#shepherds of summer 2021
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Shepherds Summer 2021 2024
Day 28 Future/Baby
#Shepherds of Haven#shepherds summer 2021#Blade Bronwyn#soh#fanart#my art#pocket knife#Blade is so whipped for Amaja#i can imagine he would be even more smitten with their daughter
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Mike Faistâs Queer Roles:
đ Dear Evan Hansen (2014)
Connor Murphy is a highly troubled 17 year old who has only ever felt true happiness in the presence of his best friend, and boyfriend, Miguel before he tragically took his own life.
đ„ Panic (2021-2021)
Dodge Manson is a contestant in the game PANIC, and has been confirmed as bisexual by the author.
đ Brokeback Mountain (2023)
Two cowboys, Ennis and Jack, meet on a shepherding job in the summer of â63. The two soon develop a powerful bond that threatens their livelihoods.
đ„ Challengers (2024)
World famous tennis players Patrick, Art and Tashi find themselves involved in a toxic love triangle
#mike faist#lgbt#movie#queer characters#gay#queer#lgbtq#lgbtq+#film#challengers#challengers art#Mike faist brokeback mountain#brokeback mountain
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The Long Burning Torch ch 10
It's heeeeere! Final(!!!) chapter of my @shepherds-of-haven 1920s fic. Ty to Lena for her amazing characters and the Summer AU event in 2021 that kicked this off, and to @emeraldgreaves for being my obscure info diver when I didn't have time to replay large chunks of the game looking for details <333 ---
The walk to Whitestone Couriers was blessedly uneventful. Xaeryn neither needed nor wanted more excitement today. Tonight. Even more fortunate than the quiet walk, Mr. Syndran was just emerging from the building as she reached it.
He paused with one hand on the door, leaving it half-open. "Miss Shrike. Should I take your arrival at this hour to mean what I think?"
She tapped the blanker box tucked under her. "I found it, safe and sound."
"Excellent!" Mr. Syndran wasn't the type to be described as beaming, but he certainly looked pleased as he pushed the door open. "Though I do have to wonder why your first instinct was to bring it here at this hour."
"I gambled on your or Ms. Aerin working late," Xaeryn explained as she followed him to his office. "With how long it's taken to track this darb down, I thought you might want it secured as quickly as possible." I didn't want to risk holding on to it any longer than I have to, God only knows what baloney might happen. Jarkyth did get away...
"You aren't wrong there." He leaned his walking stick against the edge of the desk and gave her a keen look. "Miss Shrike, you look nearly dead on your feet, sit down."
"You aren't wrong there," she said wryly, dropping into the chair he indicated without protest. Which was a mistake; she could feel exhaustion dragging at her as the adrenaline finally faded. Hopefully she'd make it back to her feet. "It's been a long day."
"Then I'll try not to make it that much longer." Mr. Syndran set down his keys and turned to open the safe. "But I would be interested in hearing at least high points of your success."
What made it take so long to find, in other words, she thought running a hand over her hair. "It was stolen by the king of Elinden, who fancies himself the rightful owner and planned to use it as proof of his connection to the land as he established a stronghold in the Jalis desert." Xaeryn handed over the case with the Torch and leaned forward, steepling her fingers. "He also seemed to buy all the... mythology surrounding it; believe it offered luck and protection."
"Hmm," Mr. Syndran sniffed. "Superstition..." He opened the case and nodded in satisfaction seeing the Torch within. The case itself caught his attention, and he examined it for a moment, as if he could tell there was something special about it.
"Belief is a powerful thing," Xaeryn shrugged. "Whether it's truth or folly." She rubbed the back of her neck, still sore from tussling with Heron. She was going to be very stiff come morning. Hate to think how that would've gone with him at full strength. "They'd found a place to hole up in Ashtown--"
"Of course," he snorted as he set the case in the safe and spun the lock.
"--using an abandoned warehouse," Xaeryn continued, stifling a yawn. "But we were able to follow some of King Kaza's people, find and retrieve the Torch" --and Red-- "and catch... most of them."
He tensed. "We?"
"Free agents and the Shepherds," she clarified with a wave of one hand. "Not the buttons; I remember my contract."
Mr. Syndran pursed his lips and returned to the desk, sitting in his chair. "You say most were apprehended...?"
"Unfortunately, the... financier slipped away while we were subduing the king and his brunos," she said carefully. She didn't want to go blabbing everywhere the Western Hierophant was involved. "He stood to gain valuable trade contracts from helping pull this off, but decided to cut his losses when things started turning against their success."
"Hmm, a pity. But you recovered the artefact, as contracted, and caught most of those responsible." He opened a drawer, withdrew his checkbook, and filled one out to pass to her. "The rest of your base fee." He watched her stifle another yawn as she took it. "I presume you would like some rest and time to collect receipts before we settle the reimbursement of incurred expenses?"
"You presume correctly." She had most things documented together already, but she did want sleep. She confirmed the amount, shifted to tuck the payment in her handbag--
--and was abruptly(rudely) reminded her handbag was still laying in one of the warehouse hallways. Damn it all, she didn't want to go back there. Not tonight. She just wanted to sleep. "And I presume you'll want that in the books as a separate expense from my fee, in case any questions are raised?"
"You presume correctly." He folded his hands an studied her. "I do have some meetings tomorrow, and will now also have to arrange returning Solimer's Torch to the Hall... Does eight thirty work for you?"
I'll make it work. She wanted this done with before she and Red talked, mainly to minimize the risk of being interrupted. But given how tired he'd looked, she was probably safe until eight thirty. "Yes, that'll be fine. Now, if you'll excuse me...?" She pushed to her feet.
"Of course, Miss Shrike." Mr. Syndran rose as well and bowed his gratitude. "I thank you for a job well done, and release you to go get some sleep."
"Thank you. See you tomorrow." Unfortunately, there was one more thing to do before she could sleep. Some of the things in her handbag were too vital to leave laying in a warehouse all night. Xaeryn sighed as she exited the building and retraced her steps to Ashtown.
---
She didn't find her handbag, which was highly annoying, despite looking both where she dropped it and in the surrounding area. She even peeked in a couple of the rooms to make sure it hadn't been kicked off somewhere in all the bustle. Still no luck, which left her with hoping one of the Shepherds or Briony or someone had found it and planned to return it. She was too tired to tear the whole warehouse apart, no matter how annoying it might be to replace some of the contents.
Fortunately her keys still hung around her neck, so Xaeryn was able to get in her place.
To find she had a visitor--seated behind her desk. With his feet up.
"Hey, sunshine," Chase Trinaeste grinned.
Xaeryn was too tired to do anything but stare at him and wait for an explanation, one brow arching.
His grin widened. "Oh, apologies; Miss Shrike."
"Chase. What can I do for you?"
He straightened in her chair. "Heard you just closed your big case. Made quite the ruckus, actually."
"I imagine it did." Xaeryn crossed her arms. That was fast. "Doesn't explain why you're here."
"Just settling accounts," Chase said, still grinning.
She'd figured as much. Couldn't this wait for morning? "I remember our arrangement," she said around a yawn. "One favor, as you did help, but I ultimately found what I was after though other avenues."
"Smart dame," he chuckled.
"I appreciate your help regardless," Xaeryn clarified. "Whatever your motives for giving it."
"Very smart dame." Chase pushed to his feet and headed back to the window, still open from his entrance. "Just make sure you keep remembering, Miss Shrike. Thieves Guild will, and we'll collect someday."
"Oh, I've no doubt of that."
He grinned at her deadpan comment and gave a dramatic bow before he vanished out the window.
Xaeryn pushed it closed and double checked the lock. It's always something with this job... she mused, heading for her bedroom. Too tired to even bother with nightclothes, she kicked off her shoes and flopped across the bed. out before she could even wrap the blanket around her with dim thoughts of not moving until she absolutely had to.
---
The internal clock that was gift and curse in equal measure woke her at eight, fortunately less sore than anticipated. Just enough time to freshen up, change, and maybe eat a little breakfast before Mr. Syndran showed up. Something simple like toast and jam. He would understand if she was still drinking her khav when he arrived, surely.
In high spirits from her success--among other things--she decided to wear the dress she'd eschewed the day before; golden yellow with red and navy embroidery. No need for trips into Ashtown or blending in or foot chases today. And if the dress happened to look fantastic on her, well. A gal was allowed to feel good about herself, especially after a success like last night.
Xaeryn dressed, then freshened up her hair and makeup while the breakfast was toasting. She had time to eat while tallying expenses, but was indeed only halfway through her khav when Mr. Syndran's familiar knock came against the door.
He entered when she called to him, inclining his head as he closed the door behind him. "Good morning, Miss Shrike."
"And to you, Mr. Syndran. I'm just about done with the expenses if you want to look it over."
"You've figured me well," he approaching to sit in one of the chairs facing her desk.
"It's just good business sense to verify," Xaeryn returned with a smile. She took the plate into the kitchen while he studied the ledger lines for this case.
He was frowning at one particular line when she returned. "Contract TG? Could I get some details on this expense, Miss Shrike?"
Xaeryn sighed and braced herself. She'd expected him to zero in on that; there weren't many expenses claimable for this, and that one was more than twice all the others. "Once my evidence pointed toward Ashtown, I... arranged to have Thieves Guild look out for anything hinky. It's their haunt, I figured they would note things I--or anyone else--might miss."
Mr. Syndran's expression flattened. "That strikes me as an unnecessary measure, Miss Shrike, and I don't see how it is our responsibility to finance you outsourcing yours."
"I understand there's... fraught history between Merchants and Thieves Guilds," Xaeryn said with a tight smile. Doesn't mean I'll let you weasel out of paying something I'm owed. "But they gave me information that led to the warehouse where I recovered the Torch. Without their help and knowledge, Mr. Syndran, I would still be looking. And you would be approaching the point of needing to contact the proper authorities, thus damaging your guild's reputation as you sought to avoid," she pointed out. "I'm only asking for partial reimbursement; I recognize the choice to use them was my own."
She didn't mention the pleasure Chase had derived from knowing this exact scenario would arise. It wouldn't improve Mr. Syndran's mood or her odds of getting paid back.
His lips thinned. "Oh, very well. Is this the full amount, or the percentage you're claiming for reimbursement?"
"Full amount. I'm willing to take fifty percent, cover half of it myself."
