#/ int: katya.

[rassvetiye]

❛ intent is trivial. ❜

𝐀𝐒𝐊 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄: DEATHLESS, @soloveya

≪ hm. ≫ it may be that anatoliy was meant to be the subject of that sentiment, and this is a fact which does brush at his face. his mind, however, becomes answerable to the distant memories that katya unknowingly asks him to recall. these memories are familiar places to him, even now. he comes to them often to sit in almost consecrated silence and consider what could have been if he had once had the will to let intentions be enough.

≪ i don't think i believe that as much as i once did. ≫ anatoliy separates a larger, jagged piece of shrapnel from the flesh of katya's thigh. he is too practiced at the gesture to expect to see signs of pain inside what reaction meets his eyes as the fragment clatters around the steel inside of the bowl in time with a strangely delicate clap of thunder beyond the walls of his workshop.

that too, reminds him of mariya.

at moments like these when anatoliy's focus takes precedence, the sound of the workshop stays still under the gentle patter of rain upon the roof. otherwise he might have allowed her to put the speakers to the intended use they hadn't seen since the last time she had been inside his home and mistook his grief for disappointment when she claimed she saw no reason to stay in it. now that he knows how fast she is to flee from the voice of such affections, anatoliy will not fixate much on whats implied in her having come to darken the planks of his porch with the blood sapped through those efforts he had refused to see with his own eyes. she's here, and there are wiser uses of this gift.

≪ did i tell you, ≫ he knows he hasn't, but he's as much a stranger to this conversation as she is. anatoliy draws another piece of shrapnel from her thigh, drops it in the bowl. ≪ about the woman i was in love with, and how we left together before the fall. ≫

[promblums]

Something I haven’t seen mentioned too much in Goncharov analysis, but is maybe my favorite minor detail in the movie - 

So like 10 minutes in, right after the first icy bedroom scene with Katya, there’s this little scene, maybe 90 seconds in all, where Goncharov is passing a port, and he stops on the dock for a cigarette, and the camera follows his eyeline out to this seabird perched on the last of the ice as the bay thaws out, and it follows it as it takes off over the sea. I’ve seen one or two little things referencing it as Goncharov picturing an escape from the web of violence he’s become enmeshed in, and that’s fair, but it’s also only half the story.

The bird, you ever notice it looks sort of... out of place? Big heavy feathers, sharp beak, doesn’t really look like any of the other city birds you see int he rest of the film. That’s because it’s a Steller’s Sea Eagle, a bird not native to Italy at all. Their habitat is almost exclusively the North-Eastern Russian coast (and a little bit of Korea), about as deep into Siberia as you can get. Siberia, where Goncharov would have been posted at only 16 had his uncle not used his position in the Russian mob to pull some strings, ultimately changing the course of his life before he even really understood what he’d agreed to.

So in this scene, which is barely even long enough to mention, we see that even in Goncharov’s moments of escape, his mind is drawn back to the moment that shackled him to the life he now finds himself in. Even in his fantasies, he cannot envision a way this all ends differently.

And doesn’t that make the last dream sequence with Andrey as Goncharov is bleeding out hit all the harder? After a lifetime of singleminded obedience, he’s finally pictured a different world - too late.

[silvertiefling]

&&. I HATE MATH IM GAY LET ME DIE IN PEACE

With that said, I'm stupid and didn't realize there's that big of a difference between werewolves and alpha werewolves and katya has a whole pack which means technically she's an alpha so now i have to do MORE math because ive kinda stuck her sorta inbetween stats, I tHINK i got them now, i tried to adjust and tone some down a little and boost some a little just to account for other factors like being a barbarian/asmodeus tiefling/dnd vs. bg3/etc or whatever so this is what we're at

STR. 25 

DEX. 15 

CON. 18 

INT. 11 

WIS. 16

CHA. 15 

so what im saying is who wants to be stepped on by mommy (shot) katya

[kikiiswashere]

Children of Zaun - Chapter 14

Pairing: Silco/Fem!OC

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Canon typical violence, drug use/dealing, dark themes, eventual smut

Chapter Summary: The Children devise a temporary plan as Enforcers stalk the Lanes after the botched robbery. Katya and Sevika teach the revolutionaries some basic first aid. Enyd's motherly instincts kick into overdrive. And act on it.

Previous Chapter

Word Count: 5.3K

Wednesday evening came and Katya filled the pockets within her father’s coat with rolls of bandages, tubes of ointment, and vials of medicine. Unbeknownst to the haughty, Piltie medical staff assisting at the mines, she was carefully pilfering the gross abundance of supplies they had brought with them.

 A bottle of painkillers here, a spool of surgical thread there.

In the afternoon on Monday, when the medical aid from Piltover finally showed up, Silco sneaked into the small curtained-off section in triage where Katya was setting an unconscious miner’s leg. He expected her to jump at his surprise appearance, but she remained attentive and focused on her task, only giving him a quick flick of her eyes as an acknowledgement.

“The Topsiders are here,” he had whispered.

“I know,” she replied. “I’ve already heard them grumbling about assisting in the rescue efforts.”

“They are currently bringing in their first shipment of medical equipment and supplies.”

Katya’s fingers stilled for a brief second in setting the splint.

“First?”

Silco nodded, the corners of his lips tilting in that tiny smirk he frequently wore.

“If I start occasionally sending Brothers and Sisters to you for minor medical assistance, do you think you could hand off supplies to them?”

Katya wrapped the miner’s leg in a length of gauze, stabilizing the splints, and secured it with tape.

“I do not know any of the others,” she said, finally looking at him. “How will I know if they are one of us?”

“We’ll use a secret word.”

As the day progressed, and as the doctors and nurses from Piltover – and their bountiful supplies – settled in, more miners were unearthed. Most alive, some inevitably dead or close to it. Most of the clinic’s focus was on aiding the survivors; but some was given to those workers who got dinged up during the excavation. Clocked on the head by a rock or beam, pulled muscles from loading rubble into carts, cuts from being careless with equipment.

Katya made a point to be the staff member who aided these people. If she heard them murmur ‘Zaun,’ she’d hand them a small, random assortment of goods.

A couple times, she was hesitant to pass items off. One instance, the girl seemed too young, knobby-kneed, and button-nosed. But she looked fierce and determined, so Katya slipped her a couple vials of tranquilizers. The second time, a young man who looked to be about the same age as her, sauntered into her make-shift exam room and leaned against the table. He looked hungrily at her, and when she went to examine the wrist he said he had hurt, he leaned in too close and whispered the secret word in a low, husky breath. She deemed his wrist to be fine, and sent him along with a box of bandages. She decided it would not be right to deny other Brothers and Sisters because one happened to behave sleazily. It carried on like this Tuesday and Wednesday, Katya stowing away her own stash to bring to The Last Drop, and for her clients, as well.

Once her coat was sufficiently packed, Enyd’s empty bag crossed over her shoulder, she locked her home and headed toward Sevika’s. Her friend and her family lived in a too-small apartment a few streets down from the heart of one of the Undercity’s major marketplaces. Katya slid around the outskirts of the stalls and tents, occasionally dipping through a narrow alley between vendors when an Enforcer appeared on her path.

She turned right at a wide-mouthed lane, followed the winding street away from the pulse and flicker of the marketplace, and came to a stop in front of a tall apartment building. It leaned so heavily into the canyon of the street that metal beams had been drilled and soldered into its across-the-street neighbor to keep it propped up.

Katya stepped under the portico and skimmed the directory before pressing the call button for Sevika’s unit. The outgoing drone was quickly cut off by the line being picked up.

“I’ll be out in a sec!” Sevika hurriedly promised. Behind her voice, Katya could hear the distinct whining and griping of her little brother. Before she could understand what the child was on about, the call was cut.

She stepped back into the lane, worrying the loose thread in her pocket. True to her word, Sevika appeared quickly; noisily running down the stairs and bursting through the door. Her silver eyes glimmered with annoyance; thick upper lip stuck in a curled sneer.

“Everything alright?” Katya asked.

Before her friend could answer, a small, piercing voice shot down from on high.

“Sevika!”

She growled and turned her head up. Katya followed her gaze and the voice up the face of the building to a window that was pushed open. A small boy with a mop of straight black hair and deep russet skin was hanging out halfway.

“I wanna come!” he cried.

“Go back inside, Lu!” Sevika yelled back. “You’re not coming with! Saraph will be home with the twins in thirty minutes!”

“Please!”

“NO!”

Lu huffed and scowled. “You’re the worst!”

“Right back at’cha, you little turd!”

He stuck out his tongue and blew a very wet raspberry in Sevika’s direction. He then ducked back into the apartment and slammed the window shut.

“Little fucking menace,” she hissed under her breath.

“He’s a child, ‘Vika,” Katya admonished.

“He’s a brat.”

