eternity.

The hand that had raised him, that had taught him the ways of the sword, that had lifted and supported him whenever he felt he couldn’t go on.

The hand that had twice lifted a sword against him.

The hand that had literally carried him for two days, that had cleaned the blood from his body and made sure he returned home in one piece...

The hand now offering something he’d thought impossible.

Heart pounding, Link slowly raised his paw, the dangling chain clinking as it always had. Slowly, gently, his father maneuvered the shackle, fiddling with the lock before carefully breaking through the metal.

With a loud thud, both shackle and chain fell to the ground, and Link’s heart nearly stopped as his father gently massaged his paw and leg, reveling in the sensation of something more than cool metal against the tender skin.

Finally, his father put down his tools, smiling. “There. See now, Link? You’re free.”

Overwhelmed, Link let out a small whine – the lupine equivalent of a stifled sob – and felt his ears pin back with emotion. Immediately he was engulfed in a hug, held tightly by those he held most dear. Releasing the Twili magic, he returned to his Hylian form. As he did, he could almost swear he heard an impish whisper. Silly wolf. You’ll always be loved.

His mother and brother hugged him even more tightly once his form settled, and Link buried his face in his father's neck, shaking with emotion. He hesitantly moved his wrist, sobs rising in his throat at the extended, painless range of motion.

He felt a kiss pressed lovingly into his hair, and his father's deep, rumbling voice – well-known and no longer feared – filled Link with peace. “You're free.”

#the truth comes to light #SilvrAsh writes #twilight princess #loz #I can't believe I'm done with this guys #anyone have recommendations on fics they'd like to see additional povs for?

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laudsimogen · 2 years

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Hi! I just wanted to say it was hilarious to wake up and get the context behind your "waiting for my horse to pee" story. Not knowing anything about horses, I was just thinking that you must have a really good reason for needing the horse to pee.

Anyway, I know it's kinda late for prompts, but I'm stuck thinking about Imogen/Laudna trying to take care of a horse, or trying to get a horse to do what they need it to.

Thanks!

Haha I’m glad it was entertaining to someone cause I was sure bored! I don’t know if you meant this as an actual prompt but here you go regardless :)

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“All right,” Imogen said as she led a large grey horse out of the barn where Laudna waited, nervously wringing out her hands. “This is Flora. She’s the gentlest horse we got; she’ll do fine for you to learn on.”

“Hello, Flora.” Laudna hesitantly held out a hand toward the horse, unsure of whether it would be okay to pet her face. Flora pushed her nose into Laudna’s hand, whiskers tickling her palm, then huffed and lowered her head.

“No treats right now, girl,” Imogen said. “We got work to do. You can have some later.”

“What if she doesn’t like me?” Laudna said. “A lot of animals don’t like me. I think I scare them.”

“Oh, she’s fine.” Imogen patted the horse’s neck. “She’s seen much scarier than you. We had a pretty nasty bull one year. Anyway, who wouldn’t like you?”

“Plenty of people,” Laudna said despite knowing it was a rhetorical question.

“Well, those people are fools. Here, put your left foot in this stirrup and I’ll give you a leg up.”

Laudna obeyed Imogen’s instruction, and Imogen pushed her up into the saddle. It immediately felt like a different world up there. Laudna had never seen things so unobstructed at this angle; even in carts and wagons there was the security of the walls and the sturdiness of four wheels, but on Flora she just felt…tall. The horse shifted underneath her, and she clutched the horn of the saddle for stability.

“You’re doin’ great!” Imogen beamed up at her, and Laudna relaxed a little. She didn’t have a point of reference for what “great” might mean in this situation, but it still made her feel better.

Despite growing up on a farm, Laudna didn’t have experience with horses. They were too expensive to keep, and they didn’t have a practical use for them like Imogen did with their cattle. Laudna’s family mostly dealt with chickens and goats, and maybe the occasional hog if they were lucky. But when she expressed a desire to learn how to ride, Imogen jumped at the chance to teach her.

“You wanna sit back on your butt,” Imogen said. “Don’t lean forward. Keep your back straight and your heels down or you won’t be able to keep your balance. Your weight should be in the balls of your feet.”

“Oh. Um.” Laudna tried to take in all of the directions at once, adjusting her body in what she hoped was the right way. It must not have been judging by Imogen’s soft chuckle below her.

“Here,” Imogen said. “Like this.” She reached up to guide Laudna into place, setting her legs at the right angle and moving the stirrups toward the fronts of her feet. “Can you press down with your heels for me?”

Laudna did, and Imogen nodded. “Now you just try to keep your legs exactly how they are now. You ready to move?”

Laudna gripped the horn tighter. “I think so.”

“All right. I’ll just lead you in circles around the yard, okay?”

Laudna nodded and lurched a bit as the horse began walking. It wasn’t as bad as it initially felt, though, and she found her balance quickly. A smile spread across her face as they walked.

“Oh, this is fun!” she said. “I understand why you like riding.”

“Wait ‘til you learn to go faster,” Imogen said. “It’s amazing. Do you want to try and steer her yourself?”

“How do I do that?”

Imogen stopped leading Flora and flipped the reins over her head to hand them to Laudna. “Just hold these right here with one hand—right, good—and you pull them in the direction you wanna go. Just don’t pull too hard or it’ll yank in her mouth and she’ll get upset. Squeeze her with your calves to make her walk, and pulling back on the reins will make her stop.”

“All right.” Laudna held the reins over the horse’s neck and squeezed her sides with her legs. Flora took a step forward, then stopped.

“Just squeeze a little harder,” Imogen said. “Kick her if she really won’t go, but she shouldn’t need it.”

Laudna squeezed harder, but Flora still refused to move beyond a step or two. She tossed her head and pinned her ears when Laudna kicked her sides.

“Flora!” Imogen grabbed a rein close to the bit and leaned toward the horse’s face. “What is wrong with you?” she murmured. “Don’t embarrass me in front of her.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” Laudna said. “Did I hurt her?”

“No,” Imogen said, “she’s just being stubborn. She’s not used to anyone else riding her but me. I shoulda known she would test you.”

“Should I get off?”

Imogen hummed. “If you want to. But if you wanna keep trying, you can. She’ll throw some attitude, but I’ve never seen her buck in her life. You just gotta be confident with her.”

Laudna thought for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll try one more time. I’d really like to see those trails you always talk about, and I can’t go with you if I can’t ride, can I?”

Imogen blushed a little. “I guess not. But don’t push yourself, okay? If it gets too scary, come down.”

Laudna took a deep breath and straightened her back. Be confident, she thought. She gripped the reins and kicked, and this time Flora drew forward into a steady walk.

“Oh!” Laudna laughed. “I’m doing it!”

“Yeah, you are!” Imogen’s smile matched Laudna’s. If she’s known being on a horse would delight her so much, Imogen would have offered lessons much sooner. “Look where you wanna go before you turn and she’ll listen better, too.”

Laudna circled Flora around Imogen, then turned around and went the other way. “So, how do you go faster?”

“Oh, let’s save that for another day,” Imogen chuckled. “You’re already gonna be sore tomorrow.”

“All right.” Laudna gently pulled back on the reins until Flora came to a stop, and then she hesitated. “How do I get off?”

“Swing your leg over the side so you’re sitting with both legs on this side,” Imogen said. “I usually just jump down, but I can help you.”

She stood close to Flora’s side as Laudna situated herself and reached her arms up to hold Laudna’s waist. Laudna settled her hands on Imogen’s shoulder’s and hopped down, landing softly with Imogen’s help.

Imogen froze for a moment. She hadn’t thought about how close they would be to do this, their chests all but pressed together. Their hands lingered on each other before Imogen cleared her throat and stepped back.

“Thank you for letting me borrow your horse,” Laudna said. “I really enjoyed that.” Flora nudged her shoulder with her face, and Laudna laughed. “I think she likes me.”

“’Course she does,” Imogen said as she took the reins from Laudna. “I’ll, uh…I’ll get her turned out and then I gotta make dinner. Do you wanna stay?”

“Oh, I’d love to,” Laudna said. “Your dad won’t mind?”

“Nah, he’ll be fine,” Imogen said. “I’m sure he’ll like you, too. Who wouldn’t?”

Laudna didn’t contest the question this time. Flora liked her, and Imogen’s dad would like her, and clearly, despite logic in Laudna’s mind, Imogen liked her very much as well. And what more could she ask for?

#critical role #imodna #imogen temult #laudna #my writing #thank you for this prompt my crops are thriving thinking about this now #early friendship stuff is so underrated

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the-chosen-fanfiction · 1 year

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Gentile. | Chapter 18

Reuniting with Atticus leads to intimacy and serious confessions.

Chapter list

Neither of you can keep your hands to yourselves by the time night falls. Fleeting touches and lingering kisses are shared whilst the wagon dutifully carries you closer to Capernaum. Somewhere along the way, you set up camp, away from unwanted eyes with the horses and the stars as your sole audience.

The fire is pleasant when you snuggle up next to Atticus, who is more than happy to provide shelter by wrapping his arms around you. You feel like a lovestruck teenager, sitting here like this, but it’s a sensation you thoroughly bask in, for you’ve never quite felt this way. It is a moment of indulgence that you fear you won’t be able to experience in a while.

Whilst he roasts meat above the open fire, you drag a hand through his dark locks and hum softly. “Can I cut your hair for you? It doesn’t look bad or anything, but just… Before it becomes a nuisance and falls in front of your eyes.”

He turns to face you and gives a small smirk. “If you want to?”

“Of course,” you breathe, “Otherwise I wouldn’t have asked.”

Atticus lets out a small chuckle. “How much experience do you have? I reckon you never ask Quintus the same question.” It earns him a laugh from you.

“No,” you muse, “I ah, I used to cut both my brothers’ hair back when my grandmother was ill. We needed the money elsewhere, so I built up some skill.”

“In that case, go ahead.” Atticus hums, reaching for his bag to take out a sharp knife. “I’ve got no pair of scissors on me, but this will do.”

You let out a tiny excited sound and direct him to the spot in front of the log so that you can sit behind him, your legs on either side of him. With one hand on the food, his other immediately travels to your leg, gently caressing at your ankle.

“So, sir, what would you like?” you murmur, dragging your fingers through his thick locks. He huffs a chuckle.

“Well, a small touch up on the sides, just so that I don’t have to constantly get it out of my eyes when it’s windy. For the rest, I trust that you can figure out what would look good on me, ma’am.”

You bite your lip and feel confident enough to flirt. “You’d look good in any haircut with a handsome face like yours.”

He squeezes your ankle and leans more into you, something that makes your body ache for him. Atticus seems to sense it, teasing with the dynamic. You can barely make out a proper lock between your fingers to slice away, breath hitching as he strokes his thumb up and down your ankle.

“Something the matter, love?” he huffs, amusement audible in his tone. You let out a small noise in reply and tighten your legs around his ribs.

“Sit still, otherwise I’ll cut off your ear.”

He clicks his tongue and chuckles low. “I apologise for my crude and distracting behaviour, my lady.”

You giggle and continue cutting his hair. Atticus relaxes into it, small tufts of dark waves falling onto the ground beside him. You’re not doing an awful job, according to yourself, and manage to make the sides look somewhat even.

The gesture is intimate. For obvious reasons, you had never cut Quintus’ hair, but if you would have been in a situation where he did have hair, you wouldn’t even desire to tuck it into shape, let alone make sure it doesn’t grow to be uncomfortably long. The silence between you two is pleasant and somewhere halfway the back of his head, Atticus informs you that the meat is done.

“If you’re nice to me, I’ll finish this later,” you tease him, carding a hand through his waves.

“Do I look silly now?” he quizzes with a grin, handing you a plate on which he has put a piece of fowl. You take it with a word of gratitude and reach for the snacks you had brought from Machaerus, knowing that they’d go well with the saltiness of the meat.

“Maybe a little.”

Atticus gladly accepts your offer of the sugar-coated almonds and a pancake that’s sticky with honey. You enjoy your meal in an unhurried silence, small noises of thankfulness towards you coming from Atticus throat as he thoroughly relishes in the food you managed to sneak with. “This is great, darling.” he sighs, “Perfectly tacky. Not too sweet. Perhaps we should visit Herod’s fortress together one day, just to get a few servings of good food and then leave again.”

You smile and wipe your fingers on a damp rag. “It’s not like everything was good. They eat the strangest stuff there. Sow’s udders, ostrich, even sea urchins!”

The cohorte grunts, polishing off the rest of his food. “Now, I do like my food, but that sounds a little… Over the top. How about the entertainment?”

You wait with answering until you’ve chewed and swallowed your final bite of pancake. “It was… Interesting, to say the least.” You put away your plate and wipe your fingers and mouth on the rag, turning it over so that Atticus can use the other side, “Women dancing with snakes. A few strange fellows who could swallow swords halfway down their throat and extinguish flames with their mouth. There were even men who wore nothing but their underwear, and they would jump and flip around, stacking themselves on top of each other, oh, it was a sight!”

Atticus chuckles. “At least they wore their underthings.” You snort and take a sip of water. You usher him back against the log again so that you can continue on his haircut, which is nearly done.

“And how about you,” you wonder, “How have you been?”

He thinks for a long moment. “Well, things have been incredibly hectic. I’ve travelled a lot,” – you could see the tanlines on his skin from where his tunic had been sitting – “Spoken to a lot of important people, trained a bunch of lower ranking soldiers to detect and dispose of Zealot activity.”

“And?” you quiz, sensing that there is more to it, chopping off a particularly long strand of hair.

“And I’m afraid that things aren’t over yet. Quintus wrote to me, saying that it was time to let things go. Apparently, in Capernaum things are somehow under control, but I don’t believe it. What he did is not tackling the problem at its root, but fighting the symptoms. It’s a vicious circle that might be hard to break through.”

A concerned wave that settles in your stomach makes you nauseous. You hope that you can keep down dinner and take a few deep breaths.

“What does that mean for you?”

“Well, even though you’ll return to Capernaum, I might have to run back and forth for a while longer. Disappear from the eyes of unwanted onlookers.”

You pause in your actions, the knife hovering at his temple. “And what about us ?”

Atticus slips his bottom lip in between his teeth and sighs.

“We’ll need to see how we can continue this in secret. There must be a way to see one another.”

You hum, mind wandering to the still-barely-visible baby in your belly. It’ll grow. Eventually, you’ll have to come clean. With a stuttering heart, you wonder what you should do – would this be the right moment to tell him?

You finish off your work, slicing off a few more parts until it looks decent. Dragging a hand through his locks, you managed to make it just right.

“I think I’m done. Your knife is perfectly sharp for things like these.” You hand him back the dagger, which he puts to the side.

“Thank you,” Atticus says, letting his fingers roam around his shorter hair, “That feels way better.”

You press a kiss to the crown of his head. He looks up to eye you, a soft smile covering his lips. Nestled in between your legs and with the back of his head in his neck, Atticus is vulnerable. You dare to brush your lips against his in this unnatural position, slightly rising up to properly kiss him – it’s a peculiar sensation to feel his nose brush against the column of your throat as your mouth melts against his, and he soon pulls away with a deep chuckle, turning around to face you.

“May I?” he breathes, slipping a finger against your ankle and letting it travel upwards to tip up your skirts.

You nod, head spinning with excitement as your hormones begin to shunt through your entire being. “Oh, yes. Please . Please. ” you whimper, barely able to keep yourself together.

Atticus makes love to you in a way he has not yet done before. He vows to show how much he has missed you and once again manages to sweep you off your feet, exhausting you in the most intimate way ever. And yet – the respectful distance from your clothedness, your nightgown so light against your form that his warmth nearly hurts – so close, yet so far away.

You want him to see you in all your imperfect glory – your marks, dimples, scars, to feel his skin stick to yours – but you don’t dare ask him.

His hands roam over your abdomen a few times, when he presses you into the furs, and his eyes glitter curiously when he does so, as if he’s onto something. Atticus’ delicious ministrations, however, leave you utterly inept to even react to said scrutiny. You’re left worn out, satisfied and rosy-cheeked next to the fire, whilst Atticus takes his sweet time in doting on you. Your breath intermingles with his, your fingers on his broad chest, drawing patterns in the coarse hairs as you finally rest against him, your legs still trembling in the afterglow.

He presses a kiss against the side of your neck and then one on your shoulder. Squirming at the feeling of his beard against your skin, you earn a low chuckle from the cohorte. You hum pleasantly, reaching for his cheek to cup it. Atticus leans into the warmth of your palm, pressing a kiss against it. He is clammy to the touch yet his scent is enchanting.

“You know,” you croon, resting your head against his upper arm. “Whenever I’m with you, things… Things in life seem so much clearer. It might sound a little cliché but… Well… You make me feel emotions I’ve never felt before. In a positive way, I mean. I’ve missed you, Atticus, I really have.”

He gives a soft smile that soon waters behind his eyes. “I’ve missed you too,” he whispers, voice gentle and on the verge of breaking, “And I think I must confess something.”

Your breath hitches at the way he looks down at you, features enhanced in the hue of the flames licking the night sky. “Yes?”

“Being apart from you… Missing you, yearning for you… It makes someone think.”

A frown knits your brow together. “I suppose it does.” You cannot lie that you’ve been pondering about it all, too.

He momentarily looks away. “What I want you to know is that what we have, what you mean to me, that this isn’t some kind of fling. If it were just that, it wouldn’t… It wouldn’t feel like this . (Y/n)... I…” Atticus brushes some hair away from your face, tucking it behind your ear.

“What is it?”

He smiles gently. “I don’t want to scare you off.”

Puzzlement tugs at you at once. “You… Why would you scare me off?”