He nodded, still looking displeased with the fact, and continued through the expenditures. He didn't bat an eye at the 'asst. bribes' or standard fuel reimbursement for the drives to Capra. However much she'd enjoyed bumping gums with Red, those were case-related trips, and there was law on the books far as rate went for reimbursing that.
It did surprise her when he raised less fuss over her including partial reimbursement for her gala dress than he had the Thieves Guild contract. But then, she'd attached a receipt for that and it was clear she'd both bought the least expensive dress she could get away with for such an event, and wasn't asking for all the money back. She was keeping the dress, and if she ever attended anything that fancy again, could re-wear it. And it had gotten a bit mussed when that bruno came after her, she couldn't have returned it if she wanted to.
"You know, I went to the Hall before here," Mr. Syndran commented as he confirmed her arithmetic and wrote the check. "Curator Acquell was most effusive in her thanks for the return of the missing artefact."
"Glad to hear it." Xaeryn tucked the check in a drawer thanks to the absence of her handbag, then smiled when he lingered, hands folded atop his walking stick. "Did you want some more details of the recovery, Mr. Syndran? Or do your other meetings beckon?"
"They do, but I have some time to hear more specifics of last night's events." He gestured for her to go on.
"Alright, then." She settled in her chair and began with Red's abduction, through her scrying and trailing King Kaza. It was tricky to balance explaining Briony and Darius' involvement without being too detailed. They had been instrumental, but she didn't know how comfortable they'd be with her oversharing. Mr. Syndran listened to all the details with rapt attention, and Xaeryn had a suspicion he gleaned from the words far more than she actually said.
He rose at the end, satisfied expression still sour at the edges over the Thieves Guild involvement. "A thrilling chain of events, Miss Shrike, and one I am most grateful resulted in your success. You did a fine job in this case, and I will keep you in mind should I ever require similar skills in the future."
"Glad to hear it made a good impression." She rose to shake his hand. "You were definitely one of my better clients, one I wouldn't mind working for again should the need arise."
"High praise from one with your reputation," Mr. Syndran chuckled. He shook her hand then bowed. "Farewell, Miss Shrike."
Xaeryn returned the bow. "Farewell, Mr. Syndran."
She walked him to the door, inclined her head in a final farewell, and waited until he'd started down the hall to close the door and return to her desk.
Her khav had gotten cold while she was recounting the night's events. She pursed her lips but decided there was little enough left to be no great loss and set it aside. Now to decide if a nap or some other method would be best for filling some of her time until Red came by. Given she'd--potentially--lost another notepad, there wasn't much she could do for case wrap-up. Maybe a nap was the best option...
She was startled awake by enthusiastic knocking on her door. Apparently the deliberation had been taken out of her hands.
"You can come in," she called, rubbing her eyes and stretching until now-sore spots complained.
The door banged open and a familiar pink-haired figure grinned at her. "I'm glad you were here!"
"Where else did you imagine I would be?" Xaeryn asked drolly as she stood and circled the desk.
"I dunno, the museum or your client's office or something." Briony shrugged. "Glad I didn't hafta chase you down; I have somethin' of yours." She thrust out her hand, clasped around Xaeryn's missing, somewhat scuffed, handbag. "Hope everything's there, though I did take out my little ahfuri," she laughed. "Hope that's alright."
"Of course, and thank you so much." Xaeryn couldn't help a smile as she took the handbag. "I realized I lost it after I left, went back to look--"
"Oh, I'm sorry I took it so you wasted the time, then." Briony's expression screwed into something remorseful and she tugged her ponytail.
"No, no, I'm glad it was with someone trustworthy, rather than just laying there." She poked through to confirm none of the important things were missing.
"That's what I was figuring," Briony said with a relieved laugh. "Wouldn't want some goon findin' it when I could keep it safe. And I know where your office is so I could bring it back."
Driving license, PI license, dagger, notepad. All here. "Thank you, again." Xaeryn set the handbag on her desk. "So, what plans do you and Darius have now that King Kaza is arrested and no longer in possession of Solimer's Torch?"
Briony grinned fiercely. "Still a wonderful string of words to hear, even if I was there when it happened." She wrinkled her nose. "And Jarkyth breezed."
"That's how it plays out sometimes. And you were a key part of making it happen as well as it did," Xaeryn corrected.
"Yeah, you're a gem," Briony waved off the praise. "We'll hafta go back to Elinden, fan this in to somethin' worth deposing that muti as king. Then sort out succession." She grimaced. "Might be headin' for another civil war, which isn't great, but even if it comes to that, hopefully we'll end up with someone better in charge. But..." She hesitated, bit her lip. "I was talkin' to the Shepherds, y'know, last night, and it sounds like they do good work. Lots of adventure. Stoppin' people like Jarkyth and Kaza. I dunno, maybe once Elinden's settled I'll be back." She smirked. "Hael, I'll even bring D with me if he wants and behaves himself."
Xaeryn chuckled. "Is that even something he's interested in?"
"Dunno, we'll have to talk about it." Briony shrugged and twirled her ponytail. "But Elinden's our home, and we've been fightin' for it a while now, need to get that sorted b'fore we consider anything else."
"Very true." Xaeryn leaned against the edge of the desk. "Are you staying in Haven a while or heading straight back?"
"We have to stay a couple more days to give some more details about what we know of the theft. They'll prob'ly want to chin with you about it, too, by the way."
She nodded, assuming from context 'they' meant the Shepherds. As long as it didn't interfere with her talking to Red, she'd be happy to tell them anything that would help. "Understandable."
Briony bounced a little on her toes. "I should be going. The hotel concierge gave me a whole list of places to go for sightseein', and if I have to stay here a few more days, I wanna see as many as possible."
Xaeryn couldn't help a chuckle at the other woman's enthusiasm. "Make sure you enjoy the ones you get to see, rather than rushing through."
Briony nodded, making her ponytail bounce. "I know. Hey, since you live here--" She tugged a piece of paper from her pocket, smoothed it on Xaeryn's desk "--any of these more must-see than others? It's such a big city," she laughed, "and I wanna make sure I see all the pretty stuff."
Xaeryn examined the list; preprinted on paper with a monogram from one of Haven's nicer hotels at the top. A few things had been crossed off already. "Well, if you're looking for pretty, you have to see Whitestone Cathedral. Even if you aren't religious, the architecture and stained glass windows are quite a sight." She marked a few others she thought would be good choices, from what she knew of Briony, to prioritize. "There you are."
"Thank you!" Briony picked up the list, folded it neatly this time, and gave Xaeryn a quick but ferocious hug. "And thanks again for helping with... everything."
"Of course," Xaeryn mumbled, caught off-guard by the hug. She didn't react fast enough to return it, but Briony didn't seem to notice. "I hope you have fun."
"I plan to!" Briony said brightly. She fluttered her fingers in a wave as she started for the door. "See you around, Xaeryn."
She nodded. It wouldn't surprise her if she did. "Tell Darius goodbye for me, hmm?"
"Sure," Briony grinned, and was gone with an enthusiastic slam of Xaeryn's door.
Xaeryn blew out a breath and rubbed the back of her neck. How does she have so much energy when it sounds like she was up even later than I was?
One of life's mysteries. She took advantage of being on her feet to tidy her kitchen from preparing breakfast. Her stomach growled, so she grabbed an apple to snack on as she headed back to her desk. She dug her notepad out of the handbag, spilling some of the other contents, but didn't mind the mess. She should probably swap handbags and clean this one with the state it was in. Right now she wanted to add a few final notes for this case while they were fresh in her mind.
Xaeryn glanced at the clock as she bit into the apple, surprised to see how much of the morning she'd napped away before Briony's arrival No wonder I had a crick in my neck. She bobbled the pencil she'd picked up back and forth and wondered if Red was still sleeping. Part of her hoped so. Yesterday had to have been even more of an ordeal for him than it had been for her.
The other part of her desperately, selfishly wanted to talk to him. Both as further assurance he really was alright and because there were thing she--they--needed to get in the open, had needed in the open since the gala at the very least.
"Nothing happened."
"Did you want it to?"
She shook off Pan's haunting question and bit into the apple again as she turned her attention to scribbling down closing notes. Her discovery of the Torch being thoret. Confirmation of who was involved with the theft. The Shepherds' role in the conclusion. She'd just finished notes and apple both when there was a flurried knock at the door.
Oh, One-God-- Her heart had dropped to her toes and she was halfway to her feet before she reined in her emotions. That knock was too light to be him.
Still, curiosity and manners had her crossing the room to open the door, and she blinked in surprise. "Miss Acquell?"
The museum curator beamed up at her from under the rim of a beige cloche hat with a pink flower embellishment, not appearing to notice her slip back to formality. "Sorry if I'm disturbing you, Miss Shrike, I know I had Mr. Syndran convey my gratitude, but I just had to come thank you in person for recovering Solimer's Torch."
Xaeryn smiled and stepped out of the doorway to let her enter the office. "You're very welcome. I imagine it's gratifying to have a completed collection now?"
"Oh, yes." Miss Acquell clasped her hands together ass if to keep them still. "We had to do some rearranging to work it into the exhibit, and I have Justyn trying to get hold of Ms. Aescar to let her know, but it's just berries having it back, such a weight off my shoulders." Her face colored. "Sorry for babbling, I'm just so grateful to have it back."
"You don't have to apologize for being happy. I'm glad I could be a help," Xaeryn said. "Did Mr. Syndran relay that the Torch is thoret and shouldn't be displayed too close to any magical artefacts? I know the museum uses shielded cases, but-"
"Oh, no, he didn't." Miss Acquell was frowning now.
Xaeryn paused, racking her brain. "Now that I think about it, I don't believe I told him that part, not last night at least. I was very tired and it may have slipped my mind. I do apologize for that." Hopefully the revelation wouldn't make too much extra work for the staff.
"Oh, it's alright." Miss Acquell waved off her apology in turn. "It's good to have it back, whatever we have to do to display it, we'll accommodate." She smiled again. "You are, of course, welcome to come see the exhibit any time."
"Since I'm finished with the case, I should have time to do that. I'd love to see it in all its glory, and under more leisurely circumstances than the gala." She'd been working that night, technically, even if she and Red had taken time to look around while they were there.
"We'd be happy to see you." Miss Acquell fidgeted with the sleeve of her jacket, picking at one curve of the lace trim. "I should get back, I just wanted to come say thank you; it didn't feel like enough to have someone pass it along."
"Well, you're very welcome, again," Xaeryn said with a chuckle. "I'm glad I could help." She held out a hand to shake.
