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echo-goes-mmm · 2 months

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Moonflower #13

Masterpost

Warnings: none

Iris scanned the letter in her hands. She’d gotten several over the past week; all concerned with the fae currently sitting at her feet.

Clearly it was a mistake to announce to the court that the fae might consider war over Kit’s kidnapping. The letters were full of urgency and fear, and only time would soothe the public.

Ugh. She should have been more careful.

But then again… she never asked Kit if it was possible.

She glanced down at him. He was leaning against her chair, eyes closed, and half dozing.

“Kit,” she said, keeping her voice low to not disturb the quiet room, “Is… is anyone coming for you?”

“Hm?” Kit’s eyes fluttered open.

“I mean, do you think anyone is looking for you? Would your, uh, government be upset that you’re here?”

“Oh.”

Kit thought for a moment, his face blank.

“No. I’m not important enough to be reported missing to the prince. I don’t know if he'd be upset.” Iris put down the letter.

“You don’t have any concerned family?”

Kit shrugged. “I didn’t live in a grove with other nymphs.”

Iris wasn’t sure exactly what a fae grove was, but she could guess.

“What about your parents?”

Kit looked vaguely uncomfortable. He twirled and stroked a section of his hair, and Iris could see glints of dark green in it.

“I’m a proximity child,” he said, as if admitting something.

“What does that mean?”

Kit looked away, focusing on a spot on the wall. “When a grove is big enough, faerie children can form from the surrounding magic. They’re usually taken care of by the grove.”

“Usually?”

Kit looked up at her, a faraway look in his eyes. “I’m not very sociable for a nymph. Too… solitary for a grove.”

Kit sounded like he was repeating someone else: ‘Not very sociable for a nymph’.

Hmph. He seemed plenty sociable in the few glimpses of personality she was able to see.

The very few glimpses. Kit was living right across the hall, and she knew so little about him.

Guilt tugged at her stomach.

“I never really asked, but what kind of nymph are you? Tulip? Oak tree? Morning glory?” she guessed. Wasn’t a moonflower a type of morning glory?

Kit hesitated. “I think humans call them dog-roses. It’s a climbing bush.”

“Sounds pretty.” Kit looked away.

“Yes,” he said.

He folded his hands into his lap, as if he had nothing else to say.

Shy, her mind supplied.

“Do you miss-” she faltered. That would be a dumb question. Of course he would miss home.

“Tell me about where you lived,” she suggested. “Was it nice, even without a grove?”

Kit nodded. His hands came up to plait a section of his hair, a tiny little braid he did and undid and did again.

“There was a stream, with fish. Some meadow with long grasses and ground nesting birds. Rabbits and mice. Berry bushes. I liked to nap in the shade of the woods when it got too hot. It wasn’t a very big territory, but it was enough to hunt in. I had some neighbors, too.”

It was a pretty bland description, and maybe Kit just didn’t want to talk about it.

“Did you have a, I don’t know, a burrow or something?”

A corner of Kit’s mouth twitched upwards, amused.

“No. There was a witch briar in the meadow that I grew into a hut. I dug out the underneath and layered it with pelts. The thorns kept out the unwanted, and the branches were thick to keep me warm in the winter.”

“Witch briar?”

“Dog-rose. Same thing.”

“Oh.”

Kit hummed. “There was a nest of birds,” he added quietly. “Every spring, they came to live in the branches of my bush.”

There was sadness in his voice, and Iris felt pretty bad for bringing up what had to be a painful thought; that he’d miss the birds this year. And the next. And the next after that.

“I could have Jeff plant some dog-rose in the gardens,” she offered.

Kit ducked his head. “No, thank you,” he said woodenly. “I’d rather he didn’t.”

“Well… maybe you’d like to plant them, then? I’m sure he won’t mind.”

He shook his head. “Thank you, but I really wouldn’t want them… there.”

“Why not? I thought you liked the gardens.”

Kit’s left ear twitched. “I don’t.”

Iris frowned, confused. “I’d like to know why, Kit,” she said gently.

“It’s so… manicured. Sterile. Everything is cut and shaped, and there’s so much bare space. It’s unnatural.” Kit’s lips curled into a snarl, but he soon dropped the expression. “Sorry,” he added.

Another spark of personality, and Kit was apologizing for it.

“I guess I never thought of it that way.”

Kit didn’t say anything.

“What if we set aside some part of the gardens for you? You could do whatever you want with it.”

He turned and looked at her, surprise and something unreadable in his eyes.

“Thank you,” he said. “I… I appreciate it, but… why?”

Iris shrugged. “Why not? It might help you feel less homesick.”

“It’s almost fall,” pointed out Kit. “And I don’t think Jeff would be very happy.”

“So? There are plants in fall. And I’m his employer,” said Iris. “He’ll deal with it.”

Kit’s eyes began to look a bit shiny, and he looked away again.

“What do you want in return?”

Iris frowned. “Nothing. It’s a gift. For free.”

“...oh.”

His voice was small, and choked up, and Iris turned back to the letters and pretended not to hear him softly crying.

taglist: @paintedpigeon1 @cupcakes-and-pain @loserwithsyle @cepheusgalaxy @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @virtualbreadtale

#homesickness bc Kit doesn't have enough angst :)#my writing #whump #slavery whump #fae whumpee #royal caretaker #moonflower series

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llondonfog · 8 months

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Hi!! Feel free to ignore, but I was just thinking about kid silver being adorable AND Halloween because of the upcoming event...and this thought was born—

(This is so long I'm sorry 😭😭)

So, Silver gets de-aged (bear with me here lol)—maybe due to a potions mishap or a spell gone wrong, it doesn't matter which. It's during Halloween week, so everyone's kinda frazzled due to everything being set up, etc. Lilia gets called to deal with it while Crewel tries to figure out a counter-potion/spell wears off because nobody can get in touch with Malleus, and therefore goes to Diasomnia's vice to help take care of Silver (not knowing that they're father & son).

Silver spots Lilia and yells "Papa!" while running to hug Lilia—while Lilia tries to cover up what Silver said. Regardless, he still picks Silver up and cuddles him—he's a silly old man who loves his kid, who can blame him?

Anyway, kid Silver hijinks ensue: running off with the animals on campus, taking naps surrounded by deer, birds, squirrels, etc., calling Malleus "big brother" and Lilia "papa" while around other Diasomnia students (they wouldn't say anything, because Malleus looks so endeared by the little human and Lilia glares and hisses *unknowingly* at any of them who DARE to interrupt their family).

Silver sees Sebek and looks back at Lilia. He's like, "Why did you make him so tall?? Papa, change him back, please!" *cue puppy eyes* he genuinely thinks Lilia pranked him. As much as Sebek says that he dislikes Silver's behavior, he's actually the one to take him everywhere. "You shouldn't miss so much school, Silver! I won't let you besmirch Waka-sama's good name!"

OK, but back to Halloween—Silver dresses up as a knight, or a prince. Maybe a unicorn??? DRAGON?? Any of them are cute tbh. Anyway, they end up going to each dorm to trick or treat (on Halloween night ofc) and Silver charms everyone, because he's Silver. Then, you have Lilia behind him just being the creepiest little demon fae you've ever had the misfortune to see...

As they're going to one of the dorms to get more candy, Silver sees another kid pouting at the lack of candy said dorm has, and their meager amount. Silver, despite having only a few more pieces himself, gives the kid most of his, and gives the other kid a hug. "There, there, you can have some of mine."

Honestly, you can do whatever you want with this, but I'd love to see this written out more coherently, if you want lol

I've been thinking about this for a while, and I NEED more kid Silver being cute and adorable and pure!! He deserves to be cuddled by his family and to eat candy :D

oh my goodness, this whole entire prompt was adorable and thank you for practically writing the premise into my inbox!! i'm not sure this is coherent.....or cuddly....but my mood with lilia has been in a pretty introspective place for sometime so i do hope you find something to enjoy :')

(and i did end up keeping that paragraph after so many of you seemed to like it akaldjll what do i know about anything)

for a fae as long-lived as he, the concept of time is an ephemeral thing. one does not count the years in a decade nor the decades in a century; a fae knows time by the erosion of a mountainside, by the loneliness of an abandoned settlement, or even by the chance meeting of a human wearing the face of another long since passed.

silver fills his arms, helmet askew and heavy with satisfied slumber, and lilia feels the ache of every day that has gone by since he was last able to cradle his son so tenderly in his embrace.

he may be the only fae that now minds his days by the sharpening of his son’s features, a change emerging far too quick and now, strangely, unwelcome.

beside him, serene, the heir apparent to the valley of thorns— looking most pleased himself in their resplendent costumes so artfully reminiscent of the admirable long, yet any dignified mysticism is rendered charmed by the plastic pumpkin bucket clutched in his crimson-tipped claws, brimming with brightly wrapped candy. the overflow is nearly double the amount given to the visiting children, even with silver eagerly dispensing his sugary treasures to any who asked, for no dorm had been able to resist his solemn request coupled with those adorably drowsy eyes and plastic sword when he had so politely asked for one piece more so that their prince might experience trick or treating for the first time. not wanting to be the dorm known for stiffing the fae heir on the most magic-blessed night of them all, both toddling knight and noble dragon walked away, tiny hand in careful claw, with a bounty piled high between them and matching smiles on their twin eager faces.

lilia had been so torn over which to get a photo of first, cheeks aching from stifling his laughter; the vulnerable delight on malleus’ face as silver so kindly presented him with his share of candy, or sebek’s ill-disguised fussing as silver’s sword had slipped from its sheath to drag across the ground.

what kindness to be able to share such precious memories with them once again.

what cruelty to remind him of what would disappear tomorrow morning, crewel’s antidote ready and waiting for them in the dorm.

“...i can see why silver enjoyed such a night of festivity and why he spoke on those memories with you so fondly,” malleus’ reflective tone scatters his wandering thoughts, leaving him to pull his focus back to the present with no small amount of difficulty. “I wish i could have participated in the revelry, but i understand now why you might not have invited me, lilia. the presence of their prince would have dampened any carefree spirits, and i would not have wanted to spoil the fun.”

a wry smile tugs at his lips at malleus’ inaccurate assessment, crooked and out of place, and he can feel the prince’s gaze weighty upon him with surprise, brows furrowing and lips parting with the question on his tongue—

there had been no such festivities, no happily shrieking village children for silver to scamper among, sharing in the night’s delights and trickery with all the innocence of youth.

there had only been an old fool of a general, taking it upon himself to fumble through the recreation of a human spectacle, for no other reason than he could not bear the sight of the boy’s features even mildly unhappy.

he might have wondered how far he could have fallen to find himself repeatedly affecting surprise as he opens the door time and time again to a giggling child, but he knows better now; he had always been steeped in a miserable, lonesome darkness, and to nurture the vulnerable child curled into his chest was to bask in an undeserving light.

without consent, his arms tighten around the slumbering boy in his arms, and malleus is wise enough not to comment.

“I do wonder if silver will be able to remember tonight’s events,” lilia comments lightly as they continue their walk to the dorm, seemingly apropos of nothing and unbothered by the watchful gaze of his young companion.

and he wonders which is more selfish; to wish it so, to have his son’s head filled with such saccharine-sweet dreams of a proper halloween as only a sweet and darling boy like none other deserves— or to cling to the lonely truth of the past, in which a bruised and battered soldier finds a purpose too kind for his bloodied hands in protecting that high and clear laughter of his child, delighting over and over again in the simple fact of his father opening the door.

#lettie's asks #twisted wonderland silver #twst silver #lilia vanrouge #twst lilia #i couldn't not put it in the tags after you practically gifted me a story of its own <3 #something something lilia experiencing a Regret about the loneliness of silver's childhood #and all that was stolen from him #but also that painful notion of a 700 yr old war veteran needing this human child to feel better about himself again #each of them wondering if the other cherishes those memories as much as they do (spoiler: yes.)#ah diasomnia #how you wreck me

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sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee · 10 months

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Can I get Riddlers with Henchwoman crush, who isn't too bright but still doesn't ask questions because she doesn't want people to laugh at her.

