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astral-nautica · 4 years

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Operators that we know the real names of (UPDATED 1/7/24):

"Codename" Real name

*"Aak" Ah Zai

*"Absinthe" Zoya (unsure whether its her first or last name)

*"Angelina" Angelina Ajimu

*"April" Airlie/Ailie (unknown last name)

*"Archetto" Hildegard (unknown last name)

*"Ashlock" Greynuty 'Ashley' Kaliska

*"Astesia" Astesia L'ubica/Urbica

*"Astgenne" Elena Urbica

*"Aurora" Lhola/Lara (unknown last name)

*"Ayerscarpe" Ayers (unknown last name)

*"Bagpipe" Fiona Young

*"Beehunter" Shura (unknown last name)

*"Bison" Bison Pides

*"Blacknight" Ye Ban

*"Blemshine" Maria Nearl

*"Breeze" Grace Arizona

*"Cardigan" Merry (unknown last name)

*"Catapult" Arleta (unknown last name)

*"Cement" Shana Moleman

*"Ceylon" Ceylon Doykos

*"Ch'en" Ch'en Hui-chieh

*"Chong Yue" Shuo

*"Cliffheart" Ensia Silverash

*"Courier" Weiss (unknown last name)

*"Czerny" William Vught/Ficht Czerny

*"Dorothy" Dorothy Franks

*"Dur-nar" Makayla Springthunder

*"Earthspirit" Glacier Wegney

*"Ebenholz" Franz Von Urtica

*"Enforcer" Ezell Pastore

*"Eunectes" Zumama (unknown last name)

*"Executor" Frederico Giallo

*"Exusiai" Lemuel (unknown last name)

*"Eyjafjalla" Adele Naumann

*"Fartooth" Justyna Valentine

*"FEater" Wan Shêng-shêng

*"Fiametta" Fiametta (unknown last name)

*"Flametail" Sona (unknown last name)

*"Flint" Kemar (unknown last name)

*"Folinic" Louisa (unknown last name)

*"Friston-3" Trevor Friston

*"Gladiia" Gla-dia (unknown last name, if any)

*"Gnosis" Gnosis Edelweiss

*"Goldenglow" Susie Grate

*"Gravel" Senomy (unknown last name)

*"Gummy" Lada (unknown last name)

*"Harmonie" Rosalie

*"Heidi" Heidi Thomson

*"Honeyberry" Zoey Perris

*"Horn" Rita Skamandros

*"Hung" Kao Hsi-sheng/ Ko Hei-Sing

*"Indigo" Aria (unknown last name)

*"Indra" Hannah Jackson

*"Insider" Richele Colombo

*"Irene" Irene (unknown last name)

*"Istina" Anna Morozova

*"Jessica" Jessica Brynley

*"Kazemaru" Kate (unknown last name)

*"Kirara" Mika (unknown last name)

*"Kjera" Kjeragandr (unknown last name, if any)

*"La Pluma" Rafaela Silva

*"Lappland" Lappland Salazzo/Saluzzo

*"Leizi" Lin Qingyuan/Qingyan

*"Leonhardt" Wright (unsure whether its his first or last name)

*"Lin" Lin Yühsia/Yuxia

*"Lumen" Jodi/Jordi Fontanarosa

*"Matterhorn" Matterhorn Yak/Yek

*"Mayer" Mayer Stony

*"Midnight" Yoru (unknown last name)

*Minimalist" Stitch Canvas

*"Mint" Eleanor (unknown last name)

*"Mizuki" Izu-mik (unknown last name, if any)

*"Mountain" Anthony Simon

*"Mr. Nothing" Ch'u (Ch'u Wu-yu?)

*"Mulberry" Gu Ningning

*"Myłnar" Myłnar Nearl

*"Myrrh" Adelaide (unknown last name)

*"Nearl" Margaret Nearl

*"Nightingale" Liz (unknown last name)

*"Nightmare" Gloria Rebel Pasbelletti

*"Passenger" Elliot Glover

*"Penance" Lavinia Falcone

*"Perfumer" Lena (unknown last name)

*"Phantom" Lucien (unknown last name)

*"Pinecone" Mina (unknown last name)

*"Platinum" Centaurea (unknown last name)

*"Plume" Rhea/Leia (unknown last name)

*"Pozëmka" Avdotya Sharppen (born Avdotya Nikolaevna Ivanova)

*"Pramanix" Anya/Enya Silverash

*"Proviso" Deszcz (unknown last name)

*"Ptilosis" Joyce Moore

*"Puzzle" Fischer (unknown last name)