Miss Acquell only hesitated a moment before taking it in a loose grip for a single shake. She rocked on the balls of her feet and bit her lip, hands once again clasped as if to still them. "Well, I'll see you around then, Miss Shrike."
"Sounds keen." She shifted to follow as the curator edged toward the half-open door. "Goodbye, Shery-"
Even as she spoke, there was a faint--but familiar--rushing sound and Red was standing in the hallway outside her office, one hand out to brace against the wall. He smiled sheepishly upon seeing Miss Acquell's startled expression. "Sorry! Shery, right? Good to see you again."
"A-And you," she managed. "But I was just leaving." She bobbed a curtsy to them both and scurried away.
"I hope I didn't scare her..." Red muttered. "I didn't think you'd have company."
"I have been dizzyingly popular this morning," Xaeryn said with a soft laugh, trying to ignore the way her heart had lodged in her throat. She'd had a plan for this, and it was completely flown away. "Did you really Travel just to cover half a city's distance, Liefred?"
He shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair. "It seemed faster than getting lost in Ashtown. That district is a maze. Why waste the time?"
She just shook her head with a fond smile as she led the way back into the office, trying to study him without being too obvious about it. There was no evidence of injuries beyond the minor ones she'd noted last night; scrapes, the split lip--which had scabbed over but was likely to reopening if he kept bothering it. Just over the couple minutes since his arrival, he'd scraped his teeth over it and sucked it in, probably to worry the scab with his tongue. Aside from not being good for the healing process, it was intensely distracting for her.
Even worse when Red caught her staring. He cleared his throat and leaned against her desk. "Exactly how early were you up that you had time to be dizzyingly popular, Xaer?"
"Around eight," she said, picking a hangnail. "Mr. Syndran needed an early appointment to finish settling accounts for it to fit with his schedule."
"Mm, yes, have to make sure you're rewarded for being a brilliant snooper," Red teased, his smile warm, half-distracted as he tried to read her notes sideways.
It was adorable watching him twist his head to decipher the shorthand, she she let him continue. His clothes were borrowed, she noted, and from someone not quite his height. The trousers were only about an inch shorter than proper, but even with the shirtsleeves rolled up, she could tell they would stop well short of his wrists, and it was tight in the shoulders as he leaned over her desk.
"I am surprised to see you before noo-" Xaeryn started to tease, before a glance at the clock showed it was, in fact, nearly noon.
He huffed a laugh, still reading. "You know I don't need a lot of sleep, Xaer."
"I know you can function on not a lot of sleep," she corrected. "But I figured between getting abducted and however late you you were up talking to the Shepherds, you would, perhaps, listen to your body for once. More the fool I, apparently."
"I only woke up five minutes before coming here, Ryn," he countered fondly. "Plenty of sleep. And I can always get more once I'm back at Solhadur--" He cut himself off, brows arching. "Thoret?" Looked up at her. "Solimer's Torch is composed of thoret?!"
Xaeryn nodded. "The original stone, at least. Obviously the decorative binding is different, but the stone itself is either thoret or some other rock heavily shot with it." She flexed her fingers. "Quite a fun discovery to make when I picked it up bare-handed."
Red winced in sympathy, bit his lip, winced again when the gesture caught the edge of the scab. "That does explain some things..."
"Mm. Why I couldn't scry on it, for one, or anything near it. Why you weren't able to escape the same way you just dropped in here..."
"Yes to all that, it also felt odd in that building; like the crawling edge of nausea, but I was thinking more historically."
Of course you were.
"Far as records show, the Solimer tribe almost never had Mages, so the Torch wouldn't have affected them in any special way. They tended to do their own thing and steer clear of other tribes, but the times they did come into conflict, single combat between chosen champions was the method of the time, and I'd bet the other tribes were more abundant in Mages, so if they, say, sent one as their champion..."
"... the Torch would act as an anti-magic ward," Xaeryn finished, "making it seem Solimer's champions were protected."
"I'd bet half my library, assuming that premise is correct, the tribe that defeated them sent a non-Mage champion for a fight." Red dragged his fingers through his hair and sat on the corner of the desk, despite two perfectly good chairs nearby. "And then it disappears for stretches because tribes would want to hold it for the victory it symbolized, but if there were enough Mages , they would feel the oddness and want it kept pack away... Too bad there's no way to prove it; it would pull in some real keen funding for more research if it's solid..."
"And, alternately, I could get my hands on half your library," Xaeryn needled, biting back a smile as she leaned against the desk next to him.
He gave a faux-hurt gasp. "Detective Shrike, you think I'm wrong?"
"Oh, probably not. You are almost as smart as I am," she teased back, "but your library's the bee's knees, and I'd love to get my hands on as much of it as I could fit in here."
"Mm, well, in absence of a way to prove me wrong," he said lightly, gaze surveying her mostly-full bookshelves rather than look at her, "you'll just have to come visit Solhadur to take advantage."
If I drive all the way to Capra, it's not the library I'll want to take advantage of. She cleared her throat. "I suppose I will, once my schedule's calm enough to take that kind of time."
"Oh, yes, your dizzying popularity," Red teased. He knew her preference for solitude. "You mentioned Mr. Syndran, and I saw Shery, who else...?"
"Before you? Just Briony, the pink-haired woman--"
"I remember." He nodded.
"I dropped my handbag at the warehouse when one of Kaza's mugs grabbed me, she was returning it."
Red flicked a glance toward the handbag and its contents. "I was wondering why it was strewn across your desk... Sorry I didn't realize you'd lost it, Ryn, or I would've looked--"
She waved off the apology. "I got it back and that's the important thing. You were understandably distracted." A self-deprecating chuckle. "I'm just happy I didn't lose two notepads in the course of one case."
"Oh!" Red started, pushing off the desk. "That reminds me... One thing I did find in thereâŠ.â the words trailed off as he dug in his pocket. âI forgot to give it to you with all the chaos.â He pulled out her original notepad, the bluish-grey cover slightly worse for wear from its own adventure, and offered it to her.
Xaeryn gasped in delight as she took it. Kaza had hinted at having it, but she hadnât thought to look with everything going on. âI canât believe you found this! I thought it was gone forever.â She smiled and pivoted to wrap him in a tight hug. âThank you, Liefred.â
Something flickered in Red's eyes before he hugged her back, fiercely, hands lingering, as if remembering yesterday, then withdrew. âI... wanted to ask you about something, Xaer.â
âMm,â she prompted, still smiling, as she tucked the reclaimed notepad in her desk.
âI wasn't going to bring it up, but... You call Pan Pan because thatâs his nickname. You called the museum curator Shery, I presume because she asked you to?â He tipped his head in a gesture toward where heâd just seen said curator and waited for her slight nod of confirmation. âSo if youâll take that step toward familiarity with them, why am I always Liefred when weâve known each other for ages and Iâve told you, several times, you can call me Red?â
Her throat closed up and heart stuttered in her chest. There wasnât any judgment in his tone, just curiosity, and maybe a little hurt. Sheâd been half-wondering if heâd picked up on that enough to bring it up again, and now she had her answer. There were several ways she, in turn, could answer his very good, very pertinent, question. Two of them were deflections. They would let her preserve friendly, professional distance. Remove the risk of gambling it all.
She didnât want to give either of those. She wanted to tell the truth. The whole truth.Â
We did say we wanted to talk about this.
Deep breath, Xaeryn.
âI told you,â Xaeryn said softly, âafter the gala.â She swallowed hard, heart pounding. âIt might be selfish, but the formalityâs a level of check on myself so I donât slip and do something dreadfully improper.âÂ
Red worried the scab on his lip with his thumb, considering. âWhat makes you so sure it would be improper?â he asked just as softly.
She laughed, a tight, breathless sound, and decided there had been enough hints dropped for the plunge to be worth it. âItâs fairly improper to kiss someone out of the blue without their permission, Liefred.â
She didnât miss the way his breath caught, or how hard he swallowed before he reached for her hand, slowly, gently, as if trying not to spook a skittish ahfuri. âAnd⊠if you had their permission? Would it be proper then?â
Oh, One-God above, she couldnât breathe. She couldnât. Her heart was pounding fit to crack her ribs. Her hand slipped into his like it belonged there.
âDo I?â she asked hoarsely, barely audible, gaze locked with his.
Red nodded and she was kissing him before any potential verbal confirmation had a chance to follow.
And he was kissing her back. At least until the cut on his lip reopened and he was forced to pull back. âDammit,â he grumbled under his breath.
âItâs alright.â Xaeryn kissed his cheek, the giggle that escaped her only an inkling of the joy that bubbled in her chest. âIâve waited this long, another sennight or two for you to heal wonât kill me.â
Red arched a brow, smile tugging at the side of his mouth furthest from the cut. âIs it egotistical of me to ask how long youâve been wanting to do that?â
âNot at all,â she said with a laugh, watching him feel the cut and scowl at the blood on his fingers when he pulled them away. âOnly if you promise you wonât laugh at me for being pathetic.â When he nodded agreement, she took a deep breath, flashed a sheepish smile, and confessed. âSince about when I was sixteen.â
Red burst out laughing.
Xaeryn huffed and moved to whack his arm. âYou said you wouldnât-â
âIâm not laughing at-ow-you, Xaer,â he assured her, catching her wrist with one hand while the heel of the other pressed against his split lip. âIâm laughing at me.â
She let her hand fall and shot him a curious look. âWhy?â
Red raked the now-free hand through his hair, huffed another quiet laugh, and smiled at her with such wry amusement it almost made her laugh. âBecause Iâve been at least half in love with you since sixteen and like an idiot didnât say anything bâcause I didnât think you felt the same-â
She kissed him again, split lip or no, she couldnât help it.
âOw,â he mumbledâor something like itâbut he was smiling and he didnât stop. His hand curved the back of her neck and hers curled into the collar of his shirt.
She could taste the metallic tang of blood from his lip until they parted with matching breathless laughs.
"So much for waiting another sennight or two," Red teased, lightly bumping his forehead to hers.
Xaeryn rolled her eyes, still holding him close by the shirt collar. "That was for fortification. Now I'll survive, I think."
He chuckled, thumb rubbing her cheek. "Fair enough. So, what now?"
She opened her mouth to reply, this was hardly familiar ground for her, but his stomach beat her to it, rumbling loudly. She arched a brow. "Food, apparently. Did you eat before coming over?"
"I didn't know where the Shepherds' dining hall was," he said with a sheepish shrug. "And you were more important."
