#from overland they came in droves

[primevein]

The Prime of His Youth: Book III: Prometheus' Gift: Ch19: Elite Guard

Japheth drove through the portal, Arcee, Arcelia, and Roxana driving behind him. They stopped at the checkpoint. "Japheth Prime." he stated, and they stood, unsure of what to do. He transformed, and the femmes transformed as well.

"Business?" one of them finally asked.

"Prime." he firmly and finally said, but without any harshness.

* * *

Japheth drove down the road from the Hydrax Plateau, the femmes driving behind him, "I tried that the first time I came here."

"How'd it go?" Roxana eagerly asked.

"It didn't." Arcee said disappointingly. "So, where are we heading first?"

"New Kalis." Japheth stated.

"What about your friends?" Roxana asked.

"They're all in Iacon." Japheth stated, "Which is where we're heading after."

* * *

Japheth drove up to the cave entrance, this time with a sign that read "New Kalis" in Cybertronian script.

"Nice sign." Arcee neutrally said.

* * *

The four drove to New Kalis and transformed as they passed the threshold.

* * *

Japheth walked up to the guards outside the lab. They stood to attention and saluted. He returned the salute. "Guards." he addressed them. He walked passed and the doors opened. The femmes walked by, with Roxana waving at the soldiers.

* * *

They walked into the lab, and everyone turned to look at them. "Ja..." Ratchet said, and paused, "Japheth?!" he asked. Bumblebee quickly walked over to him. Before he knew it, Japheth had pulled him in for a powerful hug.

"What are you doing here?" Bumbleebee warmly asked him.

"Oh, the stupidiest thing possible." Japheth stated, "I need to talk to Angle Drive." he stated.

"What?!" Angle Drive asked, and turned around, "Oh, you. How can I help?" he hastily asked.

"We're trying to find the location of the lost colonies." Japheth stated.

"Oh, is that all?" an exacerbated Angle Drive asked.

"We have good data on where they were." Japheth stated.

"You do?!" Angle Drive quickly asked.

"We put it into the nav. computer of the Rexxex, and it would take... How long, Ciel?"

"A Zettacycle." she said, walked around him. "At 90% of the nav. computer's capacity."

"Yes, well, nav. computers aren't meant to compute zettacycles of celestial drift." He looked distant as he thought it over.

"And?.." Japheth asked.

Angle Drive turned and walked to his console. Japheth saw something mathetical brought up on his screen.

"So?.." Japheth asked.

"He's working out an algorithm." Gella said to him.

"What kind of... equipment is he going to need?" Japheth stated.

"Only the finest on Cybertron." Ratchet exclaimed.

Overland walked, "I can accompany you to help you with the equipment."

"Oh, uh, thank you." Japheth stated.

He then looked at Ratchet, "We've still got work here." he said, and glared at Angle Drive, who did not seem to recognize it.

"Thank you." Japheth said. Ratchet turned to him, giving him a lost look.

"You are quite welcome." he replied. "You've already done so much." He looked ashamed for a moment.

"And what's the matter with you?" Gella asked.

"I... should have trusted him more..." Ratchet stated.

"Maybe a little bit." Arcee stated.

"Not at all." Japheth stated. "You wanted us to prove ourselves before trusting us. How could we expect anything more?" Ratchet gave him an uncertain look. "Approval that has to be earned means so much more. Thank you."

"Oh, uh, you're quite welcome." Ratchet stated, "I don't think any of us thought you would achieve as much as you have. Well, except for Optimus."

"He was a Prime." Arcee said, "We have to expect him to see things we could not."

Ratchet looked Japheth up and down, "And him?" he asked Arcee.

"Well, he helped end one war." Arcee said. Ratchet nodded and groaned in the affirmative. "Found another, and ended it with one fatality." Ratchet nodded and groaned again. "And now he's trying to find our lost colonies."

"And has a good chance to succeeding." Raf stated.

"Hey, Raf." Japheth stated.

"I've been thinking." Raf said, "If you could stop by on your way out?"

"Implying this was not his primary destination?" Ratchet asked, but Japheth just smiled at him, a smile that told him it was not.

"I promised to make a show in Iacon with the council." Japheth stated.

"Which I guess implies you are not going to?.." Ratchet asked.

"Does it look like I want to be in charge?" he asked, and Ratchet once again looked him over, "Rhetorical question." he said, and Roxana giggled. "Overland?" he asked.

"I will be ready in a microcycle." Overland replied.

* * *

Japheth lead the convoy as they drove across Cybertron. The Cycles seemed to pass by as if in a moment. The presence of his femmes was constantly reassuring him, though he did miss his Siren.

* * *

Vera, in her wolf form, dug a hole in the ground. She moved away, and turned to look back as Sirenia planted seeds inside it. She then gently brushed the soil back over it. The moisture wicking up from the bottom was immediately visible.

* * *

June stepped out of the shower and retrieved her dress as Vera stepped in after her.

* * *

June knocked on the doors.

"Oh, come!" Sirenia shouted, and sent out a signal to open the doors.

June stepped in with Vera right behind her. "We need to do something together." she voiced.

Sirenia started putting on her clothing, "A movie?"

"How about we relax on the roof?" June asked.

"Oooh!" Sirenia exclaimed.

* * *

Japheth, Arcee, Arcelia, Roxana, and Overland drove up to Iacon. It was the first city to look like a city proper. It was obvious that most of it had not yet been restored, but also obvious that they wanted to spend more time on it. It also wasn't where they were actually going. He turned to the left, following a different road.

* * *

They approached the Elite Guard training ground. "Arcelia, if you could?"

She turned on her com. link. "Elite Guard HQ, this is Sirenia, procurator for Japheth Prime."

"He... he's here?" a male voice replied over the com. link.

"We are on approach, yes." she stated.

"I'll... I'll get..." he tried to say.

"Relax,Guard." Japheth stated, "I'm just here to visit. But could you get Bulkhead, Miko, and Smokescreen as well."

"Affirmative." the voice replied.

* * *

Ultra-Magnus, Smokescreen, Bulkhead, and Miko all drove out, and transformed. Japheth transformed, along with, Arcee, Arcelia, and Roxana. Overland stayed as his cube van.

Ultra-Magnus and Smokescreen stood to attention and saluted. Japheth returned the salute.

"How can I help you?" Ultra-Magnus asked him.

"Did you want to accompany me to the High Council?" Japheth asked.

"If you wish me to, of course." Ultra-Magnus replied.

"It would good having an ally with weight on his shoulders." he said, and turned to Smokescreen, and then Bulkhead and Miko. "And how is everyone else?"

"We convinced them to have time off!" Miko exclaimed.

"They reminded me of the comaderie on Terra." Ultra-Magnus stated. "With their spare time, they can commit to personal training, group development, and even working in support of everyone around us. Their - creature - double - features are extremely popular with the younger Guards. We actually have brotherhoods set to pursue this interest in Terran Culture. Otherwise, morale has dramatically improved, and we have Guards giving non-solicited aid to disparate points on Cybertron."

"Excellent." Japheth stated. "I don't suppose you have any Guards with an expertise in astrophysics?" he asked.

"We have not have a chance to yet develop a space force." Ultra-Magnus neutrally replied.

"Alright." Japheth stated, "Ultra-Magnus will accompany me. Sergeant Smokescreen will be in charge in his absence."

"Very well." Ultra-Magnus stated.

Smokescreen once again saluted.

"And, what about us?" Miko asked, and Roxana giggled.

"Like I'm going to take Wreckers to see the High Council." Japheth said with a smile.

"Yeah, well, some of them need to be knocked in the head." Miko firmly stated.

"And that might be the reason he doesn't want to bring us." Bulkhead replied.

"And this is the chance for you two to teach them what it's like to fight like a Wrecker." Japheth said. Bulkhead leaned forward and struck his hands together.

[dknuth]

Saudi Arabia

I'm doing an AIA Archeological Tour of Saudi Arabia. I must admit that Saudi was not high on my travel list, but the chance to see it as part of a group with the Archeological Institute was impossible to pass up. Especially since Saudi has only in recent years started allowing tourists.

This post is a few days late, but our days have been busy and we are frequently late enough getting back to the hotel room that I haven't been inclined to prepare a post. We spend a lot of time on the bus every day, so I have been writing text offline to put into posts, so I hope to catch up. Also, many of the hotels have had slow or irregular wifi, and photos weren't uploading.

I left Madison on the afternoon of January 8 on a bus to O'Hare Airport, where I caught an 8:30 Turkish Air flight to Istanbul, arriving on the afternoon of the 9th. Then another late flight to Riyadh arriving at 1:30 the morning of the 10th. By the time we got to the hotel in downtown and in our rooms it was 3:30, and I was beat. But I was up and going again by 9.

It was a free day for us, so a few of us took Ubers to the National Museum.

The museum is new, large, and well-designed. We skipped the astronomical, geological, and dinosaur exhibits to focus on the human history in the area.

Our Trip Leader, Barbara Porter had provided us with an extensive reading list prior to the trip and I bought several of the recommended books. The main thing I came away with from my readings was the realization that my image of Saudi Arabia as a backwater, end of the earth desert prior to the discovery of oil couldn't have been more wrong. From the earliest times it has been tied by both overland and sea trade to Egypt, the Mediterranian, the fertile cresent civilizations and India.

We saw paleolithic and neolithic artifacts and interesting petroglyphic rock art, the development of pottery through the ages and the rise of local civilizations as well as the interactions with the surrounding ones.

The Nabateans I had become familiar with in Petra last year were a substantial presence here too, as this was the source of the frankincense and myrrh that was their core business.

The final part was the history of Islam and also informative to those u of us less knowledgeable than we should be.

In the afternoon I visited a small museum close by the hotel with a collection of beautiful artifacts, especially handwritten manuscripts.

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

The next morning we went back to the National Museum as a group, which was very helpful as Barbara could add more context to a number of the exhibits. I found a tiny cylinder seal fascinating. It was carved from very hard stone and is smaller than the diameter of a pencil but carved with many figures on it. The image on the seal can be seen rolled out on the wax to the right. I don’t understand how someone could carve that with primitive tools and no magnification.

On the way to lunch we drove past the new financial district. There is an area about the size of the Chicago Loop being developed with high rise buildings for financial companies to have offices. The king is requiring all financial companies working in Saudi to have substantial offices here. There is a monorail system connecting the towers, and a train connecting the district to the rest of the city. I understand the next step will be a requirement to have some senior management located here too.

Lunch was at a recreational village built for the purpose. It uses traditional architecture and is full of high end shops and restaurants. We were there in the early afternoon, and it was not very crowded, but we were told it’s very popular after hours.

It was adjacent to Diriyyah, the early town where the First Saudi Kingdom was launched in 1744. The modern tourist center extended to the ruins of the old town, which has become a museum. So it was an interesting conjunction of modern and old.

They had large family trees of the Saud royal family. They have huge families!

In the evening we went to the Al Masmak fort, another critical location for the founding of the Saudi Kingdom.

We finished at the local street market. It was pretty small and had an arrangement of old junk. My Dad would have loved it.

I found Riyadh an interesting city. It’s almost totally modern. In 1950 the population was 100,000 now its 8,00,000. So everything has been built in the last 70 years and most of it in the last 30. But the whole city has been built for automobiles. As a result the streets a clogged with cars and traffic is terrible. In the summer it’s too hot to walk around town, so there are few sidewalks. There is a subway system under construction, but it’s several years late, of course.

[tazkittiesadventures]

The beginning of the Rabbit Hole

Hello everyone.

Come follow along the rabbit 🐇 hole and the adventure begin.

This is baby girl (I have not officially named her yet); she is about to get outfitted for her Overlanding expeditions. We finally got the last piece we needed to begin the buildup. It's funny how the first piece of equipment we ordered was the last to arrive. There were some issues with the shipping on the company's side. In the end, they got it to us.

In the pictures, you see her just stock. No added extras, just straight off the showroom floor (well three years ago when we bought her). She is a beautiful ride. I just fell in love with that army green color. She is my third one. I did have a black one, swapped it in for a gray one and the dealership wanted to do a buy back again on that one, I was like no, no no....that is how we ended up with the gray one. You know, things just happen and me a Taz went to see what they had to offer....three hours later Taz and I and baby girl drove off the lot. It was that army green. It just stole my heart.

For three years I didn't know what to do with her. I kept saying that the only dirt she is going to see is off the roadway. Then in October (the day was the 21st 2023) we took Taz's and Dwights car to Mopar's on the Beach event. They went walking around and I stayed at the car when Taz came back and said there was something I needed to see.

Well, let's just say that what I needed to see was a rabbit 🐇 hole opening up. There was this jeep there that had a built-on awning, she had it opened up and it was so cool. I was like, I want that on my runner, Taz told me they do make them, and the rabbit 🐇 hole opened up and swallowed us both up.

So, to do the awning for my 4Runner you have to replace the roof rack. The search began. looking at any and all available roof racks for the awning that we both agreed to.

Oh yes that one right there, I really like that awning, it goes all the way around the vehicle. it will go good with the new tent you won at an auction for the car show you went to (on October 28, 2023). Did we need the new tent. NO, no we did not. We have a perfectly good 5th wheel camper, and we also have an (old, old) tent. We take it with us in the camper just in case. Now we have this new 6-person tent that we can put in the 4Runner to use with the awning.

Just a little FYI about Taz and me. We are campers. We can go tent camping to 5th wheel camper camping. Either way is good for us. The rv is stocked and ready (other than food and clothes) and the old tent, well that is ready also. We keep everything in totes. Grab the tent tote and the tote that goes with the tent that holds the Coleman stove and pots and pans, etc. and off we go. The only thing about tent camping that I don't really like is when it rains, water usually seeps up from the ground. I grew up camping and fishing and the outdoors. So many memories come rushing back, wait...now I am rambling and getting off topic. OOOPs 🤣🤣🤣😁

Back to the rabbi🐇t hole. Out of nowhere Taz sends me a link to a roof top tent. I was like what is that? and he was like a roof top ten, check it out. Ok little rabbits, keep digging in that hole. We set together over several days and look at all the different website, watch many different YouTube videos of the tents and came across the one we both really like. Dang nab it black Friday sales.

🐰Roof rack ordered Nov 3rd 2023 ---- check ---- level one of the rabbit hole.

🐰Awning ordered Nov 4th 2023 --- check --- Level two of the rabbit hole.

🐰Roof top tent ordered (surprise from Taz) Nov 6th --- check -- Level three of the rabbit hole.

The installation will begin over Thanksgiving. I will post more pictures and show you how she is coming along.

Stay tuned as the 🐰rabbit hole gets deeper and deeper. We have many other plans for her. BTW -- I called my daughter "Little Pooh" and told her I am spending her inheritance. 😂😂 She said ok mom....have fun. ❤️😘

Kittie & Taz

#rabbit hole#overlanding#4runner

[quicksiluers]

Alexander Stewart Webb, born in 1835, was a native of New York City. He came from a well to do family and a long line of military descendents. Webb attended private preparatory schools, was admitted to the United States Military Academy and graduated in the top third of his class in 1855. The young 2nd Lieutenant’s first post, as an Artillery Officer, was in Florida, where he saw action in the Seminole War. After varied assignments he returned to the Academy, in 1857, as an assistant mathematics professor. He remained as an instructor, until he decided to resign his position and volunteer for combat duty.

In April of 1861, Webb was sent to Fort Pickens, Florida and was promoted First Lieutenant, serving in the 2nd U.S. Artillery. He saw action, as a Captain, at the first Battle of Bull Run, served under General Barry as an aid-de-camp in the defense of Washington, was instrumental in the artillery placement at Malvern Hill, on the Peninsula, was active in the Maryland Campaign, served on staff at Antietam, where he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and in 1863, General Meade finally gave Webb battle command at Chancellorsville. His performance and reports of his leadership qualities were forwarded to Lincoln, who promoted Webb to Brigadier General.

Brigadier General Webb, serving under Meade, was given command of the Philadelphia Brigade and deployed with other II Corps, at Gettysburg, on Cemetery Ridge, July 2, 1863. Webb’s detachment repulsed an attack of a Georgian brigade and followed up, capturing over 300 and counter attacked Early’s troops on Cemetery Hill.

