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annoying-lucy · 4 years

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Evan Evagora did an AMA involving the Star Trek Shitposting Facebook Group - the questions and answers below were copy/pasted direct from the collated master post. Evan is a member of the group, who participates under an unknown pseudonym.

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AMA Master Post!

Thanks so much to Evan Evagora for taking time out of his day for our AMA earlier. To make the questions and answers easier for ya'll to find, here they all are together below.

Q: How does my love of cats compare to Elnor?

A: Im actually more of a dog person, there was a scene that had Elnor and spot 2 unite briefly but unfortunately it didn’t leave the editing room

Q: How familiar was I with Star Trek before and did I have to do research?

A: I grew up with TNG, I’d have to say either worf, Guinan or Q are my favourite characters. And I was given episodes to watch that were to help with information before filming Picard

Q: How was I prepped to deal with the crazy fans?

A: I got told to join Star Trek shitposting 😉. Not but in all seriousness, it was Jonathan Frakes who gave me advice on entering the world of fandom from the other side and he said it’s been nothing short of a pleasure

Q: So if Hugh had survived would they have made out?

A: what happens on the cube stays on the cube

Q: My favourite moment of s1

A: getting to slice that romulans head off

Q: How did I hear about Star Trek shitposting?

A: most of the crew is either a part of the group or knows about, one of the amazing hair and make up ladies got me into I think my first or second day

Q: If I had to be Tuvixed with someone excluding elnor?

A: mirror verse Elnor, nah worf to be honest

Q: What is something I’d like to do in season 2

A: Id like to see Elnor and spot 2 together

Q: How am I passing my time woth quarantine?

A: ama for the gronp! Nah I’ve just been reading, writing and also the contact I’m having with the fans too has really helped a lot

Q: If I had to quarantine with any of my costars who would it be and why

A: I’d go with hardy treadaway he’s got the nicest place

Q: What am I hoping to see in Elnor’s future

A: Inner peace, contentment and possibly shorter hair?

Q: Am I intimidated by working on a show with such a big fan base?

A: no I grew up with Star Trek, you’re really in a bubble of filming when you’re making the show, it all didn’t really hit home until the first trailer at San Diego

Q: Would I consider playing Elnor as non binary

A: I’ve seen a lot of debate and discussion about not only my character but others in the series, if there is something that connects you with a character on this show and it resonates with you, even if it’s shown, not shown or hinted at I’m all for it. I am not for the constant belittlement, bullying and criticism of not only the characters on the show but also other fans. It really does break my heart reading comments where people aren’t welcoming of one another, because that is the whole reason why Trek has bought so many together and by spewing these disgusting cruel words out your not only showing the world you don’t understand the meaning behind the show, you also are destroying the thing that makes us all love it

Q: Is there Australia on romulas

A: yeah they have a down under I’m sure of it. No the accent can easily be explained with, Elnor left romulas at a young age, moved to a planet with different species and languages spoken so that influenced his accent

Q: Have I seen Elnor fan fiction and art?

A: yeah some of it has been really amazing! And some others have been...creative

Q: How excited am I to make home movies with my action figures?

A: my plan is to buy everyone’s, make them record audio and then film shit using the dolls and their voices

Q: Are you playing animal crossing?

A: I’ve preordered it because they’ve sold out here in aus, but in playing civ 6 to pass time and Mario party

Q: Did I get to try Romulan ale?

A: no I wish, I’m kind of hoping for a scene next year where Elnor gets drunk for the first time

Q: What character did I wish would appear in our show?

A: one word, one letter Q

Q: What’s my background have I been acting long?

A: Picard was my third acting gig, and the first project to release, so I have got some experience acting and I have previous work but it has either just aired or is going to next year

Q: Please my friend choose a charity you would like us to donate to

A: food bank

Q: Favourite ninja turtle

A: it’s always been Raph and always will be

Q: Do I know much about Elnors background

A: I know things that haven’t been mentioned yet, but also given his character is new and season 1 just finished, hopefully some of those things are explored

Q: How would o feel about the fan theory that Spock is my father

A: I mean, I’m not really sure, I can always shoot Ethan a message and ask him what he thinks too

Q: Which classic episode trope would I like to see?

A: mirror universe

Q: Can we look forward to more ninja representation?

A: is Elnor not enough? ☹️

Q: Were there any particular characters I drew inspiration from, any elves?

A: there’s a particular group of people I think Elnor might have been inspired from. Can I just say how cool it would be if Elnor is just cosplaying as an elf because Picard left him a copy of Lotr when he was young

Q: Would I be open to exploring Elnors sexuality in s2 and what would it be?

A: I am totally open for that, and as for Elnors sexuality, I’m not sure he’s only 17 he’s just left his planet and gone off on an adventure where he openly knew the success may lead in his death or others he hasn’t had time to figure himself out so seeing his sexuality explored would be amazing

Q: What stories did you hear about working on precious trek series from the OG actors?

A; So we found out Michael Dorn used to muddle his lines up because he was normally the last close up of the day. They used to put bets on to see how many takes he’d have to do. All I must add in very fun spirits nothing ever malicious or mean

Q: My long term career goals

A: id like to keep pursuing more roles I’m acting, I’m a big writer and have some projects I’m looking at getting created but right now I’d say I’m just here to learn and grow

Q: What do I write?

A: right now I’m working on three screenplays and two pilots most of the stuff I’ve written is just sitting on my hard drive just waiting to be used

Q: Ever fried an egg, buttered and vegemite'd some toast and eaten it like a sandwich?

A: what I just read, scared the crap out of me, I love vegemite but the most I’ll do is add cheese to it

Q: What is one of my favourite stories about s1

A: Jeri Ryan and I had a scene together in the borg cube (what a queen she made!) it was shooting at night and I think it was the final shot of the day, we couldn’t keep a straight face and just laughed through about fifteen takes

Q: Are you a big fan of fandom besides Trek?

A: Star Wars, lotr, the magician series Raymond e feist, a song of fire and ice series, avatar last air bender and legend of Korra (would love to play zuko) and of course Batman (fav Jason Todd as the hood)

Q: Could I see myself playing Elnor for six or seven years?

A: as long as there’s a good story that myself and fans will enjoy, but if it didn’t meet my expectations no. And also hopefully the writers and creators would want to

Q: My top TNG eps are in no particular order

I borg, all good things, tapestry, the measure of a man and all good things

I’ll also add I borg especially because it’s just cool seeing where Hugh began and how he ended up

Q: How did I land the role of Elnor?

A: I was on a break from filming Fantasy Island (a movie based off the old tv show) and I was home for pilot season which is when they cast for shows, I had two weeks of daily auditions before I was due to fly back and start filming again, two days before I was meant to leave I got an audition for Picard, the script had a code name and Elnors name was Kbar on it, but I was told it was Star Trek. I went into the room and thought I didn’t do a very good job, then I flew to film and two days later I was told I’ve made a list of people being considered, after a few more auditions and a couple of phone calls from producers and everything I found myself on a plane to LA five weeks later

Q: Have I made friends among the cast?

A: no, we tried really hard to become friends, but unfortunately we ended up becoming a family instead. Everything we say in interviews about us getting along is all true and not fake. I’m the newest to acting out of everyone so I was kind of of shocked to find out that how close we all are isn’t necessarily how it will be when I shoot other projects, so I think we just got lucky or they casted really well

Q: Have the Picard people seen your memes?

A: yes I’ve shown them the memes from the page, I’ve shown everyone including Patrick we find most of them funny (some shocking)

Not shocking in a bad way

Unexpected I should say

Q: How do I feel about the ears?

A: I wore them so much they came up in my dreams, but they were the easiest thing to apply onto me

Q: Which non tng character would I like to see return?