*"Reed" Loughshinny Dublinn

*"Roberta" Roberta Baker

*"Rockrock" Rochelle Rockwell

*"Rosa" Natalya Andreyevna Rostova

*"Rosmantis" Narcissa (unknown last name)

*"Saileach" Jane Willow

*"Saria" Saria (unknown last name)

*"Scavenger" Hamelin (unknown last name)

*"Shining" Quesasina (unknown last name)

*"Siege" Alexandrina (AKA Vina/Verna) Victoria

*"Silence" Olivia Silence

*"SilverAsh" Enciodas Silverash

*"Skadi" Ishar-mla (unknown last name, if any)

*"Skyfire" Ethelflaed Julie Mountbelan

*"Specter" Laurentina (unknown last name, if any)

*"Spot" Beigh/Bukar Bornu

*"Stainless" Faist (unknown if last name)

*"Steward" (unknown first name) Steward

*"Suzuran" Lisa (unknown last name)

*"Swire" Beatrix Schwire

*"Tequila" Ernesto Salas

*"Texas" Cellinia Texas

*"Toddifons" Arianrhod Blodeuwedd

*"Totter" Totter (unknown last name)

*"Vigil" Leontuzzo Bellone

*"Whislash" Zofia Nearl

*"Wild Mane: Iwona Krukowska

*"Zima" Sonya (unknown last name)

-------------------------------------------------------

I honestly probably missed some, but that's because I don't have everyone yet (but I did get most from the wikia). Also some of the spellings seem to vary that's why some have a /. Feel free to let me know if I missed any.

(So Mr. Nothing I'm not sure if "Ch'u Wu-yu" is his actual name or another alias because this it what it says on the wikia "Ch'u Wu-yu/Chu Wuyou based on his surname and a Yanese proverb "nothing but fictitious.")

Spoiler/Unreleased below

-------------------------------------------------------

*"Bryophyta" Enis Weiser

*"Almond" Laura Arias

*"Bassline" Michael Wolfgang/Lupogang

*"Coldshot" Anna Mitterrand

*"Dagda" Isabelle Montague

*"Morgan" Kate Morrigan

*"Delphine" Delphine Windermere

*"Diamante" Heinz (unknown if first or last name)

*"Incandescence" Monica (unknown last name)

*"Lessing" Lessing Mayer/Meyer

*"Leto" Rosalind (unknown last name)

*"Poncirus" Enmeier Andieross

*"Santalla" Simone (unknown last name)

"U-Official" Eureka (unknown last name)

*"Valarqvin" Alki/Alcis (unknown last name, if any)

*"Vendela" Magdal Shaw

*"Virtuosa" Arturia Giallo

*"Viviana" Viviana Droste

#arknights #mostly for myself since i like knowing their names #but its good for others too (like if they wanna writes fics or something idk)

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sknews7 · 4 years

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Chadwick Boseman en emotiva entrevista por el impacto cultural de Black Panther R.I.P WAKANDAFOREVER

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click on right here to obtain my ebook

#wakandaforever #chadwickboseman #blackpanther

El actor del éxito de Marvel tenía cuatro años luchando contra el cáncer y grabó sus roles más icónicos “durante y entre innumerables cirugías y quimioterapia”

El actor tenía cáncer desde 2016 El actor Chadwick Boseman, protagonista de “Black Panther”, ha muerto a los 42 años. La familia del actor confirmó la triste noticia a través de las redes sociales del intérprete del súper héroe dentro del universo de Marvel.

“Es con inconmensurable dolor que confirmamos la muerte de Chadwick Boseman”, decía el comunicado.

De acuerdo con el mismo, Boseman fue diagnosticado con cáncer de colón en etapa III desde 2016. Durante los últimos cuatro años éste progresó a la última etapa, sin embargo, el actor nunca hizo público su estado de salud.

“Un verdadero luchador, Chadwick perseveró a través de todo y les trajo muchas de las películas que tanto han llegado a amar”, cube el comunicado.

“Desde ’Marshall’ hasta ’Da 5 Bloods’, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Backside’ de August Wilson y varios más, todos fueron filmados durante y entre innumerables cirugías y quimioterapia”, reveló.

Pero, de acuerdo al comunicado, fue “el honor de su carrera dar vida al rey T’Challa en ’Black Panther’”. Boseman falleció en su casa, junto a su esposa y al lado de su familia, según un comunicado.

“La familia les agradece por su amor y oraciones y les pide que continúen respetando su privacidad durante este tiempo tan difícil”, señaló el comunicado publicado en su cuenta de Twitter.