On July 3, 1863, Webb’s Philadelphians manned the center of the line, behind a low stone wall. Confederate General Lee had instructed General Pickett’s men to assault Cemetery Ridge and proceeded the advance with the greatest artillery barrage of the Civil War. Thousands of Pickett’s troops advanced over one mile, broken and bloodied by counter-battery canister and grape, to pierce Webb’s center. As the Confederates approached the wall, Webb stood in front of his line, cool and calm, attempting to inspire his men. Two Union companies panicked and ran, Webb hailed a steadfast supporting command and they wouldn’t advance to fill the breach. As the Rebels climbed the wall, Alexander Webb prepared to defend his position all alone. At the last second, two New York Regiments, fired down the line, enfilading the attacking Confederate’s, these New Yorker’s charged and in a bloody hand to hand engagement, drove the enemy back across the field. Webb had fallen, shot through the groin, but still attempted to fight on and rally his men. Lincoln nominated Webb for his gallantry and the Senate confirmed his promotion to brevet Brigadier General on February 14, 1865.

General Webb returned to command after Gettysburg and saw additional action at Bristoe Station, the Overland Campaign and was again severely wounded, perceived as fatal, at the Battle of Spotsylvania. He returned to service in January of 1865, as Chief of Staff of the Army of the Potomac, till the end of the Civil War.

For his brave and gallant leadership, Webb was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on September 28, 1891, the citation read, “Rank and organization: Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers. Place and date: At Gettysburg, Pa., 3 July 1863. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: 15 February 1835, New York, N.Y. Date of issue: 28 September 1891. Citation: Distinguished personal gallantry in leading his men forward at a critical period in the contest.”

[waylandr]

Cracking this “blog” open after years of disuse and repurposing as a blog for my newfound interest: overlanding.

Living in Sydney, we came out of the first COVID-19 lockdown around the start of May, and like nearly every person on the planet, I was facing the hard truth that travelling would not be possible, at least not the type or overseas travelling i had hoped for, for a very long time.

So I decided that if I couldn’t travel all the international destinations i have dreamed of, i would insted dedicate those efforts into praparing myself to explore my own country. After all, if tourist came from all over to explore what was here, then there must be some really good stuff out there to fine.

So, as the lockdown ended, i started looking online for vehicles capable of doing the things i needed it to do. I’d always had a soft spot for Land Cruisers, particularly the 60’s Series. Something about the boxy silhouette, big open cargo space, nostalgic interiors... always got me more excited than newer stuff did. But I decided to put that idea on a shelf for down the road. Then I came across an old First Generation Toyota 4Runner, a 1988 model. I’d been obsessed with these cars for a short period when i was a teenager, but they were hard to come by and the ones you did find were either not for sale or treated like such collectors items that they weren’t something i could have afforded. But this one was different. Obviously used in the real world, it definitely wasn’t in mint condition, and you could tell it had been fiddled with during it’s 32 years rolling around Australia. Half a million km’s on the dash, squeaky joints, rust spots and odd battle scars here and there. But it was running, and roadworthy. It had registration and had already been modified to be capable off-road. The day the ad was posted i messaged the seller, and the next morning i was on my way over for an inspection.

After a giddy walk-around and a nervous test-drive, the decision was made. I was taking this one home. So i shook the seller’s hand, gave him my money and drove the bad boy home. Ive had a fair share of cars, but this is the first time I’ve had a car this tall, or this loud, (or this squeaky), and it’s still a bit of a worry every time i have to squeeze through traffic or enter low parking lots.

Before I head of on any adventures, I’m going to address the faults the car has. Cracked windscreen rubbers, broken fuel tank float, rust on the roof, there’s a bit there to fix. And then on top of that there’s a whole bunch of kit to build, buy or install before she’ll be trip ready. I’ve compiled a list of what comes to mind, and ill slowly tick things off as i go.

To Fix:

Fuel Tank Float, Windscreen rubbers, Exhaust leak, rusty/faulty side mirrors, Coolant leak, rust near left taillight, rust on roof rack anchor points, rusty tow hitch, loose bull bar, loose hand brake.

To Buy/Build:

Packable bed set-up, Roof basket, Esky/Fridge, side awning, roof storage bag, jerry cans and holders, recovery gear, camp table and chairs, privacy screens, first aid kit, USB charging set-up, cooing/eating gear, shower set-up, MaxTraxx, camp lighting...

More to come as I work on it.

- 884RNR

[bxthharmon]

Never Go Home Again, Pt. XIV || JJ Maybank x Reader

Words: 2500

Series Warnings: violence / talking about abuse / toxic relationships / talking about nudes sex and sex tapes / drugs / underage drinking

Pt. Warnings: fighting / injuries / mourning

Series Summary: A new girl, a shoebox of old memories, a past she’s trying to forget coincide with a hotheaded, but selfless, boy.  teenagers getting in way over their heads

Pt. Summary: John B and Sarah escape, leaving the Pogues in the hands of the police

A/N: promise i didnt cry while i wrote this oops. tysm for all of the support and love i got from this, i appreciated every single note. tysm to all the friends o made and ppl i met by joining this fandom. ily. new fluff series tho!! and i hv another idea for a series as well :)

Chapters linked in my masterlist.

“masterlist”

JJ pushed the door, you and Kie glancing at each other in anticipation, excited to see the famous boat. He glanced back at you, similar emotions playing on his face. The boat came into view.

You felt your face drop at the anticlimax, wondering how the (no offence to JJ) unimpressive boat had caused such a stir. “Hey, girl.” JJ stroked the boat, not noticing the amused eyebrow raise he received from you. “A 1983 Formula 402 SR1.” He introduced, pulling the covers away, “The Phantom.” He looked back at you excitedly, and you nodded, humming noncommittally. “The first boat to make the run to Bermuda in under 16 hours, Y/N.” you looked at Kie, shrugged. “40 years old!” he continued, “40! And still the fastest thing Kildare’s ever seen.”

“It’s kind of a junker.” said Kie.

“Gotta say, bro,” you frowned, “As someone who’s walked through Beverly Hills, this is… pretty trashy.”

“Really, guys?” he whispered, “She’s right here. She can hear you. Let’s just put it this way, you would not be smokin’ weed right now if she never existed, okay?”

You sighed, and Kie shrugged. “I just hope it runs.”

“Oh, no, she’ll run all right. She’s faster than any of the boys in blue have got.”

You turned, confused at the sound of an engine.

“Pope! Finally.” Kie clarified.

“Yeah, what’s goin’ on with him?” you asked, and JJ rolled his eyes, a clear you don’t want to know look flashing over his face.

“Hey there. What’s going on?” 

You turned, shoulders slumping. Rafe.

“JJ? How you guys doin’?”

A whistle sounded behind you, and another guy appeared, one you didn’t recognise.

“What the fuck?” you frowned.

“Well, well…” the new man said, the three of you bunching together. You heard a gun click, and saw the man holding it to JJ’s chest.

“JJ,” you whispered, “what the fuck is going on?”

“See,” the man pressed on, “don’t think I forgot about me and you on the side of the road. I’m here, because I want my motherfuckin’ money.” He grabbed JJ’s neck, headbutting him as you and Kie jumped forwards, trying to pull them apart as Rafe pulled you both back, an arm around each of your waists.

Kie broke free, and Rafe threw you to the floor, pulling her back. You heard a slap resonate as you got to your feet, tackling whoever this other man was. He threw you away again, pointing the gun to your face. JJ was down, cradling his rib, and you gulped.

“Who the fuck are you?” you spat.

“Hey,” he laughed, “I’m Barry, your boy stole from me.”

You looked over to JJ, who swiped at Barry’s legs. Next thing you knew, Barry was holding up JJ’s face, punching repeatedly. You tried to pull him off, but he slammed you into the equipment behind. You touched your temple, feeling something sticky. You looked at your fingers, seeing the bright red of your own blood. Next thing you knew, Pope was hitting Rafe in the back with a crowbar, and the two were fighting. JJ tripped up Barry, and you kicked the gun away, kicking Barry’s face in the process. You looked around, trying to ignore the throbbing in your head as Kie tried to get Pope of Kie, and you attempted to get to your feet. You looked up, seeing your two friends stopping Pope from killing Rafe, and a choke lef your body. You doubled over, touching your temple again, blood trickling down the side of your face and onto your collarbone. 

JJ grabbed your waist, guiding you to the car, where he sat down next to you, inspecting the cut on your head. He frowned, biting his lip slightly.

“You good?” he asked, “Not concussed or anything?”

“If I am, I haven't noticed.”

--

“Dude, where is he?” Kie fretted, looking to Pope, and then down at where you were sitting in the grass.

“Give him a second, he’ll be here.” Pope assured.

“He’s comin’.” JJ said from inside the Phantom. “He’ll be fine.”

Sirens approached, and you stood up, Pope offering you an arm for support as the car stopped in front of you. Panic was coursing through the group, a sudden rush to board the boat, until you let out a laugh. “John B?”

“No way.” 

“No effing way.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Shoupe let me take it for a spin.” he joked, frowning slightly at the sight of your bloody face.

“Okay, that’s believable.” you joked, letting him hug you.

“I’ll take that, for now.” Kie laughed, pulling him in next.

“It wasn’t easy bro,” JJ piped up, “but I got the Phantom for you, and she runs like she was made yesterday. You ready to go?”

“Where’s Sarah?” he frowned.

“She’s not with you?” you asked.

“No, no. We got separated in the swamp.” he explained. “She said she was gonna meet me here.”

“We haven’t seen her.” said Pope.

“Well I’m not leaving without her.”

“John B, look at me.” JJ said, and the group’s attention turned to him, “I know you feel bad for leaving, but there’s no time, man. You’ve got plenty of gas, plenty of food. Once you get around that point, it’s a straight shot across the sound to Dismal Swamp, okay? Once you get there, lay low, alright? Hang out for a couple of weeks, then go overland, cross the border at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville. You - hey, you got that?”

“Yeah, yeah, Brownsville.”

JJ stood, stepping across the boat, hopping off, “Alright, saddle her up, saltwater cowboy. Let’s do this. Yeah.”

“Hey, hey.” John B faced all of you, standing in a row. “I’m sorry for… basically throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing.”

“Hey, John B, yo…” JJ sighed, “We were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right? At least we did it together though.” he threw an arm over your shoulder, and you threw yours over Pope’s.

“Pogue style.” you joked, “Am I a pogue?”

“Yeah.” John B muttered, “You’re one of us.”

“Now get out of here, please.” Kie interrupted.

“Now.” Pope instructed. “We’ll see you in two months, down in Mexico.”

“Love you.” JJ called, the four of you watching as your friend moved around the boat.

He paused, turning back to you, “Tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?”

Under your arm, you felt JJ’s shoulders tense slightly, “Don’t forget!” he called, “Cross the border at Brownsville!”

“Got it!”

You all stepped apart and pushed the boat away, watching the motor splutter to life and speed off. JJ’s hand slipped into yours, and you leaned back into him, closing your eyes for a brief second and inhaling the smell of the salt, pines and mint that he radiated. You and JJ moved away, letting Kie and Pope have a moment, and you nudged him when they kissed, holding back a small giggle.

“Hey, we can go on double dates.” you grinned, hearing sirens for the thousandth time that day, and, as if by instinctive, tensing as if to run, “We gotta go!”

You stepped forwards, but were immediately met with the bonnets of two police cars. You swore, looking at your three friends. You all raised your hands, observing the panic, and tensing as Shoupe yelled in your faces.

They drove you back to the field tents, and you found yourself sitting in the same seat as before, this time between JJ and Kiara. You interlocked your hand with JJ’s, feeling him rub the pad of his thumb over your hand, reassuring you that it would all be okay.

You swept your eyes over the Officers passing through the tent, a perturbing silence falling over the group. After five minutes, a paramedic came over, asking to look at the cut on your temple. You obliged, standing up and removing your hand from JJ’s, barely looking back as the paramedic took you to sit in the back of an ambulance. 

A second paramedic cleaned the cut and stitched, while the first one asked you questions to gage whether you had concussion. When they were done, the second one, a young woman, sat down next to you, looking as if she wanted to speak.

“What’s up?” you asked, glancing at her as she looked down, embarrassed.

“How are you?” she asked, “Like, emotionally.”

You looked at her again, this time noticing the concern in her dark eyes and the blush in her cheeks. “Holding up.”

“I know this is weird, and you don’t know me, but this kind of stuff has long lasting effects on your mental health.” You nodded dumbly. “Your friend, the blond boy?”

“JJ.” you whispered.

“Check up on him, okay?”

You nodded again, looking across the dark, rainy green and seeing his fuzzy silhouette in the tent. “Yeah,” you murmured, “I will.”

After a watery hot cocoa, you stepped back into the tent, watching relief play over each of the three pogues’ faces. You sat down  next to JJ, linking your fingers again and leaning your head onto his shoulder. He kissed your hairline, the simple gesture providing a moment of peace.

“Are you okay?” you asked, the question surprising him.

“I’m fine.” he assures you, unconvincingly. “Or, I will be.”

“Am I your girlfriend?” you whispered, causing him to look you in the eye.

“Yeah.” he nods, “If you want to be.”

You smiled, an unnatural feeling amidst the growing chaos, pulling your lip in with your teeth slightly, “I love you, boyfriend.”

“I love you too, girlfriend.”

You looked up, rain slamming down onto the tent as people shouted, running around. You hadn’t noticed the sudden growth of activity until then. You looked back at your friends. “Shit, what’s happening?” Kie murmured, and you looked around again, unable to work out any coherent information.

JJ was shaking next to you, and on your other side, Kiara was trying not to cry. You stood up, unable to stay in the suffocating row of seats. JJ leaned forward slightly, the loss of contact shocking him. Then, the neon coats came in. Shoupe, Bratcher, the other officers. You waited expectantly, feeling the others stand beside you.

“Did you find them?” Pope asked.

“No.” Shoupe stated, and you let out a shaky breath.

“So they got away?” Kie asked.

“We, uh…” Shoupe looked down, “We lost them.”

You swallowed, closing your eyes for a second.

Sarah, your first friend. Sarah, who invited you out to parties when you had no other friends. Sarah, who would stay up late, texting you, when you couldn’t be alone with your thoughts. And John B, always dragging you into petty dramas and persuading you to come out with the Pogues. The one who had finalised your placement in the tight-knit group.

You looked around, seeing various emotions scattered over your friends. Pope - denying. Unable to think that they might really be gone. Kiara - standing in shock, processing the idea. JJ, angry.

He was holding Shoupe by the collar, yelling, and almost by instinct, you reached for his shoulders, trying to pull him back, but knowing you weren’t strong enough. He was being pulled away.

“JJ.” you managed, your voice seeming to ground him as he softened, breaking from the loosened grip to look at you, to take in the tears that you didn’t realise were falling.

You felt aware of other people entering the tent, but you paid them no mind, pulling JJ into a hug, soft but tight, cradling him as sobs racked both of your bodies. You stood like that for a few minutes, face buried in his shoulder, him breathing in your hair. You clung to each other, the loss taking hold of you in a cruel fist, tightening around your chests second by seconds as the reality hit. There were hands on your back, soothing ones, voices in the background, asking questions, answering them, promising to see each other tomorrow.

Eventually, you stepped away.

He had an arm over your shoulder, and you had an arm around his torso as you slowly made your way down the tent, neither of your parents present. For the first time all week, you wondered what your dad was up to. You felt raindrops splattering over your face as you ambled down the soggy path to the road.

“JJ?” you broke the shocked silence. “Would you like to stay at mine tonight?”

He looked down at you, processing your words for a second. “Yeah.” he rasped the words, practically choking them out. You walked home slowly, the rain hammering you both, but neither of you able to care. You walked past the Chateau, and a fresh wave of tears shook you both. You fumbled with your keys, the torrential rain making your grip slippy as you struggled to find the right one. You unlocked the door, both of you stumbling in, hooking your coats over the radiator and then walking up the stairs, not caring about your volume. 

You undressed slowly, hanging all your clothes out in the bathroom to dry, and then finding JJ, broken and still, standing in the middle of your room. You unbuttoned the black shirt, pulling it from his shoulders and letting it drop. You helped him out of the rest of his clothes, providing a pair of joggers to him. You hung his clothes up with yours. Only then did you realise you were still just in your underwear, and pulled an oversized top over your frame, unable to place who it had belonged to before you. You sat down in the middle of your bed, legs crossed, and tugged JJ’s hand ever so slightly, the movement forcing him to look down at you. He sat down beside you, and slowly as ever, you guided him to lie down. You lay on your back beside him, staring at the ceiling as, once again, you turned the day’s events over in your head.