A: I wouldn’t mind seeing the doctor

Q: The most relatable Star Trek character?

A: Look for me growing up it was Wesley, i just picked anyone who was the young one. And I grew up with my sisters and was always being told I’m either wrong, an idiot or just to shut up

Q: Did I have previous martial arts experience before the show?

A: I have a background in boxing which helps when it comes to movement, reflexes and just all around fitness for stunts. I didn’t have any sword fighting experience before we began training for the show however

Q: How do you think being raised by an order of women affected Elnor?

A: I think it gave him a healthy understanding of not only the strength and resilience of women but I think he understands not only gender equality but just equality in general and I think that’s directly to do with growing up in a sect of all female warrior nuns

Q: What is a type of meme you would like to see more of in the group?

A: I love all the memes in the group, I hardly like any of them now incase someone figures out who I am though ahahah

Q: Favorite recent memes?

A: See my comment below

#evan evagora #star trek #star trek: picard #picard #elnor #ama #stsp

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 4 years

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An Oddly Familiar Face (Geralt x high elf reader, Part 1.)

Description: Seeing a face in dreams was a foreseeing of the incoming future, as many told you. But when the man finally comes, you don't know if it is right or wrong.

Warnings: Nothing really. Geralt and reader mostly speak in this part and also, Cirilla is here too!

Dedicated to @onlyhopebensolo since this honey bee asked me to write for them! 🖤 Also, if this isn't what you've expected, I'm so, so, so sorry my love!

A/N: I was supposed to have one part... Well... Didn't quite work out, did it? Also, I know that Thranduil is from LOTR and that he is a Sindarin elf, but I just love that bitch, okay? Let me live my dream. Also, in the end, it is heavily inspired by Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey.

Word count: 8.4 K

Tagging: @nemodoren

Another beautiful day in the Garden was just begging, one of many to come. Flowers were blossoming all year long, so your people were almost always provided with food and alcohol for a good mood. You had endless fields full of various animals, like the sacred deers with white fur, tamed wolves, whatever caught your eye, really. The Garden was piece heaven located on the Continent - a normal human being couldn't stumble there without a proper map or coordinates since it was protected by many spells of the ancient mages.

The high elves were living in the Garden since the dawn of the Continent - before the chaos started to rule over and before the first Witcher schools were created or even before humans arrived. The founders came alongside other elder races - dwarves and gnomes. The Garden was home to an old elvish family who were never referred to with the name of their dynasty. The other elves only called these ones Hain, which meant Them when translated to a general language of the Continent.

Hain provided for the Garden since it was built around the sacred tree which was giving life - Hain were making contact with the outside world, sometimes exchanging items like meteorite steel, leather, diamonds or clothing. Sometimes humans asked for their fruits or alcohol, sometimes they sought answers or help from the Hain and the other elves.

Even if you did have a good name among the human race, you never got into their wars, fights or conflicts. You were always only the watchers standing in the shadows.

One sacred yet cruel rule applied to all the elves who decided to leave the Garden - all of them were forbidden to ever come back. The elves outside were your distant family, yes, but no Hain supported a relationship between elves and the other races. So, you distanced from the descendants of such relationships as much as you could.

There was an ancient purity kept in your relationships - a Hain could only marry a member of another Hain dynasty, and all of the elves living in the Garden were established families with the purest blood they could possibly have, letting their children marry in such way that there was no room for anything unpure. It was a weird thing, but elves were obsessed with pure blood since the dawn of ages.

Of course, if there was an elf in need, you provided food, clothes, whatever the person needed - but you never let them inside Garden. That was the holy rule and nobody was brave enough to go against it. For those who lived there, it was a sacred home and to lose a place in this society meant utter shame for every of those who left.

Hain had their people all over the continent, monitoring the situation - mostly it were spies hiding in the big cities of the Continent, bringing information twice or once a year before setting off to the world again. Your people were known for the wisdom and reserved attitude they were born with.

Also, Hain were known for possessing ancient powers inherited from the elder elves - powers of foreseeing their future, the powers of reading minds and an unbelievable portion of chaos running inside their veins. All of them were great sorcerers.

But you came across differently than the others - you were able to perform difficult spells, yes, but your gift was unlike anyone else's. One day, you started to see visions in your dreams, yet you weren't predicting the future.

You were seeing a man, a tall one with hair of white and silver, carrying a sword on his back and a heavy armor on his body. You first saw him when he has woken up from a slumber in deep woods, but he clearly didn't know what, who or where he was. You saw this man lost himself in the woods and he felt... Empty. Like an amphora - without memories, without feelings... There was nothing inside.

You never learned his name from your dreams, nor where he was living or how old was he. You only knew that he had a medallion around his neck and that although he bore a recognizable similarity to the human race, he wasn’t one of them. You've heard a few stories about the man - never mentioned by name, he was a shadow called the White Wolf.

When you saw him slaying monsters from the conjunction for the first time, it made your heart race with an unknown feeling. When you have woken up that night, you felt that you're... Afraid. You looked at your hands and wondered since you never felt so alive throughout the eons you've lived for. Adrenaline was rushing through your veins, your hands were shaking and breathing was getting heavy.

That was the first time you lightened up the lamp in your room, took an old sketching book and drawn him as he pierced his sword through the beast's chest. You could see everything vividly in your head - the yellow blood dripping out of its body, its opened mouth full of sharp teeth and claws reaching out for the White Wolf.

After that, you sketched him after every dream, killing your time with it. You had details of his face and body, of his equipment, of the monsters he slew, of his pendant. You had soon sketched three whole books just with the remnants of your dreams. You knew him, or so you felt, even if you never heard his name or voice.

Hain naturally inclined to believe in destiny as well as humans did - they only had their own names, legends, and explanations. Naturally, when you told your maid and sister that you see a man in your dreams, both of them agreed that it's the destiny manifesting in its own way.

"Maybe he's going to come for you and save you from here." - Elion, your sister, said with a mysterious giggle as she sat on your bed. That was the first time you ever showed them Wolf's sketches. You both were very similar to each other by the looks since you were born out of the light as twins. She was more provocative and confident than you were, that was how your mother always knew who is who.

Elion always dreamt of falling in love and leaving the Garden to live a life as a mortal elf, she dreamt of true love, adventures and crazy things that were just not possible for a Hain. She hated living in the Gardens for eons, she hated living the same day again and again. - "He is very handsome by the looks of it." - Elion admitted quietly, watching each of your drawings with her eyebrows knitted together.

On the other hand, your main maid Gael, one of the nobles, wasn't exactly over the heels for you seeing the Wolf in your dreams. She was worried that it might mean a catastrophe approaching you and your family.

But when the day destiny planned to reveal itself to you through Geralt, it all started as a normal morning. You have woken up to singing birds and beautifully smelling flowers, sun and the tree of life shining through your balcony.

There was no need for windows in the Garden. It was well protected with the ancient magic, so the weather never got too bad, it only rained a bit from time to time, so you could smell the flowers as if it was blossoming just in front of your nose.

The dream you had was a different one - yes, you saw the Wolf with other beings, such as whores, other Wolves or sorceresses before, but you never saw him with a child by his side. It was a girl dressed in a blue cape. She was pretty, truly pretty with her green, big eyes and long, ashen hair. By the time you were done with your drawing, you have breakfast served and robe prepared, so you could put it on and start your day.

Since your father always thought you're the more reasonable child, he was always pleased to see you at the gathering when new intel was delivered to the Garden. That day, nothing important happened - the spy from Cintra still wasn't back, Nilfgaardians were still trying to take Temeria out of the play and Skellige... Well... They were the mighty islanders who never got into the wars happening on the Continent.

