#[ classic army technique : ic. ]

[rcxylancelct-mcrtcn]

@xchxsingcxrsx

"We're looking for a man called Sebastian Greene. He traces back to 2020. Only recently unearthed, when the Prime Minister’s own assets were swindled.”

Lancelot waited for something—anything—to be shown on the framed projector in Kingsman's meeting hall, any semblance of their target, as the lack of a proper image would prove a difficult start to the mission. So when the screen only showed a generic, written character description, she was stumped; how well would she be able to single-out their target without a) making a mistake or b) wasting so much time?

"Our target is verified to be British, somewhere in the odd 40s to 50s. Reports say they would be a dark-haired man, grey-blue eyes, and is reported to reside here in London."

Still, a lead was a lead, and when the assignment was passed on to her, she needed to make sure of the circumstances.

"Yes, Arthur." Roxanne adjusted from her seat. "Do we have an idea of his whereabouts in the coming fortnight?"

"Negative. But there is a rise of criminal cases in Westminster as of late; the chances of our guy using this to his advantage may be highly likely."

She nodded at Arthur's command and worked for her preparations with Merlin, immediately embarking on her nightly activity of scouting the area for this… generic… British man.

The lack of activity when she began her stake-outs was monotonous enough, almost placing her in a routine walk in a routine street in a routine hour, but in the succeeding evenings she noticed a familiar figure pass by at around the exact same time, every time, so much so that when they failed to pass by at the anticipated hour one night, she grew suspicion. Nobody really walks this part of the street, and, at least one of three indicated characteristics matched. Perhaps something about routine, something subconscious, just makes you pick the odd one out when it presents itself. That and guts… well, it’s not like she had much on her arsenal; she had to make the risk.

With that, she was high on alert, and when the familiar figure finally strolled past her usual path of sight, she went to move, hand gripping the pistol inside her coat, ready to fire at the opportune moment. Roxanne walked in long strides, and, upon turning the corner where she assumed they were alone, cocked the gun and pointed it at them, perhaps enough to have them stop at their tracks.

“I’d stop if I were you,” she called out, already moving their direction.

[rcxylancelct-mcrtcn]

Eggsy never said anything about Tilde... well, he never said too much about her would be more appropriate. He mentioned of their little post-V-day pursuit, of keeping in touch. But while he disclosed just enough, she seldomly asked, chalking up questions as small talk. How's Tilde? Has she met your friends? Has she met your mum? Does Daisy like her? Are you considering to marry her? With his responses usually met with a nod, or a hum, or an 'oh' of surprise, or slight disappointment, or realisation. To be fair, being selected for and inducted into Kingsman was the priority then, to prove herself, to make Percival proud, to feel proud. Romance wasn't quite in the list, and while she never closed herself to the idea, she had priorities.

It was a bit funny, really, because Eggsy standing out had her liking him some as well, and a little more when he offered his own friendship, and help, and trust. Roxy recalled how his charming smile seemed to light up a room, how his suited state was quite a sight, especially when he was formally inducted as Galahad. She could remember how he'd said 'posh girls like a bit of rough,' and had to push away the thought that 'he's right,' finding some sort of liking for him, for not only did she chastise herself to know better, but she also had to focus on the goal, on being the champion of their interview.

And when all was done, and she managed to achieve her aim, Tilde was already in the picture, and she could only do so much. Not that she wasn't happy for him, of course; she was even willing to offer assistance for the more lady-inclined inquiries, like preferences and gifts and demeanours. But the 'what ifs' would occasionally drift in, and when she finally heard of the marriage, well. There was only acceptance.

Statesman. Roxy listened as he spoke of the information he had, humming an 'ah'; deployment meant not only a longer time apart, but also a bit of a challenge in time zone. "Okay," she murmured in return, "Berlin is 6 hours ahead." Eyes would blink slowly as his fell shut, and she mustered just one more peek before closing her own, too tired to end their call, her dinner long abandoned on the nightstand a quiet goodnight murmured as she did so.

And in the morning, Roxy would wake just a little later than usual, eyes fluttering open at the sight of her phone still on call, its battery running low. The sight of Eggsy sleeping, seeming peaceful, brought a small smile on her lips, and she had half a mind to wake him then, to bid him a good morning just before she had to prepare for another busy day.

eggsy knew it wasn't solely on her to withhold the information that she was alive . he knew who helped her in recovery did it for her good , but it didn't mean he agreed to it . if she was targeted once , she could be targeted once again . hell , he was lucky that he didn't burn along with his friends and jb that he lost all the time ago . it took him hard losing his mates , even losing jb was hard .. but roxy had always been a different story . tilda had tried to bring some kind of joy back to him with a dog that looked like jb , but it was never a true replacement ... just like she was never a true replacement for roxy . partly , he believes she knew that . with the ultimatum that he must marry her , he was tying the knot with the princess .

their marriage never was simple , easy , they hardly knew one another and it was easy to get away with the kingsman being his cover up practically in every situation when he just wanted some time away . roxy coming back sucked up more and more time than he really thought was possible -- he'd stayed around for a couple days after the late night reunion . it was within those days that he felt his heart pull hard again for the woman who he always admired from day one . with her snippy comments , confident teasing ... how could he ever really think tilde was the one when there had been ... her ?

with the death of everyone he'd cared about practically , he was forcing himself to just drive harder . there was brief relief when they found harry , but it was short lived when he knew that this kingsman team would never feel complete without her . eggsy is watching his screen , admittedly only hardly as the dark room sinks around him with the dim lamp on . ' all i could think about was if something happened again . ' he admits softly . granted he would have been notified of this from the others , he still had that worry that seemingly always crept up on him when either of them was sent apart from the other . old thoughts were hard to shake at this point and with the small promise to always keep in touch every few days , a week had passed and there was nothing but radio silence that he knew of .

he didn't deflect his worries on to merlin or harry because they would chalk it up as him being silly , worrying too much ... even after the short heart to heart with harry about the fact that he was pushing himself too hard for nothing . ' statesman need help with something , whether it's to directly kentucky , or somewhere else in the states i'm unsure currently . we haven't had an actual full debriefing as of yet . i'll let you know as soon as i do though ? ' he offers in soft peace offering . his eyes are closed at this point , refusing to open any more . tone is soft , enough force so that she can hear him but hardly there .

[ravebeetle]

HANDMADE JIBARO COSTUME FROM LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS NETFLIX SERIES

Let's begin with the story of Amazing Netflix Show Jibaro Love Death + Robots Series 

Love Death + Robots is an animated anthology series on Netflix that explores various sci-fi and fantasy themes through a collection of short stories. Each episode is created by a different team of writers, directors, and animators, resulting in a diverse range of styles and storytelling techniques.

One episode of the series, titled "Ice Age," features a Jibaro costume as a significant part of the story. The Jibaro costume is a traditional garment worn by people from the mountains of Puerto Rico and is characterized by its vibrant colors and intricate designs. The episode centers around a group of soldiers who are sent on a dangerous mission to retrieve a powerful weapon that is being guarded by an army of Jibaro warriors.

"Ice Age" is a stunning example of how animation can be used to bring cultural traditions to life. The episode showcases the Jibaro costume in all of its intricate detail, from the bright colors to the intricate jewelry and rhinestones. The animation brings a sense of movement and life to the costume, making it seem like a living, breathing entity.

Aside from the Jibaro episode, Love Death + Robots is a series worth watching for its unique and thought-provoking stories. Each episode presents a different vision of the future or a different interpretation of a classic sci-fi or fantasy trope. Some episodes are humorous, while others are darker and more intense. With its diverse range of styles and genres, Love Death + Robots is a series that has something for everyone.

Overall, the Jibaro episode of Love Death + Robots is a beautiful tribute to Puerto Rican culture and traditions. Its inclusion in the series is a reminder that animation can be used to bring cultural traditions to life in new and exciting ways. So if you haven't already seen it, be sure to check out Love Death + Robots on Netflix and experience the Jibaro episode for yourself!

Handmade Jibaro Costume by Max from RaveBeetle

Max is a skilled artisan who has gained recognition for his incredible Jibaro costumes, which are handmade with intricate details and adorned with rhinestones and jewelry. 

Max's work has recently gained some attention due to its connection to the popular Netflix series, Love Death + Robots. In one episode of the show, titled "Ice Age," a Jibaro costume plays a significant role in the story. The costume is adorned with rhinestones and jewelry, much like the ones that Max creates.

The process of creating a Jibaro costume is incredibly detailed and complicated, requiring a great deal of skill and knowledge. Each piece of jewelry and every rhinestone must be carefully placed to ensure that the finished product is both beautiful and authentic.

Currently, there are only two people who make these intricate Jibaro costumes, and Max has quickly become known as the top artisan in this field. Her dedication and attention to detail are evident in every piece she creates, making each one a true work of art.

Max's work is a testament to the importance of preserving traditional art forms. By handmaking Jibaro costumes, she is helping to keep this part of Netflix Love Death + Robots series show alive and thriving. Her work is also a reminder that there is something truly special about handmade items - they carry with them a sense of history and tradition that cannot be replicated by mass-produced goods.

So next time you see a Jibaro costume, whether it's on Love Death + Robots or in real life, take a moment to appreciate the hard work and dedication that went into its creation. And if you ever have the chance to see one of Max's costumes in person, don't miss it - it's sure to be a truly stunning piece of art.

[kazscrows]

Six of Crows Reread 🪶

Chapter 26: Kaz

Part of him felt unhinged. He had no cane. His feet were bare. He was in strange clothes, his hands pale and ungloved. He didn’t feel like himself at all. No, that wasn’t quite true. He felt like the Kaz he’d been in the weeks after Jordie had died, like a wild animal, fighting to survive.

Kaz’s hands are pale which I assume means they’re lighter than most his skin-

He’s unhinged again looking for Pekka the man who caused the feeling the first time all those years ago

No job too risky. No deed too low. Dirtyhands would see the rough work done.

Just a very classic quote about “Dirtyhands”

But.. I think Kaz certainly does have limits

He does have morals they’re just… skewed and kind of buried

Like I don’t think he’d ever actually harm a child

And we saw at the beginning of the book that he was only bluffing about burning down that building and killing Geels’ girlfriend

“Your death belongs to me,” he whispered.

Such a cool line

The way Kaz just knows Pekka can’t be dead

He even describes in his thoughts that he would have known if Rollins had died

The child he’d been had died of firepox. The fever had burned away every gentle thing inside him.

Survival wasn’t nearly as hard as he’d thought once he left decency behind.

The first thing Kaz did after getting back from the harbor was to attack a kid for his candy

He bit him even—

Then demanded he give him his pants. Which he immediately threw into the harbor—

He didn’t want the trousers; he just wanted the boy to wait before he went wailing for help.

Because Kaz Brekker has always had a reason

No what happened to Kaz is truly truly awful

What he became is.. so awful-

He can’t get a job at a casino on East Stave so he ambushes yet another child and cuts up his feet—

I know I just said Kaz wouldn’t hurt kids, but I meant now he wouldn’t

In this flashback Kaz is only nine years old

“You have no finesse,” a gambler at the Silver Garter once said to him. “No technique.”

“Sure I do,” Kaz had responded. “I practise the art of ‘pull his shirt over his head and punch till you see blood.’”