He swallows thickly. “Because I want to confess something to you that I shouldn’t. I don’t want to lose you.”

Your heart stutters in your chest. An inkling of what he might want to admit to you forms in your mind and your head begins to spin. You both hope that he will and that he won’t.

“Atticus…” his name falls from your lips and his brow furrows as he contemplates it.

“(Y/n), in order to maintain our relationship I think you should know this. I am… Very, very serious about you and I.”

“Me too,” you admit, “I-I mean, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me and I—”

“I love you.”

You knew he was going to say it, and yet, it takes you completely by surprise.

“What?” you whisper, as if you fear that your ears are deceiving you.

“I love you.” he repeats, impossibly warmer than the first time he said it. His eyes are damp with unshed tears.

You thickly swallow away the lump in your throat.

“I-I know it might make you uncomfortable, but I… I feel like you deserved to know. And I would like to know your opinion on—”

“I love you too.”

A few beats of silence. “I don’t want you to say such things in the heat of the moment, (Y/n).”

“I mean it.” you swiftly retort, putting a hand on his chest. The dark hairs tickle under your fingertips. “The way I feel when I am with you, the way you treat me with respect and dignity, the way you make me feel like I’m more than a number in the Roman registers, more than a shell to bring forth children and to be discarded after, the way you make me look at myself, you…” Your voice cracks and trails off and you look away for a second, overtaken with wonder and fear.

Atticus tips up your chin with his index finger and smiles, eyes glittering as they find yours. His smile soon falls into a more serious expression.

“(Y/n),” he mutters, “I’m going to ask you a question. You don’t need to answer me yet, but I just want you to consider it. I’ve asked it before but I feel inclined to do so again in the hopes that you’ll accept.” he leans closer, hot breath wafting over your face. “Run away with me.”

A small noise leaves you. You aren’t sure what emotion it represents. Relief. Misery. Clarity. Confusion. Everything , all at once.

No words form on your lips as your mind races with countless thoughts, of which nothing is coherent enough to share with him.

All you know is that you’re utterly lost. Even in the shelter of his arms, you’re dragged away by the undertow, back into your life with your greatest regret.

Atticus can calm the storm to a certain extent. No further.

So instead of replying, you bury your head against his chest. He brushes his lips against your forehead before resting his chin on the top of your hair, his fingers rubbing soft circles over your shoulder blades.

“It’s alright, my love.” he whispers. “I understand.”

You doubt that he truly does, though it is not something you can hold against him.

Before dawn, you crawl from the comfort of Atticus arms to find a lonely tree to lean against as you cough up the remnants of last night’s dinner. Bitter fluid forces its way up your throat and leaves a foul aftertaste when you finally spit out nothing but saliva, knees weak as you attempt to gather yourself.

The cohorte has not come to find you yet, much to your delight. It means that you’ll get a moment to clean up and find his warmth again, as if nothing ever happened. You gasp and dig your nails into the bark of the tree, strength slowly coming back to you.

A sound of something snapping in front of you – startled, you look up – right into a pair of pitch black eyes that are equally as stunned. On legs so thin that they might give way at the slightest gust of wind stands a gazelle, barely bent over to take a drink of water from the creek that flows there until it had taken notice of you. It now stares at you as much as you stare at it, and for a few long seconds, you see yourself in the agitated animal.

It spurts off and you’re almost inclined to call after it to come back, but footsteps behind you cause your heart to sink into your gut.

“(Y/n), are you okay?”

You push some hair behind your ear and turn to face Atticus, who gives you a worried look. You nod meekly, smiling. “Yeah, I just…” His eyes flicker to the ground where you had just been throwing up and you close your eyes in slight embarrassment. “I didn’t feel well. But I’m better now.”

“Are you ill?” he wonders out loud, feeling your forehead, but you shake your head. “Is there anything you need to tell me?”

Your throat tightens – he must have noticed, but doesn’t press you further, and you feel like this is not the right moment to confess about your pregnancy. “I’m not. I think it’s just stress.”

“Stress?” Atticus queries, “What about?”

You swallow thickly. “Seeing Quintus again,” you say, which isn’t a complete lie, for the idea of having to face him does make you feel sick to your stomach, “And that you might have to leave again to tie up loose ends.”

He doesn’t hesitate to take you into his arms.

“I wish there was something I could do.” he murmurs into your hair. He inhales deeply whilst you grab onto him tightly, sighing. “Know that you can call on me, always, my love. Write to me. Keep me informed about your wellbeing. What I said to you last night wasn’t something muttered out of the blue. I’ve been thinking about saying these words to you for quite some time, and… Well, I mean them.”

You sigh deeply and pull away from the embrace to look at him. “I mean them, too,” you said, “Which is why this hurts so much. If it weren’t for my family, Atticus, I would go with you in a heartbeat.”

“I know,” Atticus murmurs, “I know. It’s okay. We’ll figure something out.”

He brushes his lips against your forehead and cups your face, caressing your cheeks. “Be frank with me, my Flower. Are you feeling better?”

You nod and he releases you, looking you up and down. “Here is what we are going to do,” he says, “First we are going to drink something pleasant. Then, we are going to get you into something warmer. I’ll tuck you in at the back of the wagon so that you can sleep for a while longer until midday, and then we’ll see how far we still need to go. Alright?”

“Alright,” you whisper, exhaustion making your eyes feel heavy.

“Good,” Atticus murmurs, taking your hand to guide you back to the small fire. There, he pokes it alive with a few dry twigs and boils water and puts in some herbs that grow on the side of the encampment, slowly nursing you back to strength.

The fact that you’re pregnant dances around in your mind as he draws the blankets up to your chin a while later. He softly kisses your nose, making you giggle and the thought to momentarily vanish, but it returns the moment he tells you to catch some rest and climbs out of the back of the wagon.

Would Atticus reject you if he learnt about your current state from you yourself? Would he fall silent and not talk to you during the entire ride back? Would he drop you off at Quintus’ place only to never return again, losing himself in his work? If that would be the case, his words would have meant nothing at all.

He deserved to know, you think to yourself whilst observing him from the back, watching the way his arms moved as they directed the reins. From you directly.

Even if it came out to the public, you knew better. A bastard child is better than one from Quintus’ descent and character, for you refuse to let the baby grow up to be like your husband.

Atticus had to know. And you had to tell him tonight .

Next chapter Chapter list

#gentile #the chosen #the chosen x reader #reader insert #x reader #atticus x reader #the chosen atticus #atticus x you #atticus aemilius pulcher #atticus #quintus

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prince-rowan-of-the-forest · 1 year

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Across Land And Water, Now and Forever

6: The Wall in the Valley

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| Ao3 |

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Logan can't even fathom what this structure could be, why it was there, and who had built it. He will probably never know. All he knows is that it's in their way.

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Word count: 2506

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Logan had done many strange things in his life.

Having been ‘best friends’ with Patton for the better part of his time on this world now, that was to be expected from just about any adventure that involved said friend. But the situation he was in at this very moment must have been the strangest of all of them.

He awoke to thinly veiled sunlight shining through the gaps left by the wagon pushed in front of their cave, though that was not the part he found strange. No, Logan had grown more used to the sunlight in their short time on land, the strange part was the position he was in when he awoke.

For one, his head was no longer resting on the stone floor of the cave but on something soft and warm that rose and fell as evenly as breathing. That being because it was breathing, he was laying his head on one of his companion's chests, Virgil's specifically, he discovered after better inspection.

He also seemed to have one of his own legs hooked around one of Virgil's as he had pressed himself up against his friend during his sleep. Not that he was the only one who had moved during their rest. As he sat up he discovered that Prince had managed to turn completely around so he laid on his stomach, half on top of Virgil, arms and legs flung wide and Patton was curled into a small ball on the end, tucked under one of Roman’s arms and face buried in his shoulder. Strangely, Logan found his lips slip into a smile without his permission at the sight. It was… very sweet, if that was an apt descriptor for this situation.

Carefully, Logan had removed himself from the pile and looked around their cave, wondering what he could do. He’d like to get something productive done while the others slept so that they could get this day off to a good start. Unfortunately, Logan wasn’t sure exactly what he could do- after all he still didn’t know about this world, there were many tasks that Virgil and Roman had performed that Logan didn’t trust enough in his limited knowledge to do himself- like setting off the fire, for example.

In the end, Logan had settled for putting on his shoes and moving the cart back from the cave entrance and checking on Thomas. The horse was happily eating away at the still soaked through grass, which was wet despite the fact that it was no longer dripping from the sky- rain, the others had called it. He was glad had taken his shoes, else he’d have no doubt struggled with this task.

Logan nodded, brushing off his hands as he admired his handiwork, moving the cart had not taken a huge amount of effort, and checking on Thomas hadn’t been a difficult task, the land animal seemed to be built for living outside despite the wet. He thought that there must be other things he could do before the others woke up…

Looking back into the cave, Logan’s eyes fell onto the supplies that they had taken from the wagon so they could stay dry, perhaps he could try and load the cart back up while he waited. Yes, that would be a splendid use of his time and he was sure the others would appreciate less work after they had woken up.

The next member of their party to awake was Roman, who had left the cave to find Logan lifting the heaviest barrel back into the section of the wagon Virgil had told them was for storage rather than sitting.

“Good morning, Storm,” Prince greeted him with a wave. Logan set down the barrel, turning and offering a wave of his own. Logan wasn’t sure how someone could glow so beautifully in the morning sun, Roman didn’t seem tired in the slightest. Logan might be a morning person, but he still often woke up a little dazed and tired. Roman looked like he’d never experienced even the thought of fatigue in his life. For a moment, Logan couldn’t help but stare at the way tiny droplets of water hung suspended from tiny strings twined around the faerie’s antlers, they glittered and shone in the sun, but never seemed to drip like normal water would have….

“I see you’ve been busy out here,” Prince said after the silence that had certainly lasted far longer than it was supposed to. Logan realised belatedly that he probably should have spoken in return. He would note that in his mind for later conversations, for now, he would respond to Roman’s new statement.

“Indeed! I thought that since I had woken first, I should attempt to get done some chores, so that you and Virgil had an easier job when you woke up,” Logan explained, “I have noticed that you both have done the majority of the work in this group, in part due to mine and Patton’s lacking knowledge of this world. Still, ultimately this journey is because of us, so I believe I should pull my own weight in the small ways that I can.”

“Talk about pulling your weight!” Prince cried, looking at the barrel Logan had just put down, “You carried that yourself? Virge and I had to lift it between us to bring it inside last night.”

“I… suppose I did, yes,” Logan said, looking back at the barrel, “Though you fail to account the fact that last night the water was making it difficult to do most things.”

“That’s still a lot more than I could carry,” Prince shook his head, “And I am strong, trust me.”

“I do believe you, in fact, you lifted me yesterday,” Logan said, “In my mer form, which can be quite a feat.”

“You were heavy,” Prince shrugged, “But it’s alright, Virge isn’t as strong as I am.”

“Understood,” Logan nodded, “What will you do while we wait for the others?”

“I’ll get food ready for us,” Prince said, “I’ll be inside, if you need me!”

—-

The morning progressed slowly from there, the other two woke up and they ate together, but it was another while before they were able to set off on the trail once again. Prince and Virgil had found their map and started planning out a new route, since they’d gone way off course looking for somewhere to hide from the rain. When they finally got back on the road it was already afternoon, thankfully the sun was back in the sky as opposed to the dark rain of yesterday, hopefully they wouldn’t deal with that again for a while.

Over the next few nights they slept as comfortably as they could, adamantly avoiding towns after what had happened the last time they had all ventured into one. To Logan’s personal bewilderment he found that no matter how far away from each other around the clearing the four of them slept they always woke up in a pile, as if some cosmic force was drawing them together while they lay unconscious.

Their journey was smooth sailing as they continued to follow the small, winding stream that used to be a great river. They stayed on the path that snaked around what used to be the riverbank for the best of a few days. That is until the evening of the third day since the storm when they ran into it.

Logan had decided to name it ‘The Wall’ until they found out what exactly it was, because that was the only term he could think of to aptly describe the structure in their path.

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The Wall was a wall of stone packed so tightly that Logan couldn’t see a single crack and when he looked up he saw it reached the very height of the hills on either side of them, spanning the entire breadth of the valley in front of them. It rose in steps after that, though steps bigger than anyone their size could walk up, the first ledge was far, far above them.

“Wow,” Virgil breathed, craning his neck to look up The Wall at where Logan thought he could see a fence. Wow didn’t cover the grandeur of this structure.

“I don’t like this,” Roman said immediately, running his hand over the stone, before looking at the tiny trickle of river that was still flowing from an opening in the bottom of The Wall.

“This must be what is stopping the river from flowing as it should,” Logan said, placing a hand against the stone, he could feel the water pushing and pulling on the other side though it was distant- as if this stone was incredibly thick.

“How’re we supposed to get past it?” Patton asked, looking around, the valley climbed high on either side of them and there was no obvious path up the structure, not that they would be able to climb it with Thomas and the cart as well.

“I could… maybe one at a time,” Roman said, putting a hand to his chin in thought, “But not the cart…”

“My magic would be able to get the cart up fine,” Virgil cut in, “Unfortunately not the same case for us- I um- I haven’t mastered it yet.”

“Living things tend to explode whenever he attempts to teleport them.”

“That would not be ideal,” Logan nodded sincerely, “So, I believe we have a solution for our wagon but not for ourselves nor our horse.”

“Without the wagon, it shouldn’t be too difficult to ride Thomas up the valley,” Virgil shrugged, “I could meet you three up there?”

“And I should be able to fly you both up,” Prince cheered, with a grin, “We can do this!”

“Wait, you can fly?” Patton asked with a gasp, moving much too close to Roman for the situation to be comfortable, though the faerie simply laughed, Patton then turned to Virgil, who was busying himself with untying Thomas, “And you can teleport stuff? Since when??”

“Yep,” Virgil nodded, “Not being vocal about my magic powers is a habit, apologies.”

“What do you suppose that these are for?” Prince asked, his laugh echoing off of The Wall, he turned to the side and fluttered his small translucent wings.

“Not to offend,” Logan said, “But those wings do not look nearly powerful enough to lift even yourself of the ground, let alone us as well.”

“Never you fret, my dear friend!” Roman said with a grin and a bow he didn’t rise from. After a moment Logan noticed that his wings were changing, morphing to form feathers painted in the streak of a sunset, reds at the base closer to his shoulders spreading into bright vivid oranges and pinks as well as softer yellows before morphing into purples and light blues at the very edges of the feathers. The span of his wings easily doubled Roman’s height and neither Logan or Patton could stop staring in awe.

“He keeps them in that little translucent form usually, just since it’s easier,” Virgil said as Roman grinned, folding his wings behind him, “And apparently it ‘fits the aesthetic’ better, whatever that means.”

“Oh shush, you,” Roman said, knocking Virgil’s shoulder with his own before turning to the pair, “Now, it might take two trips- I’m not strong enough to carry you both- but we should be able to fly to the top.”

“Good!” Patton grinned, hopping from foot to foot, “Then I’ll be able to say I’ve flown too! This’ll be awesome!”

“I’ll be as quick as I can with the cart,” Virgil said, “And then I’ll meet you up there, wait for me?”

“You know I will,” Roman said, turning to him with an emotion written on his face that Logan couldn’t quite pinpoint, though he thought the closest word could be fondness.

“We will,” Patton repeated with a firm nod, “We wouldn’t leave you behind, we’re friends now, and friends stick together!”

“Yeah, right, friends,” Virgil said slowly, before smiling, “I think you three have a flight to make?”

—-

Flying was such a strange experience.

Being carried in Roman’s arms was also a strange experience, though he’d had this one before. The flight was a little more overwhelming at the time as well, feeling the wind in his hair, sweeping it back from his face. The way the wind hit him made his eyes water and his lips cold, though it was strangely exhilarating. It had taken him a long while to regain his footing once they landed at the top of The Wall. Roman had dived back over the edge to lift Patton up and in the meantime, Logan turned around.

The sight he was left with stopped him in his tracks, he was frozen in place by what he saw. Later he would wonder if he had even taken a breath.

In front of him spanned a lake. It must have been a lake, there was really no other word he knew to describe it. It was pristine, the surface of the water completely flat and reflecting the sky as though it were a mirror, he could see the banks of this lake on one side, where trees seemed to sprout straight out of the water as if they’d been grown there before the water arrived. The trees were reflected perfectly in the water, and he couldn’t even see where the lake ended on the other side it; was as though this mirror lake took up the entire rest of the world.

When he was finally able to tear his eyes away and turn around he was met with another view just as striking. He could see back the way they’d come, all the way back through the valley, he could follow the stream with his eyes back through the path they’ve travellled. He even thought he might be able to make out just the silhouettes of spires in the distance. Seeing it all laid out in this way really put it all into perspective, how far they’d travelled, how much knowledge he’d gained, how much he’d learned about the world. But also then he looked to the side to see both Patton and Roman looking with him, both an old friend and new. If he listened hard enough he could hear Thomas’ hoofbeats in the forest nearby where Virgil was making his way to them as they waited. It had barely been a week since they had been given legs by Janus the witch, but so much had happened since then.

And while Logan was certain this wasn’t where their journey ended, he also wasn’t sure that they had much farther to go before their group of four would split back into the two pairs it always had been.

The thought startled Logan, because he really wasn’t certain he’d be able to live with losing either of the people he had grown so close to in such a short time.

He couldn’t lose them this soon after he’d found them.

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#sanders sides #fanfic #rowans writings #if you cant tell im getting really bored of tagging #i just wanna sleep ffs

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caissymax · 2 years

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Yeehawgust Day 1: Meowdy

I've never actually done a prompt challenge before but the second I saw the Yeehawgust prompt list, I was so into it I just couldn't help myself! I'm going to be doing these prompts with the characters from my original fic, Rhapsody, so you'll probably see reoccuring names throughout the challenge.