"Sweet as honey, dumb as..." Riddler party x F!reader

Absolutely! I figured I'd go directly for "she/her" rather than "you" for this one. Maybe I'm wrong but I'm getting oc vibes!

TW: None

Gotham

He figures it out within a few times of meeting her and is very actively not saying anything about it. She's pretty, she listens to his instructions, and she's nice to him! What else could he ask for besides her staying out of his plans?

He might get a little frustrated that she doesn't know the correct answers to his riddles but if she actually tries, that's already a step above others pre-criminal career. Even Oswald was kind of a jerk to him at first! But if people are mean to her... kill bill sirens.

The truth is, he knows his genius plus neurodivergency makes him a bit of an odd figure to others. Awkward and gangly. He tries to fit in, well, the TRIED to fit in. Seeing someone he cares about struggle to do the same thing because they don't feel enough hurts his heart. He'll help her fix it...

60s

He honestly didn't notice at first because, obviously, the reason she's so quiet is a silent reverence for his brilliance. Lots of people don't get his riddles anyways! Except the boy blunder and that thorn in his side.

Anyways, he likely only notices when another henchperson is giving her guff about being dumb. Cornering her when they think he's not around to bully. Edward is quickly behind them, chastising, "Oh, and you think you're so clever?" Rattling off riddles and quiz questions until they shirk away in shame.

"Pretty thing, is that why you haven't been speaking up? Such a shame to miss the sound of your voice simply because others are jealous you have my eye." That's what it is. Of course. That's how he'll phrase it. It's okay she doesn't need to be a genius for him, he'll do the thinking for both of them <3.

Zero Year/Capullo

He notices rather quickly. Her cute, puzzled looks but the way she keeps silent. The way he rambles on about certain topics and she gives a nervous smile and a nod.

of course he's going to fuck with her. Privately.

Tells her some long, theatrical version of Perseus and Medusa- Asks her how it relates to his current crime and what she knows about it. Come on, no need to be shy. He's waiting...

Aw, she doesn't know? It's alright, let him tell you all about it. Funny, he was willing to wipe out a whole city because they couldn't best him. Yet, he can't bear to lose her. She'll just have to be his prized caged bird, favored by the Gods.

BTAS

Genuinely, he's used to it? Most if not all of his henchpeople are pretty... eh, in terms of intelligence. They're there for MUSCLE and BRAWN. Surely, if Edward is there, they don't need anyone else thinking for them, anyways. Even Query and Echo weren't the brightest at moments!

It's more that she's choosing to not even ask questions. Everyone asks questions! Tim, the dumbest rock of them all, asks all his questions and Riddler is amazed the man knows how to breath and talk at the same time! Just... ask.

Also it's totally fine that she needs to ask him things and croon about how intelligent he is, that revs his engine. In fact, it's kind of ideal, in a way. Gain a little more confidence, stay devoted, sweetheart, and the world is your oyster! He'll make sure of it!

Telltale

There was some friction at first. Silent and stupid doesn't suit him. Condescending questions, "Did you actually understand all that or are you trying to save face, girl?" It's a good thing she's patient or she'd be scared off.

Anyone else laughs at her, though, and it's on. There's blood in the water and he's the shark. Only HE gets to be a shit to her, thank you very much.

"Ask your questions. Now. If you mess up my carefully articulated plans because you didn't bother to ask, I'll be much more cross than if you looked a certain way."

The affection develops from her genuine kindness and passions. Maybe she's not bright, but he sees her value as a person in other ways.

Arkham

In fairness, he already thinks everyone besides him is an idiot so it's not exactly disproving that theory. She's just more quiet about it. In some ways, it's pleasant. It means he doesn't have to listen to moronic whining all the time.

Yet, and he's not sure why, he feels this sort of longing in the pit of his stomach for her to not die while helping set up his traps. If he sees her on camera about to trigger something, he's shouting at her to stop! Stop, What Are You Doing-

It's quite distracting. She's going to have to stop being that kind of henchwoman immediately. Perhaps a position in the "office" with him, where he can keep an eye on her. Yes, surely this will have no consequences whatsoever and he can stop worrying about her safety or person.

2022

Probably the most "forgiving" of any of them. He's quiet himself so he just assumed his new henchwoman was matching his energy. Yet it's when she gets one of his direct orders wrong and he loses his temper... She's in tears and babbling about not understanding and the lightbulb goes on.

The mask is coming off and he's comforting her, "Shh, shhh, it's alright, it... People make mistakes." It doesn't hurt he's still been crushing on her for ages now so getting her to lean on him is a good feeling. He tells her it's alright, that if anyone makes fun of her, he'll take care of it personally.

He actively encourages her to ask him if she doesn't understand. It doesn't mean she's dumb it just... maybe she needs a little bit of help sometimes! It's okay!

#gotham riddler #60s riddler #btas riddler #arkham riddler #telltale riddler #2022 riddler #zero year riddler #Riddler #foxwriting #riddler x f!reader

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choicesjanuary2024 · 4 months

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MASTERLIST || WELCOME || PROMPTS || RULES || HOST

Listed in alphabetical order by artist name. If I missed adding one on this list, or missed reblogging, please let me know.

@aallotarenunelma

Chronicles of a Crimson Summer 11 (ID Fic & Edit, Cas x MC)

Songs that describe my pairings (ID & It Lives Songs)

@dutifullynuttywitch

Starlit night (WtD Fic, Troy x MC)

@inlocusmads

chosen family (CoP Fic, Trystan)

hello, goodbye ~ jimmy rose (CoP Fic, Jimmy)

laplace’s angel (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

meeting at a crosswalk (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

slam poetry (MAH Fic, Stevie x MC)

@jerzwriter

A Different Fate - Final Chapter (OPH Fic, Ethan x MC)

A Little Mess (OPH Edit, Tobias x MC)

A New Perspective (OPH Fic, Tobias x MC)

A Tipsy Winter Tale (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Clucking Amazing (OPH Edit, Ethan x MC)

Different Destinations (OPH Fic, Tobias x MC)

If the hat fits… (CoP Fic & Art Commission, Trystan x MC)

It Always Starts Somewhere…. (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Pen-sive (OPH Fic, Ethan x MC)

Pietro & Azul (OPH Fic, Tobias x MC)

Stress Reduction (OPH Fic, Tobias x MC)

The Morning (WtD Fic, Eli x MC)

Trystan’s 2023 Holiday Recap (CoP Edit, Trystan x MC)

Twenty-Five (WTD Fic, Troy & MC)

@ladylamrian

A Prince for the Holidays (Blades Fic, Aerin x MC)

His Barbie, Her Ken (Nightbound Fic, Nik x MC)

Loyal to be Royal (Nightbound Fic, Nik x MC, Garrus x MC)

@liaromancewriter

Daddy’s Girl (OPH Fic, Ethan x MC)

Making It Work (OPH Edit, Ethan x MC)

Miami Nights: Before and After (OPH Edit, Ethan x MC)

New Year Wishes (OPH Fic, Ethan x MC)

Whatever It Takes (OPH Edit, Ethan x MC)

@lilyoffandoms

Alex as the Winter Princess (Nightbound Art, MC)

Aerin x Raine (Blades Art, Aerin x MC)

Ash Clark (ILITW Art, OC)

Captain Pandrosion Elara (AtV Art, Sol, Meridian, Kepler, MC)

Casey MacTavish (OPH Art, MC)

Coffee Date(s) (CoP Art, Trystan x MC)

Detective Lilah Rose (CoP Art, MC)

Ethan (OPH Art)

Gabriel Rose (CoP Art)

Imtura Tal Kaelen (Blades)

Inspired by Mal x Daenarya (Blades Art, Mal x OC)

Kajsiab (Alpha Art, MC)

Kieran (TCH Art)

Lancelot x Guinevere Silhouette (Guinevere Art, Lancelot x MC)

Leaf, King of Birds (TCH Art)

Lilah Rose (CoP Art, MC)

Luca O'Rinn (ID MC)

Mal Volari (Blades Art)

Marianna Howard (Desire and Decorum Fanart, OC)

Nia Ellarious (Blades Art)

Nora Rose (CoP Art, MC)

Sabastyan Thorne Case File (CoP Art)

Saini Rusanen (ID Art, MC)

Tatum x Aubrey (FA Art, Tatum x MC)

Together We Win (Blades Art, MC)

Trystan (CoP Art)

Tyril Starfury (Blades Art)

Wallace (Blades Art)

@lovealexhunt

Happy New Year (RCD Fic & Art Commission, Thomas x MC)

Helios - Emma’s Arylu (TE Art, Familiar)

#plantlove (OPH Fic, Bryce x OC)

Post Christmas Bliss (RCD Art Commission, Thomas x MC)

Spread Joy #841 (Blades Edit, Mal)

Tuneless Wonders (TE, Fic & Art Commission)

Valax (Blades Art)

@peonyblossom

Hades of House Nightbloom (Blades Art Commission, MC)

I Wasn’t Built For Iceland (AME Fic, Carson x MC)

We’ll Figure It Out (Untamable Fic, Kit x MC)

@stars-are-within-me

In Her Arms (CoP Fic, Vasili, Juliana)

The Skies (Blades Fic, Imtura, Ventra)

@tess-liam

Turning the Page (TRR Fic, Liam x OC)

@thosehallowedhalls

A 2AM Christmas Tree Farm [1/2] (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Babysitting the Demonic Duo (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Home without - Part One (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Progression (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Tabloids, or a story in 5 headlines (CoP Fic, Trystan x Emma)

#playchoices #choicesjanuary #choicesjanuary2024 #choices monthly challenge #masterlist

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ouroboros-hideout · 5 months

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Mark my words: Another war is on its way.

Summary

Almost one year ago FIA agents and a mercenary known as V infiltrated the EBM Petrochem Stadium by stealing the identities of two Netrunners. Their mission: To bring back a rogue agent named Song So Mi, also known as Songbird. She had made a deal with Kurt Hansen to escape from her former employer - Rosalinde Myers, President of the New United States of America -but everything went anything but as planned.

The timing was right and Myers decided to take this opportunity and the agents on site to kill two birds with one stone. Cutting of loose ends on her intelligence and get rid of a person, who had been a thorn in her side for many years.

And she almost succeeded.

Game choices influencing the story

Run This Town: Jago and Bennett had a reason to work together. Mr. Hands therefore did not interfere

Canon Phantom Liberty Ending: King of Wands

Canon Main Game Ending: The Star

The door slid open quietly and Jago entered the room, that the Colonel had made his personal office in the Sapphire. It was a shell, like almost all the other rooms in the upper part of the tall building. It was also not an office as one would imagine or as one knew it from the city and the Corpo building complexes. The room was very spacious and took up almost an entire level of the Sapphire tower, as the partition walls had not yet been installed at the time of construction. The furnishings were spartan. A large table was the centerpiece, surrounded by a few chairs, a variety of technology for all possible purposes, most of them military, transport crates, seating for internal meetings and a wall on which various types of weapons were displayed. Surely this should have been a conference room at some point, which could have been booked for presentations or opulent corporate events, if the hotel ever been completed. The room surely missed it‘s intended purpose but it surely became a place of power.

In the past, the Colonel hadn't spent too much time here as his duties usually kept him busy at the stadium. However, this was no longer necessary, or rather possible at the moment.

„Good morning, Colonel.“

Jago paused, his tablet tucked under his arm, and waited near the door. As he did almost every morning, the accountant came to Hansen to keep him up to date with current events and business and, of course, to take his orders and requests for the day.

Since the attack in the stadium, Jago had temporarily taken matters into his own hands as best he could. He continued to take care of the books, ensured payments were made and received on time, organized meetings with business partners and clients, and still tried to work his way through the Colonel‘s endless list of contacts so they could keep to the usual schedule. Even though he would like to claim that he managed all of this on his own, he had to admit to himself, that without Bennett's help, this whole endeavor would be a very difficult one. The Lieutenant Colonel had the soldiers of Barghest firmly under control and took care of all matters where military handling was an advantage. Transportation, security in Dogtown, new recruits, expansion of the trade routes - these and similar tasks fell to Bennett. And to Jagos surprise, he fulfilled these tasks without hesitation. Of course not very elegantly or with the necessary sensitivity, but at least he delivered results.