Boseman nació en Carolina del Sur el 29 de noviembre de 1977, realizó sus estudios de la Universidad Howard y desempeñó pequeños papeles en la televisión antes de su primer papel estelar en 2013.

Su sorprendente interpretación del estoico astro Jackie Robinson junto a Harrison Ford en la cinta “42” de 2013 llamó la atención en Hollywood. El actor falleció el mismo día en que las Grandes Ligas celebraban el Día de Jackie Robinson.

El personaje de T’Challa apareció por primera vez en el taquillero filme “Captain America: Civil Struggle”, de 2016, y su saludo “Wakanda por siempre” reverberó por todo el mundo tras el lanzamiento de “Black Panther” hace dos años.

Desde que las noticias se dieron a conocer, seguidores, colegas e incluso políticos dieron su pésame a la familia del actor.

”Este es un golpe aplastante”, afirmó el actor y director Jordan Peele en Twitter.

“Nuestros corazones están destrozados y nuestros pensamientos están con la familia de Chadwick Boseman. Tu legado vivirá para siempre. Descansa en paz”, compartió la cuenta de Twitter de los Estudios Marvel.

“Fue un gran honor trabajar contigo y conocerte. Qué ser humano tan generoso y sincero. Creías en la naturaleza sagrada del trabajo y lo diste todo. Mucho cariño a tu familia. Y mucho cariño de todos los que nos fuimos de aquí”, expresó Mark Ruffalo.

“Mi corazón está roto. Mi amigo y compañero Bison Chadwick Boseman period brillante, amable, culto y humilde. Se fue demasiado pronto, pero su vida marcó la diferencia. Enviando mi más sentido pésame a su familia”, escribió Kamala Harris, candidata demócrata a la vicepresidencia para las elecciones de 2020. “El verdadero poder de Chadwick Boseman period más grande que todo lo que vimos en la pantalla. Desde Black Panther hasta Jackie Robinson, inspiró a generaciones y les mostró que pueden ser lo que quieran, incluso superhéroes. Jill y yo estamos orando por sus seres queridos en este momento difícil”, dijo el candidato a la presidencia, Joe Biden.

“Estoy absolutamente devastado. Esto es más que desgarrador. Chadwick period especial. Un verdadero unique. Fue un artista profundamente comprometido y constantemente curioso. Le quedaba mucho trabajo increíble por crear. Estoy infinitamente agradecido por nuestra amistad. Descansa en el poder, Rey”, compartió Chris Evans.

“Chadwick period alguien que irradiaba poder y paz. Quien representó mucho más que él mismo. Quien se tomaba el tiempo para ver realmente cómo estaba alguien y le daba palabras de aliento cuando esa persona se insegura. Me siento honrada de tener los recuerdos que tengo. Las conversaciones, las risas. Mi corazón está contigo y tu familia. Lo extrañaremos y nunca lo olvidaremos. Descansa en el poder y en paz mi amigo”, escribió Brie Larson. source

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#newspaper news covid media photography coronavirus instagram art magazine india journalis

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homerzodyssey · 4 years

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Yogurt soup with marble meatballs and chickpeas (Köfteli Nohutlu Yoğurt Çorbası)

You’ll find yogurt in a lot of Turkish dishes. I made this delicious soup at home and swapped in a local ingredient, ground bison for the meatballs--misket means marble, so you roll ‘em small. My daughter Zeren made this lovely golden pide bread. Dig in!

#Turkish turkishcooking Turkishculture yemek bread cooking food cuisine

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guilty-pleasures-and-dead-doves · 17 days

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[Free Wolf, She-Wolf] Chapter 13

Chapters post

Chapter 12: When the company's away, the girls will play

[Chapter 13] The father, the son, and...

To his relief, Bison didn't run into anyone else from Penguin Logistics on his way out of the building.

Behind the scenes, the Emperor kept appraised of the situation through Yith. So informed, the beast-lord then issued Croissant and Exusiai new orders: Tail their friends' Prince Charming while keeping out of sight, at least until he hooked up with his own people. Make sure nothing else untoward happened to him tonight.

Fortunately for his unseen guardians, Bison didn't feel like mounting back up on the bicycle. He simply rolled it beside him as he walked, in no hurry to get anywhere.

They immediately noticed his missing jacket, and the numerous hickeys and love-bites exposed by its absence. The Emperor had strictly forbade them from trying to contact Texas and Sora, so Bison's stalkers had to settle for whispering furiously to each other through their terminals, speculating with scandalized glee.