Without further ado, Meowdy!

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Mama is sleeping, Giles is passed out drunk - again - and Ebb has just taken over the tireless job of keeping the oxen marching ever onwards, Kit keeping watch from the opening of the covered wagon. The sun is setting but, Ebb thinks as she wipes sweat from her brow, not fast enough. Not for the first time, Ebb wishes that they could have stayed back East. This was a truly miserable experience. Ebb hadn’t known that it was possible for someone to sweat as much as she had in these last couple of weeks.

The quiet of the desert they were traveling through was enough to drive someone mad but, thankfully, that’s what Kit was for.

“Do you think we’ll meet any outlaws?” Kit asks as he sticks the needle he was working with between his teeth, examining the pair of pants he was mending with a critical eye.

Ebb tilts her head and considers. “We haven’t run into anyone yet.” she finally says. And she, personally, hopes that it stays that way. She is not interested in gettin’ robbed and or murdered outright. She glances back at Kit who’s still squinting at the pants like they’ve offended him personally. “Why? Do you want to run into some kind of criminal?” Honestly? Ebb wouldn’t put it past him.

And, sure enough, Kit shrugs and spits out the needle, gets back to sewing again as he says, “Be nice to get it over with, yeah?”

Ebb gives a crack of the whip as the oxen begin to slow some, get distracted from their task, then she scowls back at Kit. “I think the goal is to keep running into trouble to a minimum-”

“Hey.” Kit interrupts, sewing abandoned, staring out over the oxen now. “What’s that?”

“What?” Ebb says, puzzled by the abrupt shift, glancing over in the same direction as Kit. “Oh.” she murmurs as she spots a small shape not too far away from them. “Uh… is that-?”

“A cat?” Kit gasps and just like that Kit is up and out of the wagon, pants and care abandoned.

“Kit!” Ebb cries out and then, “Come up, come up!” with another crack of the whip, pushing the oxen harder than they have so far, just hoping to catch up to her runaway brother. “Fuck.” she hisses as she begins to jog to keep up with the heaving oxen. She surely wasn’t going to hear the end of this from Mama once she woke up. “Christopher!” she snaps.

Thankfully, Kit comes to a stop beside the feline creature and doesn’t move for long enough that Ebb and the wagon can actually catch up. “Whoa.” Ebb calls, bringing the oxen to a full stop, giving them the chance to calm down for a moment. “Kit!” Ebb snaps after she’s made sure the the oxen aren’t about to make off with Mama and Giles. “What were you thinking-?”

She stops when she sees the cat that sits in front of Kit, sandy brown fur, covered almost head to paw in black spots, small rounded ears and massive eyes. Ebb has seen housecats and barn cats before and she was… pretty sure this was nothing of the sort. “Kit. Kit, come over here, that’s not-”

“Meowdy.” the cat greets and then- then grins, showing off a mouthful of razor sharp teeth. Ebb- Ebb is pretty sure that cats aren’t supposed to be able to smile either. Something of the fear and confusion must show on Ebb’s face because the cat raises a paw, as if trying to soothe her. “Please, I don’t mean any harm. I’ve been waiting for someone to come by for a while now.” Kit nods as if he’s already heard this spiel. Ebb should not be the normal one in this situation. She just shouldn’t be.

“Okay?” Ebb says, uncertain. This cat could’ve been waiting for someone to come by, hoping for an easy meal! They didn’t know what this cat could want-

“Jasper apparently lost his posse, horse, and hurt his leg. Massive L, if you ask me.” Kit quickly sums up and Ebb laughs, mostly hysterically, even more so when the cat makes a ‘mrrp’ as if he was laughing as well. Made even worse by Kit looking the cat - Jasper - dead in his beady eyes and demanding, “Wait, are you an outlaw?”

Which served to make Jasper ‘mrrp’ again. “No. Of course not.” Yeah, that’s what they all said. “Y’all’re new around here but you’ll learn, there’s safety in numbers.” Jasper glances between them both, making an obvious statement.

Ebb carefully bites her tongue. Mama is a card up their sleeve now, someone the stranger probably doesn’t realize is with them, and Giles is defenseless, she won’t admit their presence even if it would make her feel better.

And, of course, Kit plays his role perfectly as always, crossing his arms and scoffing. “I’m as strong as ten men, we don’t need anyone else.”

Jasper looks almost fond already. “Of course, of course.” he nods then turns to Ebb. “I was gonna ask the kit here if you’d mind giving me a lift to the next outpost but you seem to be in charge here, so, would you mind?” Ebb chews at her lip, hesitant, Jasper quickly continues. “I can compensate you once I meet up with my posse again. I’m sure y’all’ll be needing supplies soon enough.”

Which was a hard bargain, amazingly so when it was being driven by a cat. One that Ebb knew she couldn’t say no to. They were going to be needin’ supplies again soon and Mama was stressed enough as it was. If this could help even a little bit then…

Finally, Ebb nods. “Okay.” she agrees.

The cat grins wide and Ebb holds back a shiver as he trails after Kit back into the wagon. Ebb wonders for a long moment if she’s made the right call before she shakes herself, calls, “Come up!” with a snap of her whip and drives the oxen onwards at a more sedate pace than before.

As the sun finally dips back behind the mountains off in the distance, Ebb hears Kit demands, “Wait, are you a man or a cat?” and she sighs.

Mama’s gonna have her hide for this.

#yeehawgust #my rhapsody #original fiction

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ren-c-leyn · 1 year

Text

The Shackles of Time Chapter 24 - The Stormy Road Ahead part 7

This is definitely the longest arc of the series so far. We’re past the halfway mark, though, and our heroes are finally on their way to get the heck off this road.

This chapter turned out to be 1,706 words long, so it’s a shorter one.

As far as trigger warnings go, this is an angstier chapter. We touch up on Merle’s backstory again, so there’s hints of a past death and violence, but no actual deaths of violence occur in the chapter. There’s also 1 mention of blood, but no one is bleeding, it’s connect to the implied death. Beyond that, there’s nothing I can think of. No swearing, no flashy fights, ect.

Looking for a previous chapter, the next chapter, or just want to start from the beginning? No problem! Click here for the chapter masterlist.

And with that, happy reading~!

Merle sat in the front seat beside Elduin. It was strange, seeing the forest from this angle. This had been Arlen’s seat for the entire trip, until now.... Now he was in the last wagon with Glenn and Zephyr. Unconscious, but alive. Night had also changed places. She was sitting beside Sig now, casually sharpening her daggers while they shot her wary glances.

Perhaps they still believed her to be a ghost? Merle found the thought vaguely amusing. Only vaguely. As low as her spirits had sunk, there wasn’t much humor left in her.

Darkness had fallen thickly as night descended. The air had cooled and the dampness from the storm drove that chill down into her bones. It reminded her of melting snow running down the mountains. Refreshing for a moment and then biting and miserable. The clouds lingered with the cold, blotting out most of the sky. There was only a hazy dimness where the moon was hanging on the horizon.

The storm had mostly quieted, as though being lulled to sleep by the stars. Though every once in a while, she caught the low grumble of thunder or saw a distant flash of lightening. Nature’s small protests and struggles to resist sleep’s call.

It all felt surreal, almost like a dream.

Unfortunately, it was not. She was exhausted, muscles sore and shield arm bruised from staving off the troll’s savage attack; Arlen and Cherrenth were wounded, the horses were tired and beginning to stumble, she could hear the calls of monsters and unfamiliar animals beginning to echo in the dark, and she could only see as far as the dull, sickly orange glow of the lanterns hanging off the wagons could illuminate. It was a dangerous situation, one that put them at great risk. Yet the wood was not yielding. If anything, it was thicker than ever. They had no good place to turn around, stopping in the middle of the night with the monsters so agitated would only bring more misfortune, among a dozen other reasons or excuses Elduin had told her when she had asked.

That had been some time ago, and they hadn’t spoken since. Merle was far from being in a conversational mood and Elduin’s attempts at starting conversations had been slowing considerably with his own stress and exhaustion.

“Is this still better than dealing with the merchant’s guild?” she ask at last, head resting heavily against her spear while her eyes kept scanning the treeline.

“It’s about even now,” Elduin answered, voice dull and lacking the energy she had grown used to. “Have you ever dealt with a merchant’s guild before?”

“I can’t say that I have. There isn’t one on the Auroral Mountains, or any where on the Ice Plains below. There aren’t many guilds in my homeland at all, not much of a use for them.” She paused, memories flashing through her mind like lightening. The next words she spoke were softer, but tired. “I’ve dealt with a bad adventurer’s guild before, though.”

Elduin hummed, nodding a few times.

“Perhaps you can understand, then...” he said quietly, as though he were speaking a secret to the breeze. His voice trailed off for a moment, eyes growing distant, before he pressed on. “Merchants aren’t all an honorable lot, not like the ones that risked danger to bring supplies to the people fighting in, or fleeing from, the Mad War. We aren’t all like my mentor. Where there’s gold, there’s Trouble and his Well of Sorrows, or so the saying goes. Some get overtaken by greed, willing to deal in dark deeds for coin, willing to help hurt people or even spill blood themselves, for coin. Some, however, crave something even more sinister: control. The coin is only a means by which to influence and dominate people, and people like those are the ones that run the merchant’s guild.”

“And you don’t strike me as the sort to roll over for such people.”

He flashed her a fragile smile.

“Nor do you, if I may say so.”

“I am not, and that’s why I am here.”

He hummed and nodded, smile slipping off his face and into something thoughtful and tired.

‘It is why we’re all here, for better and worse. The merchant’s guild has obstacles and fees for every little thing, trying to push the rest of us out and make people dependent on them for goods.”

“I’m surprised such things are allowed.”

“In some regions they are not, and this one is tightening the reins on the guilds more than some, but there will always be ways around the rules for those who seek ills ends. Even if there is no legal grounds, they’d still find a way. It’s in their nature.”

Merle let out a long sigh, the words striking a painful chord with her.

“I understand all too well.”

“I had a feeling you unfortunately would.... Adventuring guilds with no honor are similar to merchants with no honor, in their own ways, yes?”

“Unfortunately,” she sighed again, too tired to even consider trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

There was a brief lull in the conversation again. The creaking of the wagon wheels and swaying lamps felt like they were going to echo on forever. Then, he spoke up again, a cautious edge to his voice as it cut through the background noise.

“Which guild was it? The one that came before the Dawn Isle.”

She paused for a moment, eyes still glued to the forest.

“The Howling Ice guild. If you find yourself in my homeland, avoid them at all costs. Even the bandits are better. They at least won’t sacrifice their own to Death for a handful more gold.”

She heard a sharp inhale at her side. Shock, surprise, horror. The usual reactions. Soon would come the questions, none of which she had the energy to answer. She braced herself for the flood of them, preparing the cold tone to stop them in their tracks.

“... Noted.”

The one word answer caught her so off guard that she finally tore her gaze off the forest to glance at him.

He had that look, that familiar gleam of curiosity and horror in his pink eyes. No doubt the questions were on his tongue, but he did not speak them. He didn’t ask her the question she still wasn’t ready to answer. No for him, not for Wyndulin or Bramble, not for Zephyr and Glenn, or even Night and Arlen.

It was still too raw, too fresh, like the blood was still melting the snow. It was why she didn’t talk about it, didn’t talk about them. That den of treacherous wolves that had killed her mentor, that robbed this world of their voice and cut their glorious story short... She’d never forgive them. Never. Even when she was nothing but a half-remembered story told around a campfire out of nothing but tradition, she’d never forgive them.

Relief washed over her when it seemed like Elduin was, indeed, going to keep his questions to himself. The groan of the rolling wagons dominated the conversation again. Whether he had seen something in her reaction to the probing, or was simply too tired to pry, she couldn’t say. She only knew that she was grateful for it.

The wind changed directions, rustling the bows of the trees. For a brief moment, it felt like home. Almost smelled like home too, except for those lovely floral notes that the mountain couldn’t hold onto for long and this place lacked the distinctive scent of dragon stone. Merle breathed in deep, letting the night sooth her for a moment.

“Will your friend be alright?” Elduin asked. “Zephyr says he will, with time and rest.” “You don’t sound so convinced.” Merle sighed. “I can’t argue with a mage on matters of magic.” “But you still question.” She shrugged, busying herself with scanning the treeline again. “I suppose I am worried. Seeing him collapse...” she trailed off for a moment, feeling her mood sink yet again as the mental image of Arlen surrounded in strange-colored flames flashed through her mind again. “A mage would know better than me what magic can do, it’s rare on the mountains, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know serious wounds when they happen. You don’t collapse if it isn’t serious. Still, Zephyr says it’ll be fine. Something about magic exhaustion.... I don’t understand it, though, and it’s frustrating no know how bad it truly is or what happened, or even if there’s anything I could do to help him.”

She couldn’t see him, but she was sure he was nodding again.

“I believe I understand where you’re coming from. It’s frustrating not being able to do anything for a friend in trouble besides waiting and seeing what comes of it. Still, for what it’s worth, I believe he is in good hands. So, for now, let us hope that Zephyr is correct and your friend will recover quickly.”

Merle hummed her agreement, but left the conversation there.

Time passed slowly, bleeding from one long moment into the next. She couldn’t quite decide which was worse, the waiting for something to go horribly wrong, for one of those shadows that danced through her vision to jump out at them; or the monotony, the rocking of the wagons, the squeaking of the wheels, the clomping of hooves and the tired, droning hum of the driver in the far back. It was all wearing on her, all fueling the frustrations and fraying her nerves. It all made her grind her teeth and cling to her spear like it was her last hope.

Dawn began to cut through the sky, lighting the clouds ablaze in her vibrant colors. Merle watched the deep blacks and dull greys light up, as though catching fire. The oranges, reds, pinks, and yellows spread throughout them like wildfire as sunbeams began to tear through the storm clouds. Yet, the deep grays lingered, threatening to bring forth rain, lightening, and fury that both matched and defied the sun.

The sunrise was beautiful today, at least. With Luck’s blessing, maybe it’d bring some good fortune their way. At least, Merle hoped it would....

Tag list, feel free to ask to be added or removed at any time -

@perasperaadastrawriting @queerlilchinchin @dragon-swords-prophecies @catinthesun2 @talesfromaurea

#The Shackles of Time #fiction #fantasy #high fantasy #original story #my writing #a story by ren

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giffingthingsss · 2 years

Text

‘WhAt dOes the HolOnoVel sAy aBouT heR?’

It doesn’t have to say anything? All it ever said to me was, “Janeway reads.”

People in the 24th century apparently don’t watch tv. They read physical books or act them out in holonovels. You can read a wide variety of things. You can play a wide variety of holonovels. You can read Jane Eyre or you can play it.

Janeway’s into the classics. She picked a classic to ‘read’ on the holodeck. The end. And she gets into it. lol

I assume she gets into all of the novels she reads.

Apparently they originally wanted her to play some western wagon train story. This would be some kind of allegory for their situation in the ‘wild west’ of the Delta Quadrant. But Kate refused to work with horses. I vaguely recall some story of her having a bad horse experience on a movie or something. Anyway, they did this instead.

But regardless of anything they were trying to say about her character, I just always took it as ‘Janeway reads classics.’

I hope we get to a point in VR tech where I can read that way too. It’s almost to that point now; we just might need some better ‘authors.’ Techs could completely adapt the public domain classics right now (Zuckerberg, return my calls).

You can stand on the bow of a ship and watch a giant white whale leap up in front of you, for crying out loud. Hear the gulls, the creaking of the boards under your feet, feel the rush of standing in the crow’s nest. Put a fan in front of you and feel the wind on your face. I don’t recommend salt spray because that could mess up your headset, but basically everything else is possible. If I could go back in time, I would ‘learn to code’ so I could design this crap myself.

Although nothing will ever replace the imagination that comes from reading the written word, give me holodecks.

#voyager things #VR #star trek voyager

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houseisekai · 2 years

Text

House Isekai: A Realm Reborn Act 1 Finale - Part 8, A Realm Awoken

House Isekai ARR Masterlist Here

—

Sitri's group returns from their tasks as Aigis and the Auxiliary members investigate Fhirdiad.

Meanwhile, Rean, Towa, and Class VII investigate the final disturbance reported by Dimitri...

[Nobility Obliges - Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward OST]

Nighttime, Fhirdiad...

Aigis wandered through the upper streets of Fhirdiad with Mercedes guiding her.

The houses Aigis saw were grand, ornated with golden trims with blue flags hanging on their doors, each displaying a different symbol.

(Mercedes) "We are in the Noble's District of the city, it's quite nice here. Though I don't come here too often."

(Aigis) "Strange, I thought you were a noble."

(Mercedes) "While technically I am, I just prefer to be down where the rest of the commoners are, helping with whatever charity I could. Hard times fell on us during the war..."

(Aigis) "I can only imagine."

(Mercedes) "Though, Enbarr had gone through worse...Maybe that's why Edelgard did what she did, we were lucky that our city hadn't been sieged."

(Aigis) "..."

Mercedes stopped walking and smiled to herself.

(Mercedes) "Ah, finally! Here we are Aigis."

Aigis looked up at the Mansion they were in front of. The flag's symbol displayed a shield with a knight riding a horse, all in white.

(Aigis) "Is this one of the Blue Lion's House?"

(Mercedes) "Technically speaking, yes!"

Knocking on the door, Mercedes bowed when it opened, being greeted by a steward. He returned the bow and smiled.