You looked over to JJ, who was looking away from you, taking deep breaths. He rolled, turning his back to you. In response, you rolled too, curving your body around his back, and wrapping an arm around him, resting your hand over his heart, and pressing your cheek to his spine.

As you breathed, you breathed for him. For everything you had been through, and everything you were yet to experience. You breathed, and lived, and died for him. Your heart pumped for him, for his love. You loved him, with every bone, every fiber, every cell in your body, and in that moment of pure, mutual vulnerability, you swore to yourself, I will always love this man.

You closed your eyes, savouring the feeling of your weariness, your pain, your worries sifting away. Your breathing evened with his, and you felt his heartbeat under your fingertips, the rhythm guiding you to sleep, gently and kindly welcoming you into a dreamless slumber.

Badum. Badum. Badum.

Tags: @tangledinsparkles​ @jellyfishbeansontoast​ @lolitstiana​ @ilikealotofpeople-younotsomuch​ @teamnick​ @thoughtsofthestars​ @obxmxybxnk​ @pcterparxer​ @kaelyn-lobrutto24​ @sxcretinhuman​ @alexa-playafricabytoto​ @angvelics​ @badwolf00593​ @coloradogirl07​ @mendesmaybank​ @jiaraendgame​ @5am-cigarette​ @emerald-xcd​ @haharudy​

[sablelab]

Covert Operations - Chapter 93

DISCLAIMER: This is a modern AU crossover story with Outlander and La Femme Nikita.

 SYNOPSIS: James Fraser and Karen Yee make the trip to Tan O and must go overland to find the monastery where the Rising Dragons are holding Claire. Back at Section One Madeline and Operations are briefed and a backup team is organised to support Jamie.

Here’s to the start of 2020 and the continuation of Covert Operations. THANKS for reading.

 Previous chapters of this story can be found at … https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

  CHAPTER 93

Making a perfect descent Jamie landed the light plane on the private airstrip on the outskirts of the town of Tai O and taxied the aircraft to where Fergus had arranged for a 4 wheel drive jeep to be waiting for him. Using the information gauged from the video recording, he’d been able to pinpoint that Claire was being held captive at the Tsz Hsing Monastery situated in the south-west. The monastery was located in a relatively remote part of Lantau Island where the roads and trails were not easily defined and since the environment was also inaccessible to normal vehicles in this region, this kind of transportation was a necessity. To complicate matters the landscape was difficult and mountainous as well, hence the four wheeled jeep would be able to manoeuvre the conditions of the terrain. Not only that but the vehicle was well camouflaged and would blend in nicely with the surroundings. Everything had been organised for him by his little buddy back at Section One. Jamie also had Karen Yee and she would verify Claire's location. She had no other choice although he knew she would not divulge information voluntarily. Hence, it was necessary to make some inroads before morning as there was much, he needed to do on this mission to find his Claire. The sooner he got started the better and after consulting his map, Jamie bundled his reluctant passenger into the jeep and headed in the direction of Tai O to begin his journey. Karen Yee sat stony faced beside him. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

In no time Jamie made his way into the ancient and quaint fishing village of Tai O located on the west coast of Lantau Island. Known as the Venice of Hong Kong the sleepy hamlet could trace its history back more than three centuries when pirates ruled the waves around the island. In a country of modernization on the big island of Hong Kong, Tai O had obviously retained most of its historical settings as the sight that greeted him was several hundred stilt houses indicative of a traditional rural life. Driving through the earthen streets it was evident that this was a rural area reliant on the fishing industry for the stilt houses and fishing boats dotted the waterways and fishing village scenery. Salted fish, a traditional Chinese food, hung from premises along the dirt road to dry, and shrimp paste seemed to be the village's only economic industry as premises for making the seafood paste was located everywhere in the town. Passing through the village the terrain began to incline and a little further on Jamie came to signage directing hikers to a number of well-marked trails that meandered into the national park. The Lantau Trail a 70-kilometre, 12-section hikers' haven was the best known of these trails and a section of the circular route through the finest scenery of the Lantau Country Parks began at Tai O. This part of the trail started a little way past the township with steps leading up into the wooded forest. The very steep contour of the steps looked difficult to negotiate and was typical of the route that Jamie now drove along. As the area was suitable for hikers, Jamie's mode of transport was a necessity. Fifty percent of the island was covered with forested areas and the dense foliage of this type of environment would make the going that much harder for him to negotiate to find the monastery where Claire was being held. Driving into the forested area he wanted to put some distance between him and the township before setting up camp somewhere along the way. Looking very much like tourists setting out on a weekend camping trip, Jamie knew he would need to negotiate the rough terrain in daylight hours for his safety. It would do no one any good if the jeep went over an embankment along the road in the pitch black of night. Although the road began to deteriorate, he continued on for every kilometre meant he was getting closer to his Sassenach. After travelling for an hour or so, the road suddenly dipped and became more hazardous. Although Jamie negotiated the jeep with skill manoeuvring the vehicle around potholes and other obstacles along the way he decided to cut the engine and set up camp for the night. Swerving into a cleared area he pulled the jeep to a stop. Karen looked at her abductor with disdain. "Why are we stopping?" "Out of the jeep," he ordered without even a sideways look at his passenger. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"What are you doing?" Karen asked in shock as James Fraser approached her side of the vehicle with steely determination.

When Karen refused to get out of the jeep Jamie pulled her out and dragged her away. Caught unawares by his actions, she put up a fight and lashed out kicking with her legs while hanging from his arm. Dragging her into the woods, Karen repeatedly turned to try to make eye contact with him, but Jamie completely ignored her antics. If only she had, then she would have seen a steely quiet in them that was devoid of any emotion. Although she struggled against him, Karen felt the strength of Jamie's grip as he placed her arms behind her back then tied her securely to a tree. Belligerently she slid down the trunk and sat on the ground. "Why? Why are you doing this?" Ignoring her question, Jamie turned and walked away. Returning to the jeep he fetched some security lasers and blankets. Karen watched as he meticulously aligned the parameter with the lights then turned them on. There was no camp fire but the low shielded lights placed around the base, created an eerie glow in the makeshift camp. "What do you want?" "The location." "Ahhh! You think I will tell you," was her insolent reply. Jamie stared at Karen for a second. "Where is it?" She merely stared him down in defiance. "You have all the answers ... so you find it Jamie Fraser," she sneered defiantly. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Leaving Karen tied up to the tree Jamie went to study the map he had on the area. According to his calculations they were probably about twenty kilometres from the monastery, but the gradient appeared to increase noticeably the deeper they went into the mountains. Tomorrow's journey would probably be hard going and they would have to take it slow in the rough conditions. This meant that getting to Claire would take longer than he'd first anticipated. Although it was only twenty kilometres in distance, the time to travel along the terrain could be doubled or even tripled depending on what he found along the way. He decided to contact Fergus to clarify his estimates and see if there was an alternate route, he could take to avoid some of the difficulties that lay ahead over the next few kilometres.

"Fergus? ... Fergus?" 

There was a brief pause before he received an answer. "Jamie? Is that you ... I can hardly hear you. The reception is very poor." 

Jamie could hear the crackling of his radio unit too and the faint reply back from Section. "I need the coordinates for the monastery." "Twenty kilometres due East, at nine thirty." "Thank ye ... Is there another way to get to it?" "No ... there's only one way in and out." "Okay." "Jamie ... We've gauged that the Rising Dragon's surveillance at the monastery is sophisticated; from now on we maintain radio silence." "I understand." "Do you want backup?" "No ... I'll be ......" There was more interference and the reception was dreadful. What? ... What did you say? ... Jamie ... you're breaking up ... I'm losing you ..." Fergus stated alarmingly as he was unable to hear the final word of Jamie's reply. "... fine." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* James Fraser looked like he was talking to himself, so in a challenging voice Karen called out from the tree to distract him, "Hey ... I've got to go. Is that all right?" Turning slightly, he looked at her. "It's okay if I say it is." Karen was indignant. Leaning against the tree she turned away, hatred burning in her eyes at having to take orders from this man who held her prisoner. "I request permission then." Jamie didn't look at Karen when he answered her request. "Permission denied." He won't rest until we're dead. Karen thought as she watched him ignore her pleas. Then he'll die, too, she vowed. Claire and Jamie will both die together. Her mind went into overdrive contemplating her next move. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Sometime later he approached Karen with a blanket and retied her arms in the front, then left her there. Although she was still shackled to the tree, she had enough rope to find some privacy for her bathroom requirements when needed. With a malicious look, her eyes followed his retreating back. "May I say something?" "Go ahead." "Regarding the past ... as far as I'm concerned everyone in the triad ... was just doing their job ... and, as for the present ... I have no hard feelings. I just want to stay alive." Jamie turned and met Karen's gaze. "Really?" Her expression continued to show only sincerity. "Really ... In fact, there's a question that ... I've been wanting to ask you, Jamie, for a long time. It's kind of a ... personal question, but seeing as how we know each other better now, I guess we've got a lot in common and you won't mind my asking it ..." He looked up but didn't turn to face her. "When you guys go on Missions, or whatever you call them ... how does Section One react to you and Claire being together romantically?" Jamie's expression remained blank, but he turned and issued a final warning. "I said drop it. It's best if ye don't mention Section One." Karen wore a fake repentant expression on her face as she apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm over the line. I'll see you in the morning then." Having said all she'd wanted to say to try and put Jamie off guard Karen rolled over with a smug look on her face.

She was aware of their little 'secret' ... it could come in handy once the triad had rescued her. Now ... If I can just alert them somehow, then James Fraser will be on the receiving end of their revenge. My father will not tolerate such treatment of his daughter. Once we get closer to the monastery, I'll think of something to let Andy or one of the others know that I'm being held captive. 

Pulling the blanket around her Karen curled up with a plan formulating in her mind. She was soon asleep. 

Getting comfortable for the night Jamie closed his eyes. Suddenly the vision of a face appeared in his mind's eye with eyes that pierced his soul.

This was the face of his beautiful, brave Sassenach the woman who had been tortured on the disk. The Rising Dragons may have broken her physically but they would never break the light that shone within. She was unwavering. Her tenacity and bravery in the face of her torturers was nothing short of magnificent. If he could have taken her place to save her from such atrocities he would have gladly done so. His heart broke with what the triad had done to her and when he found out who the person or person were who had done this to her he would show no mercy.

The next vision he saw was of her blue, cerulean eyes radiating with love and laughter. Claire Beauchamp was everything that was good in his life. 

He was only a short distance away from her now and once he reached the monastery, she would be safe. Claire's ordeal would be over. He was coming to rescue his woman and nothing would stop him from that objective. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

It was early morning and the sun was just beginning to filter through the tree. Jamie had packed up the camp and was ready to leave. He'd studied the map again and once satisfied about the route he was about to take, folded it up and roused Karen. Walking over to the tree where she was tied up, Jamie gave her a swift kick with his foot. Immediately she sat up and stared at the imposing figure standing over her. 

"We're leaving in five minutes. Be ready." Jamie walked away leaving her alone. When he returned a few minutes later to untie Karen from the tree she was ready and waiting for what would happen next. Jamie pushed her ahead of him and in so doing placed a tracker to Karen's skin where it would not be seen under her ear. If by chance she managed to escape, Section One would be able to trace her movements. Physically escorting her to where the jeep was parked, Karen grudgingly got into the passenger seat with a scowl on her face. Once she was in the vehicle, Jamie climbed in beside her. Turning over the ignition and putting his foot to the floor it was evident that he was in a hurry to get underway. The jeep jerked forward as he accelerated, the tyres spun in the dirt as he left a cloud of dust in his wake. Moving away from the camp site James Fraser manoeuvred his way along the dirt track skirting the rugged mountain range leading to the Tsz Hsing Monastery while beside him his passenger sat silently her eyes glued ahead. Back at Section One...

Fergus entered Madeline's office to report on the mission, but as he walked in, he stopped short when he saw Operations deep in conversation with her. He came further into the room and stood quietly before addressing his leaders.

"You wanted to see me?" 

"Yes Fergus." Madeline looked over Operations' shoulder at him. "Your work went well locating Jamie." "Thank you Madeline." Operations turned to face him too. "So where are we then? Has there been any other communication from the Rising Dragons since they sent the last video disk?" "Nothing ... but we've kept the channel open in case something else comes through." "And Jamie? ... Do we have him under satellite tracking?" "Yes sir ..." he replied looking at Operations. "He's heading due north at the moment but he'll need to diverge to the east when the road meanders around the mountain." "How long will it be until he reaches the monastery?" "It's difficult to be concise Madeline, but I estimate that it will take several hours to travel in this kind of terrain." "Can you be more specific?" When pushed to give a definitive answer Fergus replied, "At a guess I'd say around dusk." "Good." Fergus nervously shifted from one foot to the other. Noticing his unease Operations asked, "Is there a problem?" "I lost communication with Jamie before I could ask about back up for the mission." "I see ... and what do you think?" Fergus looked up, flabbergasted at the question, wondering why Operations would ask his advice. "W-what? Me?" "Yes Mr Claudel... what do you think we should do?" "It's a ... subjective call. But I did a computer analysis." "An analysis? Don't you mean a sim?" "Yeah ... a sim," he replied nervously. "That's what I did." "And?" Fergus honestly stated his opinion. "Jamie is the best operative that Section One has but ..." "... even the best need help sometimes," Madeline said finishing his sentence. "And according to the numbers, there's a three percent advantage to going in to help him." Operations appeared mollified at his assessment, but he still watched Fergus carefully. "Three percent ... Then, we go in." Madeline also acknowledged his statement. "We agree ... Under the circumstances I think a backup team would be beneficial." "See to it Mr Claudel ... Put together a Team and organise a briefing in thirty minutes," his leader added. "Yes sir," he nodded in assent. "That will be all ... you may go." As he departed, Operations' face showed he was in two minds about what had just transpired. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Once Fergus had left her office, he turned back to his second in command. By the look on his face Madeline knew he was not happy about something. "What's the problem Dougal?" Taking umbrage, he answered her question with one of his own. "Why wasn't I told that Jamie had contacted Section?" "You had enough on your plate already Dougal ... what with your brother Colum and all." Ever the diplomat, Madeline had managed to diffuse his ire with her answer. Colum had been on their backs lately but now that Jamie had contacted Section, things were back on track. Not only would he rescue Claire but he may also eliminate other triad protagonists and find a vital clue to bringing the mission to a conclusion. Madeline felt that the end game was almost imminent. "So, another mission against the Rising Dragons is being profiled?" he replied placated by Madeline's explanation. "Yes ... that's right. They're a special priority again since Jamie is no longer dark." "Then ... may I offer some input?" "By all means."

Madeline was not surprised at his appeal. Operations was a proud man and if he felt as if he was out of the loop then he was not happy. Obviously, Fergus' announcement had caught him off guard. 

"We're going to have to reallocate resources. I hope that won't leave the other missions too thin." "They'll be fine." "I was just making a comment." "All right." "It might also be hard in the time that Fergus has given us." "Although the Intel on the mission is weak, we'll have to work what we already have on the triad at the monastery's location and hope that Jamie will succeed." "We should at least do a decent risk assessment Madeline." "There's no time. We'll send the backup team instead, and besides Fergus gave you the numbers and you agreed." "Delay only increases the risk and Jamie will risk everything to save Claire." "I agree. I think we may have underestimated him." "Yes ... We misjudged him very badly. I never thought he could be so reckless." "Where Claire is concerned ... he is predictable, but under the circumstances it has worked in our favour. You didn't give him a choice Dougal, but by backing down you have kept the mission on track, otherwise the fifteen days you allowed him could have seen the mission go pear shape." "You know, controlling the world is easy Madeline. What's difficult is controlling them." "There's another possibility. He's just better than we are." They both smiled at this comment. "He's good. He and Claire together are quite good. Fortunately, even the best have weaknesses." Contemplating her statement, Operations nodded his head in agreement. "The mission will proceed as planned. It won't fail ... Jamie will make sure of that." Somewhere on the mountainside...