It was the medic’s turn to scoff, “He is – what? – eight? He’s a dítê.”

Sevika rolled her eyes and began stalking down the lane, Katya at her heel. They walked in silence until the younger sighed, and asked, “What did you want to teach the Brothers and Sisters tonight?”

Per Benzo’s idea, Katya had approached her friend Monday afternoon to ask if she would consider helping her teach the other revolutionaries how do administer basic first aid. Sevika had enthusiastically agreed, a wide, white smile splitting her coal-streaked face in half.

“I was thinking it would be best to keep it simple,” Katya replied in a hushed voice. “How to wrap and bandage wounds.”

Sevika nodded, “Simple enough.”

Just as with the previous Wednesday, the pair rounded the back of the tavern and performed the intricate knock. After a moment, Silco opened the door. He appeared stiff and agitated.

“You’re early,” he commented as they slipped inside. He eyed the bag over Katya’s shoulder, squinting in confusion. “Is that? – “

“Your mother’s bag, yes,” she answered. “I did not know when I might see her again. Can you return it?”

Silco sighed and mumbled, “She’s here. You can give it to her yourself, if you’d like.”

“Your mom’s here?” Sevika asked, disbelieving. “Like, for the meeting?”

“Yes,” he answered tightly, “for the meeting. She wants to know what’s going on.”

“That’s great!” she chirped. “Maybe she can encourage older Trenchers to join us!”

Katya watched the man’s face pinch and she said, “Do not saddle his mother with such a big expectation, ‘Vika.”

The trio entered the large stockroom. Crates had already been butted up against the walls, and a small number of people had already arrived. Enyd sat at the back of the room, stitching the hole in a shirt. Vander and Mek stood near the front of the room, both of their hulking frames leaned over a stack of crates as they quietly spoke. The augmenteer had a stubby pencil in his hand and he scribbled over a scrap of paper. Benzo was propped up in a ratty wingback chair, his injured leg held up by a small box. He still looked a little sallow and tired, but Katya noted that his eyes were not nearly as fever-fogged as when she had last seen him.

“Sevika, can you go ask Benzo if we can use him for our lesson? I want to go put these supplies away.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure,” she responded, leaving Katya and Silco’s sides.

“You have supplies?”

She nodded. “In my coat.”

When his eyebrows dipped, she opened one half of her coat and opened one of the secret pockets she’d sewn into the seams. She reached in and produced a small bottle of painkillers. Silco’s eyebrows and the corners of his mouth lifted, and an amused breath puffed through his lips.

“Very innovative,” he praised.

He walked with her to the corner of the stock room where she and Vander had stashed her first offering of supplies the week before. Watching Katya pull vial after vial, bandage after bandage, syringe after syringe from her coat, Silco was reminded of hearing about something called a ‘circus.’

When he was little, there had been flyers stuck to the lamp posts on the Promenade advertising for the event. It would take place in the heart of the Golden City, so of course he and his mother could not go; but the images of exotic animals, colorful tents, and people with painted faces had intrigued him. He battered anyone he could with questions about it. What was a circus? What happened there? What did the animals do? Who were the painted people?

He had finally found some answers in a wizened miner who was working the same tunnel as him and his mother. He claimed that he snuck into a circus in his youth, and regaled Silco with descriptions of acrobats and giant wild cats leaping through rings of fire. There had also been people called magicians – not mages – who performed sleight of hand and magic tricks that enthralled the audience; pulling a whump out of a hat and strings of handkerchiefs out of their mouths. The people with the painted faces were called clowns, and they performed silly skits. Apparently, one skit involved over ten clowns emerging from a comically small carriage. The old Trencher recalled that after the fourth clown appeared from the tiny vehicle, the audience began to gasp and laugh in increasing disbelief and joy as more and more performers tumbled out onto the dirt arena.

Watching Katya pull several medical supplies from her unassuming coat, he thought her a little bit magical and mischievous. He’d never been to a circus, nor seen magicians nor clowns, but he thought the delight and wonder with which he watched her had to be similar to that of the old miner.

“What?” she asked, wedging rolls of bandages between bottles of ale. She felt her cheeks pinch pink and her lips pulled into a self-conscious smile.

“I’m just,” Silco began, his mind racing to explain why he had been staring at her, “glad that you decided to help us. We’ll be much better off with your access and expertise.”

Katya was grateful that the blush she felt creeping under her skin stayed mostly to her neck, which was hidden by the collar of her coat. Once the last of the stolen goods was hidden away, they made to stand and she unslung the bag from her shoulders.

“I need to give this back to your mother.”

While putting the supplies in there hiding spot, the stockroom had filled more. Katya craned her neck over the incoming crowd and spied the woman on the stack of crates with her needlepoint. Her lips were in a tight, amused line and her blue eyes flicked up as she felt the other’s on her. Gently weaving through the meandering bodies, she and Silco made their way to her.

“Hello, Katya,” Enyd greeted, setting her sewing in her lap.

“I wanted to return your bag,” she said quietly, clumsily folding the canvas sack and handing it to her.

“Oh, thank you, dear. Where you able to find a use for those trinkets?” Enyd asked, taking the bag, and stowing it under her sewing.

Silco’s eyebrow cocked at the question. Before he could inquire, Katya answered.

“Yes, I took them to Benzo’s, and Cairn was able to give me coin for them – “

“Wonderful!”

“H-he gave me quite a lot,” Katya said in a hurried and hushed voice. “I don’t feel right not giving you any in return.”

Enyd’s jaw set and she took the young woman by her upper arm.

“Katya,” she said firmly. “It was not strictly a favor. I am paying for your services. Yes? How much would that medicine cost otherwise?”

Katya’s voice caught in her throat; her mouth opening and closing mutely until words came.

“I – I am not sure. The mine gets the product at cost because of buying in bulk – “

Enyd chuckled and gently shook her arm, “It’s alright, Katya. You are helping us,” she glanced up at her son, “let us be there for you.”

Just as when the older woman had presented her with the bag of treasures, Katya’s throat squeezed and her heart clenched.

“I’m sorry,” Silco broke in, “what are you referring to?”

“Alrigh’ let’s get this gatherin’ goin’!” Vander yelled over the crowd, clapping his hands, and walking over to the designated front of the room. The chatter of the crowd died down and heads swiveled towards the barkeep.

Vander’s eyes found Silco in the crowd and he jerked his chin, beckoning his friend to join him. Giving his mother and Katya one last look, he left their sides and strode to the front of the room.

“Now, all o’ yas probably know that we did not get th’shipment last weekend,” Vander began, his tone apologetic but firm enough to insinuate that commentary was not wanted. Regardless, a discontented murmur slithered through the crowd.

Vander’s jaw ground side to side, his eyes skirting over scared and agitated faces. At the back of the room, he spied Katya standing next to Enyd. He peeled his tongue from the roof of his mouth and stood taller.

“The plan fallin’ apart is on me, Sil, n’ ‘Zo,” he added. Beside him, Silco’s face briefly twisted before dropping back into something aloof. He folded his arms across his chest as Vander continued.

“We shoulda planned better n’ made our instructions clearer ‘fore headin’ out on th’job,” he said, settling large, bruised hands on his hips. “We’ll do better next time – “

“When will next time be?” a voice called out.

Heads swiveled in the direction of the question, and Katya’s nose wrinkled to see that it was the same Brother that had whispered the secret word too close and too wet into her ear earlier in the week.

Annoyingly, but not entirely unfairly, questioning murmurs ghosted through the crowd as the Brothers and Sisters looked back to Vander, Silco, and Benzo.

“There haven’ been no other reports of artillery shipments comin’ in,” Vander answered. “An’ even when they do start deliverin’ again, security may be beefed up.”

“What we need are more numbers,” Silco broke in. “We can use this blunder to our advantage.”

Vander looked over to his Brother. The crowd leaned in, interested as to what he meant.

“LeDaird has ordered more Enforcer presence in the Lanes since Saturday. The brutes are questioning and intimidating anyone and everyone in their path. We can use this injustice to persuade more Fissure Folk into our fold. This setback can be a means to bolster the Children of Zaun’s numbers.”

The bodies in the room shifted in tentative excitement, wondering hums and looks exchanged between neighbors. Next to her, Katya felt Enyd tense, her breath hitching. It caught in a wheeze at the back of her throat, and the older woman brought up the back of her forearm to muffle the sound of the cough. Katya reached for the glass of water at her side and Enyd met her hand halfway, gratefully taking it. Her blue eyes crinkled in silent thanks as she lifted the drink to her mouth.

“That’ll be th’focus fer now,” Vander agreed. “Get more people t’join the cause. Topside may have means, but we have the numbers.”

Stronger sounds of affirmation jostled through the room and Vander looked pleased. He grinned and looked to Silco. The other’s lips hooked up briefly, but despite it having been his idea disappointment rippled under his skin.