Also, there was a slowly fading need for supplies in Novigrad since most of the elves living in the city joined Scoia'tael, the resistance of non-human beings.

Just when you were in the middle of a debate about the Novigrad situation, one of your maids rushed into the room, catching everyone’s attention.

"I don't know how did it happen, but a man with a girl in his arms just crossed the gate to the Garden." - She said with a tone full of wonder. A man with a girl? That sure sounded familiar to you. - "He said that he means no harm to us, but the girl is very sick."

"How do they look like?" - You asked, playing with the jewelry around your neck, letting the discussion to be completely forgotten. There was something way more... Arousing going on.

"Both of ashen hair, fair-skinned. Neither of them is human." - The maid said and your breath got stuck in your throat. A man with a girl, both white-haired. White Wolf and his small girl you saw in your dream. You needed to see them, to talk with them, to determine yourself that they're real.

"And they found themselves way in? On their own? That's impossible." - Your father, one of the elders, stood up with confusion on his face. You couldn't contain your excitement for a while as you tried to catch your breath. - "Well, give them food and water to drink, bring them blankets and let them rest in the hall of Rovan, help the girl. We can't just send them away now when they're in."

Your father was a wise man. He wasn't too over the heels that these two were there. But then they already got on, elves were inclined to show the guests hospitality. If the girl wasn't all right, nobody would just send them away.

But you were excited. Maybe overexcited to say the least. The Wolf was there. Your destiny had to be linked and you felt the need to see him. You immediately asked your father to have an audience with him or the other way around.

"Are you interested in the foreigner, my child?" - Your father asked when you slowly walked through the gardens together. This stroll was a common thing happening every midday. You didn't answer but you gave him a smile. - "Do you think that foreigners are something special? I tell you, they are not. They are dirty from the sin and outside world, their minds were corrupted with chaos and anarchy. Why would you like to speak to them?"

"That's a difficult question to answer, my dear father." - You answered quietly and looked at the colorful spectrum of orchids by your side.

"We have eternity to explain and eons to understand." - The voice of your father could be heard again. You only wished to be as wise as he was, to be completely clear with your thoughts and to always look away from your personal struggles and opinions to be a fair judge. Your father had that ability - understandingly, it took eons to master, but he could be pure with opinions and words.

"I am sure that the man's destiny is somehow linked with mine. I don't know-how is that possible when we never met before, but I saw him in my dreams. Every night of last five human years, I saw him." - You explained the fastest way around, simply, yet complex enough not to see everything immediately.

"It is possible, yes. It happens rarely, but it isn't the first time I hear about this. Maybe, you were just foreseeing that he and his daughter will come, that is the better option." - Your father stopped and smoothed a big, blue rose, smelling it gently. - "If it's the other way around, there is a possibility that you're meant to do great things by his side. That's destiny. It always shows Hain their path, but never explains what does lead to that situation or what consequences will it bring."

"So you're telling me that it's possible that I'm drawn to him because of what does destiny has in the plan, yet it can bring fatal consequences." - You repeated after your father in with thoughts present in your voice. Honestly, it wasn't easy to determine if it excited you if it brought you a fair amount of terror. Obviously, you were drawn to the man because of destiny. But destiny could have practically any plans for you.

"It wouldn't be wise to denying you from seeing the man. I will tell others to separate him so you could talk in private. See him when you'll be ready, my child. And prepare for whatever your dialogue can bring." - Your father said calmly, yet you could tell that it doesn't make him happy. What if destiny planned you to separate from your family? What if it takes one of his daughters away? How should a father react to news like those?

It was almost midnight when someone finally decided to talk to the Witcher. He was nervously sitting in the hall they brought him to the whole time, not being sure about what to think. The elves just told him to wait and that everything will be revealed when the time's right and left him with food and blanket. Geralt knew that it wouldn't be wise to go against the elder's decision. So he sat there and waited just as he was told - some maids served him even more plates of delicious food and alcohol, scrolls with legends to read and an overlook onto the whole Garden where he could watch the nearby celebration.

When he heard first footsteps, he immediately turned his head in the direction of the source. Geralt's head turned on a figure which was ascending the stairs made out of perfectly white stone with railing from the purest crystal he had ever seen. It also felt like an eternity since he saw Ciri for the last time. He didn't know what the elves were doing to her or where she was - he was only hoping that Cirilla is alive and well.

Hain were something who Geralt knew he can put his trust into. They were joyful, delighted, intelligent a most of the time very reserved. But they were creatures that could be trusted.

This one was somehow different, Geralt could tell that straight away. Her hair was neatly brushed with lots of jewelry braided in it, yes, but that was where the similarity to other Hain was ending. Not so say that she was wearing a piece of clothing that could be barely taken as underwear - her silhouette was covered with many layers of a see-through material, only her bra and shorts made of heavy, dark blue cloth, making them almost impossible not to be seen.

There was no doubt that she truly belonged to the celestial beings class. She could've been hundreds, thousands of years old, but she still looked like a fresh nineteen-year-old. And a huge wolf was walking beside her. That wasn't just some big and scary dog, she had a real wolf.

"My sincerest apologies to you, dear mister, for taking too long to have at least someone speaking to you." - You smiled at him, making a quick, sharp noise with your lips only. The beast beside you ran next to Geralt and laid down on a big piece of a mattress covered in thick, very expansive cloth. You laughed when you saw Geralt looking at the wolf listening to you like an obedient lamb.

"What? Don't tell me that you're scared of a little wolf." - Your amused laughter filled the room once again before you poured your guest some wine, giving him the cup.

You were interested in the Witcher because he came to your house from the outside world. For the sake of everything, you didn't know much about him - you only heard some stories and legends about the White Wolf. You had no idea what his name was, how old could he be, if he was in love or not... You just knew that he was the one and only White Wolf.

"I'm more shocked that you're not afraid to stay in one room with something like me." - Geralt smiled and accepted the cup of wine you were giving him. Then you swayed away to a big sofa with crystal details, sitting at the edge of it.

"Something? You forgot that I'm a non-human too. I'm that something you're implying as well." - Your gaze was directed at him before you started to play with the rings on your hands. - "And you don't seem to be utterly stupid - you know that if you try to harm me, the wolf will attack you immediately. It will tear you apart and you're aware of that."

You were truly smart and Geralt was amazed by all of it. He was mesmerized since he never imagined the elder race to... Act and look like that. Geralt heard stories about Hain and the Garden hidden on the Continent, but he never imagined that it will look like that. It was truly a beautiful, sacred place built around an ancient tree that was rumored to give life, the flowers there were ones Geralt has never seen before. You were able to mutate and enhance animals, their abilities and their lifespan. Every elf he had seen was a descendant of the elder race and that could be easily spotted - from the way you behaved to the way you were speaking, acting, dressing up... He had figured out that almost immediately - the descendants of the elder race. Some of Hain were even the ones were who came there at the dawn of the Continent. They were thousands of years old and looked as a normal forty-year-old would.

"So that's the legend going around the Continent, is it? Witchers are utterly stupid creatures." - The White Wolf laughed ironically and sat down with the cup of sweet wine you gave him. He was facing you and you couldn't but wonder with your eyes around his face. Geralt couldn't look away from you as well - smiling lips, beautiful hair and long, elegant ears full of jewelry. If every Hain was as beautiful as you were, this was heaven.

"I have never said that. Only a few stories are going around the Garden about the Witchers." - You shook your head and laughed. - "Just as there are only a few stories about the elder race and the Hain. There are already more similarities between us that I would ever suspect. Interesting."

"I wouldn't say that something like me can be similar to you." - Geralt smiled and took another sip of the wine. It was a good one - your people truly knew how to brew some good alcohol.