Passing through a densely forested acacia and Brisbane Box tree plantation, the condition of the track began to deteriorate as the challenging road became narrower and narrower. The wheels of the jeep spun in the dirt sending up a cloud of dust into the air and it became much more difficult and dangerous in sections. Jamie had to slow the jeep right down to manoeuvre along the dirt track. He hugged the side road in sections as to his right the steep incline was extremely hazardous. One mistake could have sent the jeep careening over the embankment to their certain death. He travelled along the track like this for a couple of kilometres until the road widened again and he was finally able to increase his speed. 

Karen remained relatively quiet beside him. She knew that this was the most dangerous way of approaching the monastery and that it would take hours before they were anywhere near it. If only she had some way of communicating with Jonathon or Andy at the monastery then she could alert them to her predicament. Karen decided that the best course of action would be to wait until they were closer. The monastery was surrounded by sensors and if she was able to activate one of them without Jamie knowing then they would know they were there. With that thought in mind Karen suddenly became talkative. "This has nothing to do with the Rising Dragons ... has it?" Jamie didn't bother to answer, but kept his eyes on the road as he concentrated on driving. "It's all about Claire ... isn't it? It's not just your job, is it?" Jamie paid no attention to her questions. Rambling on Karen announced. "Yeah ... I've figured it out. You love Claire and you want to rescue her so badly ... that you'll go to any length to do it." The woman was babbling on but there was truth in her statement yet he still continued to ignore her. "Well let me tell you something James Fraser ... you won't be able to protect her and yourself against the triad when they find us. So, if I were you, I'd let me go so that you can save yourself." A smug smirk crossed Karen's face as she was convinced that her questions had hit their mark. Satisfied that she had made Jamie feel uncomfortable she continued with her incessant questions and statements as they drove along. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The mountain track gradient increased and they began to climb once again. Below Jamie could see a water reservoir and in front of him was the mountain summit. The views were tremendous; the area was dominated by magnificent craggy cones and peaks of the mountain range. The long distance to the monastery, combined with all the repeated climbing and descending made it a harder journey than at first thought. At the rate he was going it would be nightfall before they had reached the monastery; the sun was already starting to lower in the sky. Since they only had a few hours of daylight left, Jamie knew that they needed to find the monastery before evening for another night spent in the forest meant another night that Claire had to suffer alone. Eventually they came to a stream where the crystal clear water was untouched by the pollution of civilization. The water cascaded over the side of the mountain into a deep ravine. When Jamie began to pull the jeep over to park to refill their water bottles from the stream, Karen looked around for a way to escape. Deciding that this was her best chance she unbuckled her seat belt and bent forward intent on leaping out of the jeep. But when she tried to open the door, Jamie merely reached out grabbed her hair and yanked her smartly back into the seat with a thump. She was no match for him. Duly chastised she slumped down in her seat ruing her missed chance at escape. Finally stopping the jeep, Jamie pulled out his map of the province and studied it closely for a while. He pocketed the map before getting out of the vehicle and filling the water bottles from the steam. Once done they continued on their journey. Turning right, the road began to suddenly drop then angled as he went down a fairly steep hillsides rocky road. A little further on the road then became almost level.  However, once again Jamie had to hug the shoulder of the road due to the narrow track. Thankfully there was no traffic coming the other way for there was certainly no possibility of any two vehicles passing each other on the road. They had failed to see any other vehicles coming or going since they had started out, hence Jamie made a reasonable assessment. It was apparent that any transportation to and from the monastery was by air. The sun was beginning to set and as it was getting a little darker the visibility was decreasing. He knew they must be nearing their destination for Karen wouldn't have tried to escape if the monastery was not close at hand. Jamie was more vigilant. Any sight of a level section that could land a helicopter or small plane would indicate they were near the monastery. Suddenly off to his left he saw it ... a small landing field with a helicopter parked on the ground. Pulling off the road he stopped the jeep in a wooded area under the cover of the trees. Making sure that Karen was secure, he got out of the jeep and peered through the foliage. There in the distance was a beautiful brick building standing peacefully in the glow of the setting sun.

At last he had arrived. Beyond the boundary ... somewhere in that building, the triad was holding his Claire captive. James Fraser’s eyes clouded with a coldness to chill the bones. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ to be continued Friday 10th January

[adrenalineguide]

Jeep Gladiator Rubicon:turning the pickup market on its ear

By Michael Hozjan

I can’t recall a time in recent memory when a new car or truck, created more of a buzz around the proverbial water cooler than the Jeep Gladiator. Not even the new mid-engine Corvette could best the Gladiator. “ What’s the engine, how long is that box, looks better in life, pictures don’t do it justice, what do you think, how’s the traction?” are just a small sampling of the slew of questions I got whenever I parked the Jeep during my week with the Rubicon. 

Regular readers know that the Wrangler is a vehicle that I hate to love, well all that has changed with the Gladiator. There’s no reason to hate it and lots of reasons to love it. Below is a picture of the Gladiator with a 1951 Willys pickup. In case you’re unaware, Willys manufactured of the original Jeep back in WWII.

When I surrendered the old Victorian duplex and confines of downtown Montreal for my own version of Green Acres, I came across the Willys pickup in a gas station north of Montreal. “The perfect vehicle for the farm, I could go out in the winter and clean up the old trees until I get a tractor, and hook up a blade in the front to clear the driveway.” was my selling point to the girlfriend.

I recall my dad falling in love with the wagon version when I was young. Must be genetic. Problem was the Willys needed work, lots of work. The four cylinder Hurricane engine would have to be rebuilt, or replaced with a modern V8, and there was no heater (heaters were optional until the mid ‘80s in Jeeps). If I wanted originality, I’d have to replicate or find an original bed as someone had grafted (butchered) a L’il Red Wagon bed on the back. To make matters worse it was a tight fit for my six-foot frame with my knees hitting the steering wheel with every depression of the clutch and brake pedal.  I would need to extend the cab if I wanted to fit, particularly with heavy winter work clothes. The price tag started to add up. Nonetheless, when finished it would be the coolest pickup in the county. On the way down to make an offer on my “farm truck” I spotted it in a friend’s lot not twenty kilometers from home. As I was going through my library of explicatives, I could here my girlfriend’s voice, “It wasn’t meant to be.”

Enter the Gladiator, the coolest pickup since….well since Dodge unleashed their 1994 Ram. But the Ram didn’t have removable doors, tops and a folding windshield. The Gladiator is Jeep’s latest foray into the pickup field in over three decades and nearly fifty years since the last Gladiator pickup drove off the assembly line.

Sprayed liner in the bed is optional.

Unlike the first generation Gladiator, which shared its body style with the Wagoneer, today’s iteration shares the Wrangler’s cabin and powertrain, but the frame is unique to the Gladiator. Rather than just adding a few inches to the existing Wrangler frame, Jeep engineered a high-strength steel ladder frame that is 787 mm (31 inches) longer than the four-door Wrangler’s and put an extra 493mm (19.4 inches) between the wheels. The new platform isn’t only meant to be taken off road but also to carry up to 1,600 pounds in the 5-foot box and tow up to 7,650 lbs. (depending on trim). Overall length of the truck is 5,539 mm (218 inches, 31 inches longer than the Wrangler).

From there the various Wrangler components are added to the frame. So nothing new, same old proven 285 horsepower 3.6L V6 pumping out 260 lb-ft of torque, mated to either a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic.

The immediate added benefit of the longer truck is a greatly improved ride over the Wrangler, and that in itself should steer most people who’ve wanted to the open air, go anywhere feeling but weren’t sold on the Wrangler’s ride, into the showrooms.

The goodies

Prices start at $47, 245 for the soft topped, 6-speed manual trannied Sport S trim, the middle of the road Overland starts out at $51,245 (watch for this one in a future installment) with the rock climbing king, and the trail burner of the bunch, the Rubicon, starting at $52, 495.  My firecracker red tester came with the 8-speed automatic, a $1,595 option. The rough and ready Rubicon gets Fox shocks on the four corners and utilizes Jeep’s the Rock–Trac 4x4 system with locking front and rear differentials with 4:1 gears.  You can also disconnect/connect the front stabilizer bar from the comfort of the cabin with a console-mounted switch. Other options found in the cabin were leather seats with the Rubicon logo stitched into the backrest, cold weather package which included remote start. Regular readers will know I’m a big fan of FCA’s infotainment systems an their ease of use, the upgraded audio system with navigation included the 8.4 inch screen, led lights, front camera for negotiating tight spots when off-roading, steel front bumper, 3-piece removable hard top, heavy-duty battery and alternator. In short everything one would need to venture off the beaten path with a load of building materials for the cabin deep in the woods and come back safe and sound.

Is it perfect?

The Gladiator has made four wheeling that much more enjoyable but I do wish that Jeep would give us a dead pedal.

The tires worked flawlessly during my excursions off road, including my farm chores, and they got me up an icy hill and down a left handed icy slope without so much as missing a mm of grip. However, at highway speeds down the 401 the 285/70R17 Goodyear Wrangler All Terrain w/Kevlar tires were bear and took a lot of getting used to to keep them heading true.

The locking front axle also produces a lot of crow footing.

Roll bar mounted speakers mounted behind your head are fab!

Would I buy one?

In a word, yes. The Gladiator is more about making a lifestyle statement than anything else. It’s turning your nose up at the establishment and telling everyone that you beat your own path. There’s a lot of pickups out there with 5-foot beds but this one is shallower than most, but it looks so cool and give the truck a military look from the back.

Yes it’s pricey as medium-sized pickups go like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma, on the other hand a buddy just picked up a Ram 1500 and paid about the same amount and he seldom uses the 6-foot box. So what price do you put on fun. Is this my new farm truck? Compared to the Willys, it has all the interior room I need no matter how many layers I have on for my winter chores, it’s also warmer with an excellent heater and my tester came with heated seats and steering wheel. The V6 has more power than I need and has the ability to light up the rear tires when in two-wheel-drive. I can also drop the windshield in under four minutes on those balmy summer days. Oh and yes I’d have the coolest pickup in the county.

I’m buying a few more lottery tickets lately but I’m also awaiting Jeep to come out with a two-door version with a longer bed.

One last parting shot before surrendering the beast

Price as tested: $69,040*

*Includes freight and a/c excise tax

[manawhaat]

What's your best vacation memory? ❤️

Oof… there are a couple that stand out from my childhood but I have to go with the Vegas/Pioche trip I took with my dad and my middle sister in 2015.

This is FUCKING LONG so if you feel like reading about it for 6 hours then there’s more under the cut and I’ll throw in some photos at the bottom because this trip really did just make me so happy. 

I had joined a photography scavenger hunt group and participated in a couple of rounds (and got some rad photos!) when they decided to hold a meet up. It was held in Vegas and they had classes and photo shoots and group trips out to different places in the surrounding area. I decided to go and booked a hotel room fro the last day of the meet up, but then my mom died. The meet up was about 2 months after that so when I was trying to figure out if I should still go, etc, my sister and my dad said they’d go with me.

On the way there we drove through the desert because we always do and my sister and I played the Alphabet game. It was the most intense game she or I have ever played. We were on x by the time we got into the middle of no man’s land and I managed to get it on a random XTRA semi truck that was parked in the middle of a salt flat. She got it as soon as we got back onto the main road on a car licence plate that was ‘xmasgft’. We went back and forth getting one only for the other to get the same letter seconds later. It was crazy. I was on Z when she was on Y and at one point she started saying ‘oh shit oh fuck oh shit’ and I started to panic thinking we were about to get into a car accident or something… when she stopped panicking I asked her what her problem was and apparently we’d passed a billboard for Zoomanity and she was panicking that I was gonna win. Her panicking distracted me and I didn’t get the Z. She ended up getting her Y and immediately after I found another Z on a sign that said ‘construction zone’ and it was the best ‘fuck you’ and the most victorious win of, like, anything that I’d experienced up until that point. It was fantastic! 

When we got into town I never did make it to the meet ups lol. I saw one person I know from the group while walking out of the hotel, but that was about it. I didn’t really have it in me to branch out and go to the meet up functions by myself so I didn’t. Instead I hung out with my family. We went zip lining over Freemont street and walked around, we went to the Mob Museum (which was fascinating), we did the Mandalay Bay Aquarium, and went out to the Hoover Dam. I’d never been and it was really cool, it was a gorgeous day and it we took a bunch of cute pictures there.

We’d all made a pact that we were going to do the controlled free-fall that they offer at the Stratosphere but when we got up to the top and watched a few people do it we all collectively noped out lol. We ate at this restaurant near the Stratosphere called The Peppermill that is FUCKING FANTASTIC. The food was good but the ambiance. Holy shit. It was like Vegas in the early 80s threw up in there. It was so good. Just neon lights and mirrors and tacky carpet and too many potted plants. The waitress was your classic sassy waitress, which only added to the experience, and my sister ordered the ‘mammoth pancakes’. It came with two and the plate weighed like 4 pounds! 

We did a few other things but I remember just being in a good mood the whole trip. I had gotten a throw pillow with Dean’s face on it before the trip and I took it with us so we could sleep in the car comfortably and I remember taking pictures with the Dean pillow like everywhere we went and it became a funny sort of adventure with him. I was also talking to a guy on my dating app that I was like, legit in love with. Everything about him felt so perfect and I remember telling my sister that if he magically transported to Vegas while we were still there that I’d 100% marry him.

This was also the first time being in Vegas since I’d turned 21 (that Vegas trip was a fucking nightmare!) and this really made up for it. I got drunk downstairs at the hotel and won like 80 bucks on a machine, which was the most I’d ever won at that point, so we had to stop and play that machine at every casino we saw it at. My sister and I had also been on a Ghost Adventures kick before that and there’s a very specific sound that one of their devices makes and the elevator at the hotels all made that sound, so we were constantly making it and giggling at it. All in all, it was just a lot of fun and a lot of like, solid bonding and enjoyment of the experiences we were having and who we were with.

Keep in mind, ^^^^THAT’S ALL STILL JUST VEGAS! ^^^

Since we’d been on the Ghost Adventures kick, we stayed in Vegas for a couple of days and then drove out into the desert toward Pioche, Nevada. The Ghost Adventures Crew had done a paranormal hunt there at the Overland Hotel that is notoriously haunted (rooms 10 and 14, specifically).

I remember the drive being a nice clear day and the type of desert started to shift a little from what we’re all used to so there was some cool scenery. Now, we were on this trip in like April so I packed for desert weather in April, but what they failed to mention to me was that Pioche was in the HIGH desert, which didn’t really mean anything to me until we made it around a ridge and saw fucking snow!

We pulled over and played in it a little bit and then finished the drive and, lo and behold, it got more snowy. So when we finally arrived in Pioche I had to walk my happy ass through snow in leggings and sandals and a tank top with only a light jacket. And the next day, I only had shorts or a different pair of equally as thin leggings! It was terrible, but in a funny way.

The town of Pioche is fucking TINY! The population is literally barely over 1,000 and even when we were there we couldn’t figure out how it even held that many people! So we checked into the hotel and managed to get room 10 (one of the most haunted ones) and walked around. It was an old mining town so we checked out the remains of the tram, we went down to the Boothill Cemetery that had wicked old graves that were like, really old western graves of people who’d died in like the early 1800′s in saloon shootouts.

We had food at the only diner in town and while we were walking up a truck drove by goin’ extra slow. The driver was a good ole country boy- he was super hot- and in the back of his truck bed were…. idk, 15 or so fucking BEAGLE PUPPIES! I fell in love, I legit chased his truck down the street lol. It was like, the most amazing thing I’d ever seen.

So we hung out in the tiny place and when night fell we went downstairs to the bar at the hotel and hung out. We talked to one of the hotel staff who actually appeared in the episode of Ghost Adventures and we talked about the guys on the show and she was just really down to earth and funny.

Then, I got shitfaced.

I remember sitting at the high table watching my dad play pool with some locals while my sister was talking to some guy who’d also been on the show (and was a regular at the bar). At that point, I was really drunk and really lovey, so I decided to drunk dial everyone I knew to tell them I love them. Only, I didn’t get reception in the hotel, so I walked my happy ass out into the freezing night, and kept walking almost two blocks down to a little bench outside of the run down fire station and sat outside for over an hour, in the snow, in leggings and sandals, calling everyone I knew to tell them how much I loved them.

My sister finally came looking for me and dragged me back to the hotel while I was still on the phone, and I was able to make one more call to a friend. Drunk!me thought it would be a GREAT idea to finally confess that I had a crush on him and wanted to make out, so I told him that, and when he asked ‘uh, what?’, my dumb ass said it again, clearer and louder so he wouldn’t miss it!