Blissfully unaware, Bison eventually arrived at a public park he'd vaguely known to be in that direction. He located an unoccupied area with good illumination, picked a bench, and took a seat.

He sat there for a while, admiring the city's nightscape, regretting the lack of stars in the sky.

Eventually, he pulled out his pocket-terminal and called a number saved to his Favorites but — not for lack of affection or respect — far from the top of the list.

After all, his father was an extremely busy man, and Bison usually had no trouble reaching him through his various servants when necessary.

Within three rings, Eurill Pides answered, not obviously panicked but clearly worried. "What's wrong? Where are you?"

His son smiled. "I'm fine, Dad. I'm safe."

"I'll be the judge of that. What happened?"

Bison opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Bison? Bison?"

"Can you come pick me up, Dad? I'm at the park by the Emperor's headquarters."

"I'm on my way." Bison heard clattering and rushing sounds in the background. "Stay on this call, stay right there, stay safe, I'll be there immediately. Did that damn penguin do something to you? I'll kill him."

"You can't kill him."

"I can't make him stay dead, but I can make him hurt enough that he wished he did. Where's Butler, why isn't he with you?"

"Butler's fine, I chose to go on my own. We got separated on the road to Penguin Logistics. He thinks the goons who shot out our tires were working for that one family."

"They're dead," his father declared, but Bison knew his father didn't mean it. Not literally, anyway.

"Keep talking to me, Son," his father said, spoken like a command, heartfelt like a plea.

"I miss Mom."

"So do I, Son," his father rasped. "So do I." His voice took on an affected note of encouraging, hopeful suggestion: "We should go see her again, soon."

"Yeah, I'd like that. I may have some things to ask her."

"Like what?"

Would she be proud of me? Are you proud of me? Will I ever feel like I'm good enough?

"Does she know how to tie cherry-stems with her tongue?"

"… … …What?"

====

She did, actually. But Eurill's train of thoughts regarding his son's wellbeing was not prepared to be jackknifed by the train of remembering the things his wife could do with her tongue. Especially as that second train had been sent unwittingly by the woman's own son.

But Eurill decided to spare them both that explanation.

====

It was a considerably calmer Eurill Pides who entered the park, nevertheless marching rapidly forward. His servants raced ahead and around, ensuring the area was secure.

His son walked leisurely forward to meet him, handing the bicycle off to one of the servants with a word of thanks. He kept the shield.

Eurill went down to one knee and caught his boy up into a deep hug, squeezing away the last of his own anxiety, before he held his son out at arms' length to look him over.

"I know they have good taste, because they did a real number on you."

"Ha, ha," his little man said with the mildest sarcasm, before leading the way back to the family car. "They ate me like starving beasts." What marks business-clothing couldn't cover for the next day's meetings, he would need to hide with make-up. He hated wearing make-up.

"And it really was just those two? The two lupos?"

"It certainly wasn't Exusiai and Mostima. Croissant neither."

"Her loss," Eurill said with some regret, stepping through the car-door a servant opened. Living for so long away from Minos, he would have preferred to welcome a fellow country-woman into the family.

"I'm surprised as well," Bison said, likewise getting into the car. "But can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course!"

"I'm happier it's Texas and Sora. I'm not sure I could live with Croissant."

"That's a pity, but I trust your judgment."

Bison turned to look at his father. "You speak like I've already agreed to this."

Eurill gave him a look of surprise. "You haven't?"

Bison gave him the same look. "You think I should?"

"I'm impressed that you didn't accept right away. It's always better to sleep on a big decision, if you have the time."

Bison pressed the point: "But you think I should?"

Eurill shifted in his seat, expression uncomfortable. "I'll admit that if I were in your shoes, I also wouldn't have turned the idea down out of hand. But I'm not in your shoes; it's not my decision. Tell me what you think."

Bison brought both hands to his head, scratching his scalp both as a gesture of frustration and as self-soothing stimulation. "It doesn't feel like the right time. I've barely gotten started on establishing trade routes between New Volsinii and the rest of the world, and I'm still putting out fires with New Siesta. More Columbian interests are coming around, but there are still angry hold-outs, especially in the government."

Eurill nodded. "I understand. It's daunting to think about trying to start a family when the immediate future seems so uncertain, isn't it?"

"Exactly!" Bison exclaimed in relief. "I'm afraid I'd either never be home, or I wouldn't have enough time to keep juggling all of the balls."

Eurill nodded. "It's a valid concern. It's possible I wouldn't have gotten Mountain Dash Logistics as far as I have, if I could have come home to your mother every day."