He certainly earned his nickname

Dirtyhands

But the cruelest discovery was Kaz’s gift for cards. It might have made him and Jordie rich. Once he learned a game, it took him mere hours to master it, and then he simply couldn’t be beaten. He could remember every hand that had been played, each bet that was made. He could keep track of the deal for up to five decks. And if there was something he couldn’t recall, he made up for it by cheating. He’d never lost his love for sleight of hand, and he graduated from palming coins to cards, cups, wallets, and watches. A good magician wasn’t much different from a proper thief. Before long, he was banned from play in every gambling hall on East Stave.

Not only is this heartbreaking but

I literally don’t know what to say actually

I do like that it says he got banned from every gambling house though

Boy has skills

I wonder just how much of Kaz’s backstory we’re going to get in season 2

All of it? Because.. it’s a lot-

he’d start as a grunt, but the Dregs would become his army.

Oh no.. what if Kaz is the useless grunt from the soundtrack song??

No… probably not.. right? Right?!

Kaz wonders if everything he’s done, everything he’s worked towards, his drive to destroy Pekka had let him to search the prison for him??

Uh.. yeah- of course it has—

We always joke that nothing is more important to Kaz than money, but that usually isn’t true

Right now revenge was much more important to him

Jordie’s tainted memory in Kaz’s head….

The lock on the door gave up easily to Kaz’s picks.

I just like this sentence

It’s a fun way to show just how good a lock pick Kaz is

“Hello, Brekker,” Rollins said. “Come to gloat?”

“Not exactly,” Kaz replied.

He let the door slam shut behind him.

Such an ominous ending for a chapter

It ends part four as well

Kaz has fallen… can he get back up?

Onto part 5: The Ice Does Not Forgive

First | Previous | Next

[earnestly-endlessly]

kind of an odd request — do you have fics where erik is grumpy with everyone else but a ray of sunshine with charles?

Hi anon, thank you for the ask. First and foremost, I'm so sorry for how long this took me but I've been searching for all the fics that come to mind that fit your request. Second, this is not an odd request because I love this trope so much. I mean, it's basically canon that he's grumpy with everyone except for his Charles, right? Anyway, I might add to this list later on, but I can't sit on this any longer and hope that you have found some fics that you enjoy!!

Fic Recs Where Erik is grumpy with everyone but a ray of sunshine with Charles

Twice as Blind – Darksknight

Summary: Erik is probably the biggest asshole on the face of the earth, and because of this, he'll probably die alone. Charles is a complete flirt and playboy and, probably, will never commit to anyone ever.

(The lesson here is that when you have two friends who are BOTH secretly seeing someone, well, it's probable that they're seeing each other.)

In the moonlight, on a joy ride – scarlettblush

Summary: Librarian AU. Charles is the young librarian and Erik is the college student who is completely besotted with him.

The Proper Care of Actors – Clear_Liqueur, Clocks, Etherei, afrocurl

Summary: Erik is an A-list action star who is notoriously difficult to work with, until the day he gets cast alongside Charles Xavier, rom-com darling who can charm the pants off movie audiences the world over and apparently even one Erik Lehnsherr. The paparazzi catch them out and about soon enough, and their real-life Hollywood movie romance becomes instant tabloid fodder.

Rumor Mill – ikeracity

Summary: Erik is the grumpiest, most foul tempered worker at Stark industries. His grumpiness is the stuff of legends.

So it's obviously the talk of the office when Erik is being made to go to the company party and he's bringing his husband. There's rumors flying round about how much of a masochist or equally antisocial bastard Erik's husband must be to put up with him. Others think he must be a meek mouse perhaps bullied by Erik.

What they weren't expecting was the confident, charming, adorable and unbelievably nice Charles that turns up on Erik's arm. What they certainly weren't expecting was how much Erik obviously adores his husband and how happy he is to let others see this.

Work/Life Balance – pocky_slash

Summary: Alex is pretty sure his weird, anti-social boss is a robot. Right up until the guy's adorable husband shows up. His adorable husband who happens to be a famous actor. His adorable husband who happens to be the very same famous actor who was the source of many of Alex's teenage fantasies.

Terrifying Domesticity – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is the most dangerous and notorious mafia boss around for miles, and yet the strangest things terrify him.

For example: his children, and his very pregnant mate.

Of kittens and teacups and love – Ren

Summary: Modern AU in which Charles and Erik are flatmates. Charles studies psychology and likes tea and chess and keeps bringing home stray kittens, and Erik lets him because he's maybe perhaps a little bit sort of in love with him.

Fools Rush In – LoveSupreme

Summary: Erik owns a cafe on the edge of campus and accidentally starts maybe-stalking a Biology Professor there.

Growing Pains – ikeracity

Summary: Twelve-year-old Erik Lehnsherr is an angry, closed-off foster kid with trust issues and a bad temper. Ten-year-old Charles Xavier is a lonely kid in boarding school who just wants a friend.

Logan pretends he doesn't think they're both fucking adorable.

Series

Home Together (The Finding Our Way Remix) – significantowl

Summary: Erik is not the sort of person other students strike up conversations with. His expression, his posture, every part of his manner say: Don’t talk to me. I don’t want to talk to you. But none of that stops the boy ahead of him in line with the collapsible white cane, and nothing can stop Erik from falling for him, like it or not.

Melted Ice Cream and Macaroni Art – pocky_slash

Summary: Everybody likes Charles. Nobody likes Erik. And that's really the source of Erik's doubts. Also, there's ice cream and a baby. Part of ‘the Daycare’ verse.

Walling in or Walling Out – stlkrchck

Summary: Erik stifles a sigh. Of course this is Mr. C. F. Xavier. Of course.

For the prompt: Charles and Raven are throwing a holiday party. Erik is the grumpy neighbor who is annoyed by how loud they are being. So he goes to complain, and Charles makes it up to him.

(Wise Men Say) Only Fools Rush In – wildelybroken

Summary: After reading a fic where Erik and Charles are super sluts, meet at what is presumably Raven and Emma's engagement party, and end up sleeping together, I made the following comment and just inspired myself.

"They start casually texting each other throughout the day, maybe while they’re bored or frustrated at work, and start out meeting up and sleeping together semi-frequently. And eventually they accidentally start dating without noticing it at first, not until Raven and Emma get them alone and are like “wtf you two super sluts are actually dating??” And at first they deny, but then they’re both like “holy shit, we are!” And they meet back at one of their places and they don’t have to say anything, they just look at each other and come together immediately, kissing passionately and ~making love~. In the middle of it they realise that’s what they’ve been doing for a long time now and they confess their love to each other and they live happily ever after because they deserve all the good in the world."

For Charles – Shigai

Summary: Tired of being told he has to find his 'heart', classical piano graduate Erik Lehnsherr decides to travel to Italy and drink from the famous Italian passion for music. While searching for it, he meets Charles Xavier, a graduate in Fine Arts who is basically travelling around the world perfectioning his technique, and who will turn his world upside down.

Together they will discover that, sometimes, what you thought you didn't need is what you needed the most.

Erik Hates People – Anonymous

Summary: Erik hates people- it's his rule, a way of living.

Sugar – humanitys_cutest

Summary: Erik glances at the clock for what feels like the tenth time in less than half the minutes. It feels like he's been in some meeting or other since the day started almost 10 hours ago, and he's had just about enough of listening to these pompous old men discuss what would be the best design for his building like they know anything about it. He tries as subtly as possible to massage his temples to assuage the building migraine, but he knows it's no use.

He just wants to go home.

Everyone Likes Charles – Rosawyn

Summary: '“Everyone who's met him likes him.” Cain's grin was even stupider than before. “Once you meet him, you'll see.”

It was almost like a challenge then. And damn. Erik hated saying no to a challenge.'

Still Going Strong – JackyJango

Summary: Speaking of forty-eight, Erik hates it. Hates it even more that others are aware of it. While he’s pragmatic enough to know and accept that aging is inexorable, the increase in number gives the people around him the freedom to pounce at him with questions, opinions and advice he'd fought to keep at bay all year.

Besides, Erik believes that youth is a state of mind, not a phase in one’s life.

You have a child’s mind in a man’s body, Charles constantly tells him.

But despite his age, Erik is healthy. He works out daily. His muscles are steel and he can dead-lift four hundred pounds. He can break bones without breaking a sweat. Most importantly, he can still carry Charles to the bedroom and fuck him senseless. And as long as Erik can do that, he’s perfectly happy.

All I know is pouring rain and everything has changed – hllfire

Summary: Charles meets Erik, the man he had heard about many times from his sister and some friends, on a rainy Sunday morning. The stories about Erik paint him as a distant and intimidating man, but Charles finds out that maybe the stories had been wrong.

How to Successfully Ruin Your Life – humanveil

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Charles Xavier accepts a job at his local café, expecting nothing more than a fun, new pastime. What he gets is a mysterious customer and a schoolboy crush.

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours – magneto, pangea

Summary:Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

The Theory of Partnership Dynamics – Pangea

Summary: “Detective Lehnsherr, how wonderful to see you out on the job!” The fed in the front greets him as they draw nearer. He’s shorter than the other two by a full head, and he’s beaming at Lehnsherr as if completely undeterred by Lehnsherr’s paint-peeling scowl.

“What do the feds want?” Lehnsherr asks bluntly.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” the fed answers cheerfully. Then his gaze lands on Alex, and, impossibly, his grin gets even brighter. “Did you get a new partner?"

“No,” Lehnsherr says through his teeth while at the same time Alex says, “Yes.”

[rcxylancelct-mcrtcn]

"Or he's incredibly busy, as he always is." But Missy wasn't wrong. Although, he is the one who proposed her; she imagined he'd check on her state, even if just to follow up on the progress. No matter, she thought, we'll see each other soon.

For the meantime, then, Roxy focused on the present, and a bit of a grin formed as Missy held out her hand for a shake, her addressing of her by name a clearer sort of indication that this was more a welcome than anything else. She held it then, her grip firm, the shake brief and proper as she was taught. "Well enough," she replied, glancing back at the books, "I didn't think I'd have this much material to deal with, but I'm supposed to be well-informed. I was told the gentlemen seem to allude too often to global cases."

Despite the formality of the handshake, she kept hold of Missy's hand, setting them in front of them as she continued. "I would love a little break though," she admitted in a whisper, "I don't suppose you're not too occupied for one as well?"

"I imagine he doesn't want to show favouritism by coming to visit you too early." Missy knew him well enough for the educated guess, allowing a small hint of a smile to tug up her lip.

She was fond of Roxy, and her family, even if she rarely dared to admit it. Merlin may be trying to take her under his wing, but Missy was only a few steps behind, ready to keep a watchful eye. Roxy was so young, after all, and still lived in her mind as a tiny tot stumbling across the room between her fathers.

It was incredible to see how much she had grown.

"I, however, have no such qualms with showing such preference". The words were paired with a gloved hand being held out to shake, an action more congratulatory than formal. "Welcome to the team, Roxy. How are you settling in?"

[rcxylancelct-mcrtcn]

@agent-scotch

×

“Got it.”

Roxy moved to turn the valves as instructed, her vitals moving to a state that was only a tad bit concerning. I’ve been trained. I’m being trained.