"I'm very interested in you, Witcher. But first, tell me this. A little riddle, if you will." - You slowly stood up and walked around the room, pouring yourself some nectar. Then you turned to the White Wolf again, standing in the moonlight. - "How comes that a monster slayer graces the Continent along with a small girl, who also happens to be a Source? How did you come across this girl, White Wolf?"

"Do you have some suspicion? Come on, just tell me. I'm interested in your theories. And don't hold back, I've already heard everything." - The man chuckled at you and you watched as he leaned back on his elbow, looking like million Orens. That man was unbelievable. But very amusing.

"I heard that Witcher abduct little children and take them to their schools to create a new generation. Are you really doing that?" - You wondered and still stood in the moonlight. There, you really looked like an elder. Beautiful skin, endless legs and see-through materials around your body were messed with a wind.

"In fact, all of that was supported by the law of surprise. No Witcher ever raided a village and abducted a child. The Witchers always saved lives from the monsters and for payment, they always asked for a thing the people already had, yet you didn’t know about it." - Geralt implied and sipped the wine again.

"The prize was a child. But tell me, Wolf. Is it better to take a child out of their mother’s loving embrace, letting the women and men live with the feeling that it was all their fault... Or is it better to abduct the children, so at least, the people can spend their life hating the Witchers, but not blaming themselves?" - You asked with a sincere curiousness and moved to the balcony to stand in the warm breeze.

"There was always a life saved and a payment that needed to be paid." - Geralt shrugged his shoulders and smiled, looking into the distance. That smile was not happy at all - it was more embarrassed than amused. - "But that's the past. There's no need for the Witchers and that means that nobody has to train another generation, which results in happy families."

"So, you haven't abducted this girl? Don't tell me that she is your daughter. If so, ashen hair clearly runs in family." - You smiled at him, looking at a few of the noble elves dancing under the moonlight, playing lutes and drinking. There was nothing that could harm them and their passion for life... You loved that place so much.

"She's running from Nilfgaardians, as a lot of other people do these days. She was born in Cintra," - Geralt said, but you snapped at him, silencing him in an instant. For a moment, there was silence before you let out a short breath.

"Are we talking about the daughter of princess Pavetta of Cintra, who was also the daughter of Calanthé of Cintra? Born under the house of Raven?" - You looked at Geralt, slowly approaching the sofa. You surely didn't look like it, but you did in fact panicked.

"Yes. Cintra fell down in flames, but not without a fight. Nilfgaard is controlling the area at the moment." - Wolf stated as a fact, like if you should know about it. - "You elves really sleep on the hottest news, let me tell you."

"Our spy didn't come back from Cintra. We thought that maybe he fell in love or some other nonsense and decided to leave us. I will have to inform my father when we're done." - Your head nodded and slowly, you sat next to the Wolf again.

"When we're done? Is this an interrogation?".- Wolf chuckled. The wine was stronger than it appeared to be from the start.

"Sort of. When I told you that I'm interested in you, I was speaking the truth. You're a long time mystery to me." - You curled your knees under you, leaning down next to almost laid down Geralt.

"We met literally fifteen minutes ago. What's your name? I don't want to call you Miss Elf." - The Wolf chuckled and looked at you, finishing the cup of wine with one long swing.

"Y/N of Hain. And yours, Wolf?" - You smiled at the man, watching the contours of his face you grew to know by heart. Ashen hair of white and silver, golden eyes that sometimes appeared like a cat's eye, sharp lips and a round chin. Just as in your dreams. But... Better. He was a beautiful human being.

"Geralt of Rivia. A pleasure to meet you." - The Witcher took your palm gently and kissed the knuckles as you noticed the swift curling of his nose. Did Geralt of Rivia just smell you? That almost made you giggle.

"We have much to talk about, Geralt of Rivia. But take a rest now, lay down and sleep. I'll find you again when the time's right. And don't worry about Cirilla. Now, when we know who she is, we will do our best to help her." - You gently took the palm our of his, smiling at the man once again. Your wine was really strong after all. Before you left him alone, you called your beast to accompany you once again.

Geralt was left there to wander alone for what seemed to be a few days, but it was really hard to say how long he was in the Garden actually. The people were nice to him, kindly offered him food and drinks, fresh clothes and baths, they talked with him when he wanted to be entertained, but there were no signs of Cirilla the whole time. And even if the people were nice, they still were reserved. And the Garden also didn't have a whorehouse where would Geralt spent the night with the most pleasant relaxation of all.

You found him again that evening when he was watching the sunset, you walked to him dressed in a long robe resembling a negligee.

"And we meet again, Y/N." - Geralt bowed and gave you an amused smile. You chuckled at his acting. He sure seemed healthier and relaxed than when he and Cirilla arrived. Maybe the fact that he had fresh clothes made by your best seamstresses. It sure looked good on him. Again, he took your palm and kissed, more as a form of poking fun at the gentleman-ish behavior than actually meaning it.

But you noticed that he smelled your scent yet again, as he closed his eyes for a second.

"We do. Come now, Witcher, we'll talk." - You waved at him, leading him to one of the bathhouses. When you entered, all of the elves gave you an elegant bow before they helped you with taking the robe off of your body, tugging it down to your ankles. You remained dressed in a one-piece looking like a swimsuit. Then, you ascended into the hot water full of white orchids, humming even you felt your muscles slowly relax.

"So. As I told you, Geralt, so I meant. I'm interested in you." - He earned a smile as he sat on a bench from white stone, watching you in the water. - "You are the pinpoint of my interest at the moment, dear Witcher."

"What makes me so special of all the creatures you can talk to?" - Geralt gave you a smirk, leaning his elbows to his knees. He leaned much closer to you, watching you moving in water, small drops traveling on your shoulders.

"The fact that I'm seeing you in my dreams every night, slaying monsters, drinking alone in inns... Making love to women. All of that is what makes me so drawn to you. I know a lot about you, Geralt of Rivia, more than you'd suspect." - You said and disappeared under the water for a moment to clean your ears and hair. And it was a pleasurable look, when you straightened again, giving Witcher another look.

"Should I be scared or amused? Are you purposely watching me?" - The Witcher smiled at you, watching you put soap on your skin, gently massaging it in. You were pretty. Truly pretty. You wore every small drop like a diamond or a pearl, like one of your best pieces of jewelry. And the wet hair was framing your face and ears just right.

"Neither of those. I think that our minds work in the same radius or something like that. I haven't seen you in my dreams until a night before... Five human years. Something must've clicked inside of you, something had to change." - You said simply, cleaning yourself from the soap as you walked to one of the maids, letting them braid your hair.

"So, you've seen the worst and the best of me, I suppose." - Geralt said jokingly and that was the first time it made you laugh as well. And you were gorgeous. Truly, Geralt couldn't bring himself to look away for a small second.

"Depends on what you think is your worst and what is the best, Geralt. I won't lie, there are things I would like to see with my own eyes." - You answered and your tone sounded darker for a moment. Could that be a sign of affection? Or lust in the better option? When you saw the man flicking tongue over his lower lip, you needed to make the things clearer. - "Like slaying a Kikimora or play those funny cards."

Geralt nodded understandingly, being sure that there was something more in your demand. But you pretended like that haven’t happened at all.

“How did you become a Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, might I ask?” - You stepped out of the water and let the other elves to gently dry your skin with a silk towel.

“Simply. My mother took me to a fortress named Kaer Morhen located in Keadwen. I suspect she has done it since she was tied with Vesemir, that's my mister, by the law of surprise. I've met Vienna since here and there, but we are really nothing more than strangers.” - Geralt answered honestly and you nodded.