The following silence stretched long enough that the driver started to sweat.

Neither father or son dared to look at each other, afraid of what they'd see, afraid of what they'd show. Only the driver, daring a glance back in the rear view mirror, could see the naked pain on their faces.

Eurill found his next words heavier than the weights he lifted everyday. "I would rather have had your mother."

Bison drew a ragged breath. But when he didn't say anything, Eurill forged ahead.

"I'm not trying to to talk you into this, but I do want to keep you from making up excuses. It's your decision; I just want to share my experience.

"There are better and worse times to do things, and you can make educated guesses about when those are. But unless you learn how to see the future, you'll never really know. I have my fair share of regrets about bad investments and about opportunities I lost because I could only see the fuller picture in hindsight.

"A day when you feel like you have everything in order… may never come. Or when it does, that feeling may be based on an illusion of security, and vanish as soon as reality intrudes.

"It's perfectly fine to wait until you're older. If you really don't feel secure enough, don't take risks that will only hurt you.

"But if you're thinking that you might want to marry these young ladies eventually, you should also think about their feelings. How would they would feel about you asking them to wait for some uncertain day in the unknown future? You'll be an eligible bachelor longer than they will be young maidens.

"And I know you. I remember every word you've said or written to me about these women, and I've watched you go out of your way to make them a part of your life. It's possible you would regret marrying them, down the line, but I think you'd regret choosing to not take care of them now."

Eurill finally found enough humor to smile, and laugh. "Besides! These are the ladies of Penguin Logistics, hand-picked by the inimitable Emperor. If they can thrive under his wing, they would surely be a great help to your work right now. Just as you were a great help to me, after your mother had to stay in Rim Billiton."

Bison had started to smile a little at the praise, though the mention of his mother took the light right out of it.

Still, Bison had recovered enough strength to ask, "What do you think Mom would say about this?"

Eurill sucked air through his teeth and then puffed up his cheeks as he blew it back out, gazing intently at nowhere. "You'd really need to ask her." He paused. "And I seriously mean that. If you fully commit to this before at least warning her, I fear she'll kill us both."

They shared a nervous yet affectionate bout of laughter.

Eurill clarified, "While I do think she would be very concerned, I also think that in the end she'd support you to make it work. Though we could lay some of her fears to rest if we took the girls with us when we go visit her."

Bison nodded, briefly pondering the logistics of such a trip as a matter of professional habit. But thinking about logistical concerns brought one of his final fears into focus.

"Wouldn't she disapprove of me marrying two women at once? And what do you really think about it?"

Eurill drummed his fingers on his knee, putting his thoughts together. "It's definitely not conventional, and I know you're wise enough to understand that conventions persist for very good, very painful reasons. But at the same time, you've never been married and you're still so young that you probably haven't questioned why marriages tend to be monogamous.

"The truth of it is that getting along with another person actually becomes harder when you're married to them. Bison, you think your 'people' skills are already tested in our line of work, but I promise you that it has only started to prepare you to handle disagreements with your wife.

"And I can promise you that having two wives, even if they're also each other's lovers, will only be more difficult and complicated than that. If for no other reason than sometimes, the two of them will fight with each other over matters that have nothing to do with you. You've written to me about one such incident in the past."

The nail-painting incident aboard Rhodes Island, Bison recalled unpleasantly. "But you're still not advising against it?"

"I can't really say what I would do in your shoes, because your mother wasn't with another woman when we met, she showed no interest in other women afterwards, and she certainly wasn't about to share me with anyone else. I'll admit that I've not seen or heard of a situation quite like this before.

"What I can do is warn you that some people will judge you poorly for going through with this. They're going to assume that you're a fool, greedy, with a poor understanding of your own limitations."

"Would they be wrong, though?"

"It would be up to you to prove them wrong. And in the meantime, you can use that to get them to underestimate you at the bargaining table."

Bison gave a dry but sincere laugh. Classic 'Eurill Pides’ advice.

====

Eurill gave his son one last hug, as the two of them stood outside the building where his son was now lodging while in Lungmen, then got back into the car and let the driver start for home.

All of a sudden, he recalled something the Rat King had said to him, two years ago, hours after Sauin.

"Penguin Logistics is a good place to cut your teeth. All of those fine ladies, the transporters, certainly don't make an easy go of it. But if I may offer one piece of advice?

"Be careful it doesn't backfire."

"Hah!" Eurill barked at himself. "Does it really count as a backfire when I almost hoped something like this would happen?" Granted, not like this.