Being caught nervous didn’t help much but made her just a little bit more; apart from the risks that she had well understood before partaking, the thought of failing crossed her mind. But she wasn’t about to give up just yet; she took in a deep breath, exhaling through her nostrils slowly, half-hoping Sora could just be there.

Too late for that, now. “Alright, Scotch. I suppose I ought to give this a go. Sooner over the better.”

She waited for further instruction, mind set on bringing the aircraft to the nearest Kingsman-owned hangar, and just take a long stroll home. Perhaps a drink before and after.

[warsofasoiaf]

Uh. I checked the character count, and this is going to end up long. My friend sent me something, and while I'm sure it's wrong, I don't know enough about medieval battles to dispute it. Can you help? Part one of many

He held storms end against a siege. From what information there is he seems to have done this well. I don’t know if he employed a scorched earth strategy before the siege began (if he didn’t then a rescind my compliment). The siege showed little in terms of tactical or strategic prowess on the part of Stannis but his will power was commendable and eating last was (part 1)

The siege showed little in terms of tactical or strategic prowess on the part of Stannis but his will power was commendable and eating last was a good morale booster (though he likely didn’t do this for the moral). Still, if the Tyrells had decided to storm the castle he would have lost. The battle shows more incompetence on the part of Mace than prowess on the part of Stannis (part 2)

He captured Dragonstone. There is very little mentioned about the specifics of the engagement. It is highly unlikely that there was a contested landing as the defenders lacked the numbers and morale for such a move and there is very little precedent for a contested landing in the historical time period that ASoIaF is based on. He likely arrived at the castle to find an open gate. Part 3

The best mark on Stannis’s record, and the only truly impressive thing he’s done was his destruction of the Ironborn fleet. He managed to split his fleet in two and flank the Ironborn without them knowing. Though this is still impressive it must be mentioned that Stannis likely had a great advantage due to technological superior ships (the ships described in the books are absurdly large and in an age where gaming and boarding was the main instrument of naval warfare that is a great advantage).

During the war of the five kings Stannis refuses to ally himself to anyone. This is a great black mark agains his record. And shows either an abysmal understanding of basic strategy or an incredibly diluted ego. Stannis’s choice to march on Storms end similarly shows either incompetence or delusion, only saved by an entirely unpredictable magical trump card on the part of Melisandre. Combined with the luck of the Stormlander lords agreeing to side with Stannis.

His attack of Kings Landing similarly shows a lack of understanding of basic strategy. This time he seemingly fails to scout ahead before initiating a contested river crossing. Failure to do this is an incredible oversight that cost him the battle. Part five sorry forgot the last one

After Stannis’s previous blunders lead to the annihilation of most of his army he gambles and sails north to try and win over the Northern lords. This is probably his first truly good idea in the war of the five kings. With Robb dead and the Lannister involvement in what seems to be one of the greatest war crimes in Westerosi history the Northern lords are ripe for realignment. Part 6

He crushes a numerical superior Wildling army though his force is made up of mounted knights and the Wildlings too don’t seem to utilize scouts. I would chalk this up to apparent wildling incompetence. Stannis then determines to march on the dread fort. Which is rightly pointed out by Jon Snow to be a stupid idea. Stannis then receives advice that determines his next moves. Part eight

Sorry, had to wait to submit more. Stannis then determines to march on the dread fort. Which is rightly pointed out by Jon Snow to be a stupid idea. Stannis then receives advice that determines his next moves. Stannis also seemingly wins the battle on the ice. His strategy seems to be fairly sound though he likely will receive no small amount of help from the Manderlys. Part nine

Part 10: Ultimately Stannis does not deserve his reputation. He isn’t completely incompetent. But He does not stand up the the likes of Tywin Lannister, Randyl Tarly, or Robb Stark In skill. Most of his victories are largely attributable to events that he had no control over and could not have forseen, from Melisandre’s magic to Jon’s council.

I wouldn’t worry. Whoever wrote that doesn’t really understand warfare either.

Defending against the Siege of Storm’s End was a remarkable feat of leadership. Stannis is young, and this is likely his first real test of major leadership. That he is able to handle it with only one instance of defection is no small accomplishment. A general needs to have this sense of leadership, in order to inspire his men and to get them to follow his orders. This is something we see time and again with Stannis; his troops truly do feel inspired by him, and are not simply fearing punishment for non-compliance. His men cross the burning bridge of ships during the Battle of the Blackwater, they follow him to the very edge of the world (bit of dramatic hyperbole here, but the Wall is remote and he would need to unite his men after the disastrous defeat). 

Capturing Dragonstone. I fail to see your friend’s point. Naval landings are difficult in premodern times. Stannis had to organize a fleet and land, and he had built ships to take on the Targaryen fleet. Again, that’s another part of leadership, particularly since medieval naval combat frequently had ships that would be commissioned for a purpose and then mothballed.

What we see of the Battle of Fair Isle shows instead Stannis using the terrain features and the advantages of his equipment to his full advantage. This is something I often see with amateur military analysts is this idea that good equipment is used as an excuse to dismiss battlefield accomplishment in favor of a preferred conclusion. In real battle, this isn’t the case, it’s a chaotic mess and tools and techniques still have to be used appropriately.

Now I agree that the early moves that Stannis makes in the War of the Five Kings does show that he needs his character development to grow into a better king. The need to secure alliances, and the way his poor interpersonal skills don’t make much headway with Catelyn despite her being tailor-made to support Stannis (save for that pesky Northern independence thing) do show that his problems front and center. 

I’ll be frank, your friend’s interpretation of Storm’s End suggests that he or she did no analysis the battle. I’ve seen a bunch of folks argue that on the r/asoiaf subreddit before. The facts of the matter are that Stannis forces Renly to move and nearly exhaust himself. He prepares his position and ground, he takes key advantage of Renly’s mistakes, and overall shows himself capable of winning the fight. Melisandre is often dismissed by people in our own world, but we have to remember that Planetos is a world where magic actually does stuff. I’d agree that a general in our own time who prepares for a magic bolt of lightning or something to strike down an enemy general is an idiot, but Planetos operates by different rules, and we have to make at least some sort of concession to that.

Now, we do see Stannis making a lot of mistakes in the battle, but we also see Imry Florent making most of the mistakes against tactical sense. Part of that is on Stannis, he is the senior commander, but part of that is also the problems of incompetent feudal leaders. Imry is an idiot, and he only got that position by nepotism. 

Dismissing the wildlings losses as failure to employ scouts simply doesn’t match the text. We don’t hear about the wildlings not employing scouts, what we hear instead is that Stannis joined with the Eastwatch rangers and set out. We also see that the wildlings do employ some of their forces well, particularly their mammoths, which requires Stannis to secure a breakthrough against one of the other wildling contingents to flank the mammoths and bring them down, which is good tactical maneuver to eliminate an enemy advantage.

Stannis relying on Jon for counsel being marked as a disadvantage is a completely foolish argument. Securing local intelligence to better plan and execute a military campaign is one of intelligence’s primary purposes! That’s one of the most prevalent reasons to secure friendly local sources, so that you can adequately plan with better knowledge. Stannis makes a plan, finds local sourcing which gives him better intelligence, so he changes it. That being held against him is just a bad argument, start to finish.

I noticed your friend completely omitted the capture of Deepwood Motte, and I’m guessing because it really tears a hole in their arguments. Stannis using classic military deception techniques, camouflage to hide his troops, and captures Asha as she’s trying to evacuate, all of which showcase Stannis’s intelligence and effectiveness within the military sphere.

The Battle of the Ice we see Stannis again making preparations to take advantage of local conditions. While we don’t see what it is, because we’re still waiting on the book, all of the chapters that we see of him in the fifth novel regarding this show him preparing, show him leading his men. 

Holding up Tywin Lannister as an example of a military genius is laughable, since Tywin gets beaten pillar to post by Robb Stark. His efforts to win the War of the Five Kings completely doom his house, since he violates every social taboo and engenders significant resentment to his family while doing so. I think it is possible to criticize Stannis’s mistakes in the Blackwater, without needing to minimize the actual accomplishments.

Thanks for the question, Anon. Here’s hoping you can correct your friend’s bad arguments.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[simonrriley]

my big ass f/o list!

all my f/os and their tags!

romantic!

cas: hey, assbutt! (supernatural)

dean: driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole. (supernatural)

crowley: hello boys. (supernatural)

connor: adapting to human unpredictability is one of my features. (detroit: become human)

rem: mister infamous (the bastards novel)

spot: brooklyn’s here! (newsies)

mickey: kiss me, and i'll cut your fucking tongue out. (shameless)

springtrap: am i machine or something more? (fnaf)

william: all i see is purple instead (fnaf)

lucifer: hail to the king, baby. (supernatural)

scourge: i expect the ice to melt, but it doesn’t. (warriors)

my s/i for that is a cat too dw

catra: hey, josh. (she-ra)

double trouble: of course we all wear costumes. (she-ra)

deadshot: i don’t miss. (cw arrow)

julian: eels! (the arcana)

harry hart: manners maketh man (kingsman)

eggsy: this ain’t that kind of movie bruv (kingsman)

shadow the hedgehog: now you’re getting the picture.

sonic the hedgehog: i don’t think they’ll accept “gotta go fast” as a medical condition.

familial!

nadine ross: relax, you’ll live longer. (uncharted: the lost legacy)

sam winchester: according to the lore…(supernatural)

jack kline: i’m two... twenty. (supernatural)

firestar: fire alone will save our clan. (warriors)

foxy: welcome to pirate cove (fnaf)

roxy: classic army technique (kingsman)

sans + papyrus: no quote yet (undertale)

platonic!

toy bonnie: nice to meet ya, are you new in town? (fnaf)

the white shadow: the devil that you know is better than the devil that you don’t (idkhow)

[rcxylancelct-mcrtcn]

Roxy hummed as a means of silent yield to her father’s words. Work is work, that much was a long running reality, and she had come to a point, perhaps long ago, of accepting so. But it didn’t mean she wouldn’t try to make them stay, if she can help it. Only just a little; she wasn’t one to make a scene, either.

“I know,” she murmured softly, a bit of a sigh escaping her, “but I’m tallying the days; maybe one day I’d still get a chance for a weekend holiday with both of you.”

Until then, she relented to the moment, cosy in the middle of them, until James agreed on her offer. Roxy beamed a little, looking up at him with a hint of excitement. “Yeah? Oh, I think you’ll love them. Fascinating little creatures. Curiously life-proof, so to speak.” She stayed between them for only a minute longer before finally deciding on getting her material, excusing herself from their midst and returning shortly after with a couple trinkets, and a neatly, coloured binder.

Roxy placed the palm-sized, stuffed toy on James’s hand—as if it was ritual to hold the subject as it was described—then lifted the cover and turned to the pages concerning the animal, with notes and illustrations and photos craftily decorating the leaves. “Here it is. Tardigrades, or water bears, or moss piglets. A microscopic animal with a size of about 0.5 millimetre, with more than a thousand species found across the globe. They are considered to be extremophiles who have a special protein that protects their DNA, and employ cryptobiosis for survival.”

She glanced up at them periodically, but directed the next of her words to James. “I’ve half a mind to make you answer a test, you know.”