Before he could respond my sister figured out what I’d just said and snatched my phone away and hung up. We went back inside to get my dad and then we walked up the street to the other bar in town and while we were walking my dad started throwing snowballs at us, so I fuckin’ took off. In my entire life I’ve never run as fast as I did that night lol. I ran so fast that  only stopped after my drunk brain could register the flash of neon I’d passed. So I turned around and was a few buildings away from the bar and when I looked for my sister and dad, they were still at the other end of the street a good 2 football fields away!

We went in and played shuffleboard and hung out. They paid the bartender not to give me anymore drinks and I then crawled on the bar and tried to convince him to give me more lol. I ended up going to the bathroom and the signs didn’t say ‘men’ and ‘women’, they said ‘John’ and ‘Mary’ and I freaked out because, Supernatural, duh!

When we left the bar later that night, with me even more drunk than before, my dad started throwing snowballs again and we ran down the street. There was a kind of boardwalk that we were running on and we didn’t realize it ended with a staircase so I jumped into the road and ran down the asphalt but my sister ended up, in a full sprint, leaping off the end of the boardwalk and crashing into me. She was so graceful and when she was in the air it was like she was  in slow motion. So when she landed we were howling with laughter and then we rounded the building and there was a big ass dog right in our faces! I freaked out just because I was shocked but it ended up being friendly and sauntered off, but drunk me was already laughing at my sister’s majestic leap so I started laughing even harder that I’d gotten so scared.

I ended up peeing my pants and we went back into the hotel and I tripped going up the stairs, resulting in more laughter and more pants peeing. We finally got to the room and I changed and we went to sleep. The room (and hotel, itself) were pretty creepy, and because we knew it was haunted I was already on high alert. They went to sleep but when I tried to, and every time I closed my eyes, I could feel someone standing at the side of the bed staring at me. I kept smelling and feeling little gusts of wind in my face, as if someone was sitting by the bed staring me down and was smoking a cigarette/cigar and blowing the smoke in my face. It was incredibly unnerving because it didn’t stop not once all night, so I ended up staying up all night watching tv, hoping I didn’t see anything or feel anything else.

The next day when I showered I couldn’t shower fast enough because it felt like someone was watching me shower and we thanked the hotel staff and left. I slept on the drive home and at one point when I woke up my sister asked if I’d heard from my friend. I said no and was really confused and then she asked if I remembered calling anyone last night and then it all struck me and I was mortified the rest of the ride home. When I got home I decided to just be straight up so I texted him saying that I’d meant what I said and was open to either going that route, if he was also interested in me, or just staying friends. He ended up ignoring me for weeks and I had to talk to a mutual friend about it. Now it’s just water under the bridge, but a hilarious memory. I even wrote a fanfic about the whole trip to Pioche! (I think some of the details in the fic are wrong/exagerated, and I’m not totally clear on some of the details that I’ve recounted here as they differ from the details at the end of that fic, but it’s all as accurate as I can remember without asking my sister for more clarification.)

All in all every part of the trip was just FUN. We didn’t ever have a moment where things went wrong, we didn’t have bad experiences. We weren’t stressed. It was exactly what my soul needed after spending years watching my mom battle with cancer. It was a bonding retreat and everything about it just soothed me and filled me with so much joy and the memories I have of that trip will last a lifetime.

[geneshaven]

Mother and Daughter

This story takes place about a month after the end of season four of Arrow. The motivation to write it came out of the vast distances I’ve discovered while motoring down the Alaskan Highway on my Harley. Donna and Felicity Smoak’s relationship as mother and daughter reminded me of those distances and of how they had one big secret still left between them.

 Part One

 Felicity’s plane took a hard back to the left as it began its approach into Las Vegas. A vicious crosswind reached out and shook the plane, creating an alarming turbulence as it suddenly dropped sixty feet. Felicity clutched the sides of her seat and added her own frightened gasp to the rest of the passengers.

After a few minutes of absolute terror, the plane touched down, and along with the other eighty-three passengers, Felicity sighed relief as the jet taxied down the runway towards a gate at the south end of the airport tarmac. Small chuckles  began to drift up and down the aisle of the cabin as everybody shook off the trepidation they felt moments before when they all thought they were going to crash and die. Felicity turned to the old lady sitting in the seat next to her and put on a brave smile.

“Well,” she told the lady. “That was exciting, right?”

“Exciting,” the old lady answered. “But pretty normal. I’ve been coming to Vegas for some years now and the approach to the runway has always been an adventure. It’s the crosswinds blowing down from the surrounding hills circling the city that causes the turbulence.”

“Yeah, I was born here,” Felicity told the lady. “But I normally go overland whenever I come back to this place for a visit. I think I might have flown out once when I was a kid, but…well; I don’t do heights very well.”

“Vegas is your hometown then,” the lady asked her? “Do you still have family here? Your mother and father perhaps. It must be strange coming here as  a tourist in your own hometown.”

The plane pulled up to the gate and the cabin lights came on. People began to climb out of their seats and reach up to the overhead compartments to retrieve their carry-on bags. They started to line up in the aisle to disembark.

Felicity looked out her window and saw the Strip off to her left. Like most natives of Vegas, she rarely ever spent any time at the casinos, unlike her mother who worked them over the years when Felicity was growing up. They had lived in a small apartment complex six miles from the neon jungle that was the Las Vegas Strip. She was not really fascinated by the allure of those neon lights that attracted gamblers and other creatures of the night life the town brought in. Over a million, she was told by her mother. As long as they kept coming, Donna would always have steady work. Felicity had to admit that her mother was pretty good at slinging booze and putting up with all the men who leered at her and snuck unwanted pats on her ass. It was a living Donna told her, and it kept a roof over their heads and food on their table.

All this went through Felicity’s mind as she left her seat and moved out into the aisle. Most of the other tourists were crammed into the line stretching up to the front of the plane. She was  momentarily amused at their bright summer clothes and the eager anticipation on their faces as they thought of slot machines and blackjack tables and winning big.

The text that Donna had sent to her, summoning her back home, brought her the same trepidation that she felt on the plane as it dipped up and down like a mad pogo stick. Donna had written that she had some questions gathering in her life, questions concerning her daughter and what she had been apparently involved in for going on over four years now. After the danger they had faced with Damion Darkhe and how he had almost killed Donna until a mysterious stranger crashed into the Loft like an angel sent from God…amid all the chaos of that night, Donna had told Felicity in the text that she remembered Darkhe mentioning that this heroic stranger used to live at the Loft---with her daughter. The implications were shattering. So, she had sent Felicity the text and said they needed to talk in person. Felicity remembered how her mother had said it was her that sent Noah away, not the other way around. Felicity was a bit devasted by this truth, but being a forgiving person, she was able to channel her disappointment and not confront her mother head on about her lie. Instead, Felicity wrote back and said she would come to Vegas. She and Oliver had already cleaned up at the Bunker, and with Oliver’s new duties as intern Mayor of Star City, she felt it was the right time for her to step away from the mission and make amends with her mother. Oliver agreed and even drove her to the airport.

Felicity finally made it to the exit. A flight attendant stood by the door, wishing people good luck and to have a great time in Vegas. Felicity passed by her and said nothing as she left the plane. She began to go over in her head how she was going to explain to her mother that she had fallen in love with a vigilante and how they came together to save their city.

@it-was-a-red-heeler @memcjo @swordandarrow @hope-for-olicity @faegal04 @folly1977 @gabriellamarie97 @olicityotp-always

[winterfable]

The expansion of Greece

 Section 1. Causes and character of greek colonisation

Difference of Greek and Phoenician colonisation

The cause of Greek colonisation is not to be found in mere trade interests. These indeed were in most cases a motive, and in some of the settlements on the Black Sea they were perhaps a leading motive. But the great difference between Greek and Phoenician colonisation is that, while the Phoenicians aimed solely at promoting their commerce, and only a few of their settlements, notably Carthage, became more than mere trading-stations or factories, Greek colonisation satisfied other needs than desire of commercial profit. It was the expression of the adventurous spirit which has been poetically reflected in the legends of the "Sailing of the Argo" and the "Home-coming of Odysseus"­­­­ —the same spirit, not to be expressed in any commercial formula, which prompted English colonisation.

[…]

Relation of the colony to the mother city; Oracles; joint enterprises

Wherever the Greek went, he retained his customs and language, and made a Greek "polis." It was as if a bit of Greece were set down on the remote shores of the Euxine or in the far west on the wild coasts of Gaul or Iberia. The colony was a private enterprise, but the bond of kinship with the "mother-city" was carefully fostered, and though political discontent might have been the cause which drove the founders forth, yet that solemn departure for a distant land, where a new city-state, protected by the same gods was to spring up, always sealed a reconciliation. The emigrants took fire from the public hearth of their city to light the fire on that of their new home. Intercourse between colonies and the mother-country was specially kept up at the great religious festivals of the year, and various marks of filial respect were shown by the daughter to the mother. When, as frequently befell, the colony determined herself in turn to throw off a new shoot, it was the recognised custom that she should seek the oecist or leader of the colonists from the mother-city. Thus the Megarian colony, Byzantium, when it founded its own colony, Mesembria, must have sought an oecist from Megara. The political importance of colonisation was sanctified by religion, and it was a necessary formality, whenever settlement was to be made, to ask the approbation of the Delphic god. The most ancient oracular god of Greece was Zeus of Dodona. The Selli, his priests and "interpreters," are mentioned in the Iliad; and in the Odyssey Dodona appears as a place to which a king of the west might go to ask the will of Zeus "from the lofty oak," wherein the god was conceived to dwell. But the oak-shrine in the highlands of Epirus was too remote to become the chief oracle of Greece, and the central position of Delphi enabled the astute priests of the Pythian Apollo to exalt the authority of their god as a true prophet to the supreme place in the Greek world. There were other oracular deities who foretold the future; there was, not far off, Trophonius at Boeotian Lebadea; there was Amphiaraus in the land of the Graes, not yet Boeotian. But none of these ever became even a rival of the Delphian Apollo, who by the seventh century at least had won the position of adviser to Greece. 

[…]

[…]In the second place, colonization led to the  association of Greeks of different cities. An oecist who decided to organise a party of colonists could not always find in his own city a sufficient number of men willing to take part in the enterprise. He therefore enlisted comrades from other cities; and thus many colonies were joint undertakings and contained a mixture of citizens of various nationality. This feature was not indeed confined to the later epoch of colonisation; it is one of the few facts about the earlier settlements on the Asiatic coast of which we can be certain.

Section 2. Colonies on the coasts of the Euxine, Propontis and north Aegean

The legend of the Argo; The Pontos (Black Sea); Propontis; Significance of the Odissey

The voyage of the Argonauts in quest of the golden fleece commemorates in a delightful legend the memorable day on which Greek sailors for the first time burst into the waters of the Euxine Sea. Accustomed to the island straits and short distances of the Aegean, they fancied that when they had passed the Bosphorus they were embarking on a boundless ocean, and they called it the "Main," Pontos. Even when they had circumnavigated its shores it might still seem boundless, for they knew not where the great rivers, the Ister, the Tanais, the Danapris, might lead. The little preliminary sea into which the Hellespont widens, to contract again into the narrow passage of the Bosphorus, was appropriately named the "vestibule of the Pontus"—Propontis. Full of creeks and recesses, it is happily described by Euripides as the "bayed water-key of the boundless Sea." The Pontus was a treacherous field for the barques of even experienced mariners, and it was supposed to have received for this reason its name "Euxine," or Hospitable, in accordance with a habit of the Greeks to seek to propitiate adverse powers by pleasant names. It was when the compass of the Euxine was still unknown, and men were beginning to explore its coasts, that the tale of the wanderings of Odysseus took form. He was imagined to have sailed from Troy into the Pontus, and, after having been driven about in its waters, to have at last reached Ithaca by an overland journey through Thrace and Epirus. In the Odyssey, as we have it now, compounded of many different legends and poems, this is disguised the island of Circe has been removed to the far west, and the scene of the Descent to the Underworld translated to the Atlantic Ocean. But Circe, the daughter of the Sun, and sister of King Aeetes who

possessed the golden fleece, belongs to the seas of Colchis; and the world of shades beyond the Cimmerians is to be sought near the Cimmerian Bosphorus. The mention of Sicily in some of the later parts of the poem, and the part played by Ithaca, which, with the other islands of the lonian Sea, lay on the road to the western Mediterranean, reflect the beginning of the expansion of Greece in that direction, But the original wanderings of Odysseus were connected, not with the west, but with the exploration of the Euxine.

[…]

Chalcidian colonization; Chalcidice

If Miletus and Megara took the most prominent part in extending the borders of the Greek world eastward of the Hellespont, the northwestern corner of the Aegean was the special domain of Euboea. The barren islands of Sciathus and Peparethus were the bridge from Euboea to the coast of Macedonia, which, between the rivers Axius and Strymon, runs out into a huge three-pronged promontory. Here Chalcis planted so many towns that the whole

promontory was named Chalcidice. […]

Section 3. Colonies in the Western Mediterranean

Pillars of Heracles

Above all, the earliest navigation of the western seas was ascribed to Heracles, who reached the limits of the land of the setting sun, and stood on the ledge of the world looking out upon the stream of Oceanus. From him the opposite cliffs which form the gate of the Mediterranean were called the Pillars of Heracles.

[…]

Importance of Cyme in European history

The people in whose midst this outpost of Greek civilisation was planted were the Opicans, one of the chief branches of the Italic race, The colonists were eminently successful in their intercourse with the natives; and the solitary position of Cyme in these regions—for no Greek settlement could be made northward on account of the great Etruscan power, and there was no rival southward until the later plantation of Posidonia—made her influence both wide and noiseless. Her external history is uneventful; there are no striking wars or struggles to record; but the work she did holds an important and definite place in the history of European civilisation. To the Euboeans of Cyme we may say that we owe the alphabet which we use to-day, for it was from them that the Latins learned to write. The Etruscans also got their alphabet independently from the same masters, and, having modified it in certain ways to suit themselves, passed it on to the Oscans and Umbrians.

Origin of the name Greece from the Boeotian Graeans;

To Cyme, too, western Europe probably owes the name by which she calls Hellas and the Hellenes. The Greeks, when they first came into contact with Latins, had no common name; Hellenes, the name which afterwards united them, was as yet merely associated with a particular tribe. It was only natural that strangers should extend the name of the first Greeks with whom they came in contact to others whom they fell in with later, and so to all

Greeks whatsoever. But the curious circumstance is that the settlers of Cyme were known, not by the name of Chalcis or Eretria or Cyme itself, but by that of Graia. Graii was the term which the Latins and their fellows applied to the colonists, and the name Graeci is a derivative of a usual type from Graii. It was doubtless some trivial accident which ruled that we to-day call Hellas "Greece," instead of knowing it by some name derived from Cyme, Eretria, or Chalcis. The west has got its "Greece" from an obscure district in Boeotia; Greece itself got its "Hellas" from a small territory in Thessaly. This was accidental. But it was no accident that western Europe calls Greece by a name connected with that city in which Greeks first came into touch with the people who were destined to civilise western Europe and rule it for centuries.

Sicily; its position in history

The next settlement of the Euboean Greeks was on Sicilian, not Italian, ground. The island of Sicily is geographically a continuation of Italy—just as the Peloponnesus is a continuation of the great eastern peninsula; but its historical importance depends much more on another geographical fact. It is the centre of the Mediterranean; it parts the eastern from the western waters. It has been thus marked out by nature as a meeting-place of nations; and the struggle between European and Asiatic peoples, which has been called the "Eternal Question," has been partly fought out on Sicilian soil. There has been in historical times no native Sicilian power, The greatness of the island was due to colonization—not

Migration—from other lands. Lying as a connecting link between Europe and Africa, it attracted settlers from both sides; while its close proximity to Italy always rendered it an object of acquisition to those who successively ruled in that peninsula.