Xaeryn shook her head and lightly smacked the back of his. "Honestly, Red--" she sighed in fond exasperation, grinning despite herself at the warmth of his words. "Fortunately for you, there's a fabulous café nearby, and I'm in the mood to treat for lunch."
Red smiled, warm and wide, eyes crinkling at the corners. "That is good luck."
"The only question is whether I should go order food to bring back and we can chin a bit here, or go cause a scandal eating there with you so underdressed--" she cut herself off, abruptly stepping around him to pick up the jacket tossed over one of the chairs by her bookshelf. His jacket, slightly rumpled from spending the night haphazardly tossed aside, but it would fit, and the deep grey charcoal color would complement the lighter grey of his borrowed trousers.
Red arched a brow, his eyes twinkling. "Should I be curious why you have my clothes, Ryn?"
"It was for scrying, Liefred," she said archly. "Trying to find you. Pan said I could--" Xaeryn stiffened. "Did you let him know you're alright? Because it completely slipped my mind with--"
"Yes," Red cut across her worry with a smile. "Last thing before I collapsed into bed." He laughed and ran a hand down his face. "I think I'm in for an earful when I get back to Solhadur, so however leisurely you want to make this lunch is keen with me."
Xaeryn smiled fondly as she gathered her handbag's content back into it. She'd worry about swapping it later. "I think you're in for a Panrachus-shaped shadow the next couple months," she corrected, biting back giddy butterflies as she looped her arm through his. "He was real worried with not much he could do to help, wondering if he'd stayed up to help you would it have prevented your abduction."
A shadow passed over his face as they stepped out the door. "I don't think it would've."
Knowing Heron had been involved, it wasn't hard to read the implication in his tone. "Which is what I told him." She paused to lock the door. "But you know how it is when you care about someone; something bad happens and you cant help wondering if you could've changed it."
Red nodded, giving her a warm smile. "I know." His stomach rumbled again.
Xaeryn chuckled and gave his arm a squeeze. "Let's get some food in you."
"That'd be the bee's knees."
---
It wasn't a far walk to find themselves swept up in the lunchtime bustle of her favorite café. The place was so full, the two of them wound up at a table tucked in the corner that didn't have nearly enough room for their legs. Xaeryn almost suggested taking the food back to her place, but she was still giddy over this being a date with Red and could bring herself to. It would be memorable, and the corner was a little quieter than the main lunchroom.
Red polished off two sandwiches and a large bowl of soup, barely slowing through the process. Xaeryn found her abbreviated breakfast had left her with more of an appetite than usual, though she still didn't equal him.
"I think, perhaps, food should have been a higher priority," she commented lightly. "Flattered as I am you rated me so important."
"I wasn't terribly hungry when I woke up," Red confessed, sucking a stray drop of soup off his thumb. "I considered breakfast, decided I didn't need it, didn't care to hunt down the dining hall, and was too antsy by half to talk to you."
"We were... rather overdue for that conversation, weren't we?" Xaeryn said, sliding her hand across the table to cover his.
"A bit," Red nodded. He sucked on his split lip a moment. "Xaer, about after the gala..."
"Oh, I would've kissed you, proper or no, had Pan not walked in when he did." A bit reckless a confession after all her worries about propriety, but she was too giddy to care.
He chuckled. "Good to know we're on the same page." A pause. "And you've... since sixteen? You're always so forthright, I'm both surprised and impressed you kept that under wraps so long."
"Well, you know..." She sighed, her heart fluttering as she rubbed her thumb over his hand. "I didn't want to risk messing up our friendship. I'm well aware I can be prickly and hard to get to know. You were one of the few who made it past the brambles and seemed to enjoy my company as much as I enjoy yours--"
"I do enjoy your company," Red interrupted.
"That's my point; I don't, and didn't, have many friends like that." She squeezed his hand. "The last thing I wanted to do was poison that by adding awkwardness of unreciprocated feelings. I was happy enough just having you as my friend."
"Even watching me date my way through the student body?" he asked wryly.
"Liefred, you're smart, handsome, charming, and kind." She shrugged. "I would have been offended on your behalf had any of them turned you down. But your turn--why did you say anything?"
"Because you're forthright, Ryn." Red turned his hand under hers and gave it a squeeze. "I may've thought about it a couple times, but... You've never held back from saying things that are important, or that you think I need to hear. I figured the reason you weren't saying anything is there was nothing to say on the matter. So I kept hoping if I told myself that enough times it would sink in and the feelings would fade, but they never did."
A pang of guilt surged in her chest. If she'd just made herself push the words past the lump that formed in her throat every time she tried...
"Xaeryn." He squeezed her hand harder, clearly sensing the turn of her thoughts. "Me resigning myself to that is not your fault. It was my choice not to say anything just as much as it was yours." He smiled, sheepish and boyish all in one. "Pair of brilliant idiots, we."
Xaeryn laughed, because he was right. Solhadur's best and brightest and couldn't even parse they were in love with each other. "Did..." She traced the rim of her glass. "Did any of those 'dating your way through the student body' have... potential?" She might hate herself for asking, but her curiosity demanded satisfaction. How close did I come to losing you to my own cowardice?
"Most were just fun, and we both knew it going in," Red said, rubbing the back of his neck. "There were a couple that might've gotten serious if... well, carrying a torch for my best friend was only one of the reasons nothing came of them in the end."
She nodded thoughtfully and glanced around the café. It was still full and they were done. "We should head back, free up a table."
He gave a distracted-sounding hum of agreement and pushed to his feet as she left a generous tip on the table. "Thanks for lunch."
"Of course." Xaeryn twined her arm through his and headed for the door. It wasn't until they were out on the street she spoke again, her shoulder pressed close to his. "D'you know how many times I almost asked you to come with me when I left?" A quiet laugh. "At least a dozen. But I always lost my nerve."
"That would have been fun," he said softly. "But it worked out."
"That it did," she smiled. All of it.
They moseyed back to her office, bumped gums some more, before Red looked at the clock and groaned.
"I should probably get back to Solhadur," he said leaning in to kiss her forehead, "before Pan thinks I got abducted again."
"You shouldn't joke..." Xaeryn protested half-heartedly, even as butterflies filled her chest at the casual affection. "But I suppose I should let you go home. You probably want to sleep more? Clothes that actually fit?"
"Yes to both." Red muffled a yawn and looked sheepish about it. "Feel free to visit whenever you like, Xaer, For me or the books."
She had a sneaking suspicion he'd be teasing about that for a while. She didn't care. "I'll do that." She kissed his cheek. "So much you'll get sick of me."
"Never happen," he said warmly, pulling her into a hug. "I like you too much," he whispered, resting his forehead to hers.
Xaeryn hugged him back. "Good," she said with a smile. "I like you too much, too." It was an effort to fight down the urge to kiss him again before she eased back. "I'll see you soon, Liefred."
"I'm not going to get you to stop that, am I?" he murmured, eyes dancing with laughter, as he squeezed her hands one last time before letting go. "I'll be seeing you, Xaeryn."
Red pulled the door closed behind him as he left, and she dropped into her chair, smiling wider than she ever had in her life.
There was always a rush at successfully completing a case, but none prior compared to this one. Xaeryn recalled that first meeting, the one she'd thought would be with Tevanti, and let out a small laugh. Of all the lovely surprises, indeed.
She had another success to add to her professional record, but more importantly, she had Red Antiqua back in her life. For good this time, and closer than ever.
Wish I could be there to see Pan's reaction, she mused, and got up to make herself some tea in celebration of a job well done on two fronts.
#queens fic#shepherds of haven#tlbt#xaeryn shrike#red antiqua#ryn/red#try to guess which scene in here i've been sitting on since writing the gala aftermath :)#ooooh this was fun#both this chapter and the fic as a whole#hope you enjoy it!
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PINNED POST <3!!
hi there. dezi - she/her - 21 - taurus.
requests open! check upcoming link for fandoms!
barblisa shipper. breyton believer. madison montgomery apologist. stevie nicks stan.
i do a lot of hcâs, some fics, a few ocâs! pls come talk to me abt any of the following. i currently have a major obsession with yellowjackets â specifically the adult timeline, lottienat, natshauna, lottievan, mistynat, shaunalottie, taivan, and callie sadecki.
hereâs a list of my original characters!
alexis rivera â one tree hill, created december 2024.
alli pierce â the walking dead, created december 2023.
amelia carter â law & order svu, created november 2022.
aria grey â greyâs anatomy, created february 2019.
bethany sloan â greyâs anatomy, created january 2022.
brenna scott â one tree hill, created october 2024.
brooke byers â stranger things, created june 2023.
brynn harper â yellowjackets, created march 2025.
carmen torres â pretty little liars, created may 2017.
cassie grimes â the walking dead, created may 2020.
claire shepherd â greyâs anatomy, created march 2022.
cleo fitzgerald â criminal minds, created march 2021.
dallas miller â ginny & georgia, created april 2024.
dylan young â outerbanks, created august 2023.
ellen hotchner â criminal minds, created march 2023.
eleanor scatorccio â yellowjackets, created april 2025.
emilia lopez â the summer i turned pretty, created august 2024.
emma grey â greyâs anatomy, created may 2024.
juliette madison â once upon a time, created march 2019.
kapri kane â the one hundred, created august 2019.
lani wilson â the walking dead, created august 2024.
laurel avery â greyâs anatomy, created december 2024.
lily jackson â yellowjackets, created march 2025.
luella fisher â the summer i turned pretty, created december 2024.
madeleine grey â greyâs anatomy, created november 2023.
waverly mills â once upon a time, created march 2019.
wrenna parker â the walking dead, created september 2024.
more to come when i have time to update this!
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I enjoy reading these sorts of posts some of you write. It is only fair if I do one too. Thanks, @find-jupiter.
1. Are you named after anyone?
My uncle is named Bob. Bob's your uncle. I never really thought though that I was named after him. It never came up in conversation. He sometimes reads my Tumblr posts, so I will take this opportunity to let Bob know that I found a six pack of Hacker-Pschorr (Hacker was founded in 1417!) at the liquor store this week and bought it. That beer was sold at my college's student union. I don't think I've ever drank it anywhere else until this week. He mentioned Hacker-Pschorr to me when I saw him at a wedding this summer.
2. Do you have any kids?
Two sons, 27 & 29.
3. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
I probably do, and I hope I get it right, where no one takes offense. Not long ago a young cashier handed me too much change. I exclaimed "Oh my God!" as I held up the extra bill. She giggled. The right tone of voice and facial expressions are crucial.
4. When was the last time you cried?
I must have a little bit when my mom passed away in 2021. Sometimes I get teary eyed when I hear a song like Amazing Grace or Battle Hymm of the Republic.
5. Whatâs the first thing you notice about people?
Attitude. It takes a bit longer than recognizing body features, but it's where I seem to focus. Does the person smile and make eye contact or stare at the floor? Answer politely with a full sentence or grunt in annoyance?
6. Eye color?
Blue
7. What sports do you/have you played?
When I was younger: hockey, soccer, and softball. In high school it was track (1- and 2-mile) and cross country (3-mile or 5k). As an adult I played bandy and ran a lot of races from 5k to marathons (about 10 of those). Now mostly I ride my bicycles. I've tried pickleball a little bit as well.
8. Any special talent?
Sadly, no.
9. Where were you born?
Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, MN.
10. Scary movies or happy endings?
I'm not a fan of scary movies.
11. Do you have any pets?
Three Miniature Australian Shepherds. The breed is actually called Miniature American Shepherd, but I prefer Aussie.
12. How tall are you?
5'10"
13. What are your hobbies?
Trying different restaurants, bars, and breweries. Bicycling the trails and paths in Minneapolis (which is convenient for stopping at different bars and restaurants along the way).
14. Favorite subject in school?
Math and geometry were my favorites followed closely by English/grammar.
15. Dream job?
I always wanted to be a pilot. I don't have the eyesight for it, but I think I have the right temperament to safely do that work. Other than that I would love to be an expert in a unique field, like repairing a Stradivarius or wrenching on a Ferrari. Yes, I can do that job. The current wait time is six to ten months.
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hey blnk!!
In regards to rwys, was just wondering if youâre planning on adjusting or writing anything in based on the mw3 campaign??
Iâve never really quite placed when rwys is set in comparison to the mw timeline or whether itâs a timeline of its own considering how different some things are but Iâm just curious :)
hope recovery is going well and that youâre having a nice day <3
i'll be real, i don't think mw3 was really a great campaign. there were a handful of giggly parts, but it was clearly very rushed and i feel for the developers, especially after i found out that the next cod game (after mw22) WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A SEQUEL TO MW22. it was supposed to be a smaller story focusing on (BLOOMBERG FUCKIN SAID IT TOO) a small-scale modern warfare story set in Mexico, but last summer execs decided to make a sequel instead.
i was really hoping for a great campaign to bank a sequel to rwys on, but that did not happen, unfortunately. with that being said, rwys will close on a better note (and has got a simmering minute till we get there so dw). i think i may include some references to mw3, but I'm not really going to touch it all that much
with that being said, i may do some shorter fics/one-shots that are post mw3, include features of mw3, or even be part of mw3 if i enjoy the basis of the fic enough
i like the idea of killing shepherd through so i might just use that in rwys, who knows!
RWYS, the very first chapter, is set almost exactly two years before mw22, and the new years chapter (14: A grave situation) is the start of 2021! hope this adds some insight to the story
and thank you, i am much better and I'm grateful for all of the support :) hope you have a good day too
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GSDs K2 & Kennedy â Palm Frond Tug of War, Five Years Ago - IMRANÂź
K2, my growing German Shepherd pup, was just 16 months old. Kennedy, my loyal rescue, had been with me two wonderful years and was around 6 or 7. They were the best of friends, full of energy and joy.
The empty lot beside Tampa Bay, with its scrubby brush and shoreline breeze, was their playground multiple times in daily walks. Fallen palm frondsâlike natureâs chew toysâwould become the spoils of epic tug-of-war battles, their instincts firing as if theyâd unearthed the bones of some ancient beast.
This cherished moment was captured exactly five years agoâJune 21, 2021.
© 2021â2025 IMRANÂź
#IMRAN #Florida #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #GSD #GermanShepherdDogs #dogs #humor #pets #animals #summer #memories
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Faces in the Mirror
read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/ixjJLZp by Choatic_Menargerie_of_Genres In her desperation to retrieve her sons Wanda carelessly rips open the fabric of universes in her pursuit of America Chavez to steal her power, but in doing so frays the multiverse. He Who Remains Loki sends the TVA and some of his own magic to repair the frayed edges of the multiverse but some of his magic mixes with Wanda's and the footprint of multiversal energy left by America and slips through the opening into the multiverse directly adjacent to the MCU. The mix of magic does find one of Wanda's sons but not as she knows him and recognizing the energy signatures but also sensing something...off he calls the Young Avengers (plus Loki) to Assemble. After coming together they realize that it's coming from a different multiverse entirely. They decide to investigate and help the other America who's energy makes clear she's in distress, but before they leave Tommy sneaks off and lets Wanda know what's going on since the other universe clearly has a version of her involved in whatever's happening. The YA slip through before Wanda hears the voicemail but knowing from experience just how dangerous messing with the multiverse can be she works with Pietro, Erik, & Charles and they follow them through 'the lookingglass'. Words: 1020, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Through the Lookingglass Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men (Comicverse), Young Avengers (Comics), WandaVision (TV), Loki (TV 2021), Loki (Marvel Comics), agent of asgard - Fandom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Billy Kaplan, Tommy Shepherd, Billy Maximoff, Tommy Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff, Teddy Altman (Marvel), America Chavez, Loki (Marvel), Kate Bishop, Noh-Varr (Marvel), David Alleyne, Pietro Maximoff, Erik Lehnsherr, Lorna Dane (Marvel), Charles Xavier, Luna Maximoff, Talia Wagner, Kid Loki (Loki TV), Stephen Strange, Logan (X-Men), Jean Grey, Scott Summers Relationships: Billy Kaplan & Tommy Shepherd, Billy Maximoff & Tommy Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Billy Kaplan & Wanda Maximoff & Tommy Shepherd, Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Lorna Dane & Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Erik Lehnsherr & Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Teddy Altman/Billy Kaplan, David Alleyne/Tommy Shepherd, Billy Kaplan & Erik Lehnsherr & Tommy Shepherd, Pietro Maximoff & Tommy Shepherd, Wanda Maximoff & Talia Wagner, Luna Maximoff & Talia Wagner & Billy Kaplan & Tommy Shepherd, (MCU) Billy Kaplan/Kid Loki (Loki TV), Billy Maximoff/Kid Loki, Logan & Charles Xavier, Jean Grey/Logan/Scott Summers, Jean Grey & Charles Xavier, David Alleyne & Soctt Summers, Billy Kaplan & Kid Loki (Loki TV) & Cassie Lang & Tommy Shepherd & Morgan Stark (MCU), (MCU) America Chavez & Stephen Strange, Teddy Altman & America Chavez & Billy & Loki & Kate Bishop & Noh-Varr & Tommy & David Alleyne, Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro & Wanda & Lorna Dane & Luna Maximoff & Billy & Tommy & Talia Wagner Additional Tags: Jewish Wanda Maximoff, Jewish Pietro Maximoff, Romani Wanda Maximoff, Romani Pietro Maximoff, Marvel 616/MCU Crossover, Krakoa Era (X-Men), Established Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Judaism, LGBTQ Jewish Character(s), Multiverse, Background Poly, Family Dinners, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Movie) Spoilers, Meeting Your Alternate Selves, Canonical Character Death, minor/background relationships aplenty (aka some of my other 616 ships inserted because I can), Wandavison & Wanda & Pietro's MCU depictions (especially Olsen's) are racist, I deal with that in this fic as well as I can as a non Roma person read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/ixjJLZp
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Faces in the Mirror
read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/HgSe26u by Choatic_Menargerie_of_Genres In her desperation to retrieve her sons Wanda carelessly rips open the fabric of universes in her pursuit of America Chavez to steal her power, but in doing so frays the multiverse. He Who Remains Loki sends the TVA and some of his own magic to repair the frayed edges of the multiverse but some of his magic mixes with Wanda's and the footprint of multiversal energy left by America and slips through the opening into the multiverse directly adjacent to the MCU. The mix of magic does find one of Wanda's sons but not as she knows him and recognizing the energy signatures but also sensing something...off he calls the Young Avengers (plus Loki) to Assemble. After coming together they realize that it's coming from a different multiverse entirely. They decide to investigate and help the other America who's energy makes clear she's in distress, but before they leave Tommy sneaks off and lets Wanda know what's going on since the other universe clearly has a version of her involved in whatever's happening. The YA slip through before Wanda hears the voicemail but knowing from experience just how dangerous messing with the multiverse can be she works with Pietro, Erik, & Charles and they follow them through 'the lookingglass'. Words: 1020, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Through the Lookingglass Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men (Comicverse), Young Avengers (Comics), WandaVision (TV), Loki (TV 2021), Loki (Marvel Comics), agent of asgard - Fandom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Billy Kaplan, Tommy Shepherd, Billy Maximoff, Tommy Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff, Teddy Altman (Marvel), America Chavez, Loki (Marvel), Kate Bishop, Noh-Varr (Marvel), David Alleyne, Pietro Maximoff, Erik Lehnsherr, Lorna Dane (Marvel), Charles Xavier, Luna Maximoff, Talia Wagner, Kid Loki (Loki TV), Stephen Strange, Logan (X-Men), Jean Grey, Scott Summers Relationships: Billy Kaplan & Tommy Shepherd, Billy Maximoff & Tommy Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Billy Kaplan & Wanda Maximoff & Tommy Shepherd, Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Lorna Dane & Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Erik Lehnsherr & Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Teddy Altman/Billy Kaplan, David Alleyne/Tommy Shepherd, Billy Kaplan & Erik Lehnsherr & Tommy Shepherd, Pietro Maximoff & Tommy Shepherd, Wanda Maximoff & Talia Wagner, Luna Maximoff & Talia Wagner & Billy Kaplan & Tommy Shepherd, (MCU) Billy Kaplan/Kid Loki (Loki TV), Billy Maximoff/Kid Loki, Logan & Charles Xavier, Jean Grey/Logan/Scott Summers, Jean Grey & Charles Xavier, David Alleyne & Soctt Summers, Billy Kaplan & Kid Loki (Loki TV) & Cassie Lang & Tommy Shepherd & Morgan Stark (MCU), (MCU) America Chavez & Stephen Strange, Teddy Altman & America Chavez & Billy & Loki & Kate Bishop & Noh-Varr & Tommy & David Alleyne, Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro & Wanda & Lorna Dane & Luna Maximoff & Billy & Tommy & Talia Wagner Additional Tags: Jewish Wanda Maximoff, Jewish Pietro Maximoff, Romani Wanda Maximoff, Romani Pietro Maximoff, Marvel 616/MCU Crossover, Krakoa Era (X-Men), Established Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Judaism, LGBTQ Jewish Character(s), Multiverse, Background Poly, Family Dinners, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Movie) Spoilers, Meeting Your Alternate Selves, Canonical Character Death, minor/background relationships aplenty (aka some of my other 616 ships inserted because I can), Wandavison & Wanda & Pietro's MCU depictions (especially Olsen's) are racist, I deal with that in this fic as well as I can as a non Roma person read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/HgSe26u
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J.D. Vance At Yale Law School-A Fascinating Insight
How Yale Propelled J.D. Vanceâs Career
The G.O.P. vice-presidential nominee is remembered as a warm and personable student. But some are perplexed by what they see as his shift in ideology.