(Steward) "Lady Mercedes, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

(Mercedes) "We have just come to inform you that Elizabeth is returning home for a brief time, her class is here on official business."

(Steward) "Lady Elizabeth is in the city?"

(Mercedes) "She will once she returns from her mission with Lady Sitri. We just wanted to let you know in advance to roll out the welcoming wagon!"

(Steward) "Hah, and that we shall! Her mother will be greatly pleased, if you'll excuse me. Oh, and thank you for letting us know!"

With one final bow, the Steward closed the door and left Mercedes and Aigis alone again.

(Aigis) "Elizabeth's parents are here?"

(Mercedes) "Yes, her house is one of many that rose to prominence when the war ended. I'd love to tell you more about her, but I think Elizabeth would prefer to tell us herself."

Making their way for the castle, Aigis put a finger to her chin.

(Aigis) "...Now that I think on it, the students have been rather reserved during our time here."

(Mercedes) "That makes sense, you all have only been here for about 2 weeks. Even we weren't the best of friends by then."

(Aigis) "Good point."

(Mercedes) "By the way, did Buck and the others ever mention why they needed to go to the castle first?"

...

(Fhirdiad Soldier) "No sir, I've never seen anything like that."

(Buck) "Hm, thanks."

Buck sighed, his helmet muting most of the sound as he turned around.

He holstered his assault rifle, shaking his head to Mickey.

(Mickey) "We don't have anything either, Gunny."

The ODST's were showing their weapons to the knights, hoping for some indication of where the rifle from the Separatist Camp came from.

Raelyn and Duvalie walked back to the group, not faring any better.

(Raelyn) "I'm afraid the soldiers here know nothing. Or at least, they're pretending not to."

(Duvalie) "Doubt we were going to get any results from this anyway."

(Dutch) "Never hurt to try. Not like we got much else to do while we wait and twiddle with our thumbs."

(Romeo) "The sooner we can get our asses out of the cold, the better."

(Mickey) "These knights carry themselves pretty differently from everyone else we've seen."

The group turned their attention to the squads of soldiers patrolling the castle grounds, some with Knights accompanying them.

(Buck) "Now that you mentioned it, they got a lot more of those walking robots than everywhere we've been to."

(Raelyn) "Perhaps their situation faces more combat than the other two nations."

(Duvalie) "Or they're trying to keep their people in line."

(Romeo) "Didn't seem like the people were too bothered on the way up here."

(Dutch) "We also don't know the situation of this country either. But anyways Gunny, what's our next course of action?"

(Buck) "Hm, guess we can head back to the-"

Buck cut himself off when he saw a group of Pegasuses fly in with Wyverns.

...And a UNSC Warthog?

Seeing a Warthog and Mongoose in tow caught the ODST's attention, making them follow where they were landing, which was into a hangar.

Sitri stepped off the back with the help of Stefan and Elizabeth. Kairos, Astrid, and Helena were helped down by Forte and Lest.

Sarge, Grif, Simmons, and Tucker jumped out their vehicles and noticed the ODST's staring right at them.

(Romeo) "Spartans?!"

(Sarge) "What in sam hill, ODST's!?"

(Simmons) "...Did they just call us Spartans?"

Dedue and Ingrid hopped off their mounts and looked at Sitri.

(Dedue) "I will report our findings to King Dimitri immediately."

(Ingrid) "As should I. You all should probably get some rest, until then House Isekai."

Both of them saluted before walking off, giving time for everyone to talk to each other.

(Lest) "Are you guys part of Fodlan?"

(Raelyn) "We are not. I presume you are not either."

The ODST's visors turned off so that everyone could see their face, Raelyn took off his helmet.

Everyone took a moment to introduce themselves.

(Buck) "...Reds and Blues? Can't say we ever heard of you guys."

(Sarge) "Heh, not yet anyways! But it's good to see fellow ODST's fighting the good fight!"

(Dutch) "You're an ODST too?"

(Sarge) "Sure was, but anyways, what's the status in Fodlan? Me and my boys, plus the dirty blue, came to help out!"

(Lest) "As did me and Forte! We picked up some of the students while we were escaping, do you know them?"

Only now did the Auxiliary realize some of the Garreg Mach students were injured, including Sitri.

(Romeo) "Oh shit, what happened to the kids?"

They all walked over to the group who were taking a moment to breathe. Helena was heavily injured while Sitri was still unconscious. Astrid had a bandage on her arm while Kairos, Stefan, and Elizabeth were mostly unscathed.

Sitri was carried off by a three medics carrying a stretcher, taking her to the castle.

(Raelyn) "I take it the mission had some problems."

(Helena) "Ow...Yeah, something like that."

One of the medics approached the group.

(Medic) "We were ordered by Dedue to make sure you two receive proper medical treatment as well."

(Astrid) "Hey, can you three explain what happened to them?"

(Elizabeth) "Of course, now please rest up!"

After they left, Elizabeth cleared her throat.

(Elizabeth) "We completed our mission, but we did meet Doctor Valda."

Buck examined the group again, then turned back to her.

(Buck) "She gone rogue?"

(Stefan) "Yes, I'm afraid. She is working for the Separatists."

(Kairos) "She mentioned something that's been bothering me. Apparently her higherups decided to launch the Crimson Weapon without her go ahead, and it seems they're doing the same for the others."

(Lest) "E-Excuse me, what's the Crimson Weapon? And Separatists?"

(Tucker) "Yeah none of this shit was even here last time we were. ESPECIALLY all the high tech stuff."

(Kairos) "You were with House Isekai?"

(Simmons) "No, we were just here with Byleth during the war."

(Raelyn) "From my understanding, House Isekai was a major factor in ending the war, along with this 'Byleth'. How do you not know of them?"

(Duvalie) "We're going in circles, it's clear they don't have any idea what we're talking about!"

(Grif) "That's an understatement..."

(Lest) "Perhaps we should go to Byleth to have him explain this. Where is he anyway?"

(Elizabeth) "Um...I'm afraid we can't really answer that, though I think Professor Aigis can. Actually, where is she? She and Mercedes were supposed to be with you."

(Dutch) "The two mentioned going to the residential district, they should be on their way to the castle now."

(Forte) "Perhaps it'd be best if we did the same."

Everyone nodded in agreement, Elizabeth leading the way to the interior.

Gautier Territory...

[Spiderweb - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

Rean looked around the forest as he and the rest of Class VII left a trail of footprints in the snow.

They had arrived in Gautier territory about an hour ago, the train ride here only taking about two.

The advancement of technology in Fodlan still hadn't ceased to amaze, considering when they were last here everything was still in a medieval era.

Keeping his mind back to the present, Rean turned to look at his Class. Juna and Kurt were taken aback by the environment, Altina, Musse, and Ash being a little less impressed.

Annette led their group towards the location of the strange entity, spellbook on her waist.

Annette was a bit nervous. She tried her best to describe what the entity's appearance was to Class VII on the ride here, but truthfully no one knew. They definitely saw it, but as to what it was, no one knew how to even describe it.

It's as if leaving the area caused their memory to falter, as if it was covered in a haze of some kind.

(Altina) "...Movement ahead detected!"

Everyone stopped to draw their weapons out.

(Ash) "Alright, let's see what's kinda trouble this is going to be!"

(Juna) "...H-Hey, are you alright Miss Annette?"

Annette reached for her head as she staggered back, unable to continue standing.

Before she fell, Towa and Musse rushed over to grab her, making everyone run in front.

(Rean) "Get ready!"

(Altina) "Understood!"

Everyone saw movement in the trees as snow began to lightly blow away.

An orb revealed itself as it hovered above the ground, the snow gently flying away.

It appeared to be glowing blue, almost the same color as all the crystals from the Zanado Tower.

The biggest piece portruding to what they could only assume was the front turned to the group and flashed twice, projecting an aura around the group.

(Juna) "T-The heck, is it attacking?"

Everyone examined themselves and it didn't appear anything was happening. Annette stood back up and shook her head frustratingly.

(Annette) "Ugh, goddess my head's so...full!"

Rean and Towa slowly felt a pulsing headache grow exponentially larger, voices in the distance suddenly appearing.

(Kurt) "Instructor?!"

(Towa) "I-It's so loud!"

(Ash) "The hell is she talking about, I don't hear anything!"

(Juna) "I-I don't hear anything either...!"

BEEP BEEP!

[More Than Truth - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

(Orb) "Source signals detected! Thank goodness, I was beginning to believe no one would ever appear, we have much to do!"

When the orb spoke, suddenly Annette, Rean, and Towa could think clearly again, the voices all being silenced at once.

(Ash) "Wait, this floating ball can talk?"

The orb suddenly flew in Ash's face, clearly not amused.

(Orb) "I am not a 'thing'! I am Recorder 247B! And I have been waiting a VERY long time for anyone from the source to find me!"

(Annette) "Agh, what were those voices?"

It floated over to Annette, talking excitedly.

(Orb) "Scans to determine whether or not you were from the source, obviously. Debilitating, yes, but effective! They play from your past memories, and if you showed signs of fatigue, then that means you are!"

(Musse) "You were here waiting for someone?"

(Orb) "Yes, so very long! In fact, it has been 10 loops since I have last spoken to another being!"

(Rean) "Just stop for a second!"

It floated over to Rean now.

(Orb) "Is something the matter, Mister Rean?"

(Rean) "We don't know what you are, why you're here, and more importantly, what you did to the soldiers previously sent here to investigate."

(Orb) "Simple, memory erasure! I could not risk being discovered by a hostile group, so I clouded their memory enough to where they could continue their lives, but forget what I am!"

(Towa) "That explains why no one could give a concrete report..."

(Juna) "Guess our job is done...Not gonna lie, that was a bit anti-climactic."

(Kurt) "So why were you waiting here for Instructor Rean and Towa?"

(Orb) "Not specifically them, but for anyone from the source!"

(Ash) "You keep saying 'source' the hell does that mean?"

The orb floated over much more aggressively at Ash.

(Orb) "There is no need for such foul language! You sir have the elegance of a brute!"

(Musse) snrk!

(Ash) "Get outta my face!"

Shoving it away, the Orb floated back towards the front of the group.

(Orb) "To answer your question, the 'source' originates to anyone from the original time. Technically, only Miss Annette here is from the source, and Mister Rean and Miss Towa are from a 'Loop'!"

(Towa) "...H-Hang on a moment. When you say loop, do you mean-"

(Orb) "I mean when a group had visited Byleth and the Creator! Class VII specifically was Loop 2."

Rean, Towa, and Annette's eyes widened. This Orb had been alive for quite some time now.

(Annette) "Well, we're here now. What's the problem?"

(Orb) "The Zanado Tower has been springing up into other worlds ever since Loop 4! Containment protocol dictates we must hurry and destroy them! "

(Rean, Towa, Annette) !!!

(Orb) "Now that contact has been established, I can go ahead and disable the limitation on travelling and we can begin our tasks jumping into the other worlds!"

(Annette) "D-Does that mean the Tower is in your guys world?"

(Towa) "Not just us, but that means-"

(Rean) "Everyone else's too!"

(Musse) "We need to get back to Fhirdiad and tell this to the House!"

(Orb) "Not to worry, please follow me!"

The Orb began glowing once again before a portal tore open in front of them, showing House Isekai sitting at a meeting room.

(Buck) "WOAH!"

(Elizabeth) "GODDESS!"

(Sarge) "GAH! NOT ANOTHER PORTAL!"

(Lest) "N-Never gonna get used to that..."

(Aigis) "Rean?!"

(Orb) "Marvelous! More people to help!...Oh, I believe someone is trying to call us."

...

(VEGA) “We could attempt to teleport you to the source of the anomaly although the danger is quite high.”

Sara and Sharon exchanged looks before nodding.

(Sharon) “We are willing to accept the risks.”

Doomguy nodded and went over to the console as VEGA spoke.

(Vega) “Then we all bid you good luck.”

Sara and Sharon walked over to the platform as all the Persona Users stood up in anticipation.

(Sara) “Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”

As Doomguy was about to press the button, a blue portal suddenly tore itself into reality, silencing everyone.

(Aqua) “What the hell is all…this?”

(Ainz) “Oh.”

(Darkness) “…H-Hello everyone.”

Cocytus and Narberal looked at each other and shrugged.

(Sharon) “…I believe this only opens up more questions.”

(VEGA) "ALERT! Signals coming through from House Isekai!"

Everyone stood up in surprise, Doomguy rushing over to the communications center.

(Sara) "Hello, can anyone hear us?"

[Rean's Voice] "Instructor Sara?"

[Towa's Voice] "Oh my gosh, we can finally call you guys!"

[Kazuma's Voice] ...muttering.. "AH! THERE'S THE GODDAMN SPEAKER-...Er, uh hi. Yes, this is Kazuma. Sorry 'bout that, flying back on a Dragon."

[Venti's Voice] "Wyvern!"

[Kazuma's Voice] "SHUT UP!"

[Aigis's Voice] "We read you."

Everyone seemed relieved at hearing their voices.

Aqua, Cocytus, Darkness, Narberal, and Ainz stepped through the portal as it closed behind them, getting into the conversation.

(VEGA) "We have been attempting to get into contact with you for the past week. Has Class VII and the Persona Users completed their task?"

[Rean's Voice] "Well, we met up with Laura, Elliot, and Fie, but we haven't seen the Persona Users at all..."

(Akira) "You...You haven't? It was Ann, Ryuji, Mitsuru, and Naoto. Nothing at all?"

[Kazuma's Voice] "Nope, nothing."

[Aigis's Voice] "I was unaware that others had even arrived."

The Persona Users looked at each other nervously.

(Ainz) "Anyways, what's going on in Fodlan, is Sitri and the others alright?"

The explanation began by telling everyone about the Separatist situation in Fodlan, noting the mission Sitri and the Garreg Mach students had undertaken, by Rean, Towa, Kazuma, and Aigis.

Next, it began reporting the remnants of Those Who Slither and the Church by Annette, and the troubles they had been causing.

And Rean and Towa told the group about the orb, and it quickly chimed in.

[247B's Voice] "Ah, all the Loop signals are a sight for sore sensors! I am Recorder 247B, and we have much work to do! Towers are all in your worlds!"

Everyone tensed up.

(Darkness) "What?!"

(Orb) "Not only that, people from Loops not even related to your group has begun appearing, meaning this situation is more dire than anticipated!"

[Lest's Voice] "...I think that it means us..."

[Grif's Voice] "Ah bullshit, we were here before anyone else was! Probably..."

[247B's Voice] "Not incorrect, but we must begin immediately!"

Everyone remained silent, not sure what to do. The situation was far more complicated than anyone could possibly have imagined.

[247B's Voice] "Disabling the final limiter now, everyone should now be able to travel freely!"

...

The orb began glowing a bright blue, before the entire room began to shake.

(Tucker) "The fuck, this some kinda earthquake?!"

(Kairos) "The timing seems a bit too perfect, don't you think?!"

Fhirdiad shook violently, everyone surprised by the sudden earthquake.

...

Kazuma, Ashe, and the Knights of Favonius saw the trees shake.

(Jean) "What's going on?!"

(Amber) "Holy crap, over there! Something's glowing!"

They all turned to their left as a giant piercing beam in the sky shot into the heavens.

(Kazuma) "The Zanado Tower...!"

...

Laura, Fie, Elliot, and the creature accompanying them tried to hang onto something as the entire tower shook violently, throwing them onto the ground.

(Elliot) "GWAH?!"

(Laura) "HANG ON!"

Laura grabbed Elliot, while Fie grabbed onto the edge of a crystal with her arm on the creature's, all of them beginning to slide down as the platform broke.

(Fie) "BELOW US!"

A portal opened up and swallowed the four as they screamed and disappeared.

...

(Ryuji) "HOLY SHIT, EARTHQUAKE!"

Naoto held firmly onto the machine's eye while Ann, Ryuji, and Mitsuru tried to avoid the bits of metal flying everywhere as the Orks panicked from the tower shaking.

(Gravestompah) "DA ZOG IS GOIN' ON?!"

...

(Valda) "What in the world...?"

Doctor Valda looked mildly irritated as her room shook, her Commando Droids looking around for intruders, weapons out.

Signals on her crystal began going off as she pulled out, a small smirk growing.

(Valda) "Finally, some good news for a change."

...

The room displayed massive crystals that showed reflections of House Isekai and their reactions to the tower moving.

Although it was heavily distorted and any normal person would be barely able to hear what was being said, the figure watching had no such difficulty.

"CONTACT ESTABLISHED, LIMITERS REMOVED."

The figure put its hand onto the floor as the room opened up, the skies shimmering a glowing green as it began to activate.

"COMMENCING CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL."

======

[Machine Gun - THE ORAL CIGARETTES]

ACT 1: ENDED

Under the orders of Sitri, House Isekai has been reestablished due to the threats of Separatist and offworld forces.

Being able to regroup with the original members, they all share their findings on Fodlan.

However, the threat from the past has resurfaced in the form of remnants of the Church, Those Who Slither, and the Zanado Tower.

Not only but those previously unaffected by the actions of Byleth and Sothis have come into play, meeting House Isekai as their fates become intertwined.

From the actions of the Separatists to the mysterious Agarthan who seems to be wanting to help, House Isekai finds themselves at a crossroad, needing all hands on deck. Can House Isekai prevent war from breaking out in Fodlan once again, or will they be doomed to repeat the mistakes of their past?

TO BE CONTINUED IN ACT 2...

#House Isekai #House Isekai ARR #crossover #fanfic

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miras-ash · 10 months

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Chapter 13 of "Just as the stars love the night"

Ash's pov

Three doctors including Doc scurried around me, giving me a final exam for now and checking their notes before I finally got the go after more than a month. I was finally discharged. I thanked everyone and especially Doc, they had saved my life and patched me up as best they could. Even though it would take some time, the worst was healed, only my leg needed some attention, after all it had needed three skin grafts but at least I could use it again without major difficulties. This was probably due to the advanced technology of Nighthaven, their biotech was out of this world.