“Now,” Vander called again, cueing the crowd to quiet, “not gettin’ th’weapons wasn’ the only thing that went wrong last Saturday.” He gestured over to where Benzo sat propped up, “’Zo got shot.”

Benzo jokingly waved and flourished toward his bandaged leg.

“Luckily, one o’ our newest Sisters was able to patch him up,” Vander continued, bright silver eyes honing in on Katya. “An’ she n’ Sev have agreed t’take us through some patchin’ n’ healin’ basics. Katya?”

Katya felt her cheeks heat up as heads swiveled in her direction.

“Give me your coat, dear,” Enyd murmured, already gently peeling it from her shoulders.

Katya allowed her and made her way toward Benzo. A low, wheezy whistle blew through the bodies, followed by stifled giggles and groans. Unsurprisingly, it was the troublesome young miner. His friends sniggered around him, while Katya frowned and rolled her eyes. She made a point to stand taller and drew her shoulders back.

Vander and Silco stepped into the audience, allowing the room’s attention to fall on Benzo and the two women flanking his chair. While the barkeep stepped only a few people deep into the crowd, Silco slithered a little farther in, skirting the edges.

“You’re alright to do this?” Katya asked Benzo in a hushed voice.

He smiled, nodding, and gave her a thumbs-up.  An appreciative look came over her face and she tenderly placed a hand on his lifted shin. She looked to Sevika. The teen was vibrating, excited to help lead something; to be looked at for guidance and information. She grinned broadly, her round cheeks colored coral.

Finally, Katya faced the gathering fully and took a deep breath.

“Hello Nurse!” the cat-caller cried, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify what he clearly thought was a clever jape.

The group around him cackled loudly, and Katya sorely wished she still had her coat. She would’ve whipped out her father’s revolver and shot the ground at the asshole’s feet. Her teeth squeaked between the squeezing of her upper and lower jaw, willing some sort of snappy retort to arrive on her tongue.

 Suddenly, there was a loud, splintering THWACK! The miner’s laugh was cut short and he jumped as a knife blade appeared between his fingers, expertly threading the gap between them, and puncturing the wooden crate beneath. The hilt was in Silco’s white knuckle grip and he stared down at the instigator.

Daggers in his icy eyes, as well as his hand.

The group that had been laughing with their friend began to rustle agitatedly; clearly wanting to stick up for their peer, but uncertain if they should mess with one of the revolution’s founding members. The air was sucked out of the room as the rest of the crowd tensed. Enyd had bolted out of her seat, clutching Katya’s coat against her chest. Her eyes were wide with fear and disbelief. Once again – for a split second – she didn’t recognize her boy. The flash in his eyes; the twisted scowl on his face. But she restrained herself from interfering. If she wanted access to his world, she needed to adapt and let him be the leader. Her jaw cramped and her heart thundered. A gross tickle built in the back of her throat, and she choked back the phlegm climbing her trachea.

Finally, the cat-caller scoffed, “It’s just a joke, mate.”

“Your commentary is unimaginative, unnecessary, and unwelcome,” Silco snapped back.

“Shut the fuck up, Kells,” Sevika added, puffing her shoulders, and glowering at the man beneath Silco’s blade.

Kells huffed and slumped back into his seat. Silco unstuck the blade’s tip before tucking it back in his shirtsleeve. Katya watched, her cheeks sucked against her teeth in overwhelm. She looked at Kells, who sat like a toddler – arms crossed and avoiding her gaze – and then to Silco. He gave the smallest of nods to encourage her to continue. She swallowed her crossness down, along with a sweet swell of gratitude and began the lesson.

“Tonight, Sevika and I will show you how to treat and dress an open wound that does not need sutures – “

“What’s sutures?” came a loud, young voice from within the group.

The interruption through her off, but the bright genuineness of the question caused her to grin.

“Sutures is another term for stitches.”

“What if the cut needs su-chus?” came another voice.

“Pipe down!” Vander cried over the heads of the revolutionaries.

“We will get to that a different time,” Katya said. “For now, let us keep things simple, yes?”

She stepped to the side and allowed Sevika to kneel behind Benzo’s extended leg, dictating the steps as her friend completed them. For the most part, the presentation was quiet, save for the intermittent murmurs and hums of understanding and awe.

“Now, obviously, we are just redressing Benzo’s wound here,” Katya explained. “If and when you need to assist another or yourself, chances are likely that it will be . . . messier. Once you and the injured person are in a safe space, you’ll remove any clothing that may be in the way.”

Sevika plucked at the fraying edge of Benzo’s cut pantleg pointedly.

“An’ be certain to bring any bloody clothes with ya,” Vander interjected, “or burn ‘em. We don’ want’a leave a trail fer Enforcers t’follow. Yeah?”

“Vander is correct,” Katya agreed, her stomach jolting. She hadn’t thought of that piece. Of Enforcers using bloody clothing and trails to sniff out the Children. She was grateful for his attention to that detail.

“But before you do away with any piece of cloth, make sure that there are no scraps or threads stuck in the wound. Leaving foreign objects in the body could lead to infection. Before I could stitch Benzo up or dress his wound, I needed to fish out a piece of his trousers that the bullet took in with it.”

“Hurt like a mother fucker, too,” Benzo added with a shudder.

“Yes, it is not pleasant. But developing sepsis is even worse – “

“What’s sepsis?”

Another rogue question from a small voice.

“Sepsis is the body’s extreme reaction to an infection,” Sevika answered. “It causes your organs to malfunction, and shut down if not treated.”

Katya’s chest swelled with pride as her young friend took a more active role in the demonstration. She was pleased that ‘Vika had retained so much from their time together.

“Speaking of,” the medic continued, “this is a particular challenge in the Undercity, but when you go to clean or dress a wound – fresh or no – do so with as clean of hands and tools as possible.”

Muted scoffs and muttered exasperations prickled in the air. Heads shook and eyes rolled.

“I know, I know. Just . . . do the best that you can under the circumstances. Now, once the injured party is in a safe location and you are certain there are no foreign bodies in the wound, you will want to gently clean the area with water and a clean cloth.”

Sevika made a show of dutifully and delicately wiping down Benzo’s leg around the healing wound.

“Didn’ know ya had such a soft touch, Sev,” Benzo joked.

“You should talk to your mother more then!” Sevika snapped back.

The group snorted and giggled. Vander and Silco went about trying shush them, and Katya closed her eyes, her hands finding a home on her hips.

Children indeed.

The laughter simmered quickly under her, Vander, and Silco’s unamused looks, and she was able to continue.

“Once the area is clean enough, take a piece of cloth or gauze, place it over the wound and apply direct pressure.”

Sevika took up a square swatch of gauze and draped it over the line of stitches, before lifting to her knees, placing a large hand on Benzo’s thigh and pressing down. He yelped and hissed, and a shit-eating grin curled her lips.

“It will hurt,” Katya confirmed. “As should a tourniquet, if it is necessary.” She paused. “We will discuss tourniquets next, perhaps.

“Once it seems like the blood is clotting, take a long strip of fabric or gauze, or whatever you have available, and wrap the body part.”

Sevika unrolled a length of gauze and wound it around Benzo’s meaty thigh, mindfully overlaying the strips as she went.

“Don’t make it too tight,” she said, tucking the end of the cloth into the pleats of the bandage.

Katya nodded and finished, “The wound will need to be cleaned every day. We will have anti-biotic ointment and burn cream in our stores. Not many, though, so we will have to administer them on a triage basis.”

Silence stretched through the store room and Katya nervously shifted from one foot to the other.

“Are . . . there any questions?”

There were murmurs at first, and then like a wave coming to shore, a swell of questioning voices crashed over Katya and Sevika.

“What if a limb needs to be amputated?”

“What’s triage?”

“Is it true that if you soak in mineral water, it’s good for a cut?”

“I have a cut. Can you take a look at it?”

“How long does it take something like that to heal?”

“What are we supposed to do if someone’s guts get blown outta their body? What’s that called?”

Katya put her hands on her hips again and sighed.

“That is called evisceration,” she said heavily. “Hopefully it is something we will never have to deal with – “

“But have you seen it?” a young, wide-eyed teen asked.

“I have,” she answered. The youth in the crowd ‘oo-ed’ and ‘ah-ed’.

“Like I said, hopefully it is something we are spared.”

Katya’s heart pattered and her tongue felt fizzy as she added, “Hopefully we are free before something like that can happen.”

Her gaze found Vander and Silco’s in the crowd, and she smiled at their hopeful expressions of pride. The rest of the questions were shared between her and Sevika. Benzo even answered a few of his own. Namely “Did it hurt?” and “Did you cry?”

The meeting slowly petered out, the Children having instructions to lay low and scope out potential recruits.