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By Stephanie Saul
July 17, 2024Updated 9:30 a.m. ET
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When J.D. Vance applied to law school, he viewed it as a pathway out of his chaotic upbringing in working-class Middletown, Ohio.
Then he won a spot at his dream school. Yale Law not only accepted him for the fall of 2010, but also offered a nearly full ride.
Over the next three years, Yale dramatically influenced the trajectory of his life, leading to important connections, a job in venture capital and marriage to a classmate.
Even his memoir, âHillbilly Elegy,â was partly the outgrowth of a paper he wrote in a Yale class. And he leveraged the story, which chronicles his childhood and the alienation of the working class, into a best seller, a movie deal and a political career â winning election to the U.S. Senate in 2022, at age 38.
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Despite Yaleâs transformative role in his life, Mr. Vanceâs relationship with the school could be summed up as conflicted.
Graduating from Yale was âthe coolest thingâ he had ever done, âat least on paper,â he wrote in his memoir. But he also portrayed himself as an outsider who flubbed law firm interviews and was baffled when asked whether he preferred chardonnay or sauvignon blanc â he had never heard of either. And his classmates remember his sarcasm and cynicism when discussing what he thought of as the schoolâs liberal bubble.

Recently, he has adopted a more oppositional tone, taking on tax breaks for top universities. âElite universities have become expensive day care centers for coddled children,â he wrote on social media.
A close look at Mr. Vanceâs record at Yale, though, shows that he adapted rapidly, taking advantage of the schoolâs heady social and academic opportunities. He cooked for charity fund-raisers, organized reading groups, doted on his German shepherd, Casper, and led The Yale Law Journalâs flag football team. He spent a summer working on Capitol Hill.
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Many students and professors remember Mr. Vance as warm, personable and even charismatic. But several also said they were perplexed by what they saw as Mr. Vanceâs profound ideological shift. They understood that he was conservative politically, but they viewed him as a Republican in the mold of John McCain or Mitt Romney.
Now, they say that he has abandoned his Never Trumper principles, taking hard lines against immigration and L.G.B.T.Q. rights, positions they believe he would not have previously embraced.
Sofia Nelson, a former classmate who is transgender and was once a close friend of both Mr. Vance and his wife, recalled that Mr. Vance delivered home-baked treats when they underwent top surgery. But years of friendship ended in 2021 over his support for an Arkansas bill opposing transgender care for minors.
âIt hurt my feelings when he started saying hateful things about trans people,â they said.
Another classmate, Josh McLaurin, no longer talks to him, either.
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As apartment mates during their first year at Yale, Mr. McLaurin felt an affinity to Mr. Vance because they had both graduated from state schools. But their friendship began to fray, Mr. McLaurin said, after he chafed at what he viewed as Mr. Vanceâs cynical and sarcastic jokes aimed at Yale elites.

Even so, the two stayed in touch after graduating in 2013. As the Republican presidential primaries were underway in February 2016, Mr. Vance discussed his dislike for Mr. Trump in a Facebook message. âI go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldnât be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that heâs Americaâs Hitler,â Mr. Vance wrote.
Mr. McLaurin, disturbed by Mr. Vanceâs shift to support Mr. Trump, disclosed that message in 2022, during Mr. Vanceâs campaign for U.S. Senate.
âHe realized that the only way that he could realize and give effect to his own anger in politics was to identify with the MAGA movement,â said Mr. McLaurin, who is a Democratic state senator in Georgia.
In his memoir, Mr. Vance describes arriving at Yale, feeling like an âawe-struck tourist.â
âYale Law, with its prestige and privilege, was a culture shock unlike anything I had ever experienced,â he wrote.
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But he developed a cadre of confidantes in a class of about 15 students assigned to remain together through the first semester. In his book, Mr. Vance describes his closest friends in that group as âmisfit toys.â
In addition to Sofia Nelson, now a public defender in Detroit, the group included his future wife, Usha Chilukuri, the daughter of Indian immigrants, and Jamil Jivani, a Canadian from a mixed-race family. (Mr. Jivani, now a Conservative member of Canadaâs Parliament, remains a close friend to Mr. Vance, but would not comment for this article.)
2024 Election: Live Updates
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Hereâs what to watch on Day 3 of the Republican Convention.
In Milwaukee, the G.O.P. transforms from dysfunctional to unified.
The Ohio steel town that shaped J.D. Vanceâs life and politics.
Some who observed Mr. Vance in the group recall how he at first struggled with assignments. And his book describes comments he got that first year: âNot good at all,â one professor wrote. And on another paper: âThis is a vomit of sentences masquerading as a paragraph. Fix.â
Amy Chua, a professor who taught his first-year contracts class, recalled in an interview that he scored near the top of 100 students on the exam, and that he admitted he had studied extra hard for the test.
It appeared, even to Ms. Chua, she said, that he lacked the intense interest in law exhibited by some students.
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Mr. Vance worked in a highly regarded law clinic for veterans and drove to Washington to negotiate on behalf of a client, but he was not among the most engaged students. By 2011, he had mostly lost interest in practicing law, he would later write.
George L. Priest, a Yale Law professor who has long identified as a Republican, recalled that Mr. Vance was good enough to be hired as his research assistant but not a standout. âHe didnât distinguish himself in any particular way in my view,â Mr. Priest said.
Mr. Vance won a spot on the staff of The Yale Law Journal â a prestigious position that is often a steppingstone to a coveted appellate court clerkship â but not as one of its top editors. He instead worked with a group of editors whose primary job was to check citations.
An avid Ohio State football fan, he was better known for organizing the publicationâs flag football team, which played against other law review teams. In a posting to the Wall, a Yale chat group, he tried to recruit other staff members to the team, dangling a trip to Boston to play The Harvard Law Review. Then, he resorted to self-deprecation.
âMy name is JD Hamel,â he wrote on the Wall in September 2012, using the surname acquired from his stepfather, one of several paternal figures in his unstable childhood. âMany of you donât know me. Those who do understand that Iâm a little chubby and a lot slow. If I can play flag football, so can you.â
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And in a paragraph that foreshadowed his political ambitions, he wrote: âFootball is the most popular sport in America. Twenty years from now, when youâre at the county fair convincing Billy Bob and Gunther to support your fledgling campaign, you damn well better know the difference between offense and defense.â
In 2013, Mr. Vance, again posting as JD Hamel, complained on the Wall that he had filed his taxes in February but hadnât received a refund by April.
âIf I donât get my refund by the time I graduate and go on vacation, Iâll be left to conclude that the Obama administration targets political enemies through tax laws,â he said, in a remark that appears to have been tongue-in-cheek.
One major influence at Yale, he has said, was a 2011 talk by Peter Thiel, the venture capitalist known for co-founding PayPal and supporting hard-right political candidates.
Mr. Thiel spoke about elite professionals trapped in hypercompetitive but unrewarding jobs while innovation had stalled.
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Mr. Vance would later write that the talk led him to forgo a law career; he would practice for less than two years.
âPeterâs talk remains the most significant moment of my time at Yale Law School,â Mr. Vance wrote. âHe articulated a feeling that had until then remained unformed: that I was obsessed with achievement in se â not as an end to something meaningful, but to win a social competition.â
Inspired, Mr. Vance decided to track down the billionaire, according to Dan Driscoll, one of a small group of fellow veterans at Yale Law.
âI remember sitting at the kitchen table,â Mr. Driscoll said. âWe Googled âPeter Thiel @â for about two hours.â They finally located a Stanford University email address, and Mr. Vance sent him a note, according to Mr. Driscoll.
âPeter wrote back and said, âStop by my house next time youâre out here,ââ said Mr. Driscoll, a businessman who ran for Congress from North Carolina in 2022 as a Republican.
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Mr. Thiel would become a major supporter of both Mr. Vanceâs venture capital firm and his Senate campaign.
Professor Chua was another pivotal connection.
Mr. Vanceâs contracts class with her coincided with the release of her book about tough-love parenting, âBattle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.â
Toward the end of the semester, Mr. Vance, who had read the book, sent her an email, attaching a 20-page piece about growing up with a drug-addicted mother.
âYou have a book in you,â she emailed back.
He continued to develop a 60-page manuscript in another class taught by Ms. Chua, international business transactions. Mr. Vance used his familyâs story to discuss the ills befalling working-class white people, and infused personal stories with political theory.
ââThis grand theory is not working,ââ Ms. Chua said she told him. ââTurn this into your own memoir.ââ
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âI think he took another whole year,â she added. âHe kept working on it. He did independent studies with me.â
Then she introduced him to her literary agent, Tina Bennett.
He was off.
Sharon LaFraniere contributed reporting.
Stephanie Saul reports on colleges and universities, with a recent focus on the dramatic changes in college admissions and the debate around diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. More about Stephanie Saul
See more on: 2024 Elections, J.D. Vance, Donald TrumpREAD 51 COMMENTS
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Shepherds Summer 2021
Day 3 Detectives & Roaring20s
#Shepherds of Haven#shepherds summer 2021#Lavinet Naveen#soh#fanart#my art#this one was a wip since 2021...
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Images of Transhumance FestivalÂ
Transhumance FestivalÂ
People watch sheep and goats walking through the city center on the occasion of the Transhumance Festival in Madrid, Spain, Oct. 24, 2021.