Although they had always disliked each other, and it did not change during their collaboration at all, they were now united by the respect and trust they had for Hansen and did not want to break under any circumstances. The business had to go on and the cover had to remain intact.

The cover - A strange request that Hansen had imposed on Jago. Several days of worrying, hoping and waiting had passed before the Colonel regained consciousness after the attack and had a task for his confidant. Not to take revenge for the betrayal of Songbird or the attempted murder of Myers agent. No, he wanted them to let the world believe that Kurt Hansen had died. The accountant was unsure at first whether he even knew what he was saying or whether he was dazed and confused from all the painkillers. But he insisted. It's hard to believe the Colonel would admit to a mistake, but he wouldn't be broken by it. Quite the opposite. He would use it to his advantage.

How exactly, he didn't want to tell Jago, much to his regret, a least not yet. And if there was one thing the young man couldn't stand, it was not being involved in important issues and not beeing informed.

But he obeyed, like he always did.

What mattered was that the President and anyone else who might be interested in it thought he was dead. Even within Barghest, only a select circle of persons in leading positions knew of the Colonel‘s whereabouts.

It was sometimes very difficult to hide a prominent face like his in the small area of Dogtown where they did their business, but otherwise it would have been far too unsafe. Something could slip out, just one wrong word and the rumors would spread like wildfire.

The secrecy gave him the opportunity to plan his next steps in peace. At least that was the answer Kurt always gave him when Jago tried to find out more about what was going on inside of his head.

As instructed, Jago invented an alibi. He faked a surveillance video of an unknown perpetrator who gains access to the clinic and kills the defenseless Colonel. The accountant deliberately left open who the killer was or why he did it. The video then found its way into a not very tightly secured area on the subnet from where it would spread quickly and people would waste their time speculating. A very bold move, but to his surprise the bait was taken.

The next step was the funeral. An open casket with a fake corpse, many important people were invited and the members of the militia would have no reason to believe their leader was still alive.

Everything ran like clockwork and losses in the business were almost non-existent despite the reorganization. Just like many days and nights when Jago couldn't sleep even a tiny bit. It was an extremely challenging time, but in the end it was worth all the effort. After months of recovery the Colonel was very pleased to see, that his trust in him had not been in vain. He slowly started getting back to his tasks himself, taking care of the important decision and managing the business from behind the scenes. Jago and Bennett thus continued to serve as the executive forces.

The sun was still fighting its way through the thick morning fog in Dogtown, so it was quite dark despite the large windows on the other side of the room. Kurt stood behind the large table , hands clasped behind his back, looking down at the already busy streets. He slowly but steadily getting back to his old strength, but it was obvious that he had been confined to bed for many months.

He did not respond to his accountants greeting.

„Alright…“, Jago added more silently, slightly annoyed and made his way across the room to the big table.

He‘d known Kurt for almost seven years now and had probably gotten to know all of the temperamental man's moods during their close collaboration. However, this excessive brooding was new and Jago didn't quite know how to deal with it yet.

„We don't have too much to discuss today. Yesterday's inventory list of the delivery would be the first thing. Everything has been unloaded, sorted and the necessary items prepared for onward transportation. Unfortunately, it arrived incomplete. For the second time. We need to take care of this, it’s unacceptable. However, it will be difficult to find someone else from the region who can work with us.“ He paused, looked over to the Colonel to see if he was listening at all, but decided to continue.

„The second topic would be the balance sheet for the last month and we have ...ehh,“ he quickly switched through his files.

„Ah, here it is. Six new large orders since yesterday evening. There is nothing exceptionally difficult to obtain except for two types of vehicles I am not sure who to contact for. But surely you‘ll have someone in mind for that.“

Jago's gaze again wandered from the tablet in his hands to the man across the table. He was still standing motionless by the window, looking down at the streets of Dogtown.

He hesitated and stepped on the spot.

„Should I … just leave the documents here for you? Or come back later? We don‘t have to discuss all of that now if the timing doesn‘t suit you.“

No response.

„Kurt?“, he asked, now with a little more vigor in his voice.

The Colonel tilted his head slightly, but otherwise remained motionless.

„Do you know who Garmr is, Jago?“

Silence. Jago was confused and hat to sort himself out first. Then he cleared his throat.

„No, I‘m sorry. That doesn’t ring a bell, I am afraid.“

Kurt calmly continued.

„He‘s a creature of the nordic myths. Described as a bloodstained dog, caught in chains, doomed to guard the gates of the underworld. At the end of time, when the world as it was comes to an end and a new era dawns, he fights side by side with the giants, in the all-important battle against the gods and kills one of them.“

Jago still tried to follow up. He really hadn't expected that change of subjects from business to one of Kurt’s ominous comparisons.

„You‘re into vintage literature now? That‘s new.“ A joke, of course.

„No.“ Kurt slowly turned away from the window, arms still folded behind his back and made his way around the table, his cold gaze finally met with his accountant.

„It's more of a metaphor.“

Jago remembered the time when he had met the Colonel. At first, he found his presence admittedly intimidating, even though he had worked with many people from Night City's underground before that. He had also never really been able to put into words exactly what had triggered this feeling in him. His charisma, his background, knowing what the man was capable of? In the meantime, however, the two men met at eye level and respected each other. Actually after all that happened, more then ever.

It seemed as if the wrinkle between his brows was getting deeper by the day, but something else immediately caught Jago's eye. The long scar that stretched across Kurt‘s throat and down to his chest where one of the attacks of the agent hit him. The accountant would need some more time getting used to that sight.

Terrible and gruesome things always had been part of Jago‘s life. He’d seen more of it than other men his age would probably see in their entire life and he was more or less used to it. He was the first who entered the bar in the stadium, after the security system was hacked and chaos broke loose. Bennett should have been there with the Colonel all the time, but it seemed something else needed his attention before Songbird turned on them. After Hansen remained silent over the situation and no orders where given, he already suspected something went wrong and he went to see what happened at the meeting with the Netrunners.

The agent of the FIA had left a massacre. He‘d never forget that stench of iron in the air and the trails of blood running across the floor. Murphy sadly didn’t make it, alongside all the other soldiers who had been there at the time.

For him, it was still a miracle that Farida had managed to save the Colonels life. She had surpassed herself, but also pointed out, that the military armor he still had installed from his days at Militech, had taken a lot of the impact. Without it, he would undoubtedly have died on the operating table.

A bloodstained dog fighting against gods? Various thoughts flashed through his mind. And none of them appealed to him. Not at all.

„What would you do with the supplier? The one from the incomplete delivery?“, Kurt asked him, changing the subject back to business.

Jago tried to shake off his thoughts to concentrate on the important matters again.

„Well, we certainly have different options. We could first look for -“

„I don‘t want any options, Jago. I want an answer from you.“

The Colonel was now standing right next to him, looking at him intently. He did not bat an eye. Cold and appraising.

That was another thing Jago had to get used to. Of course, Hansen had often asked him for his opinion before. Not that he really needed it, but he appreciated his view on things because he often thought differently due to his position and abilities.

But these were no longer simple questions. These were lots of little tests that Jago had to pass. For what exactly? He couldn't say for sure at the moment. In any case, Hansen wanted him to prove his abilities as a leader and that he will still able to make decisions in his own interest.

„I would finish off the head of the group. One of the men in his crew seems more reliable to me. Maybe even malleable. I had a few words with him yesterday and the morale within the group is probably at a low point too. Maybe I can persuade him to give his superior a bullet to the head himself. With the prospect of a profitable collaboration.“

The Colonel nodded.

„Sounds reasonable. Promise him a bonus if he does it today. I don't want us to lose any more time and money because of these fucking amateurs. And I hope that other guy is aware of who he‘s working with.“

Jago nodded approving „All right. I'll take care of it immediately after we‘re done here."

"Actually, you can take care of it without further ado."

Hansen held out his hand to Jago, expecting him to hand over the tablet.

"Thanks for the update, I'll take a look at the sheet and the list of orders later. You can go now. I need to make a few calls through out he day."

"Anything I might be able to assist with?" Making calls was not exactly an activity a dead man would pursue. Jago had the feeling that the time of waiting for answers was slowly coming to an end.

The corners of the Colonel‘s mouth twitched.

"No, you've got enough to do already. It's just a few friends from the past. I think I can manage that by myself.“

Jago passed him the tablet wordlessly and nodded as a sign that he had understood.

Kurt took it, but immediately put it down on the large table next to him and made his way back to the large windows.

The accountant also slowly walked back to the door, but turned around just before he got there. It was probably in vain, but he couldn't help but ask in the hope of finally being included in the Colonel‘s plans.

„Some friends. Giants, maybe? Like the ones in your stories?“

Hansen laughed lightly but didn’t turn around.

„We’ll talk later, Jago. Go now.“

He paused for a moment, looked at the man on the other side of the room but then went on his way. He indeed had a lot of work to do.

#cyberpunk 2077 au #cyberpunk 2077 fanfic #phantom liberty spoilers #kurt hansen #jago szabó #my writing #project garmr

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miasudare · 8 months

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Note: I do NOT claim her to be PJ's actual mother. She is just the mother in THIS AU. Only in rNaJ

She is a big girlie.

Her unfinished Bartender suit (I'm bad at heels)

Name: Petal (Poppy) @miasudare

Age: 37

Gender: Female (she/her)

Bartender at Tipsy Head

Her family was one of the original families in ssu (safe spot universe) meaning she doesn't have an au. Petal grew up in a house filled with plant obsessed people. Both of her parents worked at their plant park. There were fruits, vegetables, trees and flowers. She had a big sister named Withra who she really loved. For some reason Withra hated the plant park and so Petal started to hate it too.

In highschool, she was known for being all giggly and sweet. She was very childish towards her friends, making them think that she was quite dumb. She had a lot of friends but she only had best friend, Isık. And only Isık knew that if she wanted, Petal could be very smart.

Petal loved chemistry and biology. She knew her plant knowledge would help her too. Since her relationship with teachers were good enough, the chemistry teacher would give the key after school for her to use.

Petal would make a lot of cool stuff such as; liquid cats, healing potions, growing soil for her ingredients, a lot of pastel versions of birds, love potions for heartbreaked girls, pills for hangovers, beauty creams, and some non-cool stuff such as; poisons, drowning perfume, killer flower, a flesh eating worm (she lost it in the school), an apple that would instantly grow thornes after being bit, lots of acids ect.

In 2002 Petal sold some stuff to Error for a few times and they became friends. Error would buy her ingredients and she would create whatever he needed. After a while they became lovers. In 2004 at their graduation, her and Error got a little bit too "freaky". And she was pregnant... With twins... Oh boy.

On March 5th 2005 (using Gradient's official birthday for the sake of logic) Gradient and PaperJam was born. She didn't go to university to look after them while Error was going to Delta-University to become a teacher. Petal was alone most of the time, she wasn't complaining of course she had two freaking adorable babies y'know.

In late 2005's Error proposed to her. Since they had some financial problems from the twins, they had to marry after they were born.

On June 20th 2007 (I couldn't find any info on his b-day so I just went with his characteristics and made up) Cil was born. She now had 3 beautiful children. She was happy with her family.

Until, 2017 when her and Error got divorced. They knew they had a problem and didn't want their kids to get more affected from it. It was for the good. She got the custody of Gray. Error got PJ. Since Cil was only 10 his custody was shared. Every now and then Cil visits her.

And 2018-today:

Since she had to take care of Gradient, she needed a job. While she was looking for jobs, her sister Withra let them in her home. Petal wanted to make money but the job needed to be University free, since she wasn't been able to get that kind of education. Lucky for her she found a job as a bartender. For her it was a fun thing. She liked making beverages because it reminded her the way she would make things in the chemistry class. Speaking of that, she can make some extra money from it right?