"Roxy, my darling," His voice was sugary sweet like the pastries on offer, free hand moving to gently push her soft hair back with equally soft affection.

"You know your father and I would love nothing more than to spend an entire day with you - but work is work, and they rarely buy into so called trivial things like holidays." An unfortunate truth. Even with a daughter at home, James hated to think of how many things he had missed due to an emergency call. But duty called, and he knew his daughter understood.

Instead, James reached for a pastry too, arm settling around Roxy's shoulders as they lent back against the headrest.

"I would love to. You'll have to explain it all to me though - water was never my speciality."

[greatworldwar2]

• Alan Turing

Alan Mathison Turing was an English mathematician, and computer scientist. Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, which can be considered a model of a general-purpose computer.

Turing was born on June 23rd, 1912 in Maida Vale, London, while his father, Julius Mathison Turing, was on leave from his position with the Indian Civil Service (ICS) at Chatrapur, then in the Madras Presidency and presently in Odisha state, in India. Turing's mother, Julius' wife, was Ethel Sara Turing. Julius' work with the ICS brought the family to British India, where his grandfather had been a general in the Bengal Army. However, both Julius and Ethel wanted their children to be brought up in Britain, so they moved to Maida Vale, London, as recorded by a blue plaque on the outside of the house of his birth. Turing had an elder brother, John. Turing's father's civil service commission was still active and during Turing's childhood years Turing's parents travelled between Hastings in the United Kingdom and India, leaving their two sons to stay with a retired Army couple. Very early in life, Turing showed signs of the genius that he was later to display prominently.

Turing's parents enrolled him at St Michael's, a day school at 20 Charles Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, at the age of six. The headmistress recognised his talent early on, as did many of his subsequent teachers. Between January 1922 and 1926, Turing was educated at Hazelhurst Preparatory School, an independent school in the village of Frant in Sussex (now East Sussex). In 1926, at the age of 13, he went on to Sherborne School, a boarding independent school in the market town of Sherborne in Dorset. The first day of term coincided with the 1926 General Strike, in Britain, but Turing was so determined to attend, that he rode his bicycle unaccompanied 60 miles (97 km) from Southampton to Sherborne, stopping overnight at an inn. Turing's natural inclination towards mathematics and science did not earn him respect from some of the teachers at Sherborne, whose definition of education placed more emphasis on the classics. Despite this, Turing continued to show remarkable ability in the studies he loved, solving advanced problems in 1927 without having studied even elementary calculus. In 1928, aged 16, Turing encountered Albert Einstein's work; not only did he grasp it, but it is possible that he managed to deduce Einstein's questioning of Newton's laws of motion from a text in which this was never made explicit.

After Sherborne, Turing studied as an undergraduate from 1931 to 1934 at King's College, Cambridge, where he was awarded first-class honours in mathematics. In 1935, at the age of 22, he was elected a Fellow of King's College. In 1936, Turing published his paper "On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem". In this paper, Turing reformulated Kurt Gödel's 1931 results on the limits of proof and computation, replacing Gödel's universal arithmetic-based formal language with the formal and simple hypothetical devices that became known as Turing machines. From September 1936 to July 1938, Turing spent most of his time studying under Church at Princeton University, in the second year as a Jane Eliza Procter Visiting Fellow. In addition to his purely mathematical work, he studied cryptology and also built three of four stages of an electro-mechanical binary multiplier. In June 1938, he obtained his PhD from the Department of Mathematics at Princeton. When Turing returned to Cambridge, he attended lectures given in 1939 by Ludwig Wittgenstein about the foundations of mathematics. Turing and Wittgenstein argued and disagreed, with Turing defending formalism and Wittgenstein propounding his view that mathematics does not discover any absolute truths, but rather invents them.

During the Second World War, Turing was a leading participant in the breaking of German ciphers at Bletchley Park. From September 1938, Turing worked part-time with the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), the British codebreaking organisation. He concentrated on cryptanalysis of the Enigma cipher machine used by Nazi Germany, together with Dilly Knox, a senior GC&CS codebreaker. Soon after the July 1939 meeting near Warsaw at which the Polish Cipher Bureau gave the British and French details of the wiring of Enigma machine's rotors and their method of decrypting Enigma machine's messages, Turing and Knox developed a broader solution. Turing's approach was rather general, using crib-based decryption for which he produced the functional specification of the bombe. On September 4th, 1939, the day after the UK declared war on Germany, Turing reported to Bletchley Park, the wartime station of GC&CS. Specifying the bombe was the first of five major cryptanalytical advances that Turing made during the war. By using statistical techniques to optimise the trial of different possibilities in the code breaking process, Turing made an innovative contribution to the subject. Turing had a reputation for eccentricity at Bletchley Park. He was known to his colleagues as "Prof" and his treatise on Enigma was known as the "Prof's Book". While working at Bletchley, Turing, who was a talented long-distance runner, occasionally ran the 40 miles (64 km) to London when he was needed for meetings, and he was capable of world-class marathon standards.

Within weeks of arriving at Bletchley Park, Turing had specified an electromechanical machine called the bombe, which could break Enigma more effectively than the Polish bomba kryptologiczna, from which its name was derived. The bombe, with an enhancement suggested by mathematician Gordon Welchman, became one of the primary tools, and the major automated one, used to attack Enigma. The bombe searched for possible correct settings used for an Enigma message (i.e., rotor order, rotor settings and plugboard settings) using a suitable crib: a fragment of probable plaintext. By late 1941, Turing and his fellow cryptanalysts Gordon Welchman, Hugh Alexander and Stuart Milner-Barry were frustrated. Building on the work of the Poles, they had set up a good working system for decrypting Enigma signals, but their limited staff and bombes meant they could not translate all the signals. In the summer, they had considerable success, and shipping losses had fallen to under 100,000 tons a month; however, they badly needed more resources to keep abreast of German adjustments. At the park, he further developed his knowledge of electronics with the assistance of engineer Donald Bayley. Together they undertook the design and construction of a portable secure voice communications machine codenamed Delilah. Though the system worked fully, with Turing demonstrating it to officials by encrypting and decrypting a recording of a Winston Churchill speech, Delilah was not adopted for use. Turing also consulted with Bell Labs on the development of SIGSALY, a secure voice system that was used in the later years of the war.

Between 1945 and 1947, Turing lived in Hampton, London, while he worked on the design of the ACE (Automatic Computing Engine) at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Although ACE was a feasible design, the secrecy surrounding the wartime work at Bletchley Park led to delays in starting the project and he became disillusioned. In late 1947 he returned to Cambridge for a sabbatical year during which he produced a seminal work on Intelligent Machinery that was not published in his lifetime. In 1948, Turing was appointed reader in the Mathematics Department at the Victoria University of Manchester. A year later, he became Deputy Director of the Computing Machine Laboratory, where he worked on software for one of the earliest stored-program computers—the Manchester Mark 1. When Turing was 39 years old in 1951, he turned to mathematical biology, finally publishing his masterpiece "The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis" in January 1952.

In 1941, Turing proposed marriage to colleague Joan Clarke, a fellow mathematician and cryptanalyst, but their engagement was short-lived. After admitting his homosexuality to his fiancée, who was reportedly "unfazed" by the revelation, Turing decided that he could not go through with the marriage. In January 1952, Turing was 39 when he started a relationship with Arnold Murray, a 19-year-old unemployed man. On 23 January, Turing's house was burgled. Murray told Turing that he and the burglar were acquainted, and Turing reported the crime to the police. During the investigation, he acknowledged a sexual relationship with Murray. Homosexual acts were criminal offences in the United Kingdom at that time, and both men were charged with "gross indecency". Trials were held on 27 February during which Turing's solicitor "reserved his defence", i.e., did not argue or provide evidence against the allegations. Turing was later convinced by the advice of his brother and his own solicitor, and he entered a plea of guilty.

Turing was convicted and given a choice between imprisonment and probation. His probation would be conditional on his agreement to undergo hormonal physical changes designed to reduce libido. He accepted the option of injections of what was then called stilboestrol. a synthetic oestrogen; this feminization of his body was continued for the course of one year. The treatment rendered Turing impotent and caused breast tissue to form, fulfilling in the literal sense Turing's prediction that "no doubt I shall emerge from it all a different man, but quite who I've not found out". Turing's conviction led to the removal of his security clearance and barred him from continuing with his cryptographic consultancy for the Government Communications Headquarters. On June 8th, 1954, Turing's housekeeper found him dead at the age of 41; he had died the previous day. Cyanide poisoning was established as the cause of death. An inquest determined that he had committed suicide. Turing's remains were cremated at Woking Crematorium on June 12th, 1954, and his ashes were scattered in the gardens of the crematorium.

In August 2009, British programmer John Graham-Cumming started a petition urging the British government to apologise for Turing's prosecution as a homosexual. The petition received more than 30,000 signatures. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, acknowledged the petition, releasing a statement on 10 September 2009 apologising and describing the treatment of Turing as "appalling".

[wolfjustdraws]

The King’s Choice: Garden Statue

“Garden Statue” - Lockwood x Quill

Lockwood and Co. Series

Summary: The Choice was made

——Lockwood——

When the princess of Deadstone and I met officially for the third time in our lives, it was only three days before the wedding took place. Before that, our only interaction had been through a mandatory letter that had to be sent between the two intendeds; a description of ourselves and some detailing of the things that we could offer to the marriage. While mine had been long, descriptive and smooth, filled with all the particulars I felt she’d need to know before the actual commitment; the princess’s had been short and robotic, cut off of any specifics about herself. A frustrating letter to read to say the least.

The actual meeting wasn’t much better than it. Lord Carlyle proudly marched inside the throne hall of my castle, making me feel almost like it wasn’t my own, followed by all his daughters in a perfect line, their low-ranking husbands beside them. And at the end of the line, head hung and eyes firmly trained on the skirts of her garments, princess Lucy stood hunched over herself, trembling anxiously as the proper introductions were made.

Once all the curtsies were exchanged, the Lord practically demanded a tour of the castle, his family trailing after him like a personal guard. I offered the princess a more private tour between us, as was customary to do as a way that she and I would get to meet each other better. It would have probably worked its purpose, if the princess had actually had anything to contribute to the conversation with, but she limited herself only to following me like a lost puppy, making quiet signals of understanding to my words and speaking when absolutely necessary.

She was a completely different woman from the powerful and blood-thirsty conqueror I remembered her to be. There were no threats of total annihilation of my country in the talk, no accusations of past wrongs ever committed, no claims of future victory over my pleading corpse, not even the slightest curse over my deathbed or looks of hatred in the direction I was.

I only ever caught her making a pleading look her father’s way a couple of times, but I kept this details to myself.

The day of the wedding arrived like any other day would have, except my whole kingdom woke up early to prepare themselves for the celebration. Oh, what a glorious wedding it was going to be - extravagant curtains hung from every wall of the palace’s halls, embellished white and red flowers adorned every room inside the castle, royalty and important head-figures of my neighboring countries and many others had attended, all dressed up in their finest galas for the occasion, the kingdom’s most prominently known classical-music orchestra, the largest red-velvet chocolate cake I’d ever seen (my secret, personal favorite) with the best, most delicious white icing I’d ever tasted on top.