Before leaving Benzo’s side, Katya rechecked his wound and its wrappings.

“How have you been feeling?”

“A little better each day. Fever’s gone down, I think.”

She held the back of her hand to his forehead, and then his cheeks.

“It seems so,” Katya agreed. “You’ve been eating and drinking, yes?”

“Yeah, Van’s keepin’ me well-fed and watered – “

“Actually water, right?” she sternly asked. “Not beer.”

“No beer – “

“Or hard liquor.”

Benzo rolled his eyes. “Aye. He’s been followin’ your pain-in-the-ass-no-fun instructions t’the letter.”

“Not fer a lack of tryin’ to misbehave,” Vander chuckled, appearing at Katya’s side. “Caught ‘im tryin’ to hobble his way to the bar one morning.”

“Walking on it may not be a bad idea at this point,” Katya mused. “To maintain strength in your leg before the muscles can atrophy any further.”

“Oi, Van.”

Mek had trundled up to their small group, the paper he had been scribbling on earlier clenched in his large hands.

“I should have your things ready by the end of this week. We got plenty o’ scraps in the back.” He looked the Katya and continued, “Your brother’s brace should be ready by Friday, by the way.”

She nodded, still not use to the various contexts of her life intermingling in one place. Her mind raced, trying to recall how much coin was left from her clients; then she remembered the surplus of money Cairn had given her and her worry eased.

Mek bid them good night and shuffled off.

“If the walking goes well,” Katya said, rising to her feet and brushing the dust from her knees, “you should be able to return to your shop soon.”

Benzo chuckled. “Yeah, don’ want Cairn over payin’ for anymore items.”

Despite his playful wink, Katya’s stomach dropped.

“He’s jus’ pullin’ yer leg,” Vander said kindly, knocking an elbow against her side. “Cairn came by t’give ‘em an update on shop happenings. Mentioned ya stopped by.”

Discomforting relief coated Katya’s bones. She forced a grin and said, “Right. I should be heading home.”

“I’ll walk with you!” Sevika offered.

“Yes, thank you, ‘Vika,” Katya said. Her fingers went to worry the thread in her coat pocket before realizing she wasn’t wearing it.

“I need to get my coat. Give me a moment.”

She weaved through the mingling bodies to the back of the room. She spied Kells as she went, skulking out of the basement with his group of friends. His dark brown eyes briefly flicked to her and his nostrils flared before he disappeared into the hallway. Unease crawled under her skin like cave lice skittering up rock. She shook it off and continued toward Enyd’s perch at the back.

Silco was at her side, the two quietly discussing something. The woman’s face seemed sterner than at the start of the meeting, and Silco’s own expression was tight. Katya was certain she was reprimanding him for nearly skewering Kells’ hand. She felt awkward about inserting herself, but she was not going to leave her father’s coat behind.

Silco noticed her first. He stood to his full height and his face softened. Enyd gawped for a moment until she also saw the young medic approach.

“Thank you for doing that,” Silco said. His eyes flicked around the room before adding, “I’m sorry some of our recruits are not as respectful as they should be.”

Katya’s mouth quirked and she shrugged.

“The Undercity needs as many supporters as possible. Beggars cannot be choosers. Not all the Brothers and Sisters will be couth – “

“The ability to respect someone is not exclusive to those of us with manners,” Silco countered. “He won’t interrupt you again.”

Warmth spread through the medic’s cheeks and she hoped the flush was minimal.

“Well,” she stammered, “thank you for your help with the presentation then.”

“Katya,” Enyd said, gently handing over her father’s coat. “I received a large bushel of produce as payment from one of my tailoring clients. Silco and I cannot possibly eat it all before it turns. Would you join us for supper tomorrow?”

Both Silco and Katya stilled at her offer. Blindly, not taking her eyes from the older woman’s face, the she reached for her coat and hugged it against her chest.

“I wouldn’t want to impose – “

“Nonsense,” Enyd scoffed, her hand flicking through the air as if to brush the concern away. “If it was an issue, I wouldn’t have offered.”

“I – I will not have been able to clean up after work. I do not want to come to your home filthy.”

“My dear. I live with my son, who is a manual laborer in the mines. I am unperturbed by most mess.”

“Mum – “

“I insist,” Enyd implored.

A grin Katya did not mean to let loose curled her lips. She looked gratefully to Enyd and then curiously to her son. Only for a moment was Silco lost for words.

“Yes, come for dinner,” he finally said.

A strange cheerfulness coated Katya’s insides and she agreed. As she slipped her arms through the sleeves of her coat, Enyd gave their address and the time she should stop by.

She bid them good night as Sevika appeared at her side. The pair left the stockroom, and mother and son watched them go; Silco’s eyes lingering after they had disappeared through the doorway.

The hair on the back of his neck prickled and he turned to see his mother regarding him. She looked smug for reasons he couldn’t understand.

“What?” he demanded.

“It’s nothing.”

Notes: Thank you so much for reading! Again, if you are enjoying this story so far, please drop a comment and reblog!! Also, just message me if you're interested in being added to the tag list, so you don't miss out on future chapters or anything else CoZ related.

Coming Up Next: The Council convenes to address Rynweaver and other donor's concerns about the Academy's scholarship program. Katya has dinner with Silco and Enyd. Can it be called a date if your mother instigated it and she's there??

Next chapter

Taglist: @dreamyonahill @pinkrose1422 @altered-delta

[whenyoulosesmallmind]

I fratelli Karamazov 1969 [EP1] - Fëdor Pavlovič's birthday and the arranging of a meeting

More than a month since the first installment, I bring you... another five minutes of Karamazovian drama.

part one | part two (you are here!) | part three

Some sparse notes before the translated transcripts start under the cut: 1. usual disclaimer that I'm not a professional, just an amateur, and am doing this out of pure insanity -- if you want to discuss translation related things or have some corrections, my inbox is open and your thoughts are welcomed <3; 2. I actually wanted to get to Smerdjakov and Ivan's scene with this bunch, but I belathedly realised that it was too much of a bulk for me to undertake at once, so I decided it would have to go with the next bulk of scenes -- it makes sense, Ivan's preparing fot Katya's soiree and next there will be Katya's soiree; 3. I've decided that, bar future requests and/or my change of mind, I'll proceed with the translation in the chronological order of scenes and when I'll be done with a whole episode I'd like to see if I can manage to submit this stuff to some of the people who've uploaded the episodes on youtube, so that non italian speaker peeps can enjoy them subbed -- or I might just upload them myself, I'll see, it's just an idea for now; 4. did I say I love the drama sets? because I do. Look how cluttered and lived in they look! 5. You might not spot him on a first watch, but Smerdjakov is present during the birthday scene! He keeps to the side in the first shot and you can only see him from the back, but he is there -- and yes, he has a bowlcut; 6. I've kept some speaking quirks in the transcripts -- the ehs, ehms, mmhs, and hics -- because I feel they help get a feeling of the character just as the bare stage directions do. Plus, in the case of Fëdor Pavlovič -- Karamazov sr. in the transcript -- really do drive home how he's trying to gaslight gatekeep girlboss his own sons; 7. the more I rewatch the more I want to bite Umberto Orsini.

A propos of actors, here are: Salvo Randone as Fëdor Pavlovič, Mark Hamill Carlo Simoni as Alëša Karamazov, Corrado Pani as Dmitrij Karamazov, Umberto Orsini as Ivan Karamazov and Antonio Salines as Smerdjakov.

Original script by Diego Fabbri, directed by Sandro Bolchi.

You can follow watch the drama here on YT or here on RaiPlay -- I suggest the latter, it's free and it's the original source, but youtube's still there if you prefer.

[INT. – AT THE KARAMAZOV’S/DINING ROOM] min. 5:54

(sounds of applause; the family is reunited around the dining table)

Karamazov sr.: Ah…! Grigorij, put it here.

(Grigorij leaves the birthday cake in front of Karamazov sr.)

Alëša: (is talking about the candles on the cake) This tallest one is the half century and these other six are the years: fifty-six!

Karamazov sr.: Fifty-six, eh? That’s right, and you think they’re too many, eh? – but you’ll see how I prove myself, look: I’ll blow them out in a single breath. (blows on the candles)

(more applause; Karamazov sr. laughs)

Karamazov sr.: (cont.) And now… I’ll have to cut this beautiful cake. Eh… it really is beautiful; and the biggest slice – and the most beautiful too, I’d say, look at this red candied fruit – the biggest slice I want to offer to my eldest son Dmitrij! Not because he’s the firstborn, no, I don’t care about these things, but to show him proof that I really don’t have anything against him… Dmitrij, I don’t have anything. I want to tell you today in the presence of your brothers; It’s so rare being together like this: one is always at the monastery, another is always traveling, already about to leave for Moscow – but I say, what is so entertaining in Moscow (laughs) that you don’t have here beside your loved ones… eh?