One didn't get to Eurill's place in life without learning that one could never perfectly account for the plans of one's rivals, but sometimes even familiar players in the game would take seemingly uncharacteristic moves. It wasn't like the Emperor to suddenly decide to play match-maker.

But perhaps it wasn't the Emperor who changed at all. Yes, obviously it was the Siracusan who had changed after returning from the recent developments in Siracusa. Because Penguin Logistics had gone directly to MountainComm Trade rather than Mountain Dash Logistics, Eurill had missed whatever signs he might have gleaned.

But while she might have been the spark, the fireworks had the Emperor's fingerprints all over them. In love and war, the beast-lord would naturally side with his girls over anyone else, even a close associate like Bison. Eurill accepted this impersonally.

But he and the Emperor knew it would be meant and taken personally, too. He could see the damned beast's smug grin as clearly as if the Emperor were looking back in his reflection.

"Trust the Emperor to make a mutual victory feel like a one-sided defeat," Eurill mused. "But I've got many years yet left to play the game with you, penguin. I will find a way to pay you back for tonight's scare."

Seeking vengeance was a terrible way to live one's life, but revenge always added spice to fun and games.

====

Chapter 14: Temptation and torment

#arknights #fanfic #fanfiction #bison #polyamory #sora #texas #arknights fanfic #texas x sora

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guilty-pleasures-and-dead-doves · 17 days

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[Free Wolf, She-Wolf] Chapter 8

Chapters post

Chapter 7: To love and to cherish

[Chapter 8] The running of the bull

Sundown, on the Lungmen Ring Expressway. The Pides family Butler fought off a wave of Deja Vu as he experienced something so unchanged amidst the obvious changes.

He once more glanced up at the rear-view mirror to look at his former employer's son. After the young master had taken MountainComm Trade independent of Mountain Dash Logistics, Eurill Pides had requested the Butler follow his son as his new direct employer. "I want to have someone I trust watching out for him."

"Young master, I understand the Emperor's importance as a client, but do you really not want to reschedule? You seem to be falling asleep."

Bison smiled gratefully. "I'm fine, Butler. I'm just thinking."

The Butler met Bison's eyes through the mirror as long as he dared before looking back to the road ahead. "Please excuse me, sir, but perhaps you might consider delegating responsibility for this collaboration with Penguin Logistics and New Volsinii? You're already so busy with New Siesta."

"It's fine," Bison insisted, sitting up straighter and more awake in his seat. "I needed to take a break anyway." For an informal meeting with friends, he'd gladly set aside his 'business clothes' for his more casual streetwear, topped with his old, comfortable white jacket.

The Butler limited his exasperation to one sardonically-raised eyebrow. "Young master, do you understand the definition of 'overworking'?"

"Of course I do," Bison insisted with only the mildest of impatience and offense.

The Butler raised his other eyebrow. "I do not believe most people — including medical professionals — would consider setting aside one project and picking up a different, equally-challenging project, to constitute a 'break'. Especially when it involves changing your schedule on such short notice."

"Most people aren't the president and CEO of MountainComm Trade," Bison replied, but not at all like a boast. He spoke the words as if stating his god-given duty to the world. As the Butler might speak of his own position as the Pides Butler.

"And like you said, the Emperor is an important client. If he insists on a such a short-notice meeting, it usually means that he wants to talk about a big opportunity with an extremely limited window of time."

"Or," the Butler said with emphasis, "It is just another one of his pranks."

Bison laughed. "It might be! But if it is, then won't I be taking a real break after all?"

Instead of answering, the Butler began looking sharply in the mirrors. Bison began reaching for his shield before his Butler asked if he had brought it.

"It can't be the Sicilians again," Bison said, twisting around in his seat to look out the back window. "Not after two years."

The Butler stepped harder on the accelerator and began jerking the steering wheel, trying to pull ahead and weave between the other cars on the road. "No, I think I recognize those two cars and their drivers as belonging to that one family. The one that met with your father at your last birthday party. They talked about arranging a marriage between you and their daughter."

Bison gave him an incredulous backwards glance. "Even if they wanted me dead, wouldn't they wait until after the marriage?"

"Judging by the way the shooters in the backseats are aiming at our tires, I don't think they want to kill us, only strand us."

Bison activated one of his shield's original integrated functions; a dedicated Arts unit that used a beacon light to draw the attention of anyone who saw it… and thus also their fire.

As the first bolt pierced the rear windshield, Bison asked, "And why would they want to strand us on the road?"