Now she is been a bartender for 5 years. She has her own home, cars and a healthy son. She can't want anything else from life!

☆She still has her childrens baby cloths. Sometimes she hugs them.

☆She misses PJ a lot but they don't call or message that often as Cil. So she just gets mad at herself.

☆She used to be so afraid of Nightmare. But when her and Error had something she knew she could count on him.

☆She almost got arrested a few times.

#rnaj #najreboot #nerd and jock #big girlie #AUs

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adarkrainbow · 9 months

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Aulnoy's famous fairytales: The White Doe (1)

Do you remember the reblog I made about the giant crab attacking fairies? Well if you recall it, be happy for this is the fairytale I am about to talk today - and if you don't, you're in for a wild ride.

"La Biche au Bois" (The Wood Doe/The Doe of the Wood) is one of madame d'Aulnoy's most famous and renowned fairytales, still present in fairytale collections of the 19th and 20th century. It was notably included in Andrew Lang's Orange Fairy Book as "The White Doe", and it received several alternate English translations - The Hind of the Forest, The White Fawn, The Enchanted Hind, The Hind in the Woods and many more... Today I am here to talk about the original fairytale, the true story and the true meanings behind it. For the sake of convenience I will use the common English title "The White Doe" - but know that this isn't the actual French title, and rather an English invention. Know also that this fairytale is not part of madame d'Aulnoy's first fairytale book - but rather her second one, "Contes Nouveaux ou Les Fées à la moe", "New Fairytales or Fairies in fashion".

In this post, what I will do is simply summarize the fairytale in an (I hope) easy way - all the subtle meanings, cultural allusions, literary twists and turns will be talked about in a different post. So get ready for one of d'Aulnoy's most famous story.

THE DOE OF THE WOOD

Once upon a time, there were a king and a queen who had a perfect couple, loved each other dearly, and were beloved by their subject. There was only one thing missing for their absolute happiness: a child. The queen desperately wanted one - not only did the couple had no heir, the queen was certain the king would love her more if she had a child. For five years the queen tried to have a child, with no success, and she regularly visited miraculous or curative waters at various "fountains" (in the French language at the time, "fountain" also meant natural springs, but frequented and used enough to become more "civilized" than wild streams only frequented by beasts - so in the text, the queen visits a wood with several "famous fountains" in it, these aren't our modern fountains, just water streams and springs). As the queen sat near one of the fountains, and asked her servants to leave her alone, she complained out loud about her not having any child - and suddenly a big crayfish appeared out of the water, and talked to her (which surprised her). I insist: in English translations you will find the words "crab" or "lobster" but in the French text, it is an écrevisse, aka a crayfish or crawfish.

The crayfish tells the queen she will obtain what she seeks, and informs her of the existence nearby of a palace where fairies live - it is hidden from "mortal eye" by magical clouds the fairies created. But if the queen agrees to follow the crayfish, it will guide her towards the palace. The queen agrees but worries slightly over the fact that the crayfish can only walk backwards - and suddenly the Crayfish transforms herself into a "pretty little old lady". She leaves the fountain without being wet, beautifully dressed - the good-looking old woman is actually the Fairy of the Fountain. The Fairy of the Fountain takes the queen through a path that is usually blocked by thorns and briars - but on their path roses, orange-trees, violets and all sorts of other plants bloom, and birds sing. They arrive at a shining palace made entirely of diamonds, and in it live six beautiful fairies. The fairies announce to the queen that she will give birth to a daughter, that she will named "Désirée" (Desired), because she was a desired child - they also give her a bouquet made of six different flowers sculpted in precious stones. Each flower corresponds to the name of one of the fairies, and they explain that when the baby is born, the queen will merely have to invoke them while holding their flower, so that they may come and give the baby their gifts. They then let the queen visit their palace, and its wonderful gardens with abnormally large abricots and cherries, before the Fairy of the Fountain escorts her back. Her servants were in panic because, not finding the queen anywhere, they thought she had been kidnapped - but she returns fine, and in fact she returns eight more day to visit the Fairy of the Fountain and the six fairies' palace, before finally settling back home.

The queen became pregnant and gave birth to the little Desired, as the fairies had predicted. Immediately, she used the precious-stone bouquet to invoque the six flower-named fairies, who arrived on chariots of precious materials (ebony for one, ivory for another, cedar for a third) dragged by birds (the ebony chariot has white pigeons, the ivory one has black crows). This is explicitely described as a sign of the fairies coming "for friendship and alliance", because when a fairy is angry or vengeful, she rather travels on a chariot dragged by dragons, fire-breathing snakes, lions, leopards or panthers. The fairies offer the baby all sorts of impressive fairy-crafted presents - cloth that can't be worn out even after a thousand years of use, lace in which was embroidered the whole history of the world, bed covers in which are depicted a thousand types of games, a craddle with four little Cupid statues that animate themselves and rock the babe whenever they need to be put to sleep or quieted down... The fairies even touch the ground with their want to summon a nurse out of thin air when the baby starts crying for milk. Finally, the fairies give their six gifts: 1) virtue 2) spirit (intelligence) 3) miraculous beauty 4) happy fortune (good luck or good fate) 5) a strong and good health 6) that she may succeed in everything she tries.

But of course, as one expects in fairytales, this is where things go wrong. A gigantic crayfish, so big she barely goes through the door, appears in the bedroom - it is the Fairy of the Fountain, angered that she was disdained and not called upon, despite being the one that allowed the queen to discover the fairy-world in the first place. The angry fairy even says that she had a feeling the queen would be ungrateful, and this is why she took a crayfish form in the first place - to hint at her that "her friendship would go backward". The queen begs for her forgiveness, to no avail, but the other six fairies (referred constantly as her "sisters") manage to quiet her down. And that's because the Fairy of the Fountain is actually pretty vain - and by flattering her (for example begging her to leave her monstrous and dreadful shape so they can admire her natural beauty), they manage to calm her down a bit. The Crayfish Fairy decides that she won't harm the baby as much as she originally intended to... But she will still harm it. So, she declares that an unspecified misfortune would happen to the princess if she ever saw the light of day before her fifteenth birthday, and that this misfortune might lead to her death.

Once the Crayfish Fairy leaves, the queen begs the six good fairies for help. Their solution is to create by magic a beautiful palace with an underground entryway but no door nor window, and lit by so many candle-lights that there is as much light in there as if it was bright day. Desired is forced to live in this palace, shielded from the light of the sun, until her fifteenth birthday. Hopefully for her, her life in there isn't too boring or dreadful - the fairies made sure she has a thousand different beauties around her, and that she gets to learn in a fun and entertaining way the completely history of the world ; and all sorts of teachers on all the subjects possible are sent to her. She notably grows so beautiful that "if her mother didn't have to be by the side of her husband, she would have stayed with her daughter all day long". The fairies also regularly visit the princess, offering her all sorts of gifts. But one fairy in particular loved Desired more than the others - it was the fairy named Tulip, and she kept insisting that the queen must be vigilant and protective, because the Crayfish Fairy is a vindicative one and might do great harm to the princess. The queen promises her many times that Desired will not be exposed to sunlight before she is fifteen... But the queen does something that ends up dooming it all: she prepares the portraits of her daughter and has them sent to all the courts of the world, as one usually does to prepare a princess to enter the world of royalty.

And so, the portrait reaches the hands of a prince named Prince Guerrier (Prince Warrior, a name given to him because he won "three great battles"). Prince Warrior falls in love with the portrait of Desired. He falls in love so much that he refuses to be parted from it, he locks himself in a room with it to speak to it as if it was alive - and of course, people immediately start thinking the prince has gone mad. The king his father summons him for a stern chat, because he won't have his son just turning mad for no reason and speaking to furniture. We learn here that prince Warrior is engaged to princesse Noire (princess Black), an arranged marriage - but he says he has fallen in love with princess Desired and wants to marry her, he is even ready to die if he can't be with her. To appease his father who doesn't understand his son's passion, Warrior brings to him Desired's portrait, and when he sees it, the king is just as charmed as his son, and he immediately agrees to break off the engagement with Black and have his son wed to Desired. He says he is even ready to fight off a war with princess Black's kingdom, that it would be worth having Desired as his daughter-in-law!

To be sent as an ambassador to Desired's court, is selected a man named Becafigue (it is a type of fig-eating bird), an eloquent courtier, a young lord that was known to "dearly love the prince" and always be ready to pleae him. Becafigue goes to Desired's court with an enormous amount of golden carriages and magnificent horses, and a thousand gifts of diamonds and precious stones and rubies, all engraved with love messages or shaped like hearts - as well as a portrait of the prince, "painted by a man so talented, the portrait could speak and make compliments". Before this whole ambassy can arrive to the court, the fairy Tulip appears to the queen and warns her of the arrival of Becafigue - she insists that the queen must NOT let Desired out of the palace, because she isn't fifteen yet, and she warns her, no matter what Becafigue says or does, do NOT allow Desired under the sunlight. The queen promises again to follow Tulip's warnings...

But unfortunately all the incredible riches of Warrior's courts, and Becafigue's mockery of the "useless and ridiculous warnings of fairies", and the impressive talking portrait of Prince Warrior, all make a great effect on everybody. The queen shows her daughter the portrait and the gifts, which makes Desired fall in love with the prince, and the marriage is quickly accepted - but given Desired is only fourteen, her parents send back Becafigue without her, insisting that the prince must wait three whole months, until her fifteeneth's birthday, to actually see her. And this news... doesn't please Warrior. He falls for the typical thing of 17th century romances: this sort of "love-sickness". He is so sick and sad to not see and be with his love he stops eating, he stops sleeping, he stays sleeping or lying down on a sofa all day long, only writing to Desired and speaking to her portrait, losing his strength... The king is very alarmed at seeing his son's health deteriorate, and the doctors are clear that it is a love problem with no actual remedy beyond the prncess herself. So the king decides to go see Desired's court himself, in person, to beg her parents to rush the wedding - the problem is that the king is actually old, and as it turns out he can't do such a long travel himself. So he sends again Becafigue, with very touching letters, to try to bend the king and queen to their will.

Meanwhile, princess Desired is also in love, constantly looking at Warrior's portrait and constantly worrying about him and her wedding (though she doesn't fall sick like him). We are here introduce to the two personal servants/company ladies of Desired. One is Giroflée (Gillyflower) who loves her mistress dearly and was her faithful servant ; the other, called Longue Epine (Long Thorn) is actually secretly jealous of the princess. It is noted that Longue Epine's mother was the governess of the princess and that, after raising her, she should have loved her too... But the governess loved even more her own daughter, and so seeing Long-Thorn's hatred of Desired made her hate too the princess.

WARNING! OBLIGATORY RACIST MOMENT OF OLD-TIMEY TEXT!

So, we catch up to the famous "princess Black", who we learn is actually an Ethiopian princess - and "the most vindicative being in the world". She is furious at being tossed away like that by having her engagement broken, and she argues to the ambassador that she has the two things a prince would want from her 1) she is VERY rich and 2) she is beautiful. This is the most racist moment, as the princess describes her "beautiful" feature - "the flat nose, these big lips, this dark skin". Which are indeed in this story beautiful features for Ethopians themselves - but which are meant to be taken as a mockery here, since these traits, thought at the time to be typical of Africans, were at the very opposite of the beauty canons of 17th century France. At the time, to be beautiful, a woman needed to have 1- a thin mouth, with thin lips, almost nothing at all 2- a small nose, the smallest the better and 3- a pale skin, not just "white" because even a white skin can be ugly if it is tanned, but a truly paper white, chalk white skin. Of course, as a result the description of "Ethiopian beauty" becomes an "ugly portrait" by French standards. The Ethiopian princess is also shown to be very cruel - as she almost "begins her revenge" by killing the ambassador that brings her the bad news, and it is only because he flatters her and praises her that she accepts to spare his life.