(to Dmitrij, sitting on his left) Here it is… (serves him the cake) here it is, and let there be peace between us, mh? Do you want to?

Dmitrij: Of course I want to – but let’s not talk about what’s dividing us, we might ruin the party and I… don’t want to. I hope you’re not thinking all will be quiet because of a slice of cake. 

Karamazov sr.: (snorts) See! (slams a hand on the table) You heard him too, eh? You tell me, you all say if it’s me who doesn’t want peace… you say it.

Dmitrij: (gets up) I beg your pardon. (exits scene)

[INT. – AT THE KARAMAZOV’S/LIVING ROOM] min. 8:23

(Karamazov sr. is sitting in an armchair with Alëša on a couch by his side, Ivan is standing not too far from them. Smerdjakov is standing by a table near Karamazov sr., downs a glass of liquor – unseen by the others? – and leaves the scene)

Karamazov sr.: Now, I guarantee you – and I could show you legal papers, valuation of assets… everything, in short – that before the law I don’t owe a ruble more to your brother Dmitrij. What I owed him for his mother’s heritage was given to him, it’s on him if he dilapidated it. Hic!

Ivan: Let’s say that you’re right before the law and that no one could force you to give anything to Dmitrij… now I ask you if you really believe that you’ve given him everything in accord with the fair value of things: Dmitrij argues that you’ve robbed him like the worst of strangers, he argues that with the twenty-eight thousand rubles of the heritage you’ve gained, dealing with them, at least one hundred thousand.

Karamazov sr.: (grumbles) That was thanks to me, what does it matter? Eh! The net of the heritage was recognised as twenty-eight thousand roubles and I gave to your brother Dmitrij twenty-eight thousand roubles – not one less! My position is then clean.

Alëša: But do you think it right, father mine, to keep all the earnings made with his money?

Karamazov sr.: The law is on my side!

Alëša: Let the law be, Mitja knows too that on that side he won’t make one ruble more, and in fact he didn’t bring you before the tribunals – but it’s from the conscience, in this case, that you must let yourself be guided: Dmitrij is your son and you have to behave with him like a father… good and rightful. 

Karamazov sr.: Here it is, here it is, the voice of the monastery! And I don’t want to shut my ears when my little seminarist is talking: come on, let’s hear it, what is that you have to propose. 

Alëša: I don’t know, but it’s important that you don’t refuse Dmitrij’s requests as you have done until now; discuss them together and surely you will find a solution.

Karamazov sr.: Na-h! I’m telling you, my child, that the two of us – me and Dmitrij, I mean – won’t ever find any solution, because we’re cut from the same cloth, after all… we’re Karamazovs and we don’t want one to win over the other (he smiles slyly) that’s why… I forward a proposal that will surprise you.

Ivan: Let’s hear the proposal.

Karamazov sr.: I’m willing to put this matter in the hands of a righteous man that won’t be either on mine, nor on his side.

Ivan: And who would this man be, (with a harsh tone) does he exist?

Karamazov sr.: You’re wrong, Ivan, to speak like you do (gets up to get some liquor from a nearby table) – and with that tone! You’re wrong to not believe in a man’s justice anymore.

(to Alëša) What would you say, Alëša, if I’d propose as “other”, judge without appeal, your teacher?

Alëša: Father Zosima?!

Karamazov sr.: You said it. Let him decide – they say he’s righteous, no? They even say he’s a saint. Me, I don’t know, but you, my child, know him surely better than I do – me that, without being a miscreant, am still a great sinner. And so, would you like it? Father Zosima? Beh, what he’ll decide, after hearing our reasoning, will be done. I pledge to follow his verdict even if it’ll be entirely against me, I promise. Rather, do you think that your brother will accept?

Alëša: I hope so!

(to Ivan) What do you say, Ivan?

Ivan: It’s an idea…

(to Karamazov sr.) I see that you don’t lack imagination when you want to, not even generosity.

Karamazov sr.: (laughs) You’re surprised, eh? It's because you don’t know him, your old father! And you don't respect him – but I’ll show you, if we go up with Mitja to the sanctuary, I’ll show you!

Alëša: I’ll think about arranging the meeting!

Karamazov sr.: Good! You all come, eh, all of you, all of you, I want everybody to be there, you will only give me time and date and I’ll be ready like… like a humble pilgrim climbing to the sanctuary to receive grace.

(to Ivan) And you mustn’t miss it! Even if you lack faith. Eh… I know, I know that you don’t believe in God anymore… a father understands everything; but you have to be there too, as… as a witness, eh? Would you like to? Be a witness?

Ivan: I’ll be there, don’t doubt it. (exits scene)

Karamazov sr.: (to Smerdjakov, who came near him bringing a lit candle, with a complaining air) Why did you want to break this atmosphere… it was so good in the dim light, you couldn’t see the faces – and it was better – now, instead…

Smerdjakov: I lit them up because it was time, Master–

Karamazov sr.: (angry) It has to be me to say it, when it’s time! Remember it, another time.

[windsroad]

I didn’t think far enough ahead to give my current dai character the right name but it doesn’t matter bc no one will call her that anyway

I installed a mod today to give her the same hairstyle as my current pathfinder character it looks sooo gooood (I think it’s ciri’s hair from the witcher 3)

I’m playing a human mage, which I think best suits Katya even though she is a half-elf rogue (who is extra elfy thanks to elf atavism). She’s an arcane trickster and her father is a noble so human worked best and she uses int as her key stat instead of dex, so mage suits her personality more than rogue

Very excited about this. Modding dai has turned out to be fairly simple and very fun I’m gonna make everything so much prettierrr

Just need to figure out how to wear a ball gown by the time I get to wicked hearts. And if only I could stop her from walking like a gorilla in cutscenes… smh…

[roguesynapses]

SCENE - INT - LO STRANERO'S APARTMENT - DAY LO STRANERO is looking out the large, full wall window towards NAPLES and the sea beyond. In his hand is a REVOLVER. He releases the chamber and checks the bullets. All of the chambers are filled.

ICE PICK JOE: Lo Stranero!

LO STRANERO looks up and replaces the chamber. ICE PICK JOE enters the apartment through the open door. He is covered with blood and smoking a cigarette.

ICE PICK JOE: We've got Katya. We've got the police on our payroll. We've got seven good men surrounding this apartment. So are you gonna make this hard or not? Where is he?

LO STRANERO smiles and sighs. He keeps looking out the window as he cocks the REVOLVER

LO STRANERO: You're looking for Goncharov, yes? This is what all of this has been about?

LO STRANERO turns quickly, pointing the REVOLVER at ICE PICK JOE, who freezes.

LO STRANERO: I am Goncharov.

[youngqueerdemon]

I asked ChatGPT to Write the Goncharov Screenplay

FADE IN:

INT. GONCHAROV'S LUXURY APARTMENT - DAY

GONCHAROV, a middle-aged Russian man with a hardened demeanor, sits at his desk counting stacks of cash. His wife, KATYA, enters the room and approaches him.

KATYA: (in Russian) Goncharov, the men are waiting for you downstairs.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) I'll be down in a minute.

KATYA: (in Russian) You've been working too hard lately. You need to take care of yourself.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) Don't worry, my dear. I can handle it.

KATYA: (in Russian) I know you can, but at what cost? You're not getting any younger.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) Age is just a number.

KATYA: (in Russian) Please, just be careful. I don't want to lose you.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) I'll be fine. I always am.

KATYA exits the room, leaving GONCHAROV to his work.

CUT TO:

INT. UNDERGROUND LOUNGE - DAY

GONCHAROV, KATYA, and their friend ALEXEI are seated at a table with a group of men.

ALEXEI: (in Russian) So, Goncharov, what's the plan?

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) We're going to take over the Italian mafia.

The men murmur in agreement.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) We've been planning this for a long time. It's time to make our move.

CUT TO:

INT. GONCHAROV'S OFFICE - DAY

GONCHAROV sits at his desk, going over paperwork. SOFIA, his mistress, enters the room.

SOFIA: (in Russian) Goncharov, I have some important news.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) What is it?

SOFIA: (in Russian) The Italian mafia is onto us. They know what we're planning.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) Damn. We need to move quickly then.

SOFIA: (in Russian) I agree. We can't let them get the upper hand.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) I'll discuss it with the men and come up with a plan.

CUT TO:

INT. UNDERGROUND LOUNGE - DAY

GONCHAROV and his men are huddled together, discussing their plan of attack.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) We need to hit them hard and fast. Take out their leaders and take control of their operations.

The men nod in agreement.

CUT TO:

INT. ITALIAN MAFIA HEADQUARTERS - DAY

GONCHAROV and his men storm the headquarters, guns blazing. A violent shootout ensues.