Yes, it was truly a wedding fit for a king and a queen of a nation as mine, and it was definitely the kind of wedding I had pictured for myself. Everything was exactly like I’d wanted it, every last detail of the decor, the banquet, the guests, the music. The only thing that wasn’t how I wished it to be, was the bride.

I stood before the altar feeling nothing but apprehension, fear and frustration. Even with the orchestra playing, I could hear the murmurs of my people behind me.

“Our king is so brave, marrying that monstrous girl…”

“His a fool if you ask me, he should have never agreed to this!”

“Our army is strong enough to teach this ‘Lord’ a lesson, we should have gone to battle against them”

“Show some respect! The king is doing this for our sakes!”

“That girl is a monster, being the one to lead their army against everyone! She’s lucky our king ever accepted her…”

I would have been swept away by all that, had I not caught the gaze of my Royal Guard’s Commander on me from the sidelines of the hall. It was slightly surprising to see him actually focusing his eyes on something other than the infinity of time itself while on duty, even more surprising to have him focused on me, but what actually made me stop on my train of thought was the look he gave me. He looked so forlorn, so impotent, so…powerless as he watched me standing before the altar, waiting for someone else to stand beside me and take my vows.

How I wished he could look at me with different eyes.

And it wasn’t long before the door of the hall opened, Lord Carlyle tightly gripping his daughter’s hand before him. The people in the benches stood up as they began the walk down the long aisle, the musicians changing the piece they had been peacefully playing to that of a nuptial march.

I kept my face as neutral as I could manage, the curves of my lips just barley tilted down, my eyes focused ahead on her with concealed determination, an expression I had schooled, practiced and perfected since my younger years for my court cases with the nobles.

With her eyes also firmly trained before her, princess Lucy advanced regally towards me, her beautiful white dress dragging behind her gently. Her milky-white shoulders were bare, her cleavage showing nicely, before the arms were covered by a silk that hung on her just right. The skirt of the dress was a long ballgown, fluffed with tulle and covered in more white silk, filled with beautiful handmade stitched flowers and pearls. The diamond tiara over her head kept the veil in place, over her head and down her shoulders behind her, giving her a rather spectral yet oddly charming aura.

She was the true image of royalty and all I could feel in myself about it was absolute loathing.

We stood side by side before the altar, the priest before us droning on about what our union would mean for our two kingdoms, the new and bright beginning that would come from it and how by taking each other we would be taking an important commitment to our people and the other. I wasn’t sure how much she actually listened to what he said, I know for sure I wasn’t paying all my attention to all of it.

Turning to finally look at each other, we exchanged vows, promising to stand by the other’s side and to support the other’s decisions, to always look for the better of one another and to never allow anyone to come in between us. Then we slipped the small golden rings on our fingers, and the band began to play again.

I led her down the aisle as the people clapped around us, her hand gently, faintly placed on top of mine. My eyes drifted momentarily to the side of the room where the guards were stationed, all of them stoically standing in place, their eyes nonchalantly staring into a faraway reality. Among them, my personal guard stood out, just barely, in his pristine steel armor, in the center of the chest-plate the coat of arms of my kingdom - a grand shield with an asymmetrical tower-like top with a pair of snake-dragonettes both curving over each other, a coronet resting right atop their heads, and on the bottom a drapery of simple shape that read ‘Spirits guide us, spirits watch over us’. His head was covered by a helmet of impressive plumage on the top, signaling his rank of Commander. I sighed heavily as I passed by him.

The reception was a marvelous banquet held in the castle’s gardens, which had been of course prepared specially for the occasion. The terraces had been throughout-fully swept of dust and leaves, the old greek-style columns cleaned as well. Tables were placed around the plateau, all covered with big, white tablecloths, their edges embroidered with golden thread, the coat of arms of my kingdom in the corners of it in silver. There was obviously an enormous feast provided by only the best cooks of my kingdom, all of who work for me in the castle kitchens of course, most of it placed on the Royal Family table, in which I would be sitting with princess - now actually - Queen Lucy at my side, her father beside her, and her sisters and their husbands around us.

Statues stood all around the gardens in which the party was held, most of them representing the Queens and the few Kings my kingdom of Dragary had had in the past, with the different aspects of their rules carved on the material of the sculpture; Queen Mardelle Dragaria Lockwood the First, her statue carved off the oak three in which she killed the enormous dragon that terrorized the people, who crowned her their ruler. Queen Peony Crescenta Lockwood the Strange, her figure made out of copper as a tribute to her peculiar choice making regarding the kingdom. King Jayden Etherius Lockwood the Unbound, his image chiseled in gold as a symbol of all the political relationships he acquired for the kingdom during his reign. Queen Andrea Meteora Lockwood the Visionary, her sculpture made out of steel, symbolizing her improving and recreating of our army’s battle strategies and techniques. King Darren Polarian Lockwood the King of Justice, who’s icon was sculpted on iron in recognition to his oppressive rule but fair treatment of his people and those who crossed him. King Bastian Cosmic Lockwood the Death Bringer, his image engraved with the bones of Nuldrarth The Nocturnal Lord of the Snake-Dragonettes after his army of Cosmical Warriors and him won the war against the battling creatures. And the latest addition to the Garden of Legacy, Queen Celia Vesper Lockwood the Explorer, who’s icon was carved on the same pine wood as the one of her ship, The Portland, had been before crashing on one of her many travels around the countries.

Soon, my statue would also be placed among those of our ancient rulers, in a stone or material of my choosing, and when I died, the elements of my ruling years would be added to it to honor my memory.

The party passed quickly for me, quietly sitting on my throne, my queen beside me. She would silently sip her wine and boredly looking at my people as they danced and drank and had their fill of the incredible food. Usually I would join my subjects in celebration at the events I organized, but today I felt not the joy they feasted upon. While I understood well the cause of their elation, not only the wedding but the avoidance of a war as well, I felt unable to participate in it. I couldn’t bring myself to party the outcome of what was surely going to make me miserable for the rest of my days.

I retired to my chambers as soon as I was able to - after giving a speech on the future prosperity of the kingdom, complimenting the chefs on the wonderful food, thanking everyone for attending the event, etc, etc, etc, - with Queen Lucy wordlessly trailing after me, the long skirts of her dress and her veil, now parted from her face, dragging after her. Thankfully, we weren’t expected to stay the whole wedding party. Thanklessly, the reason as to why wasn’t so good…for me at least.

We walked almost side by side, with her unsurprisingly a couple of steps just behind me, going through the beautiful halls of my castle. I knew the corridors of my palace as well as the back and front parts of my hands, each one of the carefully picked curtains’ meanings, the essence of each of the attentively built windows, the significance on every piece of armor dutifully displayed on them, the substance of every meticulously-made and shown tapestry on the walls. Everything from the most notorious design to the simplest detail of my family home was an important addition made by each of its ancestral inhabitants, and it was my duty as their predecessor to know them all.

I would mindlessly think of all this as I passed them to distract myself from the awkward presence of my queen, until the sound of her voice broke me out of my mental checklist.

“I thought Dragary was a queen-based monarchy” She said from behind me. I stopped on my tracks at the sound of her voice. Once again, the character inside her had changed. Unlike during the wedding and on our Official Meeting three days before it, she wasn’t a soft presence anymore. She wasn’t a small princess at the mercy of her father, a mere pawn in that man’s game of gain. I could hear the traces of that confident, capable woman I saw her as during that seemingly-ages-ago meeting.

“It is” I answered, noticing we were standing in the Hall of Rulers. She was looking at the portrait of one of the many Lockwood Royal Families, this one being from the Elarian Era - Queen Charlotte Elara Lockwood the Strongest Light standing regally along her only daughter, princess Amber Lunaria Lockwood “Heiresses are given priority over the other kids of the current queen or king”

“Did Queen Celia Vesper have no daughters?” She asked coldly.

“She did. Princess Jessica Solena died a long time ago”

And after that she said no more. Her mouth was sealed close once more like it had during the ceremony and before, the only sounds being the one of her dress and my boots against the stone.

I left her at the door of her chambers with a quiet goodbye and marched away to my own only a few corridors away. Mine was the Ruler’s Chambers, the biggest room in the entirety of the castle, and the room that all Queen and King had spent their rule in. My mother, Queen Celia, did before me, her mother did before her, and her mother did before her, all the way back to Queen Mardelle Dragaria.

Two sentries stood at the sides of the doors, clad in their heavy armor, thin chainmail, feathered helmets and longswords, both perfectly still as they stared off into the nothing. Only signs of life they gave was the quick salute as they saw me approach.

I couldn’t help the small slip of my eyes as I noticed that the second guard was, in fact, Commander Kipps. Of course it had to be him; for years now, as my personal guard, he had been posted right outside my chambers and study. It was his duty to follow me and ensure my safety, a position we had many times before taken advantage of I must admit.

His grey eyes didn’t turn to see me however, just like they never did before whenever I passed by him, and used to this as I was, I couldn’t help the sense of pain erupting from my inmost faculties.

So, without a final goodbye, or a last glance from any of us, I entered my room.

——

The death of a ruler was always a motive to mourn. No matter the nation they ruled, or the way in which they ruled it, a lost monarch was always a reason for all other communities to stop what they were doing and mourn the loss of a lost royal.

Lord Carlyle’s death came only a few weeks after the wedding.

One evening he’d been sitting at the dinner table looking as lively and bitter a man his age could possibly be, and the next morning he’d been laying on his bed, cold as diamond and still as stone. He was found by the maids that would attend him every dawn, who called the nearest guards for help.

But nothing could be done to help the old Lord.

A burying ceremony was held three days later at the castle. Every king and queen of every nation that was of our acquaintance came to pay their respects, as well as every baron and duke, every count and prince, every dame and lady that had once known the Lord. Of course, his daughters were present as well, all of them wearing their best mourning dresses, with black veils over their heads and white handkerchiefs in their hands to dab their tears with.

My wife, Queen Lucy, was no exception to this of course. Her ballgown-styled dress was the envy of all the other women’s eyes even in this disheartening occasion, black to the last detail, from the ribbons and waves stitched to the skirt, to the form-fitting and decorous top, the lace sleeves around her slender arms, and the black veil that came off her tiara. A beautiful image of power and regency that did nothing but bring a bitter feeling to my innards.

The entire kingdom was around us, everyone having stopped their running errands to attend the woeful ceremony.

However, unlike her sisters and the rest of her people of Deadstone, my Queen Lucy never shed a single tear. Her eyes remained dry and calm all during the ceremony, her lips pale and slightly frowned like usual for her, no running makeup on her cheeks or handkerchief. Her small hands were tightly grasped on one another before her, stiffly, uncomfortably so like she was containing herself.

Despite what little I felt for her, mostly only the bitterness planted on my stomach, my heart clenched and moaned in tenderness and a personally-long-known agony. The loss of a parent.

When my parents, Queen Celia Vesper Lockwood and King consort Donald Lockwood, perished in the eye of a storm during the last of their beloved travels around and about the lands of our most distanced allies, I was hurt beyond anything fathomable. The pain I felt back then was one that could bring perfectly-built walls down in seconds, and I could remember clear as daylight to this day that the only way I got through it was by my sister’s guidance, princess Jessica Solena Lockwood.