Thousands of sheep and cows were paraded through the city center here during a celebration of the Transhumance Festival on Sunday, a centuries-old tradition in Spain. The festival originated from the transhumance practice, in which shepherds in winter drove their cattle and sheep from the mountains to the warm meadows and in summer returned to the mountains to ensure their animals are well fed.Â
Sauce from china.org
#culture
#history
#festival
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'Oppenheimer achieved the impossible by becoming director Christopher Nolan's highest-grossing movie outside of the Dark Knight trilogy, but no one should be surprised by the movie's success. The new biopic is about J. Robert Oppenheimer, also known as the father of the atomic bomb, and how he shepherded a group of physicists to create a world-destroying nuclear weapon during The Manhattan Project. The movie marks several firsts for Nolan, as it's the celebrated filmmaker's first biopic, and it's the first time his longtime collaborator Cillian Murphy is in the lead role. However, the 2023 release actually had a lot working against it at the box office.
Firstly, Oppenheimer is three hours long, and such an intimidating runtime can put potential viewers off. It also limits how many screenings the film can have per day, thus reducing ticket sales. Additionally, the movie is half in black and white, and its harrowing subject matter doesn't exactly scream summer blockbuster. Nevertheless, that's exactly what Oppenheimer became. Oppenheimer has made over $850 million worldwide and is still playing in theaters. That gross is more than any non-Batman Nolan movie, including Dunkirk, Interstellar, and even the instant classic Inception. Several components of the movie's release subtly foretold Oppenheimer's success.
10. Competing With Barbie Gave Oppenheimer More Hype & Promotion
Major Hollywood movies from different studios being released at the same time often lead to one movie becoming a huge success and the other becoming a flop. Movie studios generally tend to avoid sharing release dates for their tent-pole projects for this reason, but neither Universal nor Warner Bros. would budge, leading to the now historical Barbenheimer weekend. Against all odds, both movies were phenomenal successes. Barbenheimer became an event where audiences paid to see both movies on the same day, leading viewers excited about Oppenheimer going to see Barbie and vice versa. As a result, Barbenheimer is the fourth-highest-grossing weekend in box office history.
9. Oppenheimer Was Christopher Nolan's First Movie For Universal
Nolan infamously left Warner Bros. after the studio made the decision to give their 2021 movies day-and-date releases on HBO Max without informing anyone. However, when that lucrative relationship came to an end, Universal won a bidding war for Oppenheimer, and the studio agreed to a ton of Nolan's non-negotiable terms (via IGN). Some of those terms massively helped the movie's box office performance, as Universal agreed to not promote any other movie from three weeks before Oppenheimer's debut to three weeks after its release. The studio also agreed to a huge 120-day exclusive theatrical window.
8. Oppenheimer Received Some Of Christopher Nolan's Best Reviews Yet
Oppenheimer has 93% on Rotten Tomatoes which is the biggest score Nolan has earned in a while. Though Nolan's movies are always crowd pleasers, 2020's Tenet only earned 69% on the aggregate site. Outside the filmmaker's Batman movies, the last Nolan project to get such a high score on Rotten Tomatoes was 2000's Memento, which also sits at 93%. However, Oppenheimer also has an almost-as-high audience score of 91%. Prior to this, Memento was the last Nolan movie to get both a critic score and an audience score in the 90s. Good reviews likely led to audiences who wouldn't otherwise have watched Oppenheimer going out to theaters.
7. Unlike Other Nolan Movies, Oppenheimer Wasn't Confusing
While the actual physics in the movie can be hard to follow at times, Oppenheimer's narrative isn't confusing at all. Movies like Inception and The Prestige certainly challenged audiences, and some of the movies' logic was over the top. Many have argued that the confusion of Nolan's films got out of hand in the 2010s with Interstellar and again in 2020 with Tenet. Even Dunkirk, an expertly made war movie, unnecessarily played with time in a typically Nolan-esque manner. However, Oppenheimer simply tells the story of The Manhattan Project from two different perspectives. Dialing back the pseudo-science worked for the box office.
6. Oppenheimer Had Christopher Nolan's Most Star-Studded Cast
Nolan has worked with some huge ensemble casts in the past, but none have been quite so full of Academy Award winners and nominees as Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer has such an epic cast that Academy Award-winning actors are even in extremely minor scenes. Rami Malek, who won the Oscar for Best Actor for Bohemian Rhapsody, is only properly in two scenes, while Gary Oldman appears in just one scene. The lineup also includes Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and many other bankable stars. Any one of these actors alone would help a movie become successful, but all of them together catapulted Oppenheimer to its $850 million gross.
5. Oppenheimer Doesn't Have An Ambiguous Ending
Most of Nolan's movies have ambiguous endings. It still isn't clear who is Leonard's wife's murderer at the end of Memento, and whether Cobb is still dreaming at the end of Inception has become one of the most-debated questions ever. However, while many audience members wouldn't have a problem with an ambiguous ending, narratives not being properly wrapped up doesn't appeal to everyone. Oppenheimer definitely has moments of ambiguity, and the ending leaves audiences wondering about what every physicist went on to do following their work on The Manhattan Project. However, there isn't an ambiguous ending.
4. Oppenheimer Had An Exclusivity Deal With IMAX
Nolan has always championed IMAX cameras, and he pioneered the film camera being used for more than just action scenes. Given how great of a relationship Nolan and IMAX have, the filmmaker managed to secure exclusivity for Oppenheimer in IMAX theaters. As a result, IMAX tickets made up for 22% of Oppenheimer's box office gross after two weeks in theaters, making $114 million (via Variety). Without that exclusivity on the giant screens, Oppenheimer likely wouldn't have beaten several of Nolan's other movies at the box office.
3. Oppenheimer Is Cillian Murphy's First Leading Role For Christopher Nolan
Murphy has worked with Nolan on several movies, including the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and Dunkirk. However, the actor has never led a Nolan film, and he has never led a movie on this scale before. That doesn't mean the actor isn't bankable. Not only was Murphy perfectly cast as Oppenheimer, but Peaky Blinders has such a huge following, and there's no doubt that fans of the drama series showed up to theaters because Murphy was the only face on the poster. It took the actor and director almost two decades of collaboration for Murphy to become the lead, but when it finally happened, it paid off.
2. Oppenheimer Benefited From 2023 Having The Hottest Summer On Record
One reason why the summer blockbuster exists in the first place is that studios thought they could make money from audiences who simply wanted to sit in a cool, air-conditioned room for two hours and escape the heat (via FSR). That was no truer than in 2023, as the year had the hottest summer on record. According to Reuters, August's record makes the Northern Hemisphere's summer the hottest since records began in 1940. That probably helped Oppenheimer's box office performance. The three-hour biopic was dropping very little each weekend in August, and if it wasn't for the hot weather, the movie might have taken a bigger hit.
1. Oppenheimer Targeted A Different Audience Than Christopher Nolan's Other Movies
Nolan is known for a specific kind of film: huge, spectacular sci-fi action flicks. However, Oppenheimer isn't remotely like that, which could have been seen as a monumental risk, straying from what audiences love. Adding to that is an R-rating, which limits how many people can see the movie. However, there's still a massive market for mature R-rated films, something that studios seem to have forgotten. Oppenheimer proves that. Despite being shot in black and white, being three hours long, having dark subject matter, and being R-rated, Oppenheimer is still one of 2023's biggest movies.'
#Oppenheimer#Christopher Nolan#IMAX#Cillian Murphy#Inception#The Dark Knight Trilogy#Dunkirk#Peaky Blinders#The Manhattan Project#Memento#Rami Malek#Gary Oldman#Robert Downey Jr.#Emily Blunt#Matt Damon#Bohemian Rhapsody#Tenet#The Prestige#Interstellar#Universal#Barbie#Barbenheimer
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Reached the halfway point and Iâll continue to fill the rest later! Just wanted to get this âjealousyâ one out, @shepherds-of-haven!
notoriety
The letters have become a significant pile on her desk. The first few were embarrassing, then flattering, and now, theyâre embarrassing again. She hasnât touched them for weeks, and theyâve multiplied with her missions. This morning, Caine had delivered a fresh batch, remarking. âWhoa, youâve gotten so much fan mail! Have you read all of them?â
âI havenât had the time.â
âBut what if someone sent you money?â
âYou know, thatâs a fair point.â
Sheâs also been receiving meaningful looks from the more organized Shepherds, regarding the growing mess. So, with a lull in her afternoon duties, sheâs taking the opportunity to open each one. Unfortunately, there havenât been any extra coins, in the rough fifth sheâs gone through. She skims the lettersâ contents, the flowing handwriting of different hands. After yet another innuendo of her admirable form in battle, she wishes she had a palate for liquor, if only to numb the part of her brain that has to process the words.
Her door creaks, just as she tears the next envelope. Expecting Caine again, she says. âNothing so far, you can come back later if you want a cut.â
The smooth voice that responds is definitely not the twelve-year-oldâs. âOh? Whatâs this deal youâve made with someone else?â
Her head snaps up, to find Chase slouching against the wall. Outwardly, he looks casual, smiling cheekily and shoving his hands in his pockets. Itâs the first time sheâs seen him today, and she fails to detect a sign that he considered last night any different than their regular trysts. Of course, thatâs just fine with her. Itâs not like she expected their arrangement would involve feelings, this is what she agreed to.
She clears her throat. âHi. Itâs just that Caine pointed out I could have money in my letters, and I promised Iâd give him a percentage if I got any. No luck, Iâm afraid.â
âAh, your fan mail.â He walks over, pulls the nearest chair along, and eases into it. He takes the topmost sheet, scrutinizing it. âHave you run across Flossâs third letter yet?â
Itâs a strange pseudonym, but if the purpose is to be memorable, itâs working. At least, the perfume soaking their messages doesnât have mint. âNo, and what do you mean by âthirdâ? That nobleâs sent one, unlessâŠâ
âTheyâre persistent! By my count, they wrote to you eleven times.â
âFantastic.â She groans. âOne of those envelopes better have a deucalion. And have you been reading my mail?â She isnât annoyed, merely curious.
âFor information, sunshine. Iâd like to know who else has their eyes on you. Not that I can blame them, of course.â He winks, but it seems somewhat forced, undermining the flirtation.