CUT TO:

INT. GONCHAROV'S OFFICE - DAY

GONCHAROV sits at his desk, counting his money and smiling. SOFIA enters the room.

SOFIA: (in Russian) We did it. We took over the Italian mafia.

GONCHAROV: (in Russian) Yes, we did. And now, the world is

[trustwine]

The last bastion sombra

Volskaya edges forward, reaching out with her hand to touch the outstretched arm of the mech. VOLSKAYA: Our first new mechs in a decade. The soldier in the middle mech powers on his machine. The omnium will not wait for us to be ready before they attack again. Its- VOLSKAYA: Tell me we're still on schedule. They will be the difference in destroying the hated omnics. Another guard steps forward to greet her she moves past him and he rushes to follow. Volskaya steps out, followed by one of her two guards, and purposefully walks up the stairs towards the mechs. The elevator carrying Katya Volskaya and her guards lowers itself into the bay. A few guards are scattered around the area. BAY Three manned mechs are waiting in the bay. Widowmaker swiftly grapples up to the top of a crane arm as Reaper leaps down from the ledge, returning to Wraith Form as he hits the ground. Widowmaker pauses at the next door to let him catch up before it opens. Widowmaker distracts the unknowing guard by running ahead, while Reaper comes out of Wraith Form behind him and quickly silences him. Widowmaker and Reaper nod to each other and the door opens. Sombra playfully enlarges another window for the viewer to see: a surveillance camera in an elevator showing CEO Katya Volskaya flanked by two armed guards. WIDOWMAKER: Are you certain the target is on-site? INT. Crates of material are stacked around them. BUILDING Widowmaker and Reaper are poised outside an entrance to the facility. The words “BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS” appear on-screen. The locations of Reaper and Widowmaker are marked in green, and those of enemies are marked with small red dots. It is an overhead view of Volskaya Industries. Sombra swipes another window onto the screen. Do you have satellite? SOMBRA: Of course. Sombra started out with the idea of a throwing dagger/knives hero.REAPER: Enough.Sombra is a perfect example of an unreliable narrator, who is a shade of gray: she's not black and white, she's meant to be mysterious.At this point she joined Talon where she currently works.Sombra discovered a conspiracy in the heart of the events of Mexico-unfortunately it backfired on her, she was overconfident, and she had to go underground where she augmented herself to become part computer.The Soldier 76 short, "Hero," first introduced the revolutionary group that took Sombra in as a child: Los Muertos.She became a hacker to survive as a kid, stealing money to get by in a war-torn Mexico.She came from the Omnicrisis event in Mexico where the war destroyed much of country's infrastructure.Sombra's BackstorySombra is 30 years old.Read more here-we have several awesome prizes to give out all weekend. As long as you don't spam, each comment only increases your chances to win by giving you another entry. If you’ve previously worked with an editor who corrected your spelling and grammar before posting your piece, or asked you to do rewrites of an article, please include that information in your email to us! We’d love to know who you worked with.Įvery comment you leave on any BlizzCon 2016 post is entering you to win prizes like a Fantasia de Murloc. If you loved Wowhead’s BlizzCon coverage and want to be part of something similar, definitely apply! Our ideal writers are people who can explain things clearly and directly, but also let their personality show in their writing. We’re eager to find people who write quickly and reliably, respect deadlines, work well with editors, and turn in high-quality first drafts with very few spelling or grammar errors. Send us 3-5 links to your writing or to guides you’ve made at interested in writers who already like to keep track of stuff going on in Overwatch and in the Overwatch community. If you are 18 or older and have previously written articles or guides about Overwatch or other videogames online, we’d love to hear from you. , Wowhead’s sister-site for Overwatch guides and news, is looking for freelance writers! This is a paid opportunity.

[4sweetrevenge]

but what if.... I got super suicidal bc my favourite band are playing shows in my country that I can’t go to...... jk jk..........

Unless?

[anthraxshiirt]

watxhing rpdr7 rn and trixie justgot eliminatged im inte ars katya’s reaction :(((

[its-dgm]

*:･ﾟ✧ — with. @easytolovc » envió:

“ god you make me feel alive ”

Una mirada seductora se hizo presente en el masculino al escuchar su palabras. Este no pudo contener en aferrar su cuerpo al de la fémina. “Generalmente soy un idiota, pero me alegra no joder lo qué hay entre nosotros” Al menos esta vez iba por buen camino con la rubia, hasta ese momento no había realizado alguna estupidez en salir huyendo.

[skinnysdippin]

…   𐐪𐑂   *   closed starter for  @lustfulheart​   , 

  katya just stares at the other as she keeps her foot int he door so that they can’t push it open . “ what are you doing here ? i thought i made it perfectly clear that we can’t keep doing this . we’re either all in or nothing at all . i’m sick of being your little secret , no matter how good you screw me . ”

[queenscharacters]

April 10 - Cabin

It was no surprise that Marina and Jamie were the first people awake in the cabin today. No matter how big the Harding’s Christmas was, it was a tradition to sleep in and just enjoy a lazy morning. Of course, it was pretty hard to do that when he couldn’t stop thinking about how he was about to ask  Elena to marry him. Even if he was sure she was going to say yes, nerves were pretty standard for guys in his position. Jamie imagined his girlfriend’s twin early rise had less to do with anxiety, like him, and more to do with excitement. 

He offered Marina a glass or orange juice as he sat across from her, which she took graciously. “Big day, huh?” He mused.

Marina beamed at him.  “Elena’s gonna be so happy.” He thought it was sweet that her sister was so genuinely excited for her.  He was hopefully going to be marrying int a good family.  

“Yeah…oh.  Merry Christmas!” He added as an afterthought.  

“Merry Christmas!” Marina smiled.  “Are you sure you still don’t want to have your surprise before mine?”

When planning the day, neither really anticipated Elena feeling like her moment was stolen from her when Marina announced her pregnancy.  Honestly, they just thought she might burst from pure joy at more exciting news.  Although, Marina wasn’t sure.  While the rest of the house knew that Jamie was about to propose, her surprise was one for the entire family even though it was Elena who would know first (if only by a few seconds).  

“Nah.” Jamie waved a hand dismissively.  “Just in case she says no, the day will still end on a good note.” 

It was definitely her stupid hormones, but Marina started to tear up.  It was just her luck, though, that the the triplets would choose this very moment to join them.  “Merry Christmas!” Vera and Nadia said practically in unison, their brother following them. 

“You ready, man?” Niko asked, giving Jamie a clap on the shoulder as he passed by. Jamie admitted he was a little nervous, but everyone insisted there was no reason to be. 

“Are you crying?” Vera snorted, noticing Marina’s red eyes from before.

“Shut up.” She retorted.  “I’m excited, that’s all.” Everyone laughed, but they seriously had no idea what was to come.  

Ultimately, the last one to wake up (the smell of bacon probably lured her out of bed) was, indeed, Elena.  “Oops,” She said sheepishly, going sit beside Jamie.  “Baby wanted some extra sleep…but merry Christmas, everyone!” She then turned to kiss him good morning.  “Especially to you.” She murmured so only he could hear.

He grinned, giving her a couple of quick kisses before people would start to tease.  Besides, they weren’t the type of couple to be overly affectionate in public, especially around her family.  Val still made a joke, which had both Elena and Jamie sticking their tongues out at her.  

Then, as planned, Eleanor asked, “Can we go ice skating after breakfast?” 

“You don’t wanna do presents first?” Elena asked suspiciously.  

Eleanor shrugged. “Delayed gratification is cool or whatever.” Which caused a lot of people to snort.  “Seriously! Outside is so pretty and it could be snowing hard later.” 

The family, as planned, agreed with her sentiment and decided to push presents off for another few hours.  None of Elena’s siblings were that young where it really mattered to do presents first anymore.  It was quite the surprise when Bryce Hahn ended up joining them twenty minutes later, before they got up to change.  Elena was definitely a little suspicious by his presence; Marina looked the happiest he had personally ever seen her. It was the perfect atmosphere for a proposal.  

About an hour after breakfast, the entire family was out on the frozen lake behind the cabin.  They even got Val on the ice, even if she wouldn’t let go of Loren’s hand.  Usually, Jamie would have offered his help as he had done in the past, but he needed to be free.  He wanted the moment to be natural.  Elena might’ve been wary of her sister, but she didn’t seem to have caught onto him.  

They were doing little tricks for the family to watch, nothing crazy since Elena was almost 19 weeks pregnant, when Jamie felt the moment had come.  He told his girlfriend that the wanted to tighten his laces and quickly kneeled against the ice.  

“Hey baby?” He asked, reaching for her hand once his other one retrieved the ring from his pocket.  

Elena hadn’t been paying attention while he ‘tightened his laces’, so when she looked down at him her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the sight of, what her sisters promised him, her dream ring.  And then her free hand flew to her mouth.   