I grabbed the crutches and left the room, I was supposed to be in a wheelchair but I was tired of lying or sitting all day, it was time to get back on the horse, well as good as I could.

In front of the room Jordan and little Maho were already waiting, they were my welcome wagon and pick up committee since Elena was working again after I had talked her into it. It was just about time, I appreciated her attention and care and having her back with me was wonderful but she was too important to all of this and I knew how much she loved being in the lab.

As soon as I was out the door Maho came running up to me and clung to my legs and looked up at me.

"Auntie Lizzie! We're going on a field trip because you're feeling better after all."

I would have loved to take her up in my arms, I missed my little bird so much after all, unfortunately I wasn't able to, so I ruffled her hair vigorously and greeted her warmly.

And indeed the two had something planned, together we went outside and with a lift we reached the beach. It was the first time I was outside for real, not just up in the little garden or the helicopter landing pad. A warm breeze blew over the sea, whose waves kissed the light sandy beach, the seagulls above our heads screeched and flew their circles as if they were dancing and the sun, the wonderful sun shone on my skin which had longed so much for the rays. It felt like I was feeling life again for the first time after a very long time.

After we had found a good spot, Jordan spread out the blanket, put up the parasol and unpacked a few snacks including fresh sandwiches. My mouth was already watering again and it hadn't been that long since lunch. Maho looked at me excitedly while handing me an extra thick tuna sandwich.

"I made this for you. Well mom helped a little but I told her what to do. We made extra many because you do have to eat more or the baby will still be hungry."

She gave me the bread and then sat down next to me, got really close to my belly and then started talking.

"Hi baby, it's me again, Maho. We're at the beach with Uncle Jordan. I know you can't see this so I better tell you. I love you so much!"

Maho had made it a habit to talk to the little girl once a day or at least whenever she saw me, to get her to become her best friend one day. It actually helped me tremendously to cope with the situation better, if Maho saw nothing but pure joy and love in it, then I could too. After all, this being inside of me was not to blame for what had happened. On the contrary, it had no choice, just like me.

Still, it was an absolutely unusual and scary situation for me and probably for Mira as well. We had never really talked about children before, we thought they were great but our work was too demanding and now we were thrown into this situation without warning. I was scared simply because of all the circumstances and Elena was scared because she never had a mother herself. So we were both pretty prejudiced.

A tap on my shoulder snapped me out of my thoughts, I must have been pretty far away. That happened a lot in the past weeks.

"Is everything okay?"

Jordan eyed me anxiously.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Just got lost in thought."

He laughed in relief.

"Don't apologize for that, as an old man I'm just worried. Well, shall we not keep Maho any longer? She's been on my case since yesterday that she wants to go swimming."

At the word "swimming," Maho jumped up, clapped her hands enthusiastically and tried to pull Jordan by his trunks toward the water.

He helped me up, propped me up and together we headed toward the ocean.

The warm water lapped at my feet and I dug my toes into the wet sand a bit, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths just enjoying the here and now. Just two months ago, I had been locked in this hole and closer to death than I had ever been. Now I was standing here, surrounded by my friends and family, life within reach...

After a great and fun day at the beach, I fell into bed in the evening. The first time in a real room, without medical equipment, without constant control visits, but with the woman I loved. Elena took me in her arms, kissed me and together we fell asleep.

#rainbow six siege #ash #r6 ash #tom clancy #eliza cohen #mira x ash #r6s mira #mira #ash x mira #mirash #r6 fanfiction #fanfiction #thermite #r6s thermite #Maho r6

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lesmislettersdaily · 1 year

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The Traveller On His Arrival Takes Precautions For Departure

Volume 1: Fantine; Book 7: The Champmathieu Affair; Chapter 7: The Traveller On His Arrival Takes Precautions For Departure

It was nearly eight o’clock in the evening when the cart, which we left on the road, entered the porte-cochère of the Hotel de la Poste in Arras; the man whom we have been following up to this moment alighted from it, responded with an abstracted air to the attentions of the people of the inn, sent back the extra horse, and with his own hands led the little white horse to the stable; then he opened the door of a billiard-room which was situated on the ground floor, sat down there, and leaned his elbows on a table; he had taken fourteen hours for the journey which he had counted on making in six; he did himself the justice to acknowledge that it was not his fault, but at bottom, he was not sorry.

The landlady of the hotel entered.

“Does Monsieur wish a bed? Does Monsieur require supper?”

He made a sign of the head in the negative.

“The stableman says that Monsieur’s horse is extremely fatigued.”

Here he broke his silence.

“Will not the horse be in a condition to set out again to-morrow morning?”

“Oh, Monsieur! he must rest for two days at least.”

He inquired:—

“Is not the posting-station located here?”

“Yes, sir.”

The hostess conducted him to the office; he showed his passport, and inquired whether there was any way of returning that same night to M. sur M. by the mail-wagon; the seat beside the post-boy chanced to be vacant; he engaged it and paid for it. “Monsieur,” said the clerk, “do not fail to be here ready to start at precisely one o’clock in the morning.”

This done, he left the hotel and began to wander about the town.

He was not acquainted with Arras; the streets were dark, and he walked on at random; but he seemed bent upon not asking the way of the passers-by. He crossed the little river Crinchon, and found himself in a labyrinth of narrow alleys where he lost his way. A citizen was passing along with a lantern. After some hesitation, he decided to apply to this man, not without having first glanced behind and in front of him, as though he feared lest some one should hear the question which he was about to put.

“Monsieur,” said he, “where is the court-house, if you please.”

“You do not belong in town, sir?” replied the bourgeois, who was an oldish man; “well, follow me. I happen to be going in the direction of the court-house, that is to say, in the direction of the hotel of the prefecture; for the court-house is undergoing repairs just at this moment, and the courts are holding their sittings provisionally in the prefecture.”

“Is it there that the Assizes are held?” he asked.

“Certainly, sir; you see, the prefecture of to-day was the bishop’s palace before the Revolution. M. de Conzié, who was bishop in ’82, built a grand hall there. It is in this grand hall that the court is held.”

On the way, the bourgeois said to him:—

“If Monsieur desires to witness a case, it is rather late. The sittings generally close at six o’clock.”

When they arrived on the grand square, however, the man pointed out to him four long windows all lighted up, in the front of a vast and gloomy building.

“Upon my word, sir, you are in luck; you have arrived in season. Do you see those four windows? That is the Court of Assizes. There is light there, so they are not through. The matter must have been greatly protracted, and they are holding an evening session. Do you take an interest in this affair? Is it a criminal case? Are you a witness?”

He replied:—

“I have not come on any business; I only wish to speak to one of the lawyers.”

“That is different,” said the bourgeois. “Stop, sir; here is the door where the sentry stands. You have only to ascend the grand staircase.”

He conformed to the bourgeois’s directions, and a few minutes later he was in a hall containing many people, and where groups, intermingled with lawyers in their gowns, were whispering together here and there.

It is always a heart-breaking thing to see these congregations of men robed in black, murmuring together in low voices, on the threshold of the halls of justice. It is rare that charity and pity are the outcome of these words. Condemnations pronounced in advance are more likely to be the result. All these groups seem to the passing and thoughtful observer so many sombre hives where buzzing spirits construct in concert all sorts of dark edifices.

This spacious hall, illuminated by a single lamp, was the old hall of the episcopal palace, and served as the large hall of the palace of justice. A double-leaved door, which was closed at that moment, separated it from the large apartment where the court was sitting.

The obscurity was such that he did not fear to accost the first lawyer whom he met.

“What stage have they reached, sir?” he asked.

“It is finished,” said the lawyer.

“Finished!”

This word was repeated in such accents that the lawyer turned round.

“Excuse me sir; perhaps you are a relative?”

“No; I know no one here. Has judgment been pronounced?”

“Of course. Nothing else was possible.”

“To penal servitude?”

“For life.”

He continued, in a voice so weak that it was barely audible:—

“Then his identity was established?”

“What identity?” replied the lawyer. “There was no identity to be established. The matter was very simple. The woman had murdered her child; the infanticide was proved; the jury threw out the question of premeditation, and she was condemned for life.”

“So it was a woman?” said he.

“Why, certainly. The Limosin woman. Of what are you speaking?”

“Nothing. But since it is all over, how comes it that the hall is still lighted?”

“For another case, which was begun about two hours ago.”

“What other case?”

“Oh! this one is a clear case also. It is about a sort of blackguard; a man arrested for a second offence; a convict who has been guilty of theft. I don’t know his name exactly. There’s a bandit’s phiz for you! I’d send him to the galleys on the strength of his face alone.”

“Is there any way of getting into the court-room, sir?” said he.

“I really think that there is not. There is a great crowd. However, the hearing has been suspended. Some people have gone out, and when the hearing is resumed, you might make an effort.”

“Where is the entrance?”

“Through yonder large door.”

The lawyer left him. In the course of a few moments he had experienced, almost simultaneously, almost intermingled with each other, all possible emotions. The words of this indifferent spectator had, in turn, pierced his heart like needles of ice and like blades of fire. When he saw that nothing was settled, he breathed freely once more; but he could not have told whether what he felt was pain or pleasure.

He drew near to many groups and listened to what they were saying. The docket of the session was very heavy; the president had appointed for the same day two short and simple cases. They had begun with the infanticide, and now they had reached the convict, the old offender, the “return horse.” This man had stolen apples, but that did not appear to be entirely proved; what had been proved was, that he had already been in the galleys at Toulon. It was that which lent a bad aspect to his case. However, the man’s examination and the depositions of the witnesses had been completed, but the lawyer’s plea, and the speech of the public prosecutor were still to come; it could not be finished before midnight. The man would probably be condemned; the attorney-general was very clever, and never missed his culprits; he was a brilliant fellow who wrote verses.

An usher stood at the door communicating with the hall of the Assizes. He inquired of this usher:—

“Will the door be opened soon, sir?”

“It will not be opened at all,” replied the usher.

“What! It will not be opened when the hearing is resumed? Is not the hearing suspended?”

“The hearing has just been begun again,” replied the usher, “but the door will not be opened again.”

“Why?”

“Because the hall is full.”

“What! There is not room for one more?”

“Not another one. The door is closed. No one can enter now.”

The usher added after a pause: “There are, to tell the truth, two or three extra places behind Monsieur le Président, but Monsieur le Président only admits public functionaries to them.”

So saying, the usher turned his back.

He retired with bowed head, traversed the antechamber, and slowly descended the stairs, as though hesitating at every step. It is probable that he was holding counsel with himself. The violent conflict which had been going on within him since the preceding evening was not yet ended; and every moment he encountered some new phase of it. On reaching the landing-place, he leaned his back against the balusters and folded his arms. All at once he opened his coat, drew out his pocket-book, took from it a pencil, tore out a leaf, and upon that leaf he wrote rapidly, by the light of the street lantern, this line: M. Madeleine, Mayor of M. sur M.; then he ascended the stairs once more with great strides, made his way through the crowd, walked straight up to the usher, handed him the paper, and said in an authoritative manner:—

“Take this to Monsieur le Président.”

The usher took the paper, cast a glance upon it, and obeyed.

#les mis #les mis letters #volume 1: fantine #book 7: the champmathieu affair #chapter 7

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tarotlogy · 1 year

Text

SIX OF CUPS

HOME, CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

KEYWORDS

Emotional Security, Being Cared for, Giving and Receiving, Openness, Sharing, Goodwill, Kindness, Charity, Gifts, Blessings, Simple Joys, Helping, Forgiveness, Peace, Harmony, Protected, Being Guarded by another, Calm, Contentment, Sanctuary, Fortress, Security, Restricted Freedom/Movement, Predictability, The Past, Past Influences, Nostalgia, Longing, Yearning, Homesick, Familiarity, Innocence, Trust, Childhood, Childhood Sweetheart/Friends, A Child/Baby, Young Person, Playful, Youthful, Courtship, Memories, Reminiscing, Trip down Memory Lane, The Homestead, Hometown, Old Haunts, Old Friends, The Good old Days, The Past, Childhood Issues/Abuse, Old Age, Senility, Nursing Homes, Nurseries

CARD DESCRIPTION AND IMAGERY

As we prepare to enter the Six of Cups, let us take a few moments to cast our mind back to the Five. When we last visited the Cups, it was very upsetting indeed and we worried about how the black cloaked Figure was going to recover sufficiently to find their way back over the bridge into life again. The Figure had friends or family standing by waiting to help but it was too soon to let anyone get close. Perhaps the Figure didn’t want to be comforted, preferring to wallow in their sadness instead. When we left the Cups behind to explore the other Suits we weren’t quite sure how long the Figure would stand there staring at the fallen Cups in front of them. Would they ever acknowledge their friends or see the bridge in the distance? It is true that damage was done but the Figure needed to come round to accepting that life had changed and possibly irrevocably. For the purpose of describing this Card we shall refer to the Figure from the Five of Cups as a she or her but it can equally be a he or him if you prefer.

Moving on to the Six, we are relieved to see that much light has come into the situation. It is obvious that the sad Figure eventually lifted her head, looked around and saw those who had stood by, waiting a long time. Reaching out to each other they embrace and tears fall all round. After much hugging and comforting, they take their first tentative steps towards the bridge, encouraging the fragile woman and assuring her that all will be well, for they are there to help. They will cross the bridge with her and any other ones they encounter along the way. Upon asking where she wants to go, she instantly replies “take me home. I want to go home”. Home, Homesickness, the Past, Past Influences, Nostalgia and Memories are key elements that accompany The Six of Cups.

If you have ever watched the movie Gone with The Wind, you will be familiar with the heroine of it, Scarlet O’Hara, who was played by Vivien Leigh. Scarlet was a wilful young woman who was strong-minded and quite self-centred. She had an terrible habit of drawing drama to herself. At times it was funny but at other times she had to endure terrible trauma, starvation and want. At these times of despair, Scarlett would reach a terrible low (like the Figure in Card Five) and often flung herself to the ground, unable to cope with the burden she had been given. Each time we thought she would not get up again as she had nothing left to fight for, but somehow or other she always managed to drag herself to her feet. The camera would zoom in on her face so that we could see the look of delirium before it was quickly replaced by a sudden dawning of realisation or inspiration. She would then dramatically declare, “I know what I will do. I will go home. That’s it, home to Tara”. With no time to lose, she would have found herself a wagon or horse for the journey and be off.

Tara was the large plantation family home she had grown up on and she loved every bit of it. Tara was where she got her strength from and it was to Tara she always ran when life got difficult or upsetting. Her parents, both gentle and loving, had infinite patience with her and put up with all the antics she got involved in. The staff and servants, although in despair of her at times for not acting lady-like enough, indulged her childish ways and selfish attitude. Tara was where she felt safe, loved, cared for and properly fed. It also was home to all her precious childhood memories. No matter how bad life was, she was bound to feel better once she returned to Tara. She was always Homesick for Tara.

The Six of Cups nicely displays this scenario as we get a feel for the atmosphere contained within the Card. After times of loss, sadness or despair we often take comfort and solace from familiar places and those we have known the longest, such as old friends and family. We crave what is secure and steady as we have coped with enough change for the moment. In the Six of Cups, her friends or family members will happily take her home to ensure that she is well cared for and loved back to her natural warm self once more. Back in the bosom of her family and friends she won’t have to think of a thing, for everyone will be eager to smooth the way for her. They will protect her as much as they can, and if at all possible, shield her from further pain. The woman looks at her friends and realises how lucky she is to have been blessed with such good people in her life. They have known her throughout good and bad times. They have shared both tears of laughter and sobs of sorrow. Their very act of kindness begins to remove some of the chill from her heart and she is glad to accept all offers of help. In the Six of Cups, the woman’s loyal friends will stand by her and look for nothing in return. This is what friends are for and they know that she would do the same for them if the situation was reversed. They all have history between them or go back a long way.

As the Figure returns to the Family Home to heal, she inhales the permanence of all she sees in front of her. She feels relieved to see that very little has changed. The road down to the house still looks the same and the local town makes her giggle as she recalls buying ice-cream and staring across at the boys coming out from the record store on the street corner. She screams “Oh my God, there’s Mrs Gordon, she can’t be still alive can she? as she sees a small rotund woman cross the road to the pharmacy. “Sure she was ancient when I was a little one. She must be at least 200 years old” . And there is Mr. Godfrey, the butcher, still writing up his daily specials on the old chalk sandwich board outside his shop. He looks at her and then looks again but does not nod or wave. She smiles to herself. She knows he has recognised her but just can’t put a name to the face. Laughing, she is hit by a sudden pang of strong nostalgia as she sees the old oak tree on the avenue where she used to hang out. Carved into the ancient gnarled bark, large as ever, are her initials intertwined by those of her first love, her childhood sweetheart, Joe. She racks her brain to think of when she last saw him and wonders what he ever did with his life; was he married, did he have kids, was he even still alive?

As she pulls up outside her family home, she releases a deep breath and acknowledges that she should visit more often. Children play happily on the street and scurry round her as she takes her bags from the boot of the car. They ask her name and what she is doing. She chats with them for a while and watches them play. She can’t believe they still do skipping outside no 10. For a moment she is transported back in time and sees herself holding one end of the rope while her friend, Cathy, holds the other. Their little skipping song runs through her head and she is surprised to remember all the words. She suddenly feels a lump rise in her throat and her eyes fill with tears. Looking back, she thinks of how simple life was as a child, how innocent and carefree they all were. When did it all get so complicated? If only she could go back to being one of these children playing on the street, then she would not have to deal with difficult decisions or feel any pain except when she fell on the ground. Even back then, when she was upset, there was always mother or father to sort things out and make everything feel better. Now she craves that attention once more and is looking forward to being looked after in the coming weeks.