My dearest older sister would be queen today had she not passed away during a drake’s attack on the castle, which made me next on the line of royals, converting this from the Solenian Era into the Estellarian Era, the age of King Anthony Estellarian Lockwood.

As I stood beside my Queen, I raised my hand and placed it upon her naked shoulder, my calloused fingers gently laying on her silky skin. She looked up from the casket standing before her, her ever-scowling eyes glaring at me from behind the black veil cascading down over her face. I looked down at her, staring into her desolated orbs with an expression on my face that I knew wouldn’t give her much comfort, but hoping she could feel my support through my other physical gesture.

If she did however, she didn’t show it. We both just spent a couple of seconds staring into each others impassive faces before we looked back to the chest before us.

The rest of the ceremony went by just like that, mostly in silence except for the sounds of some women’s sobbing. The casket was buried quickly and the guests were thanked for their attendance, then seen to a personal guard that would escort them back to their respective lands as per royal funerary tradition. And so, after the last of our company departed, I watched my Queen depart to her chambers, regally as ever, and quiet as a mouse.

I walked back to my own chambers in brooding silence, hands held behind my back. The sound of my boots were the only thing I heard besides the voices of my melancholic thoughts and the echoes of my memories. Remembrance wasn’t a path I usually enjoyed taking in my moments of quiet, but I allowed myself to stroll down by it for now.

The old memories of my family were painful to bring back; filled with darkening voids from lost parts due to aging, ever-present shadows from my traveling king and queen, a slow-fading image of the heiress of Dragary’s throne and core-burning aching.

As I allowed them to run free for some moments, just as I reached the guarded door of my bedchambers, it dawned on me that my Queen was most assuredly suffering from the same agonies I felt upon remembering, but for her these were wounds that had been carved open just a few days back. So, I turned around from the door and made my way down the recently-walked halls towards my Queen’s alcove.

We had barely spent time with one another since the wedding, scarcely talked with the other without someone else needing both of our input in something, and hardly even looked at the other if we didn’t have an ulterior motive. Getting to know each other had become impossible with the needs of our kingdoms weighting on our shoulders. Still, there was no better time than the present.

Frowning as I marched into the West Wing of the castle where the consort’s, my Queen’s, chamber’s were, I noticed that the guards that were always stationed through the halls were nowhere to be seen. The suits of armor and tapestries were all on their rightful places, not an inch to the side, but the soldiers that should have been there, waiting upon orders from their Queen or from me, were all missing.

Deciding that this warranted a talk with the Commander, I stopped before the door of my Queen, which was also mysteriously unguarded. I took a moment before I even laid my hand on the door’s handle, taking a few deep breaths as my mind decided which would be the best way to approach her. The circumstances of our marriage were not ideal, and our relationship before it was less than unfortunate, and while in my heart I still couldn’t stop the throbbing pain that not being with Commander Kipps caused me, it was as King my duty to do what was best for my people, and if I could get something good from that, then I was willing to try for it.

The Consort’s chambers were most similar to mine, albeit right now decorated for a woman, with a grand bed in the middle, a beautiful crystal chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, with sweetly scented candles lighted around the room, with a beautiful painting or two hanging from the walls, a big wooden dresser and a boudoir on the side. And just as I stepped into the elegant suite my attention was enraptured by my Queen, pressed against the stone wall, still clad in her mourning dress, by someone else with who she shared a passionate kiss.

I stopped death on my tracks. The tiara and veil had been tossed to the floor, laying now right before my boots, and the lace that had covered her shoulders had now been teared away from the dress, her arms bare as they were wrapped around the other person’s neck, one of her small hands going up and tangling into their charcoal hair. Even though they were covered by a long, dark robe, I could see the person’s hands on her waist, their long fingers caressing the fabric of the dress in a fervent manner as they kept her pressed between them and the stone.

A knot formed on the back of my throat and kept me quiet. My legs locked under me and would not obey my brain’s command of leaving the room at once. My arms stiffened at my sides and would not raise to look for something that would keep me on balance as I felt like my mind filled with air and made me feel bilious.

But as I watched the make out get more forceful and heated, the other person pulled back from it.

“I believe someone’s come to find you, your Highness” They said in a deep and melodious voice, an enchanting sound that seemed to pour out like a gentle stream falling and merging into a vast lake. They looked around, their dark eyes meeting mine with a sardonic glint and an impish expression, their sharp features curved into a thrilled smile.

The Queen breathed heavily, still leaning back against the wall, one of her arms still wrapped around the person’s shoulders. Her eyes slowly unclouded from the overwhelm of emotions, becoming the same sour glare that she’d always have. With a quiet huff, I imagine it must have been of frustration, she stood straight on her feet, dusted off her skirt, and finally looked at me with eyes colder than diamonds.

“King Lockwood”

With my throat still knotted, I opened my mouth and managed a small “…Queen Lucy”

“What brings you to my chambers?”

“…I came to ascertain your wellbeing. And to talk to you”

“What is it that you wish to talk?” The other person stood behind her, their long robe brushing against the carpet on the floor, looking between her and me with an amused smile.

“Our marriage” I said pointedly, keeping my eyes firmly on hers.

“Our marriage is a fraud” She argued indignantly, hands folding on her skirts “My father only wished to possess the good land in which your kingdom lays, and he got what he wanted. Through me”

I waved off my shock from the sudden encounter “It doesn’t have to be a fraud”

“It can’t be anything else, I’m afraid” She stepped towards me, away from the person that stayed still in place. As she came up to me, I saw her brisk expression soften, warming and melting down like a little piece of butter left under the scorching sun of summer. Her eyes casted down at the carpet beneath our feet with a sense of…helplessness?

Her gloved hands extended before her as she stood right in front of me, instinctively bringing up my own, bigger hands to hold hers. Her long eyelashes prevented me from looking into her warm, chocolate orbs, but I could perfectly well see the small shining of welling tears on the corner of them. My heart clenched and moaned like it during the ceremony.

“…I’m sorry my King…” she lamented softly. I could feel her hands trembling gently in mine “I- I just…I can’t do this, I- I just couldn’t…”

With a tender squeeze of my hands and a quiet sob from her, I looked up to see the person behind her, standing silently a few steps away, watching the Queen with a gaze so loving, so affectionate and devoted, I understood at once what happened.

“I know you don’t- you don’t love me, my King, I know you don’t, and- and I am sorry, but-“ I turned down to her once more to see her beautiful eyes, spilling those precious tears “I’m- I also cannot love you, I-“

“Don’t apologize my Queen” She took a shaky breath to steady herself, and, retracting one of my hands from hers, I brought out a handkerchief from my coat’s pocket and softly dabbed her tears with it, cleaning the running makeup from her snowy cheeks “and waste no more of your tears, you have no one to apologize to, and nothing to beg forgiveness for; after all, love is no crime”

I removed the last of her smeared mascara from her cheeks and watched her eyes glisten as I spoke, her tears caught on her eyelashes.

“Do- do you mean it, my King?”

“I do. I understand you, for me this was also an…inconvenient arrangement, but the thought of not even trying to make things better with you troubled me to no end. But now, seeing how much distress this has caused you, I don’t wish anything but that you and your lover may remain together”

Her eyes widened affectionately “King Lockwood…”

“No one in our kingdoms can know, my Queen, I’m sure you understand this would open opportunities to our nations’ enemies to attack us”

“Yes, I understand that”

“Will keep your secret well guarded” I gave her hands a final squeeze before I stepped back from her. The robed person behind her still said no words, only watched us with a smile of their own. The Queen gave me a small smile, a truly grateful one from what I could see, and turned back to her lover.

They joined hands just as I walked out of the room, closing the doors behind myself. I took a moment to properly process everything that happened oh so quickly inside the Consort’s chambers, feeling like my chest was being pierced by a sword over again as the image of the Queen kissing their lover filled my mind once more. True, before this moment I thought nothing of her other than what terrible emotions would fill me due to the circumstances, however, the thought of her coming down to the debaucherous decision of being unfaithful?…

The night before our wedding I had taken the firm decision of leaving behind my feelings for the Commander, knowing well that it’d be something I could never truly let go of, but that I had to try, for the sake of my kingdom. Now however, after watching her unravel her feelings like that to me after weeks of only cold exchanges of words and even colder looks, I couldn’t begin to fathom the thought of making her abandon her loved one. After all, if it was all kept secret, there wouldn’t be any problem.

Which, then left me…

I hurried out of the West Wing of the palace, still missing all its supposed guards, until I arrived to my study, where two soldiers stood quietly at the door, arms stiffly at their sides and one hand over the pommel of their swords, ready to attack should they be threatened or should I give them the command to. However, none of them was the one soldier I wished to see.

“Where is Commander Kipps?”

“He was called away by one of the personal guards, King Estellarian, he will return once they get to the border”

“When was this?”

“After the Mourning Ceremony finished, sir”

“Then he should be on his way back now. Tell Commander Kipps to meet me in the Garden of Legacy immediately when he returns”

And with that I walked away from the stationed soldiers, listening to my own thoughts as I walked down to the beautiful gardens of the castle.

Unlike the when the wedding celebration took place in them, they were now empty of other souls and quiet except for the small night critters that hid among the darkening corners. The statues casted shadows down the stepping stones and the carefully-trimmed grass, growing longer and more twisted as the sun lowered and then grew back as the pearl white moon raised on the obscuring heaven, the beautiful white dots of the stars appearing around it.

I stood before the wooden statue of my mother, Queen Celia Vesper Lockwood, in silence. Her cold gaze casted down directly on top of me, harsh and grim, a way in which I never remembered seeing her. My memory didn’t allow me many memories from her, but I certainly never recall witnessing a moment of anger of hers, mostly only moments of great kindness and motherly companionship.

And just a few steps away from hers, made from mountain stone, the base for the next statue - mine. Soon enough there would be another statue on the Garden of Legacy, brought in after the reigning monarch’s wedding like was traditional, and placed upon its base with its plaque. Then, after my death the statue would be altered; the material would likely be changed from the traditional marble to something else that represented my years of ruling, and the plaque would have my full title written on it.

I noticed the sounds of steps behind me.

“Commander Kipps” I turned around, opening my mouth to speak again - for my words to die on my throat.

“My King” The sound of steps still continued, but there was nothing before me, only the sound of those words seemingly coming from the bare wind. It was a purring sound, nice and soft to the ear, like a tender caress. And yet unsettling like a chill running down your spine.

I looked around for anything that could have been the source of the disembodied voice, but the garden was completely empty save for myself. The statues’ enlarging shadows danced gently with the wind, making it difficult to see whoever else could have been hiding out.

“Where are you?” I growled, squinting my eyes to see better “I command you to come out!”

The voice came again, once more from an unrecognizable source, as a dark and unsettling chuckle. The sound was so deep, so low in pitch it just seemed to be coming from the ground beneath me, shaking me to my core with unease.

I was suddenly pushed back, something hitting me square on my chest, forcing the air out of my lungs with that single blow. My boots stumbled back as I lost my balance, the heels hitting against the stone base behind me and stepping over it.