“I heard from father’s friend that you are called Gwynbleidd, meaning the White Wolf. Is that true? Also, how can you be a Geralt of Rivia when you were raised in Kaedwen? And turn around, please.” - You asked so many questions and you truly were interested. You wanted to get to know Geralt. You were curious and eager to learn more.

Geralt truly got up and turned around to look outside, his eyes still sneaking to look behind the towel with the mirror on the wall. You weren't exactly stupid, so you moved your lips and snapped. - “You better leave those eyes looking directly in front of you and start answering the questing, Gwynbleidd. Or you know what happens.” - You warned him and the great wolf accompanying you entered the bathroom, looking more like a spa.

“Alright, alright.” - Geralt truly turned away and looked outside once more, letting you have your space, while the wolf sat onto the bench in front of him. - “To answer your first question, yes, that is in fact true. Although I don't hear it that often, some call me Gwynbleidd. And why am I Geralt of Rivia and not Geralt of Keadwen? Well, that is a long story.”

“As my father says, we have eternity to explain and eons to understand. Start talking, Witcher. Don't leave me hanging.” - You turned your head to him briefly, taking a long robe on, covering your whole body with a few layers of clothing.

“Vesemir told us to choose a name when we were in training. The clientele is more likely to believe someone with a surname than someone without it. They believe that we are really hailing to a certain part of the world, which made us seem more... Human. I wished to be Geralt Roger Eric du Haute-Bellegarde, but that didn't exactly make it to the final cut. I chose Rivia, learned how to mimic their accent and I happen to save queen Meve’s army before Nilfgaardians. Geralt of Rivia, the mighty knight, at your service.” - He jokingly bowed to the wolf and for a moment, the animal seemed to be amused with the Witcher.

“That makes a lot of things clearer.” - You walked from behind the towel, the train of your robe was a good few feet behind you. - “Thank you for sharing and being honest with me, Geralt. I appreciate it. Now, excuse me once again, since I have my duties as a Hain and I have to check on Zireael.”

At that moment, Geralt ignored the animal in front of him, turning at you with anticipation. You knew what he is about to ask. You just looked at him and spoke way before he could ask. - “Worry not, Wolf, she is alive and well. I know that it is maybe harsh for you to be without your small girl so long, but she needs space to rest and to regain the containment to posses the elder powers. I swear to you on my life that we mean no harm to the girl and we take care of her as one of our own. Just as we take care of you.”

“I trust you. You are elves descending from the elder blood, after all. When can I see her?” - Geralt asked quietly, leaving the spa by your side. You exhaled slowly.

“Today, actually. There will be a celebration because Hain dynasties take elder blood very, very seriously. There are not a lot of beings who possess the power, not even elvish. Zireael is special.” - You bowed a bit and Geralt did as well, smiling at you lightly before kissing your hand once again - and sniffing it as well. You got a brief feeling that maybe, the Witcher could be somehow attracted to you, or whatever. You want sure since the elves rarely mingled or court shipped each other before they got married.

You looked him in the eyes, leaning your head to your shoulder with a smile. You didn't even realize that you were blushing at that moment, even if you noticed that your heart rate was higher than usual.

“I will find you if you want to accompany me in the evening. Actually, I insist that you will be my company.” - You walked past him, being followed by the Wolf, walking towards one of the buildings, looking like grace itself.

You knew where Cirilla was - you have visited her many times before, just talking to her, learning more about her - that she was an orphan raised by her grandmother, that Geralt of Rivia accidentally called the law of surprise, not knowing that Pavetta is pregnant and why exactly she is escaping the Nilfgaardians. But at the end of the day, she was still only a thirteen-year-old, no matter if she was a princess or a descendant of the elders. You kept her in a spacious room full of various animals she could play with, you kept your eye on her, making her eat, bathe and drink something.

Cirilla, or as you called her, Zireael, didn't exactly adore you, but she developed some kind of relationship towards you. She trusted you since you were a face she seemed often. She kept asking about Geralt, but you succeeded to calm her down, telling her that her dear Witcher is still inside the walls of the Garden, waiting for her to take her time.

You found her petting one of wolf cubs, playing with it. She immediately acknowledged your presence and smiled at you, having the cub laid down on her lap.

“How are you feeling today? Are you better?” - You sat on the sofa, watching Zireael sitting on the ground. She nodded and exhaled. - “Less tired for sure. But I'm starting to get bored, being locked all day in here. No offense to your hospitality, but I don't find funny doing the same things over and over again.”

At least, she was honest. You chuckled and nodded at her. For some, it was boring - but since you lived for eons, you already have found your system and things to spend the endless life with. Elves were just different than humans.

“And no offense taken. You will be fine in no time at all, that’s what I can promise, Zireael. But I want to talk with you today. It is important.” - You patted on the seat beside. As you usually did, Ciri turned her back at you so you could braid her ashen hair with complex elvish hairstyles, braiding in jewelry. - “Tell me now, what do you know about your powers?”

“That I can't contain them. That chaos... It is too strong for me. I don't know how to control it, I don't know when the powers show themselves again. They are too much for me and I can do multiple things. Like, I can scream funny.” - She answered and you giggled at that. You liked the way she talked to you - you could feel how young she actually is.

“You, my dear Shallow, are a Source. Before you ask, let me explain.” - You calmed her down, feeling the incoming questions in the air. Cirilla nodded and you put another strand of hair on its place.

“A Source is someone who was born with strong magical abilities, not like the ones sorceresses have. Our chaos, mine and yours, is different than theirs. It comes from the power of the elder ones and their blood. Your powers can be contained only with will and training, but it is possible. Remember that understanding comes with time and that you can't rush it. Try to use the powers with your will and just concentrate on that. Give it the time. Neither I learned everything about my abilities, not just yet.” - You calmed her down, smoothing a trail over the back of her neck. - “Remember that you the more you will be in stress, the more powerful the chaos inside of you gets. It is yet to be determined how many abilities you will possess, but I am very curious about that. Also, I have a question. Have you found the Garden?” - You asked silently, finishing the braid with a gentle, yet masterful knot.

Ciri got quiet for a while before she shook her head. You thaught all the time that Ciri found the Garden since she was of elder blood. But this obviously wasn't the case. - “Then how did you got in?”

“Geralt led the way since I passed out at the moment we entered a small village. I don't know how he did it, he just told me that he... He had a feeling. Something inside was leading him until he passed the magical barrier. That was the moment I woke up and saw about twenty elves in a beautiful dress standing in front of us alongside two soldiers. They were clearly surprised.” - Ciri told you and to you, it sounded like she was telling the truth.

So it wasn't her and her elder abilities. Your suspicion clearly failed. Was there a possibility that the connection could be present on both sides? Could Geralt feel that you are somewhere out there as well? Was your connection made by destiny supposed to save Ciri?

“All right. That makes sense.” - You patted her shoulder and tried to look cool looking her in the face. - “You look very pretty, princess of Cintra. Now, you will come with me and together, we will prepare for a celebration.”

As you told Ciri, you took her to your chambers where she had her dress prepared as well - your robe was rather extravagant, made in light blue with sparkly stones holding on your breast, worn with an elegant robe in the color of lilacs. Cirilla was dressed in the color of gold made precisely on her tiny figure.

“You look like an angel.” - She whispered when you came from the bedroom with new jewelry around your neck, fingers, and ears. You chuckled and shook your head, nodding at Ciri to get to your side. - “Is the gentleman ready?” - You asked your maid who was supposed to monitor Geralt while he had to clean up and dress up for the occasion as well.

“Yes, Hain, the gentleman is ready and awaiting you.” - The elf bowed to you and you did as well, Ciri repeating your actions as well. You lend her a few pieces of your jewelry and she truly looked like she has something in common with the elves.