[…]

Dorian Colonies: Syracuse and Corcyra

While this group of Chalcidian colonies was being formed in north-eastern Sicily, Dorian Greeks began to obtain a footing in south-eastern Sicily, which history decided should become the Dorian quarter. The earliest of the Dorian cities was also the greatest. Syracuse, destined to be the head of Greek Sicily, was founded by Corinthian emigrants under the leadership of Archias before the end of the eighth century. Somewhere about the same time Corinth also colonised Corcyra; […]

[…]

ἠ μεγάλε ‘Ελλάς (Magna Graecia); Conjectured origin of the name Hellenes = Greeks

These cities, with their dependencies beyond the hills, on theshores of the Tyrrhenian sea, came to be regarded as a group, and the country came to be called Great Hellas. We might rather have looked to find it called Great Achaia, by contrast to the old Achaean lands in Greece; but here, as in other cases, it is the name of a lesser folk which prevails. If the Hellenes, the old Greek inhabitants of the plain of the Spercheus, had been conquered by the Achaeans, the conquest was forgotten, and the two peoples had gone forth together to found new cities in the west; and here the Hellenic name rose to celebrity and honour. It was no small thing in itself that the belt of Greek settlements on the Tarentine gulf should come to be called Great Hellas. But it was a small thing compared with the extension of the name Hellenes to designate all peoples of Greek race. There was nothing to lead the Greeks of their own accord to fix on Hellenes as a common name; if they had sought such a name deliberately, their natural choice would have been Achaeans, which Homer had already used in a wide sense. The name must have been given to them from without. Just as the barbarian peoples in central Italy had taken hold of the name of the Graes, so the barbarians in the southern peninsulas took hold of the name of the Hellenes, and used it to denote all settlers and strangers of the same race. Such a common name, applied by barbarian lips to them all alike, brought home to Greek traders the significance of their common race; and they adopted the name themselves as the conjugate of barbarians. So the name Hellenes, obscure when it had gone forth to the west, travelled back to the east in a new sense, and won its way into universal use. The fictitious ancestor Hellên became the forefather of the whole Greek race; and the fictitious ancestors of the Dorians, Ionians, and Aeolians were all derived from him. The original Hellenes lost their separate identity as completely as the original Acolians and Tonians had lost theirs; but their name was destined to live forever in the speech of men, while those of their greater fellows had passed into a memory.

Section 4. Growth of trade and maritime enterprise

[…]

The life of farmers in Boeotia, 8th century, described in Hesiod’s Works and Days

The bust was identified for a very long time with the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger, but it may actually represent Hesiod.

The Boeotian poet Hesiod has given us a picture of rural life in Greece at this period. He was a husbandman himself near Ascra, where his father, who had come as a stranger from Cyme in Aeolis, had put under cultivation a strip of waste land on the slopes of Helicon. The farm was divided between his two sons, Perses and Hesiod, but in unequal shares; and Hesiod accuses Perses of winning the larger moiety by bribing the lords of the district. But Perses managed his farm badly and it did not prosper. Hesiod wrote his poem the Works to teach such unthrifty farmers as his brother true principles of agriculture and economy. His view of life is profoundly gloomy, and suggests a condition of grave social distress in Boeotia. This must have been mainly due to the oppression of the nobles, "gift-devouring" princes as he calls them. The poet looks back to the past with regret. The golden age, the silver, and the bronze, have all gone by, and the age of the heroes who fought at Troy; and mankind is now in the iron age, and "will never cease by day or night from weariness and woe." "Would that I did not live in this generation, would that I had died before, or were born hereafter!" The poem gives minute directions for the routine of the husbandman's work, the times and tides of sowing and reaping, and the other labours of the field, the fashion of the implements of tillage; and all this is accompanied by maxims of proverbial wisdom.

Modern Mount Helicon. Hesiod once described his nearby hometown, Ascra, as "cruel in winter, hard in summer, never pleasant."

Historical significance of Hesiod’s Poem; The Theogony; Hesiod’s cosmic system; Hesiodic school

Apart from the value of his poem as a social picture, Hesiod has a great significance as the first spokesman of the common folk. In the history of Europe, his is the first voice raised from among the toiling classes and claiming the interest of mankind in their lot. It is a voice indeed of acquiescence, counselling fellow-toilers to make the best of an evil case; the stage of revolt has not yet been reached. But the grievances are aired, and the lords who wield the power are exhorted to deal just judgments, that the land may prosper. The new poet is, in form and style, under the influence of the Homeric poems, but he is acutely conscious that he is striking new notes and has new messages for men. He comes forward, unlike in his own person; he contrasts himself with Homer when he claims that the Muses can teach truth as well as beautiful fiction. In another poem, the Theogony, we are told that the daughters of Zeus taught Hesiod as he fed sheep on the hill-sides of Helicon; they gave him for staff a branch of bay. The staff was now the minstrel's emblem; for the epic poems were no longer sung to the lyre, but were recited by the "rhapsode" standing with a staff in his hand. Then the Muses breathed into the shepherd of Ascra the wizard power of declaring the future and the past, and set him the ask of singing the race of the blessed gods. In the Theogony he performs this task. He sings how the world was made, the gods and the earth, the rivers and the ocean, the stars and the heaven; how in infinite space which was at the beginning there arose Earth and Tartarus and Love the cosmic principle; and it is notable how he introduces amongst the eldest-born powers of the world such abstractions as love itself, memory, sleep. These speculations on the origin of the universe, and the attempt to work up the popular myths into a system, mark a new stage in the intellectual development of Greece. There were other works composed by various bards who merged their identities under Hesiod's name; and, as we have seen, these Hesiodic poems had a decisive influence in moulding the ideas of the Greeks as to the early history of their race.

Hesiod and the Muse (1891), by Gustave Moreau. The poet is presented with a lyre, in contradiction to the account given by Hesiod himself in which the gift was a laurel staff.

Boeotia was always an unenterprising country of husbandmen, sympathy with trade or foreign venture, though his father had come from Aeolis. But the growth of trade was the most important fact of the time, and here too the colonies reacted on the mother-country. By enlarging the borders of the Greek world they invited and facilitated the extension of Greek trade and promoted the growth of industries. Hitherto the Greeks had been mainly an agricultural and pastoral people; many of them were now becoming industrial. They had to supply their western colonies with oil and wool, with metal and pottery, and they began to enter into serious competition with the Phoenician trader and to drive eastern goods from the market.

Roads in Greece; Danger of navigation

Greek trade moved chiefly along water-ways, and this is illustrated by the neglect of road-making in Greece. There were no paved roads, even in later times, except the Sacred Ways to frequented sanctuaries like that from Athens to Eleusis and Delphi, or that from the sea-coast to Olympia. Yet the Greeks were still timorous navigators, and it was deemed hazardous to sail even in the most familiar waters, except in the late summer. Hesiod expresses in vivid verses the general fear of the sea: "For fifty days after the solstice, till the end of the harvest, is the tide for sailing; then you will not wreck your ship, nor will the sea wash down your crew, unless Poseidon or Zeus wills their destruction. In that season winds are steady and Ocean kind; with mind at rest, launch your ship and stow your freight; but make all speed to return home, and await not the new wine and the rain of the vintage-tide, when the winter approaches, and the terrible South-wind stirs the waves, in fellowship with the heavy autumnal rain of Zeus, and makes the sea cruel." About this time, however, an important advance was made in seacraft by the discovery of the anchor.

Development of ship building; The penteconter; Aegaeus; The bireme; The trireme comes into more general use in Greece not long before 500 B.C.; The beak (embolos)

Seafaring states found it needful to build warships for protection against pirates. The usual type of the early Greek warship was the penteconter or "fifty-oar," a long, narrow galley with twenty-five benches, on each of which two oarsmen sat. The penteconter hardly came into use in Greece before the eighth century. The Homeric Greeks had only smaller vessels of twenty oars, but we can see in the Homeric poems the penteconter coming within their ken as a strange and wonderful thing. The ocean deity, Briareos, called by the name of the Aegean, appears in the Iliad; and he is probably no other than the new racer of the seas, sped by a hundred hands. In the Odyssey the Phaeacians, who are the kings of seacraft, have ships of fifty oars (The secret of building this kind of galley has been lost. Modern shipwrights cannot reproduce a trireme. In later times the Greeks built ships of many banks-five, ten, even forty.). But before the end of the eighth century a new idea revolutionised shipbuilding in Phoenicia. Vessels were built with two rows of benches, one above the other, so that the number of oarsmen and the speed were increased without adding to the length of the ship. The "bireme," however, never became common in Greece, for the Phoenicians had soon improved it into the "trireme," by the superposition of another bank of oars. The trireme, propelled by 170 rowers, was ultimately to come into universal use as the regular Greek warship, though for a long time after its first introduction by the Corinthians the old penteconters were still generally used; but the unknown shipwright who invented the bireme deserves the credit of the new idea. Whatever naval battles were fought in the seventh century were fought mainly, we may be sure, with penteconters. But penteconters and triremes alike were affected by the new invention of the bronze ram on the prow, a weapon of attack which determined the future character of Greek naval warfare.

Fleet of triremes made up of photographs of the modern full-sized replica Olympias

 Tradition of an ancient naval battle between Corinth and Corcyra (664 B.C.)

The Greeks believed that the first regular sea-fight between two Greek powers was fought before the middle of the seventh century between Corinth and her daughter city Corcyra. If the tradition is true, we may be sure that the event was an incident in a struggle for the trade with Italy and Sicily and along the Adriatic coasts. The chief competitors, however, with Corinth in the west were the Euboean cities, Chalcis and Eretria. In the traffic in eastern seas the island city of Aegina, though she had no colonies of her own, took an active part, and became one of the richest mercantile states of Greece. Athens too had ships, but her industries were still on a comparatively small scale, and it was not till a much later period that her trade was sufficient to involve her in serious rivalry with her neighbours. But the most active of all in industry and commerce were the Greeks of Ionia.

 Section 5. Influence of Lydia on Greece

Lydian coinage; Electron staters

In the meantime Lydia had made an invention which revolutionised commerce. It is to Lydia that Europe owes the invention of coinage. The Babylonians, Phoenicians, and Egyptians made use of weighed gold and silver as a medium of exchange, a certain ratio being fixed between the two metals. A piece of weighed metal becomes a coin when it is stamped by the State and is thereby warranted to have its professed weight and purity. This step was first taken in Lydia, where the earliest money was coined somewhere about the beginning of the seventh century, probably by Gyges. These Lydian coins were made of the native white gold, or electron—a mixture of gold and silver in which the proportion of

gold was greater, A bar of the white gold of Sardis was regarded ten times the value of a silver bar, and three-fourths of the value of a gold bar, of the same weight. Miletus and Samos soon adopted the new invention, which then spread to other Asiatic towns. Then Aegina and the two great cities of Euboea instituted monetary systems, and by degrees all the states of Greece gave up the primitive custom of estimating value in heads of cattle, and most of them had their own mints. As gold was very rare in Greece, not being found except in the islands of Siphnos and Thasos, the Greeks coined in silver. This invention, coming at the very moment when the Greeks were entering upon a period of great commercial activity, was of immense importance, not only in facilitating trade, but in rendering possible the accumulation of capital. Yet it took many generations to supersede completely the old methods of economy by the new system.

Early 6th century BC Lydian electrum coin (one-third stater denomination)

Religious character of Greek Coinage

It was highly characteristic of the Greeks that their coinage marked from the beginning by religious associations; and it has been supposed that the priests of their temples had an important share in initiating the introduction of money. It was in the shrines of their gods that men were accustomed to store their treasures for safe-keeping; the gods themselves possessed costly dedications; and thus the science of weighing the precious metals was naturally studied by the priesthoods. Every coin which a Greek state issued bore upon it a reference to some deity. In early times this reference always took the shape of a symbol; in later times the head of the god was often represented. The Lydian coins of Sardis, the coins of Miletus and other Ionian cities, bore a lion; those of Eretria showed a cow with a sucking calf; Aegina displayed a tortoise, and Cyzicus a tunny-fish; and all these tokens were symbols of the goddess who, whether under the name of Aphrodite or Hera or Artemis, was identified by the Greeks with Astarte of Phoenicia. 

Aegina coin type, incuse skew pattern. Circa 456/45-431 BC.

 Section 7. Cyrene

[…]

Arcesilaus; The Arcesilas vase

[…]but the chief source of the wealth of the Cyrenaean kings was the export of silphion, a plant which acquired a high repute for medicinal virtues. In those days it grew luxuriantly in the regions of Barca; now it is extinct. The sale of silphion was a monopoly of the king; and on a fine Cyrenaean cup we can see Arcesilas II. himself watching the herb being weighed and packed. It was in the reign of this king that Barca was founded, farther west. He quarrelled with his brothers, and they left Cyrene and founded a town for themselves.

The Telegony of Eugammon, c. 600 B.C.

Cyrene held her head high in the Greek world though she was somewhat apart from it. A Cyrenacan poet arose, and continued the Odyssey and described the last adventures of Odysseus. His poem was accepted by Greece as winding up the Epic Cycle which was associated with the name of Homer. His work was distinguished by local pride and local colouring. He gave Odysseus a son Arcesilaus, and connected the royal line of Cyrene with the great wanderer. And he introduced a flavour of those Libyan influences which modified Cyrenaean civilisation, just as the remote cities of the Euxine received influences from Scythia.

 Section 8. Popular discontent in Greece

Increase of trade and industry. Slavery.

The advance of the Greeks in trade and industry produced many consequences of moment for their political and social development. The manufactures required labour, and a sufficient number of free labourers was not to be had. Slaves were therefore indispensable, and they were imported in large numbers from Asia Minor and Thrace and the coasts of the Euxine. The slave-trade became a profitable enterprise, and the men of Chios made it their chief pursuit. The existence of household slaves, generally war-captives, such as we meet in Homer, was an innocent institution which would never have had serious results; but the new organized slave-system which began in the seventh century was destined to prove one of the most fatal causes of disease and decay to the states of Greece.

— John Bagnell Bury

Obtenido de “A History of Greece to the death of Alexander the Great“. pps. 79-112

[dknuth]

Trekking in Western Mongolia

I’ve just returned from a unique trip to the very western edge of Mongolia, where for the last three weeks we trekked by foot, horseback and canoe.  Along the way we visited local nomads in their winter homes and summer gers (the Mongolian word for yurts).  

The trip was organized by Tim Cope from Australia, a well known traveller and adventurer,  together with O.A.R.S. from the US.  

Our group of 10 men and women from the US and Australia were supported by an array of guides, drivers, horsemen, camel packers, cooks and more.  The crew members changed over the weeks depending on the needs of that portion of the trip.  Along the way our gear was carried by Russian 4WD vans or camels depending on the availability of roads.  (A road being defined as two or more generally parallel tracks.)

The scenery was stunning and while the trekking, canoeing and riding required a fair amount of daily effort, it was doable by our group which ranged in age from 38 to 82. 

The logistics and nature of the travel together with the range of terrain means that only about 30 people have ever done this trip, so this was clearly a rare opportunity.

Days 1 - 3: Getting to the start of the trek.

We all met in Ulaanbaatar in mid-August for a final review of the upcoming trip, distribution of additional gear, last minute purchases and repacking our clothes and gear for the trek.  (Little did we know that re-packing for changing circumstances was going to be an almost daily event.)  The following morning we flew to Ölgii in western Mongolia where we loaded into 4WD vehicles for a two days of overland driving to get to the start of the trek.  

Our first camp was on the open steppe west of Ölgii near a nomad camp.  We were rewarded by spectacular evening light across the step and hills including a bright shaft from a rainbow; an excellent omen for the trip.  

In the morning we found we had set up camp around the burrow of a long-eared Mongolian gerbil.  When it first stuck its head out of the burrow, we all thought “rabbit”, but then it came out and that wasn’t a rabbit’s tail!

Our first stop after packing up was to visit the nomad family we were camped near.  This was to be a daily activity throughout the trip.  It is considered good fortune among the nomads to invite visitors into your home and we were always graciously invited in and served the standard food and drink.  

The main item offered is always milk tea.  This is not tea with added milk, but milk boiled on the stove with added tea leaves, served in bowls.  Despite the size of our group (usually about 14 including guides and such) sufficient bowls were always found.  The low table was always loaded with butter, dried curd, and small fried breads.  To this might be added cheese, yogurt, thick cream, or berry jam.  All of this would have been home made.  

Interestingly this far western end of Mongolia is mainly settled by Kazakh nomads with  some Mongolians and Tuuvans.  The Kazakhs typically don’t speak Mongolian and the Mongolians don’t speak Kazakh, although the Tuuvans seem most likely to speak both.  This is despite the fact that the groups may be in the next valley from each other.  