“Better now, my King?” I opened my eyes to find that I was suddenly face to face with a pair of dark, sardonic eyes and a thin pair of lips that curved sharply into a devilish smirk. A long mane of charcoal hair cascaded around the face before me, their tall body covered in a black robe that pooled around their feet “I sure hope I didn’t startle you too badly”

My eyes widened “You-”

“Skull, yes, a shame we weren’t properly introduced, Your Majesty” They said with an air of superiority, flicking some of the dark locks of their hair behind their shoulder “I would have loved to have a proper discussion with you of the materials that could be used for this, but then again, there isn’t much time, so I guess I’ll just have to be traditional and quick about it”

“What are you talking about?” I tugged on my leg so I could step off the stone, but found my boot stuck down to the stone. There was a cold chill spreading up my ankle, also starting to tickle down on my other foot just above the boot. Looking down to see what was keeping me in place I let out a loud gasp when I see my feet along the beginnings of my slacks coated in white. With another tug on my leg I found that not only I couldn’t lift my leg - none of my muscles responded to the moving command “what the hell is happening?”

“Oh, that?” The person let out a snicker, rolling their eyes in a playful manner “like I said, I would have loved to go a little more into details for this, but time is of the essence, you know? I can’t spend all night deciding which stone would be better to use”

“Stone?!”

“For your Legacy Statue of course” The cold had begun to unpleasantly spread over my calves, the muscles ceasing all intended movement and hardening, as well as my pants over them, however, not loosing the sensations. I could feel the bitter stone against me like if I was only laying against it, except it was wrapped all around my legs, moving up and over my knees.

“Stop this at once, you Sorcerer! This is a crime against the nations of Dragary and Deadstone, and you will pay for your insolence!” The whiteness kept advancing over my limbs, getting closer to my torso and causing fear to begin pooling inside my stomach. The wizard simply chuckled darkly again, watching in amusement.

“Oh my poor King Estellarian, do you really think I will stop just because you commanded so?” They leant closer to me than they already were, stepping over the stone base, however their robe and feet remained clean from the chilling whiteness that wrapped around my body from the inside out, gaining ground over my narrow hips. Their long, boney hand came up and gently touched my cheek, taking a few seconds to caress it before they pressed their lips against mine.

Under any normal circumstances I would have pushed the sorcerer away from me and have them be taken to the dungeons, but as my stomach hardened in fear and with the stony cold that kept spreading I was unable to do anything to prevent him from kissing me. There was a brief moment in which I felt a new sensation besides the traveling cold, but a warmer one that radiated in my chest for a second before it rose up my throat and I felt it vanish in my mouth, only a flash away before the wizard pulled back.

They still caressed my face with their long fingers, emanating a lover’s gentility in the action as they leant in closer to my ear. I felt their hot breath brush against it for an instant before four small, whispering words left their mouth and froze my blood.

“…Long live the Queen”

The lack of the warm presence of their body brought me back to reality to find that I had suddenly placed my arms regally before me, with my sword, which up until now had remained in its sheath, held between my hands, the steel tip of it coating in the same white stone. Marble.

“You really should have seen her face when she told me she wanted to take over and rule everything all by herself” My eyes moved up again and I let out a wheezing gasp, finding myself not staring at those same dark eyes from before, but into my own. In fact, standing before me completely free of the expanding marble stone was myself, same clothes as the ones I wore now “I know any normal man would have said no to such demands, but then again, I am not just any man”

“Why are you doing this…?” My words died slowly on my mouth as the marble kept growing, taking over my lungs. It stunned the breathing organs into complete motionlessness and pooled inside, blocking the passage of air. However, much to my growing dismay, I found that I didn’t need it anymore.

I saw myself snicker before my eyes “Why? Why not? After seeing the possible outcomes I can’t say I’m not intrigued by this one! Soon of course you’ll see it too, and you’ll understand. All the great improvements in technology, all the incredible new additions to the kingdom’s lands, everything thanks to the hardworking Queen. The King however…”

My arms were now fully frozen by marble now, my whole body under me unresponding to my brain’s commands. I could feel the cold creeping up my neck, the inside of my throat hardening.

“…King Anthony Estellarian Lockwood the Uncaring. Catchy, isn’t it? The Great Estellarian Era, knowing not only for the magnificent improvements done on the kingdom, but for being the only time in which the reigning monarch did less than their consort”

In my mind I could hear myself growling at them, while on the outside, my entire mouth was now covered in marble, shaped into a never-moving frown.

“But I’m sure you’ll find that seeing all this happen before you will be quite boring, as I’ve already spoilt the surprise, a real shame, but don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find other more interesting things to witness, after all…statues don’t die”

And with that, white growing gravel covered my ears and his last word echoed inside my stone head. The marble enclosed over my eyes, the image of them before me becoming colorless and ghastly. They stepped back from the stone base in which I now rested silently, looking me up and down with a satisfied grin.

There was another sound of steps not too far from me and I heard a much too familiar voice calling from among the other statues.

“King Estellarian?” The Commander stopped a respectful distance away, bowing deeply at the sorcerer that now stood between him and me in disguise.

“We are alone, Commander” My voice came out from the being before me as they turned around to meet the man that I had intended to talk to “You know not to be so formal when we are on our own”

The soldier took off his feathered helmet and gave my doppelgänger a smile I hadn’t seen in the weeks since I accepted the marriage proposal “yes, I know so, Anthony. I was told you wished to see me”

And so, in my marble state, standing regally among the other tributes, I listened to the man I love, the one man I trusted most, the one person I would only ever love, the one I had swore to remain away from for the sake of my people, talking to the snake-tongued wizard and tell each other the same sweet promises we had once given each other, a time lost long ago. I wept in silence in my cursed form for him, for the nation, for myself.

I knew I had made the wrong choice.

[rcxylancelct-mcrtcn]

@slicinggazelle

×

She followed her direction until she blended with the crowd, catching sight of the top of her head every now and again. An attendant looked over her direction a moment before disappearing, taking cue of the likely attention she was to receive in a few.

Gazelle’s difficulties were beyond her sight; she focused on occasional seering pain on her legs, and the bruises that littered her skin from the impact of the rubble during the explosion. Though most have subsided, several were notable, requiring treatment to hasten the process.

As estimated, Roxanne was promptly approached by a nurse, the right-hand no longer in her mind a moment as the was interviewed of pain level and previous allergies. A pill was provided, wrapped in commercial packaging, which was received though with a hint of doubt. She took it in, and was advised to ring for assistance should pain return in four hours.

Then, she was gone, her attention returning to the other as she felt the medicine do its work. “What are you here for?”

[rcxylancelct-mcrtcn]

"Roger, Scotch," she replied after a brief moment of silence, taking in the intel then switching off the buttons. "I've no idea how it is for you, but at least I could tell it can get too much."

How she managed to be so conveniently thrust into air-borne activity whenever it's involved is beyond her, the same hideous view and the same hideous feeling creeping up to her at twenty thousand feet and so, but she had to deal. She always does anyway; being alive and in one piece should be enough proof of it.

Maybe she just needs to learn how to fly; move past the fear. She'd love to be capable, of course, but she'd be damned if Merlin or Arthur ever insists to let her maneuver—

Too far, she halted herself, focusing on the panel in front of her. "Go on," she nudged, waiting for further information.

“is this it?” (rcxylancelct-mcrtcn)

The mechanic sat back, resting her legs on the chair next to her. She looked at the monitors at mission control that shared Lancelot's view of the airplane dashboard in front.

"That's the standby battery, Lance, only use that for emergencies," she replied before taking a sip of her tea. "The secondary master is the red and white below. Make sure it's off, or else you'll fry the electronics.......I don't need more work on my plate".

@rcxylancelct-mcrtcn

[importantlovecolor]

Red Alert 2 Installer Free Download

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With the same multiplayer capabilities as Red Alert 2, all that Yuri's Revenge does for you is to add a third combatant, Yuri's Forces, and a few extra units for the Allies and the Soviets. Graphics Always an unfortunate element of Westwood's Command & Conquer games, the graphics in Red Alert 2 are very similar. Command & Conquer Red Alert 2: The real-time strategy classic - for free!

Red Alert 2 Game Installer, free red alert 2 game installer software downloads. I want to know if there's a Red Alert 2 Installer that is free even this website it does have it but it just download there Yuri Revenge one but it still ask me to get Red Alert 2 The Red Alert 2 & Yuri's Revenge downloads from our site are both the same. There is an RA2 mode you can enable in the CnCNet client. Download Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 + Yuri’s Revenge Free, In Command and Conquer: Yuri’s Revenge, the story starts off assuming that the Allies were victorious in Red Alert 2. The game begins with the White House announcing DEFCON 2 status, as Yuri, the former head of the Soviet Psychic Corps, plans to take over of the world through.

Considering all the delays, hype and disappointment that surrounded last year's release of Command & Conquer sequel TiberianSun, Red Alert 2 has, in comparison, had a rather quiet time of it. Its announcement in May took many by surprise (including us) and now it seems barely has the marketing machine had time to get into first gear than the game has been finished, packaged and readied for release.

Consequently, thanks in no small part to the worldwide panning of Tiberian Sun, expectation for Westwood's new real-time strategy game has been only marginally higher than that we would reserve for a decent English summer. To its credit, developer Westwood has neither proclaimed Red Alert 2 be ground-breaking nor Earth-shattering and, after the tragic anti-climax that wasTiberian Sun, we wouldn't have believed them if they had.

Using an enhanced -unnoticeably so - version of the Tiberian Sun game engine and sporting many gameplay features and units from a four-year-old game, Red Alert 2 could be seen as a glorified remake of its predecessor. Westwood has done the same thing before, with Dune 2000 - the botched up remake of real-time strategy's most influential game - so it wouldn't be beneath them to do the same again.

Now before you all start sending me death threats for my cynical indifference, let me just say if I hadn't been so pessimistic before playing the game, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did.Think about it - and be honest - what are your expectations for the next Star Wars game? I'd wager not too high after having wasted your money on Force Commander. But because we are all Star Wars fans, or at least we should be, there is the hope that the next one will be brilliant. However, in Red Alert 2s case I wasn't hoping for much at all. You'd do well to think the same, for if you do, I guarantee you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Heroes And Villains

When you review a game - or at least when I do - one essential technique is to jot down pages of notes while you're playing, so when it comes to writing the review, you can refer back to them. Normally what is written down, though illegible, makes some sort of sense, but one of the last things I wrote was 'missions good. Nothing special. Addictive'. I am at a loss as to what I was on about, but I can tell you this: the missions in themselves are pretty undemanding, yet taken as a whole (and separated by a story that sees the USA being invaded) the two campaigns on offer (you can play as Allies or Soviets) are very engaging.

As is par for the course, you build a base, harvest ore, expand your borders and kill the unending trickle of enemy units until you overrun their base, all with scant regard for tactics - been there done that, we all have. With that in mind, what has been baffling me is why I enjoyed Red Alert 2 so much and yet could not derive any pleasure from Tiberian Sun. Both games are practically identical in structure, offering similar units to play with across a linear series of missions, liberally interspersed with high-quality video sequences. The only answer I can offer is a subtle difference in feel and mood. Where Tiberian Sun was a dark and faintly absurd yarn full of square-jawed heroes and boo-hiss villains, Red Alert anti its illustrious predecessor are somehow believable, despite being even more outlandish.