When she saw Geralt, it felt like a heavyweight was lifted off her shoulders. She almost started to cry when she ran down the rest of the stairs down to hug him tightly, burying her face in his chest. You didn't smile at the sight, neither you actually looked at them, you just felt happy inside. Geralt exhaled loudly and his eyes closed with the sudden calmness that washed all over him and his soul. Cirilla looked alive and well, just as you promised.

And you looked just like a masterpiece. When Geralt finally let the girl out of his arms and his look landed you, he actually stopped thinking for a moment. Your scent got into his nose again and occupied his mind, just as it always did. Usually, when he kissed your hand, he tried to get the most essence directly from your skin, but you just smelled wonderful.

He also thought about the same thing as you did - if he found the Garden on his own, could you be the beacon that led him there? Were you sending signals that begged for salvation and deliverance? Was it even possible? It could be since destiny proved you that you and Geralt will meet and cross paths one day. But you were slowly possessing his mind. Only one woman could do that, but she was far gone and forsaken the Witcher, probably for good that time.

As always, he slowly bowed before he approached you, this time, he was very cautious with the bow, looking you in the eyes the whole time. Then his palm caught yours and kissed your knuckles full of jewelry, just as his lips always did. Ciri was looking at you with interest in her eyes, watching both you and Geralt.

She heard him talking about some sorceress named Yennefer who fought in the battle of Sodden and when Cirilla and Geralt visited Sodden, there was a stone obelisk including two big names - Yennefer of Vengenberg and Triss Merigold. Ciri understood that Yennefer is the one who Geralt was searching for - seeing him eyeing someone else was gross, but it made her smile.

You looked at Geralt when he offered his elbow to entwine with, and you were completely confused. Of course, you were a high elf - you didn't walk around like normal beings did. You raised your hand to the air, in the middle of you and Geralt, waiting for his palm to support yours. It looked awfully similar to a wedding march, but Geralt shut his mouth and lead you to the greatest hall in the Gardens, just in the middle of a great elvish feast.

Elvish feasts, unlike any others, were pretty calm and always light-hearted events full of the best food, lutes playing, socially acceptable dancing and never anything going wrong - any fistfights, any arguments. You led both Geralt and Ciri to the head of a long table, to sit alongside the Hain as guests of honor.

And to be honest, the celebration was enjoyable for both Cirilla and Geralt. They were mesmerized with old elvish tales sang in the old language of elves. And the food was just out of the world - there were salads, sweet treats, meat served in a style that Geralt has never seen ever before, various fruits and uncommon vegetables. The light was slowly going out and you couldn't but notice that the Witcher disappeared, since he was no longer sitting next to you. You formally excused yourself and went to search for the lost guest.

You found him after a while - he was alone, sitting on a bench in the gardens on the east, watching the sun slowly setting down behind the horizon, making the sky around it pink. It was a beautiful sight and sometimes, you watched it as well.

“Are you not amused by the feast, Wolf?” - You asked and sat beside him, watching the sunset as well.

“it’s not like that. I know you don't want us here, but you showed us a warm embrace and that is something I can appreciate.” - Geralt told you and turned his look you. You smiled, playing with your jewelry again.

“We would never eject guests who found the way into the Garden on their own. Even more fascinating is that you overcame the magic on your own. All respect to you for that.” - You answered honestly and Geralt smirked as well.

“Sunsets are just a sight, aren't they?” - Geralt asked simply, silenced for a moment and then spoke again. - “For many people, it is the sign that the day has ended and another one is coming, but not for Witchers. For me, it means a small moment of complete peace with the world, where monsters don't exist and can't attack me or anyone else. I guess that I am a sunset lover.”

You tried your best to understand, but you weren't a witcher and you never met any beast. You never left the Garden. It was like a utopian city hidden in the world of chaos - perfect, yet stereotypical. You never tasted the thrill of adventure, the feeling of fear when you would be fighting for your life.

“I know you cant understand. That's fine. Don't worry about it. Soon, we’ll disappear and everything will be all right again.” - Geralt brushed off with a hurting tone. You took a small breath in and didn't know what to answer to that man. So you shut up and let him talk.

“I have lived enough to taste every feeling - loss, happiness, something like love and physical lust, sadness, fear. But I never felt anything like this. Destiny knew that we’ll meet and bonded us together.” - Geralt furrowed and looked away from you. - “But I think that was just a joke that was told one time and it's not funny anymore.”

“What kind of joke?” - You whispered back, feeling new feelings and emotions awakening inside of you. You felt many things throughout the eons you’ve lived for - you’ve felt delighted, happy, sad, nostalgic, melancholic, but you never felt the thing you were feeling at that moment.

“Destiny bonded me with a woman who is beautiful, mysterious and charming. I never talk this much with anyone, but when you’re around, I can't bring myself to shut up. Somehow, you confuse me and interest me without doing absolutely nothing more than asking questions.” - Geralt looked away and exhaled loudly. There was a prolonged silence as you tried to contain the emotions and brought yourself back together - but your cheeks were almost burning, your heart rate was off the charts, making you deaf for long seconds and your eyes hung on every single word he said.

“The beauty is just a mask I’m wearing, Geralt of Rivia. Everyone here is just as beautiful as I am, but what are we inside? Have you thought of that? We just live from one day to another, we do the same things every day since we grow up and we insert ourselves into the politics of men, which shouldn’t our concern at all. One day, even I will get old and die, but that is eons, eons away. You have a real life. I just exist. It was a cruel move from destiny to bring such an interesting man my way and I’m not sure if I will ever get back to my normal life or if I will be anticipating every night just to see you in my dreams.” - You answered with a shaky tone, then you stood up and walked onto a terrace above the sea to take a few breaths in, just watching the sunset.

“Is everything alright?” - Geralt asked quietly after a while, following you onto the terrace.

“I'm just confused. I feel my heart pounding and I'm short with the breath, my head is spinning... I never felt that before. What does it mean?” - You asked back without looking at him.

“That means you're alive. For the first time in your life.” - Geralt stood up next to you, moving his left palm so close that your fingers almost brushed. - “Nothing is better than that.”

And then he slipped his hand to cover yours and your gaze just stuck at the place where your bodies were touching. He felt warm. His palms were completely dry. And his touch was gentle, so much, that you had goosebumps just as you normally did when you were cold, which didn't happen often.

“Can you show me more of what it means to be alive?” - You whispered to him, taking another shaky breath in when his hand moved onto your shoulder, as it made its way to the back of your neck.

You got very nervous when he moved his body closer, pressing you onto him, holding the back of your neck. You felt like fainting and you barely stood on your legs. It was a warm touch, the gentlest one which felt like tightest. But you didn't want him to let you go. For some reason, his eyes were flickering between your wide opened eyes and lips.

When your lips finally touched, it felt like electricity going through your veins and your whole body, making you stiff from your head to your toes. It felt like heaven. And you would never say that someone else can have a taste - and Geralt tasted sweet with small remains of chocolate.

You didn't even know that you stood there until the moon rose into the sky, stars shining down. First, you were scared to even move. After a while, you tried some things and in the end, you knew perfectly what you were doing. You hand roamed Wolf’s body on its own as you instinctively tried to feel more of your body.

Gael was right when she predicted that the man in your dreams will mean a catastrophe for you. You have sinned, maybe even unaware. But you finally felt alive.

And nothing felt better than that.

#geralt of rivia #the witcher #the white wolf #gwynbleidd #the witcher netflix #princess cirilla #princess ciri #zireael #andrzej sapkowski #the world of the witcher #here you go #enjoy please

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mr-mormons-adventures · 5 years

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Week 63!