“Elena Pauline Harding,” Jamie began, his voice already thick with emotion.  

“You’re not doing this right now…” Elena shook her head, looking from him to the ring then back to her family.  Everyone was watching them; it looked like Marina and Katya were already starting to tear up alongside her.  

“But I am.” He whispered, bringing her hand to his lips so he could kiss her.  “And I’ve been wanting to do this for a pretty long time now...I knew you were something special from the moment I saw you.  From the day you gave me a thumbs up and immediately turned red,” He teased a little, causing her to laugh, “From the moment you defended me after practice to those sad girls...I knew you were special.  I knew that if I wanted to try my luck and ask you out, I would be putting my job on the line.  I probably should have thought that idea through...not because I regret it, but because I never made a more impactful decision so quickly in my life.

“It was obviously was the best decision I ever made.” His voice cracked, and the sound caused the tears to start streaming down her face.  “I like to think it was the day you gave me your heart I really thought you might be my soulmate.  And the feeling just kept on getting stronger from there.  I know I say it often, but the best day of my life so far was you told me we were expecting this one.” He nodded to her small, but definitely there bump. 

He took a moment so he could wipe his eyes a little, because his vision was starting to blur.  He wanted to see her face perfectly, to cherish this memory forever.   “And until they’re born, I was hoping you’d do the honor of making this the second best day of my life and say yes...so Elena, will you please marry me?”

“Yes...yes, yes, yes!” Elena nodded, more tears coming out.  She waited for him to slide the ring onto her finger before tugging on his hand to pull him up.  

Once she did, he had his arms around her and was kissing the ever living hell out of her while her family erupted into cheers in the background.  Jamie had seriously never been happier.  If you were to have told him a year ago this could be his reality, he would have laughed.  It just didn’t feel real.  But then again, it was.  For the rest of his life, he would never forget his first Christmas at the Harding’s cabin where the love of his life agreed to be his wife.  

[hostilitics]

how does katya deal with adversity? are there people who discredit or underestimate her because she's a black woman?

growing up, katya was once faced with nothing but adversity. her mother, who waited hand and foot for a man who would beat her more than he gave her children, her father, a falsely-religious man who’s death had been caused by the very same thing that he left barbados for— being a street runner. they lived in poverty, and by her father’s death when katya was eleven, katya had already been through hard times and back a hundred times over. she sacrificed her own childhood in more ways than one while her mother sacrificed  everything possible to make ends meet, and although she understands the reason her mother takima had been the way that she was, it didn’t make katya resent her any less for not being her own person, and for making her give up being a kid so that her brothers and sisters could have something like a normal experience growing up. it’s the reason why katya herself did not want to be a mother ( outside of the verse with her daughter nova, whom she still does not want to be a full time parent to ), or why katya talks very little about her own experience as a kid ( most of her younger years were spent sheltered due to home schooling, then she never really hung out with friends and did ‘normal kid stuff’ due to looking after her siblings when her mother worked late nights, and the loss of her innocence at the hands of blu when she was fifteen ), and witnessing the hard times she and her family came up on had been the determining factor behind getting involved with blu’s hand in drug dealing in the first place, and eventually building an above ground name for herself doing something she actually liked.

however, just because katya is highly successful doesn’t mean she isn’t continuously doubted. in fact, most of her life she’d been discredited by her father the most, in the form of ridiculing her brothers by accusing them of being ‘too soft’ in her presence, and relying on her protection. in the ten years that she’d been with blu, he had no problem making a mockery of her in front of potential buyers due to her being a woman— despite the fact that she was his woman at the time, he didn’t trust majority of her opinions on how to handle the cartel and kept vital things from her ( the heart of his business, plans for enemy cartels, truces and alliances, etc. ) because he didn’t take her seriously. she was really only there at his side as a trophy. katya took it upon herself to negotiate more deals and expand their business, something he berated her for at first until he saw that they worked. when blu was taken out and incapacitated by deuce blanc, she was given all the information she needed to run the cartel effectively and under her own terms, and after the shock of the change died down within her own cartel, it took a lot for leaders of other cartels to take her seriously— and often, they still don’t. constantly, she’s having to prove herself as worthy of her position, especially since it was given to her by an outside force rather than her own command.

now, when it comes to her status in the fashion world, people laughed at her when she presented her ideas. since a child, she always cut out looks from old magazines and had a high interest in fashion, but could never afford to go to school for it. once she became an adult, bought every wardrobe she could with drug and legitimate money, and used her charisma just to get her foot int he door, certain brands shunned her not only because of her inexperience, but solely because she was a black woman from a project in harlem. the older she became and the more she’d been seen in the public eye, the more praise katya received from wealthy people who put a good word in to help push her along. honestly, katya could’ve bought her position at any time— instead, she used her free time to attend galas and fashion shows and establish herself in front of people, making the right connections that landed her promotion deals. wear our stuff, turn heads, we’ll pay you. those endorsements turned into design collaborations, and collaborations turned into full control of her own line of clothing within the most reputable of clothing lines.

of course, since she only sprung into the scene within the past six or seven years, many people doubted her credibility and like mentioned earlier, assumed she bought or slept her way to where she is now. and since she’s a black woman with a heavy island accent and a lack of a verbal filter most days, she started out as intimidating— now, she’s just trendy. critics call her out for many things, and her carelessness for other’s opinions turned her into an icon. and underground, katya proved both logically, financially, and violently that she’s a force to be reckoned with. if baahi hasan himself couldn’t contain her, who else could?

on anonymous, send me questions you’d like to know about my muse / how I portray my muse. — accepting.

[ardalionandnatalia]

Ardalion and Natalia (VIV)

Sam: Natalia! Where did that woman go? I need to see Katya now!

In a designated herb garden, Natalia enters, bearing an armful of golden, ripened wheat sheaves for the ritual. She now carefully examines the selection of herbs and flowers required in the ritual tomorrow. She frowns and sighs sourly at the loud-mouthed, childish Sam clinging onto her like a crass boy with pranks.

Natalia: Katya is undergoing purification for the oracle's forecast tomorrow!

Natalia: She cannot mingle with the outside world now.

Sam: Oh, that's too bad. I thought I was scoring with her! Damn, that pussy was ripe for the picking!

Natalia: You should go and do the labors Iole set before you!

Sam: What labors?

Natalia: You're disgusting! Away from me, or else you will corrupt me and then I cannot participate in the forecast!

Sam: I don't care about the temple, so why should I listen to what Iole suggested?

Natalia: So you can become a better man! You would be wise to heed Iole's exhortations.

Sam: Why do you want to help Katya anyways? You know nothing about her! You're getting paid to do this, aren't you? Because of Iole and stuff right? Listen, can I PAY you guys to return me back home?

Natalia: Unlike you, you little dog, I want to help her because she is a new soul lost int this other world. Also, Katya seems like a kind and gentle soul who could use a friend. Get back home?

Sam: *sniff* I'm a kind and gentle soul too.

Natalia: *blinks in confusion*

Sam: Well, yeah. I want to go back to New York city!

Natalia: What do you mean? We can never go back. We're all dead here. This is a new world we must live in.

Sam: Are you sure we're dead? I don't feel dead. You guys keep on saying you're dead, but who knows? You might not be.

Natalia: And I can never return to my beloved Venice! You must learn to live here now.

Sam: I don't feel dead at all.

Natalia: I remember dying- it was quite vivid.

Sam: That's your decision not to return. I don't remember dying.

Sam: maybe some of us are still alive, what do you think?

Natalia: We have a second life here, and we too will die here in this other world.

Sam: There's no point!

Natalia: So we must live our second life carefully.

Sam: We just live and die. There's no point in living. Nah, I don't think so, lady. I need to either find a way back home, or you know, just bum around and see what outrageous messes I can create here.

Natalia: There is a point- you can simply live and appreciate the joys of living. Begone, ne'er do well! If you won't help me, then find something else to occupy your idle time. Go and throw a bacchanale with the Sophists on the canal.

Sam: I don't even know what you're talking about. I just want to see Katya again! Damn, I saved her! I should be the one getting closer to her!

Natalia: *bends down and resumes her herb and flowering selecting*

Natalia: She is occupied now! You know nothing of our world and our ways.

Sam sighs and walks away, and eventually bumps into Ardalion.

Ardalion is heading towards Natalia.

Preoccupied with her duties, she failes to see Ardalion at first.

Ardalion: Natalia?

Ardalion approaches her and taps her on the shoulder.

Ardalion: Do you need any help? I-I want to help out with the ritual as well.

Natalia: *startles slightly at his touch and the sound of his voice- she straightens and looks over her bony shoulder at him, curious at his tone, so devoid of its typical arrogance and swagger* I only said this to Sam to distract him, or else send him away. I fear there's not much you can do to assist us with the ritual- except keep away from the temple. You mustn't touch me, since I need to remain pure to accompany Katya during the forecasting.