The thing is that, to make sure her revenge is complete, princess Black goes to visit (on an "ivory chariot dragged by ostriches") her best friend and godmother... the Crawfish Fairy! The Fairy of course shares the pity of her goddaughter, and quickly searches why the prince Warrior might have rejected her... Only to find that it is all because of Desired. And the Fairy, who until this point had actually forgotten almost everything tied to Desired, saw her desire for revenge re-ignited. The narration even points out that, without princess Black's fury, the Crayfish Fairy might not even have done anything against Desired is she saw the light of the sun - meaning her own curse would have not been activated. But princess Black convinced her to rather unleash all of her fury against the princess... [Note that this is the last time we see princess Black, she had her revenge, she is satisfied, she returns home after gifting Crayfish with flowers and fruits].

Back to the main story! Becafigue arrives at Desired's court, and again does a very powerful plea, once again accusing a "too great credulity in little fairies", and explaining how the prince might die of heartbreak due to thinking the princess hates him and doesn't want to see him. When Desired learns her beloved's prince bad states, she herself faints - and ultimately she decides of a solution, a way for her to see Warrior and have a happy wedding (without the bethroted dying first), while tricking the "wicked fairy of the Fountain" and avoiding her curse. She convinces her mother the queen to prepare for her a shielded, windowless, pitch-black carriage for her to travel into - to undergo a journey where they will only stop and rest when night falls, so that she can reach Warrior's castle without ever seeing the rays of the sun. This is all promptly done - and that despite Tulip's earlier warnings that the princess should not leave her palace and not follow Becafigue to the prince's castle.

The travel goes its way, with Desired inside the pitch-black carriage with her two ladies-in-waiting, the faithful Gillyflower and the jealous Long-Thorn. Long-Thorn has also fallen in love with the prince upon seeing his portrait, and so she, alongside with her mother, hatched a devious plot to take the place of the princess... As they arrived in sight of Warrior's city, and when it was high noon, Long-Thorn brutally opened the carriage, letting the sunlight flow in. The second Desired saw the sunlight, she turned into a white doe and ran into the woods. Her servants split in two - one group running after her, another running to the city to warn Warrior. But the Fairy of the Fountain was nearby, and caused such a huge thudnerstorm and all sorts of disorienting charms, that neither group could reach their goal and they all ended up completely lost. The only ones spared were Long-Thorn and her mother. Long-Thorn promptly stole the clothes, jewels and belongings of Desired, her mother acting as lady-in-waiting, and decided to march to the city, pretending to be Desired. (There is even an humorous section where Long-Thorn realies that the jewels of the princess are a bit too heavy for her, since they include a crown with diamonds "big as fists", and a sphere "bigger than her head" to be held in her hand - but her mother insists on her carrying it all so she doesn't get mistaken for a fake princess)

Long-Thorn and her mother end up meeting the carriage of Warrior and his parents, who were rushing to welcome Desired. The royals are very surprised to learn that Desired is walking to their city, all on her own, outside for one servant - and when they see "Desired" they are horrified because Long-Thorn doesn't look at all like the portrait Warrior fell in love with. Long-Thorn is so tall, that the clothes of the princess barely reach her knees. She is extremely skinny, to the point the prince calls her "a skeleton" and a "mummy". Her teeth are black and they don't line up in any kind of order - and finally she has a hooked nose shining of a "bright red", making her look like some exotic parrot. The prince and his parents, outraged and disgusted at having been deceivedby a fake portrait, and thinking the whole "We hid her from the sunlight" was just a scam, decide to imprison Long-Thorn and her mother in a castle as hostages (and later we learn that Warrior's father decides to go to war against Desired's father, despite his old age).

Warrior meanwhile is broken - completely broken. His dreams and hopes were crushed, and yet he is still in love, madly in love - but only with what he thinks is a portrait of a person that doesn't exist. Despaired and unable to stand living at the court anymore, he decides to secretely escape his city (with the help of his faithful servant Becafigue), and to exile himself into some lonely place far away from humanity so he might spend there his "sorry life". They traveled for three days inside a deep, vast and dark forest, but filled with fresh herbs and fresh streams.

Back to Desired, now turned into the White Doe, she worries about a lot of things - she worries about finding what to eat (and is quite surprised when she naturally starts eating grass and feels satisfied by it) ; she worries about the various "wolves and lions and bears" that haunt the forest ; she wonders how long her metamorphosis will last, and if there is a remedy to the curse... For several days she flees and hides throughout the woods. Now, the fairy Tulip is still around, and despite being angry at everybody ignoring her warnings, she still cares about Desired (earlier in the text, it was explicitely said that, when she spoke to the queen about Desired, she called her "our daughter" as if she was her mother too). So, since she is too angry to help her directly, she rather guides Gillyflower towards the Doe, so that the two can help each other. Unfortunately Gillyflower isn't much help, since all she does is also cry a lot, recite all the dangers they face, and be blatantly unable to find food or shelter. Gillyflower cries for her poor mistress, the White Doe cries because Gillyflower cries - and because the White Doe cries, fairy Tulip is also saddened and decides she will forget her anger, and help her goddaughter.

Tulip promptly appears in front of the two lost girls, and she explains that she cannot undo the Crayfish Fairy spell because she is more powerful than her - but she softens the spell, by allowing Desired to return to her human shape every night. She also points out a path and says the girls will find there shelter and help. Indeed, at the end of the path, there is a nice and cute little house, with in it a nice and helpful old lady, who agrees to shield them ina two-person bedroom, "simple but cute and clean", and giving them excellent food to eat.

And would you look at that! Prince Warrior and Becafigue also arrive near the old woman's house, and she also gives them shelter - but she gives them a different bedroom, and she doesn't talk to them about her other guests, and since the two groups keep going in and out of the house at different times, they never actually meet or realize they share the same house. (This is part of the humor of the fairytale). The following day, to distract/entertain himself, Warrior goes hunting in the woods (which is one of his main pleasures), and he finds the White Doe that he immediately starts to hunt. Given Warrior is a talented hunter, he would have called the Doe if it wasn't for Tulip's protective spells that made sure the transformed princess wouldn't be harmed. They both lost each other and exhausted themselves in the hunt. When she returns to her bedroom in sweat, Desired explains to Gillyflower what happened, that a "young hunter" almost got her killed. Gillyflower tries to convince her to not leave her room anymore when she is under her doe shape, but Desired explains that the curse forces her to "do what the deer do" - aka, leave for the woods every day. Meanwhile Warrior explains to Becafigue that he doesn't understand how he couldn't capture "the most beautiful hind I ever saw", and he decides to return hunting for her the following day.

However said following day, after looking everywhere for the white doe and finding her nowhere, he eats some apples and falls asleep on the grass. The doe passes by and takes the opportunity offered by the hunter's sleep to study him - and she immediately recognizes him as prince Warrior. Forgetting any survival instinct, she decides to sleep near the prince. This however wakes up the prince, which in turn makes the doe flee. The prince, who thinks the doe has something "lovely" and "familiar" to her, runs after the animal - and after running several times around the forest, the exhausted doe gives up, lets the prince catch her... Only for Warrior to pet her, hug her and feed her some grass, making clear that he doesn't want to kill her anymore but rather make her some sort of company animal. Desired is very pleased with this... But upon seeing the sun going down, she forces herself to escape the prince, fearing too much what would be his reaction if he saw her transform.

Desired tells her story to Gillyflower, while prince Warrior tells his to Becafigue (he is especially angry that the doe tricked him to flee, despite him doing all he good to make her happy and content. Becafigue mockingly advises the prince to "punish" the doe for her "infidelity", and the prince decides to do so before leaving this house and the woods. The following day the doe and the prince meet again, and after some joyful petting the doe tries again to escape discreetly from the prince - but the prince, knowing what would happen, shoots an arrow through the doe's leg to prevent her from leaving. (The narration points out that the reason the prince acted in such a way was because of the evil influence of the Fairy of the Fountain, whose spell was supposed to put "in danger" the transformed princess)

After making sure the doe can't run anymore, the prince starts putting bandages and all good things that heal on her leg, but at the same time makes clear he won't let her escape anymore, and will take her with him in his next travels. He takes back the doe in front of the house and ties her to a tree, before preparing with Becafigue. While the prince is away, Gillyflower sees her mistress wounded and tied up - she promptly unties the knots and frees her, only for the prince to return. "That's my doe!" he says. "No that's mine!" Gillyflower replies, and to prove this, Gillyflower keeps giving specific orders to the doe (like "kiss me on the right cheek, put your hoof on my heart") that the doe of course obeys. The prince is saddened to see his new pet already has a mistress, but he lets Gillyflower leave with the doe... Only to discover to his surprise that the two return to the old woman's house!

Confused, he asks the old woman who basically answers "Oh yes, that's a lovely girl and her doe who have been living in the room right next to you all this time. Isn't it funny?". And Becafigue recognizes Gillyflower as one of the personal servants of Desired - since he saw her at Desired's palace when he acted as the ambassador of the prince! Deciding there is a mystery to unveil, Becafigue doesn't hesitate to create a hole in the wall between their room and the room next door - and what a surprise he has upon seeing Gillyflower tend to the wounded arm of the real princess Desired, who complains about the evil spell that forces her to become a doe each night! The prince also looks through the hole, and in a burst of mad love just kicks down the door of the girls' room and puts a knee on the ground before Desired, giving her a passionate love declaration. Their love exchange continues all up until the night, and by the miracle of love, Desired doesn't turn into a doe anymore - the curse is broken!

Wrapping it all, Desired and Warrior understand the full story and the treachery of Long-Thorn. The old woman of the house turns out to have been the fairy Tulip in disguise all along: she heals the princess' wounds, and gives her and Gllyflower all sorts of beautiful dresses and jewels (as well as strong horses) so they can all return together to the castle of Warrior's father, in time to prevent the upcoming war. Once there, Desired actually asks for Long-Thorn and her mother to be pardoned instead of severely punished, her charity going even as far as to allow them to leave to go wherever they want to be. Of course, such kindness makes the old father praise her even more.

There are great festivites for the wedding of Desired and Warrior, and the six benevolent fairies are all invited - as a gift, they decide to offer the newly wed couple their own palace, the one Desired's mother visited regularly. The fairies even move by magic the palace on a beautiful meadow near a river, so it could be more reachable by humans. Becafigue ends up marrying Gillyflower, with who he fell n love ; the Tulip fairy gives four gold mines to Desired "so that her husband might not claim he was wealthier than her", and it is said that the "adventures of the White Doe were sang throughout the world".

THE END

#french fairytales #french fairy tales #literary fairytales #madame d'aulnoy #madame d'aulnoy's fairytales #d'aulnoy fairytales #the white doe #the doe in the woods

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storyofmychoices · 8 months

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Dani Rambles about COPII.... chapter 9

Okay, firstly I know I am literally behind on everything!!! I'm sorry, the past few days have been crazy so I'm trying to get caught up today but needed to read chapter 9 so that I could make prompts for the book club so here we are.

I actually found this to be one of the most interesting chapters in a while. I feel like we got some information and it felt like we could have a moment with Trystan that wasn't physical and we could see their relationship growing, as well as actually focus on the case!

I'm very disappointed the twins didn't have any actual information, that's just such a tease on PB's part, but revealing that information now would be too easy, so I get it. Well played on their cliff hanger.

I loved seeing Trystan bond with Juli's moms. Seeing that relationship mended has meant more than anything else. Seeing Eliose forgive Trystan and literally cheer on Lilah was such a heartfelt and beautiful moment. I loved it! (and also when Trystan said he wasn't good enough for Juli and the moms said he was 🥹😭❤️

(also the more we learn about Juli, the more wonderful I think she was and I kinda love her)

But the scene in Juli's room!!!

Okay so, I have lots of thoughts, they're not really coherent so I apologize.