Hey everyone! This week has been pretty crazy and pretty awesome! As the title suggests, winter has finally come to Missouri, and he came with a spiked baseball bat. Winter hit us hard here. How hard? Read on and see! Wednesday: Wednesday was a fun day. We had district council, and two of the other companionships brought some food for people to eat: cheesecake and a tin of cookies. The cheesecake was alright, but the cookies were way stale. So, since there were a bunch of kids running around the church, we just figured we'd leave them out for the kids/parents to have, right? Wrong. We left the tin on a chair holding the door to the room open, and when a kid came by, the parent said, "No, those probably aren't for us, ignore them." We happily called out that they were, in fact, for anyone. To which the mother replied (in a rather passive-aggressive tone) "We won't have any. We're here for a Healthy Changes Support Group, so if you could just take those away, that would be nice." Seriously? What are the odds?? And who deprives their children of beautiful, delicious sugar??😢 But oh well. After district council we did a lot of tracting (read: three hours) then we went to Mutual to help one of the young men of the ward with his Eagle Scout Project. His project was to make little felt-bottomed boxes to roll dice in, since apparently there is a large club at the local library that play frequently. Also, after helping, we were playing around with a volleyball with some of the 12-year-olds, and I may or may not have accidentally kicked the volleyball into one of the kids' faces. Oops. They all laughed it off though, so it was chill..😯 Thursday: Thursday was fun. We made little felt stockings for future dinner messages with members, then we went to the church to try to call some people to set up appointments. After, we had lunch and companionship study, which was reading a conference talk by Elder Holland. I'm trying to read/listen to/watch all of his talks since his very first one. By the way, if any of you want a good talk about fatherhood and how difficult it can be, listen to his very first talk. We should've known he was going to be a fire speaker from that talk. Anyway, we went to go finding afterwards, which was more tracting. We had dinner with the Payne family which was some good taco soup. Afterwards while we were talking, they told us that a pretty big snowstorm coming in the next day in the evening. So they told us to be careful, and we said we (probably) would be. Friday: Friday, we went to the church and did our weekly planning. When we got there, it was overcast, but not a single snowflake fell. We went to go have lunch back at the apartment, then came back to the church to finish. As we went in, a few flakes were falling, but not really anything serious. (As a joke, I texted in a GIF to our district, the one from LOTR where Theoden is like "So it begins" before the Battle of Helm's Deep. Ended up being accurate.) After we finished, we went to go send out the ward council email, and by then there were a few more flakes, and things were starting to stick. As we typed up the email and did a few things there, we watched as probably three inches accumulated within the hour. That was the only warning this storm gave, and we should've listened. We met with Brother Wade at the church still, and by the time we finished, there was at least 5". We drove back to our apartment to have dinner, then during dinner we received a message that, per mission president's request, cars were not to be driven. So we were stuck. We called a few people to check in on them, then tried to set up a few appointments. But without a car, we weren't really able to go out and do much, especially since we didn't want to make members drive us around. As I wrote in my journal Friday night around 9pm, it was still snowing, and it was nearly at 8". Saturday: You'd think that a snowstorm like that would have run out by this point, but that's what you get for thinking, because it was only starting at this point. When we got up, it was still snowing. As we did our morning studies, it was still snowing. And as we planned for what to do, it was still snowing. And accumulating. So we basically planned that we were going to shovel people's driveways all day. But we didn't have snow shovels. We knew the Church always has some we could borrow, but the cars weren't able to drive at this point, since President Bateman hadn't dropped his order yet. But then he said that if the roads were plowed, we could drive, but be careful about it. So, once we saw that the roads were clear, we cleared off the car to go get some snow shovels. Looking at the car, there was a six-inch wall of snow behind it preventing us from getting out. We had two options - clear it away with our hands/feet, or just try to drive over it and see what happens. You all know me well enough to know that I chose option #2. But it worked out well, because when I got in the car to back it up, I remembered - our car has all-wheel drive. So I backed the car out of the spot and over the wall with no trouble at all. It was like the car wasn't even trying. As we went throughout the day, the car acted like there wasn't even snow for the most part. We went and got the shovels, but to get to the church, we had to park in a nearby neighborhood and walk over there. Mind you, during all of today's adventures, it was still snowing. We tried to clear some of the sidewalks of the church, but it was still coming down, so we gave up and had lunch. After lunch we went to go check on a few members to see if they needed help to clear their snow. Most people already had it done, but they gave us some recommendations on who to go see. One of them was our Elders Quorum president who had pneumonia. We tried to park in their driveway to help, but it wasn't cleared enough, so we had to go park in their neighbor's driveway. We walked up to ask if that was alright, and we talked for a bit about why we were there, that we were only going to be 20 minutes while we cleared a spot for our car, etc.. Well, as it turned out, the neighbor owned a snowplow for his truck, and he was just about to go and clear a bunch of other places. So, he drove over and cleared it for us! It turned what was surely going to be a 2-hour project into less than 4 minutes for him. We thanked him a ton, then went to go clear more driveways. Some were in nicely plowed neighborhoods, others not so much. But our intrepid Fusion got us where we needed to go, every time! Our dinner appointment came and picked us up from our apartment, which was nice of him. As we drove back to our apartment, the storm had mostly subsided to just a light flurry. It took this storm roughly 24 hours to get out all of its big stuff, but it wasn't quite done. Sunday: Sunday morning, it was still snowing, albeit lightly. We got some texts from missionaries asking about who had canceled church and who was still having it. Our ward decided to stick it out since we were so close to the building, but a few other wards canceled. So we ended up having 3 set of missionaries in the ward for the day! After church, we went to go check on a few people that we had thought about to make sure they were okay. The snowstorm finally subsided by this point, and there was little to no precipitation coming down. We had dinner with a fun family, the Thomas'. Then after dinner, we were able to watch the Yough Adult devotional with Elder & Sister Renlund. It was super awesome, and I recommend that everyone watch it, if only for the great parable they used. Monday: Monday was our first vaguely normal day since the storm. We went out in the morning to try to see if we could get a hold of Ron, someone previous elders had taught but who we were never able to get a hold of. Well, turns out that he was home, with his mother, who is an active member. We were able to teach him the Restoration, and also put him on date for baptism! We were super excited about it, and we are really excited to keep teaching him. He has a hard time learning and understanding sometimes, but he's a sweet guy and he's really trying his best. After that, we had lunch, and I made banana bread. We dropped off a loaf at the kind stranger's house, the guy who plowed the driveway for us. We also left him with a copy of the Book of Mormon and our number, just in case. We had dinner on our own, then we tried calling people in the evening. Also, it was transfer call day. I didn't really mention it earlier, but it's all good because only one Elder in the zone is leaving, and it's not me or Elder Jones. This does make him the first companion I've had since Elder Cardiff to stay more than one transfer, so that's neat! And that's the week! It was absolutely crazy fun and awesome, and I'm so happy with all the snow we got. I love snow. And I now also love the Ford Fusion, as that car does not stop for anything. I hope you all have a wonderful week! Love, Elder Brown

[Image description: A group text with a picture of Elder Brown standing in his apartment bundled up in a trenchcoat, a beanie, and sunglasses with a scarf wrapped around his face. His gloved hands are giving two thumbs up. The caption is: “Ready for service tracting!”]