As she stands beside the children, all grown up in comparison to their childishness, we see the yearning for those simple days of innocence symbolised in the two Figures in Card Six. In The Six of Cups, we see one Figure tenderly handing a Cup with a white Lily to a smaller Figure who wears White Gloves. The White Gloves are symbolic of innocence, fragility and protection. The smaller Figure looks up to the taller one with rapt attention and seems to be entranced with what he has to say. It looks like a very special moment is being shared. As they stand in their garden, they feel safe and protected. A Guard patrols the area and buildings which appear very close to each other ensuring that nothing of any danger will get in. The Guard and Walls also prevent the children from straying out of their safe environment into possible danger.

The children look as if they have just raided a Dressing-Up Box as their clothes look unsuitable for their childish frames. They might be playing Make-Believe Games and pretending to be older than they actually are. The taller Figure does appear to be older than the smaller one but there is an air of acceptance and sharing between them. He is happy to give and she, happy to receive.

The girl in our story stares at the children wishing to be one of them again while the children look up to her and wish they could be all grown up, just like her. The children wish to learn from her and they have much of value to offer her. There is mutual enjoyment in their observations even if they are a bit whimsical.

Walking up the driveway, she runs her hand along the smooth paintwork of her father’s old Ford. Bits of rust are dotted here and there but otherwise it still looks the same. Even the old floral scatter cushions are still on the back seat. Nothing has changed. Inside the house, her parents have taken turns to watch out for her arrival and now they burst out the door eager to hug and embrace their daughter who is in need of their help. They had extended the invitation some time ago “you know you can always come home sweetheart, your room is still there and we would be so happy to have you”. However, in her early stages of sadness and pain she had just wanted to be alone and wait for everything to return to normal. When it didn’t, home she thought she would never get. Dragging her inside the house, her mother assured her that dinner was just ready and that her father would fetch her bags out of the car.

Her bedroom looked the same as it did the day she left it several years ago. It even had the same smell which conjured up all sorts of memories of teenage perfumes and nail varnish. Her mother had laid out fresh towels for her and everything was just so. Sitting down on the pink eider-down cover on her bed, she felt momentarily lost and panicked. Caught between two worlds, the past and the future, she was unsure of what she should do next. For the moment, she was home and as Scarlet O’Hara often said “I can’t think about this right now, I can’t. I will go crazy if I do. I know, I will think about it tomorrow. That’s right, I’ll think about it tomorrow. For tomorrow is, another day.”

In the Six of Cups the woman spends a wonderful period of time being cared for and looked after by her adoring parents. Meals are laid out on the table and her clothes washed, ironed and hung back in her room again. Nothing is asked of her, not even questions about all the trauma she had been through. They had told her to take her time, and only when she felt ready, then she could fill them in on all that went on. She was happy with that as pressure from any side was the last thing she wanted or needed. She just had to find her balance one more and feel peace of mind.

She spent her days helping her father in the back garden. They planted White Lilies in Gold Pots and placed them on the patio. The back garden was bordered by an Old Tall Brick Wall and Houses (the background buildings). As a child, she had thought that the Wall towered high up into the sky, but now, it just seemed average height to her. It was funny she thought, how one’s perspective as a child can be so different. She and her friends had used that Wall in many of their games. At times it was a strong Fortress Wall to keep out the enemy and at other times, it was their Castle Wall as they danced around in princess dresses. Now, it was just a Wall and the neighbours houses behind seemed much closer than she remembered. Oh to have the wild imagination of a young child she mused.

At other times, she went shopping with her mother or fetched groceries for Mrs. Armstrong, the elderly lady two doors down who could no longer get around. As a child, she had not spoken much to Mrs Armstrong and as a teenager and young adult had nothing at all in common with her. In fact she had never been in her house before but here she was, happily shopping for her, mowing her lawn and sipping tea with the old lady over a friendly chat. Who would have thought it? Her being Community Spirited and doing Kind Deeds for the neighbours! It made her feel good inside and was far more rewarding to think of others for a while and not just herself. Mrs. Armstrong was far more inquisitive than her parents and asked constantly about her situation. She probably didn’t have many callers so enjoyed the bit of companionship and gossip when she got it.

The children on the street often asked her to come out and play. She was happy to oblige them. She showed them some of the games she played as a child, which of course she then had to join in on just to make sure they got it right. She had a great time but wished she had more of their energy.

Life moved on nicely and as each day passed, she became stronger, healthier and more balanced in herself. She no longer constantly thought about her situation but just enjoyed the simple things in life. She watched television with her parents and got hooked on the old black and white movies they forced her to watch. She called in on old school friends who still lived in the neighbour hood, catching up and even babysitting for them on occasions. She was happy in herself, that is, until two things happened and it seemed to take off from there. Change was coming once more. Those hazy days of summer began to blow away.

On one of her trips to the local store she encountered Joe, her childhood sweetheart, at the counter. She was surprised to see him as she had heard he now lived abroad. Joe wasn’t as shocked to see her for his parents had told him she was home. As they spoke her heart beat very fast and she felt awkward in her speech. She couldn’t wait to get away from him as she was not suitably dressed for such encounters. Her hair hadn’t been washed in two days and her clothes were soiled from working in the garden. Joe didn’t seem to notice and looked her over admiringly a few times. He told her he would be around for a while as his father was recovering from a stroke and he had come home to help with the business.

When she went home that day, she made casual enquiries from her mother about Joe and found out that he had been married but that his wife had left him for her boss. He had two children but the ex-wife had custody of them. “Poor man” her mother sighed. “Apparently, he only gets to see them two or three times a year”. She also found out from her mother that he lived and worked in France but often travelled as part of his job. He was single as far as she knew. And so, her content calm state vanished. All she could do was think about Joe even though she hadn’t a clue why. She was not in the market for a man, certainly not after all she had been through. Imagine, after all these years, getting back with your childhood sweetheart. It was the stuff movies were made of but daft otherwise. However, she did spend an awful lot of time after that going up and down to the shops for the slightest thing. She had several encounters with Joe, at first just standing on the street talking, then it was coffee, then a drink and before they knew it, they were going out on dates.

The second change came when her parents started to push about her plans for the future. They were eager to promote Joe to her and kept going on about how nice a man he was. Her mother occasionally read her texts if she left her phone lying around and often walked into the living room while they were having a kiss or cuddle. It also started to annoy her that no matter where she put things in her bedroom, her mother would come in and move them around. Things she hadn’t noticed before began to irritate her. Every time she went out with Joe they asked were they were going and what time they would be back at? Would she be having dinner with them or were they eating out? Sometimes they didn’t know where they were going, when they would be back or whether lunch or dinner was included but her parents, especially her mother, needed to know for some reason or other. She began to remember that the same thing annoyed her years ago and she used to say to her best friend back then that she couldn’t wait to move out. How had she forgotten?

She began to feel the four walls close in around her. Everywhere she went, there they were, asking if she was okay and wanting to know what she was doing or planning to do. Even when she sought peace and quiet in the back garden it wouldn’t be long until her father appeared out from behind a bush needing help with the pruning or picking up leaves. They seemed to be everywhere and anywhere. She also felt she was being watched by the neighbours on the far side of the garden wall who she often found in deep chat with her mother. When she tried to lose a bit of weight by cutting down on some of the constant feeding that was going on, her mother took it as a personal insult and sulked.

What had happened to change things so much she thought as she stood staring out the window at the children playing. The answer came quickly enough. For that blissfully unaware period of time she had worn those old Rose Tinted Glasses that she didn’t even realise she possessed. Her need for comfort and security had caused temporary amnesia or had strangely altered her recollection of the past. Now when she looked at her parents, the lines on their face became more pronounced. Her mother seemed stuck in habits and routines, cooking and cleaning for a family long gone. Her father more worryingly so, appeared not completely with-it at times. He was forgetful and she noticed he sometimes talked about things he needed to do in the garden that he had already done the day before. He also had a bad shake in his left hand and very rarely took the car out of the driveway anymore. He seemed tired and looked so small at times. Like Scarlet O’Hara, who arrives back at Tara after fighting her way through “those damn Yankees�� she finds that everything has changed. Her mother is laid out in the front parlour after dying that day and her father’s mind is half-gone. He still thinks the mother is alive. Scarlet, who was used to running home every time there was a problem, now has to face the fact that Tara has changed. Her mother is dead and her father out of his mind. There is no food in the house or crops in the field. Scarlet, hungry, tired and drained realises that she can no longer rely on her parents to sort out her life because everyone now relies on her. She has to grow up rather fast.

Why had she thought things hadn’t changed? Was it that she so desperately needed the comfort of familiarity when she herself had felt so unsteady and unsure. Change was the last thing she needed for so much had already changed in her life. She fooled herself into thinking that she could keep everything the same but she now realised she had no control over that. Change would always come and what she needed right now was some of the very thing she had tried to avoid, Change.

One thing was for certain, she could no longer stay where she was. She had enjoyed her time at home, being looked after by her family and friends. Even the neighbours had helped, the kids on the road too, but now she had come to the stage where she felt cramped and restricted by her environment. Yes, it was just what the doctor had ordered at the time and she would heartily recommend it to anyone in her situation, but only for a short period of time. Life and the world outside, were carrying on without her. If she did not move her life on soon, she would begin to stagnate. She must now take responsibility for her own life and not lean on others so much. She felt safe and secure in the knowledge that she had good friends, wonderful family and a place she could always call home so it could not harm to dip her toe in ocean once more. She was truly blessed to have been given a second chance and could look positively to the future. Back in the Five, she had thought her life over but now in the Six, she realised it was only just begining.

She felt ready to face the world again and take on a few new challenges in life. Ready to open her heart to forgiveness and move on, she felt healed and much stronger but also confused as to what exactly it was she wanted to do. Joe was heading back to France shortly and she should think about heading off too. She no longer had the heavy sadness looming over her so her head was free to properly explore her options. For the first time in a long time, she felt excited about her future. She was ready to find herself but first she must identify her needs, desires and feelings before taking off in just any old direction. She loved her parents very much but accepted that once she had left home all those years ago to make a life for herself there was never going to be a way to go back to those carefree days of childhood again. Yes, she would always visit and she could see they were getting older but for now they were fine and she would need to make her own way in life once more.

As she watched her mother and father going about their chores, her heart almost burst with emotion. They were indeed getting older. They had done nothing wrong. They were doing what they always did and were happy to. She now saw them similar to children who needed to be minded and not the other way around. She would worry about them in the way they had worried about her but she knew that should the time come when they would need her, she would be home in a heart beat to tend and care for them, for that is what you do for the people you love. It is unconditional and does not come with strings attached.

As for Joe and their future, only time would tell. If they were meant to be together then it would happen but for now she would not worry as she had a lot to plan for and some packing to do.

On the day she left home again, her mother and father stood in the driveway, tears welling up in their eyes. She would be home again soon she assured them. She wouldn’t leave it so long again. Just as she was preparing to pull away from the kerb, her father put his hand up and asked her to wait. He had forgotten to give her something. He disappeared around the side of the house and into the back garden. He seemed to be gone forever but then reappeared. He had something in his hand. In through the window of the car he handed her one of the White Lilies they had planted in the gold flower pots (innocence, beauty, gift). “This one is for you my dear. Mind you look after it as well as I have looked after mine. Plenty of water and sunshine and they will be as right as rain”. She took the White Lily, holding his hand for a few seconds before letting it go. “What a lovely gift. Don’t worry, I will look after it well. You know, I did pick up a few things about gardening from watching you over the last few weeks. You are a good teacher” she replied and promised to ” treasure it forever”. As she drove out through the town, she noticed how tired and faded it all looked, but didn’t care, for this would always be home to her, her Tara, the place she loved, and one day, she would bring her own children here. She would proudly show them where she grew up and tell them all the wonderful stories of her childhood. Hopefully her parents would still be around to share them with and who knows, maybe they would plant some White Lily bulbs.

If you like the story line above why not watch Gone With The Wind for yourself and see how you can apply the Six of Cups to aspects of the storyline. Another movie which focuses on the return to the homestead after upset and pain stars Sandra Bullock and is called Hope Floats (1998). Sandra plays the role of a woman Roberta (Birdiee) Pruitt who thinks she is happily married until she is publicly humiliated on a live show when it is revealed to her that her husband is having an affair with her best friend. Taking her daughter Bernice (Mae Whitman) and whatever she can pack into the car, she returns to her family home in Smithville, Texas and to her eccentric mother Ramona, played by Gena Rowlands and father Bill (Michael Parre) . Unlike Scarlet O’Hara who was constantly running home, Birdiee has a tough time readjusting and finds the town pretty much as she left it. However, there is a romantic tie-up with a childhood friend Justin, played by Harry Connick Jnr. It is a lovely story and nice to watch how her mother, regardless of Birdiee’s disinterest, does her best to mind her and bring her out of herself. Birdiee also has to face the fact that her mother is not getting any younger and has health problems. Her father is also struggling with Alzheimers Disease. Birdiee’s daughter has also to settle into her new environment and the transition is not easy for her either.

Going home brings it blessings and curses into Birdiee’s life as she struggles with divorce and a child who wants her father back. At times, she feels she has stepped back in time and is a complete failure. She is very different to the woman who left home and Smithville many years before, but the town’s attitude to her has not altered over the years. The walls of the Six of Cups and over-closeness of everyone drive Birdiee to distraction and near suffocation at times. Birdiee has many ups and downs to go through before she can find balance and stability in her life. She also has to come to terms with her past, her neighbours and make peace with her family so that she can build a future for her and her daughter. She eventually finds healing in the very last place she thought she would.

Her story has a different outcome to mine above but it does have that warm wholesome feel of The Six of Cups even though it is not always a bed of roses. A real feel-good movie for sure.

MEANING

When the Six of Cups appears in a Spread, it often suggests that the past is being focussed upon or that the issues surrounding the Reading are being influenced by something in your past. By looking into your past, you may find the answer, solution or at least an explanation. Memories of the past flood in. For some reason or other, the past is significant in your life right now and you must ask why? It may be due to your current situation not bringing you the happiness you seek. If you were happy in the past, and it does not necessarily mean childhood, then you could be yearning for the old days or how things used to be.

The Six of Cups can also act as a warning that you are living in or fixated with the past. If you are too rooted in the past it stops your forward progress and there is a danger of becoming shut down and very narrow-minded. Your memory of the past may be distorted, based more on fiction rather than fact. If you continue to live in the past, life will pass you by and leave you behind.

If you have been through a tough time, then the Six of Cups can suggest that you are, or need to, seek support or solace from friends and family at this time. You may feel safer and more comfortable with familiar faces and places so it is not a good time for starting new things or heading off on your own. If you need to talk to someone about a problem then it should be someone who knows you well as he or she will better understand your situation and how it is affecting you. There are many you know who would gladly help. They may be standing by waiting for you to make the first move. Perhaps, an older member of the family who you look up to and respect? They may be only too willing to share some wise experience with you.

The Six of Cups may signify a time when you return to the family home or locations from the past to heal and restore. Feeling nervous and insecure you may hunger after safety and security. You may feel the need, or crave, to be looked after and cared for by others. You may not feel capable of looking after yourself right now which is understandable if you are recovering from loss or trauma. After all the insecurity the sadness and loss the Five brought, one seeks a place of sanctuary. A need to be shielded from the pain of life in the outside world encourages the retreat into the guarded fortress. Nothing is going to get at you in here. You are safe, for the moment anyway. You need to heal and find emotional stability so accept any offers of help that come your way without feeling guilty or imposing. You must learn how to receive graciously and thankfully. All offers of help are genuine and sincere, so relax in the knowledge that you will do the same for them if ever the need arises. Don’t worry about being indebted to those who help at present for you will naturally find a way of returning the compliment. You may be surprised by the goodwill and kindness that is extended to you. Many around you are interested in your welfare and only want the best for you. Expect spontaneous acts of charity, sharing and benevolence. Rest assured, peace and harmony will return to your life very shortly.

Giving or Receiving a beautiful Gift may be represented by The Six of Cups. The Gift may be a present or surprise but it might also be an inherited Gift such as a talent or skill. There may also be the Gift of Forgiveness. You could be either the giver or recipient of this Healing Gift. You may inherit the family home, part of it or some valuable belongings or you could be making your will. As we see the taller Figure hand the Cup down to the Smaller one, it can symbolise that some one is entrusting into your care an item of great emotional worth and significance. You will need to care for it as they once did. There may be a Teacher willing to share their knowledge if you are interested. The Six of Cups brings a time for counting your blessings and enjoying the simple things in life. The Six of Cups Reversed, depending on surrounding Cards can suggest being left a wonderful gift by a parent.

Being cared for and fussed over is wonderful, and at the moment, may be just what the doctor ordered, but eventually this very security and cossetting (castle walls, building and guard) will become claustrophobic and restricting. Staying under this influence should only be temporary otherwise there will be a risk to your personal development and growth. Return to life and personal responsibility as soon as you can.