The letter's were interesting, I really don't think it's Bas, they've literally been pointing fingers at Bas since we got to Drakovia. If it were him that'd be a huge let down. I chose the option that MC says she thought his letter sounded like a friends vacation trip. I thought it was funny to see that Astrid wrote complaining about her siblings, it could just be a quick funny Astrid moment, of course she would be complaining, but Astrid doesn't seem the type to send letters complaining to just anyone... we've never seen her and Juli mentioned as friends (or am I blanking?) so could there be more to them than that? No letters from Vasili though 🤔 (I still think Vasili is Juli's lover and Eveline knew about it)

The nightingale whistle!!!

ugh, so I've been a bit emotion about Nightingales for a couple weeks now, thanks Neil Gaiman and Good Omens. If you don't know, you're better off, the angst is real and my heart can't take waiting 4+ years for season 3.... 💔😭

But I digress,

So Nightingales are interesting birds especially with the symbolism they carry. And even in the chapter they mention star crossed lovers as part of that symbolism which is totally on point so It could just end there, but then I thought of Romeo and Juliet and their conversation about the bird and whether it's a nightingale or a lark.

In the play Juliet (whose name begins with Juli (like Juliana)), she believes the bird is a lark and represents light/morning (and their time together must end), where Romeo says it's a nightingale so it's still night and they have more time together.

Perhaps in COP, Juli is the lark and her mystery lover is the nightingale (who thought wanted more time with her even after night had past)

What that means, I really don't know, but here we are.

Then the shocking(?) twist that there might be another heir... i mean I think a lot of us probably thought that. I mean you have 9 heirs already, what's one more. But the missing heir might be the queen's?

I don't know if we've met them already, of the background characters we met so far, the only 2 I could think of would be Bird (only because his nickname is bird and he was randomly mentioned in this book, when the crime really didn't fit his mo) and the royal assistant (who just seems awkward around the family. I thought she might be Eveline's secret daughter, but maybe the queens?

Or maybe it's someone we haven't met yet.. or maybe one of the Thornes we know isn't really the King's. 🤷‍♀️

Maybe if the Queen has a child older than Trystan, maybe it's why she is so hard on him. She knows he is destined for the crown but not deserving? But also, why wouldn't she have been more supportive of the bill?

Lots of thoughts, I'm sure I'll be back with more. If you made it this far, you totally deserve a gold star!

Oh, and one more thought... if the Queen does have a lover, that would finally explain Patryk lol that boy does not fit in.

Wouldn't it be fun if Trystan weren't the King's how easily that would tie things off! But I don't get why the queen or anyone would want to stop the act then, if passed it would make any of her children (by the king or anyone else) legitimate so she could get Trystan in without worry if the act went through. So many questions. So little information

#choices book club #crimes of passion #trystan thorne #viktoria thorne #queen viktoria #crimes of passion choices #choices cop #dani plays choices #dani rambles

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toads-n-moss · 1 year

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gonna ramble about the no dl6 au again because i need to talk about the symbolism of the masquerade outfits.

(also lil announcement/question at the end :3)

first of all, the masks

let's start with phoenix's. while many of the masks are not accurate to the actual animals colors, this one i tried to stay close to the original colors.

phoenix's mask is that of a dove. more specifically, a mourning dove.

if you are visited by a mourning dove, it is meant to symbolize the visitation of a deceased love one. it symbolizes a message of hope and emcouragement from the loved one.

phoenix's mask essentially represents his old self, the version of him from chapter 1. but that version of him is dead, and a new version of himself has taken his place. but the mask is still a message of hope to miles. a message that phoenix is still there underneath the prosecutor veil.

next we got franziska's.

her mask is that of a lamb. lambs are often symbols of purity and innocence, but that's not the message i wanted to convey. what else are lambs symbolic of?

sacrifice. blind followers.

at this point in the story, franziska (alongside phoenix) is still a blind follower to manfred. while both of them begin to have their doubts against him, they'd never dare to say anything.

the ideals and behaviors of what a von karma should be are so deeply woven into franziska's identity, that she ends up sacrificing who she really is. the fact that the mask completely hides her eyes just emphasizes the blind follower aspect.

next up is miles' mask.

miles' mask is that of a raven. while ravens usually symbolize death or the warning of death to come, ravens can also symbolize grief and mourning in literature.

for the five years between chapters one and two, miles mourned phoenix as if he were dead, even though he was simply just missing.

the red on the mask, while mainly is just there to complement the outfit and make it stand out, also represents something important. after phoenix was attacked in thorns of the turnabout, miles felt constantly guilty for being unable to save phoenix. he feels that the blood is on his hands now.

but the symbolism doesn't stop at the masks!!

phoenix's corset and cuffs

his cuffs are of course meant to resemble the sleeves of franziska's canon outfit.

but the corset... ohhh the corset. phoenix's mask is a bird, which birds typically symbolize freedom. but his corset resembles a birdcage. trapped without even realizing it, his wings clipped and his freedom taken away.

but...

someone has the key to his freedom.

now time for the question :D!!

if i were to open up a Q+A for this au, would yall be down to ask things? these questions could be about character designs or story elements or case details or just silly headcanons. i may respond in text or art form, depending on the question asked :D!!

i will not be offended if you say no btw! /gen. i just want to make sure i know how much time i should dedicate to the asks without drawing too much of my attention away from main storybuilding posts and finished art pieces.

#ace attorney #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #franziska von karma #no dl 6 #toadies ramblings #i love putting symbolism in literally everything #yes im a literature nerd how could you tell

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yarrystyleeza · 8 months

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𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓪'𝓼 𝓽𝔀𝓸 𝓱𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓭

𝓯𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓼𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻

𝓬𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

The moment I've been waiting for has finally come! As I indicated in the headline, I've reached 200 followers here on Tumblr, thank you all so much, this truly means a lot to me, also thank you for the feedback I always got on my works and even my random shitposts! <3

and to celebrate this very important and remarkable life event— I had planned a sleepover celebration which consists of games, questions, asks, and of course, requests! <3

The sleepover will be a week long, from September 15th till the 21st of the same month where you can submit asks and requests!

As for games, I have a list of them!

Kiss/Marry/Kill: you give me three characters and I will sort each one in one of these categories! (make it hard for me)

This or That: you give me two things/characters and I get to choose one that suits me better! (for example: night owl or early bird?)

make an assumption: you literally make an assumption about me and I either prove it or deny it!

never have I ever: you ask me about things I did or didn't do!

exchanged ships: you basically give me a character that you find as my significant other, and I will give you a character in exchange and why I think it's the perfect character for you!

Q&A: you can ask me about anything, whether it's my favorite food or even what fabrics do I prefer to wear, ask whatever you want!

Girly talks: just talk to me about any girly topic you want and we'll establish a good conversation! Let's talk about books or authors, favorite poetry pieces, maybe movies we loved in our childhood, or even your favorite outfits back when you were a 10 year old! Literally anything!

Rate my music taste: give me a song/artist and I will rate it from 1 (absolute flop) to 10 (total banger)! — (this is absolutely done just for fun).

I wanna write you a song: start with a phrase and we will make a totally original song together in the reblogs!

Note on prohibited things that I won't be doing or answering:

No nsfw/dirty asks, writing requests or questions, it's uncomfortable for me, and it's an all-ages-friendly celebration. No further elaboration, please respect this. <3

AND FINALLY, THE REQUESTS!

As for writing requests, I will be taking fluff/angst/violence (blood and gore—due to the nature of the characters I write for) x female!reader requests only. And of course you can request the prompt you desire. <3

As for the characters, here's a list of the fictional men that I would be writing for:

Matt Murdock/Daredevil

Tristan Thorn

Michael Kinsella

Daryl Dixon

(might consider writing for other Charlie Cox/Norman Reedus characters. example: Ian Hamilton, Henry the vampire, Scud, Murphy MacManus, etc.)

You can ask for prompt included in this list or ones you come up with yourself:

Intimate moments

Gestures that make me feel love

Romantic rainy day prompts

gentle things that makes me fall harder in love

fluffy comforting/sick dialogue prompts

lighthearted first kiss scenarios

Sparring prompts

Forced proximity prompts

Date prompts masterpost

Note that I will be tagging the fic requests with #yuna's 2h sleepover celebration so that they're all sorted there, but they will be sorted in my main masterlist as regular requests! <3

tagging my moots to spread the word sorry for being a little too annoying hehe (and I tried to tag as much as possible but my memory is messing around with me I'm sorry if I forgot anyone) @v4leoftears @remonemo @fizanotfeeza @netflixmatt @bellaxgiornata @farfromstrange @itwasthereaminuteago @loveroftoomanyfandoms @little-miss-dilf-lover @tongueofcat @mattmurdockscox @courtforshort15 @chvoswxtch @mattmurdocksscars @kal-0n @murc0ck @babygrlmurdock @galaxies-and-moons-and-cox @acharliecoxedfan @mindidjarin @she-likesorchids @munsonownsmyass @saintmurd0ck @murdocklorian @abbyhaslongshorts @theradioactivespidergwen @softasawhisper @peterman-spideyparker @mattmurdocksstarlight @netflixmatt-main

That's basically everything I have for my first sleepover celebration, feel free to submit your requests and games anytime! Thank you for coming to my sleepover tonight! <3

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queenlucythevaliant · 1 year

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When Lucy returned to school for the spring term, Peter sent a war poem. It dropped from the crease of his letter into her lap, as unexpected as a firebomb.

“On Receiving News of War,” the title read, and Lucy’s heart lurched. She was sixteen and Peter was twenty-one. The war had ended three years ago and he had only been a British soldier for a matter of months before he was discharged. Now, this poem came: words from the Last Lot, the 1914 war. Lucy picked up the loose page and read.

ON RECEIVING NEWS OF THE WAR

Snow is a strange white word;

No ice or frost

Have asked of bud or bird

For Winter's cost.

Yet ice and frost and snow

From earth to sky

This Summer land doth know,

No man knows why.

She looked up in shock. What did Peter mean in sending this? Was it only that it made him think of their first days in Narnia, white and frozen under the White Witch’s curse? He could not have missed the title. Lucy worried her lip between her teeth, considering. Her brother did not often use words idly.

Red fangs have torn His face.

God's blood is shed.

He mourns from His lone place

His children dead.

O! ancient crimson curse!

Corrode, consume.

Give back this universe

Its pristine bloom.

Oh. Yes, alright. That made a certain kind of sense. And there, at the bottom of the page, was a single line writ in Peter’s hand. “Variations on a theme,” he had written, “only I’m not yet certain what theme it is. Do you have an idea?”

Several, in fact. Lucy’s mind lit up in an instant, all a-whirl with memory and typology. She wasn’t a child any longer, and in small bits her many battles came back to her. Peter, she was sure, remembered even more of Narnia’s wars.

Yet Lucy remembered the ice of Lantern Waste on the first day as though no time had passed at all. She remembered the crimson of Aslan’s blood. She remembered the thaw. In her mind, those things had nothing and everything to do with Britain’s last war. Nothing: the two worlds were as different as King Arthur and Winston Churchill. Everything: because maybe Arthur and Churchill were not so different after all.

That night, after a trip to the library and with a book of poetry on her desk, Lucy composed her reply. “Another variation,” she wrote, and carefully copied out the lines.

All the dead kings came to me

At Rosnaree, where I was dreaming,

A few stars glimmered through the morn,

And down the thorn the dews were streaming.

And every dead king had a story

Of ancient glory, sweetly told.

It was too early for the lark,

But the starry dark had tints of gold.

The poem was called “The Dead Kings.” Peter was not dead, but Lune was and Cor was. Caspian was. It was easy to imagine them appearing in the trenches and whispering their stories into the ears of British soldiers.

“Caspian would have liked the notion, I think,” Lucy said thoughtfully.

Peter leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Yes. Come to think of it, I rather like it myself. If I were the dead king, I mean.”

“It’s strange—I think these were meant to be sad poems, the way they were written. The world unwillingly cursed and the ancient kings dead. Yet when you apply it to Narnia, I don’t think it’s terribly sad at all. Maybe a little melancholy, but hopeful too. Like I know something that the poet doesn’t.”

“You do know something that the poet doesn’t,” answered Peter.

“I mean about war and dying and all. It’s all so distant for me, you know? And yet I often suspect that I know secrets that some men who actually fought couldn’t guess at. The hopeless men, maybe. In Narnia it was all more beautiful. Having lived there elevates even war and death, in this world.”