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homosociallyyours · 5 years

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a friend just posted a pic on fb of the coffee shop we used to hang out at, taken way back in the day. it’s just a shot of the place taken from inside, looking out the big glass windows and onto the street of downtown chattanooga. but one friend pointed out that she could see another friend’s van parked across the street, and one of the baristas came on and said he’d taken the photo and then proceeded to post a bunch more.

anyway i’m feeling nostalgic so i’m posting about it. memories behind the cut.

i started going there when i was maybe 15 years old. i don’t remember why, but it’s likely that the artsy nerd club i was a part of (we stayed after school to watch amadeus and monty python and we’d sometimes go to the local art museum) went there after a meeting one day. or maybe someone told me about it. anyway, it was my favorite place to go. i would drink pots of tea, always trying new things.

on my 16th birthday my parents got me a teapot from there and a gift certificate to buy tea with. i had that teapot til it broke a year ago. 20+ years! it moved with me to and from college, to nyc, california, texas, and back to california. damn.

anyway after i’d been going for a while i started talking with the owner. his name was ian, and he was pretty young. he loved tea and coffee and he had a roaster where they’d make their own coffee. it was loud and lovely, and for a long time it lived up front, right by a little elevated area with couches. when it was running you couldn’t hear anything and had no choice but to either shout or be quiet.

ian encouraged my love of tea, and offered to keep track of everything i’d tried in a little notebook that was kept behind the counter. i got to make notes on every pot i drank, and i remember writing “terrible! grass!” after my first pot of green tea (it was oversteeped--my fault--and probably made with water that was too hot--their fault). i had my first pu-er there, and fell in love with its damp leaf flavor and that turned earth scent that it has. i drank multiple pots of jasmine pearls and wrote a caffeine fueled poem about it with a friend. i loved that little coffee shop.

i don’t remember when i went from hanging out inside to hanging out outside, but i feel like i was 18 or so. the older people (they were probably barely 21-25, fucking babies) sat out there smoking and drinking coffee. i developed a crush one summer on a guy who made me think of arthur dent for some reason (don’t ask because i don’t know) and we went on one awkward date and didn’t kiss, and now i wonder what’s happened to him and if he, too, wasn’t straight. who knows? someone, i’m sure, but i can’t remember his last name anymore so is it even relevant?

i’d never felt cool til i went off to college. it was like leveling up without trying, like when you’re playing a game and do one action and suddenly all your stats are refilled and you’re like...this is unexpected? but i’ll take it? i think that’s why i decided i could really sit with the outside tables. that and my bff, who was dating someone who was friends with a lot of those people, would show up sometimes and sit out there.

(if you’ve actually been reading along so far, here’s where i’m gonna introduce you to a bunch of people i’ve never talked about before and will likely never mention again. just so you have fair warning.)

the cast of characters shifted a lot, but there were always the constants. scott, the barista, who was much older than most of the people hanging out but looked young and seemed young. i look back with adult eyes and question the relationship we had, but at the time i just thought it was cool that someone so much older thought i was worth hanging out with. but he was 30 when i was 19, and man that’s a lotta years. he had a summer where he hit on my friend and i constantly, after his wife left him and he was kinda floundering a bit. but it never went past flirting and it never bothered me, though like i said it kinda does now. we were still hanging out when i was 21 and we’d go get beers after the coffee shop closed at ten or midnight. he’d turn up obnoxious music really loud and i’d sometimes help close.

there was gabe and george, brother and sister in a family of people with names starting with the letter g. george was tiny and cute and either very drunk or very hyper from coffee at all times. gabe was a nerd who was usually quiet but loved to play scrabble, and we’d take the board inside sometimes and battle one another. he was much better than me, i won’t lie. liz and ever were both writers who would play with us sometimes. ever had changed her name at some point (to ever; any name she had before is irrelevant) and when we met she explained the meaning of her new name, which i won’t give because damn it’s very google-able.

she was a so fascinating to me, always talking about some feminist theory or philosopher, and i always felt so smart when we’d hang out. like a Serious Thoughtful Adult and not a kid. and liz was less serious but no less smart. she played scrabble a lot more and for a while we got pretty close. she took me out after coffee sometimes to a shitty bar with pool tables and tried to teach me how to play pool. she had her own cue and even though she was like 5′2″ she could break like nobody’s business. i never figured out how to do that part.

alex would come with us sometimes. he was tall and handsome and rode a motorcycle, and was the first openly bi guy i ever met. one time he invited me over to his house and we laid around listening to the smiths and talking. he burned me a copy of their greatest hits that i still have, all scratched up so it probably doesn’t play anymore. he crashed his bike more than once driving drunk. dumb fuckin kid. now he repairs coffee machines and sails, i think. life is funny.

a few other people ran in groups. meg and waide and the aforementioned jason and ardyce. some people called meg “big megan” and another megan (her family was really wealthy, rich southern politicians who knew the clintons and have a mention in sweet home alabama--the song, not the movie) was “little megan” because she was still in high school. i joked that i was medium megan, but the whole thing was awkward because big megan was fat and i was small fat and little megan was skinny. i’m gonna blame it on thoughtless dudes, but who the fuck knows? we all pretended not to mind it anyway.

waide ended up being a connection with other people who i met later. my hometown is weird in that it’s actually a pretty big part of the southern punk scene, so a lot of punks i meet have spent time there, and anyone over a certain age probably spent time at the bar waide worked at (the stone lion, and then maybe also the pickle barrel) so he’s one of those people who i’ll end up mentioning even though we haven’t spoken in years.

at some point a kid named ory showed up. i think he was 16 when he started coming around, and i used to call him puppy because he was excitable and silly, full of energy one minute and then mopey crashing the next. like a lot of people there he drank a lot and would be fucked up sometimes and make dumb choices. i always wanted to protect him. when i was 22 (and he was 19, i think) we ended up sitting together at the second lotr movie and having some kind of weird chemistry. that summer i drove him home one night and we had a super heavy make out with lots of clothed grinding. honestly the furthest i’ve ever gone with a cis straight(ish, he hooked up with a couple dudes but idk if he’d say he’s bi) dude and it was awkward in that we never talked about it? and then he came to visit me a couple years later in new york because he was in the navy, and he got super drunk and passed out on my couch and was a mess because he literally never stopped being a puppy.

he’s fucked up now, fully cancelled bc he said shit about girls rock camp (really dude?) and also probably cheated on his wife on their honeymoon? idk, it was fb rumors and then he deleted. but i’d believe it, honestly.

and then there were all these absolutely random downtown characters: dirty mark (a crusty punk who was drunk or high most of the time) and shirtless dave (yeah he really didn’t wear a shirt that much) usually came as a pair. sometimes dave hung out with a guy my friends and i called blue hair. he once hit on my friend and she panicked and gave him my number instead of hers because her brain didn’t make up a fake number fast enough.

there was sandy the flower man, who just passed away a couple weeks ago. he’d get flowers from local florists and go around on his bike, stopping into the coffee shop or to bars with roses and carnations and daisies. people gave him money usually, but sometimes he’d just hand you a flower because he wanted to. i saw a picture from a memorial and there was a portrait of him that was sat on top of his bicycle, all of it surrounded with flowers on flowers. so pretty. it’s what he deserved.

things changed around 2005 or so, i think. by that time, all the old baristas had left and the kids who came in were all weirdly religious and went to the christian college on the mountain. they made shitty coffee and sometimes played xtian rock and most of the old regulars couldn’t take it anymore. ian got sick around that time, too, and ended up selling the place. they stopped carrying much tea, if any.

but they finally sold the space and moved in like 2015. i remember the first time i drove by and didn’t see the lights on inside. it felt like seeing a friend from grade school all grown up, maybe the kid you had a crush on but they have a family now and you don’t think they’d recognize you at all so you just have to walk away. gone.

fuck this post is long as shit, i’m sorry for anyone on mobile. but damn it was good to get my memories out.

#long post #text post #personal #coffee shop memories #i thought i was so grown up

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