Graphically, Red Alert 2 is far from great. The animation for some of the larger units, ships especially, is juddery and the explosions are hardly spectacular. However, bearing bright colours and full of tiny details - like baseball and football pitches, fast food bars and houses - many levels are full of civilian life that have little impact on the game, but add a touch of fun to the proceedings. Sunbathers run half-naked on the beaches and cattle make themselves targets for your restless attack dogs on the farms. Elsewhere, across maps frozen with ice, all the buildings are draped with snow as if to fool us that they had been there forever. They haven't of course, but it's seemingly insignificant details like this that add a bit of colour to our interminably dull lives.

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In regard to the two sides you can choose to play, both are as distinct as any you'll find in a real-time strategy game. One of Westwood's strengths is that it always offers two very different challenges in all its strategy games, by throwing in units and buildings that look and play to different styles. Many of the units are standard fare with infantry and tanks in abundance, but there are a number of clever differences between even those.

Soviet conscripts are both cheap and weak, American GIs are marginally more expensive and can be deployed in a defensive role, able to fortify themselves in an instant within a cocoon of sandbags.

The Allied Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) is another interesting unit. Alone it is a weak reconnaissance tank, armed with a simple rocket launcher. But put a Gl inside and its turret becomes a powerful anti-personnel platform. With an engineer at the controls it alters into a mobile repair vehicle and there are other transformations that can be achieved by trying out other, more potent infantry units inside.Things like Rocket Launchers, Tech Yards and Gap Generators we've seen before, but many units, both old and new, can combine in interesting ways.

Place some Tesla Troopers with their electrifying weapons around a static Tesla Coil and they'll boost the power of it and keep it charged even when the power is down during an enemy attack.As in all RTS games, both sides' infantry units are easily overrun, even in large numbers, but this time around they can find shelter in many of the neutral buildings that pepper the levels. It's a feature that is long overdue in a Westwood game (Age Of Empires IIanti the soon-to-be-released WWII RTS Sudden Strike both offer the same option) and although not every building can be captured, certain ones that are can be a powerful complement to your base by creating chokepoints through which a lightly armed enemy can quickly perish.

Furthermore, there are four neutral Tech Buildings that can be procured - Airports, Hospitals, Outposts and Oil Derricks - all of which can support and replenish units that might otherwise have to make a long journey back to base.

The Soviets are still the side of cheap mass-produced technology, underhand and willing to sacrifice numbers for victory. In contrast, the Allies rely on fast, high-tech units that are more adaptable, yet weaker if left in a sustained fight with Soviet units of similar role.

One aspect in which Red Alert always won out over CSC was its use of naval units. And once again, Red Alert 2 gives the Soviet side a greater underwater navy, while the Allied fleet is predominantly surface-based with Destroyers, Cruisers and Aircraft Carriers going against the Russian Typhoon Subs and Giant Squids.

Trained animals play a larger role in this sequel than they did in the original Red Alert. The Allies now have attack dogs, as do the Russians, and against the Squids the forces of good rely on herds (or pods if you want to be technical) of clicking dolphins and their sonar attack.

Bring Your Friends

Even though the storyline and the level-by-level feed of new technologies are enough to keep you entertained throughout the two campaigns - and there is always the option of the skirmish game - there comes a time when the war will be over against the computer and the time will come to take on a human opponent.

We won't even pretend that we have played Red Alert 2 online yet, no servers are running anyway, but we did play over a LAN and, thanks to the diversity in units and the immediate familiarity of all of Westwood's games, playing against a real opponent was tremendous fun. In multiplayer or skirmish games you not only have to pledge allegiance to the Allied or Soviet sides, you have to choose an army from a particular country, each of which have a particular special unit they can use: Germany has tank destroyers; Libya has demolition trucks; Cuba has terrorists; the US has paratroopers; and Britain has snipers. Not a deal-clincher, as Steve Hill would say, but fun all the same.

As was the case in CSC, Red Alert, Ttberian Sun and now this,multiplayer games are all about throwing forces (onward to eat away at the opponent's defences. As you do so you are constantly thinking about what concoction of forces to send in next and while you leave your units to get on with it, you're cooking up another batch to send in. Westwood has never made strategy a priority in its games and here, too, the multiplayer game is about a slow pace of play that always ends up in spectacular fashion with entire bases wiped away by just one weapon. This - what we might term the railgun factor' -makes each game a race to build the most devastating weapon available rather than a plod through attack, counterattack and stalemate.

The Bit At The End

Red Alert 2 Installer Free Download Utorrent

About as ground-breaking as Windows 98 is to Windows 95, Red Alert 2 is no less essential for it. The interface has certainly improved since Tlberian Sun and the missions, varied and interesting, are carried along by a storyline that doesn't take itself nearly as seriously as other CSC games - for every cheesy line of dialogue, there's a knowing smile behind.

Remarkably well-rounded, the phrase 'more than the sum of its parts' could easily have been written with Red Alert 2 in mind. Unspectacular graphics, an AI that is clearly artificial and with little in the way of true innovation, Red Alert 2 is, nevertheless, an excellent game, well-designed and carried through with wit and style. In these times where realism is de rigueur, Red Alert 2 feels like a breath of fresh air.Just remember not to expect too much and you'll be as impressed as we were.

Back To The Future

Red Alert, the story so far...

In theory it's a good plan, but the greatest theorist of them all failed to realise the implications of his actions. After developing a timetravelling device in post-war America, Albert Einstein returns to 1923 to wipe Hitler from the history books. Unchecked by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, lead by Joseph 'Madboy' Stalin, embarks on a European crusade to turn our continent a nasty shade of red.

Defeated by an uncharacteristic display of unity, Stalin is killed by European Allied forces and Premier Romanov takes over Soviet control. Seemingly compliant and peaceful, he is of course quite mad and plotting his revenge against the Allies, he decides that America is ripe for invasion. Using mind control technology, the USSR sabotages America's nuclear capability and a huge invasion is launched into New Mexico, Texas and California. Which is where you come in to save the day.

[seeselfblack]

12 Things You did not know about Jimmy Hendrix... 

Jimi Hendrix, arguably the world’s greatest ever guitar hero... 

When he died, he was just twenty-seven-years-old, but in just a few years he expanded the range and vocabulary of the electric guitar to reach areas that no musician had ever ventured to before. We unearth some of Jimi’s tales from beyond the grave.

1.  Born in Seattle, USA, on November 27th 1942, his mother named him John Allen Hendrix and raised him while his father, James “Al” Hendrix, was fighting in World War II. When his father returned from Europe in 1945 he took Jimi home, divorced his wife, and renamed him James Marshall. He didn’t become Jimi Hendrix until he arrived in London in 1966. The Animals’ bassist Chas Chandler, who became his manager, suggested he swap James for Jimi.

2.  He dropped out of High School and enlisted in the Army in May 1959, becoming a member of ‘The Screaming Eagles’ 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as a trainee paratrooper. Fortunately for music fans everywhere, less than a year later he received a medical discharge after breaking an ankle on his twenty-sixth parachute jump.

3.  His father encouraged his musical talents, buying Jimi his first $5 acoustic guitar when he was fifteen-years-old and setting him on the path to his future vocation. A year later Al purchased his first electric guitar, a Supro Ozark 1560S.

4.  Jimi worked as a session guitarist under the moniker Jimmy James. By the end of 1965 he had played with several acts, including Ike And Tina Turner, Sam Cooke, The Isley Brothers, and Little Richard. His shows with Little Richard became caught up in a dispute over Jimi’s flashy garb - Richard felt nothing should distract attention away from his star power and so Jimi parted ways to form Jimmy James And The Blue Flames, shedding the role of back-line guitarist for the spotlight of lead guitar.

5.  Desperate to follow in the footsteps of his own British guitar idols, Jimi touched down on British soil on Saturday 24th September, 1966. He arrived at Heathrow at 9am, carrying a small bag with his guitar, a change of clothes, pink plastic hair curlers and a jar of Valderma cream for his acne. Escorting Jimi was Chas Chandler, with whom Jimi had agreed to follow to England only if he promised to introduce him to Eric Clapton, who was at that time with Cream. Within forty-eight hours he would take to the stage for an unprecedented onstage jam with Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce.

6.  Hendrix’s more outrageous guitar techniques, such as playing with his teeth, behind his back, and without touching the strings, amazed his audiences and contributed to his reputation as a showman. A more subtle unorthodox technique of his, however, was that he played his Fender Stratocaster upside down to accommodate his left-handedness. His left-handed skills were much to the chagrin of his father who believed it was a sign of the Devil.

7.  Jimi’s weapon of choice tended to be a Fender Stratocaster, but he would occasionally play the Gibson SG, Flying V, and Les Paul. On rare occasions he played the Fender Jazzmaster and the Fender Duo-Sonic.

8.  He called his music “electric church” because he believed music was his religion. His belief is put into practice at Seattle’s Experience Music Project, where one room is simply called the Sky Church, a great hall inspired by Jimi’s concept of a place where people of all ages, interests and backgrounds could come together to experience music.

9.  Microsoft co-founder and fellow Seattle native Paul Allen is one of Hendrix’s biggest modern day fans. Disappointed Seattle had no Hendrix shrine, Allen proposed a Hendrix museum at Seattle Center in 1992. Al Hendrix enthusiastically supported the idea, but Allen and the Hendrix family later had a falling out and the museum evolved into the much larger, costlier and more innovative Experience Music Project, designed by Frank Gehry.

1o.  Hendrix and Miles Davis struck up a friendship that was believed to be fraught with “personal issues” in Jimi’s final months. However, Davis agreed to studio time for an advance of $50,000, but the dream duo never came to fruition. Critics believe Jimi became the final inspiration for Miles to renounce the classical forms of jazz, as witnessed in records such as ‘Bitches Brew’ and ‘On The Corner’.

11.  Jimi died on September 18th, 1970. The hours leading up to his untimely death are subject to numerous conspiracy theories due to the confused statements of his partner at the time, Monika Dannemann. A twenty-five-year-old German ice-skater whom he barely knew, the post-mortem revealed that he had vomited in his sleep and choked to death having overdosed on Monika’s sleeping tablets. In search of a full night’s sleep, Jimi asked Monika for some of her powerful German sedatives, Vesparax. Unaware of the half-tablet dosage, Jimi took nine. His reckless mixing of drugs and alcohol had become so commonplace the previous year that his girlfriends regularly woke up to hear him gasping and had to clear his windpipe. Sadly there was no angelic rescue and, aged twenty-seven, he died, six days short of the fourth anniversary of his arrival in London.

12.  His iconic performance of ‘Star Spangled Banner’ at Woodstock in 1969 was not a symbol of national pride, rather an attack on America’s continued occupation of Vietnam. Seconds before going onstage, Jimi debated whether or not to perform the anthem, as his manager Mike Jeffrey feared it could spark a riot. Jimi ignored his concerns, deciding with the world watching that there was no greater stage to display his disgust and contempt about the war and its reverberations, than with a performance that has become an integral part of American history...    Written by Laurie Watson for Clash

Also see:

- That Time When Jimi Hendrix Was Fired by Little Richard

- Jimi Hendrix: From Toronto to Woodstock