The Six of Cups is an extremely nostalgic card. It speaks about childhood and reminiscing about days of yore. Generally, The Upright Six brings happy memories and fond recollections of times gone by. The Six of Cups may simply represent a time when we take a trip down memory lane just for the sake of it. You may be sorting through old photographs, watching old movies or sharing memories with friends and family. Mostly, we rush around each day, caught up in what is happening now, what we have to do next and where we are going later. Very occasionally when the mood is right or a memory trigger presents itself, we are suddenly spun back in time and our mind unlocks the wonderful gems of our past. A significant song on the radio as we drive or the scent of freshly baked bread or scones can readily set us off. As the memories floods over us, we can re-experience and remember who we were, where we came from and the significant people or pets who shared our environment. There is however, a tendency to be selective with our memories. We all maintain that summers were better when we were children. The sun always seemed to be shining, we were always laughing and having fun out on the street with our friends and sweets were bigger and tastier. Ah, the Good Old Days! This can lead to you thinking about people not seen or heard of in years or even the desire to visit old haunts or previous locations. You may get great joy out of all your reminiscing but it may also leave you feeling melancholic and emotional for a past that cannot be retrieved.

If you are middle-aged or older, then taking a trip down memory lane can be a little upsetting or destabilising. You may feel the loss of your youth, physical strength or health as a stark contrast to the fit and able-bodied young person you were many years ago. Nostalgia connected with old age is also represented in The Six of Cups as the long-term memory kicks in and short-term memory diminishes. Senility can be represented as the adult faces regress into childlike behaviour indicated by their size and dress. Nursing homes can be represented with this Six. The Six of Cups can indicate returning to the family home to look after an ageing or ill parent as the roles of parent and child reverse. You could also be taking them into your own home. You may find this emotionally rewarding and fulfilling but regardless of how much you love the parent involved, you are bound to feel trapped and claustrophobic at times.

Then again, you may be taking a physical trip down memory lane as childhood places are revisited and childhood friends re-discovered. You may be attending a school reunion (look for the Three of Cups) or family gathering (Four of Wands). Funerals are one of the best times for meeting faces from the past and sharing memories. Older relatives, cousins, friends and neighbours often travel from the four corners of the globe to pay their respects. This in itself shows strong solidarity, caring, compassion and sympathy for the bereaved. However, it is one of those surreal times when the past and all the characters from it make a reappearance. Much sharing of tales and reminiscing can turn what could be a very sad time into a wonderful memorable occasion. You may learn some interesting things about people from your past at times like this. You may promise to keep in touch or wish to re-start old friendships and connections. It may just be “all talk” on the day or a genuine commitment.

The Six of Cups brings the Family into strong focus. When we are growing from childhood into young adulthood, we seek freedom and wish to personally express ourselves by living our own life independent from parents, restrictions and other’s routines. We set about making this new life outside the confines of the family and may leave long gaps between trips home or indeed phone calls made. We can get so caught up in our present, and making big plans for our future, that there is precious little time for anything else except current friends and social scene. However, as we get older, once we have had a happy upbringing, we are often drawn back to the home and re-establish strong contact with parents and other family members. Rather than be embarrassed by our family, we realise that we are actually quite like them and have much in common. We no longer see them as the spoiler of fun or disciplinarian rule-setters but rather as human beings of great worth and value. Most of us gravitate back to the family as we get older especially when we have children of our own. It can therefore represent a time for feeling or re-connecting to your roots.

If you live far away from family for work or relationship reasons, then the Six of Cups can suggest that you are terribly homesick. This may be only a passing phase or one that you find intolerable and depressing. They say that you should give any new location or environment six months at the very least before making any decisions as you need this time to settle in and readjust. If you haven’t tried before, then set up a Skype Account or one similar, but make sure to get everyone else on board too so that you can all keep in visual contact. It may help you through this difficult time. You may be realising the importance of your family for the first time.

The Six of Cups readily represents children and the innocence of childhood. You may be thinking of having children or enjoy their company and playing with them. You may be looking after your grandchildren while their parents work or wish you could see more of them. You may be getting great joy being a parent second time round. You may be working on your inner-child and learning how to bring fun or play into your life.

This card, because it relates so much to childhood, can suggest that childhood issues may be re-surfacing or coming back to haunt you. If you are experiencing problems in your life they may have originated in your childhood if the Six of Cups appears so it is a good place to start from. Life may be too harsh for you now and you may seek the comfort and support that the innocence of childhood brought. It may be a sign that you do not want to take responsibility for your self or situation. You may have a habit of letting others sort out your problems all the time instead of tackling them yourself. You may hanker after the loss of a mother or father and spend time revisiting childhood haunts trying to re-capture their essence. You may also be holding on to all their belongings, afraid to let go of the past.

In a relationship reading, The Six of Cups can represent a relationship with someone from your past or an old sweetheart. If looking for love, then you may find it in your old home town or on a trip home. The love of your life may even be living next door or at the least not very far away. This Six in a Relationship Reading can also highlight a Past Love or Lover interfering or causing issues in your current relationship. They may turn up out of the blue and set you all aglow. You may not have severed the ties in an old romance or still hanker after an old love. There may be a third person in your relationship but their presence may be either an influence from the past or an actual reality (a real person). You may be comparing your current partner to an Old Flame you never got over. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and you may be viewing an old relationship with Rose Tinted Glasses. You may be very naive, innocent or idealistic when it comes to relationships or very gullible. You may also be looking for a ‘Father Figure’ so look out for The Emperor falling close by in a Reading. The Six of Cups can represent seeking your parents approval of your current partner or fiance. You may be travelling home to break the news of your engagement. Look to surrounding cards for further insight.

The Six of Cups appearing in a Relationship Spread can suggest that you feel safe and secure with your partner. There is genuine tenderness, caring and a strong sense of protection. The relationship suggested may not be very exciting or dramatic but will be steady, stable and more than likely predictable. It is a relationship based on routines and habits. Generally one partner takes on the role of provider and carer while the other is happy to be looked after. Most important decisions are made by the carer who shields his or her partner from any unpleasant business or stressful situations. The carer may have the tendency to wrap their partner in cotton wool or treat them like a china doll. In the Upright Six, this arrangement is harmonious and works well. The Carer is happy to take on the bulk of responsibility and the Cared For, equally happy to relinquish it. Each brings their own worth and value to the relationship, which strikes a content balance. This Six often symbolises the ‘old fashioned’, ‘traditional’ style relationship.

You may be longing for someone to look after you and take care of you or vice versa. The Six of Cups can also refer to a time of courtship or receiving a gift from the one you love. If you are in a stable relationship, you could possibly be thinking about having a family. If you have a child or children then you may be conscious of passing down the good morals and values you were reared with (the Lily in the Cup).

The Six of Cups also deals with nursing and caring for a partner who is senile or very old. There is great love and tenderness between this couple who will be there for each other in ‘sickness and in health’.

In a Career Reading, the Six of Cups often represents working with children as in Nursing or Montessori. There is a strong focus on protecting those who are young and innocent so a career as a social worker may be the right thing for you. You may also be dealing with people who had abusive childhoods, so a position that helped people overcome early trauma such as psychotherapy or hypno-analysis may be suitable and rewarding. You might also consider volunteering on help-lines or giving time to youth groups. You might be providing classes or workshops to those under guard such as in prisons or reform schools or facilitating group therapy for addicts or alcoholics. Any career involving making one feeling safe and secure can be suggested such as healing, meditation or massage. A career caring for the elderly or in a Nursing Home can also be represented by the Six of Cups. You may be taking time out from your career to nurse an elderly parent.

The Six of Cups can sometimes highlight a career that is filled with habits, routines and patterns. There may be a motherly figure in the work environment who looks upon her staff as her children. Your interest in an old career may be re-ignited or you might decide to develop a childhood talent or skill. Beautifiying surroundings may also be of interest such as developing show gardens or doing up old properties. A secure comfortable position is often suggested by this Six but it may lack excitement or challenge. Depending on the surrounding Cards, this may be suitable at the moment but you are bound to get bored in the not too distant future. It can also suggest going for the long haul in a position or with a company as in joining young and leaving old.

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suspiciousmammal · 2 years

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This is going to be a continuation of my last post on the history of the Trakehner and the stud farm that coined their name, Trakehnen. While I won’t talk about individual fates, this part of their history is a very gloomy and sometimes gruesome story. So if you don’t want to read this, that’s fine.

Towards the end of the 2nd world war, in the summer of 1944, the Red Army began advancing into eastern parts of Prussia.

Any form of evacuation was prohibited. An evacuation would’ve gone against promises of a final victory. The Nazis were still holding on to that narrative even when their impending military loss became obvious.

Trakehnen’s stable master Ernst Ehlert was aware that the war was most likely going to be lost. To get his horses further away from the front lines, he managed to get permission to send some of his bloodstock to stud farms located further west. The studs, 140 of the best broodmares, 60 yearling colts and 139 weanlings were selected and transported to presumed safety. Some went to Graditz stud farm, others went to Neustadt-Dosse.

The staff and the remaining horses in Trakehnen were only given evacuation orders in the early morning hours of the 17th of October 1944. They had orders to completely abandon Trakehnen in three hours. Why the rush? The Germans had waited to give these orders until the very last second, so for many refugees, their flight became a very literal race against the approaching Russians.

Stable master Ehlert had anticipated this rushed evacuation and had planned out the escape to Georgenburg. His planning was the reason that this evacuation didn’t evolve into complete chaos right from the start. Ten herds of 80 horses accompanied by three riders travelled the 70km/43 miles to Georgenburg in reportedly six hours, with only a single horse lost. And these weren’t exclusively riding horses. They brought heavily pregnant broodmares, weanlings and young foals along.

Left behind were horses that weren’t expected to make the journey: around 20 mares with extremely young foals, 12 weanlings who had contracted strangles and a lame yearling filly.

The painting “Farewell parade of the Trakehner horses in Gumbinnen” shows a stylised depiction of these herds of Trakehners passing through the burning city of Gumbinnen.:

They made it to Georgenburg, but remaining there wasn’t an option. The stables in Georgenburg were completely overcrowded. There was not enough feed, and the Russians were still advancing. But after Georgenburg, we lose track of a lot of these horses: Some were confiscated by the Wehrmacht, others were hitched to carts, some were sold when feed became virtually unaffordable.

What about those horses evacuated in September of 1944, before Trakehnen was completely abandoned?

Unfortunately, most of these horses were lost, too. Some weeks after their arrival Graditz stud farm was barred from evacuating by Allied forces, so the Trakehners there and Graditz’s own bloodstock fell into the hands of the advancing Russians. So did the horses brought to Neustadt-Dosse. Their fate is largely unknown.

The situation in eastern Prussia is as follows: By the end of January, the Red Army cut off the last land routes by which people could evacuate from Prussia. The only option left for refugees was crossing the frozen Vistula Lagoon. Temperatures out on the baltic sea reached -25C to -30C (or -13 to -22 degrees Fahrenheit). The ice initially didn’t break, but shelling from air planes made it fragile. Many wagon teams sunk, while others succumbed to exposure.

Pregnant mares were hitched to the refugees’ wagons. Most other horses had already been confiscated by the Wehrmacht for war purposes, so the broodmares and lame, old, emaciated ones they were left with were the ones pulling wagons in large trecks day and night, for weeks on end.

a treck of refugees (x)

Even those that made it over the sea and to the west then often had to be sold on by their owners who had nowhere to put their horses, or didn’t recover from the strenuous journey.

The few Trakehners that did make it were strewn all across Germany. I’m not sure the breed would’ve survived had it not been for a couple of passionate breeders who made an effort to gather those survivors.

Now, I promised I wouldn’t talk about individual fates. But I do want to show you guys one picture that’s burned itself into my mind and encapsulates the post-war Trakehner: The mare Italia, born 1936, photographed at a breed show after the war. Her hind leg is pretty severely deformed from a grenade injury she sustained during the war years. Her 1951 foal, the stallion Impuls, in turn went on to sire stallions like Imperial, Kassius and Schwalbenflug.

Trakehner mare Italia (x)

#this post was a lot longer but i went and deleted most of the middle part #tw animal death #tw horse death #trakehner

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favoniuscodex · 3 years

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visionary. [diluc x gn!reader]

prompt: “Hey Axia, may I request either Diluc or Xiao reacting to reader gaining a vision in front of them?“ as requested by anon pairing: diluc x gn!reader word count: ~1.7k warnings: violence, attempted kidnapping a/n: sorry this is kind of different from my typical writing i feel;;; but i really wanted to write this! sorry for the delay! i really want to try to write more as its a productive hobby !!!

much to diluc’s behest, you had tagged along with him on what was supposed to be an uneventful work trip to fontaine. your lover hadn’t outright told you that you couldn’t come and his insistence that “you should stay at the winery and relax, you’ve earned it after working so hard recently” went through one of your ears and out the other. diluc knew better than to try to argue with you once you made your mind up on something (especially when he desired your company, even if he wouldn’t admit it) so you hopped right into the wagon alongside of him, eager to see the redhead’s business expertise being put to use.

overall, the trip had been uneventful until the return home. each day, you were left to peruse the streets of fontaine, still technically on your vacation, while your boyfriend would return to the inn room long after you had and essentially collapse into your arms. sure, the two of you didn’t get to spend as much time together as you would’ve liked, but you could sense how much diluc appreciated your company. upon the simplest of your touches, his shoulders relaxed and adoration would shine in his eyes as he looked at you through half-lidded, sleepy eyes.

such soft moments were a harsh juxtaposition to the realities of now, in which you and diluc are heading home in horse-drawn carriage. as the two of you journey pass through liyue on your way back to mondstadt, diluc’s gloved hand finds one of your own and interlaces your fingers together. you shoot him a wide grin at the gesture and gently squeeze his hand in response, but as the redhead leans in slightly and parts his lips to speak, the moment is interrupted by the horse screeching to a halt. the carriage shudders from the abrupt stop, but diluc steadies you with a reflexive hand across your waist.

“everybody out!” an unfamiliar voice orders from outside the carriage and diluc’s brow furrows, a frown finding its way to his lips. you hold your breath, inquisitive eyes meeting diluc’s concerned ones.

“follow my lead. don’t give them anything.” diluc instructs and you nod in response, unsure of what to make of the situation. he departs from the carriage first, helping you out of the carriage and ushering you behind him. the redhead stands in front of you protectively, glaring at those who dare interrupt your return trip home. you peek around diluc’s shoulder and a pit forms in your stomach.

treasure hoarders. you tighten your grip on diluc’s hand and he looks at you over his shoulder to make sure you’re okay, but soon returns his glance to the treasure hoarders in front of you.

“we were told you two would have wine aboard. why isn’t there any?” a voice finally breaks the silence and you hear diluc let out an exasperated huff.

“i am not the type to travel with delivery shipments,” diluc responds and you can feel the annoyance drifting off him in waves. “there is nothing of value aboard.”

“the richest man in mondstadt having nothing of value on him? i highly doubt that.” another treasure hoarder pipes up, eliciting murmurs of agreement from his peers. “check him. and his partner.”

“you can check me,” diluc’s voice is dangerously low. “but you will not touch them.” despite standing behind him, you can picture the smoldering fury that burns in his eyes at the implications of the treasure hoarder’s words.

“oh? it looks as if master diluc does have a valuable treasure on board,” the treasure hoarder teases, stepping forward to the two of you. “well, i can’t return to the chief empty-handed. however, i think my boss would get a kick out of adding your pretty little lover to his collection. you can either hand them over or you can make this difficult for all of us.”

diluc’s hand drops from yours and, in its place, his familiar claymore materializes. “it’ll only be difficult for you.” he responds to the treasure hoarder as he steadies into a defensive stance, blocking the first attack from the treasure hoarder. you instinctively take a step as the two begin exchanging blows, but you stumble back into the arms of another treasure hoarder, who quickly wraps his hands around your waist and hoists you away from diluc.

“diluc!” you cry out, utterly powerless to stop the situation at hand. you preferred books over practicing fighting, only knowing the self-defense training that diluc had insisted you take. right. the self-defense training. taking a deep breath and focusing, you drop your weight in your assailant’s arms, causing him to let out a huff of surprise and giving you a chance to scamper back over to your lover, whose crimson eyes are boring into yours after hearing your cry of pain.

“stay close.” he orders and you nod, but in his brief distraction, one of the treasure hoarders tosses an electro potion onto the ground in front of him. diluc lets out a grunt and falls to his knees from the electric shock, causing you to instinctively reach out in concern. before you can help, a knife is thrown and lands square in diluc’s shoulder and your lover lets out a noise of shock.

“stop!” you yell as diluc’s face contorts in pain, electric jolts still coursing through his body. “i’ll go with you, just... don’t hurt him.”

“y/n,” diluc grunts, trying to stand up and failing. “don’t.”

you send him a fierce glare that stuns him into silence. it’s an uncharacteristic look for your usually kind features.

“i’ll be alright, ‘luc. you’ll come get me and we’ll be fi-” before you can finish your words, a treasure hoarder wraps your hands behind your back and kicks the back of your legs, forcing you down onto your knees. diluc’s eyes widen in alarm, but another electro potion has him falling to the ground once more, unable to control his body in order to rescuse you. sure, he could send out his trusty pyro phoenix to incinerate the treasure hoarder that is now forcing you away from him, but that would likely hurt you severely in the process.

powerless from a single attack in the few moments he was distracted by you, diluc is left to watch as you are guided away from him, hands bound behind your back. you turn to look at him over your shoulder and send him a reassuring smile. diluc cries out your name once more before a bright flash of white interrupts his vision. as diluc begins to black out from the pain of the electricity, he sees you holding something that wasn’t there before in your hands, but has little time to question it as he finally loses consciousness.

----

diluc awakes with a jolt and sits straight up, blinking wildly as he analyzes his surroundings. unlike what he expected, he’s not in the liyuean wilderness, left to rot without a carriage or you by his side. instead, he’s laying in a soft bed, with you snoozing softly at his side, sitting in a chair next to him, your head resting softly next to his arm. at his sudden movements, you groggily open your eyes before looking up at him with a sleepy smile.