“We were, both of us, soldiers once.”

Lucy nodded.

“How about this one, then?” Peter shoved his book across the table, nearly upending the cream along the way.

The drab street stares to see them row on row

On the high tram-tops, singing like the lark.

Too careless-gay for courage, singing they go

Into the dark.

“Simple,” said Lucy. “Singing on the way to war is courage. Singing in the dark is just about the bravest thing a person can do. Just because these boys go into the battle without knowing what it’s really like doesn’t make them any less brave for going, or for singing.”

“You would know,” her brother smiled fondly.

With tin whistles, mouth-organs, any noise,

They pipe the way to glory and the grave;

Foolish and young, the gay and golden boys

Love cannot save...

“It makes me think of Susan,” Peter murmured.

“I can see that. Our love cannot save her, only Aslan’s.” Lucy frowned thoughtfully.

“No, no—I mean I wonder if that’s how Susan thinks of us: foolish children still playing games where singing in the dark means anything at all. Gay and golden, but naïve and careless by the same token. Too caught up in notions of courage and glory to realize that we live in a world where good people die.”

“Oh Peter, you don’t really think?”

“She told me once she’s afraid that we’ll never grow up, did you know? I wondered if she meant that we would always be like children, or if she worried we might die young. Sometimes I still wonder.”

“It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” said Lucy. “To always be child-like, or even to die young. Not by half.”

Peter snorted. “You might not mind dying young, but I’d certainly mind it. You’re my little sister, Lu. If you die young, it means I’ve done something wrong.”

“Well of course I’d mind! There are so many things I mean to do once I’m grown up. But I’ve always thought—ever since Father Christmas handed me that dagger—that I might. As long as I died for something, it wouldn’t bother me. I think I could be a rather good martyr.” She winked across the table.

“Don’t you dare. If Aslan has short lives in mind for either of us, we’ll drink what we’re given. In the meantime, let’s both of us focus on growing up well.”

The next week, Lucy went with Marjorie Preston to the mail room. It was Marjorie’s birthday and she was expecting a parcel from home, but Lucy was also privately hoping for another letter from Peter.

An abundance of riches awaited Marjorie: an enormous box that the two of them had to lift together. Thus, Lucy tucked Peter’s letter under one of the box’s flaps as they carried it, and it was Marjorie who tore open the envelope when they reached the dormitories.

“What in the world is this?” Marjorie exclaimed, waving a poem under Lucy’s nose. Lucy snatched it away and hungrily read the words, considering how this variation fit Peter’s theme. Then, she noticed that Marjorie was still beside her, tapping her foot impatiently.

“My brother sends me war poems,” Lucy explained hurriedly.

“That’s strange.”

“Do you think so?” Lucy considered. “Well, no matter.”

WAR GIRLS (here Peter had added “& VALIANT QUEENS”)

Strong, sensible, and fit,

They're out to show their grit,

And tackle jobs with energy and knack.

No longer caged and penned up,

They're going to keep their end up

Till the khaki soldier boys come marching back.

"Does he mean you?" asked Marjorie, wrinkling her nose.

Lucy laughed, but didn't dispute it. She went to fetch some paper and a pen.

On they went for the next several months, passing poems back and forth in their letters. Some of them were hopeful and some despairing, some sad, some darkly funny. It was a dialogue in a war that Peter scarcely remembered, and Lucy even less. In time, Tennyson and others from before the Last Lot worked their way in. Even Shakespeare made an appearance with several selections from the Henriad. Spring lurched into summer which tumbled into fall. Peter turned twenty-two in August and Lucy was seventeen in November.

Then, at dinner at Professor Digory’s house one night, the specter of a Narnian king appeared before them. Before they left, Peter found the poem he was thinking of in the Professor’s study and gave it to Lucy.

Horror of wounds and anger at the foe,

And loss of things desired; all these must pass.

We are the happy legion, for we know

Time's but a golden wind that shakes the grass.

“Does it feel different this time?” he asked once she had read it.

“Yes,” replied his sister, “and no. It feels obscurely like it did the night Aslan died. Like something is hanging over us.”

“I think this is the end,” Peter said bluntly. “He said we wouldn’t ever go back to Narnia, yet here we are. It feels like the end. Do you remember what it was like the night before a battle?”

“Yes. I didn’t before, but I do now. Like we had to gather up everything inside ourselves and name it. Fear and courage, love and memory.”

Peter sighed. “We ought to get going. There might be ice on the roads tonight.”

Lucy went into the closet and fetched her coat. Peter followed, moving a fraction slower than usual.

“Peter?” Peter turned and looked at Lucy, who was standing in the doorway with her fur-trimmed collar turned up around her throat. “It was a good poem, Peter. The right poem. Time’s but a golden wind that shakes the grass…”

Golden. Golden like Aslan’s mane, which they both so dearly longed to touch once more. Lucy tossed the poem round and round in her mind all that evening.

Before he and Edmund left for London, Lucy slipped an envelope into Peter’s pocket. “Read it on the train,” she told him.

Peter nodded. “I have one for you too.”

It was the last conversation they shared in the Shadowlands, though neither knew it at the time.

When Lucy unfolded her poem, she recognized the words. It was her favorite war-poem, which she’d first sent to Peter months ago when their correspondence had begun.

Sombre the night is:

And, though we have our lives, we know

What sinister threat lurks there.

But hark! Joy—joy—strange joy.

Lo! Heights of night ringing with unseen larks:

Music showering on our upturned listening faces.

It almost made her want to giggle, how well Peter knew her. Lucy thought of him and Edmund together in London; she ached for Susan, who had chosen not to join her siblings in their last battle for Narnia. She breathed in deep and thought of music on the way to war.

Death could drop from the dark

As easily as song—

But song only dropped,

Like a blind man's dreams on the sand

By dangerous tides;

Like a girl's gold hair, for she dreams no ruin lies there,

Or her songs where a lion hides.

That last couplet was wrong. Peter had changed it. The poem ended with, A girl’s dark hair and kisses where a serpent hides, but Peter had written gold and lion instead.

When Peter unfolded his own poem on the train, he found only a single stanza, annotated on nearly every line.

It didn’t pass— (His will be done) it didn’t pass- (His will be done)

It didn’t pass from me.

I drank it when we met the gas (His will be done)

Beyond Gethsemane! (His will be done)

The train halted and the whistle blew. Peter shook Edmund awake beside him, and together they went to unbury the rings.

Poems referenced: “On Receiving News of the War,” Isaac Rosenberg; “The Dead Kings,” Francis Ledwidge; “Joining the Colours,” Katharine Tynan; “War Girls,” Jessie Pope; “Absolution,” Siegfried Sassoon; “Returning, We Hear Larks,” Isaac Rosenberg; “Gethsemane,” Rudyard Kipling

#i really am very interested in the ways that Narnia relates to both ww2 and ww1 #but i almost never like the way other people address the subject #(sorry)#so here's my attempt #i'm not 100% satisfied with it but i think it's good enough for now #the beauty of using a cut is that i can still revise if i decide i want to #also this is part of my informal 'Narnia lit analysis series'#because that's just the kind of gal i am #narnia #dear darling heart-daughter of aslan #high king over all the rest #chapter one #martyr club relevant #leah stories #pontifications and creations #intertextuality

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bluteatavern · 4 months

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Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

Chapter 1: Feather of a caged bird

The tops of the city's buildings look like bright thorns trying to poke the night sky. I can understand it. Those who find nothing they need on the ground might as well try and search for something else above them. But there are also the ones who had already accepted that we are all meant to fall at some point, from whatever height we have reached. When you acknowledge that, it doesn't really matter if the fall hurts or not.

This is how I feel as I lean over the edge of the building.

What time is it? I last checked it on the bus, but now it feels like is close to midnight. It's not like the idea hit me as soon as I saw the building through the bus window. It was at some point between climbing the wall of old bricks with vines growing here and there, and reaching the terrace after going up the stairs with missing steps. These thoughts always come in the strangest of times, like a sudden glow that doesn't bring a gentle light of hope, only the promise that things will get better this way. It's almost comforting.

It's colder in here than I thought it would be. The wind seems to be getting stronger, pushing me sometimes forward, sometimes backward, as if not even the world knows what to do with me. My air is visible in the dark for a moment, with the faint light coming from Fukuoka city right in front of me. It's not a panic attack, it would be ridiculous to have one now when everything is so calm.

It usually looks like a storm. I can't quite remember when it started, but it wasn't that strong at first. But time passed, and the clouds started to get darker, making it unbearable to do anything with it in my head, distorting every image, every memory, and every word, leaving everything too confusing to understand how I was feeling. It was easier to pretend that nothing was happening and that there was nothing that needed to be felt. I forced myself to believe it as I tried to silence everything in my head that screamed otherwise, looking for reasons to get one foot out of bed. But after a while, I started to realize that there is no reason. And if it ever existed, it has already been blown away by the first gust of wind.

There's no reason to move around while waiting, in vain, for something that even you don't know what it is. Why fight something that will never change? Why keep trying to get your feet out of the mud, waiting for something to return the effort?

When I exhale again, the air comes out raggedly, and a hiccup follows soon after. It doesn't make sense, because I don't feel like crying anymore. I don't feel like feeling anything, not even fear, but I wouldn't call it peace either.

My face must be terrible right now. Still, I run a hand over it, wiping my eyes the best way I can. I've never heard stories of anyone worrying about their physical appearance at times like this. And what's the use? My body might explode against the concrete, or by a miracle, I might survive and suffer excruciating pain until it's finally over. They might never be able to recognize my body, or maybe no one will look for me, thinking I just went away when things got bad. I don't care. I wouldn't be here if it bothered me.

No. What comes next is the real issue, even if I won't be here to see it. But what if I don't think about it now as well? I don't want to step back this time, I'm sure of it.

I've always been selfish. Why not be now?

I look at what appears to be a big black hole below me. No vertigo, no signs of dizziness are felt in my body, and the adrenaline has worn off a few minutes ago.

Looking ahead, the city remains the same. Shining and making all sorts of sounds that an ordinary city makes.

After all these years, I never actually walked those streets, or absorbed more than just the air in the apartment from the inside of a bus, or from the people that came in and out of the shop. When I became aware of that, I tried to do things differently, I tried to ignore the Storm whenever it became too violent. I prayed that it would make things better somehow.

But nothing changed. And I grew tired of being the only one noticing it.

And the city is still there. Oblivious to everything outside its most crowded places. Everyone has more to worry about than people alone on top of roofs of abandoned buildings. It's like the world has forgotten about me in the midst of this entire existence. But it's not like I've given it many reasons to remember me.

I wish the reason I came up here was different though. One where this sight wasn't the last thing I'd see. Maybe that way it would be less sad to see something so...beautiful.

As always, I can destroy anything, any experience, anything good that comes into my life.

This wasn't the change I wanted, but it looks like is the only one I'm worthy of getting. The only one that everyone in the world is sure they will get someday. So why wait any longer? The way out of this is praying my next shot will be easier to leave with.

I approach the edge, and it feels like moving through the mud for the first time in ages.

"...look, I don't know if there is a perfect spot to look at the city, but if I had to make a list, this one would be in fourth or fifth place..."

I stop with one foot on the parapet and the other one hanging in the air.

I know the voice is that of a man, and the words are in Japanese. It's calm, almost lazy, but not that tiring to hear.

"...you can see a bit of the sea, and over there on the right, with the yellow and green billboard, there's this restaurant. And let me tell you, it's really good. Believe me, I've been there twice"

I place both feet together on the ground before turning around halfway. There's a darker shadow in contrast to the night, leaning against the wall of the old water tank near the space where the stairs reach the top of the building.

"And of course, there's the big tower right over there" He points to what I believe is Fukuoka Tower right behind me. He ends the next sentence with a dismissive wave of his hand "...a bit overrated if you ask me, but I think it's worth a third place in my 'Best Views in the World' list, 'Cause why not, right? No one said I couldn't judge places only I can see. That might not be fair but feels good to have a secret that is not actually a secret. It's just a truth that no one has discovered yet. Anyway, you ever visited there?"