After drinking the tea and tasting the offerings on the table, we gave them some small gifts and loaded up for a long drive up into the mountains.  

We stopped for lunch alongside a vacant nomad winter home.  The fall, spring, and winter homes are usually solid structures rather than gers with structures for protection from the wind for the animals.  You may have noticed that were are almost no trees here, so fuel isn’t typically firewood, but manure, usually cow or yak.  In fact, manure is the fuel for all cooking and heating, although some families had a small pile of kindling.  

This pile of dried manure was unique for having a fresh camel’s head on top!

A second stop was at a stone outcropping covered with petroglyphs; the typical hunted animals, hunters and horses.  

We also saw our first ancient graves.  These were mound graves and are thousands of years old.   The size of these mounds makes it clear that these were important people.

As we drove up into the mountains we found ourselves in a snow storm, which was certainly a concern.  While we were all prepared for cold weather and possible snow, camping in snow always increases the concerns about cold and wet conditions.  

But by the time we got to the campsite in the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park the snow had stopped and we found it had only persisted on the surrounding slopes creating a stunning scene.  

[thestillnessandthedancing]

October 30th 2019

AH! It’s that time of year again where we go from comforting sounds to unsettling, it’s HALLOWEEN! So we indulge in the darker sides and took a few frights of found sound, doom, gloom and longing and bundled it up into two hours of seasonal delights. Don’t forget! Scaring is caring! Happy Autumn Equinox, All Saints Night, Hallow’s Eve, Halloween, etc! … !!

-hour1- Orghanon - Retrospectre I (from.. Retrospectre - 2017 - Time Released Sound limited edition music label) Coil/Black Light District - Refusal of Leave to Land (from.. A Thousand Lights in a Darkened Room - 1996) MY DISCO - Hong Kong 1987 (from.. Environment - 2019 - Downwards Records) Ulaan Khol - From Overland They Came In Droves (from.. La Catacomb - 2012 - Soft Abuse) Xela - Briefly Seen (from.. the Dead Sea - 2006 - Type Records) Scott Tuma - Droopts (from.. No Greener Grass - 2017) Kammarheit (Official) - The Ruins and the Serene (from.. Asleep and Well Hidden - 2003 - Cyclic Law) BSHC - bsds (track 5) (from.. The Process of Seeding Doubt - 2018) Black Walls - Funeral Wake (from.. Communion - 2017)

-hour2- Northumbria - Sunstone (from.. Markland - 2017 - Cryo Chamber) Nathan Bowles - The Smoke Swallower (from.. Nansemond - 2014 - Paradise of Bachelors) Nonconnah - Ego Death At Houston Levee (from.. Dead Roses, Digged Up Zombies, Broken Pieces of Diamonds, Live Cats - 2019 - Ernest Jenning Record Co.) Knivtid - Skur (from.. Spiritism - 2019) Muslimgauze - Return of Black September (from.. the Return of Black September - 2013) The Stranger - Exposure (from.. Bleaklow (Remastered Edition) - 2014) Inca Ore - Alone in the Supreme (from.. Birthday of Bless You - 2008 - Not Not Fun Records) Alder & Ash - Seeds of a Sallow Earth (From.. Clutched in the Maw of the World - 2017 - Lost Tribe Sound) Rafael Anton Irisarri - Black Pitch (from.. Solastalgia - 2019 - Room40) Building castles out of matchsticks. - The Portable Illusionist (from.. Oscillating Forests - 2019 - Arachnidiscs Recordings) orbs of light - you shine bright as the stars that guide me home (2019)

*Photo of a still from the film The Spiral Staircase ... !!

[sweettoothshipperrotg]

Arranged Marriage... SweetTooth AU?? :3

Well, this is what happens when I allow the plot bunnies (pun fully intended) to hold me hostage: y’all end up with a thirteen page fic. (sorry?)

Kinda long disclaimer: My brain setted this during victorian times in England, more specifically in the 1840′s London. Bunny is an army lieutenant that had been assigned to the British colonies of New South Wales (aka Australia), Toothiana is a princess from one of the many Indian states that were under indirect british rule (she still held her title as maharani but could not kick the dudes out of her region). Although I did as much research as I could to inform myself and provide argument for the fic, I apologize if you feel that I was disrespectful/misinformed in the way I depicted the characters and circumstances here. It was not my intention and I would appreciate if you can offer constructive criticism so I can improve. What I DID do is try to keep it as ambiguous as possible so although it does not directly mention anyone in particular, the idea still remains (don’t go around colonizing countries an being an asshat to people) 

A/N: Whenever you see boldened and cursive text it’s because the characters are speaking a different language apart from regular English.

Ok, I’m done, I promise. ^^;

Hope you like it!

“I have been eagerly awaiting the day I could finallymeet you…and I am not disappointed. You are beautiful.”

The words that came from her fiancé’s mouth would havesent any other young girl’s heart aflutter. To Toothiana…they felt completelyhollow.

Every fiber of her soul was begging her to turn back,ran to the closest port, and sneak onto a ship that would take her far awayfrom here and closer to her beloved country. Yet she remained rooted on herspot.

The atmosphere was charged with tension, silence stretchingand making everything worse.

All eyes were on both of them, sizing, judging, and losingno detail of the interaction among the betrothed couple.

Their dark clothes and pretentious faces wereunnerving to say the least.

They thought themselves above her and her people.Fools, the lot of them.

Toothiana kept her head held high. The people who hadaccompanied her and her younger sister had instructed her on how she wassupposed to curtsy and handle herself when she met her fiancé. She refused togrant him said honor.

She was the heir to the throne of Punjam Hy Loo,daughter of Haroom and Queen Rashmi. She bowed to those worthy of it.

Her disruption of protocol sent tongues wagging; awave of poorly concealed whispers filled the room.

The man in front of her seemed to tower above most ofthe attendees. His bright red uniform and medals pinned to his chest, proof ofhis prowess in battle, seemed obnoxiously loud and reminded her of howdifferent and apart they truly were. Of how men sporting the same uniform hadinvaded her country and taken by force what didn’t belong to them.

To look at him, to think of why she had to do this wasmaking her sick.

She had been taken away from her home with courteoussmiles and polite words that did nothing to hide how the invaders held all thecards and they had no quarrel with twisting her arm into submitting to theirwishes.

So they had shipped off across the ocean, away fromthe deep colors of the green jungles she loved so much, from the colorful lifeof her city, and from the comfort of being among her people.

She dearly missed the sun kissed bedroom she had grownup in, the morning chants and prayers of the devotees inside the temples, theair full of spices and the perfume of the flowers in bloom.

The trip had been horrific. Storms and rough seas madeher fear that she would die in the middle of the vast ocean without theappropriate rites, her soul becoming chained to the sea and not be allowed totranscend to the beyond and see her parents.

On those nights where it almost seemed that the shipwould capsize at any moment, she held tight to her baby sister (a merelythirteen year old girl who had tragically been roped into this voyage due tosharing the same lineage) and allowed a few rogue tears to trickle down her face.

The only comfort had been the kind young man thatstationed himself outside her cabin to make the sisters feel more secure,promising to keep them safe at all costs.

Jackson Overland Frost had been a true blessing duringher long journey, joining her at the port before they departed and using hiswits and charm to win her over. He had offered his services to accompany her,serve as her interpreter, and to help her navigate this new culture full ofstrange and different aspects.

He had proven a good, amicable companion. Since he wasthe only one who spoke to her in her language, it had initiated an almostinstant bond between them.

He treated her and her sister with the upmost respectand saw them as equals.

Although he did not share the same nationality as herfiancé, he had provided as a diplomatic envoy between countries and had quicklybecome friends with him.

In fact, Jack had provided her with far moreinformation about her intended than any member of her escorts.

Toothiana did not know much of Lord Bunnymund. He wasthe sole heir of his family’s titles at his 26 years of age, had ascended tothe rank of lieutenant during his military service but had been eventuallydischarged from the army (the reason of said discharge had not been explainedto her).

“How is he? Tell me about his real colors”,she had asked him while gazing at the miniature with the rendition of the manshe was to marry.

“Bunny? Well, he’s real annoying, realgrumpy, and really full of himself!” He said with a playful smile thathad made her little sister burst into laughter. “But in all seriousness, I havenever met a stronger, more honorable man than the likes of him. Truly, the lastof his kind.”

She was not able to get any more meaningfulinformation out of him. Any other pertinent details, he proclaimed, she wouldhave to ask the man himself.

Right now, Toothiana wished she had extricated moreinformation from Jack.

The small painting had not made him justice, of thatshe was certain.

Despite belonging to the upper class, his face did nothave the softness or paleness of noblemen his age. His features knew themerciless lash of the wind and the unforgiving rays of the sun, making himstand out from the sea of faces that seemed to quake at the mention of notbeing as white as snow.

His hands looked rougher than those of the pamperednoblemen.

The voice that had greeted her had sent a shiver downher spine: deep, calming, kind, instead of the monotonous plummy ones she hadheard since the beginning of her journey. It was the type of voice that shewouldn’t mind hearing for the rest of her days.

However, his eyes were the most striking of his attributes,two orbs of vivid green that sucked the air out of her lungs when she firstlooked at them.

Despite how pleasing he was on the eyes, she wasdetermined to not budge an inch.

They wanted to make her dance to their tune? Fine.

But she would be the one to mark the tempo.

“And I hope that you do not prove asconceited and vain as the rest of your countrymen”, she retorted with asweet smirk. Even if no one but Jack and her sister could understand her, shewas content with her words.

Jack snorted at her comment, barely covering hislaughter and trying to pass it as a fit of cough.

Although it was only for a moment, she could swear shesaw her fiancé smiling at her display of spirit.

His fiancé was nothing like he had expected.

The ones that had arranged their union had granted himlittle information about her.

Whatever he received should be taken with a grain ofsalt, anyways.

Their derisive remarks and snide commentaries againsther being a foreigner and from a different culture got on his nerves.

He hated this place.

Aster was certain of this once he had been forced toleave his post at the army and practically dragged back to his country to sitdown and submit to orders like a good puppet.

He had been received with a scowl by the ones sittingatop of the political playfield.

And, stars above, the almost unending procession fromone minister’s office to another just to receive the same lecture from stuffyold men with no idea of how real life was beyond their very noses, almost droveBunnymund mad.

They had no qualm of gloating about how lucky he was to not have been executedfor his seditious actions against the crown.

What did they knew of his motives? Absolutely nothing.

They had never gone hungry a day of their lives. Theyknew not of sore muscles and tired bodies after strenuous hours of labor underthe sun. They feared not the crack of the whip, nor the unkind treatment of strangersthat had no roots to their lands.

While stationed as an officer, he had tried to breakpeace between the locals and his countrymen. But the latter refused to give anyquarter to what they considered belonged to them.

The moment that he was demanded to comply withatrocities like the ones they had ordered of him had been the straw that brokethe camel’s back.

Bunnymund had taken action against those who commandedhim. Slowly and discreetly, he had aided local insurgent factions, providingresources, information and even shelter to those who were on the run.

Unfortunately, he was caught without any means ofescape.

The first month that he stayed in prison had beentesting.

His once fellow officers now treated him like thelowliest of criminals, spitting insults whenever they passed him by.

The beatings and punishments were administered withardent fervor.

When the infection had settled in, he truly thought hewould die in that filthy cell and not even be given a proper grave.

Those days spent at the camp’s infirmary – confined tohis bed not only by the fever but by the manacles to prevent any chance ofescape, and being look down by the doctors and nurses that kept him alive – hadcrawled by agonizing slow.

Illness decided not to kill him, and back to the cellhe went.

He was careless enough to lose track of the time hespent there, only when he was released he found out that his confinement had lasteda year and 3 months.

Out of nowhere, he was presented to the commander ofthe camp and informed that his family had pulled enough strings for him to besent back to his country to be dealt with by higher authorities. He was givenhonorable discharge of the army and was forbidden to return, the disdain in theofficer oozing from every word.

And throughout this horrid experience, Bunnymund hadnever uttered a word. He had not complained, nor begged, nor retracted from hisactions. It was a waste of time to try to convince them.

He was placed on the next ship back to his countryunder heavy scrutiny of two officers who had been assigned to police him thewhole trip. They did not engage with him, but the surly looks they gave himwere a dead giveaway of their opinion of him.

When the ship finally docked, he was not greeted byany better circumstances.

He had only seen his parents once. His father had donewhat he did best and berated and screamed at him, telling him what adisappointment he was to the family name.

His mother had stayed behind her husband, a silentlook of disapproval battling with the sorrow of seeing her only son in such aregretful state.

They had not allowed him to see his sister.

Days flew by. Although it was nothing compared to hisprevious accommodations, the room he was confined in told him that his ordealwas far from over.

He had been escorted to a fancy chamber, where theminister of foreign affairs was waiting for him with a reproving look and a litpipe that wafted its acrid smell all over the room.

That’s when his future purpose was laid in front ofhim.

He was to marry a princess from a small region of acountry he had never had the opportunity to see for himself.

She was the heir to the throne and her influenceweighted a lot on the hold his country had over hers.

There had been several rebel uprisings on neighboringregions and, if the princess allied herself with said insurgents, his countrywould lose an important trade point and area of influence.

They simply could not let it happen. And since theprincess and her sister were both too valuable to kill and yet too dangerous toallow to act freely, they had decided to extract her and ship her away so shecould not play her hand against them.

The diplomats had found the perfect excuse, too. Arebel war lord had threatened her throne, fully intending to kill her and takeover the region. Under a poorly disguised attempt to “guarantee her security”,they had taken her and her sister away and were on their way here.

In order to bind her to his country, they were forcingher to marry a complete stranger.

Since he had fallen from grace, he would pay his dueby playing said role. And the minister made it quite clear that Bunnymund hadno say on the matter.

He had dreaded their meeting since the man informedhim on their imposed betrothal.

What did she look like? Any description of women fromher country had not been favorable – the opinion of men who claimed to haveseen them not proper for polite society –, but Aster knew better than to trustthose pompous bigots.

What would she think of him? Arranged marriages werenot uncommon in their times but it felt like there was an ocean between themwith how different they were.

Would they get along? It almost seemed impossible thatthey would be able to find common ground.

But to his surprise, princess Toothiana had turned outto be quite a remarkable personality (at least to his standards).

Their first encounter was full of tension and statelyprotocol. The latter she broke with a confident smile on her face, clearlyletting all those haughty toffs she would not be intimidated by them.

Although he couldn’t understand her, judging by what ahard time Jack had had to try to conceal his laughter Aster knew the womanstanding before him had more fire within her than any other.

She had refused the dresses they had provided her with–thankfully, because Aster thought her own clothes made her absolutelybreathtaking, any intention of putting her into something more restraining andstifling a disservice to her person–, as well as stubbornly stuck to speakingin her own language . He liked how her rich voice traveled through the room,the unknown words twisting and wrapping around him in a pleasant sensation.

Although she had never made any acknowledgement of thefact, Bunnymund knew princess Toothiana could understand his language. Thespark of understanding gave her away, despite how everyone else considered herand her sister as uncivilized and inferior creatures.

She couldn’t have easily traversed among the wolvesthat surrounded her had she not been a bright and confident woman.

Even though they had not spent much time together, hedid find himself thinking of her: her warm smile when talking or watching overher sister –which reminded him so much of his own–, her bubbly and melodiclaugh when she and Jack shared a secret joke, even the grace she carriedherself with.

Her entrancing eyes followed him around and he couldnot deny the effect her beauty had on him.

But it was more than just that. Her strength anddetermination had quickly casted a deep sense of admiration within him.

She had left everything behind and was facing thisabysmal uncertainty head on.

He truly felt grateful to be by her side, especiallywhen she managed to irritate diplomats and nobles the way she did. And despiteenjoying what an interesting woman she was, he knew there was a whole lot moreto find out.

His fiancé definitely was a mystery, but one he didn’tmind to unravel.

Their wedding came sooner than expected.

Suddenly, Bunnymund found his garments a tadconstricting around his throat. His reflection stared back at him paler than hewished.

He was not ready for this.

Meanwhile, Jack was leaning back against his chair andhaving the time of his life. He had a smirk hanging from his lips and a glassof strong liquor on one hand, claiming that just because Bunny was going towaste such a fine kind of liquid courage didn’t mean he had to.