“good morning, sweetheart,” you say casually, as if diluc’s entire body doesn’t ache with fatigue and pain and you aren’t all scratched up. if not for the shallow yet bandaged cut that graces your face, diluc would’ve thought the whole incident to be some sort of bad thing.

“good morning,” he responds out of instinct, before immediately diving into questioning. “what happened? how did we get back to the winery? are you okay?”

you wave off his concern with a soft laugh. “i got us home, i’m alright. how about you, how are you feeling?” you intertwine your fingers with his and diluc just stares at you with an utterly confused expression. you let out a soft giggle at his expression.

“right, right, there’s something i’m not sharing,” your hand slips out of diluc’s and he mourns the loss of contact before his eyes focus in on where your hands are moving. you fumble with your waistband before diluc hears a soft unclipping noise.

“ta-da!” you hold up the vision in front of you. “look what i got! it let me shield us and it let me to create a weapon to fight them in the process! i... wasn’t very good at it, but they couldn’t break the shield somehow... so it didn’t really matter!”

diluc stares at you blankly before a proud smile splits across his features. “congratulations. you really are special, love.”

you flush at his praise, eyes darting away from his as you look down at your lap.

“thank you,” he finally speaks and you look up at diluc in confusion, unintentionally mimicking his lost expression from earlier. “for saving me, that is.”

“oh? but you’re the one in the hospital bed.... i should be thanking you for fighting so hard.” you respond and diluc shakes his head in response, before gently tugging one of your hands back into his hold and placing a soft kiss to your knuckles.

“this time, you’re the knight in shining armor.” he jokes, but there’s a faint seriousness behind his words. “i am... thankful you are safe, most importantly.”

diluc’s expression darkens after he utters those words. “speaking of safe, why did you willingly offer yourself up to the treasure hoarders?”

“oh, that?” you let out a nervous laugh, shifting in your seat and losing eye contact once more. you shrug before meeting diluc’s fiery eyes once more. “it’s because i love you!”

diluc’s angry expression is replaced with a red flush that spreads across his face and to the tips of his ears. he mutters something under his breath that you can’t hear, which causes you to narrow your eyes mischeviously.

“pardon?” you ask, voice teasing.

“i said ‘i love you, too’“ diluc responds petulantly and you let out a triumphant laugh.

“that’s what i thought!” you say, a smug expression crossing your features at diluc’s embarrassment at the situation and at his reciprocation of love.

“no, (y/n),” he states exasperatedly. “that’s what you know. and you better not forget it.”

you grin at diluc. “i wouldn’t dream of it.”

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #diluc #diluc x reader #this one is a bit of a change of pace from the typical stuff... i like it ! :3 #ok why is this not showing up in tags :(( oh well :((

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juviasmel · 3 years

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“I love you but I don’t trust these two” (Alucard x Fem! reader fic)

Dracula was finally dead and you were dreading this very moment, it was finally time where you had to part ways with three of your closest friends. Over the course of your journey with them you noticed how Trevor and Sypha were slowly falling in love. Joining them would only be getting in their way.

Sypha hopped into the wagon and Trevor followed, “Y/N if you’d like…you may travel with us. We aren’t sure where we’re gonna go, but we will figure something out.” Trevor didn’t look at you or even agree with Sypha’s offer.

Her offer brought joy to you but you’ve been crushing on Alucard for a while and thought it was best to stay with him, “I think I’m going to stay here with Alucard” you grabbed his hand and a slight smile formed on his face “Thank you Y/N”

Trevor scoffed, “We’ll see you guys soon…Alucard don’t die on me you bastard” Trevor turned to look at Alucard and for once he smiled.

“I won’t belmont” You laughed at Trevor’s remark and watched the two go into the forest with their wagon. You spent the next month with Alucard and became partners…he ended up confessing his love for you one night and you admitted your closeness with him, and how your life has improved since you met him. You spent time hunting in the forest, cooking dinner, training in the woods, and catching fish in the lake. It was an early morning and you were getting ready for training as you walked outside, you took a deep breath and let the fresh wind hit your face. it was early in the morning and you made your way to the lake to catch fish for the week. Alucard followed behind holding your hand, as you arrived to the lake Alucard pulled out his basket meant for putting all the fish in.

Alucard stood up, “Y/N don’t move” You listened to his order and stood still. You didn’t hear any noises but then a twig snapped in the woods and an arrow shot out from the forest but you couldn’t see who shot it. Next thing you knew Alucard moved at the speed of lightening and put his hands around this woman’s neck.

She looked him in the eyes and begged, “Please don’t hurt me” You heard a masculine voice call out from the woods and a blade was put to your neck, “Put her down or else I’ll slit her throat” Alucard hissed and revealed his fangs, this caused the man to back off of you and he let go of the woman’s neck,“Who are you, and what do you want?”

The two introduced themselves, “My name is Sumi and this is Taka. We’ve heard about you…you’re the Alucard correct?”

“Just alucard is fine. What are you doing here” Alucard crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, confused by their presence.

“We want to know more about killing vampires and how Dracula moved his castle” You didn’t like the conversation that was taking place, and you were hoping Alucard would make the two leave. They continued to converse with another, and he invited them into his castle. You followed them but didn’t say anything.

Alucard stopped and turned to you, Y/N you haven’t said anything, what’s the matter?”

“Alucard you know I love you, but I don’t trust these two. I don’t want them here” You said as you continued to walk into the castle, avoiding eye contact with Alucard. He looked at Sumi and Taka then back at you, “No, they’re allowed to stay. Let’s give them a chance” You loved him so you went with his decision, but you weren’t going to trust them no matter what.

After spending a week training with Sumi and Taka, you decided to pack some supplies and food and leave for the week. You spent time out in the woods alone, training and exploring the area that surrounded the castle. Plus, you wanted some time to yourself and thought it would be best to leave Alucard with Sumi and Taka. Eventually, you didn’t enjoy the quietness in the woods and missed hearing Alucard’s voice. You hopped back onto your horse and made your way back to the castle.

It was close to night time and could barely see anything, as you got closer to the castle you could see Sumi and Taka’s dead bodies with a wooden stake going out of their mouth, “what the fuck happened here?” You got off your horse leaving your supplies behind and approached the entrance of the castle, “Alucard!” You shouted out but there was no response.

Mixed feelings filled your brain “what if someone came by and killed all three of them?” “Was alucard the one that did this?” “Where is he?” You took a moment to yourself and then felt a cold hand grab your shoulder and turn you around, “Alucard you’re alive…” it looked as if he’s been crying and worry filled your face. He held onto you for dear life, and you weren’t sure what to do besides hug him back, “Alucard what happened?”

“Y/N…I’m so sorry” He didn’t look at you, his head was resting against your shoulder, and his voice began to crack.

You place your hand on his back and started to rub small circles, “For what?”

“Come inside and I’ll explain” He let go of his tight grip on you and made his way into the castle, you followed behind and he pulled out a chair for you in the dining room.

He sat down and by looking at his face you could tell he needed to make you aware of something, “Y/N…Sumi and Taka betrayed me. They came into my bedroom when you weren’t here and said they wanted to give me a “reward” turns out they wanted to have sex with me…they started to touch me and I returned the favor. Y/N Im sorry if you can no longer trust me because of this…but if you’re willing to give me a second chance I would be the happiest man alive”

Part of you wanted to get up and leave the castle breaking down in tears and the other part wanted to slap Alucard, “I see” You were close to breaking down in front of him so you rose from your chair, storming off to the outside of the castle. Alucard let you go and knew he fucked up, he took this time to reflect on his actions and figure out a way to get your trust back.

You sat down and sighed, “only if Sypha was here…she might have some good advice for me right now” Mixed feelings went through your heard, Alucard needed you and you understood that but you couldn’t bare the fact that he let two other people put their hands on him in a sexual way. Alucard was your first love and you felt betrayed…you let all your anger out by punching a tree and pretending it was Sumi and Taka, “damn you…”

Weeks had passed and you decided to stay with Alucard, You both had an agreement to rebuild your relationship and put those events in the past. You were angry with him for a while, but you knew he truly felt sorry and tried to do everything he could to fix the situation. Eventually, you two became happy again and Alucard never let any man or woman lay their hands on him again.

#anime #fanfic #character x y/n #alucard #trevor castlevania #castlevania sypha #castlevania #alucard x reader #alucard tepes

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bakugohoex · 3 years

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So I saw your add calling for us Jean simps and I have an idea for Jean like having a crush on a medical helper or something that deals with medicine

“you could always kiss it better”

pairing: jean kirschtein x female reader

cw: fluff, season three spoilers, kissing

word count: 1900+

a/n: hi, you guys like my jean stuff so here’s some more

summary: in which jean falls in love with the medical helper who is a part of the survey corps

↞ back to attack on titan masterlist

It was never a dull day in the survey corps, the injuries that came in after the scouting missions had been increasing ever since the uncovering of Eren being a titan. You had been brought along on every scouting mission always prepared to help the wounded and being almost like a daughter to Erwin gave you some perks. If you could call them that, after your parents had died, Erwin had took you in and here you were in the Survey corps having graduated with the 104th but being assigned to the medical area.

It was of course what you had always wanted to do but you had joined on a whim and now after a couple months of the hectic survey corps. You had settled in sort of, Jean and Armin had had to pretend to be Historia and Eren and it was chaotic to say the least. Being on the run was hassle and you missed everything even the scouting missions outside the walls.

The only thing that made being on the run somewhat enjoyable was the brown-haired flirt, he had always flirted with you when you were both cadets. Nobody having really known how close you and Erwin were until the ceremony of where you chose which regiment you wanted to join.

They had all seen you hug the tall blonde and utter confusion had erupted from them, you told them all about it and Jean and you had gotten even closer. His head would pop in and out of where you stayed after being separated from the main corps. You spent a lot of time with Erwin but after the whole Reiner issue, you and others had joined the Levi squad. Making your time with Jean become a lot more than you had ever anticipated.

He hated wearing the wig and you could almost hear him scowl from beside Levi.

“Behind us look out.” Levi spoke falling to the ground as a wagon with one horse and three men sat upon it taking the bait.

Sasha misspoke but quickly spoke over self, you and Mikasa crouched beside Levi before Mikasa got up and ran. You could almost sense Jean’s frustration and being Eren and second time, you all had followed and were brought to a larger building.

Whilst you and Mikasa peeked through the window you could see Jean and Armin with a man who looked to be groping the blond. You both flew back to Levi who looked uninterested as usual. He spoke to Mikasa and you, you had barely been paying attention to their conversation only hearing his message to the rest of the squad. Your main worry was Jean and how you felt for him always ending up tied up. All you wanted to do was hug the poor boy.

Before you watched over what was happening, staying beside Mikasa you and her both having been strong enough to get in the top ten. You both had always been competitors but now working together you were both prospering.

“If you get the first two guys, I’ll get the other two.” You muttered as four men approached the warehouse. She nods taking out her gear, before you took your own out. You heard the men talking about getting the accurate men before you both pranced on the men .

Having both been behind a wooden container as soon as they walked past you both jumped out, taking the back two, you quickly knocked one of them unconscious whilst Mikasa did the same. You heard a barrel being loaded, before you both knocked out the other two. Both Armin and Jena having gotten out of their own restraints. They tied the two men down before you grabbed one of them, holding him down whilst Mikasa spoke.

“Connie are these four really all of them?”

You heard his faint yeah from one of the windows, you had looked up at the boy as he continued, “no one else in the area.” But hadn’t realised the sound of the man underneath you getting his gun out. At the sound of it you turned but an arrow swooped past you hitting the gun. You looked up seeing Sasha on top of the wooden container.

“Move again, and you won’t like where the next shot hits.” She spoke putting the arrow already through the bow.

“Alright, first we get these guys secured.” Mikasa stood in front of you, both having heard Levi’s words prior. “Then we meet up with the captain.”

“What do you mean?” Armin questioned confused out of his mind.

“Those are his orders.” You answered having tied the man up in the rope, watching him fidget under you.

“I feel disgusting.” Jean mutters on top of a guy after having gotten out of the restraints.

“Are you hurt?” You ask seeing his pretty hair and face., you moved closer to him to make sure he was okay not paying attention to anybody else.

He shows you some cuts that needed some bandages which you had but that was it. Sitting him down you see as Mikasa paces back and forth, knowing you wouldn’t have time to help him now.

“You’ll be fine for a little bit.” You grab his arm helping him up.

“Yeah yeah, Y/n, don’t be too worried, I’ll survive.” You both jump out of the building with your gear soaring through the sky as you see Levi swing past.

“I hear shooting.” Sasha says to Connie, “from there.” She points left as you stood beside Jean.

“Do you think they ran into some trouble?” He speaks not looking at you.

You look forward, “It seems likely.” You pause about to speak looking at Mikasa, “the captain gave us a message, as of now, it’s not just titans.” You see the shock on their faces out of confusion, “we’re fighting humans too.”

“Huh, you don’t mean.” Jean questions but both you and Mikasa fly away from them, going to see the chaos that was occurring.

Everybody follows in tow before Connie notices them, “look there they are.”

You see a bloody Levi swing through following the wagon, before noticing him being chased by men. “What the hell is that?” The question that ran through all your heads came out from Jean’s mouth.

All watching the murder and chaos occurring, “follow the wagon.” Levi speaks, both you and Mikasa nodding, you had seen too many people killed in your life. To be immune to shock in these scenarios, hell you’d killed people yourself, but it was all in the name of justice.

Following Levi’s command as he spoke about how they were trained to kill people; you listened and knew that you’d have to kill even more people. Going with Levi and Mikasa whilst Jean and Armin went to secure the wagon. You knew how life and death worked, and how the world was kill or be killed. But you saw at how Jean had hesitated to kill the person and Armin doing it himself.

You’d have to talk to Jean about it, not wanting him to be overtly upset or guilty about it. You easily slashed through more people, before seeing the men gang up on Armin and Jean, grabbing Jean you took his out of the wagon making him miss their gun shots.

You and the rest of the squad were back in the warehouse where one of the men who you remembered from Trost was. As Levi spoke you bandaged him up, making sure to take care of his wounds. The cut on top of his arm being stitched up with ease, Levi had been speaking to Armin and Jean. The sound of how he talked about being a killer, you had stopped paying attention to the conversation making sure Levi was fine.

He gave a thanks before you moved onto Jean, wrapping the cuts closed he watched as your delicate fingers did all the work. He had been speaking about killing people and you knew that inside he was feeling even more guilty than he should have. You both watched as Levi went to the man who you remembered from Trost. “Are you okay?”

You spoke moving onto his side which had been knocked into the wall when you had grabbed onto him. “I could’ve killed her myself.”

You felt the boy, putting your hand on his side to feel if there was anything wrong. “Jean, murder, it takes a toll on people, but after a while life and death, it’s all the same.”

He looked down in shock at what you had said, “life and death.”

“I’ve seen a lot of it in my lifetime and I know I’ll see even more, by humans and titans, we’re all the same, its kill or be killed.” You coughed out before seeing a bruise, “I can’t fix a bruise.”

He nods before you turn to hear the conversation with Levi and the man, talking about a plan, before you could join them for the plan to take place. “Y/n.” It a whisper but you looked up to him with bright eyes.

“Thank you again, we’ve been through a lot and I guess you’re something consistent in my life.” You nod at the boy, not being able to form words. The intimacy you had felt when touching his waist had sent shoots of fireworks up your spine, but you hadn’t said anything. Being as professional as ever and worrying about Erwin.

As quick as the plan had been told, you had easily knocked out the men and gained two of the MP’s with the man from Trost who you had consistently forgotten his name. You all waited outside the doors of where the torture was occurring, Hanje barging through you saw a sadistically look to do with human torture.

“You’ll be the one to have to fix them up.” Sasha spoke out, you nodded hearing screaming coming from below.

Jean was still wary about the situation and Armin talked about being killers, you didn’t speak up knowing he still felt guilty and felt like a bad person. All you did was give a sympathetic look to the boy; you leaned your head against your arms before feeling Jean’s hands move through your hair.

You enjoyed the sensation, enjoyed his touch and you craved even more from him, “I think I got a scratch on my arm; can you have a look?” He mutters over the screams and shouts from the man downstairs.

“Let me have a look.” You get up, his fingers still in your hair, whilst looking at his other arm, you see the gash, “all I can do is bandage up, I don’t have everything I need.”

He smiles as you take him away from the others, you both go to a different room before you bandage his arm up, “you could always kiss it better.” He smirks out.

“You’re such an idiot.” You mutter but comply, bringing the bandage arm to your lips, you kiss the bandage before kissing his knuckles.

It wasn’t intentional but you had a feeling everything was about to turn to shit, he looked up at you, grabbing your face in his hands. You looked up at the boy, the silence was unsettling with both of you just looking up at each other. “I’d kill…” You tilt your head in confusion, “I’d kill if it meant protecting you.”

You smile at the boy, closing the gap as you felt his soft lips attack to yours. It was slow and soft, a comforting movement, where you moved in sync. It was filled with love and as he brought your closer with his hand grabbing onto the back of your neck, your own fingers rubbed circles on his cheek. It was perfect and you knew that even with the chaos approaching you both had each other.

i’d really appreciate if you guys could leave a like, reblog or comment, thanks x

if you guys want to be a part of a tag list, just reply to any post and i’ll add you xx

@samusimp @alainarose13 @crispychannie @underratedmage @jennammaee @cathy8taffy @sugacious @moonlightaangel @kat-sukis-hoe @effmigentlywithachainsaw @swankiifiied @maat-the-prescriptive @missmultifangirl @tvwhoresblog @kuroos-world

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