Rather than sounding stressed, the Butler's voice came across rather droll. "Perhaps they have been keeping tabs on the young master's recent comings and goings, and realized that every time he meets with the Emperor at the headquarters of Penguin Logistics, he is surrounded by beautiful young women?"

Bison blushed.

As the third bolt pierced the windshield and struck his shield, he protested. "They all see me as a little kid, or even a little brother!" Two more bolts.

"Exusiai's a sankta, Sora's an idol and only has eyes for Texas, I have no idea what's going on between Texas and Lappland, and Croissant only cares about money!" Seven more bolts.

The rear windshield fell completely apart under the fusillade, but by then Bison's device also gave up the ghost. He kept holding the shield up to catch any stray missiles, but their enemies returned their aim to the car's rear tires.

"Yes, you've told me as much," the Butler replied drily, as the tires finally gave way and he began fighting the steering wheel to bring the car safely to the side of the road, out of traffic. The two of them then watched as the two enemy cars, seeing their mission was complete, roll up their windows, pass them by, and speed off. "But I'm afraid that not everyone else is as familiar with the ladies as you are."

Bison punched the inside of his shield. "This is so childish!"

"Your father never did think highly of that family," the Butler agreed, quietly putting away his own weapon and pulling out his pocket-terminal. "Shall I call Penguin Logistics and inform them we will not be making it tonight?"

"No," Bison declared bullishly, unbuckling his seatbelt. "I said I would be there, and I'm not going back on my word just because of someone's immature, petty, half-baked scheming."

The Butler sighed as his young master stepped out of the car and walked around to the trunk at its rear. With both rear tires destroyed, the one spare wouldn't be enough even if a bolt hadn't pierced it as well. That would leave 'the backup option'.

He honestly hoped the ruffians had managed to destroy the backup option while they were at it, but he didn't hold his breath.

====

Back at Penguin Logistic's penthouse, in one of the rooms with a window-wall, Texas watched the busy roads below for Bison's arrival. She paced the floor, half out of restlessness, and half to continue accustoming herself to high-heeled shoes.

Sora occasionally glanced out the same window, but mostly she devoted her attention to Texas.

After the previous morning's meeting, the Emperor had handed the girls his personal credit-card and sent them out shopping. "Sky's the limit, but — Croissant, look me in the eyes — only for decking out Texas and Sora."

"That ain't fair, Baws!"

"Ain't it? You tryin' to get married too?"

Sora had taken to the mission like a woman possessed. She might never get another opportunity to treat her personal idol as a willing dress-up doll, especially since Texas almost never wore anything pretty or sexy on her own.

"I really liked your Siracusan suit," Sora assured Texas as she handed her the first dress to try on. Croissant and Exusiai were elsewhere in the store, hunting for accessories and shoes. "But you'll look so lovely in these!"

Texas held the dress in her hands a moment, trying to mentally work out how to put it on. "Once upon a time, I wanted to wear dresses like these. When I was still little, and wore 'little girl' dresses."

Sora bit her lip, weighing whether or not to ask.

Texas held the dress over her body, examining herself in a mirror. "After my father decided I was old enough to begin learning how to fight, I didn't have... 'time' for dresses of any sort. Especially after I had to start wearing suits for official famiglia business." Her transporter career in Lungmen had also encouraged practical streetwear.

Sora put a hand lightly on Texas' shoulder. "But what do you want now?"

Texas threw her a tiny, reassuring smile. "Suits are fine for battle." Otherwise, Leon's gift — exquisite quality be damned — could stay in the closet to gather dust and moths, along with her other old habits. "But I'll still prefer my usual threads."

She stepped into the changing closet, saying, "I don't know how comfortable I can find dresses anymore, but I'm going to try." Not just for Bison's sake, but also her own. And Sora's, apparently.

Texas reached out to draw the curtain shut, but stopped. Sora felt a jolt as Texas looked her in the eye, and began undressing openly in front of her.

Sora blushed furiously and threw the curtain shut herself. She hissed, "Texas! We're in public!"

Texas left the curtain closed, but Sora could hear the smile in her voice. "That's not going to stop me, Mia Stellina."

Sora squirmed, but mastered herself and stomped her foot. Still hissing, she said, "I'm not ready to 'graduate', Texas! And we're on a deadline."

"Later, then," Texas promised as a sincere warning.

They did not go the rest of the last two days without a few caresses and kisses, but the near-constant presence of their coworkers did more to keep them under control than concerns about time or getting caught by strangers.

Such heady memories ran through Sora's head as she watched the way Texas' dress slid and stretched across her body, as the high-heels emphasized the lines of her stalking legs.