âIâm not mad, but if youâve counted eleven letters, is it bothering you? Trust me, Iâm not turned on by the fantasies these writers have.â
âWell, Flossieâs a nosy one, they even recognized your choice of fragrance is from Orlop.â His smile has an edge to it. âVery interesting, since you said you had issues tracking down a single bottle.â
âYeah, it was discontinued years ago.â Not long after her thirteenth birthday, actually. âMy dad treasured his, and Iâm not sure whether it was popular among the soldiers when I was little. But Floss could be knowledgeable about perfumes and colognes and things like that.â
âMaybe.â His nimble fingers slide under her chin, tilting her face. But he doesnât kiss her, heâs...breathing? A slight frown is distorting his mouth. âOnly from this close, huh. Rescue any nobles from runaway carriages?â
She laughs. âNot that I can recall. Or you have competition sneaking into my room.â Itâs meant as a joke, and it falls flat, his frown deepening.
âI donât think so.â His thumb traces her lower lip. âI would have noticed.â
âI was kidding.â
He blinks, some of his composure returning. âOh. Right. Good one, sunshine.â
âCome on, donât pretend it was. Itâs fine if you didnât think it was funny.â She tries to keep her tone light, to show that she doesnât really care about his strange reaction. âBy the way, you left your scarf, you must have been in a rush this morning.â
âSorry, Thievesâ Guild was calling.â
Before the crack of dawn? Sheâs never been one to dance around a subject, and she seizes the opportunity. âChase? Can I ask you something?â
âSure, go ahead.â
âAre you jealous?â
Instantly, he removes his touch. His green eyes dart elsewhere, avoiding her. âWhat? Why would I be jealous of a person you canât remember?â
âBecauseâŠwe talked a lot last night, before and after.â She trails off, searching for the right phrasing. That she feels theyâre closer, that it wasnât just physical this time. However, sheâs wary of what will happen if she points that out. Definitely the end of their arrangement, and sheâs not prepared. Why is that though?
Heâs tense, scratching the back of his head. Itâs silent for too, too long. Then, the first syllable of her name escapes him, just as the door creaks again.
Tallys takes one look at them and raises her eyebrows. âI apologize, if Iâm interrupting. The new recruits are fighting, and we need your help.â
Itâs a welcome distraction, and they follow her lead, asking for details. The entire time, they manage not to touch each other. Tallys glances at both of them, attempting to figure out whatâs going on without directly questioning. Once theyâre out in the sun, Chase breaks off, diving into the fray with exaggerated joviality.
She rolls up her sleeves; she can think about her own feelings later. While she pulls the flailing newbies apart, she knows one thing for sure. They need to finish the conversation and if he doesnât come to her room tonight, sheâll track him down instead.
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New friend đ¶!
#dogblr#dogs#puppies#photography#sheltie#shetland sheepdog#malinois#belgian shepherd#june#june 2021#summer#sammy#loki
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Hi! Little something different from usual. I saw the @shepherds-of-haven summer prompt list and I decided to give it a try. Shepherds of Haven is a WIP interactive fiction and it has been such a huge comfort read for me, I highly recommend it! While I'm in love with all the characters, my favorite RO is Chase, so this story is for the prompt sleep with my F!MCAerynXChase. I did my best to keep everything as accurate as possible character and lore wise >.< Thanks for reading! Blinding Light Chase can't sleep. The concept itself isn't disturbing. He's gone plenty a night without a wink of shut-eye. But to not be able to, to have his thoughts jumbled, his leg bouncing, it's unusual. He stretches his fingers in front of him, flexing them soundlessly in the dark like he can find the answer in the lines of his palms.
Something is wrong.
He sits up, not bothering to find a light, his eyes long adjusted to the dark. There are still sounds coming from the Shepherds' Compound, but it's clear that the majority of the occupants have turned in. He doesn't always stay on grounds, but he's been making more exceptions recently for whatever reason.
There's no point in trying to join them in their well deserved rest. He rolls out of bed, slipping into an outfit suitable for traversing the city's rooftops. If his mind refuses to be silent then he might as well occupy it before it decides to turn to more... uncomfortable subjects.
He climbs out onto the rooftop and pauses. An irresistible urge to check on Aeryn tugs at him. For a moment he considers ignoring it. It's late, she needs her rest more than anyone and despite his stealth there is always the small chance he could wake her. But like most forces involving Aeryn, it's less of a tug and more of a compulsion. He spins around, lightly stepping to her bedroom window. He starts to undo the lock but finds it already open. He smiles to himself, forgetting that she'd stopped bothering to latch it after he'd picked it so many times.
She never asks him 'why he never uses the door' like a normal person would or scolds him for invading her privacy outside a brief huff of annoyance. It is strangely difficult to get under her skin, but a challenge he's taken to whole-heartedly.
However, though the space inside is dark, the bed is empty. His heart trembles with an ominous thump. He shakes his head, scolding himself. There are plenty of explanations for this. His eyes drift about the room to take in what's missing. Most notably her sword that usually rests against her nightstand. She normally leaves it close enough to grab in case of danger. The bed is made and her uniform is gone.
He should check the patrol schedule.
What are you doing?
He stutter steps when he reaches the low lights of the hallway. What is he doing? He should be picking the lock on some unsuspecting noble's balcony by now. And yet nothing stopped him from progressing towards the large board downstairs.
The lamps provide just enough light for him to read. Letters which were once incomprehensible now make perfect sense thanks to Aeryn's tutoring. His smile lengthens as her name jumps out at him. He even knows the route she's covering. Not the best part of Haven, but not the worst. He has nothing to worry about.
He blinks and looks down. He plants his hand on his disobedient limb, physically stopping his right leg from bouncing. He studies it like it's a mystical object rather than a part of his body. His eyes slide up to Aeryn's name again, the discontent tug now like a rope around his wrist, dragging him to where she should be.
He was going to do a little sightseeing anyway, what would the harm be in 'bumping' into her?
Soon enough he is outside, climbing the walls and out into the streets of Haven. Darting into the first alley, he bounces off the wall and uses his momentum to reach the ledge, pulling himself up onto the roof without any trouble. The air is cool, comfortably so. The wind barely provides any resistance as he leaps from rooftop to rooftop.
Normally, he'd take in the sights, watch for a potential target, enjoy the rush of adrenaline. It's the perfect night for a sprint, but his mind is clouded by the hunt. He scans the streets below, empty besides the rare drunkard or overworked laborer.
Until he finally sees her, long golden honey hair that somehow still shimmers under insufficient light. A presence that always seems to blind him the minute she catches his gaze.
His heart beats against its cage, his smile stretching until his cheeks hurt. His sunshine, his Aeryn.
He catches himself, pressing a hand against his mouth as a cold shiver courses through him. No, not his. Free to come and go as she pleased. In and out of his bed, to be with whoever she wanted. Just as he is.
Regaining control of himself he looks down again, studying the sway of her hips and the grace of her walk. It's enough to ignite a flame inside his core that he's eager to chase. A smirk smooths its way across his lips. It would be a matter of convincing her to abandon her post, but she's never turned him down before.
He skips over one more roof and leaps down silently, a building's distance between them. The first time he'd snuck up on her like this, she'd nearly taken his head from his shoulders. He had the reflexes to dodge her if he needed to, but she stopped her stroke before it nicked his throat. She'd sighed and asked him not to do it again. He'd simply smiled and stepped closer to her, promising nothing.
He'd repeated his stunt again with similar results but never in the dead of night. A thrill weaves through him as he approaches her, his tongue dancing out over his lower lip.
And then she turns.
Sharply, west, down a dark alley. The move startles him and unlike his normal marks, he trails her blindly.
An arm shoots out and cuts off his progress, causing him to stumble to a stop. Her other arm grazes against his back, effectively caging him in.
"Chase," Aeryn says in a scolding yet fond manner.
"It appears you've caught me, Captain," he reclines against the brick wall between the barrier of her arms, a lazy smile painting his lips. "So what do you plan to do with me?" Aeryn shakes her head.
"That's it? No tricks? You're just giving up? I don't believe it." Her eyes dance across his form and he's more than happy to allow it.
"I'm finding this position more than agreeable at the moment, but we'll see how things play out, sunshine." He propels himself forward from his lounging position. He pauses, their similar heights allowing him to nearly brush his lips against hers. To her credit she doesn't flinch, keeping her arms fixed on either side of him. He tilts his head in playful innocence. "I can offer a bribe, but I've heard you are an honest sort."
Aeryn hums unable to stop her own smile from echoing his, "I may be open to a different sort of bribe."
He chuckles low in his throat, the flicker of heat growing into a furnace. He nearly closes the distance, but he manages to draw back. He wants to see the thirst in her eyes first. The inescapable longing he's felt all night.
Instead, he's met with her concern. It catches him off guard, and he struggles to keep his nonchalant grin in place. "Aeryn?"
She catches his chin in her fingers and ignites a magelight with her other hand. He swallows tightly as she examines his face like a healer would.
"Your skin is pale," she says.
"Just a trick of the light. Nothing worth worrying yourself over." He gently tries to push her hand away. But she's insistent, thumb tracing his bottom lip, faintly cracked beneath her touch.
"You have dark circles under your eyes. Have you been sleeping?" She chides him. He tries to defend himself, but he's too distracted by the way her fingers glide across his cheek and lightly stroking his eyelashes. His eyelids flutter, and his body shivers under her featherlight caresses. Soft and caring and so completely foreign. He leans into her palm, lowering his guard for just a moment.
And she doesn't waste it.
She leans in and presses a tender kiss to the curve of his jaw. Wrapping her arms around him, she folds their bodies together until the two of them become intimately one. He turns his head into the crook of her neck, deeply inhaling the heady scent of sage. He cards his fingers into her long hair, enjoying the feel of it as it slides through the gaps of his fingers.
And it's enough. He allows himself to sink further until he's drowning in her embrace. Where no one can touch him, nothing can ever hurt him again, as long as she has him. She lays butterfly kisses on his forehead and each of his eyelids before releasing him. He very nearly clings to her but forces himself to let go, knees weak as he falls against the wall. She holds his hand for a moment longer, squeezing it tightly.
"Go to bed, please. For me? I'll be back soon." She promises, her grip slipping from his.
Instead of letting him disagree, she kisses him softly good night, her lips offering no more than a caress. He stands frozen for a moment, watching her disappear around the corner. As if leaving is so simple.
Confusion muddles his mind as he slides down the wall, hitting the ground with a thud. He stares at his hand, still tingling from her touch. Her scent still lingering on his clothes. Â
He starts to get up, ready to continue on with his plans for the night only for his limbs to betray him. He stumbles against the tidal wave of exhaustion. It suddenly feels as if he could sleep for days. He searches for the cure for his insomnia and finds her further down the road. His heart soars to life again. And then a deep fear creeps up his spine.
What's come over me?
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