Natalia: *eye Ardalion with an air of suspicion* You seem curious about this affair- why?

Ardalion: What do you mean by pure? I can't be pure? *scoffs*

A bit of his arrogance and sarcasm returns to his voice.

Ardalion: I was just a bit shocked by Katya's return.

Katya: I did not think I'd see her again.

Natalia: *remains hardened- she will not be swayed by his sarcasm* You never knew the meaning of the word purity. And yes, it is odd- how this world works. So many of us have yet to be reunited with our loved ones, yet here, you have seen yet again the woman you almost ruined. Perhaps fate is telling you something, Ardalion...

Ardalion: Yes, I know what you're going to say. In fact, I may try it out. I'll win her heart again and reform. I'll prove to be better than the man I was before. And better yet than her husband. *his voice sounds particularly cold and mocking when he spits out the last word*

Natalia: It seems futile- I advise you not to. She has a husband, already.

Ardalion: How do you know I won't be successful? He's not here.

Natalia: You're jealous- jealous your son is the better man.

Ardalion: I'm not jealous. I just want to change myself!

Natalia: She remains married yet- do you have no honor? But then, a man like you might be unfamiliar with the concept.

Ardalion: God dammit, Natalia. You are obsessed with portraying me as the villain in all of this!

Natalia: You are jealous- admit it. *remains calm and picks a few herbs*

Ardalion: How can a man be jealous of his own progeny?

Natalia: Besides, how is winning a woman you almost ruined change anything about yourself? If you truly wanted to change, you'd focus on yourself, not some conquest on a woman.

Ardalion: I am focusing on my biggest flaw.

Natalia: Even the gods of the lore envied their scions! Look at Cronus- he devoured his own!

Ardalion: Please, those gods don't exist! Actually, I thought you had it figured out already. Gods are all illusions! *laughs* The only gods in this universe, are men.

Ardalion has a twinkle in his eye.

Ardalion: men can become gods, especially now in this 'Afterlife.' Aren't you a Goddess, too, if you see yourself as such?

Natalia: No, they don't exist, but perhaps they do in our minds. We ourselves are like them, vain, carnal creatures urged and ruined by own egos.

Ardalion: Because primitive humans couldn't see themselves as gods so they have to project and create false, ludicrous images. Some people refuse to see the world as it really is.

Natalia: You'd best not let Iole hear you talk like this- she would be sorely furious at your words. *smirks*

Ardalion: *smiles* Katya was beautiful today, though. Seems like having a child didn't ruin her looks too much, at least not yet.

Natalia: What is the reality, Ardalion?

Ardalion: I wonder how she looked like when she went inside the baths.

Natalia: Is not reality subjective?

Natalia: Ah, typical of a man- focused on a woman and her body.... you never once gave through to her own self, her feelings, her thoughts.

Ardalion: I shall go inside the baths, then.

Natalia: You will be killed by the guards, then.

Ardalion laughs.

Natalia: You only crave after the carnal, like some beast goaded by lust, it seems.

Ardalion: Oh no, I only want her to return my love for her.

Ardalion's voice becomes crudely mocking.

Natalia: Love?

Ardalion: Kind of like those tales you'd read about, about some prince pining after some woman.

Natalia: Men like you know nothing about love...

Ardalion: I've obsessed over her for so many years!

Natalia: Such a love doesn't exist.

Ardalion: I was just so afraid to see her again. And now here she is.

His voice is even more mocking now.

Natalia: You only want her body. Had her body been altered, you would have rejected her.

Ardalion: I thought we were all eunuchs here in the afterlife, aren't we?

Natalia: What if....*her voice grows cold and hard, bitter and sharp* What if she became like me? I wonder how repulsed you'd be then. I am repulsive, am I not? You flinch if I reach out to you, do you not?

Ardalion: So I can't harm her. And gender doesn't matter now that we're dead, so I should be allowed inside the baths as well. I'm just as much of a woman as she is!

Ardalion laughs and cups her face.

Natalia: Who knows? We have bodies, we eat, we drink, we feel pain and die.

Ardalion: You're not repulsive to me, Natalia, if you really want to hear.

Natalia: Don't touch me! *slaps his hand away*

Ardalion: Nothing really repulses me. I'm someone who can see beyond the physical.

Natalia: I'll scream and slash your face if you come closer!

Ardalion: Oh, typical. You wouldn't even want it even when it's given to you freely. Funny! You were pretty much begging for me to do something like that, anyways.

Natalia: All you want is a woman's body to devour, like a piece of meat, you animal!

Ardalion: You're always this self-hating little wretch. You're jealous of women like Katya! I may not love Katya, you're right about that, but she's nothing like you, you wretched, screeching, over-emotional little thing! She's dignified and always had a sense of grace about her, nothing like you!

Natalia: I do not envy her- beauty means nothing to me now, especially when all beauty does is attract scum like you. All you men want is beauty! Beauty! Beauty!

Ardalion: I wonder just how jealous you actually are of her...She's not beautiful! How is she beautiful? She is the most common looking person I have ever seen. She looks like a peasant.

Natalia: Do you really think insulting me will elicit the reaction you wanted to see from me? Why pester me like this?

Ardalion: What attracted me to her wasn't her beauty, but her vulnerability and her obsession with improving herself!

Natalia: Then why lust after her?

Ardalion: I lusted after her because she wanted me so badly.

Natalia: Tis a shame you didn't care about herself when you devoured her!

Natalia: You're hardly a man, Ardalion.

Ardalion laughs and walks off.

Ardalion: tell me if you need my help, Natasha.

Natalia: You're a beast motivated by the basest, and even more ridiculous because you possess some shred of intellect. Let me in peace! *snarls at him* *fixes her eyes on him as he trails off in the distant*

Sam sneaks back into the scene.

Sam: Hey, Natalia! Sorry that old guy is bothering you!

Natalia: *gazes down in pensiveness* Is that all men really want from we women?

Natalia: Let me be, Sam...

Sam: What are you talking about? What men want from women? Are you frustrated that men seem to be only interested in the flesh? Then get yourself a Nice New Yorker like me! We don't care about things like that. We just want to make money and be nice to people! And make tons of movies. Nothing like that wretched old guy we just saw. I'm a lamb, not a wolf!

Natalia: I wasn't talking to you- I spoke to my mind for contemplation. I know nothing of this New York-what happened to your Old York?

Sam: And I'm not even good at athletics. Me and my friends are horrible at sports! No girls like us because they discriminate against us! It's all because we're not Anglo-Saxon!

Natalia: I want nothing from the world of the living, especially from men as you and Ardalion are like.

Sam sighs and starts humming a klezmer tune.

Sam: Oh, Natalia! You are one of those scorned women who will eternally be without companionship! With that sour attitude of yours.

Natalia: Ardalion is Russian, Sam, he is not English, nor German.

Sam: My Rabbi would say that. He'd have some good advice to give you.

Sam: I'm Russian too! I won't let that old guy steal my Russianness from me.

Natalia: Your Rabbi means nothing in this new world. When will you and Ardalion understand this? Our life of the living means nothing now. This is a new world, governed by new laws and a new nature. We cannot live and operate under old ideas.

Sam: Don't you DARE say my Rabbi means nothing!

Sam laughs and continues.

Natalia: I prefer the companionship of my sisters here. Now, I must resume my duties- you and the old lecher have distracted me long enough! Away, both of you!

Sam: That's true, my Rabbi would say to be more open. Things often don't matter. I'm one of the sisters too, you man hating twerp. Under communism, gender doesn't matter anymore! The new Soviet man! The new Soviet woman! The new Soviet PERSON!

Sam helps her to pick some herbs.

Sam: Is this doing the right thing?

Two other furies, both green-skinned naiads, enters the garden. They seem concerned for Natalia's stress. They approach them, glaring at Sam.

Sam grins at them.

Sam: Who are you two? You gals look wonderful today, don't you? Love green! It's my favorite colour!

Natalia: Elpis, Jocasta, help me- this whelp torments with his ranting and raving.

Sam: Be a little more tolerant! I'm one of the womenfolk!

Elpis and Jocasta glare at Sam, eyeing him with disdain...

Sam: Don't you know my Dad's a hardcore feminist!

Sam: I see you don't want me here anymore. I shall promptly disappear, then.

Sam sneaks out before the two can do anything to him.

Elpis: You must be the loud-mouthed trader from the desert. Can't you see our sister wishes to be left in peace?

Sam decides to find Ardalion and talk to him.

Jocasta: You can't interfere with the ritual! Be gone, Sam!

Natalia: *bows her head gratefully* Thank you, my sisters. *resumes her duties of selecting the herbs and flowers*