It's as if we're not on top of a building, but on the street, talking safely. Did he even realize what I was trying to do? And how long has he been there? I know I didn't see anyone when I arrived. Why else would I have stayed otherwise?

"Sorry...it's just that I...I don't understand Japanese very well" I say, forcing my accent on each 'r' and 'd' of the sentence, fully embracing the stereotype "...would...would you mind leaving for a second? I... I want to be alone"

He leans off the wall and takes one slow step ahead. His figure becomes more distinguished from the rest, and I can see a bit of his hair, and a bag he's carrying in one arm.

"And what are you going to do if I leave?" He responds, in English this time. Oh, of course.

As for what I'm planning to do, is the kind of thing I wouldn't do in front of a stranger. It's not a mystery, especially considering where we are right now. He knows I might not do it as long as he stays, and for that, he's right...he might be.

I turn around and grab a part of the rusty fence, cool to the touch. This seems to awake something in this stranger, as I hear his footsteps coming closer to where I stand slowly. I fight the urge to yell at him to stop while I grip the fence tighter, heating the metal with my palm.

His next words have a different tone, almost unnoticeable. It's still lazy, but...more urgent.

"If you really wanted that, you'd have done it by the sixth floor. Instead, you went up three more. My guess, you don't really want it, but you still haven't figured out a reason to stay either. Or maybe you think the answer lies here"

He finally reaches the parapet and climbs on top of it to stand beside me, turning his body so he can face me directly, though I just keep gazing at the city. He doesn't seem to mind the height either. Maybe he thinks this will be over soon, and that's why he doesn't mind staying.

"And maybe you're right. The reason might be around here somewhere. But you won't get to see it if you jump. This is not your only option"

It's always the same stuff. The same delicate words. I don't need to see his face to know that he, too, has the same expression I've seen every time someone thought they could help me. It was all in vain. The more they tried to pull me out of the mud, the more I seemed to sink, sometimes even bringing some to my own misery. It was a vicious cycle, they come, they try to help, they get a taste of the Storm, and then they finally leave, sometimes after a long time, sometimes because I shove reality in their faces.

I don't want to accept his help because I don't need it anymore. I don't want a new perspective, I just want to be alone right now. But I don't have time for him to realize that.

I put a fist against my forehead and then rub my face, forcing out the frustration that is clear in my voice when I finally speak.

"And who are you to be sure of that hum? What are you trying to be here? A hero?" I place both hands on my own neck and sight while looking up.

"I don't-"

"Quit it, seriously. I don't want to have to listen to it anymore, especially from someone who's just pretending they get it. Look, if you don't want to look like a suspect just because you were at the wrong time and place. So just go!" I stretch one arm towards the stairs, returning his gaze for the first time.

His hair is messy, and it seems like there's something around his neck. He's a bit shorter than me too.

"...I can wait" I finish. My breathing is hitching a bit. How am I supposed to convince him to leave like this?

"I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving until I make sure you're okay"

"I am fine, alright? You can go now."

A few more seconds of silence pass without either of us moving. I can try to jump now, but I don't know if he will try to catch me and end up falling too. Despite being rude to him, I know he just wants to help, and that's why I don't want him to waste our time. It's a lost cause, and as soon as he realizes that...well...the better.

"...you're right about one thing though..." He begins "...I'm a nobody right now. I'm probably not even acting like a real hero too. I'm not someone who knows what you need. But I can help you find out if you let me. So why don't you explain it to me? Maybe it could help clear a few things for both of us. Tell me why you thought this was the answer. What made you come up here, so far from anything? What are you trying to escape from?"

At this point, would he believe if I said I can’t name it? It's there, I can feel it, but It's like trying to light up this building almost falling to pieces with the light of the city that is so far from us. Instead, I bend my knees very slowly until I'm completely sat. I've lost the will to try and chase him away. Clearly, he doesn't want to give up.

"Usually that's why I come here y'know? To try and see things from a different point of view. One that can expand my eyesight. Sometimes I believe I can even see the future for a brief moment"

"Sorry...didn't mean to invade your crystal ball"

"I don't know if I would call it a crystal ball. I prefer the term 'domain'. I like the way it sounds. But that's fine, I forgive your trespassing attempt" He chuckles. I just exhale through my nostrils with a tiny, crooked smile.

Now he must think he's walking on less shaky ground, and I would have thought the same once, but now it's too confusing to differ a genuine reaction from a rehearsed one. This quickly rips the crooked smile from my face.

He sits down lazily.

"Look, one thing that I learned is that this world is a crazy selfish thing. It goes 'round and 'round faster than we'd like, and it expects everyone else to follow its pace without complaining, even if you lose the chance to say what you want or do what you want as a consequence. But there are those times when you just go to a certain spot and everything changes. I've found this spot in here, being above everything without anyone noticing..." He traces an arc in the air with his palm, which appears to be covered by a glove "...like the world stopped the moment you sat foot in this place" He sounds a bit tired in that last sentence "It won't do that for you in real life, but that's why I think you should enjoy a moment like this, when everything seems to be still in place, and you can say whatever you want. No one will hear"

"But...you're still staying...aren't you?"

I didn't mean to sound disappointed this time. It's just the tiredness, the cold, and my face, that I insist on cleaning.

"Yes" It seems like he's disappointed as well. I don't know if it's with me, or himself "But I'm not going to insist you tell me anything you don't want to. I mean, I'm not a psychologist, I'm just a random guy who showed up here in this building at the same time you did. It doesn't have to mean anything you don't want to. Scream, curse, take down this fence until the roof is clear. I believe you shouldn't hide something when you're in a place high like this one"

Once again the wind blows, and his last sentence keeps echoing in my mind. I imagine the words coming out of my mouth and being carried away by the wind, while I hope that everything else goes along, to a place far away from me, and never comes back. I know that won't happen for real, but feels good to think about it. A confession might not redeem me, but maybe it will assure me that this, right here, is the only right thing, as I suspected.

"Or we could go somewhere else. It gets pretty cold here around dawn" He's really doing his best to get me out of here, isn't he? It makes me feel sorry for him somehow.

I pull my knees against my chest.

"Have you ever felt like you've been chasing something, and you can't picture what anymore, but is the only way you learned how to get by, and now it just seems like you're just...well...moving?"

He pauses before responding.

"Moving is not the same as progressing when you don't know where you're heading. In this case, yes. Everyone has felt like this before. But tell me, if leaving like this has brought you nothing, why you keep doing it?"

Because it won't lead to anything but the same place you started if the rest is the same. Living for me is a constant fight against what makes me want to bang my head against a wall and push the urge away as much as I can until it comes down all at once. And then I have to do it all over again. It's tiring, stressful, and never goes away no matter the number of times I look on the bright side. It's stuck inside me, and I can't get it off. Slowly but surely people will notice it, and they'll try to help me. That's the part that hurts the most.

"And what if you're not worthy of this?" I ask.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because no matter how much you try to change things, they just keep turning back to what they were. The problem ends up being way too deep in you to solve. And it hurts. Not only for me but for other people as well. And it's unbearable to watch it without being able to do anything, knowing it's all my fault" My arms are shaking. Saying it out loud is harder than I remember.

"It can't be all your fault, y-"

"Yes it is!" It feels funny. To let things out all of this to you. But that doesn't mean it's good "You think I didn't try to change my mind over and over and over again? Why would I have come here tonight if I wasn't sure of the answer?"

"To think. To think of another solution" He gestures to the darkness below us "That's never the only answer. You can still do the right thing"

This is the right thing. He just doesn't know because he hasn't been around long enough to see the pattern. There is nothing to be done right here anymore. Everything is too broken for that, and it seems like everyone always chooses to ignore it but me.

And he's no different from the others. I should have noticed sooner.

"Let me be straight here..." I turn part of my body to him "I've heard those same words a million times before, and I can tell you that there is no 'do the right thing'. What is right for me hurts someone else. What I do for others hurts me too. In the end that's the only thing I ever do. I mess up absolutely everything"

"I'm sure that's not true. Villains are the ones who mess up everything. And you don't look like one"

"Oh, really? Because I've only lived with one person alone my whole life, and still I managed to make his life hell just by being there...He never got the chance to be truly happy...it was always because of me...me and this weight that was born with me and I can't get rid of..." It's a cruel irony, but he wouldn't notice it. He doesn't know the whole story. I change my tone without noticing, and my voice becomes softer "...it's like...like I can't do anything for anyone for real...like a bird in a cage... that doesn't know what it takes to get out"

He straightens his back and turns his face to look up at me at the sound of those last words, as if he's only hearing them now. I repeat the same words in my head and start to laugh.

"God...I've never said that before. It sounds like a line from a bad dramatic tv show hehe" He stays as quiet as a grave "Oh come on. You're shutting up now? You can laugh too. I know it's stupid"

He clicks his tongue and takes a deep breath.

"I don't think it's stupid..." he starts getting up from the edge"...and if I'm being honest with you, and myself, then you're probably talking to the person who best understands what is like to be a bird in a cage"

He doesn't move to try to touch my arm or comfort me. At this point he'd probably be trying to hug me, telling me pretty things, drawing a future full of empathy and love, but the only way I know he's still here is by his voice, which hasn't changed an octave since he's appeared. Am I hallucinating? Is he an illusion? If so then...

"Oh, but of course you understand..." I chuckle. At such times, people always understand a lot, hallucination or not.

I look up, and realize how far I've always been from reaching the sky, even though it was falling above my head.

"So why don't you tell me what it's like, please?" I walk past him without stepping down to the safe part of the roof and start walking with both arms outstretched across the bare part of the parapet.

"Do you feel trapped in some way? Maybe inside your own head? Does everything around you make you so scared and hopeless that you can barely get out of bed in the morning? Do you deal with what you can, but it never seems to get you anywhere?" My arms drop.

I stopped walking because a part of the steel fence is right in front of me, leaning to the side opposite to the edge. I grab it and turn it slightly to the other side. It wasn't being held by anything on the parapet anymore, so it just goes willingly in the direction I pull it, until it finally breaks free from another part that has been holding it in place for god knows how long. One second there was a rusty and cold fence ahead of me, and now only the remains of one have stayed. The other half fell and fell until it finally crashed against the concrete with a loud thud. It echoes through the building and its parking lot. It feels like it echoes through me too for a second, reminding me that in a few seconds, the next thud will come from my body down there.

"Look, I know what you're trying to do here. But you also said I need to fix things. And that's what I was trying to do..." I feel it coming again, stronger than when I arrived. I just want it to be over. Could the world have a little compassion and let me get it done once and for all? Can this man be that merciful? "...so could you by the heavens just go awa-" I was about to shout at him until he leaves, but...

I turn around and see a new silhouette forming behind the boy's back. It's graceful, and seems to be quite light. It takes me a second to understand where they came from.

Now he has the coat he was wearing dangling from one arm, and his bag propped up in the other. Little pieces that look like they are made of paper are coming out of it, and one by one, they go to his back, attaching to one another like pieces of a puzzle, and forming...

Wings...he has wings...he has...feathers.

"Wanna know something funny about life?" He starts after all the...feathers...quit coming from the bag "Words never mean the same thing to everyone. The meaning depends on the one hearing"

He leaves the edge with a little jump and holds out a hand to help me down. The wings rustle like leaves.

Everything starts to get mixed up. The outline of his body, the lights, the buildings. Everything seems to spin...except the wings.

"Hey kid, are you alright?"

"The wings...you have...wings...you have..."

I feel sick, and my head is throbbing.

He has...feathers...like...

My vision darkens, and I feel a gust of wind rushing through my body out of nowhere until the ground disappears beneath my feet.

"Shit" I hear someone saying, but I don't recall who it could be.

The sound of everything is muffled by the wind, but my heartbeat is clearly hammering in my ears.

And that rustling, so soft...

And so fast...

In case you prefer Ao3...

Chapter 2

#mha #bnha #hawks x reader #keigo takami #bnha hawks #mha hawks #oc

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