The young man had always liked to crack jests at hisexpense, which got them into extensive verbal banter. His carefree naturelacked the discipline and method the military service had instilled into Bunnymund.

Bunny found it rather amusing that despite not likingeach other in the beginning they had ended up friends.

It was good to have him around, a friendly face amongthe sea of pampered halfwits who were attending.

Several diplomats and ministers were there to gloat atwhat a good idea had been to match two of the empire’s greatest headaches.

Aster’s family was nowhere to be present. His fatherand mother had been outraged at the news he was marrying a foreigner theyconsidered beneath their status.

His only regret is that he hadn’t been able toproperly talk to his sister. Not even his letters had been answered, probablyintercepted by his father and now serving as tinder for the study’s chimney.

Luckily, Jack had stayed by his side, refusing todepart until his friend was in more stable grounds.

Aster could only imagine how his fiancé might bedealing with the situation from her end.

The wide open windows didn’t feel like they wereletting any air in. The walls were starting to close in on him.

He needed to leave the room, he needed to move.

Without any further explanation he was out the doorand into the corridor before it all became too overwhelming.

A sliver of light from a door slightly ajar caught hisattention.

Peering in, he was surprised when he saw his futurewife and sister in law sitting by the window sill.

The princess was no longer using her colorful clothes.She had been forced into a white wedding dress that constricted her movementsand truly did not complement her dark skin the way her usual garments did.

Although she did look beautiful and any woman from hiscountry would have been raving at the soft satin fabric and the delicate pearlsand crystals embroidered into the dress, it was clear to see that this was notwhat she wanted.

She had had no say in any of the wedding arrangementsand no one had been sympathetic enough to try to make her more comfortable.

His fingers brushed something small that had beenburning the inside of his pocket since Jack had handed it to him (his quips atbeing tired with being an errand boy due to Aster’s house arrest ignored) andwatched the two sisters, wishing he knew what they were saying.

“Our parents would be proud of what a strongwoman you are”, the younger girl commented while trying to put a bravefront for her sister.

“I think they would be proud of the both ofus”, Toothiana cupped her face and stroke her cheek with her thumb. “Youhave been through so much because of me, but I’m glad I have you with me.”

These words filled the young princess’s eyes withtears. She had been doing her best not to cry, to try to be strong and carryher family’s name with dignity. But everything had been possible thanks toToothiana.

A deep sense of fear took over her at the idea ofbeing sent away from her or that her sister’s husband would not allow them tostay together.

“I won’t feel brave if they take you awayfrom me. I don’t want to be alone.” She couldn’t keep her voice fromquivering; tears threatening to break lose in any moment.

Toothiana pulled her close to her chest and squeezedtight, almost to make sure that what remained of her family was truly there.Tears started to form in her eyes. “Do not worry, little sister. I will notallow anyone to separate us.”

They remained like that for a few moments, wishingthat the clock would stop counting down the seconds.

Eventually they separate.

“Why don’t you go with Jack for a while andask him to tell you about sledding through the snow again?”, Toothianasuggested, knowing the young man always managed to cheer her little sister up.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I want some time on my own before I have togo.”

The girl smiled and nodded, quickly exiting the roomin search for the fair haired boy that had swiftly had become their friend duringthese testing times.

Toothiana would have to thank him for being so kindand staying until everything had settled down – although she was certain thathe was also hoping to catch a particular black-haired girl’s attention before allwedding celebrations were over. She didn’t know much about Emily JanePitchiner, but knew that her friend would never fall for a shallow woman andthe girl seemed to have a sensible head on her shoulders.

If Jack had chosen her, she was bound to be special.

The memory of the pair made Toothiana focus on theview before her, thinking at the same time of her own parents and how in lovethey had been.

Nothing of these was related to love. Not even asingle aspect of her wedding was truly hers.

In her home her engagement and wedding would have beenone of the greatest events of the region.

Suitable men would have been called from far and wideto attend the ceremony where she would choose her own husband. There would havebeen exchange of gifts, prayers at the temples, celebrations.

She would have used a beautiful red dress and adorned herselfwith jewelry and flowers, like other brides from her culture.

She would have her family and friends join her groomand her in the joyful yet solemn occasion, clapping and cheering when thenewlyweds exchanged garland as a symbol of acceptance.

There would have been demure side glances, nervouslaughter at being caught watching, a rush of excitement while holding hands.

Toothiana forced herself to cast away those images,looking down at her hand and tracing the delicate and intricate traces of hennathat her sister had painstakingly drawn onto her hands.

It had been the only aspect of her culture they hadmanaged to have, mainly because the sister had done it at night when everyonewas asleep and then it was too late to do anything about it. The princessesrelished on how the maids and instructors assigned to them fussed on howuntoward it was.

A choked sob escaped from her throat and tears rolleddown her cheeks before Toothiana could hold them back. She made no movement towipe them away.

She had been hiding her emotions to both not givethose bastards the satisfaction and to not worry her little sister. But now shewas alone, she could allow herself to cry a little.

The door slowly creaked open and she turned aroundexpecting her sister or even one of the annoying ladies that had done nothingbut pester and nag at her.

She quietly gasped when she saw Bunnymund lingering atthe door, as if considering if he should pursue this course of action.

Turning around, Toothiana wiped away her tears and triedto swallow down the feeling of embarrassment at someone seeing her crying.

“I’m sorry.” He uttered courteously, sounding a tadashamed. “I didn’t mean to walk in on you, princess.”

She gave him no answer.

“I know that you wished not for this union.” Bunnymundcleared his throat. “And I would not do you a disservice by saying that this isthe way I wanted my marriage to unfold.”

Well, at least they were being honest.

“But…”, he paused to gather strength. “Despite thecircumstances, we find ourselves together in uncharted territory. I know nothow to be a good husband and I’m sure that Jack has made you aware of my manyflaws.”

Toothiana smiled, wanting to turn around and poke funat him about the fact that no matter how much they bickered, Jack had a trueappreciation of him as a friend. Yet she remained quiet.

“We may not know much about each other. But in whatlittle time we have had, I have realized that I’ve never met a braver, more strong-willed,and kinder woman I would wish to marry.” He slowly and carefully approachedher, letting her know he meant her no threat or harm.

Her heartbeat accelerated the way it always did whenhe looked at her with those green eyes of his.

Despite her cautiousness around him but she hadmanaged to see that he was nothing like the noblemen from this country.

He had always been gentleman towards her and hersister, his presence making her feel safer. Whenever they sat with Jack andinteracted he showed true interest in what she had to say, curiously askingquestions and wanting to know more about her and her country.

And, through enough persuasion, she had found out ofwhy he had been discharged from the army and forced to come back to hishomeland.

Jack had only explained the general details, insistingthat it was better for her to hear it from Bunnymund himself, but she wasgrateful that now she knew what an outstanding man her future husband was.

Toothiana had found something she never imagined shewould find in him: kindred of spirit. Despite the differences, they shared alot in common. Their passions and ideals did not clash with the other’s, butthey burned brightly with the same intensity.

She was starting to want to know more about him.

“What I’m trying to say is…you’re not alone,princess.” He stared at her with meaningful intensity. “I promise I will carefor you and protect you to the best of my ability, til death do we part.”

Aster kneeled down while pulling a small box from hispocket and offering it to her.

Uncertain, she took it and cautiously opened.

Tears prickled at her eyes and a wave of emotion swepther as she stared at a delicate necklace with black beads on the chain and agolden pendant.

A tradition among her people was that the groom wassupposed to tie it around her neck, recognizing her as a married woman.

“Jack told me that it was customary in your countryfor the groom to gift these to the bride.”

Silence stretched as Toothiana took the necklace toadmire it in its full splendor.

Noticing the lack of verbal response and the way hisfiancé was crying, an instant feeling of panic gripped at him. Had he offendedher? Had he ruined an important custom from her country? Had Jack lead himalong just to make him look like a fool?

“I… I apologize if I have offended you, princess. It wasnot my intention to…” His face started to feel redder by the second as hespluttered.

She chuckled and shook her head to let him know hisfears were unfounded, a couple of tears still trailing down her face due tobeing moved by such a sweet gesture.

He took that as a good sign. Standing up he extendedhis hand towards the piece of jewelry. “May I?”

Her beautiful smile when she nodded made his heartskip a beat, while he inched closer so he could put the necklace on her.

It felt strangely intimate (yet not unwelcomingly so).They had never been so close, and thus never felt the heat radiating from theother’s body.

Toothiana could finally appreciate the finer detailsof his features, while Aster was finally able to let her perfume tickle theback of his nose.

Once he was satisfied with how it looked he slightlystepped to fully gaze at the enchanting woman, now looking even lovelier withthe smile that graced her lips.

He was as bold as to take her hands in his, but wasrelieved when she didn’t pull away.

“From now on, you are my path, and I choose you.”

Toothiana couldn’t be happier that they agreed.

*****

THE END, my lovelies!

Also, three cheers for Jack being such a good bro

I hope you liked it and that my writing did justice to the topics that were depicted here. See you soon and don’t hesitate to send me prompts! :D

P.S.:

I add bellow the links that I used as reference/inspiration to write this piece:

https://www.britannica.com/event/Indian-Mutiny

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/indian_rebellion_01.shtml

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/empire/g2/cs2/background.htm

https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/australian-history/colonisation/

http://cbhsyearfivehistory.weebly.com/aboriginal-lifestyle-after-british-colonisation.html

http://www.britishempire.me.uk/page102.html

https://museumsvictoria.com.au/longform/journeys-to-australia/

https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2016/12/01/10-things-you-should-know-about-slavery-australia

https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/australia-has-a-history-of-aboriginal-slavery

https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/australia-needs-to-own-up-to-its-slave-history-20150427-1muhg3.html

https://www.quora.com/In-Ancient-India-a-woman-chose-her-husband-in-Swayamvar-true-or-false

https://www.manhattanbride.com/insights/indian/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swayamvara

https://www.kuberbox.com/blog/mangalsutra-different-states-india/

[robotnik-mun]

Whelp. I’ve done it. I’ve finally done it. My Dumbest Sonic Idea EVER.

Yep, you heard me. I’ve finally done it. I’ve finally come up with the STUPIDEST take on a merged Sonic continuity ever. Like, no question about it, this is the dumbest, and I know its the dumbest.

But dammit if I don’t want to share with the world. 

Okay, so as I said some days ago, I sometimes toy with the notion that Eggman and Robotnik are separate individuals who inhabit the same world, and naturally they menace the planet, though a considerable distance from one another. Naturally, they are related to one another, and often confused for each other (much to their consternation).

Now as much as I kinda dig this idea in of itself, the problem with it is one of logistics- namely we’d have Sonic basically bouncing back between these two, and that’d get exhausting after a while. 

And this, oh, this is where the Dumb Idea came. 

What if, in addition to there being two Robotniks, there were two Sonics?

Oh yes. I went there. Two Soncis. One who fights Eggman, and the other who fights Robotnik. 

The two are cousins- Nicky Parlouzer of Chrritmas Island, and Maurice Hedgehog of Mobotropolis. And both of them carry the nickname of ‘Sonic’ due to their shared powers of Super Speed. 

So, how are these two cousins? It’s simple- Nicky’s mother, Brenda Parlouzer, is the wife of Paulie Parlouzer...

(Incidentally, yes, Anita is still Nicky’s little sister) 

...but before that, her surname was the more simple Hedgehog, and she hailed from the Kingdom of Acorn, and was the sister of none other than Jules and Charles HEdgehog!

Naturally, Jules is the father of Maurice, and the husband of Bernie Hedgehog, whom is of course Maurice’s mother. 

Ah, but here is where we dip into Insanity Overdrive... for you see, Bernie was known by another name, once upon a time. 

That name? Was Aleena. 

Yep, that’s right- Aleena and Bernie are one and the same, and Manic and Sonia do indeed exist as Maurice’s siblings! BUT WAIT, IT GETS EVEN BETTER! FOR YOU SEE, MAURICE AND NICKY BOTH GET THEIR SPEED FROM HER, AND WHEN ALEENA WAS A TEENAGER SHE DEFENDED HER KINGDOM FROM DR. ROBOTNIK AS WELL! 

Ah, but neither Dr. Ivo or Dr. Julian Robotnik were the ones she fought. No, the Dr. Robotnik she clashed with? Was Dr. BERTHA Robotnik. 

AKA...

“Momma Robotnik”! 

YEP, THAT’S RIGHT. BEFORE JULIAN OR IVO OR ANY OF THEM CAME ALONG, THEIR MOTHER WAS DOING THE “TERRORIZE THE PLANET” BIT AS WELL, AND SHE ALSO CLASHED WITH LOCKE SEVERAL TIMES WHEN HE WAS GUARDIAN AS WELL. 

But yes! The very first “Dr. Robotnik” was Bertha, daughter of the infamous Gerald. After the Ark incident and the ruination of her family name, Bertha became embittered and decided she would take vengeance upon the world, and subsequently became a mad scientist and would-be-world conqueror. 

To help facilitate her schemes, she had three sons- Colin, Julian, and Ivo. 

I haven’t figured out if they were cloned, genetically constructed or came from different fathers, but either way these three initially served as her minions in her war against Planet Mobius. 

Eventually tiring of her abuse and the constant loses to a teenage hedgehog, the three sons decided to part ways with their dear old mother. Julian and Colin would choose to take the name ‘Kintobor’ in order to make a cleaner break from the past, but Ivo out of respect for the memory of their grandfather retained the name Robotnik. To make sure that their mother would never interfere with their lives again, Julian discretely poisoned her and drove her insane, ensuring that she would be locked up in an Asylum for the rest of her life. 

Ivo would decide to take his chances in the United Federation, while Julian and Colin resettled in Overland. Colin would subsequently join the army and pursue a career in politics, while Julian joined up with the Science Ministry and became involved with Overland’s military through there. Ivo for his part briefly spent time in college earning a teaching degree before going on to join up with GUN’s R&D department. 

While Colin sought to make a clean break from the past, Julian and Ivo both had their own schemes at work. Julian would eventually get revenge on Aleena for the past humiliations he endured, working with Overland’s government to orchestrate an overthrow of the royal family in Aleena’s kingdom to put a Pro-Overland government in charge. Aleena would be forced to flee for the Kingdom of Acorn and take on a new identity, dyeing her hair and taking up the name of ‘Bernie’, all the while unaware of who was truly responsible for the loss of her kingdom. 

From here you can guess the rest- eventually the Kingdom of Acorn and Overland goes to war, which winds up dragging the other Human and Mobian nations of the planet into the conflict, and during this time Julian’s schemes against the Overland are discovered and he defects to the Kingdom of Acorn, becoming Warlord and bla-bla-bla The Coup and becoming Dr. Robotnik, conquering a large swathe of the planet and establishing his nightmarish empire of machines. 

Eventually Ivo gets in on the act, taking on the moniker “Dr. Eggman” to prevent himself from being confused with his sibling, only to find himself battling against his OWN Sonic. Eventually, Eggman goes on to find the terrorist “Eggman Empire”, complete with Egg Bosses and Egg Army and all that Jazz- he sells himself as a kinder, gentler alternative to his murderously insane sibling. 

So yeah- Nicky winds up getting into conflict with Eggman while Maurice battles against Robotnik with the Freedom Fighters, and yadda yadda yadda. 

Ah, but wait, there is more! 

Ovi Kintobor is here as well! 

The White Sheep of the Robotnik family, Ovi Kintobor is the cousin of Ivo and Julian Robotnik, though he hates to admit it (the feeling is mutual). He works hard to try and undo the damage his power crazed cousins have done to the planet in their mad schemes, aiding both Sonics whenever he can. 

The reason why Ovi is so stable compared to the other two is due to his father’s influence-

I have no name for this guy! But yeah, he is Bertha’s brother, and unlike her didn’t want revenge after what happened to their father, pointing out how futile it all was. To escape the reputation of the family, he was the first to adopt the name ‘Kintobor’, and escaped to a quiet life of being handyman. He got so good, the neighbors sometimes even called him “Mr. Tinker”, and it was thanks to the stable home life he provided his son that Ovi turned out as well as he did. 

And there you have it. My DUMBEST idea ever. Do not even BEGIN to ask me how the continuity for ANY of this adds up, cause honestly, none of it really does. Like, this is one of those ideas you KNOW is stupid, but dammit if I didn’t wanna share it with the world anyway. It’s the kind of idiocy that MUST be shared.