She snapped fully back to the present as Texas stepped up to the window, focusing on something down below.

The lupo had been keeping an eye out for the Pides family's usual car. Instead, she saw a small flash of white bobbing up and down as it approached on a sidewalk. It should have been nothing, but she heeded her suspicion and stared until it was confirmed. "Really?"

"What is it?" Sora asked, looking in the same direction. Her hands flew to her mouth to stifle a surprised giggle.

Texas stopped just short of planting her furrowing brow on the pane of glass to get a clearer look of Bison Pides, mounted on a humble bicycle, pumping his legs as hard as possible.

"Is this a joke?" Texas wondered, trying to decide if she should feel outraged or amused.

"I didn't tell anyone," Sora offered. Correctly intuiting the lupo's feelings, Sora tried to hide her own amusement lest Texas think she was laughing at her.

The former mafiosa stared down at her approaching prey, growing comfortable with the humor of the situation. But she still had a use for the fierceness of the nascent outrage.

Texas promised, "I am going to eat that boy."

Sora said nothing until her imagination started worrying her. "You do mean sexually, right?"

Texas' chuckle chilled her spine.

"Right?!"

====

On the roof above Texas and Sora, Exusiai had spotted Bison first, with her binoculars. She picked up her pocket-terminal and keyed a group call. "Boss, we got a problem. Something happened to Bison's car, he's approaching on a bicycle, and I'm pretty sure he's being tailed."

Croissant incredulously responded, "The Sicilians again?"

Exusiai checked her rappelling gear first, then readied her rarely-used sniper-rifle, using the scope in place of the binoculars.

"Nah. Different kind of cars, no suits. If it's them, they finally started blending in."

From her own hiding place on the ground, Croissant said, "I got eyes on Bison. Damn, I forgot how hard he can book it."

Exusiai reported, "Whoever they are, they're not shooting at him or trying to run him over. They wanna stop him but have no idea how do it." She laughed as she briefly scoped out Bison's face. "Bison knows it; he looks so pissed off!"

"Not worth takin' a shot?"

Exusiai set her rifle down, checked her rappelling gear again, and approached the ledge of the roof. "Yeah, I don't want to make them panic and do something really stupid. I'm on my way down."

"Naw, I got this," Croissant replied, as she hefted her weapons and walked off the sidewalk, into the busy street. A bystander car blared its horn as it swerved to avoid her, as did the one after it.

Bison had gotten close enough that she could see his face reveal the moments he spotted her, recognized her, and trusted that she had a plan. He veered off of the sidewalk and onto the lane she was clearing, right in front of one of the cars pursuing him.

She held her hammer and shield up, trying to make sure the enemy driver saw her, and then set the butt of her shield to the ground with one arm while rearing her hammer back with the other. She glared at the driver's side of the windshield with a smile full of teeth.

They chickened out first, slamming on the breaks rather than risk manslaughter or destruction.

The second car, boxing Bison in from the adjacent lane, considered continuing pursuit until Croissant activated her hammer's rockets and swung into that lane. She timed it avoid a passing bystander's car, but her second, follow-through swing would arrive just in time for her adversary.

They also slammed on the breaks.

"Thanks!" Bison shouted as he zoomed past her.

"I'll put it on yer tab!" Croissant shouted back with a smile, and he knew that she meant it. Never mind her own, larger 'tab' with him; but he would worry about that later.

He gladly relaxed his pedaling as he approached the base of the tower where Penguin Logistic lodged.

Yith was standing attentively outside the public doors. "Hello, Mister Bison," he pleasantly called. "Would you like me to take your shield and bicycle?"

"Please," the young forte wheezed, dismounting and dropping to his knees on the ground, gasping for air. People passing by on the sidewalk sometimes gave him curious looks, but anyone entering or exiting the building itself ignored him.

Yith held the bike up as he slipped one hand through the shield's strap, then pointed up to the roof with his free hand. "Miss Exusiai would like you to know that she kept an eye on you from above the whole time."

Bison flopped to the ground on his back, looking up to see a tiny figure waving down from over the roof's ledge. He gave a tired wave back until Exusiai disappeared.

"We're in no rush," Yith assured their guest. "We'll provide you water and towels in our headquarters, but for now, please take your time to catch your breath."

Bison showed him a heartfelt Thumbs Up.

====

Chapter 9: Step into my parlour...

#arknights #fanfic #fanfiction #bison #polyamory #sora #texas #arknights fanfic #texas x sora #texasora #texora #texas/sora

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